Disclaimer: Look! I added underline! WHEEEEE!!!! I don't own Naruto or World of Warcraft!
Here's the next installment of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto!
Nobody knew how long it took to get away from the battle, but by the time they arrived safely at the borders of the Burning Steppes, Ino still felt no pressure from her body's original owner. Thus, she was easily able to take them into the mountains, where she left a final command seared into the consciousness of her borrowed body. It was something she had only learned to do recently, and she felt a vicious stab of pride when she did it, before slipping back into her body. As soon as she did, the dragonspawn turned without a sound, and bashed its brains out on the side of the mountain; it took a few moments of constant dashing against the rocks, so hard that a rockslide may have occurred before the creature's skull was penetrated, but it finally stumbled, and fell, and died without so much as a whimper. There was so much of its blood staining the rocks that at one point Ino might have been sickened at the sight of it.
But at that time, she wasn't. She didn't care at all. She didn't think any of them did. They all stayed behind to watch, making sure the dragonspawn dead before leaving the area.
There was no talking; no sounds at all, save for the distant crashes of unearthly battle. At one point, the sounds reached a crescendo, before they stopped completely. It was like the end of an orchestra—sudden and decisively final. Somehow, the battle that had begun just hours ago had ended. Then it was perfect silence. There were no beasts alive to caw or call, no wind to rustle the nonexistent greenery or dislodge a few pebbles high above them.
It was as if the world was holding a silent vigil for him, too. As if it were just as shocked and despaired as they. Or perhaps it was the usher calling for silence, as they marched slowly away from the grave.
Or perhaps it was that silence after a great battle, before the victor was truly known, before one side finally realized that they no longer had anything to fear, and there was no more killing to do.
Perhaps he wasn't even considered at all, so insignificant, small and weak against the legendary battle that had just taken place.
At one point, Shikamaru glanced up. Behind him, above the rocks, the black clouds were moving, and glinting colors that did not befit it. They did not make any sound. He stopped to watch it a moment, Thauraan by his side, and the others did too. They said nothing, just stared straight up at the draconic cloud, spiraling up in victory.
There was a ripple among them—a bristling of every one of their shoulders and a narrowing of each of their eyes. Nobody knew how long they stood there, just watching the dark cloud of dragons. They watched it until it was all gone, until the victory flight was over, and they had returned to their mountaintop in celebration. But when it was over, the group turned and continued moving, and though none of them noticed it, it was with renewed purpose.
They stopped once, refilling their water supply at a small pool that had collected in a cave. It was cool and refreshing; but all this was soundless, and done without smiling or expressions of relief and joy. It seemed mechanical, forced, all born from necessity. It seemed almost wrong to feel joy during this time.
Shikamaru didn't think all that much in the time it took them to get down from the mountains, away from the black clouds and smell of sulfur, where they were met with a vast desert of sunset red rock and sand, dotted with distant mesas and rocky towers that seemed precariously balanced, yet hung as still as if they were suspended in time. They took refuge beneath one such tower, where it provided a nice shade against the scorching sun. Even when they sat down, nobody spoke, or moved much. Ino, Chouji and Neji slept, or at least tried to—but their dreams were terrifying, so they would awake for a few moments in shaking horror, and then after a time, exhaustion would claim them again. Tenten and Undrig kept watch, though there was little to guard against; they saw a few large grey dogs in the distance once, but they didn't approach them, perhaps smelling the fire and dragon on their clothes and in their hearts. Asuma and Shikamaru stared at the streams of rich blue and pure white above them, losing themselves in the infinite swimming heavens that they had never expected to see again.
Lee had shrunk into himself. He sat by Tenten, and did nothing but stare at the ground. He didn't even notice, or care, when Tenten put her arm around him, and hugged him tightly. She didn't say anything, and neither did he.
They rested there the remainder of the day, in silence, until night fell, and sleep took them all to restless dreams. It was a dark night for them all, and a welcome frigidness to the air that no one was bothered by. None of them could remember a time when the cold had been bothersome. Now they preferred it—the heat carried reminders.
It was the next morning that anyone spoke for the first time since they had left the battle. It was Undrig.
"There's an outpost near 'ere," he glanced into the sweltering distance, towards the mountains. "Former 'Orde," he said. "Given this new alliance, they should take us." He looked at Shikamaru.
The boy nodded. "Okay." His voice was hoarse, scratchy. He took a drink of water, and nodded again. "Good, lead the way."
Undrig nodded, and they went on. He walked alongside Shikamaru, who was the head of everyone else. Thauraan stuck to him like glue, but no longer clutched his hand like a frightened child. He seemed tired, and kept his eyes on the burgundy sand they trudged through.
"Got a question for ye," said Undrig, softly, so that only Shikamaru could hear.
"What?"
"'Ow long you gonna keep this up?"
Shikamaru glanced at him. "What?"
Undrig glanced back. "This…forgive me I soun' heartless, but…this…poutin'."
Shikamaru's eyes flickered with pain, and anger. "Pouting? You think this is a child's tantrum?"
"Nah," said Undrig, keeping an even face. "But yer a leader. Act like one. Dwellin' in yer sorrow ain' gonna do nothin' but cause trouble fer all o' yehs."
Shikamaru turned away from Undrig, and glared forwards. "Who made me leader?" he snapped.
"Tha's obvious," snapped Undrig. "An' if you don' know, then you're stupider than I thought. Yer doin' him a disservice, actin' like this."
Shikamaru's anger seemed to dissolve. He turned away, words failing him.
"Say somethin' to them," said Undrig. "'E 'ad a lot o' faith in ye, all o' ye, and it'd be stupid to keep thinkin' like this when it won' be doin' any o' you any good. Tha' man didn' save yer lives so you could wallow in despair. Save yer grievin' for when it's all over—'sides, I'm assumin' you've got plans for what happens after."
Shikamaru knew what he was talking about. He nodded, grimly. It was the only thing he had thought of since they had started walking that morning, flitting about in his mind, always changing as swiftly as a child's fancy.
He finally looked into Undrig's eyes again. The dwarf met his gaze with one as hard as stone, so Shikamaru gave a very brief nod.
"Okay."
Undrig nodded, satisfied, and then drifted to the back of the group. Left alone to his thoughts, Shikamaru stared into the vast distance, wiping his forehead of sweat and drying his hands on his trousers. He stole a glance at Thauraan, whose head was still hung, and whose lips were still firmly shut. Shikamaru had to marvel at the child's eyes, however. The ice was gone from them, the look of cool clarity melted away by the trauma of the past few days. They were clear and bright and filled with roiling emotions that the child was still unable to express on his face, and probably still unable to comprehend, unable to know exactly what to do with them. He was only walking, and only still assuming that cold, deadened look because it was all he knew how to do in the face of such an army of thoughts and feelings that he had never experienced before.
