Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but I do not revoke claim to the Kuroihi or the Enkou Syndicates or any related subjects.
Author's Notes: Well it's that time again. That time when I post another chapter of Oyabun for all the good little boys and girls to read. The rest of you get a lump of coal! Heh, no but seriously, enjoy the chapter. Thanks to everyone who decided to leave a review. It's been a heck of a past couple of weeks. My schedule just became busier with the start of my college year. Naturally, this means more time spent on projects, homework and study, and less time on my stories. Dare I say it, this will really put a bite in my schedule. In fact, I did not get the time I needed to reread the chapter so forgive me if there are any spelling errors or typos. Hell, I'm actually running on two hours of sleep and a mocha frapucino from the Starbucks downstairs. With that in mind, I would like to apologize ahead of time if there are any errors or problems with thc chapter. Before I move on to responding to reviews, I would like to mention that I'm putting a poll up on my account for votes for a pairing in this story. For those of you hoping for a yaoi, forget it. Like I said before, the Yakuza are known for openly opposing gays. To anyone who believes the otherwise, remember: not all fanfic authors do their homework. And now, on to the responses:
darkness created by sorrow and pain: I thank you for your vote towards a NaruHina. You made some excellent points in your review, but ultimately I will go with whatever the public decides.
SurfWizard: I'm glad you like it. Gamakichi will make an appearance around the same time as Jiraiya. I don't want to rush into that part because there are a lot of plot points I need to cover in the Chunin Exam Arc but worry not, he'll appear.
DarkRavie: Wait no longer for here is the next chapter!
Peter Kim: Jiraiya will make his appearance, don't go jumping the gun alright? Ebisu won't be much of a pest but we don't worry because we haven't seen the last of Konohamaru. Seriously, what is with the hate for Sakura and Sasuke? Personally, I think the two keep each other in check fairly well and, to some degree, make a fairly cute couple. I don't plan on killing either but Sasuke may meet his end earlier than expected, depending on how the story goes. hint hint, Gaara might win. I also looked into this nen you reference and I must say I am quite confused by it. I'l do some more research and see if I can incorporate it.
Eric3D2B: Thank you for your vote in the pairing. I don't plan on rushing anything unless my time gets ill spent. Then I may throw something together quickly for the sake of making a lengthy chapter. Worry not, though, I am on top of everything.
I am the Bane of my Sword: Actually, if you'll have noticed, the Kyubi has made several appearances already although none of them are actually explained or properly acknowledged and that is because Naruto was never told about the Kyubi so he is unaware that it exists inside of him. The Kyubi's power has also appeared once, during the second half of the warehouse arc. With that said, I would like to point out that the Kyubi will have a more prominent role later. This does not mean Naruto will develop a Fox Cloak, but we will still see its power surge inside of him.
Urghazi: I like your analysis and enjoy that kind of input. To comment, I must say: I'm glad you're enjoying how I apply the Art of War. As for Naruto, he really hasn't gone evil, but he hasn't become good either. The best wording would be: disillusioned to the world around him. Remember, there is no good and evil in humans. Only lighter shades of gray. I look forward to any further analysis that you can offer.
Bloodyredshade: Thank you for your kind words, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter.
Ghostboy814: Thank you for the compliment. The Kuroihi are actually modeled after the Yamaguchi-gumi, with the chairman as the central authority figure. It really is impossible to explain how a Yakuza is actually structuralized, I myself do not fully understand it, but it is nothing like a confederation or a heirarchy. There are a series of gangs, and each member of that gang has the ability to start their own gang. The higher up you are, the more power you have. That's really the only version that makes sense to me because all other explanations tend to leave out other sections and groups. I plan on explaining the Kuroihi's power structure sometime in the near future so if you could bear with me until then.
T3KO: Thank you for your compliment. Believe me, that homework was a lot of reading. It really is hard to sum it all up without forgetting something and I'm always adding on to what I know. With that done, thank you and I hope you enjoy the next chapter of Oyabun.
And so, without further distraction, I present to you, the continuation of Oyabun.
