Devil Summoner Naruto – Chapter 21
A quiet Interlude...Sorta.
Naruto and Team Seven couldn't be happier (or not frowning in Sasuke's case) to see Konoha once more after their spectacular ordeal. With an insight into Naruto's other trade firmly in their minds, Team Seven could safely say that they didn't want to deal with mercenaries on an intimate level, and that was just fine for them.
More so for Naruto, who went from rich to status quo in the span of a week.
Sasuke almost felt sorry for the guy, to really gain all that and lose it in the span of a day and still stay standing was a feat few can take.
Sakura almost had a heart attack when she saw what Naruto had, and a bigger shock when he lost it all.
Naruto stayed quiet, he knew he would probably never see that much again, but it was for a good cause...he hoped.
What happened, you ask?
Well...
X-X
After volunteering for accompanying Naruto into the mercenary lodge, Team Seven bore witness to the inner dealings of the mercenary trade. Despite most views, they weren't just hired from bars, or from shady criminal compounds. However, they did look the part, and wouldn't be surprised if some of the muscle for hire were from these organizations.
One could argue that Ninjas were just mercenaries with a military background and they would be right to an extent. Only difference is that mercenaries fought for anyone with enough gold, and could change sides at anytime.
So what did that make Naruto? A rarely seen (if first ever), Ninja-Mercenary?
Naruto, being somewhat desensitized to the glares of the thugs, and sell swords, approached the counter and declared the mission complete. A stunned silence was held throughout the lodge, except for the Guild master, who started to laugh loudly.
"Incredible, you took a job that payed shit, and still managed to topple a huge company! Here's the pay, as promised." The Guild master said, before bringing out two bags.
"Wait, so whats with the two bags? The pay was worth less than paper it was written on." Naruto asked. The Guild master nodded and proceeded to explain.
"This" the Guild master of the area pointed to the small bag. "Is the mission reward that those townspeople paid to attract our services."
Naruto conceded that the money was pathetic enough to have been overlooked for so long, since that wasn't nearly enough to take down a corporation.
"And this large sack is the money added by our boys, to be given to the idiot who would successfully take the mission and complete it." The Guild master smirked, pushing the large amount of money onto Naruto's hands.
Sakura gaped, with Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. That was a huge amount!
Even Kakashi was stunned...you couldn't tell really, since his face was in the book he had stashed in his jacket pocket.
After loud protests from the sell swords, Naruto had to struggle with the huge bag of money that the Guild master pushed into his arms. A few barks from the Guild master, and they instantly quieted down.
After finding a way to hold on the cash from both falling out and being robbed by the desperate look some of the sell swords gave out, Naruto crashed at the inn, while Team Seven returned to the Bridge Builder's house.
The next week however, a missive from the innkeeper brought Naruto to the lobby of the place. He found himself face to face with an older man who smelled strongly of cheap booze and a runt with a bucket hat over his head.
Both of them had a lighter look on them, way different from the usual doom and gloom he saw from the mayor and his servants, but that should have been expected really.
"I hear we have you to thank for disposing of Gato and his thugs." The old booze hound began.
Naruto nodded, wondering if he would get something else on top of the huge pile of money he had.
"I also hear you're the one to blame to for the complete destruction of our bridge." He finished, a light glare on his face. The boy however, remained oblivious to the glare, admiring the get up that Naruto had.
"Well...that is..." Naruto stumbled, trying to calculate how much was needed to pay off the man to keep his silence on his involvement.
"We don't blame you...too much." The old man pacified, although you couldn't tell from the glare he was still sporting.
Neither paid much attention to the boy groaning "Grandpa..." under his breath.
"Since you did stop the evil man and saved our homes from complete destruction, we can let go of your part in destroying our hard work. However, materials like that doesn't come cheap and we wanted to ask if you would willingly pay to replace the funding needed to restore the bridge." The drunkard, who identified as Grandpa to the little boy, told the young mercenary.
"So...Old man..." Naruto began, but he was interrupted by the drunkard.
"Tazuna."
"Tazuna, sorry. How much would I need to give? I'm not sure I can pay for an entire bridge..." Naruto trailed off, wondering how he was going to get the hell out of this one.
Fortunately, Tazuna expected that response (or unfortunately, depending on who you asked.).
"I'm glad you asked..."
X-X
It wasn't bad for the wallet, Naruto surmised.
It was worse.
