My lord... the chapters are getting longer...
Actually, a lot of this was pre-written. That's one reason my updates are taking a little longer, but that means when I get around to that scene, it's ready to go. AND it's better written (hopefully) because I did it at a time I felt 'felt' the scene.
Now, I've been noticing a few complaints of varying degrees. For those who don't like how slow things have been going, sorry 'bout that. I kinda have to agree with you on that point, and there's really not much I can do other than plow through it. Others have been complaining about OCs, which is kinda funny because I've started cutting back on their time as of late. I'll be continuing this tradition as much as I can, so... yeah.
And for those of you who are generally pissed because you can't tell where this is going: deal with it. Where's the fun in knowing a plot beforehand?
Alright, enough of the rants! Enjoy!
Days passed before Hinata and her team were allowed departure from Suna; the mass confusion resulting from the underground explosion prevented easy movement. Sentry paths were increased tenfold and virtually every nook and cranny was searched in an attempt to understand what had transpired.
Ironically enough, one of the handful of buildings that collapsed due to the tremor did so right on top of the only known entrance to the tunnel system. The Konoha genius thought this was hilarious. "They'll never know what happened!" she chuckled inwardly before correcting herself. "Of course, Temari knows everything. And once she tells everyone, they'll know it too. Crap, they'll even know about me…" She wondered what the foreign village would do as she shuffled over to the gates in preparation to leave when she was stopped by a familiar face.
"Hinata," Temai leaned against a wall while awaiting the genius girl's passing, "Can I talk to you for a sec?"
"Y-yes," she falsely stammered. "This… might get bad…" She attempted to draw attention away from herself. "How are your injuries?"
"They're fine," she waved it off, "Thanks for asking. Hey Hinata… thanks for listening."
"I-it's no problem…"
"Nah, I mean it. You know half the village thinks I'm crazy, right? Almost no one believes me."
"What about your brothers?"
"Of course they do, but the council…" She trailed off in the hopes that the younger teen understood the implication.
"I… admit that it is difficult to believe…"
"C'mon, you too?" The blonde teen didn't want to hear this, not from the passive and soft-spoken ninja. "I know it sounds crazy, but at least you believe me, right? Why would I lie…"
"It's not that!" Hinata swiftly reassured her then retreated into her oversized clothing after the outburst. "It's just… it's such a wild explanation to everything that it is hard to believe. I'm sure you are not lying, but you can at least understand why others would think so."
The wind user's head drooped and she sighed. "Hinata, they're gonna watch me more carefully. If the council still thinks I'm nuts after a while, they could terminate my career."
This caught the Hyuuga's attention; she hadn't thought of this outcome. Then again, anyone who knew of her and… Naruto were bound to silence under threat of widespread panic or death. "I don't think so," she placed a gentle palm on Temari's good shoulder, "You're a strong ninja, and I don't think the council would discount you because of something they can't prove." Her mind's eyes shot open at her own words; shouldn't she be taking her own advice before imparting it to another?
After a moment, the wind mistress smiled weakly. "Thanks, Hinata." Her lips then contorted into a healthy grin to lighten the mood. "You're too damn nice, you know that?!" She followed that up with a laugh.
Said blue-haired teen giggled in reply. "T-thank you… I think…"
"So," the foreign girl lurched forward from her lax position and walked alongside the concealed prodigy, "You told him yet?"
"T-told w-who?" She didn't like the sound of this.
Sure enough, that universally recognized mischievous glint shined in the older teen's eye. "Uzumaki. Have you told him yet?"
"Even her! Everywhere I go…" She panicked a tad then answered. "T-told h-him what?"
"Don't be shy! You know!" Temari flung her good limb around the ever-reddening Hyuuga. "You told him you like him yet?!"
Hinata did her best to appear horrified; had she not done so she would have cast her vision to the ground. She still wanted to forget the blonde danger, but he refused to leave her mind. "H-how did y-you…?"
"Don't even try- it's obvious! I saw you lookin' at him during the, uh, Chunin exams…" She bit her lip at that particularly unpleasant memory before continuing. "Anyone with a brain couldn't miss it." She chuckled to the side. "Guess that's why he did…"
The pale-eyed girl didn't really care to reply; she momentarily forgot how her projected self would react in favor of staring into nothingness. "Everywhere I go, he's there. If he's not there, then someone's talking about him. And if nobody's talking about him, I'm thinking about him…" Her inner tone was that of remorse; she wanted to strike the boy from her brain but the organ refused to cooperate. When she said nothing for a few key seconds, the accompanying teen grew concerned and pried.
"What's wrong?"
"I-it's nothing."
"Liar." She called her on it. "What is it? What happened?"
"Should I tell her? Can I trust her? Can I trust anyone?"
"Oh…" things clicked in the older girl's mind, "You found out, didn't you?"
The pale-eyed prodigy could only nod; there was no backing out of this one.
"So that's it… let me guess- you're scared, right?"
Once again, a mere nod of the head sufficed.
"I see." She gazed into the emerald sky, wondering how to bring this shy girl down from her fear. She couldn't think of anything, so she went with her own story. "You know, back during those Chunin exams, I was scared to death of Gaara. Everyone was- they treated him like a monster whenever he tried to connect with them and he eventually came to hate them back. He hated everyone so much that it was almost like he was possessed by the demon sealed inside him. We gave him a reason to hate us and want to kill us." She took a breath. "Then Naruto came along. He beat Gaara in his strongest state and showed him that he was strong because of his friends, not because of hatred. He saved Gaara from himself and gave him a second chance at life." Her eyes glanced at those of the Hyuuga and her lips produced a meek smile. "Does that sound like a monster to you?"
Hinata looked up and desperately gave her own version. "I know he's not a monster, but what if it gets out? I'm not scared of him, I'm scared of what's in him… and what it would do if it ever escaped…"
Temari slapped the girl on the back in good humor. "Well, can't help that. But do you really want to give up on him just because of something that might not happen?"
The azure-headed girl had no response to that, so she simply stared ahead. Was this girl right? She might not have a complete grasp on the situation, but did that make her advice any less relevant? "She… doesn't know everything," she concluded, "There's so much more at risk than just me or Naruto… I can't risk it…" Her mood fell somewhat at this notion; her emotions waged war against logic, and both sides were locked in a stalemate. "I… I just need s-some time…"
The sand sibling simply gazed at the introverted girl with a sad smirk. "I feel sorry for her. She's really missing out for no good reason." She averted her eyes and noted that they approached the gates. "Looks like this is where we part ways," she announced upon locating the other two Konoha shinobi.
"Y-yes." The Hyuuga trudged on ahead of the blonde without anything more.
"Oh, Hinata!" Temari remembered one last thing and called out to her. "You might wanna hurry on 'that'- I think that Haruno girl's trying for him too." She laughed when those pale eyes glared back at her. "See you around!" With that, she turned and made her way back into the dusty village.
