Chapter 25:
Exposing Inner Demons
"Luna, what are you talking about?" Haku asked, stunned by Luna's sudden proclamation. Luna didn't answer, instead turning towards the Hokage with a serious expression.
"Explain it to her on the way out. We have to find Jinra-sama now, before we lose him for good." With that Luna threw on sandals and a jacket over her pajamas andpropelled herself out of the window.
The Hokage didn't understand the situation as thoroughly as Luna seemed to think he did, but he trusted her enough to do as she said. Quickly running to his room he grabbed his coat and sandals while motioning for Haku to do the same before the two of them darted out the window, only seconds behind the female summon.
As they leapt from rooftop to rooftop, Sarutobi began Jinra's story, or at least a version of it. He intentionally left out any mention of the prophecy naming Fenrir as the precursor to the end of the world and only vaguely hinted at some of the more unusual side effects of Jinra's seal. He told her onlywhat she would need to know, and that was more than enough to leave the young girl with a stunned expression.
"But why did the moon do this to him?" she wondered aloud.
"I don't know," the Hokage said grimly. "The full moon has always had a strange effect on those of canine descent. Luna probably knows, and if her reaction to this is any indication, we might be in for a difficult night."
Both Haku and the Hokage looked towards the wolf-girl as she raced several feet ahead of them, following some unseen trail. For her to seem so frightened made them wonder what sort of monster Jinra might have become and what they might have to do to stop him.
Somewhere not too far away, Gaara felt a faint stirring somewhere in the back of his mind. The demon that he had always seen as his mother was trying to tell him something, but for the first time in his life he wasn't sure what it was. Usually Shukaku was quite clear on what it wanted. When it wanted blood it would scream for it inside of his mind, and when it wanted him not to trust someone, it would whisper gentle warning into his ears. His mother always wanted him to stay safe. That was why the sand wouldn't let anyone touch him. But this feeling was different from the others. It was almost as if mother was unsettled by something, but what could it be?
Gaara's normally emotionless face scrunched slightly until it resembled a scowl. He didn't like it when his life became too complicated. And if anything in his life became annoying, his first reaction was to hunt it down and crush it. He didn't see why this should be any different.
Hopping down from the roof edge, Gaara extended his senses outwards in search of whatever it was in this village that was affecting his mother so.
It was time to justify his existence once again by doing the thing he was born to do. Kill.
At the same time, behind the seal on Naruto's body, the Kyuubi was savagely awoken when she suddenly sensed a large spike in demonic chakra in the village. One she immediately recognized as the one-tailed raccoon demon, Shukaku, but the second was unfamiliar to her, yet powerful all the same, at least by human standards.
She took a moment to consider the possibilities of this new development. On the one hand, she could wake Naruto, alert him to the danger, and with her help (and chakra) he could stop these two forces from meeting, thus preventing apotential disaster. Naruto would be a hero, though she doubted he would be acknowledged as such, and she would score brownie points with the blonde for her part in things. It would be a little out of character for her, but it wouldn't be without its benefits.
On the other hand, she could choosenot to warn him. She could instead push his consciousness into an even deeper sleep so he wouldn't wake up by accident, and hope that the two forces did meet and destroy this pathetic village-- as she had tried to do thirteen years ago. She could get what she wanted from the very beginning; Naruto would be safe (thanks to her); and there was always the chance that that worthless pink haired little girl would be crushed in the ensuing battle. It would be much closer to her character, and she might finally be rid of her rival for Naruto's affections without actually having to do anything.
She realized, of course, that the fact that she was even considering the first option meant that she had gone far softer than she would ever have previously imagined, but that didn't matter right now. She had to make a decision and she had to make it fast.
She thought about it for all of five seconds before she gave the equivalent of a mental shrug and decided that while she was going soft, she wasn't quite ready to play the heroine yet. So, with a nudge of her chakra, she gently lulled Naruto into an even deeper sleep, one that he would not wake from until some time late tomorrow morning.
In the entire rest of the village, there were only two others who sensed the coming conflict. Of those two, only one decided to get up and do something about it. The other just chuckled to himself as he looked to find a good vantage point to watch. After all, what decent spy interfered when he could observe instead?
A shadowed form darted through the streets of the village, not making a sound or even the slightest trace of its passing. It paused momentarily to sniff the air, catching the scent of blood and sand. That same scent had been growing stronger for the past several minutes and the creature wasn't really sure what to make of it. It was annoyed though. The scent was becoming so thick in the air it was blocking out all traces of the one the creature hunted, the one that smelled of dead skin and toxins.
