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-So the note for this chapter centers around something
that has been annoying the piss out of me ever since I
decided to start this fic. If you don't like Homosexual
situations, then why the hell are you reading this at all?
I gave a clear warning in the very first Author Note that
this fic would have Heterosexual and Homosexual pairs
in it. The whole NaruSasu thing is not only in the pair
box as Pairing B, but it's in the Summary as well as the
Author Note. If you honestly hate the pairing that much
why the hell did you decide to read a fic where they will
become a couple? And why the hell do I have to keep
seeing the whining about them getting together?
Furthermore, I've had Hari check out men and women
and mentioned her crushes on the other 3 TriWizard
Champions. Anko is obviously interested in women to
an extent. I haven't hidden anyone's preferences if
they actually matter in the fic. So if all of this offends
you why they hell are you here? I don't want to keep
seeing the whining from people about how 'gay shit'
is always going down, or how they don't like my side
pairing. If you hate it so much, go away. Simple way
to avoid what you so desperately hate.
I am not a Sakura fan in general. I would never ship
her with anyone. I don't do NaruSaku and I don't do
NaruHina either. Frankly, admiring someone for years
doesn't mean they should like you back. I don't in any
way see those pairs as real ones and they aren't going
to happen in this fic, so kindly stop talking about them?
If you are so against what I do in my own fic, no one is
keeping you here.
"Hari-chan, you need to regulate your breathing more if you want to be able to run for longer than you usually do."
Sometimes, Hari would awaken to Mitarashi Anko sleeping on her pillow with her. It had lost its effect after the third time it had happened, and after so many times, she merely would roll over and allow the other woman to wrap herself around the witch.
On the days Anko decided that she wanted to get super personal by sharing a bed with Hari and making as many sexual innuendos as she could manage, Anko also took Hari out for exercise. The kind that Ino would be insanely proud of. The kind that left Hari hurting in places that shouldn't even exist on the human body. The kind of exercise that literally left her hair aching. The kind that had her wanting to take a potion to make all the pain go away. Not that she would take a potion for something as simple as pain. She had more tolerance than that. Gryffindors took it no matter how hard it got!
And on this day of days, in order to keep Hari from going stir crazy, Anko had gotten the Potter Lady up and out of bed incredibly early, had her eat a light breakfast, and then Shunshin'd them both to Training Ground Three where Hari would start off by doing the stretches that Ino had instructed her on, in order to warm herself up. And the warm ups could take forever if someone thought she was doing them incorrectly. And then they would begin doing laps where the levels were drastically different.
Recently, her lap distance had changed. She used to run around the clearing ten times and be out of breath while doing so, but Anko had expanded the perimeter to include a part of the forest as well. She then used kunai that had been strung on thick ninja wire, to make an obvious path through the trees. Basically, there was no way for Hari to get lost so long as she kept the kunai, that each had a red painted handle, in sight, and didn't run into any of the wire that was capable of cutting limbs off if enough pressure was applied.
The former distance she'd traveled was inches shy of seventy five meters, which she would run ten times in a row to make it about seven hundred and fifty meters altogether. She had now expanded her ten laps to one hundred and twenty-five meters all the way around, making the total amount of distance, twelve hundred and fifty meters. Almost an entire mile for her to run. She wondered what Koinu-kun would think once he returned and found that he couldn't tease her as much as he used to. It would be glorious!
As Hari had grown up needing to be quiet and stealthy on her feet, she was used to needing to move fast in most scenarios. But she was more of a sprinter than anything else. Sprinting dealt with bursts of speed used quickly to cover short distances in no time at all. Long distance running was not what she preferred, yet she did it anyway because she knew how disappointed Naruto and Ino would both be if they came back from their mission to learn that she hadn't been keeping up on her promise to learn how to defend herself.
So she let Anko put her through hell. And it wasn't as if Anko didn't know what she was doing or anything. Her advice was sound and was given from an honest hope to help Hari succeed. Sometimes things in life were worth doing even if they were annoying and troublesome.
Once the laps from hell were finished, Anko instructed her to strip down to her undergarments, because they would be doing some cooling down in the river before getting to the sparring. And this was the reason Hari had to go and purchase specific clothing for these types of things, because Anko had weird ideas half of the time and it was best to be prepared ahead of time in case she decided to up and change her mind. Kind of like that time she decided they should climb trees in the Shi no Mori. Hari would swear that those bloody trees were higher than the ones in the Forbidden Forest. She also refused to think about the building-sized centipede that had almost eaten them.
The water was delightfully cool and Hari sank into the sweet embrace of the river. Anko was already far ahead of her, having decided to just launch herself into the water without a care to acclimating her body to the temperature. She had higher tolerance though and had probably done some kind of resistance training to be able to acclimate herself so well.
"So, your Kekkei Genkai lets you do all kinds of cool stuff. I don't need clan secrets or anything, because that stuff is none of my business and frankly, I don't want to know because you never know what would happen if I got captured one day, so keep those things to yourself." Anko flicked some water in Hari's direction, splashing the woman in the face. Hari splashed some back without hesitation, making the other woman crack a grin. Anko went on to say, "But we should at least consider what you can do with your Mahou thing. Have you considered what you can do offensively? Like make weapons out of it or something? Shape Transformation is an intense part of shinobi training and some shinobi are so advanced at it that they can literally expend amounts of chakra that turn into weapons during battle. And they don't break like metal eventually will."
Hari dunked her head for a moment, to cool her scalp off, before coming back up quickly. The water of the river flowed at a relaxed pace and there was no rush as the two women stood waist deep in chilled perfection on such a hot day. Hi no Kuni was too hot in her opinion. Hari wasn't someone meant for hot climates, which was probably why it was good that she hadn't been discovered in Suna. A desert sounded like a right pain in the arse. Scorching in the daytime and freezing in the evening. It was like yelling a big 'piss off' to the dwellers of the land.
As for Anko's observations. "I had never considered that. There was never a need to before. Everything was pretty straightforward and only the best of the best could probably do things like that. Though I am thoroughly interested now." Imagine being able to make a sword out of magic only. She would probably be able to surprise her enemies with that kind of technique. She was sure she didn't have any books talking about manifesting magic outside the body that wasn't done in a spell or Runic form. At some point in the near future, Hari needed to review all of her books again just to make certain.
Her darling kunoichi friend held up a hand and showed her blue chakra. It was covering her palm like a transparent glove. "Well, you're living in a shinobi village now. You've got a bunch of little twerps under your care, and have associated yourself with many important or high level shinobi in the past several months since you've arrived. Therefore, it would be best to train you up a bit in case something were to happen because of one of us."
She had a point, not that Hari liked being reminded. Hari had gotten her hands on a 'Bingo Book' that was from Iwagakure. She had checked up on everyone she had come to know. The Sandaime, Kakashi, and Uchiha Itachi had Flee On Sight orders(Kakashi, because no one knew if his skills expanded or not and it was best to be safe than sorry.). Inoichi, Anko, and Morino Ibiki had Approach With Caution and High Numbers on their pages because of their specialisations in T&I being well known. Frankly, what was known about them all was pretty dangerous, even down to whatever connections they might possibly have at some point. No one spared any expense when it came to searching for information.
When word eventually got out that they were seen in the company of Potta Hari, an aristocrat of the hime classification, who had practically formed relationships with all of the people in the more dangerous listings for Konoha, she would probably be faced with some shite. And while the prospect of finally seeing some fighting for herself, was actually really great, she also had many connections that could be used against her and that would probably get her to go with an enemy or at least comply for a short while.
So in a way, she was going to have to put up more protections around the orphanage and the children. Luna would be a big help in fixing that. And when Team Seven and Karin got back, she was going to have to find a way to do something about those five. Not to mention all the upper level shinobi she had befriended if she wanted to keep all of them safe.
What a pain in the arse these shinobi were.
At least things would be interesting from now on.
