A/N: Hey guys. Sorry about the delay. I sent off the rough version of this chapter to my beta/editor last week but I haven't heard back from them. Hopefully it's something as inane as lost internet connection.
So I decided to polish this as much as I could and hopefully my beta gets back to me soon and I can correct any mistakes I've made. I think I got everything but if there's a mistake just um, ignore it lol.
Chapter 29
Mikoto Uchiha wanted nothing more than to continue sleeping but the harsh bright light seeping through her eyelids made it too difficult. Blinking, she opened her eyes to see an unfamiliar ceiling. Confusion was the first thing that came to mind but that quickly disappeared as her body decided to remind her that it was in serious pain. Mikoto let out a pained groan and moved her arms slightly.
"Mikoto! You're awake, thank goodness."
Mikoto slowly turned her head to her left. She saw Karin sitting by her bed looking worse for wear. Deep bags lay under her eyes and her hair clearly hadn't been attended to in a while. Mikoto tried to speak but her throat was too dry.
Karin got up to prepare Mikoto a cup of water while also shushing Mikoto. When Karin sat back down she said, "It's okay, don't talk. The doctor told me that you have to take it easy. I don't know if you remember what happened but the village was attacked."
Karin paused, leaning forward to pour some water into Mikoto's mouth. Mikoto forced herself to sip slowly, it wouldn't do her any good by drinking too fast and coughing. Karin sat back and continued.
"We were attacked in the apartment and Eri was taken. Stay still-" Karin was forced to stop talking as Mikoto had tried to sit up in alarm. "Mikoto calm down! If you keep trying to move the doctor is going kick me out and put you under!"
Mikoto forced herself to stop. Her need to move was tempered by her need to know about what happened. Karin resumed her recount once again, "You got knocked out and not long after Naruto arrived. Akari had left a note telling him to meet her outside the village otherwise Eri would die. He Flickered us to the hospital before taking off. Nothing would stop him at that point.
"I didn't see it but according to Sasuke, Naruto helped stop the Sand's Demon Container by summoning a giant toad but after the fight ended, Naruto vanished. We haven't seen or heard anything about what happened afterwards. This happened five days ago.
"Also, Orochimaru killed the Third Hokage. Jiraiya is slated to be the Fifth but Kakashi sensei says that there are more important things to do than hold a coronation."
Karin's voice had progressively gotten softer as she talked. It was clear that what had happened was eating away at her. Worry flooded Mikoto; Akari must've gotten hold of Naruto. Knowing about Akari's Bingo Book entry meant that Mikoto was forced to admit that the chances of her seeing her kids again were basically zero.
Tears filled Mikoto's eyes and she tried to hold back her sorrow. It was obvious that Karin was barely holding onto her composure and could break down in a second. Her innate maternal instincts took over and Mikoto grasped Karin's right hand.
The water had helped and Mikoto managed a shaky whisper, "Don't give up. Naruto won't let anything stand in his way to get back to us. Where's Sasuke?"
Karin gripped Mikoto's hand with both of her own. "The Sun's out so Sasuke is definitely training. The staff set up to couches for us to sleep on; neither of us want to sleep in that apartment right now. I'll admit, I'm worried about him. He's worried about Naruto and Eri but then he seems to snap and throw himself into training that seems to be closer to torture."
Mikoto closed her eyes. 'Does Fate laugh as it tears apart my family? Am I cursed to watch the people I love die?
'The second I'm out of this hospital I'm going to tell Sasuke the truth about Itachi, orders be damned!'
xXx
Kiba had cast aside everything other than training since his clan had buried his mother and Akamaru. It had been a symbolic event for him since he also buried all of his pain and regret. There was nothing that mattered other than getting strong enough to kill every Grass ninja that lived.
Kiba was just thankful that Kuromaru had decided to stick around. He didn't manage to fill the hole that Akamaru left behind but Kiba welcomed the company. Kiba knew that Hana was worried about him but she should focus on the clan wide search for a new Head instead. Kiba had thrown his own name into the tournament but had been soundly beaten by his third cousin.
'I'm going to have to ask Naruto for training tips when he gets back.'
There wasn't any doubt in his mind that Naruto would find his way back. Ever since he had met him, Naruto had seemed like all the adults; an impossible wall of strength. His mother had told him all the gory details about Naruto's past, Tsume had always advocated honesty being important as a parent.
Kiba had been left with a mix of pity and awe. He knew Naruto didn't do it on purpose but in every class that revolved around combat Naruto had terrified everyone in their year. He was like an apex predator; no wasted time or movement. He went straight for the throat for a quick victory. His experiences had created a gulf between himself and the class. A gulf that no-one had been able to cross completely, not even Sasuke. Kiba was now determined to change that; his vengeance depended on it.