Letting out a low growl, the creature changed direction and started a new hunt. The bloody sand would pay for its interference. It would pay dearly.
Luna inwardly cursed as shestopped on a rooftop, the Hokage and Haku landing right behind her. After spending the last twenty minutes following Jinra, the trail had finally gone cold. And what was worse, they were running out of time.
Transformations like Jinra's, while not unheard of, were exceedingly rare and came with a terrible price. The longer he stayed transformed, the more feral his mind and body remained when he transformed back. She had thought the changes Jinra exhibited before might have had something to do with the seal of Fenrir, since the effects tended to be unpredictable at best, but now she feared something much more sinister.
She was brought out her thoughts when she heard Haku trying to get her attention. "What did you say, Haku-san?"
"I asked what was wrong. Why did we stop?"
"The trail's gone," she said simply. "The only way we'll find him in time is if we figure out where he's going."
"Is there any way to do that?" Sarutobi asked.
"I don't know," Luna said. "It's clear from his trail that he's searching for something or maybe someone, but it's difficult to say what or who it is."
"Why?" Haku asked.
"Jinra's should be thinking as an immature demon would," the summon girl explained. "He'll be relying heavily on his instincts and a limited short term memory to give his actions direction. If I had to guess, since Jinra was asleep when the transformation happened, he's probably hunting down whatever imagine he remembers seeing last, which would be whatever he was dreaming about."
"And we have no idea what that is," the Hokage finished.
"Exactly."
The three stood there trying to plan their next move when a resounding explosion ripped through the area. They turned just in time to see a large sand wave of sand impact the side of a building a few blocks away. The three shared a quick look before they started running to the source of the disturbance.
Gaara felt the corners of his mouth begin to twitch upwards into an insane smile as he commanded another wave of sand to assault the being that he had determined to be the source of his mother's disturbance.
The beast he had found closely resembled a common wolf, only this one was much larger and had teeth and claws that would give most demons pause. It's fur was the same color as the moon and its cold amber eyes reminded him much of his mother's. They were ruthless and filled with anger as well as a lust for the hunt.
Killing this creature would make him feel more alive than he'd felt in years.
Gaara's smile grew more and more with every moment as he watched the beast nimbly dodge his blasts of sand and darted towards Gaara at unmatchable speeds. Gaara's sand rose as it always did to protect its wielder; but the wolf reduced it to ribbons in a matter of seconds, forcing the redhead from Suna to take a leap backwards. The beast disappeared in a burst of speed and slashed at Gaara's middle, intent on gutting him, only to come away surprised with the boy's body collapsed into sand.Gaara took advantage of the beast's momentary confusion and managed to land a solid blow to its side before wrapping it securely in a cocoon of his strongest sand. It was time to end this.
"Sabaku Ky-" (Desert Coff-)
Gaara's eyes widened in shock as the cocoon surrounding the beast exploded outwards due to a massive burst of chakra. The wolf landed softly on the ground, silver chakra rolling off it in waves and its eyes focused on Gaara with a hatred so intense the boy was frozen to the spot.
The wolf let out an ear-piercing howl as the chakra surrounding it began ripping through the air, decimating buildings in its wake. it reared onto its hind legs for a moment before slamming its forepaws onto the ground, causing earthen spikes to explode from the ground in a straight line aimed directly at Gaara. Just before the rock spikes could reach him though, a commanding voice rang through the air.
"Daikamaitachi no Jutsu!" (Great Cutting Whirlwind Technique)
The massive blast of chakra-reinforced wind met the rock cascade with explosive force, scattering the spikes in all directions and halting their progression.
The wolf waited passively for the smoke to clear, its senses conveying the message that a new opponent had entered the field. A moment later a new individual could be seen wrapped in a loose sleeping kimono, her battle fan at the ready.
"Stay away from my little brother," Temari snarled as she stared the beast down. The wolf wasn't fooled. It could smell the fear coming off the girl in waves, nullifying any effect her menacing posture might have had.
The wolf howled and seemed to disappear with another burst of speed before reappearing a fraction of a second later just under her guard and ready to strike. Just as it was about to bite down on the girl's neck a flash of recognition ran through the wolf's eyes, slowing its movements.
The creature's hesitation lasted only an instant, but it was enough. The next thing that could be heard was a faint whistle before three senbon needles impacted the side of the wolf's neck, knocking it unconscious instantly. The wolf's remaining momentum sent it sprawling forward, causing the two former combatants to collapse onto the ground. The two landed with a soft thump, with Temari pinned down by the creature's larger mass.