With a deep breath and a nod, Hari said, "Teach me about this Shape Transformation. I suppose I should learn how to do it at least. Especially if people assume I'm just a civilian that can't do anything of consequence."
Besides, it would give her the upper hand later on, and this meant more Slytherin cunning and less brash Gryffindorish behaviour. Good thing she was capable of flipping between both easily these days.
"Team Kakashi, you have done well! I thank you for your expedient actions in taking control of the patrol headquarters."
Mei was more that grateful. After only two days of being gone, the blond garbed in blaring orange, returned to their camp to tell them that they had secured the base itself and had taken half of the shinobi who had been stationed within, as hostages. All whom remained unconscious. Once he informed her that he was a Kage Bunshin, she knew that she could give him the instructions for further action.
Once he had their new orders, he poofed from existence, taking the information back to Hatake. She had been momentarily amazed because a child being able to perform such a chakra intensive jutsu as if it was nothing, was astounding. She didn't know what the Sandaime Hokage was having taught in his Academy, but she seriously needed to be taking notes so that when she took over Kirigakure, so the Academy could come up to the proper level.
Mei had sent out a team of her own to keep control of the base so that Team Kakashi could return back to their bedrolls. And they had promptly made their way back without an issue, bringing with them a mission scroll detailing the fight, the attacks used, the information revealed, and anything else Hatake had personally noticed that he felt were important for her to know of.
"You all deserve a break. Once the rest of the teams return from their missions, we will then plan our takeover of the individual bunkers hidden on the island."
Hatake bowed once and turned to face his team. "Rest up for now." The group of shinobi dispersed immediately.
Mei sighed and made her way toward the medic tent where Tsunade-san was busy going through paperwork still. The woman had been incredibly kind in informing them of certain procedures that they should add to the Kirigakure hospital once the Rebellion had won. With her advice and tricks up their sleeves, they could progress their nation once more and return to the greatness they had once possessed.
And the next Chunin Exams were the best place to get the message out there. Kirigakure was still there. Kirigakure would not stand for the way things had gone. Things were going to change and they were willing to make alliances.
With all those Lords, Ladies, and Daimyo, not to mention all of the spectators that would be watching as potential clients, the coming Chunin Exams were the best opportunity to gain the aid they so desperately needed.
Team Seven plus Karin, stared up at Kakashi expectantly. Their faces were all open and full of wonder, no doubt curious as to what he had planned for them. What kind of training could they possibly do during a war, they were probably wondering. But Kakashi was not a conventional shinobi and as they had exactly five days before any other missions would be carried out, there was time to train. The cute little Genin were in for some hell. It was so fun being a squad leader. He honestly missed all the hell training he used to put others through.
"In the coming days, I am going to take you four through Shape Transformation. Just because we are not in our village now, doesn't mean we can't take advantage of our free time. So instead of lazing about, I am going to test your ability to mould chakra outside of your bodies, and teach you how to shape it to your advantage. This was one of the many lessons I had planned to impart upon you all in the next few months and I will not let a war come between you and my plans for your training."
Sasuke and Karin looked the most interested, while Naruto and Ino seemed passive. He would rectify that eventually. He couldn't have them being so lethargic now, could he?
Kakashi pulled out five strips of off-white colored paper. "Before we start with that, I want to get an idea of your Chakra Affinities now. This will give me time to plan ahead for further training when we get back to the village. I prefer to be prepared so I can gather the necessary materials ahead of time."
He handed each Genin a piece and held up his own as an example.
"Every shinobi has at least one Chakra Affinity. There are five basic Chakra Natures. Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water. Fire is most powerful against Wind, but it falls to Water. Wind triumphs over Lightning but is susceptible to Fire. Lightning overrides Earth, but fails in the face of Wind. Earth is strong against Water and weak against Lightning. And Water conquers Fire, but wanes in the might of Earth."
Ino's face brightened instantly with knowing. "It's a cycle!"
"Precisely," agreed Kakashi. "Each has a strength over something, and a weakness to something. However, that doesn't mean a Suiton Jutsu always defeat a Katon Jutsu. It also depends on the skill and the power of the person using the technique, so it is quite possible for the weaker Element to overtake the stronger one in such an instance."
"Makes sense! -ttebayo!" grinned Naruto, looking more excited by the minute. If he got any more energy he would never stop moving.
"Now these," said Kakashi, holding up his piece of paper, "are Chakra Litmus Papers. They are made from special trees that are fed numerous amounts of chakra constantly. When exposed to your chakra, it will have a reaction. Fire burns to ash, Wind cuts in half, Lightning crinkles, Earth crumbles to dust, and Water becomes damp. You channel your chakra into the paper and then we will see which Affinities you possess."
As an example, Kakashi channeled his chakra into the thin strip of paper, and it immediately crinkled. "I have an Affinity to Lightning. Lightning based jutsu are the easiest for me, though thanks to my experience with the Sharingan, I can perform jutsu of almost every Chakra Nature."
That caught Sasuke's attention immediately and the small blue glow around his paper showed that he'd gone ahead before his fellow Genin. The paper crinkled immediately and Kakashi joined the boy in his shock. Uchiha usually had Fire Affinity. Most of their jutsu were all fire based. Sasuke only knew Katon Jutsu because it was an Uchiha requirement and considered a rite of passage. Even without a clan any longer, he still followed their teachings and training methods. Learning three Katon Jutsu on his own even.
"It would explain why the Gokakyu no Jutsu took forever," the pre-teen mumbled to himself, though Kakashi pretended not to hear it to save him the embarrassment.
The other three Genin had immediately followed Sasuke's actions after all.
Naruto's paper didn't just cut in half. It practically shredded itself when exposed to the potency of his chakra. He probably should have expected that Konoha's Most Unpredictable Knucklehead Ninja, would go above and beyond the norm in order to stand out. Even when he didn't mean to. It was just in Naruto's character to be different.
Ino's paper crumbled and Karin's turned soggy.
Team Seven was a mix. This meant more studying for him, but it was also good to know. This could help him with his planning for team training and the possible creation of any new jutsu or combinations. It would also keep all of them dedicated to their own area of chakra control when the time came. It would keep them focused and quiet. Hopefully.
"Now that I know your Chakra Affinities, I can plan for upcoming training sessions. Mind you, this is training that high level Chunin usually partake in, so I am starting you all off early with the fullest confidence that you can handle this now."
"Don't worry, sensei! We can handle anything you send our way!" Naruto boasted, his grin wide and beaming. He patted his chest three times and not so humbly asked, "What kind of Hokage would I be if I let this stop me?"
The former Anbu chuckled lowly. Such naivety would be what Naruto needed to press onward after this. Kakashi fondly remember when he put his old Anbu team through it. Good times. "I'm glad you feel so strongly about this, Naruto, because today's exercise is going to be all about sending things your way."
He could see the dread building in their expressions, and had to withhold a gleeful cackle at their expense. He was that evil. At least not enough to let them know. He was simply going to put them through some shinobi tag. Basically everyone did it at some point during their training. His was just a little... different.
"The forest and camp are your only options to hide in. You cannot be upright though, and your feet are not allowed to touch the ground. On some missions you will need to learn how to improvise because things don't always pan out as you wish them to. Good luck."
Sasuke stiffened for a moment, before his body relaxed in preparation. Karin looked confused and Ino's jaw dropped. Naruto merely scoffed. "That's nothing, sensei. I'm getting that hat and this training will just bring me one step closer!-ttebayo!"
"You would think so, Naruto," Kakashi said with an eye smile. "The twist is that I will be sending my ninken pack after you when I finish counting. So you will have to cover your tracks, follow the rules I have set, and do not get found. If all four of you manage to not get found after half an hour, then you win and the training ends. If not, you'll be here all day until you can manage that half hour."
As if one entity, the other three Genin turned to glare at Naruto, who had the decency to look sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head. But then...
"Come on, guys! We're all awesome shinobi and there's no way we can't handle this! -ttebayo! We're some of the best Genin in our village!"