Not only did the mission's reward get sucked out, but nearly enough money from the bet those mercenaries gave up went right along with it. If he counted right, Naruto could afford only three more nights at an inn, and then its back to the ground with the rest of the poor degenerates.
Joy.
There went his idea of living in style...
So, after another week (three more nights at the inn, and two more huddled inside an abandoned warehouse...) Naruto and Team Seven met up to find the bridge nearly passable to humans.
"Thanks to a generous donation from the heroes of Wave, we are nearly done with the newest, most modern bridge ever created. This piece of master bridge-building will be dedicated to the man most deserving of the title, our greatest hero, who died in the fight against our freedom, Kaiza." Tazuna said with a somber end. The people understood while the Ninja and the mercenary finished the fight, it was Kaiza who rallied the first stand against the evil conglomerate.
So it was aptly named, The Kaiza Bridge.
Much to the dismay of Naruto's coffers.
They could've at least put up a plaque or something...
X-X
"Uh Naruto..." Sakura asked uneasily, feeling the doom and gloom aura her friend was projecting. Before she could ask further, Kakashi stopped her with a shake of his head.
"Let it be, Sakura...its a pain most awful he's feeling now." Kakashi told his student, knowing all too well of a mission without pay.
Sasuke could only feel a bit of pity for the blond, even he needed to eat with money. As he found out one harsh morning when he realized that Uchiha clan were nearly destitute before their annihilation.
So, like all working students, he had a job to support.
He briefly wondered where did all that money go? Before their destruction, the Uchiha were living simple, but comfortable lives. There was no need of rationing the clan stores, and any expenditure was clearly covered with the coffers.
It shouldn't make sense then, for the money to disappear, even if they did bury his entire clan with the coffers. There should've been something left, but nothing was.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He would have to find out where they went...
Who knew a blond's plight with money stirred up a question he hadn't paid attention to in years?
X-X
After sneaking in Naruto in a transformed state, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke shared a room while Kakashi bunked in the room next to them. This lead to a somewhat strange, but very familiar conversation.
"So Naruto, how did Ino find out about you before all of us?" Sakura asked him, her night clothing already on her. A simple and soft cotton fabric pajama in pink that looked just as comfortable to the others watching than it was wearing it.
Naruto, who had a simple t-shirt and shorts replacing his summoner uniform for the night thought back to the first foray quite a while ago.
"Well, it was during the time where Yumiko was killed. We thought something from that world crossed over to this world and attacked her and her family or if Yumiko and her family accidentally crossed over to that and became lunch for the local demons."
Sakura's eyes betrayed her horror, demons eating people...she thought they were stories!
"After I got some clues from Ino's rumor mill, I found out where the disturbance was in Konoha, and I entered. Thing was, I didn't know that Ino jumped right in after, expecting to catch up with me." Naruto continued, wondering how many things could've gone wrong if he didn't meet up with Ino.
"Ino ran after you? Didn't think she was so forward. Although...she was braver than me sometimes in the academy." Sakura admitted, not exactly a huge secret that Sakura originally followed Ino after she saved Sakura from a set of local bullies.
"After a day-" Naruto was cut off by Sakura.
"A day? So that's why Ino's dad was knocking on our door that night!" Sakura wondered aloud. Sasuke wasn't really paying attention to that part, seeing nothing of importance. To Naruto however, it explained the unusual hostility that he faced when they returned later that day.
He always wondered about that...
"After a day inside that world, we found out what had happened to Yumiko exactly and who did it. Kushina and I fought the demon and we destroyed it. It got a bit fuzzy during the battle though." Naruto finished, leaving questions to his friends.
"Fuzzy?" Sasuke asked him, curious on that point.
"I don't know, it felt...it felt like I was angry but powerful." Naruto described it as best he could. A rush of strength coursed through him, ready to maul anything that approached.
He remembered that feeling because at the end of it, he felt sad and lonely. He thought it was because of Kushina, but it was both her and something else.
A state of complete loneliness. Like if someone left and never came back, ever.
"Weird..." Sakura commented, she had never experienced such a state. It almost felt as if Naruto tapped into unbridled rage.
Very powerful...but so uncontrollable...
"That man, Zabuza..." Sasuke began, and trailed off when he heard someone come in.
It was Kakashi.
"Don't mind me, I'm just here, looking after my students and watching that they don't get into any unfortunate situations." Kakashi said, never once looking away from his book.
'What the hell was so interesting about that book?' Naruto wondered.
Sakura, taking in his confusion, bent forward and whispered into his ear.