The Leaf genius temporarily ignored the friendly taunts emanating from Kiba as her mind raced with thoughts of Naruto being with someone else. Sakura was laughable; she knew he despised her as much as she did. Anko… not even possible- she was too old. Shia… she was young, but only by three years…
Either way, she reflexively shuddered at the thought of the blonde prodigy being with anyone else. Her eyes felt warm and moist as she mentally chanted, "Not me… not me…"
--
Days passed, and Tsunade's temperament went with them. She had been spending far too much time trying to figure out what was so special about this 'sector six' indicated in the aged plans. "I've sent team after team to that area and searched it over and over again, but there's nothing. Not even a Byakugan can find anything. Just what the hell was so important about sector six? Is there even anything special about it? Could it all just be coincidence?" She shook her head. "Can't be. There were far too many accidents and deaths related to those who've been there in the past to indicate otherwise." She glanced at a recent report on her desk and it broke her from her negative revelry- more news of sightings of the rogue Akatsuki pair roaming the countryside. "And if that's not enough, I've got Akatsuki to deal with. Damn it, between all the paperwork and crap that keeps coming up, I can't get out of this damn office!" She spent some time signing more papers stacked on her desk then took a break. Her gaze shifted over to the magnificent view of the village. "Jiraiya, where the hell are you when I need you?" For a moment, she wished she possessed the freedoms her perverted teammate did… but more paperwork brought her out of that.
Thankfully, Anko's arrival saved the blonde woman from the arduous task. "Lady Tsunade," the snake charmer greeted, "I'm here to report on the latest excavation."
"Any news?" She had placed the Mitarashi in charge of the teams scouring sector six as a glorified consultant since she knew things the others didn't. Sadly, things hadn't turned out so well.
Case in point, the woman parsed her lips and shook her head. "Nothing… again."
Tsunade groaned. "Damn it!" She took a few easy breaths and contemplated the next course of action. "We've got nothing. Absolutely nothing."
"Um… if I might make a suggestion?"
She nodded her approval. Even conjecture was better than nothing at this point.
"As far as I can figure, it's one of two things. First, the cases are so old that they're no longer relevant."
"…Meaning?"
"Meaning that trying to find anything now is pointless because there's nothing left to find. Everything happened during the first Hokage's rule and died with him."
The slug mistress propped her chin up. "And what's your other idea?"
"That there really is a cover up and whoever's involved is really good at it."
Tsunade chortled at that notion but didn't disregard it- anything was possible in the shinobi world. "Well… you still think anyone's following you?"
Anko grimaced and nodded. "I talked to Kurenai and she still thinks so as well."
The blonde ninja considered this. "My gut tells me that there are still people involved in this. I hope I'm wrong," she knew her gambler's luck, "But if I'm not, then things could get bad. Real bad." She thought for a moment longer and addressed her subordinate. "Alright, we'll have to take the hard approach. Go get Kurenai and we'll start going through all the reports ever written since the village's construction."
She blinked in disbelief. "A-all of them?! You can't be serious…"
"Well… maybe not." She didn't want to have to do it either. Even if she assigned every ninja under her command to participate in this endeavor it would still take weeks. "I've got a hunch that if there's anything suspicious, it would be under my grandfather's rule. Nothing odd's really stood out other than those tunnel accidents."
Anko nodded. "I… guess that makes sense. I'll go get…"
"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune burst in before the snake charmer could finish and held up a slip of paper. "There's an urgent message from Suna! You need to see this!"
"Here," said blonde ordered it turned over by holding out a palm. She took the decrypted note and began scanning it. "Huh… says they had an earthquake," she didn't complete it before commenting.
"That's not it! Keep reading!"
Tsunade did so and her eyes widened. "Shizune!" she ordered with urgent eyes, "Team eight's back by now. Summon them here right now!"
"Yes ma'am!" She bolted from the room.
"And get Kurenai in here as well!" she yelled after the assistant.
"What is it?" Anko was mildly alarmed. "What's it say?"
She handed it over then crossed her fingers before her face. "It's a summary of the report from the Kazekage's sister."
"The envoy girl?" she stated absentmindedly as she read.
"Yes," the aged woman answered simply. She needn't say more; it was all in the message.
The Mitarashi's eyes almost bugged out of her head when she got to the meat of the story. "W-what is this?! Another tunnel system?!"
"Seems that way."
"And what about these enemies?!"
She nodded. "There's no way this is a coincidence, not anymore."
The reptile master put the note to the side. "What are we gonna do about it?! If this is true, then this is serious shit!"
"First," Tsunade kept her cool, "We're going to question team eight to determine their involvement. We'll play it by ear after that." She continued the conversation of arguments and rebuttals for several minutes until the requested individuals finally filed into the room one by one. The young Chunins stood in a perfect line while Kurenai made her way over to a chair and took a seat. "Alright, you three," the blonde Hokage addressed the lower-ranking ninjas, "You were in Suna during their earthquake. Did you notice anything?"
Naturally, Kiba and Shino did not- they were asleep at the time and merely caught the ass end of the tremor. Hinata stiffened ever so slightly but otherwise denied everything. Unfortunately, her superior noticed the subtle posture change and called her on it.
"Hinata," the woman inquired, "You know something we don't?"
"Yes ma'am," she replied as genteelly as she could before relaying the story that Temari told her the morning after the incident in question. She finished her tale to find that the older ninjas didn't seem particularly surprised. "They're on to something," she knew, "Or they'd be as shocked as Kiba and Shino."
"What the hell is-?" The Inuzuka was the first to voice his confusion. He unknowingly spoke for the Aburame as well, since Shino was content with barely raising an eyebrow in concern.
"Is that all?" Tsunade cut the loud boy off.
"Yes ma'am." The Hyuuga wanted to get out of here quickly- the longer her stay, the more likely things would go sour for her.
"Alright. Dismissed." Her poker face was plastered on as the younger ninjas exited the office and broke once they were out of earshot. "You two get all that?"
The Yuhi nodded. "It's an amazing story. I wonder if any of it is true?"
"Are you kidding?" Anko stated in response, "A tunnel system in Suna that no one knew about? That's the exact same problem we've got here. I think we're dealing with some kind of organization…"
"Either way," the slug Sannin interrupted the two jonin, "We need to check up on what sources we have. Anko."
"Yes ma'am?"
"Head down to the archives and start pulling out everything during the time the tunnels were built. There might be separate events that we missed. Kurenai."
"Yes, lady Tsunade?"
"Go to the communications office and have them send a message to Suna. I want to talk to Temari in person about this. After that, meet Anko in the archives and start going through all those files with her."
"Yes ma'am." She turned to leave with the snake charmer before turning back. "May I ask what you will do?"
Tsunade regarded her with impassive eyes. "My grandfather's old journals are still around. If there's not anything discernible in the archives, maybe he mentioned something in those…"
--
Kakashi and Tenzou stood in their respective positions at the field of Naruto's specialized training. The Hatake was rather absorbed in his adult novel while the ANBU agent was busy sweating bullets while waiting to take down a berserking blonde.
The silver-haired jonin chuckled at one of the inside jokes of his book as the wind brushed his hair. Being the professional that he was, his guard was never truly down. As such, his senses were always keen even if he himself appeared indisposed. This was such a moment, and his nose cringed as the breeze passed him by. His lone eye sullenly glanced upwind and he addressed his former underling.
"Yamato."
"What?" His manners dropped in the face of concentration.
"You smell that?"
"Huh? Smell what?" His attention was divided, so he couldn't really make an honest attempt at humoring his superior.
A moment passed before Kakashi answered. "We're being watched."
Tenzou's eyes widened and his head swung around. "What?! By who?!"
The Hatake sighed. "Way to go, they're gone now."