Sarutobi and the two girls landed in the center of the battlefield an instant, reaching the combatants just in time to see Jinra's body begin to glow softly in the lunar light. All at once everything seemed to shrink, reshape, disappear, lengthen, and reappear. When the light faded away Temari was shocked to find that instead of the having a giant wolf demon holding her down, there was a very familiar silver haired boy draped over her stomach.
"J-Jinra?" she gasped as recognition dawned on her.
That was Temari's last thought before she felt a soft hand land on her forehead and everything went black.
Luna gently laid the blonde onto the ground before removing her hand from the girl's forehead. "I'm sorry, Temari-san," Luna said softly to the now sleeping blonde. "But some secrets are best hidden for the time being."
Knowing Temari was taken care of, Luna turned her attention to the boy who was still sleeping on the Suna nin. She gently shiftedhim slightly to rest on the ground as well and began examining him for changes.
"Is he alright?" Haku asked from behind her.
"I think so," Luna said after a few moments. "We won't know for sure until he wakes up in the morning."
"What about the two sand ninja?"
"The kunoichi will wake up in the morning and think all of this was a dream. We just need to find a way to get her back to her room without waking her."
"And the boy?" Haku asked again.
"I'll take care of him and bring him and the girl to their rooms. I fear if anyone else does it there might be a risk of an international incident. These are the Kazekage's children after all," Sarutobi said tiredly. He was getting too old for this.
"Then what do we do?" Luna asked.
"The two of you take Jinra back home and go to sleep. I'll see all in the morning."
The two of them watched as the Hokage formed a shadow clone to help him with his load and vaulted off onto the rooftops. A second later Luna and Haku did as the Hokage ordered and headed back towards the house at a brisk pace, balancing Jinra's greater weight between the two of them as they ran.
They managed to escape seconds before the ANBU arrived.
On a rooftop not far away, the silent watcher to the drama gave a small smile as he readjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose.
"How very interesting," he mumbled to himself as he began to melt back into the shadows. "I suppose Naruto isn't the only one with a secret, is he, Jinra-kun?"
Kabuto laughed as he went to report this…interesting development.
Back at the Hokage's residence, Luna had just finished settling Jinra into one of the numerous guest bedrooms, since currently Jinra's bedroom was far too exposed for her tastes. She even brought some of his clothes in and put them in the dresser. Then, after slipping off the jacket and sandals she had thrown on in her haste to find him earlier, she slipped under the covers and was soon nuzzled up against the boy she had just gone through so much to save.
As she lay there by her summoner, she realized just how much she had come to love the night since coming to this realm. Even tonight had its perks. During the day Jinra rushed around, training, fighting, seeing people and going places she wasn't permitted to go. But at night it was just the two of them. It was the only time when she didn't have to share him with anyone else.
Slowly looking up she brought her hand towards the boy's face and gently ran it down his cheek before allowing it to continue down his neck, eventually resting right over the seal on his chest. It was there that she noticed something troubling. She knew from her dealings with other heirs that the seal was supposed to be composed of one circle of runes surrounding the central symbol of Fenrir, but for some reason Jinra's had three. And more curiously the two additional rune circles seemed a little more recent than the original, meaning that they had been added some time after the original seal was created.
'But who could have modified the seal? Not even the best of the human seal masters should be able to do that. Could it have been Gin-sama?'
She thought about it for the next twenty or thirty minutes, but still found herself no closer to an answer. It was frustrating. It was only when she was suddenly hit by a wave of fatigue that she remembered just how late it was.
Answers would have to come in the morning, she realized. Until then, it would be best if she got some rest. So moving a little closer Luna set her head down against Jinra's chest and allowed the steady beating of his heart to lull her to sleep.
While Jinra and Luna rested, sleep was coming far less easily to the other occupants of the house. In her bedroom, Haku was tossing and turning restlessly, trying to find sleep. It wasn't paranoia this time though; it was nightmares.
Whenever she closed her eyes her mind was assaulted with images from her past. Memories of the deaths she had caused, as well as the memory of her mentor's death. It was starting to feel like she would never get to rest when a new memory rose to the surface from a time before her parents had died and Zabuza had found her. It was one of the few pleasant memories that kept her company during those three months she had been in a coma.
Flashback
Haku watched the shivering form in the nearby bed in concern. Haku had found him a week ago, half frozen and lying in a snow bank a half-mile from their cabin. It still remained to be seen if he would survive.
"Is he okay, Mom?"