"Kakashi-sensei is weird, that book of his has some sort of eighteen plus stamped on it." She explained in a low voice.
Sure enough, the book was orange, and had a drawing of a cute girl with a wink on her face pointing down at the 18+ sign on the back of the cover.
So their teacher was a pervert? Looking at Sakura and Sasuke, Naruto didn't see anything out of the ordinary with them. He would have noticed if either boy or girl started behaving weirdly or out of manner than what he knew of them.
Sasuke was still that quiet, and very serious boy he knew from the academy. Sakura was still that outspoken, but very sensitive girl he knew. Her recent connection with her inner demonic spirit was really the only change he noticed. Well that, and the fact that she wasn't fawning over Sasuke 24/7.
He did notice that it was too soon to tell, and he wasn't sure of that part.
"What other adventures did you have Naruto?" Sakura asked him, eager to learn about this hidden world in Konoha.
Naruto smiled, glad to share some of them with other people.
"Well, there was the time where I found out that Iruka and the rest of the academy had become..." He began, much to the horror of Sakura and Sasuke, and to the great amusement of Kakashi.
X-X
The next morning (and one transformed Naruto), Team Seven resumed their journey back home, with Naruto and Team Seven feeling a sense of camaraderie, as if he was there all along.
"That is one interesting weapon you have there, Naruto." Kakashi commented on Naruto's sidearm. Naruto, for his part, was a bit embarrassed. He had taken off his cloak and hat and put it away, due to the climate shift from the Land of Wave and the Land of Fire. He had forgotten that without the cloak to hide it, his sidearm was there for all to see.
"Yeah, my teacher gave it to me." He told the curious man.
"What does it do?" Kakashi asked him, further curious about that strange design.
"It shoots out this shaped pellet called a bullet at high speeds and can pierce through if its close enough." Naruto explained, taking out and showing Kakashi his revolver's shape and color.
"Really? Can I see it work?" Kakashi asked him, fascinated by the mercenary's boasts. He heard many things, an axe that can split anything in two, no matter the wielder. A hammer that was extremely heavy to all but a certain man, who could wield it as light as a feather. Even a legendary fruit that gave strange powers to those who ate it.
He had never heard of a "bullet" or that it could pierce anything like a sword from a distance.
"I could, but I don't have anything to test it on." Naruto explained, to which Kakashi held out his hand.
"Say no more, let me make a target." Kakashi replied, making a simple hand seal and naming out his technique.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
To Naruto's amazement, a real life copy appeared right next to the creator, looking every inch as real as the creator, he even came with his own book!
"Wow...that is so neat!" Naruto exclaimed, patting the clone, awed by how solid it was. Kakashi smirked behind his mask, children were so easy to impress.
He could see both Sakura and Sasuke also gazing at the clone with varying degrees of interest. Ninja they were, but they were still children, all three of them.
"Careful now, its a solid clone, but it doesn't take much to dispel it. A single hit or so can make it disappear. It's just a mass of chakra given form." Kakashi explained to the mercenary and his students.
He directed the clone to stand in front of a tree by the side of the road.
"Alright, use this clone to show me how that thing works." Kakashi told the young mercenary.
Naruto, not wanting to waste what little bullets he had left, took them out of the chamber, and pocketed them.
"First, I want to show you how it works without the bullets, so I won't have to use them. I only have so much bullets." Naruto explained to Kakashi, who nodded.
Sakura understood, since the weapon and the things it shot out were most likely no longer in production.
Sasuke curiously had his Sharingan on, wanting to see the movement of the weapon firing. He wasn't ready though, for what happened next.
None of them were, in fact.
"Ok...here we go!" Naruto aimed the empty gun, and pulled the trigger.
He didn't expect the gun to suddenly shoot out a small sky blue version of the bullet straight at Kakashi's clone, who imploded along with the tree behind it.
They were so in awe, that they didn't notice Kakashi drop to the floor in phantom pain, a side effect of the clone technique he used.
Only Sakura's gasp brought them to Kakashi's aid.
X-X
Fortunately, Kakashi explained that the pain was only in his mind, but was still very much real. He was distracted by the power of the weapon, that he didn't brace for the pain the clone felt after dispersing.
Naruto gaped at his weapon, awed by the hidden power of the gun. Sakura was both terrified and awed by the potential Naruto carried within his holster. Sasuke wasn't able to forget the raw power that weapon had. It would've been the equalizer in his eyes during his and that man's fight.
He couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of the powerful artifact.