'I'm going to wring every bit of experience that Naruto has out of him. He needs to hurry up and get back!'
xXx
Coffee was the only thing that had enabled Jiraiya to function as he continued taking care of the village. The invasion may have been over but the number of things that needed his attention hadn't diminished. The majority of rubble had been cleared away and it was only now that the final casualty list had been completed.
Surprisingly, the largest number of dead and injured were ANBU. After questioning the current ANBU commander, it turned out that even though the ANBU had kept their skills sharp with training, in general they lacked raw battle experience. Spars didn't count and the more recent ANBU inductees had paid the price. If it hadn't been for the current crop of Jonin sensei's, the villages losses almost certainly would've been higher.
'Going to have to rotate the A and S rank mission roster. Gotta bleed the newer recruits soon, before another crisis hits and we are left under powered again.'
Aside from his friend Tsume, the most significant names from the list that stood out to Jiraiya were: Iruka Umino and Anko Mitarashi. Jiraiya still had to find a replacement Academy teacher but the current list of available Chunin wasn't great.
Seeing Anko listed as dead gave him a pang of regret. The poor girl had idolised Orochimaru and been brainwashed before being discarded as worthless. Most people would've folded in her circumstances but she had found the strength to continue on and make a name for herself. That had earned his respect a long time ago.
Apparently she had taken it upon herself to blaze a safe trail for civilians to evacuate. She hadn't let the fact that an enormous snake had been in her path, she killed it anyway. In the end, it had been a jonin from Sound that had killed the tenacious woman. Her efforts weren't in vain though, she had successfully gotten forty two civilians to safety.
In total, he had lost thirty two ANBU, three Jonin/Special Jonin, twelve Chunin and four Genin with sixty three civilian deaths. The loss of those freshly graduated kids had enraged Konoha and only the knowledge that they would eventually march on Grass kept his more impulsive ninja from going AWOL and attacking every guilty party, possibly even disregarding the new peace with Sand.
Jiraiya sighed; exhaustion weighed him down but Jiraiya couldn't rest. He pulled over the next piece of his paperwork, this turned out to be an appeal for prices of food and lumber to be temporarily lowered to speed up the rebuilding process.
Just as he readied his pen, Tenzo Flickered into his office via the window. "Sir, I have come to report that Kakashi Hatake is AWOL. He seems to be accompanied by the remaining members of his Genin team; we can't find them in the village."
A fresh flood of adrenaline woke Jiraiya up. "I see, how long ago did this happen and how far do you think he managed to get?"
Tenzo paused in thought before he replied. "I first noticed his absence roughly twenty minutes ago. With his team, he probably managed to cover ten or so kilometres."
A brief flame of hope flared in Jiraiya's chest. He couldn't in good conscience send out a team to rescue Naruto, there was just too much to do but if Kakashi and his team had taken it upon themselves to save his godson, then Jiraiya wasn't going to get to angry about it.
"Tenzo, how long until it will be extremely difficult to catch Kakashi?"
"Roughly ten minutes sir. He knows how to move fast and cover his tracks."
"Alright, select one ANBU to bring them back, in about fifteen minutes."
"Understood sir."
Jiraiya couldn't see Tenzo's face due to his mask but he could tell that Tenzo was smiling. Tenzo left his office and Jiraiya turned back to his mountain of paperwork. The brief surge of energy faded away and his shoulders slumped.
'Hurry up and save him Kakashi. You never struck me as hard headed enough to disregard your duty, I'd have to guess that he caught his team trying to sneak out and chose to escort them rather than risk Sasuke and Sakura leaving with Orochimaru still at large.
'Ah, the details don't really matter all that much, I just want my godson back here safe and sound.'
He snapped his fingers and one of his current ANBU guard appeared. "Deliver this scroll to Danzo. It details a new assignment for him."
As the ANBU left, Jiraiya rested his elbows on his desk. 'So long as Danzo does what I order, I won't have to find a way to discipline him for basically operating his own private army on home soil. I better hear his report after this mission, otherwise I'll have to kill him.'
xXx
If Onoki had known about Orochimaru and his scheme than he would've never sent Kurotsuchi on her mission. He was just glad that the messenger ninja she had sent gave him a report that said that nothing bad had happened to her or her team. She didn't outright say it but Onoki was under the impression that she wasn't the same young women that he had sent.
That his old rival and enemy Hiruzen Sarutobi was dead filled Onoki with a strange melancholy. All the old guard were falling. He couldn't even think of anyone else from his generation that were still kicking.