He produced an embarrassed grin before returning to the task at hand. "Sorry…"
The Sharingan user didn't pursue it further, although he wondered who cared enough to spy on them. He felt the indescribable nagging in his mind that told him they were being watched, but more than that he didn't know. He returned to his book and hoped that whoever was skilled enough to spy on him and avoid detection was friendly. "Heaven help us if they're not. I should let Lady Tsunade know about this next time I get the chance…"
--
The hours passed and the daylight waned and gave way to the moonlit night. As the nocturnal lives of those residing within Konoha continued on, the tunnels beneath their feet remained dark and quiet, as its denizens were few and far between.
Per usual, Hinata snuck into her secret lab and put away her equipment. She passed Shiori and Ichirou and instructed them that she needed another energy device. They excitedly got to work on it and she checked up with Garaza in the cramped wire-laden room that the Nashin controlled. She cocked an eyebrow when she heard gentle laughter emanating from the chamber in question as she stuck her head in.
"Silence," the crimson-haired teen greeted the Hyuuga from her relaxed seat on the floor, "How ya been?"
"Um… fine," she lied. Her pale eyes quickly noted Nuren sitting in the opposite corner with a stoner's smile adorning his features. "Anything happen while I was gone?"
"You bet!" Nuren answered without having been addressed. "Power surges!"
Silence waited for an explanation but didn't receive one. "What about power surges…?"
"Just that," he nodded with a smile, "There's been a bunch of small power surges."
"Do you know where?" Why did she always have to pry information out of this druggie?
"Nope!"
Hinata winced and sighed; she didn't feel like getting angry at him. "Fine… was it special in any way?"
"Not a clue!"
"Then how do you know there were any at all?"
He gazed a thousand yards away and painted the air with his palm. "I can see them…"
"Oh my God…" She gave up and ignored him. "Garaza, anything?"
She pursed her upturned lips and shook her head. "Not a thing. Everything's been pretty quiet for a while."
The white-eyed genius sighed. "I guess that's a good thing…" She ducked out of the room and proceeded to one of her work stations.
Garaza gave a humble smile to the absent prodigy and turned to the druggie across from her. "Hey, cut her some slack, will ya? She's goin' through a rough time."
"What? Why? I really can see the energy…"
She laughed. "What am I gonna do with ya?"
Meanwhile, the Hyuuga set down two objects she absconded from Suna- the rod with the hooked end and the empty hypodermic needle she took from one of the plaster-caked freaks in the foreign tunnels. She opened up the thick glass tube of the needle, swabbed the interior, and placed the residue sample under a microscope and began analyzing the chemical chains. Hours passed as she identified the substances one by one- she had to cross reference quite a few of them. "It's weird. Most of these chemicals don't do anything on their own, and a lot of these combinations are counterproductive… but I can't identify a lot of these." She frowned; there was no way the great genius Hyuuga could accept that there was a substance she could not decipher. Determination still strong, she pulled out heavy textbooks and poured over them. Some of the journals were compilations of other scientific studies while the rest were her own notes and observations. More time passed, but she made no more headway. "Gah! Alright, something new…"
She set the sample aside before picking up the metal stick and analyzing it with her Byakugan. Upon first glance there was nothing spectacular about it; it was a simple shaft of metal. She squinted and focused before her eyes widened- she could barely see it, but there was a network of nearly microscopic webbing that lined the exterior of the device. The atomized strings appeared in perfect condition and cascaded into the strange material embedded in the center of the half-hook at the tip. "What the hell is this thing? Is it a generator?" She knew the crystal's inner workings were identical to the interior of the undefined matter. Well, almost identical- the item in her hand produced no energy of any kind. It was dead. "But this is a handle, isn't it? That'd make it a weapon, right? But why would there be something so complicated in a weapon?" She frowned- the thought of unique weapons reminded her of Naruto and his customized arsenal. "Goddamn it!"
Frustration caught up to her with the thoughts of the blonde and she waltzed over to her well-worn couch to take a breather. She crashed into the soft cushion, leaned her head back, and closed her pale eyes. Her lungs expanded as she took in several deep breaths, and she could smell faint traces of the Uzumaki that had been left behind from his many visits. She brought her hand to her face and covered her eyes; the scent alone reminded her of all the time they spent on this very couch whittling away the hours in conversation. She sighed, but the deep pit in her stomach felt no less empty or painful. Minutes passed and she leaned forward and stared into the ground with lifeless eyes.
"Damn it," she finally had to admit it to herself, "I miss him…"
--
The week carried on despite everyone's troubles and brought new ones with it. Currently, the biggest threat facing Konoha was the Akatsuki team. They had recently attacked and leveled the Temple of Fire, taking with it the lives of many. Amongst the dead was a monk with a grand price on his head- Chiriki- and his corpse was missing. Apparently, the hostile duo was interested in the bounty placed on him and was willing to plow through anything in their way to take it.
At least, that was the word on the streets. Temari didn't really know anything about the shifty organization that kidnapped and killed her younger brother, but that wasn't why she was in the Leaf village. No, she was here because of her story behind the earthquake in Suna. "Someone's interested here," she knew, "That means there's a bigger picture going on. Now if only I knew what it was?"
She forwent stopping by the Nara household; Shikamaru would probably kill her if she showed up at his door. He could probably do it too- her arm hadn't fully recovered yet, so her skills were still substandard in her book. Rather, she made her way towards the Hokage tower to meet up with the female leader. It wasn't hard- it was the biggest building around.
She strolled through the door to the aged woman's office and was waved in by an expectant Tsunade.
"Shut the door," the slug Sannin stated. The wind user obeyed then approached the desk. "How's your arm doing?"
"It'll heal."
"Want me to take a look at it?"
"No thanks. I'll be fine."
"Alright." The blonde woman seemed resigned. "Take a seat- this could take a while."
Temari frowned ever so slightly; she was already uncomfortable, but she planted her butt in a chair nonetheless. "So… why was I summoned to Konoha?"
Tsunade smirked and threw the girl off with the gesture. "Come on- you're smarter than that. I heard about the earthquake in Suna. I also heard your story behind it." She noted the teenager's discomfort and continued. "I want to hear your side of the story personally."
The wind user had questions of her own first. "Why do you want to know? It should have been in the message Gaara sent…"
"Well, it was short, and I'm sure there are quite a few details that a simple letter can't convey."
Her eyes narrowed. "Why did you bring me all the way out here just to hear a story? I wanna know the reason."
The slug Sannin regarded her with serious eyes and sighed with a grin. "You're a gutsy one, all right. I can't tell you everything just yet, but this is what I know so far…" She then launched into an abbreviated explanation of the tunnel system and sector six to the foreign ninja. Obviously, she left out such things as Danzo's inner workings which sparked an interest in the underground hive and when exactly sector six's deaths and disappearances occurred. "Now you know everything you need to. Anything you tell me could help out Konoha. Please tell me everything you can, and rest assured that I won't think you're crazy."
Temari frowned; she didn't want to divulge her secrets so quickly to someone who hadn't yet gained her trust on the matter. "Lady Hokage, you know that my status as a diplomat only allows for dealings that will mutually benefit our villages. What's in this for Suna?"
Tsunade smirked; this spunky girl reminded her of her younger days. "You drive a hard bargain. We can deal with that later- we'll pay you for the information somehow, but the situation might be time sensitive, so we don't have time to beat around the bush. Besides, I've already told you more than an outsider is allowed to know. Now spill it."
The sand sibling gave it up and repeated her tale for the hundredth time. It was all there- the human bat, the tunnels, the living statues, Jess Burgess, and ,of course, Silence.