"Naruto, could you do that again?" Kakashi asked Naruto. Naruto nodded, confused about the new option the gun had.
"Sure, want to make another clone?" He asked Kakashi, who shook his head.
"No, aim away from us to the ground, I want to check on something."
Naruto nodded, and aimed his gun a few feet away from the group.
The blue projectile appeared again and traveled as fast as a regular bullet, but unknown to Naruto, Kakashi gazed upon it with his secret weapon, The Sharingan eye.
'Amazing...the gun acts like a medium for his chakra!' Kakashi realized as his eye saw the inner working of the chakra inside Naruto's body come out as a concentrated form of this bullet. It was even more powerful than he expected.
How did Naruto come by such a powerful thing?
"Impressive, it borrows some of your chakra to create a fake bullet and attack like a real one." Kakashi commented on the attack.
"Really? I don't feel tired, did it take a little bit?" Naruto asked, to which Kakashi paused.
He didn't feel tired?
How much Chakra did the boy have?
"I thought that would at least make you feel a bit dizzy, that was a good amount of chakra you used." Kakashi said carefully, hoping that he didn't give away anything crucial.
Like that certain thing on his stomach...
Naruto shook his head.
"I've always had a lot of chakra, I don't think I could even run out, really." Naruto said, grinning at his huge chakra stores.
Sakura shook her head.
"We all run out of chakra, Naruto. We go to sleep to recover it so we can use it again." Sakura explained to Naruto.
"Even when I sleep, it takes a while to actually do so, its like I got all this energy waiting to be used!" Naruto shot back, remembering all those times he had to toss and turn in his bed.
Sasuke's eyes widened at that fact. Did he have that much chakra?
Kakashi wondered at that revelation.
That chakra felt pure, like normal chakra, he didn't detect an ounce of that Thing's chakra inside the boy's body.
Wow, that was scary reserves for a kid.
"Thanks for the demonstration, Naruto. It's interesting to know that there are some things out there that can pick up my interest." Kakashi thanked Naruto, who smiled in return.
"Alright, lets head back. We have to report back to the Hokage." Kakashi said, while walking in Konoha's direction.
With a gaze to each other, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura followed the lanky teacher, ready to go home.
X-X
After arriving at the gates, Naruto and his company waved to the guardsmen in charge of the gates and saw that it became a bit busier than usual. Merchants were directing workers to move stuff there and fro and even the ninja outfitters started to hang signs offering discounts to potential customers.
"What's going on?" Sakura asked. It was then that Kakashi remembered the reason they were doing this.
"The Chunin Exams." He said simply.
"Chunin Exams?" Sasuke asked.
"In about a month from now, Konoha is hosting the Chunin Exams, where ninjas from all over the continent fight each other for the right to become Chunin class Ninjas. Its held in different villages every six months." Kakashi explained while walking to the Hokage Tower. Sasuke was recalling all his combat experience and pondered whether he was ready. Sakura shivered at the prospect of taking such an exam.
Was it dangerous? She almost asked that question, but refrained, reminding herself that it was very much dangerous. What good is being a next step ninja if you couldn't face danger?
Naruto was interested, but the Hokage's reminder when he began this hybrid job was that more often than not, ninja teams had full members to take the exam.
Well there was Kakashi's team, but he didn't think they were ready for the exam, hell he wasn't ready for the exam!
As they were reflecting on their worthiness on taking the exam, Kakashi and his pupils (even Naruto, who wasn't officially one of them) arrived at the Hokage Tower, ready for their debriefing.
Of all things they expected to see, they didn't expect to see various ninja assigned to paperwork duty worship a very blocky machine that kept spitting out papers. Even their leader was both happy and groaning at the presence of this thing!
Naruto also didn't expect for Victor to be nearby, who gave them a very wide smile.
"I gave these fine gentlemen one of my repaired copy machines! They gave me hugs, a huge sack of money and even this fine bottle of Sake!" Victor said, while holding up the bottle, which was half empty.
Strange, Victor didn't seem the least bit drunk. Must be a mad scientist thing.
Team Seven and Naruto quietly looked on as they were pretty sure that they weren't able to debrief today...
X-X
The evening passed slowly for Naruto as he talked to his teacher that he hadn't seen in about a month. It was great catching up with his mentor as he had a lot to talk about.
His reward money, and how he lost it.
His successful mission, and how he met one of the high angels.
He told his mentor everything that happened.
Gouto was astonished at the meeting of that angel. Normally, the heavenly host sent out representatives, not one of the highest angels they had.