"Hey," Shikamaru said.
Thauraan glanced up at him. "What?"
"Do you understand why Gai-sensei did that?"
Thauraan shook his head, very briefly. "No."
"Because he was right," said Shikamaru. "We're going to be the ones who shape the world, because the people who are handling it now are too locked in their prejudice and bad blood to see what could be in store for them. Do you know why we were sent to get you? Really?"
Thauraan nodded. "You wanted me to become King of Ironforge, because I am the next legitimate heir."
"No." Shikamaru smiled down at him. He was aware that the others were listening, and watching. He could feel their gazes on him, but he felt oddly calm.
"We were sent because you're going to be one who can shape the future, someone of such influence that you'd be able to make a huge difference. My friend—his name is Naruto—came here a while back. He and the Princess of Stormwind had this idea that they would bring together all of the races of the world to fight under one name, so that the future would contain none of the hate that the present does—that the people of this world could forget their hate, with time. They've got a great idea, and they've done a lot already, but I think even they know that it won't last beyond this generation if the next isn't educated, isn't free of prejudice—you know?" He scratched his nose, and glanced up into the cloudy, blue sky.
"That's why we came to get you. Because as you grow, you'll be able to see what the future holds with a clear mind and with no hate clouding your heart. I think that's why Gai-sensei came at least. I know he's been working on us for a while, but I think he saw this as a chance to teach one last person—you—how important you are, to the future." Suddenly, Shikamaru felt a little embarrassed.
"Geez," he said, scratching his head. "I can almost smell the cheese coming off those words. But I think that's what he believed, at least. He wanted you to be conscientious of your future, of how you could shape the world. And, to be fair, I do too." He smiled at Thauraan, who blinked up at him with now wide eyes, like glittering onyxes embedded in stone. "I think, given the chance, you'll be a great king, even better than your grandfather, and a hell of a lot better than your father. I'm sure Gai-sensei thought so too."
Shikamaru only then became aware that they had all stopped, there in the midst of that great, craggy plain, standing atop the rocks as red as though eternally embraced by the horizon of twilight. The sun raged overhead, making him sweat along with the rush of blood to his face and the realization that so many people were staring at him. But he kept his eyes down, linked with Thauraan's. The dwarfling's face had changed, and the look of childlike hope had vanished, replaced with an expression more like what Shikamaru had first seem him with, cultured, closed. But behind his eyes was something profoundly different; it was as if Shikamaru's words had become fact, had done more than just spill from his mouth in embarrassed, groundless praise. As if they had become so engrained in Thauraan's mind and body that like the seeds of a tree, they had sprouted and taken root.
Behind his eyes, Shikamaru saw profound hope, evident in those shining, wide black eyes. They were a little like his eyes, Shikamaru thought. They just had to be blue.
Thauraan turned away for a while. "Maybe I didn't hate her."
Shikamaru blinked. "Hmm?"
"My mother. I don't think I did hate her. Not really. She never did anything to harm me. Even though she did nothing but obey my father, she was always kind to me, no matter what mood he was in. M-maybe," his voice quavered, and his iron mask had cracked, "Maybe I d-din' hate her."
Shikamaru smiled, and nodded. "That's…good."
Somewhere behind him, there was a snort. Shikamaru turned briefly, and saw Ino desperately attempting to stifle her laughter. A moment later she burst out laughing, and Chouji, standing next to her, did as well.
"What was that?" Chouji wheezed, between laughs.
"You may be a master of shadows, you lazy bum, but you're also a master ofshitty speaking?" Ino snickered, tears streaming from her eyes.
Perhaps because it was so absurd to be laughing at such a time—and in such a place, Shikamaru couldn't help it. Despite the embarrassment, the despair that still ate at his heart, a stream of laughter exploded from deep inside Shikamaru's stomach, and he suddenly couldn't move save for his involuntary clutching of his belly, and the buckling of his knees, and the shaking of his entire body. Shikamaru, even as he laughed, wondered why he was doing it. It was heartless, and he was probably pissing Neji, Tenten and Lee off beyond what words could describe.
But he heard more laughter join them. Tenten's high tittering wail, halfway between a sobs and peals of deep laughter; Neji's short, fluid waves of hilarity; and Lee's, loudest of all, trumping every one else's laugh with great explosions, each laden with all of Lee's emotions—the anger, the sadness, and the joy, bowled into one. Somewhere along the line, Undrig joined them; his laughs like miniature earthquakes, and then Thauraan too, sounding like a disturbance of rocks on a mountain. They were all laughing, none of them knew quite why, but none of them quite cared. They shared laughter, with each other, and with the one who was no longer with them.
They could hear him, too. His laugh rang out among them, and for a time, he was back.
It was almost half a day before they knew for sure that everyone was going to survive. Eight painfully long hours of nothing but waiting for Naruto, and constant activity for Sakura and Kira and the rest of the healers at Stormwind's infirmary. Naruto spent most of the time sitting in a chair by the operating room, scratching Tsuwabuki's ears and conversing with her in near silence, while the room behind them raged with activity. There were points where he was sure that someone was going to come out, and announce that somebody hadn't made it. All of them had been hurt so bad—Shino had nearly had his faced crushed in, Kylia had lost so much blood that she'd need two transfusions to insure that she didn't go into anemic shock, the damage to Benedictus' legs might be irreversible, and Kurenai….
Kurenai had numerous wounds from her fight with the giant Akatsuki member, though it wasn't so much her life as the growing child inside her that Naruto worried about. He'd pieced together the child's existence by listening to the healers' frantic shouts, and when he'd realized it, a coldness he'd never felt before descended through his limbs and settled in the pit of his stomach, freezing it like a lake in winter. The thought was so disturbing that he shuddered every time it passed through his mind, which was often in those eight hours. He kept himself calm by assuring himself that Kira and Sakura were in there, and by stroking Tsuwabuki's fur as she rested her head on his lap. It'd been ages since he'd seen her, and it was comforting to have her back with him.
But he hated this, and she knew it. He hated being helpless, and this was the only case in which he was totally so.
'You have skilled friends' she'd told him, in assurance.
"Yeah," he said, smiling. That one thing still comforted him.
Finally, it ended. Kira and Sakura stumbled from the room, exhausted, with the other four healers. Naruto leapt to his feet.
"They—?"
Sakura gave him a relieved smile. "Of course. They're all going to make it."
"Even the baby?" he said.
The two girls exchanged surprised glances. "How did you—?" Kira said.
"I overheard," he said, scratching his head. "But is it…?"