Kakashi pulled his trusty book out, opening up to chapter fourteen. Koneko-chan's favorite chapter if he recalled correctly. "I feel I should warn you that this training will extend to the next few days even, should you continue to fail. No Shape Transformation until this exercise is passed, I'm afraid."
"Fuck," Ino uttered, much to the shock yet agreement of her fellow Genin. Being around Naruto was affecting her on a much deeper level than even she must have realized.
"Then I wish you all good luck. You have one minute to hide. And the sooner you get the exercise done, the sooner we can get to your training in Shape Transformation. Good luck, my cute little Genin!"
"Rub yourselves over everything!" was Naruto's advice when they started off with their training.
The camp for the Rebellion was about seven hundred meters by three hundred and fifty meters. It was heavily protected and had a bunker of their own, a medical tent set up directly in the center, plus several makeshift buildings that had been set up over the course of their time as defected shinobi.
Mostly the sleeping quarters and kitchens were underground in order to keep them well hidden. What was on the outside however, were the bathrooms which were haphazardly created(glorified outhouses basically). The medic tent and all of their wounded. There was a watchtower on either side of the camp. And finally, several iron poles had been erected and then covered with a thick net of ninja wire. The wire was strung so thinly that the net would not let any sort of projectile into the camp, and would actually deflect any such attacks. He was told it could also withstand a few jutsu.
The process of even entering the camp actually required an underground passageway not afar off that only those in the Rebellion knew of. There were high level Genjutsu placed around the area. Those that actually confused people should they get too close without knowing about the camp. And the camp was located on the side of the island farthest from Kirigakure. There was basically no need for Kiri shinobi to come in their direction, though that didn't mean they didn't prepare just in case something happened.
Other than buildings, there were large crates of supplies settled around the enclosure and small barricades all around the perimeter of the camp. The only source of light when there was no sun, were the torches that held fires that were kept going at all times.
The nearest water source was the ocean which twice a day, people went and fetched water from. Naruto had already been on a mission to gather water and he learned that they used their chakra to keep the water together. They then brought the water back to camp and placed it in the large container thing they used. Much like a water tower, but with less space.
Basically, he'd been all over the place already and had a decent chance of finding a hiding spot. Problem, was that the could not be upright while doing the test. And Kakashi-sensei was sending ninja hounds after them, meaning tracking would be put to the test. So in order to confuse the dogs that would be coming after them, he'd told everyone to spread their scent as much as possible.
Naruto had created a Kage Bunshin immediately and leapt into its arms so that it could carry him around while they found a hiding spot. As he wasn't upright, it wasn't breaking the rules. Hari-nee-chan had been teaching him about looking for loopholes and thinking smart, not hard, which was what he was doing. So while Ino and Sasuke ran on walls and ceilings, Naruto was relaxing as he plotted.
Also, to make it more difficult on the puppies that their sensei was going to summon, Naruto cut his hand and wiped the blood that managed to well up, on a few boxes here and there. While the wound healed up, he licked his other hand and wiped that on a few poles they passed. The Kage Bunshin then made a quick round around the perimeter where Naruto considered peeing on something, but decided against it simply for cleanliness purposes and the lack of time on his side.
Still, his plan was almost finished. All he had to do was Henge himself into something and then have his Kage Bunshin put him somewhere. If he recalled correctly, there were a few bookshelves in the medic tent. He could probably hide in there.
"To the medic tent," he ordered his Bunshin. He was totally going to get this exercise!
"Start over!" Kakashi-sensei announced cheerfully after Sasuke ended up being brought in by his largest ninken. And Sasuke was not pleased in the least over the situation. He hadn't expected to get caught at all, but for some reason, he was the one they found first. Ten minutes and fourteen seconds into the session too.
Naruto, Ino, and Karin all sighed and split up once more. Sasuke decided to take a leaf out of Naruto's book and cover the area in his scent as best as he could. Or maybe he could mask his own scent with something else that was more potent.
Naruto had made a dozen Kage Bunshin that spread out immediately. The original Naruto turned into one of the crates that surrounded the perimeter of the camp. He was placed on top of another stack by his Bunshin. Left on his side so he wouldn't be upright. The Bunshin then ran off, changing into a crate on the other side of the field.
The rest of the Bunshin were making loud noise, possibly to distract all the ninken would would no doubt be listening for them. Sighing, Sasuke shifted into a crouch and leapt from the wall he was crouched on, landing on the side of the stack of crates the real Naruto was resting on. He then used Naruto's special Henge to join the blond because he honestly couldn't think of anything more at the moment and there were only eleven more seconds left.
Kakashi was evil for wanting them to accomplish their training the way he demanded.
He had a feeling they would get caught during this game as well. At least he was with Naruto during all the ruckus. That made things better.
Momochi Zabuza stared at the little Genin that flitted back and forth across the camp. It had been three days since Hatake Kakashi had imposed such a training mission upon his little students and they still hadn't managed to get it right. And if hiding from ninja hounds wasn't hard enough, the brats couldn't even walk like normal folk.
He's also been seeing multiple Bunshin of the orange one running everywhere. And he had to admit that he was impressed by what he was in Nami no Kuni, the blond wasn't as coordinated and he didn't seem to think things through. Fact was, there was something different about Hatake's team. Something that had changed.
And it wasn't just the Uchiha brat's jaw structure, though that was a curious development.
No, it was their eyes. They each had a new look in their eyes, and they didn't treat the Rebellion mission they had been assigned to, as a type of game. Some of the other Genin that had been sent by Konoha, still weren't aware of the situation or the extent of it. If he had to guess, he would say that Team Seven had experienced true danger and had finally awoken to the reality of what it meant to be a true shinobi.
The blond Uzumaki - and yes, he was apparently an actual Uzumaki - was using his brain. Ninken had terrific senses and he not only spread his scent everywhere, but his Kage Bunshin were making loud noise and rearranging crates and sacks in order to confuse the trackers.
The team had yet to finish the training, but they were getting better.
And the little redhead who had joined the group was apparently Uzumaki's cousin, though her name was not Uzumaki. She'd fidgeted when asked by another Konoha ninja, which probably meant she was hiding it. She had the red hair - her eyebrows hadn't been dyed and gave away the fact that black wasn't her natural color - and the chakra of an Uzumaki, so it was only possible for her to be one. The Hokage was probably hiding it. If word got out of two blood born Uzumaki living in Konoha, that would put targets on their backs.
Mei was a descendent of the Uzumaki. She would probably become protective of both kids should she find out about them. And the Sannin was the granddaughter of an Uzumaki. Maybe not direct relations, but he had a feeling that once the truth was revealed, and the battle won, Kirigakure and Konohagakure would be thick as thieves in the near future. If only to keep strong ties with what was left of a once prestigious clan.
He blinked as one of the Kage Bunshin approached him, holding up four shuriken. "Can you hold these for half an hour?"
Though confused, he accepted the weapons.
The Bunshin lingered near him for a moment before asking, "So do you guys have crappy puns?" He wasn't looking at Zabuza though, he was staring as his fellow Bunshin as they ran around, making noise and trying to provide a suitable distraction.
"What?"
Blue eyes looked up. "In Konoha we do all kinds of training with trees and leaves. I'm not sure how long it's been going on, but we've incorporated even the damn trees into our training styles. And the leaf and tree based puns are all over the place. So I was wondering if people in Kiri have their own puns about water or mist or something."
The 'demon' of Kirigakure ended up snorting at that. Of course the tree-huggers would have such things. Though he couldn't really condemn them since hed gotten his fill of Mizu no Kuni's poor puns as well.
"Just get back to training, gaki."
"We'll win this time! -ttebayo!" the Bunshin exclaimed as it ran off, joining its temporary brethren.
Zabuza found out later, after thirty minutes had elapsed, that the four Genin that Hatake had been relentlessly tor-training, had been under a Henge the entire time, and had sat in his pocket waiting for the 'game' to end.