"Naruto, you mentioned that you showed your weapon to outsiders?" He asked, critical of the boy showing something that the world did not understand. To his credit, Naruto didn't seem to flinch, but was a bit sheepish in his response.
"Well, I had to, otherwise I would've been killed by the monster." Naruto began, but Gouto shook his head.
"I meant afterward, when you showed that gray haired man, Kakashi." Gouto interrupted.
"I couldn't keep it hidden, the climate forced me to take off my cloak." Naruto tried to defend himself, but Gouto wasn't having it.
"Naruto, the cloak and the hat is part of your uniform, to take it off without you being in danger is an insult to all your predecessors. Even if you feel hot, don't ever take it off, it serves you better than you might think it does." Gouto told the boy.
"I understand, Gouto-sensei. But how can I deal with it if its so humid?" Naruto asked, a hint of discomfort in his voice.
Gouto thought about this...
"I remember when the Tsukigata were around, they had books that told of pieces of paper that did a lot of things. They held vast amounts of water, helped keep their wearer's cool in hot places. Some even told of those explosive tags or sleeping tags I see shops selling. You could probably make one of these tags sometime, but I wouldn't know where to start, since the books I was referring to are long gone."
Naruto nodded, making a note to ask the Hokage if he ever heard of something like that.
"You are adapting to your role very well, Naruto." Gouto told the young man.
"Yeah, being a devil summoner is great! There are times where I miss the whole Ninja team bonds between my classmates, but I have Kushina with me! So I'm not alone." Naruto said, grinning at his faithful partner. Kushina smiled back.
"Even if it means that your peers can outrank you in this village someday? Its very possible that you may stay at Genin rank for a wide portion of your life." Gouto told him, reminding him of the other duty he had to the village.
"Yeah, there are nights when I think of that...I won't give up though, I'll make Hokage, even if I am just a Genin!" Naruto declared, and Gouto genuinely believed him. That boy really would find a way to make it to the top from the bottom if he had to.
"You said that my old disciple is still alive?" Gouto asked him, knowing of very few people alive that remembered his teachings.
"Yeah, Zabuza Momochi. He said he would find you someday before leaving with his student...I think that was his student, not too sure on that." Naruto mused.
"He was a very promising student, he could wield any type of sword effortlessly, but his ambitions to be a ninja proved more tempting than being a summoner. So, as he left to take his exams, I moved on, taking everything with me." Gouto explained, his eyes lost to the memories of time.
"He thought it was because of the exam that he failed you. He wished to meet up with you so he could get the answers." Naruto told the cat, who nodded.
"He will meet me again, perhaps sooner than he might think. Did his student have any inkling of what he could've been?" Gouto asked.
"I don't think so, she was surprised at the demonic energy that one guy was giving off, but I couldn't tell you for sure." Naruto replied.
"He might be able to cobble out a training regiment for that girl if she has the gift. I was pretty thorough on him."
"Really? Why?" Naruto asked, a bit put out that Zabuza had more insight than he did.
"The area where Zabuza was raised was much more fierce and deadly than here. The Village Hidden in the Mist was home to the most bloodthirsty, and very aggressive forms of Ninjas. They had perfected the very definition of Silent Assassinations to a whole new level when I was there. Many of the recruits there had to have a comfortable knowledge of killing, and Zabuza was no different. He stood out though, because he could see and talk to me." He told his student.
"Seeing the severity of the area, and a potential recruit, I started training his form and he gained even more precise techniques in his swordplay, to the point where he could be behind someone and they wouldn't even know until it was too late." Gouto remembered the beginning of Zabuza's prized style of fighting, that would soon become the Art of Silent Killing.
"So what happened? Could he see demons and stuff?" Naruto asked, eager to know about the story.
"He was able to see outlines, and even combat them, but we never got as far as Negotiation, or even focusing some of his innate Mag, or Chakra to better see the demons. He had potential, not as much potential as some others I've taught or even you, but he would've been a demon in battle, more so if he could summon them."
"Which reminds me, Zabuza mentioned that Sasuke could see demons, but that was after he was healed by Kushina." Naruto told his teacher.
Gouto pondered, was it possible to create a link between a boy who had no experience whatsoever with the other world just by being healed by one?
That wouldn't be possible, seeing humanity healed by sympathetic demons all throughout history.
"Did Sasuke have some sort demonic wound, or was there anything different in his appearance?" Gouto asked.
Now that Naruto thought about it...
