Ch 25
A/N:
Dual Rasengan: I tried hard to keep Lee's character right. I avoided him a lot on purpose because I just can't identify with working that hard and being that enthusiastic at the same time. I understand one or the other, but both?? Really hard to do… I understand Shikamaru waaaay too well but I couldn't justify him being on the berserker squad. sigh
A3eedi: I usually update fast unless I get swamped. Also I'm thinking about starting to go back to cliffhangers for the fun of it, hehe. Sorry for the long time to update but I was enjoying being home. Still home, but I owe my readers a chapter by now. I'll try not to make it too short.
Manatheron: I find that I do extremely well with action scenes and moving plot along fairly well. However, I've made sure not to hide that I am also writing this to make myself better at what I suck at. Currently, I suck at fluff. But I've had my fill of fluff for a while and I'm ready for more action and plot progression. My biggest debate at the moment is how far to go before I end this story and begin another… finding an appropriate stopping point is where I'm at now (going to probably make it into a 2 or 3 story series… if I don't get too sidetracked).
Dragon Man 180: nope, he will not be thwacking Jiraiya around for a while… too weak. There is a way it could be done but it would be MUCH more costly than it would ever be worth. Give him a story or two. Also, I've been wondering how many Amane should get too… and if they should add to Naruto's count or his own… hmmm
ON WITH THE STORY!! (and there was much rejoicing)
The team had met and been walking towards their destination. Naruto had been dancing around about how wonderful it was to finally go on a mission while Hinata began acting almost as shyly as before they became a couple. Lee had been the one late this time. He had shown up a few minutes late because he ran into Gai on the way to the gates, who gave him a few golden nuggets of wisdom. Jiraiya quickly rounded them up and headed out.
Amane was getting distracted way too easily by being allowed to wander around. 'The only time I ever get to play around is when me and bro finish training. It's usually too dark to have any fun by then anyway!' Amane enjoyed passing the time by chasing the wildlife around to see just how much faster he was that he used to be. Squrrels and rabbits between Konoha and their destination quickly began to fear the speedy terrorizer. 'I can't believe I used to have trouble catching some of these little suckers. I need to be even faster though… faster than bro…I need to be as fast as… as… Kariudo! Bro's gonna be the best of the ninjas… If I'm going to keep from slowing him down, then I'll have to be the best of the foxes.' The kit smiled at himself. He had just made his first life goal. He had made a commitment to help his brother achieve his dream of Hokage. The smile changed as soon as he saw another rabbit and ended up chasing/herding it until the poor animal just collapsed from exhaustion in front of the group. Naruto smiled down at his brother and even congratulated him for getting so fast.
Hours of hiking had passed with conversations ranging from 'so there's not going to be ninjas?' to 'why the heck can't we go on another B rank mission!?' which was always snuffed out by the perverted hermit with 'you're not ready yet, kid' or 'just give it time. The old ha… err Tsunade will give you harder ones once you've proven your teamwork.' Naruto didn't like the excuses and Lee usually ended up encouraging Naruto's 'youthfully spirited' requests. Hinata was the only one that understood (or rather actively supported) Jiraiya's point, which made him wish that she spoke out more strongly.
Eventually Jiraiya stopped as he saw the smoke ahead of his team and sighed. "Do they want to be found? For the love of… a bonfire… they built a bonfire… where people would easily see it!" The old pervert sat down and reclined looking up at the sky as his young team quickly caught up with him.
Naruto and Amane looked down at him in confusion. "What'd we stop for? Huh?" His gaze finally saw the bonfire in the distance. "Finally! It's time to kick some—" Lee interrupted him rather abruptly.
"Jiraiya, tell us our plan so that we may complete our mission! It is time for my youthful spirit to shine! I will make them remember that… that…" Lee pulled out his pad and looked at his latest golden nugget from Gai. "That what they do affects more people than themselves!" Lee struck his good guy pose as Jiraiya looked at them both blankly.
"This may be a mission, but you are aspiring to the rank of Chuunin!" He looked right at his young apprentice. "I'm not going to just sit here and hold your hands. Figure it out on your own… or you'll never get stronger." He took out his pencil and notebook and began scribbling small notes every now and then. Hinata looked at his writing expecting a plan, but instead saw a few descriptive details of one of his latest perverted novels.