Damn. Whatever Konoha was teaching the brats, they needed to start teaching their own brats. Turning themselves into weapons and then just passing off to other people? Genius. Not that he would tell them that. It was always good to leave them waiting and wondering after all.
"Mah! My cute little Genin have finally finished their training!" Hatake practically cooed, not even bothering to look up from his porn. The bastard's gleeful voice and appearance annoyed even Zabuza. "I suppose you can all rest easy for the next hour. Then it's on to Shape Transformation! How fun this is going to be!"
The four Genin slumped and headed for the bunker. Either for food or rest, he didn't know. But what he did know, was that Hatake Kakashi was an asshole. And Zabuza really admired the devious mind of his fellow Jonin. Though he would never admit such aloud.
Jiraiya hadn't thought he would be confronted with so much information when he had turned and high tailed it back to the village. He'd expected his sensei to have uncovered a few secrets, but instead, he found himself staring down at one Mitarashi Anko, and a young woman he wasn't familiar with. He'd seen her with Potta Hari, but he hadn't actually spoken to the blonde, and from the far away look in her eyes, he wondered if she was all there to begin with.
"Jiraiya-sama," Anko said forcefully, presenting a large notebook, "we have collected invaluable amounts of information from Hoshigaki Kisame, Prisoner #6920173. Thanks to Hari-chan and Runa-chan, we have an entire book full of information for you. Hokage-sama wished to wait for your return before we decide what to do with the prisoner himself however. The information is of the sensitive nature and needs your attention immediately. And we haven't even collected everything yet."
The blonde was nodding, her distant eyes becoming clear and sharp. "The shark man is quite a difficult one to crack. He holds loyalty in high esteem and his sense for it has been left a fragile mess ever since he experienced utter betrayal from his squad leader back in the Cypher Division of Kirigakure. Ever since, he remains on the outside looking in, wanting to be able to trust those around him, though not having a reason to. I am unsure of what could be done in his case, because death does not sit well with my conscience, yet I know he is dangerous."
He took the book of notes, eying both woman carefully. "Mitarashi, what say you on the matter?"
The interrogator smirked. "Sir, you'll find that I align more with Ibiki-kun in these types of matters than Inoichi-san. He could be useful to us. Play on his emotions if we can. Get Runa-chan and Hari-chan to help a bit with their Kekkei Genkai maybe."
'Runa' winced, silver/blue eyes becoming wary. "I have the ability to do what you are suggesting, however I do not have the power level to accomplish such a task. Hari-chan has the power but not the skill. It would take a lot of work to either rearrange memories or wipe them completely. And even then, I am not so certain how Hari-chan would feel taking someone's personality away."
Jiraiya had been given the basics during his last visit a month ago. He had seen the list that had been written up about the two women and what they could do. Herbal and animal mixtures that, when infused with their Kekkei Genkai, could restore perfect vision, re-grow bones, and even allow someone a full night of dreamless sleep. From what sensei had told him, the Potta Clan, and yes, it was considered a clan of Konoha, would supply the village with its wares in order to fall under the full protection available to clans. Meaning Potta Hari and Potta Runa were separated from normal civilians and were under different laws.
And the 'potions' as the two called them, would be constantly supplied to the Hospital, as well as T&I, and the Anbu Headquarters.
He had been skeptical until he - under a disguise of course - and his sensei got to witness Potta Hari 'brew' a 'potion' alongside a random Iryo-nin who had coped her every action perfectly. Only Hari-hime's 'potion' worked though, meaning it really was influenced by her Kekkei Genkai, Mahou. Basically, the Kekkei Genkai was one to be feared thanks to the extent it could go to in the use of it.
Rearranging memories or completely removing them without having to use chakra was bizarre, yet so very interesting. He honestly needed to speak with the woman at some point in the near future.
At that thought though, they needed to determine Hoshigaki's future. And that could only happen once he read everything in the book. Said book that would have to be sealed immediately once he was finished with it. Any others would join it soon enough.
Gato was one of the most disgusting and probably the creepiest people to ever exist - and she had known Horace Slughorn and Rita Skeeter for Merlin's sake - and that was saying something. But still, Hari had put the man under her control and had simply let him to do whatever after the incident in Nami no Kuni. But now she had to literally involve herself even further if she was going to be using him to help the Rebellion. And also if she wanted to restrict his actions toward other unsuspecting nations. The tosser had too much in his grip.
She'd left Konoha behind two days ago, and Luna had already been aware of her plan. She'd then done some very questionable magic that Hari had never seen or even thought of, and made a golem of Hari that had some of her magic imprinted on the Runes drawn on its body. The golem and the runes then worked together to simulate life and intelligence and would pretend to be her until she returned. Until then, Luna would be a part of everything going on and would share her memories once Hari returned. That was the deal.
Being holed up while others did the dirty work, just didn't feel right. Hari could help at least somehow and she was going to use Gato and his legions of followers and untold riches, to get the work done. He had connections and the means to get anything he wanted, if he decided he wanted it. That was the kind of reach that was beneficial in her opinion.
Gato resided on a plot of land heavily guarded by all sorts of people, from shinobi to samurai, and then normal civilians. His true home resided on an island off the coast of Mizu no Kuni, which was the nation he held the tightest agreement with. Hari had traced his soul and had Apparated to his base of operations easily, finding herself faced with something even more elaborate than what he'd built in Nami no Kuni. He'd abandoned that home because there was a suggestion in his mind to avoid the country at all costs. A 'suggestion' that Hari had put there.
However, things became hellish once she realised just what was going on.
Gato had his fingers in many pies, she had learned. The paperwork was extensive and annoying to sort through, but she had found out that his shipping company was basically the only outside source that Kirigakure worked with. The Mizukage - who was being controlled by another person, if she remembered Death's words correctly - seemed to agree with Gato's thought process and therefore Gato supplied the village with whatever they wanted in order to keep thriving during their time in a civil war.
As the village resided on the side of the main island of Mizu no Kuni, closest to Hi no Kuni, and was right on the water, the port wasn't too far and shipments were allowed in and out of the area without issue every few days. Gato made good money off of the village and land itself because Yagura and his master puppeteer had alienated the entire land from the rest of the Elemental Nations. They had no other way to get what they needed. In truth, Gato had been a genius businessman, and even through her dislike, she had to marvel at his actions involving the island nation.
It would be the perfect opportunity, she had realised. The chance for the Rebellion to use. She didn't know to what extent they could use such a chance, but any chance was better than none, right? Hari merely needed to review everything she could find and then write up a report about it. Thank Merlin for translation charms, because her Japanese was still poor in terms of writing. At least she could write her report in English and then had it translated over the best she could. She didn't feel like Melding with Death any time soon. It was such an unnerving feeling and she wasn't that lazy to resort to it yet.
Hari gave the stout man a mocking pat on the head, feeling endlessly amused. Her decision to not simply kill him had been a good one after all. It was nice to know when her actions actually bred possibilities. If this got her kids home sooner, then anything was better than nothing. And Hari was willing to do whatever it took if it meant getting her way faster.
Finally, she was able to be of some use!
Now, how should she write up such a message to the leader of the Rebellion?
Team Kakashi had been paired up with two of the Rebellion Teams, in order to take out one of Kirigakure's hidden bunkers on the island. At the same time, three other groups had been dispatched to deal with the other bunker miles away.
Now bunkers were vastly different than border patrol stations, which was why more shinobi had been sent this time. Those at border patrol had simple medical supplies on hand, and basic communication devices. Bunkers however, were hidden underground and usually had advanced medical supplies within easy reach, as well as an assortment of back up weaponry, and other supplies necessary for defending the land.
Basically it was a storage house, a weapons facility, and a control center for Kirigakure's dispatched Anbu. And the one that their team had been sent to, acted as Mizu no Kuni's Bounty Collection Office as well.
There were sure to be an abundance of shinobi within, as well as the means to destroy the place should they go about their takeover well enough. However, they did not want to alert Kirigakure to their actions, and Itachi knew that silent was the best method in this scenario.