"Yes," said Kira. "It will be fine, as far as we can tell. No apparent abnormalities, and it's still developing healthily." She spared him some medical jargon, and instead said. "Have you gotten any sleep?"
"No," said Naruto. "How could I?"
Kira nodded, "You should get some. We're going to, right now," she said, indicating her and Sakura. "Everyone is resting, so we shouldn't disturb them."
Naruto nodded, and they went outside into the cool, morning air. Naruto asked about the other's conditions. Shino would be fine and up within a week or so, albeit with a newly squashed nose, and probably little recollection of what had happened; Kiba and Akamaru would be up even sooner, though Akamaru would take a few days longer to fully heal, or so the local vet claimed; Hinata would be bedridden for at least a week, due to a severe concussion and some spinal injuries—nothing major, however; Kylia would need at least a week's rest and constant attention; Benedictus would be able to walk, but just barely—he would have a severe limp for the rest of his life; and Kurenai would be awake in a few hours, probably—Kiba had done a good job protecting her from the worst of it.
Tsuwabuki hung between Kira and Sakura as they trudged towards the castle, which loomed above them. The activity could be heard for miles around, they were sure. Probably the entire Stormwind guard was there, in case another attack occurred. When they reached the gates, three guards came to meet them.
"Lady Kira," said one, bowing quickly. "We have located Lady Tyrande."
Kira awoke immediately. "Where?"
"In the forest outside the city, milady. She is being escorted inside right now. She's injured."
Kira exchanged a horrified glance with Naruto, who went white.
"How bad?" Kira asked.
"She can walk, and speak, or so I'm told," the guard said, his eyes flickering briefly to Naruto's glacial eyes, glimmering with anger. "It is not serious, and she wants to speak with you as soon as she can."
Both Kira and Naruto took off running, where the guard had indicated, Tsuwabuki loping behind them. Sakura lingered.
"Where are the bodies?" she asked.
"Of whom?"
"The attackers," she said.
His face tightened. "The headless one we followed orders as specifically as possible, according to what you and Lady Kira instructed—the body's been burned, and the head's been locked in the lower chambers of the castle…to…um…await interrogation. The other one we burned along with the first."
Kira nodded. "Can I see the ashes?"
He frowned. "Why?"
"I just want to be sure."
He nodded. "Sure. Come along. Should be about finished."
They found Tyrande in the street running down past the infirmary, accompanied by six heavily armored guards. Naruto caught sight of her first, and both he and Tsuwabuki could smell the blood on her, and see how she limped, carrying herself like the victim of a severe beating. Tsuwabuki rushed to her, and Naruto was there a second later, moving far faster than Kira could ever manage to.
"Tyrande-nee-chan!" he cried, skidding to a halt before her, his eyes wide, as he took in her ruined appearance. Her normally immaculately white robes were torn and stained in blood and dirt, and her normally smooth and perfect hair was frizzy and disheveled. To Naruto's horror, a large portion of her bust was visible to the general population, and he quickly sought to rectify it by giving her his jacket. Her eyes were half-glaze with exhaustion, though they cleared some when they stared into Naruto's concerned, desperate eyes.
"Naruto," she said, touching his face. "You made it back…"
"Oi!" Naruto snapped, glaring at the guards, as Kira arrived, panting, beside him. "Why aren't you helping her…!"
"I asked them not to," said Tyrande. "I'm injured, not useless." She ruffled his hair. "I would consider it an insult if they attempted to without my permission."
"Lady Tyrande," said Kira, glancing over her wounds. "We should…"
"Let me sit, that's all I need for now. You're very weak, Kira, it would be foolish to even consider trying to heal me in your state. Just guide me to a place I can sit, in private, please."
Kira nodded, while Naruto took Tyrande by the arm, and obstinately led her along, taking care not to make her trip or fall and giving respect to her injuries, while at the same time completely ignoring her annoyed frown at being helped. Before long, she was smiling, however.
It did not take them long to reach the infirmary, where Kira led them to an empty room, and told Tyrande to sit on the bed while she fetched a few healers. Naruto sat beside her, glaring at the floor, waiting for news as to why she was so injured. She said nothing, and merely stared at the door, but kept her hand firmly placed in Naruto's. Kira returned before long, with two healers. Tyrande was patient as they assessed her, healed the majority of her larger wounds, and then rushed off to bring more supplies. Before they left, they said that Tyrande was no danger of dying or permanent injury—she would be fine. After hearing that, Tyrande told them to wait outside for a while, as she had something private to say to Kira and Naruto. Naruto also demanded that they bring her some fresh clothes.
"They could've…you know…seen your…" he gestured to her chest, mumbling something.
Tyrande raised an eyebrow. "I'm glad my breasts are of such concern to you, Naruto."
"Oi! I'm not a pervert or anything, I was just…!"
"I know," she said, smiling. She glanced at Kira, who was staring with particular concern at Tyrande's breasts now as well, and constantly flitting back to her own. Ah, youth, she thought.
"All that aside," she said. "I have something to speak to you both about."
"Who did that?" Naruto said, with less force than before.
"I do not know," she said. "His race was unknown to me, as was his allegiance. He was a shinobi, however—that much was clear, from the headband he wore. Three peaks, like mountains, or blades of grass."
Naruto knit his brows together. "Hidden Grass," he said. "But why would…" His eyes grew wide. "Was he wearing a cloak? Black, with red clouds and things on it?"
Tyrande nodded.
Kira and Naruto exchanged glances. "Akatsuki," they said.
"Pardon?"
"Did you hear about what happened at the castle?"
"A little, but I still am unclear as to what exactly happened."
Kira told her, as calmly as she could.
"He…they…were completely different," said Tyrande.
"They?" Naruto said.
"Yes, it was unclear to me how many people 'they' were. Two, from what I could tell. But I'll start from the beginning." She paused, and rubbed her arm, biting her lips. Naruto's eyes twitched at the sight of her pain.
"I was in the forest— I was still disturbed by Vol'jin's premonition. I thought there might be something to see, or feel. I did indeed have a bad feeling—though I am no prophetess, I do get feelings of a sort from time to time, much like the Archbishop. I can't say what I was seeking, perhaps nothing, but I was out there. I felt him…before he actually arrived. It was surprising—I cannot say that I have experienced anything like it."
Both Naruto and Kira's brows wrinkled in confusion. For someone over ten thousand years old, it was quite surprising that she had never experienced something in battle.
"He was not a man, but nor was he anything I had ever seen before. He might have been an elemental of sorts, though I cannot say for sure. His appearance—I can't even begin to describe it. He was like a plant and a man in one…his body was half-obscured by a giant, green covering, like the jaws of a snap-plant, while the skin of his actual body was divided—half black and half white with dark spots, and wide, yellow eyes. I was nearly killed by his sudden entrance—he was amazingly skilled. I could not even see how he attacked—as if he had used the forest against me, everything suddenly became dangerous. Every leaf, branch, and pine needle became hazardous. If it were not for my prior training, I would have been slain quickly. I am quite glad for it now."