"Well, he did have these funky eyes of his on, The Sharingan." He answered and then paused, realizing what Gouto surmised a moment ago.
"I believe he found his connection to the demonic world when Kushina healed him while he had those eyes active."
"Does that mean he could be like me?" Naruto asked, pondering the possibility of having another run around where he lived.
"I don't know. When a person is connected to the demonic world, its usually through possession, never a healing, unless they merged. You will have to find out if hes able to look at them normally, or only if he has those eyes active. Either way, I will not be able to train him if he is able, as I have a student already." Gouto explained to his student, who nodded.
"The next time I'll see him, I'll ask him about it." Naruto told his teacher. He was about to say some more, but a knock on the door interrupted their conversation.
Naruto hoped it wasn't one of those ANBU guys... he could really use a day off to relax...
When he opened the door, it revealed to be Hinata, with a look of urgency, but trying to keep up appearances as the daughter of an esteemed clan.
"What's up, Hina-chan?" Naruto asked his neighbor.
"I heard you came back today, so I came as soon as I could." Hinata began, before grabbing him in a hug.
"I'm glad your safe..." Hinata murmured into his neck. Naruto noticed that she was tipping on her toes to be at least neck to neck.
He was touched, at least he knew he had a friend to count on to come home.
Keep on, Mr. Oblivious...Keep On.
"I want your help, Naruto." Hinata said after releasing him from the hug.
"What do you need?" Naruto asked her, happy to help his friend.
Hinata hesitated, but pushed on, inspired by Naruto's eagerness to help. It was endearing to her that he held her in such a high regard.
"I want to hire you to help us in a mission we're taking. I don't know why...but something feels off about this mission." Hinata said warily.
"When do you leave?" Naruto asked.
"In a few days, about noon on Friday." Hinata answered. She was silently hoping that he said yes, she would feel much safer.
"Alright, I'll need to get a few things done, but I can be ready by Friday. Count me in!" Naruto said, giving her a thumbs up.
Hinata smiled.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun. I'll see you soon." She said and waved goodbye to her friend.
After a few moments, Naruto frowned. What had gotten Hinata worked up?
Gouto noticed it too.
"I think the girl may be showing signs of being something I haven't seen in a very long time." Gouto mused, and caught Naruto's attention.
"What is?" Naruto asked.
"Every few generations, the Yatagarasu recruited special people to become more than just summoners. They were able to do things normal people, or summoners couldn't do." He paused.
"They were able to see things into the future, and have been able to open rifts into the Demonic world. A few rare ones had been able to open rifts much further than they were able to, one such person was able to tear a hole into a location nearly half the world away." Gouto told his shocked student.
"There are people who could do that?!" Naruto said, awed by the potential Hina-chan could do.
"Yes, and that girl is showing signs that she has the potential. Often, the first signs are an increase of advanced apprehension, as if they were waiting on something to happen. Their visions weren't always right, but they have been reliable and saved many a summoner from their doom." Gouto said, remembering a particular one that was distant, but always assured Raidou Kuzunoha that help was only a portal away.
"Is Hina-chan right?" Naruto wondered.
Gouto shook his head.
"I don't know, but while it could be a giant misunderstanding, the gift was almost right most of the time. She could very well be the first Herald in nearly a millennium." Gouto said.
"A Herald?" Naruto asked, thinking of those angels for some reason.
"It was a title we gave to those people, they would often appear distant, as if seeing many reactions in the span of a second. So much so, that they wear a robe that covers their eyes to stop the people from growing concerned about their uneasy demeanor."
"Wait, so Hinata could be one those cold looking people? Because she's unsure?" Naruto asked, hoping that it wasn't the case.
"That only happens if the Herald is overworked, or has been using his or her gift for far too long at one time. They grow edgy or sarcastic, and more than once, have nearly lost their minds at the possibilities they encounter. Normally, they could control it, but there have been cases where we lost good Heralds due to poor control." Gouto said, remembering some tragic cases when he was alive.
"Wow...so how do you know for sure that Hina-chan is able to do what the Heralds do?" Naruto asked his teacher.
"For one thing, its the sixth sense that they keep getting should grow stronger and stronger. The eyes of that girl that separates her from the clan she belongs with is another sign that she awakened something. I would wager that she unlocked it from the time she faced her darker self." Gouto told him.
Naruto remembered that fight, it was spectacular that Hinata triumphed over her darker self.
"We can talk about it later, its getting late." Gouto said and jumped from his position on top of the couch. Naruto gazed at the clock and agreed. It was nearing midnight.