Haku's mother stared down at her with her with her ever-compassionate hazel eyes. "I don't know, Haku-chan. There's only so much we can do to help. A lot of it is up to him."
Haku was only able to hold her mother's gaze for a few moments before her eyes shifted back to the boy in the bed. It was difficult to accept that someone no older than her would be wandering all alone in the middle of snowstorm. He was lucky to be alive.
Haku followed her mother as she walked over to the boy's bedside and began to change the cloth covering his forehead in an effort to lower his temperature. Soaking the cloth in some cool water, her mother brushed the sweaty bangs off his forehead and laid the fresh cloth on. There was a painful tug in the young girl's heart when she heard a faint whimper coming from his throat. Was he having nightmares? Or was he in that much pain? She really wished she knew.
"Haku, honey, come on. We have to let him rest."
The gentle voice of her mother snapped Haku out of her revere, leading her to notice her mother was already at the doorway, waiting for her. With a sheepish grin she turned around to leave the room. He would be there tomorrow, and then she and her mom would get to take care of him again. And for some reason, that made her really happy.
End Flashback
Haku could feel the tenseness of her muscles fade away as that simple memory calmed the raging storm that had been tormenting her mind. Eyelids closed and a content smile on her face, the former apprentice of Zabuza drifted off into a well-deserved sleep. However, before unconsciousness fully claimed her, two words slipped past her lips in a murmur so low only the strongest pair of ears would be able to hear it.
"Found you."
It was almost ten hours later when Luna awoke, and for the first time in her memory Jinra wasn't the cause of it. The boy in question was still sleeping soundly beside her, something that was very unusual for him. Jinra had always been a morning person.
'It must be from all the exertion last night,' she thought to herself as she watched him. She was a little torn at the moment. One part of her wanted to wake Jinra up so she could know what state he was in and what he remembered of last night, if anything, but another part knew that he needed his rest. After a short internal debate, she gave a small sigh and resigned herself to wait. She didn't really feel in any hurry to confront this issue anyway, and would rather bask in the peace she felt when in Jinra's presence.
Fate, however, seemed to have different plans in mind for the two children of Fenrir because their quiet was interrupted less than an hour later when Luna heard a loud knock on the door. Luna was tempted to ignore it the first time, but when the sound persisted she finally decided to get out of bed and see who it was before they managed to awaken her summoner, who was so lost in sleep he had yet to even stir…though that could change.
Not even bothering to hide the irritated look on her face, the mostly white haired girl open the door just enough to see through and glared at the two people she found on the other side. She had a scathing comment prepared for the occasion, but it died in her throat when she realized that it was the Hokage and some woman she had never seen before. The woman was older than her, but still quite young by most people's standards. If Luna had to guess, she would assume the woman was in her late teens or early twenties. She was dressed in a standard chunin uniform and vest, except she wore a tank top instead of the normal long sleeved shirt. She had long brown hair tied into a low ponytail and chocolate brown eyes. Her face wasn't unattractive, but it had a feral quality to it, which was accentuated by the elongated canines that Luna could see protruding from her lips. And last but not least there was one red downward facing triangle on each of her cheeks, though whether it was face paint or a tattoo Luna couldn't tell.
After a few moments of staring at one another, the Hokage decided to break the silence. "Could you please open the door, Luna? Hana-san and I need to speak to Jinra about something important."
"I don't think that would be a good idea, Sarutobi-san. Jinra-s…kun is sleeping and he needs his rest."
To the side, the recently introduced Hana couldn't help but be curious about the little scene that lay before her. 'The Hokage is letting a pretty girl sleep in his grandson's room? Is she his sister or something? No, it can't be. The kid's supposed to be an orphan. Just what's going on here?'
"Yes, I'm aware of that," the Hokage agreed, "but I'm afraid this can't wait."
"What can't wait?" a voice asked from within the room. "Luna, who's at the door?"
Luna turned around in surprise, accidentally opening the door the rest of the way in the process, allowing everyone to see a very tired looking Jinra standing less than a few feet away. Hana's eyes widened to a significant degree as she watched the boy yawn and attempt to wipe the sleep out of his eyes with his hand. The claws on his hands and feet, the sharp teeth and elongated canines, the pointed ears and not to mention the predatory amber eyes that were now blinking sleepily. It was all too perfect!
The Hokage spotted the shock in his companion's eyes and the small smile that followed and knew he had made the right decision in bring her here before Jinra had a chance to disguise his appearance. Although Jinra didn't realize it, his month just got a whole lot busier.