One of his ANBU appeared in his office without warning. "Sir, Kurotsuchi's team has returned. Looks like their sensei lit a fire underneath them."
Nodding in acknowledgement, Onoki waited for his granddaughter. Though he was eager to see her it wouldn't do to show it, a leader had to stay strong and not show his emotions willy nilly.
Onoki had been walking the tight rope that was being Tsuchikage with Shoma Nakamura as his Daimyo for far too long. Shoma's predecessor had been fairer and less psychotic and a lot easier to deal with.
'I'm getting too old for this. My son is an able battle commander but lacks the finesse to battle in the world of politics. The same can be said of Akatsuchi.
'I don't really have any other option. I'm going to have to up Kurotsuchi's training; she ticks all the boxes to be my successor, all she needs is time. She already has the brains to be a true leader.'
His train of thought ended when Kurotsuchi and her team walked in. A short and official report followed, with Ara simply stating the facts. None of his team had been promoted but they had managed to avoid any serious fighting when the invasion started. Onoki dismissed them, he really wanted to know what his granddaughter had to say.
But it seemed that Kurotsuchi didn't know where to begin. She just sat in front of his desk looking uncertain. That in and of itself was unusual; Kurotsuchi was normally quite confident and self-assured.
Onoki decided to start for her. "So, did you complete your mission?"
Something flickered in her eyes but it was too quick for him to recognise. "No, in the Second Stage, Orochimaru, who was in disguise, got in my way. I didn't know it was him but I could tell that I was no match so I fled.
"I managed to carry my team into the Final Stage where I was actually paired up to fight Naruto one on one."
Onoki felt irritation bubble in his gut. 'First name basis? This isn't going to be good.'
Kurotsuchi continued talking, unaware of her grandfathers' inner plight, "I have more raw power but he out smarted me. I lost the fight and Naruto managed to figure out my true purpose but didn't hold it against me.
"He- he's far more mature than I ever expected him to be. He opened my eyes, what did he say again? 'Scars of the past never heal if you keep picking at them'. He than asked me if I was just an obedient tool of the village or my own person. So I made my choice, I can't hate Naruto for something his father did especially since Naruto hadn't even been born yet. So no, I won't complete the mission."
Kurotsuchi had started off uncertain but by the time she had finished, defiance was written all over her face. 'Where did my little granddaughter go? She grew from a stubborn girl into a mature and strong woman. Well sensei, looks like I have found someone worthy.'
He had to be sure though. Onoki sighed before he placed his head in his hands, elbows resting on his desk. He was the picture of disappointment.
"Do I mean so little to you? Does the Will of Stone mean nothing to you?"
There was a brief pause and Onoki guessed that she was gathering her thoughts.
"It's not like that gramps. I love our village, and my family but can't you see how holding onto grudges from the past will eventually cost our village? We can't progress as a people if you refuse to deal with foreigners or handle diplomacy. I'd go so far as to say that your blind hatred for a dead man is clouding your Will of Stone."
A slightly stunned silence filled the office. Onoki locked eyes with his granddaughter but she held his gaze without flinching. A rumbling chuckle began in Onoki's chest, slowly building until he couldn't hold it in and a fully belly laugh rang out. 'Finally, I've found someone worthy sensei!'
Managing to control himself, he looked at the surprised face of Kurotsuchi. "Ah my beloved granddaughter, you've made my day. I'll be the first to admit that it'll take more than one conversation for me to let go of the past but you have proven yourself to be a true Stone shinobi.
"The Second Tsuchikage, Mu, passed down the secrets of Dust Release to me. Its most closely guarded secret is that it isn't genetic. Anyone with the chakra affinities, Earth, Wind and Fire can learn how to use Dust Release.
"The only reason our village isn't swarming with Dust Release users is that I swore a solemn oath to my sensei that I would adhere to his standards before teaching it to anyone. They had to be a person of moral fibre, compassion and ultimately be responsible with power.
"I'm proud of you because by choosing to ignore a stubborn old man, you proved that you have integrity and can put the people before yourself. So prepare yourself, training starts tomorrow and it's going to be hell!"
xXx
Naruto ignored the hunger pains emanating from his stomach. Akari deliberately fed Naruto and Eri small amounts of food, it made them weaker and easier to control. It didn't help his gnawing hunger when Naruto gave Eri portions of his own meals. He couldn't bare seeing her face scrunch up with hunger. Eri had tried to stop him but Naruto couldn't be dissuaded; he had suffered lack of food before. It hadn't killed him then and it wouldn't now.
Hunger wasn't his only problem though. For the past five days, Akari had kept up a string of words designed to hurt him psychologically. From telling him that she had never seen a kid take to the Pit quite as well as he had to asking him pointed questions about just how much Naruto knew his Hokage and everything in between.