"So am I," Naruto mumbled. Tyrande smiled.
"How did you stop him?" Kira asked.
"I did not. He escaped. I knew not the reason, but it was clear that to kill me wasn't his mission."
"How'd ya figure?" said Naruto, crossing his arms.
"He did not strike with the lethality his ability seemed to give him; he was almost like a druid, and to fight a druid in the forest is suicide for most. He was most likely meant to distract—I received your message not long after we started fighting. We was sent to deter me from aiding all of you." Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned slightly into Naruto, her breathing becoming more labored.
"You okay?" Naruto mumbled.
"Yes," she said.
"Sure?"
"Of course." She looked at Kira. "His chakra was divided. Not unlike how Naruto's was, when I first met him."
Naruto swallowed. "Then could he be…?"
"His chakra was not demonic. I still do not understand quite how it felt. It was different. But that's how I came to think he was in fact a 'they', and the fact that he seemed to argue with himself on a number of occasions. I got the feeling he fought half-heartedly. He did not intend to kill me, if that had been possible." She shook her head.
"Geez, this is just confusing. What the hell do they want?" Naruto muttered, rubbing his stomach absently. "I thought they were after this…"
"What?"
Naruto looked up at Tyrande. "The Kyuubi. That's what Ero-sennin said they were after."
Tyrande frowned. "What? Why would they be—?"
The door interrupted her, slamming open so hard that the glass window cracked. Sakura was standing there, breathing violently, her entire body shaking. The doctors outside were yelling at her, but she ignored them.
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto said, turning. "What's—?"
"He's gone," she said. "The giant Akatsuki member—Kakuzu…he's gone."
"You escaped, eh, Kakuzu? Hehe, where's the other half of the Zombie Twins? You leave the kid behind…? Eh?"
"He must have."
Kakuzu stood somewhere in the darkest part of the forest, shaking. Where they had been forest around him, there now was not—the trees looked like they'd been torn from the ground by a violent windstorm; they were cracked, bent and broken, some as thick as a man's arm-span. His negative eyes were obsidian daggers, and he was wheezing, growling, like a wild animal.
"Shut up," he snarled.
" You failed. He's not going to be happy. Hehe, it's going to be hilarious."
"Very funny."
"Shut up," he said again.
"Lost a heart, did you?"
"I'll kill you," he said. "Hidan's easily replaced. So is the heart."
"True!"
"Astute observation."
"There's no point in dying right now. I have other things that I must do, and it doesn't matter if I anger that fool."
"You dare to anger a god!"
"It would be…'sacrilegious'"
"Shut up."
"Will you miss him?"
"No."
"Obvious."
A day passed.
Sakura finished adjusting the curtains, so that the lightly shining sun didn't interfere with Kurenai's rest. The window was positioned exactly opposite her bed, and Sakura knew that Kurenai would need as much sleep as she could manage especially with all the drugs she'd been given. Regardless, Kurenai did not appear sleepy—she watched Sakura and Kira work with her large, red eyes. She didn't speak until Sakura had turned and come back over.
"Thank you," said Kurenai. She gave the girl a brief but warm smile.
Sakura smiled back. "No problem." Hers lasted a little longer. "Is there anything else you need?"
Kurenai shook her head, watching Kira now as she went over the few notes the other healers had made about her condition, making addendums and finishing her treatment piece for the day. She was happy—Kurenai was without a doubt going to be fine in a few days, though she would not be able to be a shinobi for a while yet, at least a few years.
"Okay," said Kira, setting the notebook down at the table at the end of Kurenai's bed. "That's all."
"Thank you both," said Kurenai, nodding to them. "You've helped me so much."
Her head rested on her stomach, and both girls felt a small surge of pride.
"Of course," said Kira.
"Like I said, no problem," said Sakura.
"Has anything been heard from Asuma's group, yet?" Kurenai asked, calmly.
Kira paused before answering, trying to keep her face from showing too much obvious concern; she did not want to pity the proud woman. "No," she said. "We'll do our best to keep you as much informed as we can, Miss Kurenai. But I'm sure they're fine. It would take a few days for a message to arrive here anyways, no matter how they sent it. They are in a very dangerous place, as you know."
"Yes," said Kurenai.
"They should be fine," said Sakura. "Ino and Shikamaru are there, and so is Naruto's dwarf friend—they'll be in and out as soon as they can, and they'll be back, all of them."
Kurenai gave her a somewhat sad, knowing smile. "Yes," she said. "I'm sure."
There was silence after that, awkward and tense. Finally, Kira said. "If that's all, miss, we'll take our leave."
"Thank you."
"Get some rest. Somebody will be in later to check on you."
"Yes. I will." She lay back down, as the two girls left the room and her in the quiet gloom.
Neither of them spoke, but both continued along the same path, away towards Stormwind Castle. Both merely took in the sounds of the city, meandering along, unsure exactly what to talk about.
"She wasn't happy," said Kira, calmly. "I would've thought she'd be relieved."
"She is," said Sakura. "But she can't be happy. Not if she's not going to be on active duty for a while."
Kira glanced at her. "Even though she's with child?"
Sakura nodded. "It's our lives. It's hard to give it up, especially for her, I think. Since Asuma's going to be gone on missions all of the time now, it's going to be hard for both of them to cope. I don't think either of them expected this." She shrugged. "What's worse is that Asuma isn't even here to comfort her. I'm really worried about them."
Kira nodded. "As am I. But is it really so hard to be away from battle?"
"It's not so much that," said Sakura. She avoided a group of priests ambling down the street, who bowed to Kira as she passed. "It's more that it's hard to be of no aid to anyone. That's what Kurenai feels she'll become—somebody who can't do anything. Shinobi's lives revolve around being able to do something for others, no matter what it is. But to do nothing is hard for us—for everyone."
"I see," Kira said, giving a small bow to a group of old women gathered by awning of a shop. They bowed back, chuckling amongst themselves.
They reached the castle a few minutes later, but neither of them stopped walking. They kept going past, nodding and bowing to the guards stationed there. Silence pervaded for minutes after, until Sakura broke it by clearing her throat and looking once again at Kira.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course," said Kira, meeting her eyes.
"Those books you gave me, did you know they had all of those notes in them?"
Kira blinked. "Oh…yes…" She suddenly looked away, as if embarrassed. As nothing was happening in the street she glanced down, she must have been. For some reason, it made Sakura feel likewise. Silence reigned once again.