Oyabun
(An Older Brother)
Chapter 21: The Back Alley Brawl
Naruto walked the familiar streets of the village, caught up in the awe of the familiarity of his surroundings and yet unsure why. Needless to say, he remembered why it was so familiar when he saw his favorite haunt: The Ichiraku Ramen Bar where he and Iruka-sensei had spent so much time after the academy. Naruto had many fond memories from this restaurant, from his first bowl of each flavor ramen to his time spent chatting with Iruka. The ever alluring aroma of ramen filled the boy's nostrils as he reveled in the memories of the succulent soup.
"Hello there, have a seat," the elderly owner of the bar said happily, "So, what'll it be?"
"Eh," Naruto froze in a panic. He had been so caught up in his reverie that he had actually walked into the bar without realizing it. And worst of all, the bar's owner, Teuchi, had seen him. A quick glance around told him Ayame was by the stove boiling some water for the noodles. It was a miracle that they hadn't recognized him on the spot, especially after all the time he had spent here. Then again, with his long hair and his different attire, who could? Naruto had to find a way out before they recognized him. After all, he was in hiding and rushing into this stand where he had spent so much time was a dumb move. Thinking quickly, Naruto raised the collar of his shirt high enough to hide his whisker like marks and tattoo.
"Oh, hello Iruka," Teuchi greeted to someone behind Naruto. Naruto's head perked up at the name. Could it really have been Iruka? Naruto was torn between joy, sorrow, and worry. Iruka-sensei was really here. Naruto wanted so badly to hug the man, to tell his old instructor everything that had happened, to learn what his father figure had been doing all this time, to apologize for the recent string of events and beg for his forgiveness. And yet, he knew he couldn't. Naruto wanted to hug his old sensei so badly but knew that doing so would compromise his safety. Thus was the cause of his worry: what if Iruka-sensei recognized him? He loved the man like a father but there was no doubt that Iruka was furious about Naruto's actions, not only with the Kuroihi but in the Land of Waves.
More importantly, if Iruka recognized him then the chunin would be obligated to arrest him. Naruto had to get out of the bar quickly, but he couldn't leave because doing so would mean he had to pass by Iruka. All Iruka needed was one good look at him to recognize him. He couldn't stay though, for the same reason. Doing the first thing that came to his mind, Naruto sat in a stool on the furthest away from Iruka which was at the opposite end of the bar.
"Hey," he heard Iruka say sheepishly, "I'll have the usual."
Teuchi began to busy himself with getting Iruka's order while asking, "Are you feeling any better?
"Yeah," Iruka murmured, "It's been quiet around here without Naruto."
"It sure has," Teuchi agreed, "There isn't as much ruckus as before, which I don't mind, but business is taking a bit of a hit."
"Yeah," Iruka smiled dreamily, "He always loved to eat here. Sometimes for all three meals."
"You know Iruka," Teuchi began, "I thought you would have been more upset when Naruto ran off to the Kuroihi during the convoy ambush."
"I was angry and I hated him for it," Iruka started, which felt like a stab at Naruto's chest. It was a heavy weight that pierced him where his heart was and numbed his body. The sensation alone sent chills down his spine. How could Iruka feel that way? Not that Naruto blamed him, but he thought Iruka would have been more understanding of his situation. It took all of Naruto's self control to keep himself from losing out to his emotions. This wasn't kind of business where one could wear their emotions on their sleeves, Naruto knew that but it didn't do anything to make it hurt less. Ready to cry, Naruto weakly looked away from the two and stared blankly at the wall so he could let out a silent sob.
"At first, anyway," Iruka added quickly. Naruto cast Iruka a side glance but turned his attention to the pool of chopsticks when Iruka shot him a look. He felt Iruka's gaze travel up and down his body before he heard the chunin sigh, "But I guess it was sort of inevitable with Naruto."
"Inevitable?" Teuchi asked as he began pouring beef flavored broth into a bowl of noodles. Iruka nodded and went on, "Well most people in Naruto's position would gone in two different directions. There are other paths he could have gone, but these two happen to be the most likely: he would have sank away into a sea of his own despair or he would have gone and sought the approval from a different group of people. In this case it was the latter but, sadly, both are paths to self destruction."
Teuchi looked at Iruka grimly and asked, "You seem to know a lot about this."
"I was in his shoes once," Iruka said rather plainly, "And sometimes I felt like going to the former, and other times the latter. If things played out differently, I might have been that criminal whom Naruto met. In any case, what's happened has happened and I'm sure he's better off."