The blonde Hokage sat in silent deliberation when the girl finished- she had heard much of this already from Hinata Hyuuga, including the bit about Silence. But hearing about this 'incredible' individual from someone who actually knew her was much different than hearing about it through the grapevine. "I'm convinced… there are tunnels other than the ANBU headquarters down there and there's someone running things there."
"Does that… help in any way?" Temari wanted to know if she was of any use.
"Yes," she nodded, "It does. Now… do you want to help out some more?"
She frowned; what more could she do? "Um… sure…"
"Alright, then there are a few more things you need to know." She leaned forward and prepared to divulge everything to the foreign shinobi. "To begin, we have an individual like this 'Silence' girl of yours. We call him 'Curse'…"
--
Danzo was infuriated. He had practically been written out of the agreement with his co-conspirators with his ROOT agents being indefinitely controlled by his shadowy associate. "How dare he usurp my power?!" he raged inwardly, "That wasn't part of the deal! He's supposed to help me gain power over the village; how can I do that without an army?!" It was for this reason that he called yet another private meeting with Homura and Koharu. He hadn't communicated with them for a while, probably due to the fact that he had no intention of sharing Konoha with them, but now that he was desperate, he needed them. It sickened him to have to rely on others, but he had no choice at the moment.
He approached the current meeting place and made his way to the designated room; he found it odd that they wanted to convene at a local hotel rather than the plush Hokage tower. "Could it be that even they have been compromised?" he wondered apprehensively. Keeping these suspicions in mind, he entered the room and sat without greeting the two elderly ninjas.
"Danzo," Homura began, "Why have you decided to call on us now? We were certain that you had… control over the situation." He took care not to mention his anger over being passed over in the supposed 'agreement', but his emotions ran high nonetheless.
"I agree," Koharu stated coldly, "You have been out of touch as of late. Why is that?"
Danzo did not speak for a moment; he knew he had to come clean about his situation. "The ROOT organization has been compromised," he explained calmly, "I no longer control my subordinates."
The elders frowned simultaneously. Homura, being the hothead of the two, voiced his concerns rather loudly. "What do you mean?! Have you been discovered?! Have you divulged any information about us?!"
"It is not Tsunade that has compromised my forces, but rather our mutual associate."
The aged duo's eyes creased. "What are you saying?" the retired female inquired, "Has he betrayed us?"
Silence ensued. "I do not know. One of his subordinates contacted me the night he commandeered my forces and informed me that it is merely temporary, although I am beginning to question that claim…"
"Subordinates?" Homura hissed, "Are you referring to that 'Sten' fellow?"
He eyed him gravely. "I am not."
"What did he look like?" Koharu spoke before her former teammate could rant further.
"It was a young woman who wielded weapons I have never encountered before. She possessed an odd twitch and repeated words at random intervals."
"Did you get a name?"
"She calls herself 'Twenty-three' and refers to her unit as the 'Gene Hunters'."
This fact got the gears in Homura's mind grinding. "A number for a name? Then can we assume that she is part of an organization much like your ROOT program?"
"I do not know," the war hawk replied. "But I do know that our associate does not intend to uphold our agreement the way we had planned." He suddenly felt incredibly drowsy and blinked. It felt like a week had passed before his sluggish state passed and his head shot towards a figure that wasn't there a moment ago.
"Now that one's not true," a man dressed in an overcoat far too large for him grinned as he sat on the windowsill. His felt clothing was rough and incredibly thick- almost as if it was armor- and his features were not extraordinary. If it wasn't for the jacket, he could have easily blended into any civilian population.
"Who are you?" Koharu questioned while the other two males tensed. She was the calmest of the three, and she took the drowsiness as this newcomer's means of unknown entry.
"That's not important," he replied with a humble smile and waved his hand, "But I can tell you that the boss isn't violating the contract."
"How do you know this?" The man's way of casual speech and relaxed mannerisms seemed… familiar, but she couldn't put a finger on it.
"Er… hang on." He retrieved a folder from his oversized coat and opened it. "Ah, here we go; the agreement is only to overthrow the current Hokage and place you three in her place. Doesn't say anything about your personal armies."
"Are you one of these 'Gene Hunters'?" Danzo went out on a limb.
He smiled. "That I am. Not too high on the totem pole myself, but I did manage to get in here without you noticing…"
"Who are you?!" Homura had enough of the man's lackadaisical attitude, "And what is your organization planning?!"
"You're askin' the wrong guy- I'm just a foot soldier. I got no idea what the big man's planning. Hell, I haven't even seen the guy…" He began flexing his right arm and glanced at it thoughtfully. A jet of clear mist streamed from a hidden tube and the edges of his lips turned up in satisfaction. "Well, looks like the misunderstanding's been fixed, so I'm outta here."
Homura attempted to move but found the world swimming around his vision as the drowsiness came again. He stumbled and fought to keep his feet planted on the floor, ultimately failing and falling to his knees.
"Oh!" the lazy voice sounded off from the distorted environment, "Koharu, Homura- hope the headaches ain't too bad. It's a nasty side effect…" With that, all traces of the man vanished into thin air and disorientation. It passed soon enough and the three conspirators blinked in confusion.
The elders had heard the stranger's claim and wondered the exact same thing: "How did he know about the headaches…?"
But Danzo was concerned about something else entirely. "He claimed that he is a foot soldier, and yet he does not know what his leadership is planning. He is following orders towards a goal of which he is unaware…" His experienced mind pieced these facts together and came up with the best conclusion it could while not in possession of all the evidence. "That sounds like an assassin organization…"
--
Tsunade sat in her home in automated contemplation. Earlier that day, Asuma Sarutobi had been killed by the Akatsuki ninjas while she had been busy going through the archives in search of an answer to the mysterious sector six. She silently cursed herself for callously allowing one of her subordinates- her teacher's son, no less- be killed while she puzzled over another matter. "No sense in dwelling on it," she sighed in reservation, "Funeral's tomorrow. I'll… deal with it then." Sometimes the fact that her subordinates would not return home came to pay her a visit and remind her that she was still a shinobi- one whose death loomed in uncertainty. She shook those negative thoughts from the forefront of her mind to concentrate on the task at hand, but those dark clouds would remain over her for a while.
She set aside the current journal and propped open the next. The slug Sannin had been pouring over her grandfather's personal records in search of mentions that wouldn't be found in the archives. So far she hadn't come up with anything- Hashimara didn't contemplate much on his personal life. There were a few interesting things- opinionated views of Madara Uchiha, her birth, some failed assassin from the Waterfall village- but nothing that really stood out. She flipped through the pages with drooping eyes when she reached a page and saw the words 'tailed beasts'. This caught her attention, so she went back to read the entire entry. She ignored the date and scanned the writings, her eyes widening when some real questions came to her mind.
The passages of interest read: Today, I discovered a new aspect of the Senju clan's bloodline; we possess the power to restrain great forces. I am disturbed by the fact that I did not discover this for myself, but rather was told of it by the stranger. Furthermore, this man has offered me a great power in the form of nine tailed beasts in the agreement that I impart them between the great clans and villages. I know not what this stranger has planned, and I surely fear his power if he can control the beasts so easily. I will abide by our agreement though, in the hopes that sharing these beasts' power with others will provide a deterrent to war…
Tsunade stared at the entry in disbelief. "This… is something…" she whispered to no one. "I've gotta let the others know about this…" She donned her oversized jacket and ventured into the night. It may have been late, but her cohorts needed this information as soon as humanly possible.