"They're…um…pretty personal," said Sakura.
"Are they? I wrote them a long time ago," Kira said. "Forgive me. I didn't think they'd hamper your—"
"It's not that," said Sakura, "I just was surprised. I doubt you'd have shown some of those to even Naruto."
Kira blushed. "I wouldn't have shown any of those to Naruto."
"Ah."
More silence.
"Have you learned many of the techniques?"
Sakura started a bit, lost in thought. "Ah, not all. I've learned a lot of the mendingjutsu, and several of the detoxifying ones, but only a few attack based ones. I should learn more, though—the choujouteki himei no jutsu seems to work really well."
"You did it well," said Kira.
Sakura smiled. "Thanks. I've been wondering how I could change it, though, using my technique. I might be able to induce specific fears, not just a general panic attack."
"Like specific phobias?"
"Something like that. I don't know how it would be different, but I'd have to test it a bit."
"I see."
Sakura shrugged. "Do you have any recommendations?"
"The Power Words are really useful," said Kira. "They'll help enormously."
"Sounds good."
"Do you think you'd be able to help me with a few potions? You seem to know a lot about them."
"It's what Tsunade-sama taught me instead of healing jutsu, since she said it's harder to get from a book."
"That's definitely true," said Kira. "Benedictus rarely does it, and I've had only minor training in it even working at the infirmary, since they rarely have time to focus on just teaching me."
Sakura nodded. "Of course. It's tricky only because you have to very precise and have good timing; in the field, that's especially hard, so you just have to work at it."
"Right."
Sakura then turned back to inspecting the walls of the castle, as they walked down the street beside it. They turned left, deeper into the city, having no particular aim.
"I never thanked you, by the way," said Kira, calmly. "With everything that happened after, it slipped my mind."
"For what?"
"For saving me, back there," said Kira, glancing at her. "You did—I would have died if you had not jumped in and I do not think I would have been able to beat him without you. Thank you, Sakura."
Sakura blushed pink, and nodded. "No problem. You probably would've done the same for me. I guess it's just something Naruto rubs off on you—jumping into the fray to save somebody with no thought for yourself, you know?"
Kira smiled.
"Yes. I do."
"Geez, I can't believe I'm stuck in one of these places, again," said Kiba, sighing loudly and shifting on the bed to a more comfortable position. He glared across the room at Naruto, who was mangling an apple for Hinata, much to the girl's joyful embarrassment. He'd been constantly appearing in and out of the infirmary for the past two days, checking on everyone's condition and killing time. He'd sent word to Kakashi using a bat summon, but he'd heard nothing back yet. Rather than be a nuisance, however, he'd been quite helpful to his ailing friends—something that none of them could reconcile with how Naruto used to have been; Kiba kept commenting on how surprising it was that Naruto hadn't yet cut his finger off trying to peel an apple.
"Oi! You'd probably give it to your dog to peel for you, dumbass!" Naruto snapped, tossing a huge chunk of the poor fruit into the bin and then, deciding it was satisfactory, cut it up and put it in the bowl next to him, which he handed to Hinata. "Here."
"T-t-t-t-thank you, N-Naruto-kun," she said.
"No problem," he said.
"Why are you helping us out, anyways?" Kiba said. "We're not cripples."
"Sakura-chan said I should stop being an nuisance and try and help out. I dunno how to heal, so I'm doing stuff I know how to do."
"Doesn't look like you know how to cut an apple, moron."
"Least I can walk, dog-breath."
Kiba twitched, but fell silent. Naruto glanced over across the room, where Shino lay, face-up in bed. He seemed asleep, but Naruto could see that his eyes were open.
"You okay, Shino?"
"Fine," he said.
"Do you think that nurse is coming back soon?" Kiba said, to no one in particular. "Do you think if I ask her for a sponge-bath she'd give it to me?"
"Wouldn't want to treat Hinata to that sight, would you?" Naruto said, rolling his eyes. Hinata turned red, but stifled a few giggles. Then she remembered, and turned with an uneasy face to Naruto.
"Is Kurenai-sensei alright, Naruto-kun? Have you seen h-her today?"
"Sakura-chan's with her, but she says she's gonna be fine. I haven't seen her yet much, though. I haven't yet said congratulations to her about the baby."
"Idiot," said Kiba. "That's the first thing you're supposed to do!"
"I-I think y-you should wait a bit, N-Naruto-kun," Hinata said, softly. "I-I don't know if Kurenai-sensei will like hearing a-about that so s-soon."
Naruto looked at her for a while, which made her flush even brighter.
"Yeah," said Naruto, finally. "Guess you're right. She's probably still a bit sore about not being able to be a shinobi for a while."
"Have you heard anything from the other group?" Shino said, still lying prone on the bed so that his voice seemed oddly distant.
"No," said Naruto. He sighed, and glanced out the window. "But I hope they do soon. I'm getting a bit worried."
"Didn't think you got worried," said Kiba. "I thought idiots lived in the present."
Instead of answering, Naruto stood and began to dance, moving across the room to the edge of Kiba's bed, hopping and moving his feet in a sort of jig, his arms held out before him each hand gripping the opposite arm just above the elbow. He hummed as he did it.
Both Kiba and Hinata stared at him in confusion, snorting a few times, until Naruto said, "Look, Kiba, I can dance! Wanna join me? Oh…wait…"
Kiba's eye twitched again. "Bastard."
Naruto grinned at him. "Dog-boy."
Hinata was unable to stop herself from laughing, even a little, and even Shino was quietly chuckling in the corner, despite being in the very same situation as Kiba. Kiba shrunk away, defeated, muttering something about ungrateful team members until Hinata stopped and apologized between giggles, while Shino just kept on chuckling.
Naruto finally moved towards the door. "Alright, I'm gonna go check on Kylia and Benedictus-jiisan. Maybe they'll have heard something more about the others, or have some good information."
"Sorry for being such a bore," said Kiba, rolling his eyes.
Naruto grinned at him. "I forgive you."
"S-see you later, Naruto-kun," said Hinata, giving him a little nod.
"Take care," said Shino.
"See you guys later," Naruto said, flashing them both wide smiles before leaving the room. The hallway was only slightly busier than the previous days, as Naruto made a practiced route through it, hardly looking where he was going. Kylia and Benedictus' room was at the far end of the hallway, next to Kurenai's; he thought about visiting the young sensei, but upon listening at her door as he passed, he heard nothing inside, and decided it was best to let her rest. Every time he passed her room, it amazed him how lucky she was, and how relieved he was that she was okay.