"Oh come now, Iruka," Teuchi said patronizingly, "You think he was better off as a criminal then as a proud ninja of the village?"
"I didn't mean it like that," Iruka said defensively, "I mean, I think he was happier with them than he was with us. Let's face it Teuchi: Naruto didn't have a lot besides us: you, me, and Ayame. Everyone else held him in either contempt or hate. Who knows? Maybe he found what he was looking for in the Kuroihi Syndicate."
"But Iruka, didn't he throw himself off the bridge in the Land of Waves?" Teuchi asked, "It just doesn't make sense to me: Why would he throw away everything he had to become a criminal who killed himself on his boss's orders?"
"Sometimes Teuchi," Iruka said with a knowing tone, "People will do anything just to have their existence acknowledged, even if it means doing something crazy."
"But how do we know Naruto killed himself on his Oyabun's orders? Maybe he did it because he didn't find what he was looking for," Teuchi said with a mark of disdain. With a disappointed look, Iruka finished, "Then he's even more deserving of compassion or pity. Think about it: If what you say is true, then Naruto must have thought he would never find the acknowledgement or admiration of others. Thinking that was true must have broken him."
"Iruka..."
Iruka sniffed quietly, "I wanted Naruto to be happy, even if he went against my wishes. I just hope that was what he found."
With those words, Naruto slipped out of the bar, all the while thinking about Iruka's words. Even though Naruto had become a Yakuza, despite Iruka's wishes and hopes, Iruka was forgiving and sympathetic. He had expected disappointment or hatred, but certainly not recognition or empathy. Shame weighted heavy on the blonde's shoulders. He had completely forgotten about his former instructor while his instructor thought of nothing but him. What kind of person was he? A terrible one, no doubt. He didn't deserve Iruka's affection and Iruka didn't deserve whatever he went through after his feigned suicide.
Guilt ridden, Naruto returned to the office and went into his room. He spent that night in a restless sleep.
...
It came as no surprise to Naruto when someone shook him as he lay in the bed. A quick glance at the clock told him it was two thirty in the morning. Looking over his shoulder to see who had awoken him, Naruto saw a tall figure dressed in a white dress shirt with rolled up sleeves. The figured shook Naruto again and said, "Wake up kid! We got patrol in half an hour."
Naruto slowly rose off the mattress, too tired to go any faster but too awake to just stay in bed. Moving over to the side of his bed, Naruto sat up and rubbed his eyes. He had been asleep since eight o'clock but he felt exhausted. Not a single drop of energy in him. It was one of the worst nights in his life. He had slept, but not really slept. It was a dreamless dream that made him toss and turn continuously for hours without end. Iruka's words still tormented him.
Finally finding the energy to climb off the bed, Naruto casually walked over to the dresser and started to change into the attire that Yahiko had purchased him the day before. He had thrown on a fresh pair of slacks, socks, shoes and a belt but was unable to find his orange dress shirt. After a few minutes of endless searching, Naruto gave up and put on one of his black shirts. He couldn't hide the shirt, but he was sure no one would notice if he buttoned the coat and popped his collar. Once he adorned the necessary adjustments to his coat, Naruto proceeded to attach Kitsune to his waist and his goggles over his eyes.
Once he was dressed, he went downstairs onto the main floor where two others were waiting patiently for his arrival. The one who had awoken him thrust a ball of rice wrapped in seaweed into his hand and said, "Here's breakfast. Now come on, we're already late and the other are probably getting restless."
Complying quietly, Naruto bit into the salted rice ball and followed them out of the building and into the dark night. The streets were barren of any life with the exception of a few strays picking through garbage and the homeless sleeping in the alleys under any cloth they could get their hands on. Watching them reminded Naruto of the Land of Waves, except there weren't as many and there were no children among them.
Pushing the memories into the back of his mind, Naruto took another hungry bite out of the rice ball. He followed the two Dewaya down the path that Naruto knew led to Purgatorio. The district took on a completely different appearance at night. The dark shadows concealed the garbage that littered the streets while the pale moon light shimmered beautifully off the glass windows, beautifying the empty streets. A stray dog wandered out of a nearby alley and started sniffing the litter. As Naruto and the two Dewaya came closer, it let out a low growl that sounded like quiet grumbling.