She blushed and noticed Naruto was starting to crack his knuckles and walk towards the enemy camp. 'He's so strong. He might be able to attack a whole enemy camp but I can't! I…I don't want to hold him back though.' She sighed and looked down when a sudden image of her being overrun by unknown enemies and killed entered her mind. 'I can't be with Naruto when I'm dead!' She raised her head again. "Naruto! We… erm…" She started to look down again until the blonde looked at her. She always felt stronger when he was with her. "We can't just run in there. We… need a plan… or something." She dug her foot around in the dirt a little as she finally ran out of confidence.
"A plan?" Naruto scratched the back of his head. "A plan, huh? How about this then. We need to remind them that this is Konoha's punishment! We bust in from the front, declare this to be their punishment from Konoha's citizens, and then we knock them all out as a warning!" He smiled at himself. 'Nobody dies, we beat them up, and threaten that next time will be… harsher. That fulfills the terms of the contract and everybody wins!' "We beat up everyone in our way, knock them out if they try to run away so they know we could have gotten them. I'll take the left third, Hinata will take the middle third and Lee will take the right third." He grinned in confidence as he led the charge into the enemy camp. "Let's go!"
Hinata didn't like the plan but she didn't have the time to stop him as both he and Lee charged at the camp. Their guards never even saw it coming. Naruto kneed his guard in the gut then brought both hands crashing down on the poor guy's skull, slamming his unconscious body to the dirt. Lee kicked his guard's legs our from under him (he thought it was a light kick but the guys legs flew out from under him like they were hit with a hammer.) He then flipped where he was standing and kicked him in the chest all the way down to the ground where the guard quickly saw nothing but black.
They both charged deep into their sides screaming at the top of their lungs that this was for picking on the merchants and law abiding country folk. Hinata pushed into the middle of the camp. Every now and then a body would fly from one area of the encampment, past Hinata into the opposite side. Hinata had almost finished her section when a single hand from the ground yanked her foot out from under her and she quickly found a knife against her throat. A loud and angry voice boomed from her captor.
"Cease your fighting now or I will KILL THE GIRL!" The man stood up, keeping Hinata's throat more than firmly placed against the blade. Naruto and Lee both stopped to see what the hell he was talking about. The man looked at the spiky blonde and the bowl cut in the green suit. "I won't let you harm my men any longer! If just one more punch is thrown then the girl dies!" Hinata growled angrily but couldn't squirm or the blade would easily cut her. (To her credit she actually took out 20 because the others ended up filing down the middle because they were basically funneled toward her since Lee and Naruto charged forward on their sides faster than she could keep up.)
Lee growled as the last one on his section dropped to the ground. Naruto reluctantly dropped out of his stance, glaring the last two that were left on his section. He glared at the leader and started to approach until the leader barked that he wouldn't be allowed any closer. He raised his Konoha headband and the Kyuubi's eye was revealed to the leader. "Listen up, pal! I don't know who the hell you think you are, but it's pretty cowardly to hide behind a hostage! Fight me, damn you!" The leader frowned at him.
"NO! YOU listen up you little brat! Just because you're strong doesn't make you right! We were loyal… completely loyal! But just because that family made a wrong choice… we ALL suffered! We looked for work, but nobody wanted us anymore. We gave everything we had to this life. We guarded their lands… their money… and their lives. We believed in someone and they dishonored us. Their illegal business got them kicked out of the country, and got us kicked into the street. I won't let my men suffer… Do You Know About Suffering, Boy? Maybe I ought to show you… and educate you on how unfair this world really is." The man sneered at Naruto.
'No… NO!!! I KNOW ALREADY! I KNOW MORE ABOUT UNFAIRNESS THAN ANYONE!' The kyuubi stirred quickly in his cage and began raging against the bars, trying to bend them and weaken the seal, biting it, pulling on them with his tail, crashing against them with all that he had. His demonic growl shrieked out loudly from the child as red chakra poured out of him in waves, moving the dust and small rocks away from him. It brought Lee to his knees and Hinata turned her head to see him without thinking. The blade dug in slightly, almost cutting through the skin
Then… a small red blur appeared in front of Naruto. Amane's eyes reddened evilly as the demonic scream echoed into the sky. He seemed to disappear as suddenly his red tail was wrapped around the man's throat. His claws dug into the man's back again and again, making long deep cuts as the tail quickly dug deeper against the man's skin. Then the young fox's voice quiet but demonic voice whispered, "Demonic Technique: Hell's Fur!" The tail around the man spread out making each hair straighten out like a small kunai, impaling into the man each and every hair, quickly followed by flames spreading from the skin up each strand of fur. Amane gave one last strong, deep leap from the man's back and the miniature kunai shredded across the leader's throat, burning it as the tail uncoiled from the force of the jump.