He could hear voices in Benedictus' room, so he casually let himself in. The room was smaller than Kiba, Hinata and Shino's, but there were only two beds in it, as opposed to the four in the last one. Kira sat beside Kylia's, performing the same act of kindness he had for Hinata a few minutes ago, although she did it far better than him, the apple peal being a long connected spiral, whereas his had been broken up and covered in chunks of apple. Tsuwabuki lay at the edge of the bed, and stood up when he entered, padding over to him. Benedictus, just across from Kylia, was sitting up in bed, staring out the window until Naruto shut the door.
"Yo!" he said.
"Hello, Naruto," said Kira, smiling at him. "How are they?"
"Good," he said. "Kiba should be out soon, once he gets feeling back in his legs, though. The other two seem fine."
"Old man," Naruto said. "Has he been found yet?"
"Of course not," said Benedictus. "He's a dead man, you can only find his body, if he's dead."
"So have they found his body?"
"No." Benedictus shook his head. "We haven't even found all of the body parts from those guards who attempted to burn him. I am deeply concerned about this situation, Kira. What exactly do these people want?"
"That's obvious," said Kira. "To destroy the alliance."
"But why?"
"I don't know," she said.
"Precisely," said Benedictus. "Which is exactly the problem we are faced with. There is so little we know about this little group…"
"They may not be little," said Kira. She glanced at Naruto. "Right?"
Naruto nodded. "Kakashi-sensei and Ero-sennin both said that they're pretty big in our world, so they might only have nine or so main members, but they're definitely bigger than that. Probably have lots of contacts. But we don't even know how they got here or even how big their influence is here."
"All extraordinarily dangerous problems, and if they possess any number of members as strong as those two, it will be a definite problem in the future. We do not even know why they seek to undo what we have done, what their ultimate desire is."
"Master," said Kira, handing Kylia the finished and perfectly cut apple, though the girl didn't eat it. "Naruto mentioned that they might have a headquarters in Hillsbrad. They might have more, across the continent, maybe even across the world."
"If they do, they hide them well," said Benedictus. "I know of no one who has heard anything of these black-cloaked shinobi; it would seem to me that they would be very distinctive, especially if the majority of their members are human—or something resembling them, anyways. We must look for patterns. We must discover what their aim is."
Naruto could see the fire in his eyes stoked by the prospect. "Now? What about everything else?"
"No, not now," said Benedictus. "There are more pressing things, though I don't deny that a number of them could be tied to this. But let's discuss something else, for a moment. The attack on Southshore."
Naruto stiffened. He averted his eyes briefly, letting them fall to the ground. Kira glanced at him worriedly.
"This means that now the Scourge has allies in your world," Benedictus said.
"Yeah…" said Naruto.
"And you know of them?"
"If Sasuke was there…"Naruto said calmly, "…then it has to be Orochimaru."
"Tell me of him."
"He was a part of Akatsuki once, or at least that's what Ero-sennin told me," he said. "Which means that he probably knew all about this world before I even heard of him—but I dunno what he's playing at, joining the Scourge. Even he wouldn't be that stupid, so he couldn't have known much about it…he just doesn't seem like the type to take orders from anyone, which makes me wonder if he joined it willingly or not."
"I see," said Benedictus. His eyes had glazed over in concentration. He stared at his lap in bed, and stroked his white beard, which he had at some point forgotten to trim, because it spilled over his chin like an avalanche of wavy white snow, carrying with it debris of bread and cheese, the remainder of which could be seen on his bedside table.
"What is most troubling about this news is that the Scourge has become more active. If they are making for the other worlds as well, then this poses a definite problem. Who knows what could happen if they spill into your world, as unsuspecting as they are." He glanced at Kira, who was standing near the end of Kylia's bed now, concerned.
"Master," she said, calmly.
"What?"
"Wipe your mouth, please, and lie back. You're in no condition to be discussing this sort of thing."
He glared at her shrewdly. "Coddling me doesn't work, girl. Your mother tried, and failed." Even so, he began to pick out the bits of food and eat them, all the while lying back.
"Naruto," Kira said, turning to him. "Could you make a message and send it to Lady Tsunade? She must know about this."
"Sakura-chan already mentioned it," said Naruto. "I did it before I left the castle today."
She nodded. "We'll go there now. I'd like to talk with that head."
Benedictus jolted up in bed. "You are not—!"
"Yes I am," said Kira, calmly. "We have to make him talk, if only to answer at least some of our questions. We can do nothing about the other situations now, so why not do what we can?"
"I would like to be there," he said.
Naruto stared at him. The old man had a passion quite unaccustomed to the boy, a fire in his eyes that Naruto didn't like, and neither did Kira, apparently.
"No. You can't. You'd just shout at each other, and we'd get nowhere." Kira turned, and walked to the door, beside Naruto. "Master, I'll talk to the deathmaster. He wants to know the arrangements of Lord Coutrend's funeral."
"I see," said Benedictus, his face closing like the shutter of a window. "Why ask me?"
"Apparently he wanted you to preside over it. His will dictates that he didn't trust his relatives enough to make it decent."
"Ah," said Benedictus, lying back. "I see."
Kira watched him, saying nothing.
"I shall. Set a date agreeable for my recovery."
"Okay." She then turned, and smiled at Naruto. "Let's go, Naruto. I'll see you Kylia, later today, and you too Master."
Despite Benedictus' annoyed harrumph, they left the room and went out into the bright sun. The air was still cold, uncommonly so, and Naruto commented on it.
"Does it not get so cold where you come from?"
"It snows sometimes," said Naruto, with a shrug. "But only for like a month or so. Otherwise, it just gets pretty cold for a while. But not during the season we have now."
"So the seasons between our world's are in different alignment then?" Kira said, nodding.
"Yeah." Naruto glanced at the sky.
'Why does it matter?' Tsuwabuki said to Naruto.
"It doesn't," he said aloud. "It's just weird to think about." He knew he was probably confusing Kira, but she was used to hearing him talk to Tsuwabuki as if he were insane. They fell silent for a while, before Naruto spoke again.
"I'm worried about them. They haven't even sent anything."
She glanced at him. "Are you really worried? I would've thought you had a lot of confidence in them."
"I do!" said Naruto, looking slightly affronted. "But that doesn't stop me from worrying, you know?"
"You never used to say that, though," she said. "You're changing."
Naruto shrugged. "We all gotta,"
Kira nodded, slowing a bit as they walked. "I suppose so."
"But that being said," she continued, "I'm worried as well. As difficult as this mission is, they should've contacted us by now, at least, if they were on their way back. But at this moment, there's nothing we can do. I'm also worried about Yamato. Do you think he and Sai have managed to find out anything from the hideout?"
"Probably," said Naruto. "They're efficient. They'll find something."
She nodded. "Perhaps we should've invited Sakura as well."