Naruto knew better than to let mere words get to him but all the same, bits and pieces seeped into his head unbidden. He couldn't refute the fact that some things she said seemed to add up. Naruto couldn't deny that there wasn't any mention of the Uzumaki clan in the village library. It also didn't make sense as to why the old man had stepped down. He hadn't yet passed his prime yet the Third Hokage gave up his power?
It wasn't enough to sway his loyalties but it definitely made sure that there was a long list of questions for the old man next time Naruto saw him.
For all of his troubles though, it didn't mean that Naruto was idle. He had managed to pick up an oddly sharp pebble the second day of his captivity. Using it, he had managed to slowly and carefully etch a low grade explosive seal onto his cuffs. It had been slow progress, he could only work on it when they rested for the night and only when Akari had finished her watch and gone to sleep. The other adults weren't quite as suspicious of simple kids.
It was just unfortunate that Akari had decided to be cautious and slap a seal similar to the one he had used in his fight against Kurotsuchi. The new seal was located on the outside of his eyepatch that Akari had found during a frisk and combined with his cuffs, using his own chakra was impossible.
He had tried to coach Eri to channel her chakra into her fingertip so that she could destroy the cuffs when they needed to run but hurried whisperings were not an ideal way to teach someone; especially something she had never done before.
'I've lost track of how far we have run. It doesn't help that even if Eri manages to use her chakra and free Kurama from his shackles, I still don't know how to get away.
'Kurama's chakra is poisonous to other people so I can't carry her while being buffed by his chakra and it's only with Kurama that I even have a chance at escape. What do I do!?'
The group had paused in a small clearing in the deep forest for a five minute breather. Akari suddenly stiffened in alarm and Naruto was instantly on guard. The entire time they had been prisoners Akari hadn't been this tense.
A dead body flew out from the trees and landed on the ground nearby. Naruto recognised it as one of Akari's men. From the tree's two men stepped out. They were both wearing long black cloaks decorated with red clouds. The man on the left had a half mask like Kakashi and the one on the right held a three pronged scythe.
The masked man dusted his hands. "Thank you for going through the trouble of capturing the Nine Tails. As payment for this service, I'll grant a swift and painless death."
Akari scoffed. The rest of her team Flickered into the clearing behind her. "You got balls man. Don't you know who I am? Run or I'll destroy you."
A slightly maniacal laugh rang through the air. The one with the scythe finished his laughter with a question. "Oh we know who you are, Akari the Maelstrom but do you know who we are? Can you handle the might of the Akatsuki?"
Akatsuki? Naruto had never heard of them but judging by the way Akari had bent her knees in readiness they meant business. She murmed quietly to her men, "Watch the kids. None of you stand a chance against these men." Ignoring the whispered protests and injured pride Akari drew her sword and took a half step.
The masked man spoke again. "I'm Kakuzu and this is Hidan. You have something that belongs to us."
Hidan licked one of the blades on his scythe. "My Lord Jashin hungers for your blood. Become sacrifices for god!"
With a cry, Hidan leapt forward, scythe raised in the air. Akari blocked the downward swing with her sword. Suddenly a massive amount of Wind appeared and Naruto felt his body get thrown through the air. Eri was tucked in his arms and he intinctivly rolled so that he hit the ground first.
Looking around in alarm, Naruto saw that most of the trees had been obliterated. Since the attack hadn't been aimed at them, Akari's team had managed to survive and now on guard, they surrounded Naruto and Eri.
He spied Akari standing where she had been previously with what looked to be a shield made out of chakra hovering in the air in front of her. The horribly mangeld body of Hidan impossibly got to his feet. Before Naruto's very eyes, his wounds knitted together and soon he appeared good as new albiet with torn clothing.
"Impressive. You're the first person to live through that attack. Your blood shall please Jashin greatly!"
'What the hell? First one to survive? They've done this attack multiple times, is he immortal?!'
Akari channelled chakra into her right index finger. She drew a seal in the air and it glowed before a blast of Lightning shot out of it and hit Hidan squarely in the chest. Though he grunted in pain, he shrugged off the damage and renewed his attack.
'This would be a good chance to escape but how to deal with Akari's last three men? More importantly, this Akatsuki seems to be interested in Kurama. Who's worse, Akari or Akatsuki? Who do I want to win here?'
XXXXXXXXXX
A/N: Alright what did you guys think? A lot of exposition but the end really spiced things up, at least I hope so.
I suppose I might just throw this out here now, just in case. Are any of my regular readers interested in being my beta/editor if I don't hear back from my current one soon? Just PM me.
I love reviews, just an FYI.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