No big flashes or wild jutsu if they could help it. Simply placing seals on people so they could not fight was the best option.
In this missions, he had to keep an even tighter watch on Sasuke and his friend Naruto in order to make certain that both boys made it out alive. He'd realized that both boys valued each other beyond a normal friendship, and if something would happen to either, it would cause problems. Especially if Naruto was there to witness it.
After all, Naruto eradicated three Jonin level Iwa shinobi when he and his team had been assaulted without reason. The boy had caused mass destruction all to protect his friends. If Sasuke got hurt again, there was no telling what the Kyubi might do to get control of Naruto and his roiling emotions.
"Minku, Tenzo," said Kakashi, capturing his attention. "We are going to need your particular skills in this mission. Keep sharp."
Hatake-senpai had been once again, made the leader of the mission. He was the most qualified to lead in Itachi's opinion, simply because one doesn't become Anbu Honsho for nothing. And once a member of Anbu, you never really leave. So Hatake was still an active member and the Anbu would always listen to him since he'd been Honsho for quite some time and no one else was appointed despite the fact that he had 'stepped down' in order to teach some Genin.
Both Itachi and Tenzo nodded to show their understanding. The knew the way team dynamics worked. Tenzo was aware of who Minku really was. They both had been on the same team under Hatake. He'd been their team captain. Falling back into the same movements and roles from before wouldn't be as difficult as one would think.
And there were a few things their entire Anbu team had been the best at. Infiltration, Assassination, Reconnaissance, and Tracking. Frankly, three of Konoha's best shinobi were on this mission and there was little doubt in Itachi's mind, that they would succeed with little issue.
Hopefully. Kirigakure couldn't possible have many qualified ninja in their ranks if they let so many possible-ninja kill each other in order to graduate. Right?
"This can't be serious," Mei murmured to herself. But no, she read and then re-read the entire message over and over just to be sure. And the words never changed. No light produced any possibly hidden words. It was a simple letter than held so much meaning. So much that could either make or break them, and her heart pounded erratically as her thoughts drifted.
To whom it may concern,
It has come to my attention that the great shipping magnate Gato
of Gato Company, has strong ties with Mizu no Kuni. As such, his
company is the only one that has managed to keep contact with the
land ever since the Purge of the Kekkei Genkai began. Whether it is
because of his wealth or attitude is unknown.
As his company is afforded what no other in the Elemental Nations
has, weekly supplies are brought to Kirigakure's port using Gato's
company as the connection the country has to the rest of the nations.
The village then distributes the goods they receive, to the various
villages scattered about the island. Yagura currently holds control
over the Daimyo and his court, as well as all the land in control
of Mizu no Kuni. He decides whether or not a town or city will
receive its weekly provisions. So long as they follow his orders,
they get good food, clean water, and are kept relatively safe.
There is a set schedule for when the boats come in with supplies.
Every 5th, 13th, 20th, and 29th, a new ship docks. There is an
exchange of Ryo, some signing of paperwork, and then the crates
and containers are transported into Kirigakure's center where the
shinobi in charge have to divide the shares for the different towns
among the country. This is how the country has managed to stay
afloat despite being cut off from the rest of the world.
The boat always takes a long course in reaching their destination
so that the nature of the ship's mission isn't revealed to outsiders.
The course is mapped out below for your reference.
Your best option would be to take advantage of this boon and take
one of the ships captive. Disguise yourselves among the shipment
and when you have been escorted into the very heart of Kirigakure,
unleash your fighters upon the unsuspecting. This plan is titled,
'The Trojan Horse'.
The name comes from an old story where two rivaling nations fought
for an undetermined amount of time. Many battles had waged and
many lives had been lost. The leader of the Trojans, in an effort to
not be beaten however, planned to destroy his enemy in a cunning
manner. His army erected a finely crafted wooden horse that stood
dozens of meters high, and they hid the best fighters inside it. The
horse was then given to the enemy kingdom as an apology for
desecrating their Kami's temple, and a declaration of surrender.
The kingdom fell for the trap and took the horse into their city.
That night, while the kingdom fell to drunkenness in the face of their
supposed 'victory', the hidden soldiers broke out of the horse and
slaughtered their enemies. The Trojan Horse had been the downfall
of the kingdom.
The plan is relatively simple as long as you trust those who will
undertake such a mission. And I promise that should you decide to
take this advice, a cargo ship carrying the usual supplies will be
awaiting your entourage. You may take the supplies if you wish and
use the boat as you see fit. The workers will not act against you at all.
And I will be alerted immediately to when the ship moves out, so that
no other ships interfere with your course.
Directions to where the boat will await you, are listed below.
My only favour that I ask of you, is to make certain to the best of your
ability, that all the Konoha shinobi make it home safely. There are
some precious people among the lot for me, and I do not wish to see
them hurt. Zabuza-san would be able to tell you how committed I am
to seeing Hatake Kakashi's team return home well and alive.
Thank you for your time and consideration. May good fortune favour
you.
~Kuro
P.S. Yagura seems to be in bad health and looks weary and worn.
He has not been making executive decisions on his own in quite some
time. There is another involved here. And he is apparently making the
decisions while Yagura merely sits back and allows him to order others
around. This man wears a black cloak that is covered in red clouds.
Beware of this man, for Yagura only listens to him and one of his status,
bowing to another's orders, is not good.
She stared at the letter, completely baffled by its contents. I connected so many dots, while leaving her with so many questions. And indeed, there was a map pointing out the location of the ship they could use.
It didn't hurt to at least verify the words, right? Besides, she had been informed by Zabuza of this Kuro's actions prior to Konoha's involvement in their Rebellion. They had paid Zabuza to not harm the Konoha shinobi and then months later, sent the Rebellion a large sum of money and a vast amount of supplies to help their cause. Twice, had Kuro interceded upon the behalf of Konoha. And now this person was doing it again.
Another worrisome thing however, was the point about Yagura. He was deferring to another individual. One in a black cloak that was covered in red clouds? Such as those worn by the criminal group Akatsuki, that the Sandaime Hokage had warned her about in his last message?
Said group that had Hoshigaki Kisame was a known member before Konoha got his hands on him?
So much to consider. Once the Nara got back, she would need his mind to determine just what was the best course of action. Though the 'Trojan Horse' idea seemed sound in her opinion. It reminded her of what Team Kakashi had done to the border patrol HQ. It could work.
Looking to Ao, Mei sighed. "Get me Utakata-san."
Life would be so much better once she finally took office as the Godaime Mizukage and finally got herself a husband. No matter what, she would be getting some good sex in the near future. One way or another, dammit! The stress relief was long overdue.
Luna hummed quietly as she took the children to the playground. Beside her was a team of Konoha Genin who had been hired to help protect the children. As all of them were under the age of five, it was imperative that they remain safe, even from the dangers a playground could pose. And Luna couldn't obviously use all of her magical skills in front of people, so hiring a team was the best option.
Hari was back at the orphanage, having returned to find a stack of paperwork awaiting her. Luna's golem had done its job well for five days and five nights. And Hari's trip hadn't been very fun nor could it have been considered a holiday. She had to deal with paperwork while away as well, so she had simply traded one hell for another.
In the time of her absence, many things had occurred. Luna had routinely gone to T&I in order to assist Mitarashi Anko in working through the minds of Konoha's current, dangerous prisoners. Days and days of Legilimency sessions, taken only two hours each so that she didn't become drained, still hadn't seem them through everything. She would be called in after dusk in order to lend her assistance once again.
It was an interesting process, and she greatly enjoyed being able to do something productive for once.
The Magical Community of Great Britain had fallen far and fast. The Goblins, had been under the pejorative opinions and statements of many in the wizarding world for far too long. They rose up after the weakness Voldemort's war had wreaked. They took out ravaged families and lands and forbade wizards and witches access to their blood born rights.