Lee looked at Naruto in concern. 'This… this is Naruto?' Lee clutched his fists, staring at Hinata, and then Naruto. 'She… She got more than either Naruto or me… and Naruto… He's… I must make sure they are okay! Gai would never forgive me if I didn't check on a teammate in need!' He quickly knocked out Naruto's 2 remaining people as he ran to Naruto's side. "Naruto!, are you… okay? Can… you even… hear me?"
Hinata stared at Naruto in shock. 'Naruto… this isn't… my…make it stop! Make him stop ' She closed her eyes and screamed into the air. "NARUTO!!!" She began crying as she saw the spikey blonde rolling on the ground in pain with chakra wrapping itself around him over and over again. There was a gust of wind as the perverted hermit gave the writhing child a quick chop in the neck. The chakra quickly disappeared. The boy blacked out into a welcomed darkness… the last thing he felt was little Amane licking at his forehead.
The child's demonic voice quieted itself and slowly became human again. The red chakra continued swirling around him and enveloping him as the small demon ran in front of Naruto and began licking his forehead as the child writhed in pain. "BROTHER! It's okay! He won't bother her again! See? It's finished! Brother please!" The young fox walked into the red chakra that kept Lee feeling paralyzed from its pure power. All Lee and Hinata could do was watch in awe and shock as the fox that had just talked stayed next to his 'brother'.
Author's Notes: Looks like I had to put Naruto through some pain :( Sorry for getting Hinata slipping up like that but even the manga says she messes up on simple stuff a lot. Though I feel I redeemed her by giving her more knockouts than the others.
Revision A/N:
Stoictimer: yes there will be more summons (that's why I was hinting at them lightly again) and yes they'd help, but naruto is big on doing things without others' help. He wants to earn the hokage title on his own. That way nobody will ever say he didn't make it on his own.
Nonengel: I know :) I made it that bad on purpose. He'll learn better if he sees the consequences of his poor planning.
Skuld's sentaro2: it definitely needs help though, and I refuse to let crap stay in my story. Sorry if it puts the next chunk back a bit but I won't let my story become awful due to a bad day or two.
Dragon Man 180: Yep, it was the lil guy :D Just a hint of some of his potential much much later on in the stories. Sorry but this chapter is for Naruto/Amane development. And I highly doubt Lee would slip up quicker than Hinata.
Manatheron: you got it mixed up. Naruto can see Amane's vision, but not vice versa. Amane felt the chakra radiating so powerfully off of his brother that he immediately knew something was wrong and that the source of it was that man with the knife. That little guy isn't to be underestimated. Amane was the one that attacked, if naruto had sprouted tails then the force behind moving that quick would have snapped the guy's neck due to momentum :) cool idea but not quite yet. This is Amane's moment to shine. Also, Kyuubi started to show up a little through the bonds, but not much. Sorry I didn't spell it out, but that was where that move came into play. Admittedly it is similar to Kariudo's technique but the flames and application of the technique are far from Kariudo's style. That also was Kyuubi's voice. I'm used to hinting too much. Kyuubi was forcing his essence into Naruto (though not for protecting hinata, just because that fox wants out BADly) through the rage that the child was experiencing, thus the ending of this chapter.
Dual Rasengan: The time needed to progress faster. If I drag it out too much describing each day then the story would become much longer than the plot would allow. The fast forward was necessary, sorry. As for the cliffhanger…. BWUAHAHAHAHA. I gave people fairly completed sections before and they complain about the length. This time I left the cliffhanger and instead they're going I HATE CLIFFHANGERS! And they continue to read :)
VentMonster: She realized that this wasn't Naruto. She knew that something was up though she didn't quite make that mental click to complete understanding. If it had been Shikamaru, there would have been no question (supposing he knew anyway.)
Sephynarutocloud: Sorry, we did the hina/naru fluff part. Gonna be more about development of character and plot. I won't allow the plot to revolve around their relationship but I WILL allow the relationship to push the plot to a deeper and more personal level between Naruto and Hinata.