At first Naruto froze in panic, but a quick glance at the dog's eyes told him everything. It wasn't looking at him but at the rice ball in his hand. Naruto sighed and threw the rice ball into a nearby alley, with the dog following shortly after. It let out a pleased yelp as it started eating Naruto's breakfast.
"Geez kid, it's just a dog," the taller of the two Dewaya pointed out as they went further down the street. Naruto shrugged and said, "Better the rice ball than me."
The tall one gave him an amused smirk and answered, "I hope you don't act the same way around our clients."
Naruto personally didn't care for the cryptic nature of the comment since he was too exhausted to process it. This did not hamper his mind from recalling the events of the previous day. Specifically the words that came out of Iruka's mouth: 'I just hope that was what he found.' It posed a question Naruto had never considered in all his time in the Kuroihi. Was he happy? Had he found happiness in the Kuroihi?
Naruto was at a loss for how to comprehend it. He wasn't happy in the Ninkyo Dantai but he wasn't happy before either. Now that he dwelled on it, the times when he was content were far in between. What kind of life had he fallen into? Not only had he made himself miserable, but he had made those closest to him miserable. Did this, in turn, make him a bad person? He was so caught up in what was going on that there seemed to have been no chance for him to settle. In all fairness, he had been in hiding ever since he first took up bushido and kenjutsu. Was fate trying to send him a message?
Nah! He was being far too analytical about it. He should be thankful that Iruka still cared for his well being and his happiness. And yet, Naruto couldn't shake a worried feeling in the back of his head. Something still felt unsettled.
The three Dewaya came to a stop outside a store at the end of the street at a large brick building that was completely boarded up. There was a sign on the door reading: Notice of Condemnation. The tall Dewaya who awoke Naruto took two cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket. He handed one of the cigarettes to the other Dewaya and lit both of them with the lighter. Replacing the small device into his pocket, the man took a long drag from the cigarette and said, "They're late. That's good for us since it means less work."
"You wish!" someone said from behind them. Naruto, still in a disoriented haze, spun around and drew his katana from its scabbard. He held his katana parallel to the ground with the tip pointed at a man's chest. The man was dressed in the all too familiar Kuroihi attire. His suit was unbuttoned though, and the dress shirt was open to expose a bare chest. Across the front of his body, Naruto saw the tattoo of a naked couple positioned on top of one another inside a blooming flower. The man was face down and only the back of his head was visible but the woman wore a face of pure ecstasy.
"Whoa, calm down," the man said. Naruto looked at the his face, which was covered with greying hair that ran past his ears and down to his shoulders. An eye patch went over his left eye, which did little to cover a large scar that ran down from his forehead to his chin. Behind the man were two others who were dressed much more appropriately, albeit their hair was a mess. The man looked at two behind him and asked, "Whose the kid Shinji?"
"Naruto, I think," Shinji, the man that awoke him said, "Oyabun's Boss wanted him inducted into the clan. Hell, if I know why."
"Ah," the man said. He looked back down at Naruto, who still pointed his katana at the man's chest. The man rolled his eyes angrily and said, "You can put the sword down, Naruto. That thing hurts."
"Sorry," Naruto answered sheepsihly, replacing the katana in its scabbard. The man sighed and told Shinji, "You better keep an eye on the kid before he kills someone. We'll leave the collections to you guys. We're knocking off."
"Alright," Shinji said, taking a long drag on his cigarette. With that, the three men went off in random directions. Naruto turned around to face Shinji and the other Dewaya, who were already stamping out their first cigarettes and starting their seconds ones. Shinji took out another cigarette from inside his coat and handed it to Naruto.
Naruto had no idea how to react to this gesture, which was incredibly stupid in his own opinion. He didn't smoke and was definitely too young to. Shinji must have seen the confused look on his face because he said, "Believe me, it helps."
Naruto rolled his eyes and pocketed it. He would throw it away later but not right away.
"Alright, Miji go down Purgatorio and have a look around," Shinji ordered, "Naruto take the hot springs."
"How come he gets the hot springs?" Miji asked, to which Shinji replied, "Because you were peeping instead of doing your job you voyeur."
Miji grumbled defeatedly and walked off, leaving Shinji and Naruto alone. Shinji shook his head disapprovingly, "Forget about him."