--
The next morning was sunny and clear unlike the stormy clouds and gentle rains of the day before. A throng on ninjas donned in ebony robes stood before the newest tombstone in memory of Konoha's latest casualty.
Naruto stood at the forefront with his arm over Konohamaru. The comforting gesture was familiar enough for him- he had imparted much of it upon Shia years ago, and it was really all the same when he thought about it. He felt bad for the last of the Sarutobi family; the boy had lost his grandfather and uncle in the span of three years, so the pain must have been tremendous.
A thought flashed through the blonde's mind and he wished that there was someone who could comfort him the way he did Konohamaru. It was good to know that Shia was there for him, but having a peer was much different. He realized that Hinata must have been in this crowd somewhere, and he fought to keep from glancing back to find her. He wanted to see her, but he knew she didn't desire the same of him. "Not anymore…"
But for all of the Uzumaki's genius, he couldn't have been more wrong. The Hyuuga in question was indeed amongst the crowd of mourning shinobi, and she very much wished to see him. She did her best to remain reverent towards Asuma; it was difficult because she simply didn't know him very well. Delusions of approaching the blonde prodigy and talking to him entered her psyche, but they felt like dreams- illusions that were pleasant to think about but had no grounding in reality. She sighed inwardly, knowing that not long ago things were different. Times were better and she wasn't alone in her unknown quest. "But… what can I do about it now?" She accepted her fate, once again rejecting the conflicting emotions that battled for closure.
When the funeral officially broke and the attendants started home one by one, her legs flinched towards the teen. She halted her limbs; there were too many people around for this. But when the throng dwindled to a mere handful, she swallowed the fearful lump in her throat. She believed her nervousness to be attributed to the fox, but as she got closer all she saw was the boy before her.
Naruto released Konohamaru when the younger ninja kneeled against his uncle's grave alongside Kurenai. He nodded at the tombstone in a final show of respect and turned on his heel to go home. His dulled eyes caught a glimpse of Hinata looking at him then fell to the ground. He continued walking and passed her like nothing had happened.
"Naruto…" she whispered as he came close, "Can we talk?"
He paused for the smallest of moments. "Why? You were pretty clear the first time…" He kept on walking, his eyes warm from moisture that he ultimately failed to contain.
The Hyuuga genius's pale eyes followed the boy's steps and teared up as well. "I just want to talk to him…" The logical part of her mind spoke up and told her that maybe it was for the best to sever all ties, but its voice was as distant as the Uzumaki. Salty liquid finally escaped from her eyes and slid down her soft cheeks and she sniffled before departing from the scene.
--
When the blonde in question arrived at his apartment, he plopped down on his couch and sighed hard. It was difficult seeing Hinata after her dismissal of him. "Maybe I should have talked to her," he mused sadly, "Maybe she wanted to patch things up… or finish them for good…" Both possibilities were equally valid to him; it was hard to read the girl anymore. He stared at his ceiling with disinterest- the world had been a constant haze for his troubled mind ever since the blue-haired genius rejected him. Kakashi's suggested clone training provided a mind-numbing distraction of repetition, but it wouldn't be a permanent cure. Naruto knew the best way to move on was to put it behind him as quickly as possible. "But it's been over a week and I still can't stop thinking about it…"
Shia emerged from the kitchen- that's where she liked to hide whenever the blonde was out- and promptly sat in the teen's lap. She leaned against him and kept her gaze level with the wall on the opposite side. "He's still hurting…" she knew, "Even after all this time, it hasn't gotten any better." She nodded internally and opened her mouth to speak without looking up. "Curse, do you want to talk about it?"
"The funeral?" he replied sullenly. "Not much to say…"
"You know what I mean."
"Oh… that…" He got the meaning after a second. "Not really."
The auburn-haired girl shook her head and flattened herself against his body. "Then I won't move until you tell me what's bothering you." She knew that Curse talking about whatever was bothering him would invoke unpleasant memories, but it would ultimately lift a weight from his chest. "I need to do something for him, even it's painful."
He ignored her ultimatum for a long time, opting out to continue his thousand-yard stare into the ceiling. Long moments passed and he tried to move, but Shia shoved herself into him. "C'mon," he wasn't in the mood for this, "Let me up."
"No," she defied him. It was easy now that she wasn't looking him in the eye.
"Shia…" he groaned.
"Talk about it."
"Shia… I don't want…"
Her hidden seal flared on her back and warmed his stomach; Aiya had something to say. "Quit being indecisive! Talk!" Her voice choked on the final word.
The blonde frowned; was Aiya emotionally involved in this as well? He couldn't tell since the girl faced away from him, so he resigned himself to the aggressor's demands. He put his arms around the girl's waist and muttered. "Alright. I'll do it."
Aiya's head bobbed in a nod and her seal cooled to return Shia. "What happened, Curse? Does it have to do with Silence?"
He nodded while holding her close. "Yeah."
"What happened exactly?"
Naruto didn't say anything for a moment. He knew that in talking about Hinata's rejection of him, he would have to tell Shia of the fox as well. "And if even she rejects me, then what's left? There'd be no one…" He swallowed the lump in his throat and began. "She rejected me."
Shia averted her sullen gaze to the left but still didn't face the blonde. "Why'd she do that?"
He gulped; this was it. "Do… do you remember a long time ago when… I tried to send you out of Konoha?"
"You were going on your trip, right?"
"Yeah."
She nodded. "I remember."
"Do you remember when I said that there were a lot of things about me I hadn't told you about?"
"Yeah."
The Uzumaki grimaced; he wanted to stop, but there was no backing out now. His arms squeezed her tighter and he continued. He launched into a hesitant explanation of how the fox attacked Konoha so many years ago and how it was sealed into him as an infant, relating his lifelong treatment due to the beast as an afterthought. "…When I told Hinata about it, she… became afraid of me and… rejected me."
Shia didn't say anything for a moment. She turned around in his arms with a blank face and looked up into his eyes. Her lips then curved into a small smile. "We aren't so different after all."
After his previous admission and its outcome, her reaction came as a surprise. "I… uh… what?"
"We both have something inside us that we had no choice in and can't predict." Her humble smile never faltered.
He gazed at her with hope in his azure eyes. "You're… not afraid?"
She shook her head. "Would a monster be so kind?"
Naruto didn't know what to say, so his tear ducts did it for him. The salty fluid leaked from his eyes and pulled Shia into a tight embrace. She returned the gesture and he was so grateful that she was there that he didn't notice Aiya's seal warming. He was eternally grateful that this girl cared so much for him, but despite the burden lifted from him, he still felt a longing in the pit of his stomach. "I'm so glad she's here," he thought, "But why couldn't it be Hinata?"
--
Temari sat in the dusty confines of Konoha's archives flipping through endless stacks of records dating back to the first Hokage's reign. Tsunade had enlisted her help in researching sector six in exchange for healing her arm and whatever aid the Leaf village could provide Suna in the earthquake's aftermath. She yawned mightily; the blonde Hokage woke her up in the middle of the night to tell her about her grandfather's journal entry. "Wonder if the two are related?"
She contemplated lying down and taking a nap when two of her 'cohorts' arrived and made her reconsider. Anko had already changed from her funeral robes as had Tsunade- Kurenai wouldn't be doing much of anything for a few days. "Hey," Temari greeted lazily, "You're finally back."