It took a moment for Jinra to realize there were now three people staring at him, and a few more moments after that to realize that he was half naked and completely devoid of his illusion in front of some woman he had never seen before. Even in his half awake state it didn't take his mind very long to tell him that these were very bad things.
Just to make sure this wasn't some bad dream or hallucination, Jinra blinked, rubbed his eyes and even pinched himself to snap out of it. Unfortunately the woman remained right where she was, a small grin adorning her features. After a while he gave up, deciding that what was happening was very real, and instead of panicking as he wanted to do, but knew wouldn't do any good, he turned his gaze towards his grandfather and uttered five words.
"You planned this, didn't you?"
Fifteen minutes later, a fully clothed Jinra, Luna, Hana, Sarutobi, and Haku, who Jinra was surprised to learn had been living in the same house as him for the past few days, were all sitting in the dining room in the midst of a very…unusual conversation.
"Wait a minute," Jinra said, interrupting Hana in the middle of what she was saying. "Let me get this straight. You're Kiba's sister, and you want to train me for the chunin exam finals? Why would you want to train the person who beat up your brother?"
"Actually, it's partially because of Kiba that I'm here. He was one of the people that requested that I train you. Hokage-sama was the second."
"Grandpa I understand, but Kiba? Last I checked he hated my guts."
Hana shrugged. "Don't ask me to explain it, but ever since your fight with him in the prelims, he's been acting differently. He's been a little less cocky than usual too. As far as I'm concerned it's been a good change for him, but I digress. Due to my little brother's persistence and the Hokage's request, I've been asked to be your teacher for the month. Do you accept?"
Jinra looked from Hana, to the Hokage, then down to his own clawed hands. He had to admit, this could be very well what he needed. The Inuzuka clan knew more about honing instincts than anyone else in the village. He could learn to use these gifts Fenrir had given him faster and more effectively than he could on his own. After a small silence, he looked back up and said, "When do we start?"
Hana actually smiled at his answer. She wasn't certain why, but she had a feeling teaching this kid would be a fun experience. "We can start immediately if you want. You'll be provided clothes at the Inuzuka clan house, which you'll be staying at until the finals. All you need to do is come with me."
With a small nod, Jinra got up from his seat to follow the Inuzuka girl with Luna following not far behind. Before they got to the front door though, Sarutobi stopped Luna with a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Luna, but you can't go. Some of the things Jinra will be learning are very private to the Inuzuka. They won't want you around."
"I go where Jinra-kun goes," Luna said stubbornly.
"Luna, it's okay…" Jinra began before Luna harshly cut him off.
"No, it is NOT okay! The last time you went off without me you got chakra exhaustion. Who knows what else could happen to you over the month?"
"Aren't you being a little overprotective?" Hana interjected
"Stay out if this. It's none of your business," Luna growled.
"Watch it," Hana growled back. "And for your information this is my business since you're talking about my student."
Seeing that this situation was escalating far too quickly for his liking, Jinra decided to intervene. "Hana-san, are you sure there isn't a way for Luna to come with us?"
Hana looked down at her new student with a sympathetic expression. "Sorry, but the Hokage is right. The clan elders wouldn't allow it. They're hesitant enough to allow you to come."
Not wanting to break the deal he had made with Luna the previous morning, Jinra tried a different angle. "But Luna isn't even a shinobi. Who's to say she's even capable of learning what you want to teach me?" Jinra ignored the glare he felt coming from Luna at the end of that statement. He knew she would take that comment the wrong way.
"Like I said, I'm sorry, but my hands are tied. Even if she can't use ninja techniques, there's still a chance she could understand them and teach them to someone else. The elders have a reason to trust you, but they don't have one to trust her. So either you can stay here with her and give up the training, or you can come with me and see her at the end of the month. Those are the only options you have."
Jinra frowned and he thought about it. He couldn't pass on this opportunity. It wasn't just that he wanted this training; he needed it. However, he doubted Luna was going to let him out of their deal. He needed a new plan.
He glanced over at Luna to check on her mood, and when he noticed the slightly feral look in her eyes a spark of inspiration struck him.
"What about an animal partner, Hana-san? Would I be allowed to bring one of those with me?"
Haku and the Hokage both raised an eyebrow when they heard this while Hana looked at her future student in surprise. "You have an animal partner?"
"Sort of, she really belongs to Luna, but we've worked well in the past. She even helped me beat Kiba in the chunin exam."
Although it went unnoticed by Hana, Luna's eyes were growing happier by the second as she realized what Jinra was planning.