Naruto glanced at her, wondering what the seemingly off-hand comment really meant. He had quickly learned that sometimes when girls said things about other girls, they seemed innocent, but really weren't. At least that's how it worked with Sakura-chan, sometimes. "You think?"
"Maybe."
"Isn't she with Kurenai-sensei?"
"Yes, but it's mostly diagnostics that she's running, that any healer could."
"It's probably better if Sakura-chan did them then," said Naruto, with a shrug. "At least for Kurenai-sensei."
Kira nodded, seeming a little pleased by his answer, in a way that he couldn't pinpoint. Her face didn't change, she just seemed happier, and he guessed it was something that only girls could manage, being the subtle creatures—Jiraiya's words for it—that they were.
The guards greeted them at the entrance to the castle, and one of them led them across the lawn, around the white-stepped walkway that usually led to the castle entrance, but was being cleaned of the dark bloodstains of the former guardsmen. Kira felt a pang as she watched the cleaners work, scrubbing heartily at the dark-brown and black stains, now faded against the white stone. She had yet to promote a new captain; but the service for Captain Eric had not yet been held. Hollowness rang throughout her when she remembered she'd never see the cheerful, diligent young man again. She'd never see his smile again.
She found Naruto staring at her in concern with his wide blue eyes. He touched her shoulder, and smiled a little. It cheered her.
The guard took them down, deeper than Naruto had ever been in the castle, even deeper than the tram station. They were taken down a winding staircase that never seemed to end, so narrow that it only fit one person, just barely. When they finally reached the bottom, there was a torch burning beside the entrance, which the guard took and led them down a dank, dirty passage to an iron door sealed with chains. Two guards stood on each side.
"My lady," the guard that had led them said, bowing to Kira. "If you please."
The other two moved aside as Kira walked forwards, and made a quick seal, pressing her palm against the door. Runes sprang into being, and began to unravel, and with a hollow clang, the door unlocked and one of the guards opened it, letting Kira and Naruto in.
"Fucking hell…you guys…shit…the…fuck…"
The voice, slurred and hoarse from overuse, drifted across the short chamber from the head suspended above a large tub, half-full of dark blood, bound in mid-air by three chains and hooks. Hidan's skin was paler and more emaciated than ever, the blood that was somehow constantly dripping from his head, draining his life away into the iron tub he was hug above. He looked more like the force he had idolized for most of his life than ever. He blinked his dry, bleeding eyes a few times, gazing at the two as they entered. He winced as the door clanged shut.
"The fuck…you doin' here, eh?" he said.
"We've come to talk," said Kira, calmly.
Tsuwabuki uttered a growl. Hidan merely glared at her.
"'Bout what?"
"Akatsuki," said Naruto, stepping forwards.
"Shit outta luck," said Hidan. "I ain't talkin'."
"Why not?" Kira said. "You have no choice anymore. And they won't be coming back for you."
"Yeah?"
"You don't have a body," Naruto pointed out. "Won't be much good to them, you know?"
Hidan laughed. "The world's…a big…mysterious place, you know? There's a lot out there…you guys…don't know about…. Point is…there's a lot that could happen. I could…get my body back…like that. Nothing's always as certain…as it seems…dumbasses."
'I'd like to chew on his ears,' Tsuwabuki said. 'May I?'
"Maybe later," said Naruto, off-handedly. "So you're gonna bet on that?"
"You're going to die eventually," said Kira, calmly.
"It'll take fucking years to kill me," said Hidan, with a wide, ailing grin. "And even if you destroy my body…I'll find…other ways…"
Naruto drew up close to the hanging head, frowning. Kira hung back, but continued to speak.
"So what's the point of not talking? There's nothing left for you here. Do you really think they'll actually come back?"
"Of…course…not…!" Hidan laughed. "You…fuckin'…serious? That bastard…he'll fuckin' forget I exist in a while…so will fuckin' Kakuzu…"
"What bastard?" Naruto said, leaning close. Hidan tried to snap at the boy's face, but Naruto didn't so much as flinch away. Annoyed by this, Hidan spat some blood onto Naruto's cheek, finally making the boy draw back in disgust.
"Gross," he mumbled. "What bastard are you talking about, you stupid head?"
"Fine…" said Hidan, grinning. "Who do you think?"
Naruto twitched. "Oi, we aren't—!"
"The leader…" said Kira, calmly.
Naruto started in surprise, glancing back at her. Hidan just looked annoyed.
"Used your little…mind…tricks…huh…bitch?" he said. "Fine…yeah…the Leader…"
"Who is he?" said Kira.
"Fuck…if I…I know…" Hidan grunted, his eyes glazing a little as exhaustion began to claim him. "All I know is…you're fucked…he's so much stronger…than any of you…hehe…he'll fuck over anybody…who even tries…to beat him or…his ambition…that much I know…Not even that fucker…the Lich King…will ever…ever…be able to…defeat…a fuckin' god…" At that, Hidan burst out into a fit of wheezy laughter, spraying blood from his neck wound and mouth and making more drip from his eyes. It soon turned into coughing, and then silence, as Hidan just glared at them both, his face now soaked in unnatural red.
"He's a god…?" Kira said, softly.
"Fuck…" said Hidan. "Gods don't talk to people…this guy never shuts the fuck up…" He laughed. "God…that's a fuckin'…laugh…" He laughed again. Anything must be funny in that situation, Naruto thought.
"Where do we find this guy?" Naruto asked.
"Fuck you…"
"Better answer, or I'm gonna use your head for a football."
'May I have his tongue?'
"Fuck you…"
Naruto grit his teeth, fully ready to let Tsuwabuki act on her urges. Kira stepped up beside him, and said. "You don't know, do you?"
"Fuck you…"
"He doesn't know," said Kira, glancing sideways at Naruto. "We won't get much more out of him. I doubt he even knows who this man is…" She glanced back at him. Hidan's eyes had closed, and he did not speak again. Because he had no body, it was impossible to tell if he was still alive or had just been bluffing the entire time.
"What'd we do?" he asked.
"I don't think we can do anything, at least right now. We should tell Benedictus, but other than that…"
Naruto nodded.
They left Hidan, still spilling his blood, in darkness.
Sakura stepped out of Kurenai's bedroom just in time to nearly crash into a tired, hurried man clutching a small piece of paper, which flew into the air at her sudden entrance into the hallway of the infirmary.
"I'm sorry," she said, quickly, reaching for the paper. The man, however, snatched it up and ignored her, belting for Benedictus' room and entering without so much as a knock. Frowning, she quickly shut Kurenai's door as softly as she could and she hurried to Benedictus room, which the man had left open in his hurry. She caught immediately onto what he was saying, although he was in the middle of his explanation.