"Yeah," the Mitarashi nabbed a book and began thumbing through it. She sounded tired as well- Tsunade must have interrupted her beauty sleep too. "Anything?"
She shook her head. "Not a thing. No mention of anyone that could be a stranger." She emphasized the final word to express annoyance over the lack of description give by the blonde village leader.
"Well sorry my grandfather didn't write enough," said woman took a seat on the floor with the rest of them. A few seconds passed and she spoke again. "I don't think we're about to find anything in these."
"Thank God!" Anko exclaimed, tossed the book over her shoulder, and then stretched. "Any more reading and I'm gonna have an aneurism!"
Temari reserved her irritation as she gingerly shut her report folder. "Why did you go through this in the first place? It sounds to me like whoever was responsible for giving the first Hokage the tailed beasts wouldn't miss something like this."
"They didn't," the sweets lover interrupted, "Well, not all of it. The removed a statement from a ninja building the tunnel system before making him disappear…"
"But they missed my grandfather's personal journals," Tsunade added. "Hashimara mentioned that he 'feared the stranger's power', so he probably had an idea of what he was dealing with…"
"Yeah, that's what I don't get. He said that this 'stranger' guy gave him the tailed beasts. Who the hell just gives away chakra monsters like that?!"
She shrugged. "I don't know, but he mentioned an agreement."
Temari butted in. "Right- it was to split up the tailed beasts with the other villages."
The blonde superior gathered all the evidence in her mind and concentrated. "Curse said he wanted to concentrate on Danzo, and one of Danzo's subordinates claimed that the ROOT network is underground. Given Temari's story, I'm inclined to believe that there's a second tunnel system beneath Konoha…"
"Wait, wait," Anko interrupted, "Wouldn't we have noticed a second system by now?"
She eyed the snake charmer. "Not it everyone who notices it dies or disappears. As I was saying, I believe that Danzo and his ROOT program is located in this second system…"
Temari frowned. "But Danzo's not old enough…"
"…But he's not in charge," she continued unabated, "There's someone else, or rather, some other organization that's responsible. The stranger that gave Hashimara the tailed beasts couldn't be alive today, and for no one to notice his base of operations suggests that he worked with others. And since organizations can continue long after the death of their predecessors…"
Anko picked up on it. "…Would mean that this organization's still up and running." She whistled. "Phew, scary shit…"
The wind user wondered about this 'Danzo' person since she knew very little about him and put forth an inquiry. "This Danzo… he doesn't sound like the kind of guy who takes orders from anyone."
Tsunade nodded in agreement. "He's not. And for him to operate out of the second system alongside this other organization would mean that he's working with them. And since he actually cares about the safety of the village and this other group gave the first Hokage the tailed beasts, I'm inclined to think that this shadow organization is… benevolent."
The Mitarashi frowned. "But Danzo ordered Naruto Uzumaki killed…"
This was news to Temari. "He what?!"
"Sorry," the blonde woman apologized, "I forgot to tell you that. But Anko brings up a good point- Danzo believes in protecting the village at all costs, and for him to be cooperating with a second group must mean that he believes they hold the same view."
"So then… it's not really a benevolent group…"
Tsunade rubbed her temple. "I… can't be sure. There's not enough evidence and all these assumptions conflict."
The sand ninja offered her outsider's opinion. "Then just go with what you know- the First's journal."
The well-endowed leader nodded; sometimes it helped to have a third party analyze things. "The so-called 'agreement' between my grandfather and the stranger was that the tailed beasts be split up. If this shadow organization believed the same as Hashimara- that all this power could prevent war- then it means the stranger wanted the world to benefit from it. If, however, he did it with the intention of causing war, then he was trying to get everyone to fight over them."
Anko scratched her head; this made sense, but something didn't feel right about it. "But if the stranger was a good guy, why did the First not trust him?"
"How do you know my grandfather distrusted him?"
"The witness's statement and the witness himself disappeared, but the First's journal didn't. That means the First hid it because he wanted someone to find it."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Then if he didn't trust this organization, why should we?"
--
Naruto awoke in the dead of night in a dreary state of mind, vaguely noticing that he was alone. His azure eyes blinked the extreme weariness away and he realized that Shia was no longer next to him. "Where'd she go?" he wondered, his tired mind kicking into gear from persuasive slumber.
He rose from his bed and wandered into the living room in the darkness, the uncluttered windows providing passage with the moon's pale illumination. For a moment, said light reminded him of Hinata's eyes, but he quickly squelched those thoughts; he still wasn't ready to deal with the irrational pain he felt regarding her. As his eyes properly adjusted to the dimness he noticed an out of place silhouette on his couch- Shia sat immobile in complete silence on his aged furniture, not even bothering to spare him a glance.
Curious as his sleepy mind could muster, he plopped down next to her and gazed at her eyes; the moist auburn orbs were practically unreadable as they stared into the abyss. "You okay?" he murmured, his voice scratching upon release.
The disturbed girl rolled her head around to look at him with seemingly blank eyes before turning away once again. An awkward moment passed before she spoke. "Why are you up?"
"I could ask you the same thing," he returned, not fully convinced he was speaking to Shia. Despite recent happenings between the two seal masters, the current state of the younger girl didn't quite feel right. "Aiya?" he went out on a limb.
A slight nod of the head confirmed the blonde's assumption. "Can't sleep."
The Uzumaki briefly wondered why the normally aggressive personality was so passive at the moment. "Why's that?"
An even longer silence passed before she responded. "You ever wonder why I know everything Shia does and more?"
"Sometimes," he replied. He never really gave it much thought.
"Every so often, when Shia's consciousness is asleep and mine is still awake, I can take control of this body without the use of that seal." She turned to gaze at the intelligent teen. "It's the one secret I've managed to keep from Shia. Everything else… she has access to." Breaking the glance, she continued with uncharacteristic melancholy. "These few moments are the only times I have to be myself."
"So…" he conjectured, "This is your… private time."
"Yeah," she nodded, "It's the only time that my thoughts are my own."
"Is… something bothering you?" This sullen attitude in the alternate mindset was troubling. Naruto received dead silence in reply, so he took that as a 'yes'. "What's wrong? Do you wanna talk about it?"
Aiya said nothing as she formulated her words; for once, she was grateful that the older boy was so freakishly patient. "When Shia and I are both awake, we share the same experiences. I feel every act of cruelty shown towards her as well as…" she paused, swallowed, and continued, "Every bit of kindness. I go through everything she does."
"I see," he replied quietly. There was no need to speak loudly- the two sat side by side.
"During Shia's early years, I was created in her mind to help her survive. I always guided her through all the crap life has to offer and she always listened to me." Her auburn eyes locked on to the blonde's face in a strange combination of anger and sorrow. "Then you came along. You treated her with kindness and, little by little, she started to rely on you instead of me."
The Uzumaki gave the barest of nods. He had an idea of where this conversation was going- if Aiya shared the same experiences with Shia, then his benevolence to the dominant personality probably left a mark on the estranged mindset as well. "I never thought I'd see a split personality with an identity crisis…"
"Now she won't listen to me at all." By this point, an undeniable tone of frustration and sadness poisoned the girl's voice. "So what was I created for? Why do I even exist now?" Then, the strangest of things happened- beads of tears formed in the usually aggressive girl's eyes. "What's the point of living if I don't have a purpose?"