Hana thought back to what Kiba had told her of the battle. "Come to think of it, he did mention a white wolf. Is that the animal you're talking about?" Seeing Jinra's nod, she thought about it for a little longer before a small smile formed on her face. "Sure, the wolf can come. Just be sure to keep her in line."
Jinra nodded again and turned his attention back to Luna, who had schooled her face back into a scowl to keep Hana from being suspicious, although the light in her eyes was unmistakable. "Luna, I know you want to come yourself, but you'll just have to trust Tsuki to protect me, okay?" Since his back was turned to Hana, he gave Luna a small wink for effect.
Luna allowed her scowl to receded a little, trying to make it seem like she was still angry, but at the same time willing to accept defeat. Since Hana didn't know her there was no way she would find out just how uncharacteristic of Luna that was.
"Okay," she said in mock disappointment. She was just about to turn around and go get 'Tsuki,' but then a wicked idea formed in her head. In an instant she was in Jinra's arms and hugging him as if her life depended on it. When she finally let him go she just stared back at him and said, "You better not get hurt."
Mostly playing along, but being sincere all the same, Jinra flashed her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'll be careful."
Luna smiled back at him before dashing up the stairs, reappearing a few minutes later in her wolf form. Once Luna was at her summoner's side Hana looked at her in surprise. Kiba hadn't done her justice.
'I've never seen a wolf like this before. She's beautiful,' Hana thought appraisingly. 'I'll have to ask the girl later where she found her.'
After she was done, she looked back over at Jinra. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, just let me say goodbye."
After the other two gave their goodbyes as well, Sarutobi with a handshake and Haku with small hug, Jinra and 'Tsuki' left with Hana towards the Inuzuka clan house. Already he was wondering what sort of things he was going to learn, and more importantly, if it was going to be enough.
In a different part of the village, just as Jinra was about to begin his training, Naruto's was already in full swing. For some reason he had slept through his alarm that morning and had suffered a late start, and he was pushing himself to make up for it.
Currently he was involved in a spar with his new sensei and possible mentor, Jiraiya. It had been the old pervert's idea so he could better gauge Naruto's abilities. Naruto would have just told the toad hermit, but Jiraiya insisted that seeing was believing. Spotting a narrow opening in his teacher's defense, Naruto feinted to the right and tried to deliver a solid kick to his opponent's midsection. Jiraiya caught his foot at the last second and used the blonde's momentum to hurl him to the side, causing Naruto to land harshly on the ground for the umpteenth time.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" (Shadow Clone Technique) Naruto called out as his hands formed the seal. Instantly seven clones popped into existence. One helped the original up while the others took ready stances. They all charged at once, moving with a grace and coordination that usually only came from years of practice with the technique. And although Jiraiya gave no outward indication, he was very impressed.
'This kid's chakra capacity and stamina is incredible,' he thought as he dodged an assault from two of the clones. 'Not only that, but the way he uses his clones is unlike anything I've ever seen before. He's close to bringing out the technique's true potential. It makes me wonder if he knows the real reason this technique was forbidden in the first place.' Switching from offense to defense for the moment, he lashed out and delivered two devastating palm strikes, causing a couple of the clones to vanish. 'His taijutsu isn't bad either. On his own he's about average for a genin, maybe a little above even, but with his clones he could probably take down a high-class chunin. Very impressive. I'll have to nurture that skill.'
Deciding he had learned everything he could at the moment, Jiraiya used one of his favorite defensive techniques to end this spar with a bang.
"Hari Jizo!" (Needle Guardian)
The effect of the technique was two fold. At the toad hermit's words his already long white hair grew even longer as it moved to cover his entire body before hardening and making each of his hairs as hard as steel. Then, as soon as his body was shielded, the needle like hairs extended forward, skewering anything they were close enough to reach.
All of Naruto's clones were gone in an instant, leaving only the original behind. He had managed to escape merely because he had been knocked back right before it happened, something that Jiraiya must have planned.
Naruto just stared in awe as the hairs retracted and shortened, revealing a smiling Jiraiya.
"All right, kid, spar's over. I think I have a pretty good idea of what I can teach you before the finals."
"Are you going to teach me that needle thing?" Naruto asked excitedly.
"Sorry, no can do, at least not now," Jiraiya said dismissively.
"Why not?"
"To put it simply, your hair's too short. If I taught you the technique now it would cover the top half or so of your body before it reached its limit. If you let your hair grow out, I might be able to teach you in a few months." Naruto was still disappointed, but he seemed to accept the explanation. "Besides," Jiraiya continued, "What I'm going to teach you now will be much more valuable in your coming matches."
"What is it?"