As he fell asleep though, he knew he had more questions than answers.
The world of Devil Summoning just got more interesting...
X-X
The next day found Naruto catching up with the people he hadn't seen in nearly a month and was listening on some of the things that happened while he was away.
Neji had matured some more than when Naruto last saw him, he seemed more...open somehow.
No doubt it was Titania's influence. Oberon seemed to more upbeat than calming.
"Wait, Rock Lee had how much to drink?" Naruto questioned his friend. Neji nodded, being there with Oberon as Lee drank that fateful shot.
"A single shot. He thought it was apple juice." Neji replied, a mix of horror and humor on his face.
Naruto gaped. Nobody could be that lightweight!
As Naruto was asking his friend another question, a shout from a distance caught both boys attention.
It was Neji's female teammate, a girl named...Tenten, Naruto believed it was.
"It looks like my break is over. It was great talking with you Naruto." Neji said before nodding and running to meet with his teammate. Naruto watched as how fast Neji made it and noted that he was much faster than he was when he teamed up with him to save Sakura.
How terrifying it would be to face against him in one on one.
Naruto stood up, stretching his back. He had more than enough time just sitting down, maybe it was better if he took a walk.
Before he could enjoy such a walk, a familiar voice called out to him. Naruto turned and smiled at who he saw.
It was Ino-chan.
"Oy, Naruto! Are you free?" Ino said as she reached her fellow blond.
"I got nothing but free time, Ino-chan. What's up?" Naruto told his friend.
She smirked.
"Come with me, I want to hang out today." She invited.
"What about your team?" Naruto asked about Asuma, Shikamaru and Chouji.
She huffed.
"Sensei let us go after losing to Shikamaru, again." Ino rolled her eyes. When was Asuma going to learn that beating a lazy genius at a board game was nearly impossible to do?
"Wow...how laid back." Naruto commented.
"I know! So after he dismissed us, I walked around and caught up with Sakura, who said that you arrived at the same time she did, so I went looking for you, and here we are!" Ino recapped her morning to Naruto.
"Well, when you put it that way, sure, I'll come along!" Naruto grinned. Ino matched his grin with one of her own.
"Great! I'll go tell daddy about where I'll be!"
Naruto paled...
X-X
Inoichi Yamanaka looked up from one of the plants he was tending to. Something was very wrong...
"Something has shattered the balance..."
The Father-daughter balance has been disturbed greatly...his mind went to one person...
"Naruto..." He said darkly.
X-X
A close shave later (Naruto was nearly gotten caught by Inoichi, who was swamped by a swarm of customers), Naruto and Ino spent the day whatever tickled her fancy. Shopping, eating at this neat Barbeque place that Ino's team regularly met at, even encountering a strange scene with Kushina and Gouto facing off against Tora, a cat dominating the D-rank boards as the most evil mission ever undertaken.
After an eventful day off, Naruto and Ino returned to Ino's home, several bags distributed between them.
"Thanks for helping me carry this Naruto. I probably would've had to rope Chouji or Shikamaru to help me carry this if you hadn't been around." Ino said, a grateful smile on her face.
"Ah, it was nothing. After you carry a huge axe around, a few bags are cake!" Naruto replied. Ino nodded, knowing how heavy the axe was when she tried to pry it out of the ground that one time.
"Thanks again, it was fun hanging out with you. Goodnight!" Ino said, before hugging him and entering her house. Naruto smiled sheepishly, what was with girls hugging him today?
"Oh ho...I see Naruto has found a girl to bond with...or should I say girls?" An elderly voice said with amusement.
Naruto looked up, and on top of the nearby light pole was the Old Man himself, the Third Hokage.
"Have you been following me all day? Don't you have paperwork to do?" Naruto asked his leader. The Third held a smirk that threatened to split apart his face.
"After your associate gave us that damnable piece of machinery, several people were suddenly free to organize the papers that went into my office! After they sorted out the important ones with some of the ones that don't need my pressing signature, the workload went really fast and I had a day off. I think it was my first day off in nearly a decade!"
"Wow...you really had nothing to do, huh?" Naruto deadpanned.
The Third shook his head, the sad truth coming to light.
Paperwork had overwritten his hobbies.
He could glean a silver lining though.
The other Kages didn't have this handy machine to make mass copies!
It was good to be the Hokage today!
X-X
All across the world, several leaders glared at the direction of Konoha, although some didn't know why exactly.