Naruto wrapped his arm around the younger girl, eliciting a slight jolt from her at his touch. He of all people understood exactly what Aiya meant; after all, what was so different about them? Both housed distinctly separate entities within themselves and constantly waged a mental war for their identities. "I know what you mean," he consoled her in a soft voice, stroking her opposing arm with his outstretched hand. "I know exactly what you mean. But," he glanced into her overly moist eyes and bared a humble smile to her attentive features, "It really isn't something to worry about."
"It's what?" A trickle of harshness echoed through her inquiry. Was he mocking her in this vulnerable state? "How the hell can you say that? I don't even have a body- how the hell can I even be aware of my existence?"
"Because you are," he replied gently, squeezing her a millimeter closer to explain his point of view. "I won't lie- life isn't fair. It dealt you a poor hand and left you with no hope for the future. But remember, you're not alone in this world."
Aiya scowled with angry tears slowly escaping. "Thanks…"
"But that's the thing," he cut off her sarcasm, "You're concerned about the well being of someone else, you fight to survive, and you even wonder about your own existence. In that regard, you're a normal person like the rest of us." He smiled and elaborated further. "In fact, you're more human than a lot of people in this world who don't have split personalities." The spite in the girl's eyes receded a bit and was replaced by a fresh onslaught of tears that silently slid down her cheeks. The Uzumaki wiped one side with his free hand and stated, "See? You feel emotions and pain just like everyone else."
"But I still don't have a body to call my own…"
"What about now?"
"I… uh…" she stammered. He had a point there.
"It's not what you are that defines you, but rather what you do. It's moments like this that really count."
"But…" Aiya didn't know how to respond to that, "What… what do I do? Shia no longer listens to me… so… what do I do? How am I supposed to live?"
Naruto smiled brightly at the confused girl in his arm and pressed her nose. "Live for yourself. Take these moments and treasure them as much as you can; don't worry about what the future holds. Sometimes…" he turned away, tears of his own forming in his eyes upon the realization that this advice applied to him as well, "Sometimes you just have to live one day at a time and take it as it comes."
The split personality nodded in understanding then leaned against the blonde, supporting her head in the crutch of his shoulder. A moment of silence passed as notions of all kinds flooded her mind at once before she spoke again. "You said…" she stopped, feeling too nervous to go through with the statement.
"Hm?" he glanced down at her with moist eyes and started absentmindedly combing her hair with the hand that hooked her shoulder. "Yeah?"
"You said…" she swallowed, "To live for myself, make my own decisions. Do what I want."
"Yeah," he choked, still reliving that moment with Hinata in which his world practically crumbled away while trying his best to focus on the disturbed girl. "You've made good judgments so far, so keep doing that. Just do what you think is best."
Aiya said nothing as she laid against the older boy, lost in her own thoughts. Her mind swam with the memories of the blonde that she shared with Shia; the genius's willingness to see them as human despite their screwy status, his concern for their lives, those words he spoke three years ago when he attempted to send them out of Konoha. "I've always thought he would get us killed. Could I have been wrong?" She glanced upwards at the boy. "I've never been wrong before, but… there is a first time for everything." The currently dominant personality smiled inwardly, honestly content for once in her life.
The prodigy yawned widely. "I'm really tired," he claimed at the end of the sleepy motion, "How about you?"
She leaned all her weight against him with his arm still draped around her and murmured, "Let me stay like this for a little while. It won't last much longer."
Naruto acknowledged the girl and closed his eyes as he shifted into a comfortable position on the couch. His eyes drooped and he eventually succumbed to slumber after a few minutes of exposure to the younger girl's warmth.
Said girl buried herself into his chest and whispered "Thanks, Curse," in the lowest of voices before drifting off to la-la land.
--
The next day started off on a bad note for Tsunade. No sooner had she awoken from her nap than she had to run off and prevent Asuma's students from rushing towards certain death. She lectured them on their foolishness and was about to officially reprimand them for their vigilante actions, but Kakashi stepped in and offered to be their backup in case anything went wrong. "With everything that's been going on, that's very likely."
As the newly minted team moved to leave, the Hatake halted and glanced back. "Lady Tsunade," he spoke in a hushed whisper, "There's something I need to tell you."
Her gaze became grave. "What is it?"
"A few days ago, I noticed the presence of someone watching me and Yamato during Naruto's training."
This was problematic. "Friend or foe?"
He shrugged apologetically. "I'm not sure. They disappeared after a few seconds."
"If they could evade Kakashi…" She left that thought hanging. "We have a few cases like this already. Thank you for letting me know."
"'A few cases like this already'?" he wondered before nodding and turning to leave with his impromptu squad. "Not a problem." With that, he rushed off with the three chunin and left Tsunade at the gates.
"Chances are whoever was watching him was really watching Naruto. If they're involved with this organization, then they're probably interested in the tailed beasts." A thought struck her and she slapped her forehead. "Idiot!" she muttered to herself, "Could it be that it's the Akatsuki?! Is that organization older than we thought?!"
--
Hours passed, and the immortal freaks belonging to the aforementioned group lied defeated before the Konoha ninja's before them. Hidan cursed Shikamaru with every fiber of his being even as the boulders fell atop his dismembered body, and Kakuzu couldn't move a muscle after having taken the full brunt of the blonde kid and that bizarre sphere of chakra. The ancient man could only look on as the silver-haired Sharingan user approached him to finish him off.
Kakashi stared him down as he sputtered, "How… could a bunch of kids beat…"
The Hatake interrupted him. "Oh, I'm sure we look like a bunch of kids to someone who fought the first Hokage. And to us, you look like a washed-up decrepit old man." He channeled chakra into his palm and brought it to life with crackling electricity. "That's why it's time for you to die. The next generation will always surpass the previous. It's one of the never-ending cycles of life."
Kakuzu glared at him and released a chuckle before his demise. "I knew we should have paid them more…" he mused as the sparkling hand dove into his last heart and finally ended his life.
Kakashi stood and spared the corpse a final glance before leaving. He hadn't heard the aged ninja's final thought, so naturally he could never have predicted that Kakuzu was wrong. The ancient shinobi who had fought many battles would pay 'them' with his body and be the only corpse Zetsu never recovered. He disappeared in a flash of rainbow lights when there was no one left to witness it.
--
The sun set on Konoha in the wake of the Akatsuki's actions, and Naruto was not amused in the least. His 'training' had been more or less completed, meaning that he no longer had anything to momentarily distract him from the pain in his heart. He walked home with his arm in a cast- apparently his newest technique was dangerous, even to him. He knew that he wouldn't use it much given the close proximity it required when he had so many others at his disposal, but that wasn't why he sulked.
"If Hinata was here, she could heal my arm up nice and easy." Tsunade and Sakura had told him that the damage was at the cellular level and that even they could do nothing to remedy it. Only time would fix the damage until it could do no more. "Screw that…" He ripped the cast off after having poured an excessive amount of the fox's chakra into his arm to speed up the process. He didn't usually do this, seeing as how whenever the fox gained a foothold, it liked to dump its influence into him. Once he could move his fingers he nodded in absent satisfaction before staring into the peaceful night sky.
"But it's not peaceful," he knew, "Nothing's the way it should be. I should be with Hinata… but I'm stuck with this God damn fox!!" His fist clenched as he grasped the affected limb and squeezed. His hopelessness was catching up to him, and meeting that Akatsuki freak had only driven it home in his mind. "What else is there?! Akatsuki wants me… Hinata doesn't… Danzo wants me dead…!" He slammed his fist into a light pole and left a splintered dent. His teeth clenched and his canines grew as his desperation vented into anger. "Danzo! He's the reason Hinata doesn't want me!" Irrationality clouded his mind. "I'll kill Danzo! I'll kill him and destroy the ROOT organization!"
