Hey, the word count is a little low...sorry about that, but I didn't want writer's block to get in the way of a chapter going unreleased for three days. I hope you'll enjoy this one, since I had some difficulty writing it!
Now, it's been a month since I published this story. In that month, Within the Straws I Grasp has accrued 151 reviews, 192 favorites, 320 followers, 1 C2, and 45,299 views. On top of that, the last chapter surpassed 100,000 words. (Since that includes ANs like this, though, the actual story content's word count is a little lower.)
Thank you for your support!
Review response time!
1. OneLunchMan: Danzo and Black Zetsu are absolutely the true villains of Naruto, beyond their status as antagonists. Victims don't turn out all nice and neat like storybooks make you believe, and that's one thing that Kishimoto did right; most of the series' villains were victims in their own way, and it made them into the villains they became. Jiraiya's interpretation of the Will of Fire...well, I'd say it's a hybrid of the Sandaime's and Minato's, as he was taught by the former and was the teacher of the latter. Loyalty to the person, going beyond even favoritism, but not so much that it overrides the loyalty to the village. Know what I mean?
2. Winter Arctica: I feel a bit like Kishimoto now with the way he used the Rinnegan late in canon. You get a Rinnegan, you get a Rinnegan! Everybody gets a Rinnegan! On a serious note, though: you're right about Jiraiya being the prey in his situation, where Dan was the predator, but there's something to be said about an adult's culpability. As the adult in the situation, Jiraiya feels like he should have been in control and not allowed it to happen, and the fact that he gave in is what makes him feel like he's just as bad, if not worse, than Dan.
Let's get this trainwreck moving.
Blood coated Tayuya's dreams like a thin paint, though she dreamed of a past that she refused to let into the forefront of her mind. On the surface, for Naruto, she pushed back the bile in her throat whenever he touched her in certain ways. She swallowed her guilt whenever he fidgeted in his sleep, and she'd wake at the movement in a reflexive fear for her life.
Tayuya had always been an incredibly light sleeper, staying perfectly still in order to avoid rousing others. Maybe that's why her dreams were never pleasant, on the rare occasions when she did manage to dream; her own uneasiness, in the dark of the night, kept her from having any sort of restful sleep.
Blood was on her hands, in her eyes, in her hair. It had thinned enough, with her tears, to see through in a red haze.
She clutched Naruto more tightly, the blond unresponsive to the pressure she was putting on him.
The knife in her hand, held against her will, plunged into the bodies of the living and the dead. In their eyes, in their hearts...it didn't matter. It was a long blade, gently curving to a tapered head, and it was coated with blood both dried and fresh. With every thrust, another life was taken; this was not a normal knife, it was a blade of sealing, like the Totsuka blade of legend. The mark at her neck was burning, hungry for more death as it continued to feed her power. Every kill gave her greater stamina, increased her speed, sharpened her sight. Every inch of her young body was brimming with electricity, hunting more, killing more, ready to annihilate.
And then she saw him...the White Snake. The man whose jutsu controlled her actions, the man who had caused her hands and face to become stained with blood. It took less than a moment's decision for her to lunge forward, intent on killing him for what he'd done.
"Oh?" He sidestepped her attack, far more agile than the civilians he'd made her kill. "You have the strength to break the illusion, and the compulsion? Interesting."
She said nothing, grunting as she moved to strike again.
"You'll get nowhere with that." He admonished her.
At her third charge, Orochimaru sighed.
"Foolish." He kicked her back, his leg staying in the air for a moment before retracting.
Raising one hand, he activated another technique, and soon she was screaming into the earth as pain swept over her from the neck outward. She released the knife in her hand, fingers from both hands reaching up to claw away at the seal on her neck.
"If you want to kill me...come with me. I will train you until you're strong enough to do so. Become my right hand and my guardian, and seek to take my place on the Basilisk's Throne. Learn what I have to teach you, and settle for hating me until you can finally end my life."
It would be a long time until the past gave way to the future, and the only thing that would come of it was the knowledge of just how much blood was on Tayuya's hands.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Chunin Exams!" Gaara's voice carried throughout the stadium, and the roar of the crowd resounded around him.
It was nostalgic. Though he hadn't appreciated it during his own trials, focused on the invasion to come, this reaction was a positive thing. He enjoyed the attention.
"Competing today, we have sixteen Genin from four of the five Great Villages, as well as Kusagakure, Amegakure, and Tanigakure! Their attacks will be real, and as they shed the blood of their nations you will see it all!"
In the gallery box, Naruto snorted. Standing or sitting around him were Oboro, Rei, Kouga, Tayuya, and the three foreign Kage.
"Way to make it a gladiator match. What are they, prisoners fighting for freedom?" He asked.
Gaara continued, oblivious to his friend's derision.
"Given the history of events at previous Chunin Exams, both here at home as well as abroad, I have asked a Fuinjutsu master to create a barrier around the arena's pit to avoid a weapon or jutsu from making its way into the crowd. Now, we will begin!"