X-X
"So did you spend all day just to spy on me?" Naruto asked the Old Man as they were walking to Naruto's favorite place, Ichiraku's.
"No, I hoped to catch you at home, but Gouto told me you were out meeting with your friends. I only caught up to you as you met up with the Yamanaka girl."
As they took their seats, Ayame and Teuchi Ichiraku noticed their Village Leader sit next to Naruto and stepped up their game to serve the best ramen ever made.
It wasn't often the Hokage ate at their place, and business boomed whenever he was around.
"Well, you've got my ear, Old Man, what is it?" Naruto said, facing the Hokage after they ordered their food.
"I have been reading Asuma and Kakashi's reports and I've begun to question whether or not this year's Genin has the same abilities as you, Naruto."
He paused as both Naruto and the Third received their food. Naruto noted it was much higher in texture and quality than normal.
"You've worked with them, do they have any sign of your special abilities?"
"The same as me? I'm not sure on all of them, but I know Ino-chan could see demons, as well as Hina-chan. Sakura-chan has been able to tap into her inner self, and fight alongside it and become stronger than ever. Sasuke was able to see my partner after she healed him. Neji-" Naruto was interrupted.
"Neji? Of the Hyuuga clan?" The Hokage asked, astonished that there were people outside of the reports that had contact with Naruto. He just didn't expect it to be a person one year the boy's senior.
"Yeah, he has a contract with two demons. From what he tells me though, they sometimes annoy him with their neediness." Naruto said with a smirk.
The Third shook his head...from what Naruto was telling him, contracts between demons sometimes acted like a parent and child...
Now he was kind of glad that he wasn't chosen to be one of Gouto's disciples...
"Anyone else?" He asked the boy, who was slurping up some of his ramen. He ate some of his own as Naruto thought back on who else was in on his trade.
"I'm not too sure about Shikamaru or Chouji. I heard Shikamaru mumble something about an outline, but he never talked about it again, so I didn't pry." Naruto said.
That would make five people in the know, with two others a possibility...would it be possible to test new ninja for being candidates for summoners?
He pitched the idea to Naruto, who both shrugged and shook his head.
"I think it could be possible, but most of the time, you have to be born with it, or be in contact with a demon that isn't possessing you. At least, that's what Gouto-sensei told me." Naruto answered, reciting the answer Gouto had given him when he asked if there was others like him around the world.
After finishing their bowls, and paid the owners with an extra tip, the two walked back to Naruto's home.
"I want you to report tomorrow to my office. I wish to talk to you about certain things that can't leave that room, and bring Gouto if possible." The Third said to Naruto. Despite what new profession Naruto has gotten himself into, he couldn't in good conscious, let him continue without him learning the truth.
Especially when his new path found him to be so intimate with Demons...
"Alright, Old Man, I'll see you tomorrow!" Naruto said, waving to the aged leader as The Third vanished in a puff of smoke and leaves.
He had to learn that someday!
X-X
Back at his home, The Third Hokage sighed.
Was he doing the right thing?
He sure hoped so.
So I'm winding down most of the events in Wave with a few moments of respite for our daring hero. Not every chapter is a lead off with a new case, and some information must be passed through before a new chapter can begin.
In other news, I've been blacklisted! You may be asking, "But Terra Ace! You must've done something to be blacklisted!"
I did do something.
I gave a review, a very honest, review.
I read through the story, and gave it my honest review, it wasn't good, but it wasn't downright horrible, it just needed a lot of polishing up.
I was recommended the story by one of my pals, who told me that it needed polish, but it wasn't that bad of a read.
I read it, and while it wasn't that bad, in the end it was really a bunch of OC's inserting themselves in a universe where they wouldn't have fit in, even in an AU. At least, that was how I perceived the story.
If I'm wrong, well, I can't do anything about it, since I was blacklisted.
However, while I have my misgivings, I want to showcase the story in which I was blacklisted.
It had a very generic sounding title, but the Author (or authors) has a pen name called Raginixed
There you'll find my review and their view of how I "bashed and sat there doing nothing but flame."
Was I wrong? I'd like you to read their story and see if what I said wasn't true. If I'm wrong, let me know in a PM.
I'd usually say leave it in a review as well, but I'd like to not start a flame war in my review section. That really takes the steam out of writing if their review panel becomes one big flame fest.
Anyways, you don't have to, but at least consider it.
Thanks for reading,
Terra Ace
Question of the Chapter: Have you ever been Blacklisted or blocked?
Words this chapter: 7283 ( a little short, but...)