Shinji reached into his pocket and handed Naruto a slip of paper, "Oyabun said to give you this list of all the businesses in that area. Today's collection day so make sure you stop by every last one of them and get the money."
"Okay, so how should I handle it?" Naruto asked, anxious to get the whole thing over with but too tired to care.
"Remind them that its collection day but don't say it. Hint it," Shinji instructed, "Say something like, 'I'm here for what's due.' If they get stingy, run some damage control."
"Damage control?" Naruto repeated, noting the serious tone in Shinji's voice. Shinji nodded, "Remind them whose in control and, if that fails, cause some damage. Nothing too rough, just so they know who they're in debt too."
"Alright," Naruto took the list and pocketed it. Shinji tossed away his second cigarette and lit a third, "Finally, when you get the money, put it in your inside coat pocket. Don't leave anywhere it can be seen because pick pockets these days have been getting cockier."
"Okay then," Naruto said, growing anxious. He turned to leave but was stopped when Shinji added, "Oh and one more thing: We've been getting reports of an old man whose been seen peeping on the woman's bath. He's got long spiky hair and wears a red vest. If you see him, take care of it."
"Anything else?" Naruto asked with feigned politeness. Shinji shook his head, "Nope. Now go do your job."
Shinji walked away, leaving Naruto to his own devices in Purgatorio. He let out a tired yawn and started walking down an alley he knew would take him to the road to the Springs. Taking the list out of his pocket and unfolding it. The list named twenty stores: two delis, three bakeries, five restaurants, four bars, and six clubs. He knew several of them, having walked by them all the time whenever he went to the nearby Ichiraku. None of them were within walking distance and would take at least thirty minutes in between to get to each. With an exasperated sigh, he muttered, "This is going to be a long day."
And Naruto was right. Most of the businesses wouldn't open until six at the earliest. He spent the better part of two hours wandering around the Hot Springs aimlessly. At some point he decided to time himself and see how quickly he could get from one end to the next and back. He ran what must have been ten laps before he got bored of that as well. By that time, Naruto looked up at the sky to see a glimmer of light shooting across the horizon. The sun was finally rising and casting its golden rays down on the village. As the sunlight slowly crept on the village, Naruto decided to stop fooling around and head to the first business on the list. It was a small bakery that Naruto had passed often so he knew the path there completely by heart.
It was a short, fifteen minute walk down the street which was slowly lit up by the rising sun in the horizon. Gleams of light slowly drove away the night's shadows, as the villagers arose from their sleep to attend to their business for that day. Store owners started opening their shops, restaurant managers started their ovens and stoves which filled the air with scent of freshly cooked food, and farmers from the surrounding area traveled down the street hoping to vend their product to the local grocers or markets.
When Naruto finally arrived at the bakery, he found an elderly woman tending the front of the shop. He followed the elderly woman inside to find the bakery's shelves sparse and empty of product. The elderly woman must not have seen or heard Naruto because she remained completely oblivious to his presence. As Naruto looked her over, he began to question the sense in having to collect money from her. She seemed completely frail and struggled just to walk straight. In fact, it seemed that she was all alone by herself.
Although Naruto would hate having to do it, this was his job. He made a small cough in effort to catch her attention. She went about rolling some dough in the back of the store, seemingly undisturbed by Naruto. This time, he let out a louder cough which indefinitely caught her attention because she jumped and spun around, "Whose?"
She wore a weak, terrified look on her face which made Naruto pity her. She sized Naruto up and down before saying, "Why, hello young man. You gave me quite the scare. I thought you were here to collect the tribute. You really shouldn't dress like that. It might give people the wrong impression."
"About that," Naruto began disdainfully, walking up to the counter, "I am. It's time to collect the tribute. Do you have it?"
"Oh...oh my," the old woman scoffed, "So young too..."
The old woman went to the front counter and opened a shelf containing a large assortment of utensils from rolling pins to spatulas. She retrieved a brown bag out of the shelf and handed it to Naruto, "Here it is: 75,000 ryou for the month."
"Okay thanks," Naruto said, turning to leave. As he walked out of the door, he swore he heard her say, "Another egg gone bad...such a shame, and so young too."