Naruto gave a sly grin as Gaara performed his Sabaku Shunshin, appearing in the seat marked, "Wind."
"You're welcome for that barrier, by the way." He said. "Not that I'm really a master, or anything."
"No, but it sets the civilians at ease to believe a true professional did the work. In all technicality, despite your proficiency, you're still a Chunin. Most people won't believe you have the skill necessary to pull off something as complicated as a reinforced chakra barrier." Oboro said. "Now be quiet, the first match is starting."
Naruto closed his mouth, eyes turning back to the battlefield.
"Well...first up, huh? This ought to be good." Naruto grinned.
Down below, Sakura and a boy from Kiri were the only two in the arena aside from the proctor.
"Do you have any grievances with fighting your opponent?" The proctor asked.
"No." Both Genin said, and the proctor nodded.
"Good." Raising his voice, he spoke to the crowd. "The first match: Haruno Sakura of Konohagakure, versus Satoru Genji of Kirigakure. Hajime!"
As the proctor seemed to vanish, Sakura burst into action. An illusory clone appeared on either side of her, and a seamless kawarimi happened when her opponent attacked. She appeared behind him, and a vicious hook sent the boy flying. She'd managed to cut him at his cheekbone, green medical chakra coating her hands that was sharper than any scalpel. Her clones vanished,
"Better hope your reflexes are better next time." Sakura taunted. "Next time, I won't be nice."
Six kunai flew at her, but to Sakura they seemed to move in slow motion. Rather than dodging, she knocked each one aside as it came at her.
"Don't you dare mock me!" Genji cried out, rushing forward and weaving hand signs for his jutsu. "Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu!"
The technique brought back memories for Sakura.
"You're nothing compared to the man your village called a demon." Sakura said. "Your mist is thin. Your heart is racing. You have no way to strike."
Silently, Sakura wove her own hand seals for the Doton: Chika Moru technique; the Basement Mole jutsu acted the way it sounded, and in a field with zero visibility...she would turn the mist against her opponent.
"Shut up!" Genji yelled, attacking her...and passing right through the place she'd been.
Sakura grinned from below, channeling the most evil voice she could. Chakra enunciated her voice, her diaphragm rumbling with a growl as she spoke.
"There are five targets..." She could hardly keep the smile off of her face. This had been terrifying at the time, and truthfully the memory was almost as frightening. "The tibialis anterior. The flexor carpi radialis. The biceps brachii. The peroneus longus. The patellar retinaculum. If I surgically sever and remove any of those tendons, you'll lose the ability to move your arms or legs. Forfeit, or I will strike."
Clearly, she'd gotten lucky; this one was obviously the weak link of his team. When only silence greeted her demand, she sighed.
"Alright, then. You chose your fate."
Moving above, back to standing on the ground, it didn't take long for Sakura to locate her opponent. He looked around nervously, waiting for an attack that hadn't come. His confidence was coming back with every passing second...perhaps it would serve him better to humiliate him, rather than just beating him.
"Ha! You haven't done anything. You're bluffing, you stupid flat bitch!"
In the stands, the other members of Team Seven winced visibly, and Tsunade's eyes widened in shock. Demeaning Sakura for her physical attributes was a surefire way to wind up in a world of pain.
That boy was dead where he stood.
Sakura decided against doing things with the finesse she had planned. As the mist around them faded, she leapt forward and used her chakra to cut all the way through his upper arms, followed by using a foot to widen his stance to an unstable footing. As he toppled backwards, Sakura dug her hands in the soft and boneless flesh next to his neck before violently ripping out both of his collarbones.
She took no pleasure in his screams, red-stained bones seeing daylight for the first time at their unnatural angle. He hit the ground, and the chakra disappeared from Sakura's hands before she gave a series of six punches that knocked him out.
"The victor is Haruno Sakura of Konohagakure!" The proctor said, reappearing.
"Tsunade obaa-chan...what the hell did you teach Sakura?"
"She's my apprentice. I'm teaching her everything." The Hokage gave a villainous grin as she looked at her unknowing grandson. "I'm not going to let you and your teammate eclipse her, especially not when she shows so much promise. More than Shizune, even..."
"That reminds me, where is Shizune nee-chan?"
"She's back in Konoha, managing things in my place. Why do you ask?"
"I have a feeling she's not enjoying herself." Naruto said. "Call it an Uzumaki's intuition."
Naruto was, unknown to himself, unequivocally right.
"Shizune-chan, there's a shipment here that's supposed to be for Tsunade-sama. Do you have any idea what it might be?" Izumo asked.
"None. Just leave it by the desk, I'll take care of it."
"Are you sure? It's really heavy...maybe we can help?" Kotetsu offered.
"If you insist."