It had been a disappointing time. Luna, who had always been a free spirit and had always been one in mind, had mourned for such a loss. They weren't necessarily bad beings, they had simply been under the fire of slanderous utterances and disgusting racism, classism, and facism. And the wizards, ever foolish enough to leave their possessions in the hands of the very creatures they belittled constantly, couldn't understand why they were despised so much.
Fortunately, the Lovegood family had never had trusted the Goblins enough to open a vault in Gringotts, meaning they weren't rendered impecunious like most of Magical Britain was. They also never suffered any sort of insolvency like many ended up in after the Gringotts doors closed for good. For the most part, Luna had remained untouched by the Goblin War.
It was however, the actions of those who rose to power during such a time, that caused true chaos. She had seen it coming. She had warned Hari to hide and take everything of hers away. And there was no stopping any of it. Not even the Mistress of Death could make it go away, and Hari was still convinced that she had years ahead of her before she actually asked Death to kill someone for her.
If her dear sister-in-arms only knew what Luna knew.
Luna sighed as she sat on the bench, watching as the children played back and forth. Of all the things for Hari to do when coming to another world, she adopts a lonely little boy and then becomes a pseudo-mother figure to an entire orphanage of children. She gave them cooking lessons, and sewing lessons. She signed them up for lessons in first aid, as was expected of them. She helped with their homework and was there when someone got hurt.
Hari, who had refused the demands for her hand. Who had refused the idea of having children, ended up hitching her horse to an entire group and finding herself a man who she wasn't even aware would mean more to her than just a common friendship in the future. It was ironic in a sense, and Luna couldn't wait to watch as Hari stumbled her way through a complicated courtship that she wasn't even going to be aware of while it occurred.
She closed her eyes for a moment, considering the past and how things had changed around her. The deaths of friends young and old. The Elemental Nations resided on another version of Earth. This was where she and Hari had come to start anew.
A new family that Luna had gladly joined, taking the name immediately. Potta Runa to make it easier on those pronouncing her name. A chance to start over and make her own branch of the family.
She almost had a chance years ago back when she had met Newt Scamander and his family. There had been something there in Rolf, but Luna hadn't the time to consider it beyond a passing fancy at the time. She might have regretted it a few times, but after so much time had passed and their vastly different priorities, she didn't mind as much now.
Besides, there would always be more chances to start over. Luna quickly shifted to the side so a free space was opened up on the bench. Mitarashi Anko dropped down beside her and beamed. The younger woman was always so cheerful and while she resembled Bellatrix Lestrange in some ways, she was far better all around.
"Well if it isn't our blonde doll!"
"Hello, Anko."
She graced the woman with a small, tolerant smile. It was interesting how Hari had managed to surround herself with people who could basically be the copies but more pleasant versions of Voldemort's supporters. It was a testament to how similar the two had been, and how they attracted people with relatable temperaments.
"I got this new technique I wanted to talk to you about," Anko went on to say as she began a long and detailed explanation about some torture method she couldn't wait to try out on the next prisoner she was given clearance over. Meanwhile, Luna merely smiled and and nodded as she watched the children give the Genin team a run for their money. Testing the boundaries of what they could get away with. Children could be crafty little buggers.
The new life was good. And the chances at a new family, rising with every day.
It was dangerous. More so than the last mission they ended up going on. This one actually involved more high level shinobi and there had already been many attempts at escape. Thankfully, they had blocked off the escape route and the fools had constructed a barrier of sorts with Fuinjutsu, that was supposed to be impossible to break. Thing was, they'd slipped inside the barrier and now not even the Kiri shinobi could break it, meaning there was no way out currently.
While that was good in a sense, it was a problem in another. Sure, this apparent barrier blocked visual and audible happenings from within, thereby blending it into the surrounding forest, it also was constricting and apparently fed off of the chakra of everyone inside to an extent. Meaning, that most jutsu being used, were pointless because the seal was powered by chakra. They quickly learned that Taijutsu would be their best option until someone could either ruin the seal for the barrier or they killed the caster.
Which brought on more problems that Sasuke didn't want to deal with. Who the hell among the group was the Fuinjutsu user?
He'd always been unnaturally good at Taijutsu. He had assumed it was because he was an Uchiha and that their clan had a specific style that they used in conjunction with their Sharingan, but Sasuke hadn't had his Sharingan yet, so maybe it was just skill. Either way, these weren't mere Genin and Chunin. This was a Bounty Station as well as a command center. Actual Tokubetsu Jonin and Jonin had been on standby inside the barrier.
Sasuke's Taijutsu was not the best anymore. He was used to being better than others, but at present, he was on equal footing with the two shinobi he was battling. Both were larger than he was by several inches, and their physical masses dwarfed him easily. But Sasuke was smaller and faster. He could slip into their guard, but the problem was that both had muscles that could take his hits just fine.
A stalemate in a sense.
"Sasuke-teme, what do we do?!"
He gritted his teeth as he leaned back to dodge a punch. His legs came up, feet filled with chakra, and he kicked the enemy ninja in the jaw, sending him flying. If he wanted to do this, he needed to enhance his moves with chakra.
They'd done some training like it before. Kakashi had them do control exercises where they used chakra only to move weapons all over their bodies. They did endurance control on the water by sparring often. He'd even made an offhand comment about how Tsunade of the Sannin always pushed chakra into her limbs and through her Tenketsu when fighting in order to enhance the damage she doled out.
The concept was easy enough to understand. Allow his chakra to flow freely, pinpoint the Tenketsu he wanted to use, and the direct the flow of his chakra to that area. Once he had enough of his chakra built up at the specific point, he would release it in a burst upon contact and watch as his enemy went sailing. In theory is sounded easy. He was certain however, that it was not so.
Sasuke fell into a split in order to avoid a hit from his other adversary. He reached up, twisted the man's wrist, and yanked him down with one hand while stabbing him in the gut with a kunai. The fool was tossed aside. He would probably have to use his Shurikenjutsu skills if he wanted to deal any proper damage.
Naruto wasn't too far too, fighting his own enemies. He had four on one though, and he was keeping them all occupied, which was good. Naruto's Taijutsu was not the best in their team and being able to hold off four Chunin level shinobi, was a testament to his growth over the past several months. Sasuke felt a small speck of pride flare up, before he had to push it aside to focus on the Kiri ninja coming his way.
A moment ago, Naruto had asked what they should do. He wracked his brain even as he spun around and backhanded the fool in the jaw, releasing a burst of lightning chakra while doing so in order to electrocute his opponent even if only slightly. If he hit someone in the jaw enough times in a row, it should break eventually, right?
The seal made chakra impossible to use without being drained and left useless. Seals were part of a very delicate branch of the shinobi arts. Not many people had the mettle to take up such a practice. It required not only good chakra control, for fear of not overloading the seals in question, but also intense focus.
How did one fight against something like that? If they didn't do something soon, they would take even longer to finish this battle. If only there was a way to disrupt a seal that seemed to absorb even the slightest amount of chakra.
He reached an epiphany the same time a foot buried itself into his gut and he was sent careening across the area. He grunted when he landed, but didn't stay down for long, not even when Naruto screamed his name in worry. He flipped to his feet, bringing his kunai up in order to engage his attacker once again.
No, this wouldn't keep him down because now he had the solution to their problem! The seal stole chakra, so the best thing to do, was give it loads and loads of chakra at once. However, there was a more potent type of chakra right at their fingertips and he could kick himself for not realizing it sooner!
Naruto was the key to disrupting the seal! Overloaded seals failed and would usually explode, thereby rendering themselves useless! And from what he'd managed to learn from Kakashi-sensei, Biju chakra was dangerous outside of a Jinchuuriki's body. It could melt and burn any kind of nature, as Kakashi had witnessed when he returned Naruto to normal back when the Iwa shinobi had attacked.
The blond had grown up and became used to such a chakra source in his body. That was why a newborn was necessary for the type of seal used on him. So the coils would develop alongside the Kyubi's chakra and not harm its container.