Naruto wasn't too sure how to take that comment, especially when he considered Iruka's words from the night before. What had happened to him? What happened to the kid who used to scream about his future as the next Hokage?
He was arrested for association with the Yakuza, remember? Naruto paused. It was that voice; the dark, malicious voice that haunted him. He had heard it so many times and yet he never knew where it came from or who was saying it. It was a disembodied voice that followed him, mocked him.
Naruto paused when he realized that a villager across the street was giving him a strange look. An angry look. A quick glance of his surroundings assured him that others were also giving estranged looks, or generally avoiding his line of sight. Naruto took the message and decided not to linger any longer than he had to. He opened the list again and went to the next business.
...
Three uneventful weeks went by in what Naruto felt was an instant. Almost nothing happened since the collections on his first day. Every day afterwards was spent doing nothing but wandering the Hot Springs aimlessly. There was the occasional break where he was aloud to take one hour off the patrol to get lunch or eat a snack. Aside from the routine events of the day, nothing happened. Nothing, no fights, no brawls, no thefts, or situations.
Apparently, the increasing tensions between Kuroihi and their as of yet unnamed opponent, and the ever approaching Chunin Exams was putting everyone in the underworld on edge. No one, not even petty criminals and pick pockets would dare do anything to upset the already shaky peace, assuming anyone had the nerve to call it that. Even Yahiko, who had a calm and pleasant demeanor, could be seen in his office pacing up and down for hours at time with three cigarettes in his mouth.
While the jobs and duties were fairly dull, Naruto did enjoy some of the perks. For starter's, no one dared look at him with hateful eyes. This was due equal parts because they thought he, Naruto, was dead and because they were concerned about any retaliation that may come their way if they gave a Ninkyo Dantai an angry look. They still gave him discontented or contempt looks but it seemed less targeted towards his existence and more towards his status. Naruto could live with that though since he knew it was standard when someone associated with any of the Syndicates.
Naruto's favorite perk, though, was the gifts given to the clan members by their clients. In one case, Naruto met the two siblings from several days before. The elder sister recognized Naruto on the spot and offered to buy him a drink. Of course Naruto refused, but the woman's insistence got the better of him so the two of them settled for a glass of orange soda.
Needless to say, Naruto was enjoying his new found status as a member of the Dewaya.
This day was no different than any other, Naruto was making his usual rounds around the Hot Springs, probably on his fifth lap around the area. Deciding to break the pattern and refrain from making it routine, Naruto turned the corner into a side street that narrowed into an alley. He went about twenty meters before he heard a familiar voice scream, "LET ME GO!"
"We got a few minutes before he gets here!" a second voice said gruffly, "Let's mess with these punks, huh?"
"Put him down Kankuro," a third voice said, this one more feminine. Naruto ran down the alley, reaching a corner where the voices appeared to be coming from.
"Please let him go!" another voice said, this one childish and much more effeminate.
"Yeah! He didn't do anything to you!" a fourth voice added, this one much heavier and more nasily. Naruto peeked around the corner to catch a glimpse of what was going on. There was a teenager covered from head to toe in black clothes and a black cap. His face was covered in a strange purple make up that ran in strange patterns. Strapped to his back was a large item wrapped in bandages from head to toe, with a patch of brown hair protruding out from the top.
The teen held Konohamaru up to his face by his collar. Kankuro, Naruto thought, Who would dare try to hurt the grandson of the Third Hokage? Or maybe he doesn't know. Upon further inspection, Naruto noted that his head band didn't belong to Konoha or Kiri. He couldn't even identify it although he could assume they were here to participate in the Chunin Exam.
Behind the teen was a blonde haired girl in a purple dress and fish net clothes. Attached to her back was a large fan, which she kept folded away. Before Kankuro were Sakura, Hinata, and two others. The first was a bright, red haired girl dressed in a pink skirt and a red blouse. Her hair was fashioned into two pigtails that ran straight up into the air. The other was a brown haired boy wearing glasses and a blue turtleneck. A small booger slid out of his nose, stopping just short of his upper lip. Sakura, Konohamaru, and two children wore horrified expressions on their faces while Hinata wore a lax, calm yet controlled expression. Kankuro clearly reveled in this fear, but seemed more focused on Konohamaru.