"It's one of your father's prized techniques. He started developing it a little over four years before you were born. And while it's not truly complete yet, it already belongs in the second most powerful rank of jutsu in the world." He smiled when he saw Naruto's wide eyes fill with excitement. "Tell me, Naruto, have you ever heard of the Rasengan (Spiraling Sphere)?"
Naruto was just about to answer when a shrill voice rang through the clearing.
"NARUTOOOO!"
The blonde involuntarily cringed. Although he didn't hear it very often, that tone was as unmistakable as it was terrifying. It was the sound of a very angry Sakura. Immediately he began searching his mind for whatever reason she might be angry with him and paled when he remembered his last words to Sakura after what happened with her parents yesterday afternoon.
'Oh, no! I completely forgot! I told her to meet me at my apartment today, and I haven't been there since this morning! She's going to kill me!'
Survival instinct kicking in, Naruto leapt up from his seated position on the ground and started running in the direction opposite of where the voice had been coming from. He needed to give her time to cool down…a whole lot of time. Unfortunately, he only made it about three steps before Jiraiya snagged him by the collar, halting his progress.
"Well, well, well," Jiraiya said in an amused manner as he watched the boy struggle in his grip. "That girl sounds pretty pissed. Just what did you do?" Jiraiya smiled a knowing grin, inwardly wondering just how different the student was than the teacher.
Naruto saw the grin and scowled. He knew what the older man was thinking. "Nothing like you're thinking, you perv! Now let me go!"
Jiraiya's expression became thoughtful as he continued to hold Naruto firmly. "Really? That's a shame. Oh, well. I guess I can still use this opportunity to get a little revenge for what you did to me yesterday."
If it was even possible Naruto paled even further. "Y-you wouldn't!"
Jiraiya just smiled as he raised his free hand to his mouth and yelled as loud a voice as he could manage, "Naruto's over here!"
Naruto's panic rose three more notches as the sound of someone running there way at an accelerated pace became louder and louder in his sensitive ears. An instant later a livid looking pink haired kunoichi emerged from the brush, her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
She was silent as she drew closer but her body language told him everything. She was pissed, and she was going to make him pay.
"S-Sakura-chan," he stuttered nervously as Jiraiya plopped him back on the ground and teleported away, probably to get to a safe viewing place. "I-I can explain. You see I…"
"Save it," Sakura growled. "I waited in your apartment for three hours. Three. Hours. And you didn't show. So unless your excuse includes the term 'dying,' 'emergency,' 'missing nin,' or some combination of those three, I don't want to hear it. So, what do you have to say for yourself?"
Naruto remained silent for a moment, his mind racing for a solution. He could never lie to Sakura, even if he was any good at it, and the truth would get him clobbered for sure. That didn't leave a whole lot of options. It was then that he noticed just how close her face was to his at the moment, and that even when she was furious at him, she was still the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. And with these small revelations, a plan came to mind.
'It's crazy, but it just might work. Not to mention it's my only hope.'
And then in one swift motion, Naruto leaned forward and captured Sakura's lips with his own. For their first lip-to-lip kiss, it was both nothing like Naruto had expected, but at the same time everything he could have ever hoped for. It was passionate, but not lustful. Tender, but at the same time anything but light. And although it may have only lasted seconds in the real world, he could have sworn it lasted so much longer than that. And as he pulled away, he couldn't help but think that even if he got clobbered after this, it was completely worth it.
Naruto smiled slightly when he looked at Sakura after he put some distance between the two of them again. Her eyes were at half-mast, her faced was flushed, and she wore a slightly dreamy expression.
"I'm sorry," he whispered after a moment. "I just…lost track of time. I didn't mean to make you wait."
It took Naruto's words to snap her out of her trance and he had to resist the urge to chuckle as she quickly tried to compose herself.
"Y-Yes, well," she muttered after a few moments. "Just don't do it again." At this point she shot him a half-hearted glare when Naruto just smiled at, causing her to blush even more.
"Come one, Sakura-chan. I'll take you some place where we can talk."
He extended a hand, which Sakura grasped, and started leaded her away to a more secluded part of the training area.
From in a tree Jiraiya watched the two teens leave with wide eyes and a slack jaw. He couldn't believe the kid just pulled that off!
"That kid has even bigger balls than I thought," he said to himself as the shock wore off and he smiled. "Yup. No doubt about it. That has to be your kid, Arashi."
Standing up from the branch he was perched on, he bounded off towards the village hot springs, deciding that the start of Rasengan training could wait till tomorrow.