So if Naruto pumped enough of the Kyubi's chakra into the seal, he should be able to make it fail and thereby let everyone use Ninjutsu and Genjutsu again and also break the troublesome barrier. Besides, no one else would have enough chakra stored up to be able to give so much to the seal that protected such a large amount of land. So it was best that Naruto be the one to do it.
Sasuke used the Kawarimi to replace himself with one of Naruto's foes, driving his kunai into the one he appeared right beside and then kicking him away before he could become a problem. His kunai had snapped in half unfortunately, and he was running out of weapons. Naruto's gaze brightened upon seeing him, but he turned and roundhouse kicked a woman in the face, trusting Sasuke to keep his back clear.
Sasuke reached into his pocket and slapped the sleep seal onto the forehead of the remaining shinobi in their immediately vicinity. She dropped immediately. Ignoring her, Sasuke took Naruto's hand and started tugging him forward. "Naruto, I normally wouldn't ask this of you, but I need you to access the Kyubi's chakra."
"The fuck? Why?" the blond demanded, though he didn't pull away or stop. He didn't even question where Sasuke was leading them to as they dodged many Taijutsu battles on the way.
The seal was being maintained in the center of the area. Large, black and red markings that told him they had used special ink and blood in order to make it. After all, a secret bunker couldn't be so secret if it was seen, could it? Not that they had managed to hide it from the Rebellion's knowledge. Perhaps Terumi Mei had known about it because she was a former Jonin and they felt too secure in their abilities to change locations.
He was getting a firm impression that Kirigakure shinobi weren't all too brilliant.
"Naruto, a seal needs precise chakra to be able to work, and will have stores built in to house chakra for later. This one sustains itself by absorbing the chakra in the area and building it up within. So if you were to use Nin or Genjutsu, it would suck away the chakra before the attack would even work. That's why everybody is fighting hand to hand and why your Kage Bunshin exploded the moment you summoned them."
"Well fuck us!" Naruto swore, and Sasuke had to agree.
"The Kyubi's chakra is dangerous outside of your body. Kakashi-sensei said so. If you force a ridiculous amount into the seal, you will overload it and it will explode, thereby ruining the seal and removing the need for Taijutsu only. It'll also increase our chances as there are more from our side that are still standing right now."
The array of markings that made up the full seal spread out for several feet and looked to have layers. No doubt they had been meticulously drawn and re-drawn over the past several years. Well, Sasuke had a Naruto on his hands and Naruto was going to cause the most havoc these morons had ever seen before.
Blue eyes stared intently at him, full of doubt and worry. Naruto wasn't normally someone who wasn't chipper and pleasant, and Sasuke didn't like how scared he seemed. But it was necessary. "Sasuke, I've never willingly drawn on the Kyubi's chakra. I don't- I'm not even sure this would work. What if I end up hurting you or someone else?"
Before answering, Sasuke flung a handful of shuriken in an oncoming ninja's direction. He didn't even bother to watch them make contact, nor did he pay attention to the squelch that sounded when they connected. Naruto needed his attention at present. Naruto was far more important than some idiot who couldn't even dodge a few shuriken.
Placing his hands on the other's shoulders, he looked the blond dead in the eye and said, "I know you can do it. And I know that you would never hurt me. I'll watch your back and keep you safe."
There was a moment of lingering doubt, before Naruto nodded silently and closed his eyes. His body became lax and unresponsive in Sasuke's hold. Sasuke snapping his fingers didn't even help him capture Naruto's attention. No matter though. Naruto was going to do what he could, and Sasuke was going to protect them both until the time was right.
He just hoped the other could do it soon.
Reaching for his very last kunai, Sasuke fell into a crouch that basically dared anyone to come for them. He would beat the shit out of anyone who came near him and his dobe. After all, he had always been good an shurikenjutsu, and he wasn't going to let some weak ninja threaten them.
It was dark and dank, Naruto realized. There was water beneath his feet, but he was standing atop it and not trudging through it. The walls were close together, and there were pipes all around. The lighting was poor, giving everything a vomit-after-eating-ten-bowls-of-miso-ramen sort of color.
A sewer. He was in a sewer.
Why the hell was it a damn sewer?
"So you've finally decided to come and pay me a visit. To think that I would be the one who got stuck with such a lazy vessel."
Naruto whirled around, coming face to face with a large head that floated behind a large, red gate. The head was angular and orange. Two slitted, red eyes stared back at him, and a massive maw opened wide to reveal what seemed to be hundred of fangs. They could probably bite a body in half with a simple chomp. And while that visual was kind of cool, he didn't want that to happen to him. Naruto wasn't that irresponsible.
It was the Kyubi. The Kyubi was giant orange fox. Why did it have to be his favorite color?! That wasn't fair! Also, it would explain some people's actions. If he'd run around his entire life wearing a shade of the same color as the fox's fur, then of course they probably thought he was possessed or something. Kami-sama, what a pain in the ass the universe was.
Two hands suddenly appeared beside the large head, startling him. Naruto's attention was caught on the fact that they were fucking hands! Not paws like one would expect from a fox or any other furry creature of the like. No, they were huge ass hands with fingers and thumbs that could probably pick things up and toss them around. Thumbs. The Kyubi no Kitsune had thumbs.
"So the Kyubi is just a giant rodent with man hands," Naruto remarked with wonder. This was the source of the dark and terrifying voice that had urged him to kill the Iwa shinobi for their transgressions. Odd. The image did not match the voice at all.
"I AM NOT A RODENT YOU USELESS FLESHBAG!" the fox roared, its head suddenly coming closer to bash against the bars of the cage as water sloshed around. The cage that was being held shut by a simple strip of paper with a small word on it. 'Seal'. Not very original, but with all the obvious clues, he would say that it was a physical representation of his seal.
So he was in the seal? His mind? His stomach where the seal was? Fuinjutsu made no sense to him even though it could do awesome stuff. But Sasuke seemed to get it, and that was the reason why Naruto was even there. He wasn't using the chakra to hurt people this time, he was just going to pump chakra into the seal outside and hope for the best. There would be no tricking him into brutally annihilating everyone in the area. Because if the fox even dared, Naruto would just annoy it until it gave up. And Naruto was a master as annoying people.
"I need some of your chakra, Mokomoko-sama," the boy decided with a beaming grin. There was just something about his current situation that didn't worry him. The outside world held more terror actually.
The man hands kind of ruined the image for him. One moment it was an almost monstrous visage, and the next, the man hands came into view. What did a fox even need man hands for anyway? The heart stopping and petrifying stories he'd once heard, seemed to be more exaggeration than truth.
A thunderous growl that shook the room, sounded from the being's throat. Crimson eyes narrowed dangerously, pure hatred noticeable. Hatred was such a tiring emotion and Naruto had no time for that. "Why the hell would I aid you? You have no respect for your betters, you little fool. You're weaker than any other container I've had, and I do not aid the weak. So how about you be the mindless fleshbag you are and come over here so I can eat you?" The mouth spread apart again, fangs coated in strands of saliva.
"Yeah, no." Not in this lifetime at least. "You live in my body and had no problem shoving your chakra down my throat several weeks ago. You can just do it again. Otherwise, we might just die out there and then you'll have to wait several years before you become relevant again. Before you get a body again. Before you can make any use of your uber terrifying power. At least with me things stay interesting."
A scoff met his ears as the hands and head retreated from the bars. Arms were revealed and the great orange head with abnormally long rabbit ears - honestly, the Kyubi seemed more mix breed of whatevers than it did a fox - rested on folded forearms. Such a human-like position for a creature that seemed to despise humanity. Even the uninterested look in its eyes made it seem more human.
"Fine. I'll play along. Let's see how well you handle it, gaki. I'll laugh when you fail."
And then suddenly, a pool of red chakra seeped out from the creature's body, flowing past the bars of the cage and engulfing Naruto in a burning inferno before he had the chance to blink.