Konohamaru wriggled violently, kicking at his captor while screaming, "LET GO OF ME YOU JERK!"
Naruto was at another cross roads. On the one hand, Konohamaru was in trouble and it was obvious that neither Sakura or Hinata were going to help him. However, if he interfered then he would risk his cover. But was more important: someone's life or his own safety? In either case, someone would end up dead. Still unsure of what to do, Naruto considered his options as he watched the events unfold.
Leering angrily, the teen said, "You're feisty. But not for long."
"HEY! CUT IT OUT! IT HURTS!" Konohamaru pleaded to no avail. Kankuro smirked triumphantly and added, "First I'll waste this squirt and then I'll waste the rest of them."
"Fine, I'm not involved in any of this," the blonde girl added blankly, turning away from Kankuro as he tightened his grip on the small child's neck. Just then, Kankuro let out a loud grunt of pain and dropped Konohamaru to the ground. Kankuro looked up at a tree angrily and growled, "GRAH! Why you!"
Naruto followed the teen's gaze to a tree branch where none other than Uchiha Sasuke was sitting with a smug look on his face. He tossed a pebble up into the air, and caught it as it fell to the ground. With a cool tone, he said, "You're a long way from home and way out of your league."
All eyes were on Sasuke, especially the girls who gave him adoring looks, as he descended from the tree and crushed the pebble into dust with his bare hand, "Get lost."
Naruto felt the anger bubble up inside of him, as Sasuke took the center of attention. He hated how the Great, Last Uchiha always took the spotlight everywhere he went. For once, Naruto wasn't angry out of envy but contempt. It was nothing but despicable how Sasuke could attract the eyes of everyone present simply by breathing and act so ignorant about it. He suspected that the boy had grown immune to it after several years but that didn't excuse his bhavior.
However, Sasuke's appearance worked to his advantage. Now, Naruto wouldn't have to expose himself. Sasuke may have been a jerk but he was more than capable of defending himself from the other shinobi present.
"Well, looks like someone wants to fight," Kankuro grinned with mischievious happiness, removing the large item from his back, "Well then, let's get started."
He dropped the item on the ground, crumbling the earth beneath it, and started to undo the wrapping. A look of fear crossed the face of the girl behind him as she gasped, "Kankuro, you aren't seriously going to use The Crow for this, are you?"
"What he doesn't know, won't hurt him, Temari," Kankuro said calmly, to which Temari callously responded, "Fine, but make it quick."
With that said, Kankuro unveiled the contents of the wrapping: a life sized, four-armed, wooden puppet with the most hideous face Naruto had ever seen. It's jaw hung wide open, revealing a large bladed instrument that protruded out like a tongue. Kankuro raised his hand and, with a flick of the finger, made the puppet lunge on Sasuke. Sasuke dived out of its path and performed a series of hand signs, "Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!"
A large ball of fire emerged out of his mouth and enveloped the puppet. Everyone present gasped in surprise, except for Kankuro. With another flick of his fingers, Crow emerged out of the fire only this time with spikes coming out of the palm of his hands. This time Sasuke chose to charge it instead of run, throwing himself at the puppet with kunai in each finger. The sound of metal colliding reverberated through the air. The two fighters flew away from each other, the force of the impact sending the two flailing. Kankuro was able to recover first and retook the advantage by striking at Sasuke while he was still trying to get back on his feet.
At this point, Naruto had no choice. Sasuke would be impaled if no one helped him and it was clear that the girls and two boys were too absorbed in shock to act. As Naruto raced out of the corner and drew his katana, he heard Sakura scream, "SASUKE!"
Adrenaline rushed through every vein in his body as Naruto took Kitsune in both hands and rushed in. He dashed past Sakura, Hinata, Konohamaru and the two other children, much to their surprise. As the Crow moved in to make the kill, Naruto stepped forward and raised the katana. The puppet reverberated backwards off the sword and landed behind its master.
Naruto let out an exasperated gasp. What he just done? He had risked, no, sacrificed everything to save Sasuke. His safety and his life, all for someone he hated. Why? What had compelled to do such a thing. He didn't care for Sasuke's life, so why risk his own?