Naruto led Sakura to a small sitting area near the place Jiraiya had him master water walking. It was quiet, had nice scenery, and most importantly he was sure Jiraiya wouldn't be spying on them. It was the perfect place for them to talk.
"Sakura-chan, how much of what your parents said did you hear yesterday?" he asked as the two of them sat down on a nearby log.
Sakura eyes strayed down to her lap, the shame from both her parents' treatment of Naruto and the fact that he had caught her eavesdropping returning full force. "Pretty much all of it, I guess. None of it made sense though." She looked at Naruto, her eyes watery with unshed tears. "Why do they hate you, Naruto-kun? My parents have always been good people. What burden could you carry that would cause them to hate you so much?"
Just staring into those watery emerald eyes made him want to cry as well, but he resisted. He had to be strong for her. "I've always had my secrets, Sakura-chan, but the one I'm about to tell you is the biggest and it's the reason so many people in this village hate me. Before I start you have to swear to me that you won't tell a soul."
Sakura was a little taken aback by the sudden sternness in his voice, but she nodded her head anyway. "I swear."
Naruto visibly relaxed, though she wasn't sure why. "Sakura-chan, do you remember everything Iruka-sensei told us about the Kyuubi attack thirteen years ago?"
"Yes." Sakura was starting to wonder where this was going.
"What would you say if I told you the entire ending of that story was a lie?"
Now she was confused. "Naruto-kun, what are you talking about?"
"The Kyuubi didn't die, Sakura-chan. The fourth did die defeating her, but she didn't die."
'Kyuubi was a girl? Awesome!' a small voice began screeching within her psyche, a voice which she had long ago termed 'Inner Sakura', which the outer Sakura promptly ignored as she usually did. "If she didn't die, then what happened to her? And what does this have to do with people hating you?"
"She was…sealed inside of me."
Seeing her confused look, he realized that she didn't understand. So, taking a deep breath, he began to elaborate.
"I don't know the whole story," he admitted, "But then again almost no one does since the third passed a law forbidding people from even mentioning it. What I do know is that the day the Kyuubi attacked, the same day I was born, the Fourth took me onto the battlefield and sacrificed his life to power a sealing technique that imprisoned the Kyuubi in my body. Then to protect me the Sandaime passed a law to keep it a secret from future generations. I guess he hoped to give me a chance at a normal childhood, and it worked…sort of."
Sakura could feel her heart clench at that last word. "Sort of?"
Naruto nodded sadly. "Almost everyone in the village lost someone precious to them in that attack, and when they found out the Kyuubi was still alive, even though she was imprisoned, I guess they got angry. And since they couldn't reach the Kyuubi, they took that anger out on me…people like your mom and dad."
Sakura's head was spinning so much by the end of his explanation that she had to put her head in her hands. Naruto, her Naruto, was the vessel for the strongest demon in existence. She wanted to believe it was a joke, but Naruto's expression told her otherwise. And her parents, the people who she had always looked up to, had been two of his tormentors. As the silence between them grew she struggled to think of something to say to him. Some word or phrase to let him know that she still accepted him, but whatever she came up with just didn't seem to be enough.
After almost a full minute of silence, she felt Naruto get up from his spot on the log. "I know this is a lot to take in. I'll let you think about it for a day. If you decide you don't want to be around me, I'll understand."
Just as he was about to walk off, Sakura placed her hand on his arm, stopping him. They locked eyes as Sakura slowly rose from the stump, her hand sliding down to meet his own as she stood and with one quick movement pressed her lips to his. Just like the first time, everything seemed to slow until the moment she pulled away.
"Don't be stupid," she said with a playful smile.
Sakura had always been taught that actions spoke louder than words, and from the look on Naruto's face and the happiness in his eyes, she realized how right that saying was.
Hands still clasped, the young couple started back towards the village to get something to eat, all thoughts of training and what might happen tomorrow put on hold.
Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long, but I'm sure many of you can be sympathtic about the craziness of finals. Anyway, now that I'm home hopefully these will come a little quicker.
So much happened in this chapter, more than I planned on actually, but I think it all came together pretty well. On another note, this chapter has completely changed the plans I had for Haku. So to whoever I may have given hints to about her future in the story, those are now invalid. Sorry.
And last but not least, the thing I would like some reader input on the most, what did you all think of Naruto's way of spilling the beans? I tried to make it less corny than it usually comes out in other stories, but it was more difficult than I realized. I just tried to make it believable.
As always, feels free to leave any thoughts, comments, or contructive criticisms you might have in a review. I enjoy reading them.