It had been mere seconds since Naruto had disappeared inside his own subconscious in order to draw upon the Kyubi's vast stores of chakra. In that amount of time, Sasuke and slit the throat of one Kiri ninja and broke the arm of another. Nine seconds had been all it took, and the air changed around them.
He could feel a shiver traveling down his spine and felt slightly ill. His hair ruffled in the wake of the energy pouring off of Naruto. And he knew that the Kyubi's chakra was the source because the activated seal didn't even allow natural wind into the bunker's area.
A bubbling substance leaked from the blond's skin, bright red in color and looking more threatening than anything he'd seen in a while. Naruto's body change as well. His whisker-like markings became jagged in shape and more defined. His gritted teeth lengthened and seemed to sharpen into fangs. His fingernails became elongated and deadly looking. And when Naruto looked up, Sasuke was struck by the missing blue.
Instead, a demonic red that could put the Sharingan to shame, stared back at him. Pupils slitted and countenance becoming animalistic in every sense of the word.
"I just force my chakra into the seal, right?" his voice was guttural and not all normal like Sasuke and gotten used to. However, he could tell that this Naruto was different that the one who had slaughtered the Iwa shinobi. He was in his own mind. And Sasuke didn't feel terrified in this instance.
"Do your worst, Naruto."
As Naruto bent to his task, laying his hands on the swirling lines of the seal, Sasuke whipped around to halt an attempt at cutting his head off. The sword that almost cleaved his head from his shoulders, was caught on the edge of his kunai. The push of the other's strength was obvious and required both of his hands to push back.
Behind him, he could feel the malicious chakra of the Kyubi being used for something good for once.
"W-what is that?" the Kiri shinobi demanded, eyes looking at Naruto in horror, foolishly leaving Sasuke's form.
Sasuke adjusted his grip and lashed out, kicking the man's knee to stagger him and twisting the fool's wrist to disarm him. The sword went flying and the kunai arced upward, cutting through the man's cheek and eye. With no mercy, Sasuke gripped the man's flailing arm and hoisted himself onto the enemy's shoulders. Without thinking, he stabbed his kunai into the space between the shoulder and the neck, and felt the body crumple beneath him.
His victory was short lived though. One second he was standing atop the body of his dead foe, and the next, he was staring at Naruto's face. Naruto had been behind him, with their backs almost touching, but now Sasuke found himself across from the blond, on the opposite side of the seal.
Blinking, he glanced up and found two forms close to Naruto. The back of Anbu member Minku, and a Kiri shinobi who was also wearing an animal mask and a cloak.
It was an Anbu from Kiri, he realized. Minku had used the Kawarimi with him in order to save him from being impaled by a master swordsman. And in doing so, they had taken the full brunt of the attack themself. He could see the long blade, covered in blood, sticking out of the Anbu's back, gleaming in the light of the moon. The blood looked black. Unnatural. A sight Sasuke had seen once before in his life.
The Kiri Anbu reached out and ripped the mask off Minku, revealing a dark head of hair.
In the same moment, the seal between Sasuke and Naruto, glowed red for a split second, before it started steaming. The ink and blood proceeded to fizzle and evaporate under the intense heat from the Kyubi's chakra. And the ground melted beneath the power of it. He'd expected an explosion, but that would work too. Especially when a ripple seemed to spread through the area.
To test out his theory, Sasuke turned and unleashed his favorite Katon Jutsu on the nearest enemy. Said enemy turned to ash on the spot. He smirked in response. He wasn't a genius for nothing after all. His plan had been perfect.
"Uchiha!"
Sasuke's head turned, searching for whoever called his name with such fear that he was certain he wasn't skilled enough to inspire. Not yet at least. He just needed a few years and competent teaching.
It was the Kiri Anbu, but they weren't looking at Sasuke. They were staring… at Minku.
"Hn."
Sasuke froze in place at the sound. The ever so familiar sound. He hadn't thought he'd ever hear it again. His mouth went dry immediately.
Minku reached up, seemingly not caring about the blade sticking through their gut, and removed the mask of the Anbu who had injured them. Pale hands gripped a terrified face, and suddenly, the foreign ninja was screaming bloody murder. A scream Sasuke had found even more familiar than Minku's voice.
The shinobi fell to the ground, form twitching madly and eyes staring ahead blankly. It was all so familiar and it made Sasuke's blood run cold. Sweat ran down his back, cold and terrifying in the wake of shivers he'd never wanted to feel again.
Naruto attempted to draw his attention by calling his name, but he was staring at Minku, eyes wide and horrified. "Who are you?" he demanded, raising his kunai once again, feeling his blood pumping madly through his veins. He would swear he could hear and feel his own heartbeat. It was so loud that the sounds of metal clashing with metal and jutsu being unleashed, were drowned out.
The gleaming sword retracted from Minku's body as the shinobi turned. Sasuke gaped as the familiar face finally turned to him. The owner of said face held the sword in a loose grip as the Mangekyo Sharingan stared into his soul. He knew those eyes and that face. He knew them better than anyone else ever could.
"Hello, Sasuke-kun."
It was Itachi.
Sarutobi Hiruzen heaved a great sigh and set the letter aside. Within, he had found some very interesting information from Kakashi, who had sent his ninken, Pakkun, back to deliver said message.
Uchiha Sasuke had found out that Minku was Itachi. Naruto had channeled the Kyubi's chakra all on his own and used it to destroy a Level Four, triple layer seal array. Mei was contacted by the ever elusive Kuro, and was given a piece of information that could very well help the Rebellion end the war. And finally, Tsunade was taking on Potta Uzumaki Karina as an Apprentice as she planned to begin a new class at the hospital upon her return. Yamanaka Ino, Hyuga Hinata, and Haruno Sakura would also be attending said class.
There was just so much to consider. First, he knew he would have to deal with the Sasuke situation upon their arrival. He hadn't expected Itachi's cover to be blown, but in a face off against a ninja of almost equal standing, and in a drastic attempt to save his little brother from pain and possible death, even Itachi would risk himself and his identity. Hiruzen couldn't fault him for that.
He needed to find out who Kuro was, and soon. He wanted to know their motives and their reasoning. Sure, wanting to protect Kakashi's team seemed to be the biggest requirement in order to receive their aid, but why? What was it about Kakashi and his Genin that made this person want to protect them?
Finally, the thought of the civil war ending soon was probably the best news he'd had in weeks. Even with all the information that Hoshigaki and Yakushi had, this certainly topped all of it.
"Someone get me Potta Hari," he ordered to the 'empty room'. One chakra signature disappeared instantly. The woman would want to know about what was going on. Also, as she had seemed to make it her duty to get Sasuke to open up, she would probably want to begin planning on how to deal with a volatile Uchiha who had been kept from some serious information.
A/N: Another is done!
-We're getting so close to the Chunin Exams!
I have been waiting for this! I've compiled a
list of possible exams and am going to get my
mom's advice on which would be best for this.
Also, finally, the Itachi & Sasuke scene I have
been thinking about since forever! YES!
-I have also dreamed up a few cute scenes
for Hari and Kakashi and once we get everyone
back to Konoha, I can finally put them in the
fic! Hopefully they come out as cute as they
seemed in my mind. Sometimes things don't
always work out, but damn it all, I want these
to happen!
-Finally, Utakata was said to have died at some
point during The Purge of the Kekkei Genkai in
Kiri, after he defected. Since The Purge is still
going on in my fic, I decided to have him join
the Rebellion under Mei's attention. She has a
Kekkei Genkai and advocates for the support of
those with Kekkei Genkai, and no doubt would
be able to convince him to join them. After all,
he defected because of an assumed betrayal.
So in my fic, he's alive and his master had
actually explained his plan of extracting Saiken
before doing it, so no betrayed feelings in
this.
-I changed The Trojan Horse to fit my needs in
this. I already know the real story. If you didn't
notice that I had changed more than a nation's
name, you obviously don't know the story all
too well either.
How was it? Let me know!
Check out my other fics!
Ja ne! :D
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