"Who the heck are you?" Kankuro growled. Were it not for the goggles that concealed most of his face, everyone would have seen the terrified look on Naruto's face. Swallowing a lump in his throat and immediately thinking about ramen, Naruto calmly said, "I should ask you the same thing. Tell me, how pathetic are the ninja in your village that you need to pick on kids younger than yourself?"
What!? Naruto thought. Why would I say that! This guy could probably snap me in half if he wanted to! Naruto was certainly in for it now, because Kankuro's face contorted into pure, blind rage. He growled, "Excuse me? You want to say that again?"
"You heard me," Naruto responded bitterly. He blinked. Did those words just come out of his mouth? What was wrong with him? He knew better than to show his frustration so openly and yet here he was insulting Kankuro as if there was no tomorrow. How big of an idiot was he?
"That's it!" Kankuro flicked his fingers, which brought the puppet back to life. Naruto could only watch in utter terror as the Crow stepped forward menacingly. Naruto wanted to run, but his feet refused to move from their spot. He had to get out of its path. As a long sword protruded out of The Crow's mouth, Naruto heard Temari yelp, "Kankuro stop! He's a Kuroihi! You know what they'll do to you if they find out."
"You honestly don't believe those stupid rumors do you?" Kankuro growled, "I can take down anyone they send my way!"
"Kankuro! That's enough! Back off!" said a low voice that came from the tree where Sasuke had appeared. Naruto's eyes darted towards the tree where a red haired teen, younger than the other two but significantly older than everyone else, stood upside down. He was draped mostly in a fishnet attire, with the exception of a giant gourd on his back. What little bit of his eyes could be made out were covered in deep, black rings that gave him a demonic appearance.
"Tch! I didn't even sense him," Sasuke muttered rather loudly. Naruto couldn't help but grow angry at Sasuke's comment. How could he think about himself at a time like this when the other's lives, and even his own, was at risk? Still, Sasuke was right. This new arrival must have been quite the ninja to be able to sneak up on them so casually and intimidate Kankuro.
"Oh...hey...Gaara," Kankuro murmured, "What's up?" he asked quietly. Gaara looked at him disapprovingly and commented, "Shut up!"
"Oh...okay," Kankuro answered. Gaara stepped down from his perch on the tree branch and stared the Kankuro down angrily, even though Kankuro was taller. Kankuro cowered weakly under Gaara's gaze and Naruto understood why. Even from this distance Naruto could feel the killing intent emanating off of the one called Gaara. Gaara turned around and unconvingly said, "I apologize for my brother's arrogance. It won't happen again."
With that, Gaara faced Kankuro again who had already spun around and paced off with Temari. Gaara followed after them but stopped in his tracks to say, "Whose worse? Genin that pick on children or genin who need bosuzoku to save them?"
With that, Gaara turned into column of sand and disappeared. Gaara's comment clearly did not carry well with Sasuke who pushed Naruto aside and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Before he vasnished, Naruto swore he heard the Uchiha scowl, "Damn Kuroihi."
Naruto shook his head, angry at Sasuke's pride which hindered his ability to at least thank him for saving his life. Sighing, he replaced Kitsune in its scabbard and turned around to see Konohamaru's two friends hiding fearfully behind the boy, with Sakura and Hinata flanking him. No one said a word, as Naruto brushed past them and kept walking. He only went about two paces before he heard Sakura say, "That's it? Not even a hello, Naruto?"
Naruto was surprised. It wasn't the fact that she knew who he was the amazed him, on the contrary, he knew they would recognize him on the spot. But what really bothered him was that she expected him to be friendly after their last encounter. What on Earth made her think that he would even acknowledge her presence? She had plenty of chances to acknowledge his presence back in the academy but she didn't even look his way! Her arrogance infuriated the blonde but he remembered those words of wisdom, This is not the kind of business where one can wear their emotions on their sleeves. Taking those words to heart, Naruto ignored her and kept walking. There was nothing to say because nothing needed to be said. Turning the corner casually, Naruto disappeared down the alley and into the busy streets.
...
Author's Notes: Well folks, I'm sorry to say it but that's the end of this chapter. I know some of you hoped for more and others probably think the ending was shit, so I beg for your forgiveness. The next update will come in 6 weeks time: on Friday, October 10th. If you loved the story let me know in the reviews section. I also take constructive criticism and analysis on what will come in the next chapter. Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out to bed.