She could use all the help she could get. Between half of Konoha's men trying to ask her out, Anko attempting to drag her to the red light district for a, "party with male strippers that's sweeter than dango," and a previous delivery of twelve cases of premium Yugakure sake...she dreaded what this could be. The box was as high as her waist, and three times as wide as she was, on all sides.
Opening it, the Gate Guardians almost wanted to laugh at Shizune's horrified expression; the box was filled with sheet after sheet of scratch-off lottery tickets that had been billed to Tsunade, just like the sake had been.
Tonton grunted and shook his head, easily reflecting his owner's internal thought process as she looked at this inconceivable situation.
"Do either of you have a ryo coin?" She asked. "I'll pay you double your wages. Triple. You can even have some of the sake that arrived earlier."
"If we toss it out the window, do either of you have a Katon jutsu that could destroy it before it hit the ground? It'll scare the shit out of the civilians, but..."
"Kotetsu, I only know Suiton techniques. Shizune-sama doesn't use Katon techniques. Come on, be serious about this and pitch in."
"I would be pitching in, but you just vetoed my idea to pitch that box out! God, I'm just trying to be constructive. Besides, it's not like any of these will be winning tickets, since Tsunade-sama bought them."
The Godaime Hokage's terrible luck was a known fact.
"Whatever, man. Take out a coin and start scratching. Have a drink or two, and enjoy the fact that we're not stuck at that gate."
Shizune knew that she would regret offering the men alcohol. Not because of some backlash from Tsunade; the Hokage had earned her fury. No, she was worried because absolutely nothing had gone well in the last three days.
What was next? Would Naruto appear and decide to paint the Hokage Monument...again?
Three matches passed by until it was Tenten's turn to fight against a kunoichi from Suna, Maido Ibuki. The adopted Jie, however, was determined that her bout wouldn't end the way it had the last time she'd gone to the Chunin Exams.
"Hajime!" The proctor shouted, disappearing.
Ibuki rushed forward, taking an aggressive opening position as Tenten wheeled to defend herself. A kunai met her sword, Tenten's superior-forged blade making a cut into her adversary's knife.
"Katon: Yami Hi no Ryu!" A black, burning dragon shot forward from her arm.
Tenten dodged, but remained wary. She was proven right moments later, bending over backwards to avoid the dragon's return strike, followed by its rise and explosion in the sky. Fiery rain fell down, some of it breaking against the barrier Naruto had made, but mostly concentrating in the pit of the arena.
Tenten threw a kunai, one with some markings etched in; Naruto had taken to carving an explosive seal into some of his sister's weapons, and he wasn't disappointed when Ibuki flew head over heels and became a sitting duck in the air.
For her part, Tenten had no idea what was happening, but she wouldn't lose the opportunity she'd been given.
"Jie: Tetsu no Mai, Ichi Kata!" The first form of her family's Dance of Iron, though she would make it nonlethal.
Two katanas were in her hands, which moved incredibly quickly for someone who was still only ranked a Genin. Each cut she made was shallow, some not even managing to break skin, but Ibuki's body was riddled with lines that marked where Tenten's swords had been. As her opponent fell face-up, Tenten crossed her blades above the girl's throat.
"The victor is Jie Tenten from Konohagakure!"
Her swords vanished back into their seals, and Tenten raised her hands above her head to make a small heart. Smiling, she dropped her arms back down before walking back to the arena's entrance so that she could rejoin her team.
"That was over fast." E said. "Kazekage-dono, I hope that's not a display of your village's general capabilities."
"Far from it. She comes from a civilian background, and is in her first year as a ninja. By that standard, to make it to the final round of the Chunin Exams shows a level of dedication that most clan-born ninja don't have. Almost two years ago, that girl was defeated in seconds by my sister."
"Ten-chan's no slouch either." Naruto added. "Going up against Temari-chan in those preliminaries was just bad luck. Besides, her real competition is going to be Sasuke."
He didn't bother mentioning that his little sister-figure was adopted, and in all likelihood came from civilian parents as well.
In the stands below them, Tenten sat with her father, the congratulations of some viewers adding a warmth to her cheeks that had nothing to do with the heat of the desert.
"You did well." Higurashi said as he saw her, motioning for Tenten to sit beside him.
"Thank you, otou-san." Her smile was bright, and Higurashi couldn't help but match it with one of his own.
"You know me, girl. I wouldn't praise you unnecessarily, if you hadn't earned it. Pay attention to this next match, though...it will tell you who your next opponent is."
As the next hour passed, the two battles after Tenten's being prolonged by both combatants, it was finally time for Sasuke's match.
He stood in front of his opponent, a teenage boy from Amegakure, but his eyes were drawn to the Kage's viewing gallery. He knew that Naruto was watching. He would hate to disappoint.
With his Sharingan, he noticed a faint outline that he recognized despite its absence in his life. Though a Genjutsu tried to pass it off as nothing but a perched crow, Sasuke knew better than to believe what his senses perceived.
As the proctor began the match, Sasuke showed a vicious smile.
I won't let you down, brother.