"…delivered by a wyvern-rider earlier today, an orc! From the Badlands, he says, near the Burning Steppes, the fort of Kargath! Got a message for you, and Lady Kira, and a few others whose names I can't remember but I…"
"Quiet," said Benedictus, waspishly. "Read it."
The man nodded, and hurriedly took it out. He stuttered a start, and began.
"'Benedictus-sama, this is Nara Shikamaru, of the party sent to Blackrock to fetch the Princess Moira and her son, Thauraan. I'm pleased to inform you that our mission has been accomplished. We have informed the Dwarven kingdom of this as well. They will be sending someone to pick him up.'"
Sakura let out a sigh of relief. They were alive. They'd done it. She was smiling, even as the message continued.
"'But we regret to inform you that we will not be returning so soon. We have important business to take care of, which warrants our staying here. I have included a coded message for one of our comrades to translate, as it concerns them more. We hope to see you in the future, and thank you for all your help.'"
The man finished, holding up the other piece of paper. Sakura immediately stepped forwards, taking it from him without words. It wasn't a hard code to crack—it had probably been thrown together in under a few minutes, most likely just so that the messengers wouldn't be able to read it, and she doubted that many codes were used in this world; so far as she knew, cryptography, specifically shinobi cryptography, did not exist.
She swept to the side of Kylia's bed, while the messenger was shunted from the room by Benedictus' cold snarls and Kylia looked on calmly. Sakura deciphered the code in under a few minutes; but she was only able to write the first word down before her eyes grew wide and she dropped her pen in surprise. She could not even utter a sound, staring at the seemingly meaningless symbols, and the awful news they bore.
'Gai's dead. We're staying behind to destroy the ones responsible. Might need aid, please come as soon as you can.'
"You're back…" Tsunade said, staring as Jiraiya leapt off the windowsill onto the carpeted floor of her office, looking ragged and annoyed and smelling as if he had slogged through mud and trash for a dozen miles before bathing in a pig sty. The hermit dropped the huge scroll he always carried onto the floor and stretched, ignoring her for a moment (which for him, was slightly unnerving, since even when they had important business he usually kept at least one eye trained on her breasts), as he shrugged off the rest of his baggage and then prostrated himself across the couch, sighing. It was a bright day, with no clouds in the sky, yet Jiraiya looked like a emotional teenager staring out the window as rain fell in a light, depressing drizzle, keeping his eyes trained on the ceiling. He seemed lost in thought, and didn't immediately even acknowledge the Hokage, who was by then getting rather annoyed at his lack of responsiveness.
"What are you doing back for? I thought you'd gone to get more information on Akatsuki?" Tsunade said, raising one eyebrow. She stood up and circled around the desk, leaning against it as she watched him. He didn't answer for a moment.
"I did, but there's nothing," said Jiraiya, shrugging.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "So you're mad your information network failed you, are you? Deal with it. It's not like I expected you to find much anyways. We'll just have to find something else to—"
"Your faith in me is dazzling," said Jiraiya, with only half the amount of sarcasm as he usually would have. "But you don't understand. It's not the fact that I didn't get any information—in fact, I got plenty."
"What about?"
"A few of my informants agreed on the same thing," said Jiraiya. "That Akatsuki, in addition to having numerous temporary bases, much like Orochimaru seems to, does still have a main base of operations. Up until a few weeks ago, while you were still gone, that hadn't changed, but I soon got wind that there was an anomaly in this information."
"Anomaly? In what way?"
"There was a point of concurrence—Akatsuki were mostly seen in and around the Rain Country, and since it's such a rare event for anyone to actually leave the Rain Country due to their civil war, I thought this odd, especially since if they had entered the Rain Country, it was not for a Jinchuuriki. They have none. So, naturally, I thought it odd. It was only recently, when I left to check them again, that they told me some juicy information—that whoever leads Akatsuki, might in fact be based within the Hidden Rain."
"What?" said Tsunade. "How's that possible?"
"That they're in the Hidden Rain, or that my informers found out?"
"Both."
"Well, they found out because they're my informers—they gather lots of data, and they're very mathematical about it, using all sorts of weird triangulation techniques that I don't understand, as well as numerous eyewitness reports and they're not above stealing records from other Hidden Villages and well—"
"I get the point. So you came back here to get help?"
Jiraiya blinked at her. "Get help? Why would I do that?"
"Because it'd be smart?"
Jiraiya shrugged. "There's no need. I already checked it out."
Tsunade gaped. "You what—?"
"Forget what you're about to say," said Jiraiya. "Because I've got a question that's been bugging me since I left."
Tsunade ground her teeth, but nodded. "Go."
"How does an entire village disappear?"
Tsunade felt as if she had not quite heard. "Pardon?"
"How does an entire village, one that we've been to ourselves, that we've seen with our own eyes and thus know exists, just vanish—as in, 'poof' disappear. It's completely gone. There's nothing left of the Hidden Rain, just empty space, just…nothing."
"That's impossible. It was probably—"
"It wasn'tgenjutsu," said Jiraiya. "You're talking to somebody who knows two of the best genjutsushi in the world, but there's still nothing. Nothing at all. No chakra, not anything. I even patrolled the entire area. There don't seem to be any Rain shinobi left. I went back to my informers and asked them when the last sighting of a Rain shinobi was—it was sometime around the lastchuunin exams, right before we knew that Akatsuki was active once again." He raked a hand through his shaggy, dirty hair, and once again let his eyes drift up, towards the covered sky.
"So tell me, O wise one, how the hell does a village just disappear without anyone knowing it?"
Tsunade stared at him a moment.
"Hmph. Fuck if I know."
Long chapter, but equally long wait. Yes, I know it doesn't contain much action—but then again, you guys have been wanting a restful chapter for some time, and It's only natural that I give what you ask for :) Hope you enjoyed it, and it wasn't too much talking for you, and it was something to think about. A lot is happening in this chapter, even if it isn't readily apparent.
The last bit wasn't intended for this chapter, but I tacked it on for more as a hint than anything. Obviously, it's going to nowhere near canon accuracy, but then again, neither is my Leader. He's going to be quite different from the canon version, as you'll soon see.
I wanted this chapter out before I go, so don't expect much from me until after the 30th of January—I'll be taking my last exam and then heading off to Morocco for the first week of break, and I don't think I'll be able to get any writing done there—plenty of planning, but no actual writing. Hope you guys have enjoyed the New Year as much as I!
See you guys soon!
General Grievous
Scroll of Seals:
Choujouteki Himei no jutsu (Psychic Wail Technique): Invented in Azeroth, extremely effective in clearing away groups of enemies without harming them or distracting them long enough to do some damage. Only works for those with a weak amount of will.