He stomped off and stormed through his home, unaware that the fox's chakra was reacting to his frustration and seeping through his system. He couldn't hear anything around him as he clambered into his private chamber, not even Shia's worried cries. He ripped off his gaudy orange clothes and hurriedly donned half of his alter ego's clothing before kicking out the grate that separated him from the subterranean hive. He rushed as fast as his feet could take him, unaware of the third tail that was bubbling to life behind him. There was only one thing on his mind at this point.
"Kill!!"
--
Hinata plopped down on a bench at Ichiraku's Ramen stand and sighed; she constantly found herself being reminded of him whether she wanted to or not. Case in point, her feet brought her to this place that the blonde frequented.
"I thought I wanted to forget about him," she wished, "He's dangerous, and yet I can't get him out of my mind?" She ordered a bowl of ramen and continued her internal debate, knowing that anyone who paid her any mind would see that she was down and hoped that they didn't pry. The Hyuuga was so lost in her thoughts that she barely noticed a certain white-haired giant sit next to her.
"Hey cutie!" Jiraiya boisterously greeted Ayame, "I'll have whatever you suggest!" He chuckled at the older teen's poorly hidden gag before commenting to seemingly no one. "The ramen here's not so bad. I can see why Naruto likes it."
The undercover genius flinched; why did even the infamous toad sage have to bring up the blonde? "Y-yes," she stuttered with a nervous nod.
"And the view here ain't too bad either," he leered and received a slap from a disgusting Ayame. It didn't hurt much, and he chuckled upon noticing the blue-haired girl turn away from him while attempting to withhold a snort. He smiled. "Good to see you're not all doom and gloom."
Hinata swallowed the laughter and returned to her bowl with a sad smile. "T-thank you, master Jiraiya…"
"That won't do," he ridiculed her, "It's the great toad Sannin whose face can silence even a crying child- the gallant Jiraiya!"
This time, Hinata couldn't hold it in. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and she openly laughed at the outburst.
The aging man returned her boisterous laughter with a smirk; he had gotten through to her… kinda. When her enjoyment died down, he turned to his recently arrived bowl of noodles and dipped his chopsticks into the broth. When the Hyuuga did the same, he said, "I go by a lot of nicknames these days- I like 'em. They're cool." He stuffed a mouthful of ramen into his mouth and swallowed. "I'm sure Naruto would think so too if he had any- long names, I mean. Not that short one."
Hinata almost bit her chopsticks in two. Her opalescent eyes went wide and she tried not to stare at the experienced ninja. She failed. "W-what do y-you mean?" She wished her stutter was false that time.
Jiraiya chuckled and answered her without a return glance. "Of course, he's starting that wind affinity training today, so I guess his nickname matches up perfectly. A… Cursed Wind, right?" He nodded in satisfaction. "Yeah, I guess that sounds pretty cool."
The shocked genius's eyes resembled dinner plates. "Did he figure it out?! Holy shit! He figured it out!"
The man chortled again. "I even heard another one like that while travelling with him, but I don't think it's for him. I mean, c'mon, does Silent River sound like Naruto?" He winked at her to convey his understanding of the situation.
Hinata was almost hysterical; she now knew that the toad master had figured them out. But how? Their masks were flawless… or at least consistent, weren't they? "H-how do you know?" she hissed.
"'Cause I'm the gallant Jiraiya!" He raised an arm in victory then returned to his steaming bowl. "But you know, Naruto doesn't seem like himself lately. And from what I've been hearing, neither have you."
She blinked, totally ignoring the meal before her. "I… uh…"
"So," he spared her an attentive glance, "What happened?"
The female prodigy shifted her gaze to the ground in remembrance; she didn't want to recall this. A few awkward seconds passed before she spoke. "He… told me about the fox."
"I see," he nodded, "And?"
"I… it… scares me. I mean, there's already a lot going on that's dangerous enough without that, and… if his seal failed while he was with me then…" She left that statement hanging in the hopes that the Sannin understood.
Thankfully, he did. "So you're afraid that the seal will break when he's around you."
Her downcast stare remained steadfast as she nodded in affirmation.
Jiraiya stuck a lip out in consideration before consuming another mouthful of noodles. "It is risky, I admit. Heh, training him to use the fox's chakra almost killed me once too."
"Then you know how dangerous he is!" She looked him in the eye with concern etched into her face; this was clearly an unsettling matter for her. "You know what could happen!"
He responded with a smile. "That's true. If the seal should fail, then he'll be a danger to himself and everyone around him. He's proven that a couple of times already." Swallowing another batch of ramen, he continued. "But I have a feeling it goes a little deeper for you. How many risks are you already taking?"
"How many?" she repeated. "There's… a lot. I don't really know…"
"And I assume every one of them is life-threatening?"
She considered this for a moment. "Probably…"
"Then what's one more?" He noted her curious gaze and expounded. "If you're already risking your life, then why not risk it with someone who fights the same battle?"
"But… but if he loses control…"
"Hinata," he regarded her seriously, "I've seen the seal myself, and I know how it works. It takes a lot to weaken it and it's easy to reinforce. Naruto might be dangerous, but he has to let it take control. If he has someone he cares for by his side, then he'll fight it. Besides," he added to the side, "You're already taking a risk by being in the same village."
The Hyuuga regarded the Sannin with a considerate gaze before returning to the cooling noodles. She stirred the ramen with her chopsticks in contemplation; she understood what the elder ninja said and it made sense, assuming it was true. "But there's no reason for him to lie, is there?" she debated, "I don't see why he'd lie about almost dying, so if he wouldn't go that far, then why embellish anything else?" Whether she realized it or not, Jiraiya's words had an impact on her. Was he right about the blonde? Was Naruto really not as unstable as she believed? Could things go back to the way they were? Could there still be something for her and Naruto?
Hinata planted her chopsticks down and swung her feet over to leave. "I've… gotta go." She spared one final glance towards the Sannin and mumbled, "Thanks." With that, she departed from the scene and promptly melted into the night.
Jiraiya simply smiled to himself. "Not a problem." A thought struck him and his lips widened into a leery grin. "Just as long as I get a camera in the women's hot springs…"
--
Mere minutes passed and brought the Hyuuga genius to the blonde's door. Her heart beat hard at what she was finally forcing herself to do, and she hesitated for only a moment before pounding on the door. When no answer came, she toned it down and knocked a little more gently. "I have to talk to him… I have to see him…" She frowned as she rapped against the wooden frame for a third time.
Answering her unspoken call, a set of small footsteps emanated from within and the door swung open. "S-Silence!"
"Shia!" Hinata yelped back in surprise. Something was wrong; she could see it in the girl's auburn eyes. "What's wrong?!"
"It's Curse!" She aimed a finger at the open trapdoor that led to his secret chamber. "S-something's wrong with him!"
Her mouth dropped open and her hands went to cover it. "No… it can't be…" Visions of a horrible monster flooded her mind and arrested her breath for a moment. "Where is he?!" she inquired loudly as she bolted into the room.
"I-I don't know!" Shia's eyes watered- she was scared. What happened to her Curse to cause such a malevolent change? She was too alarmed to even care that the person who broke the boy's heart stood before her- right now, anyone's assistance was welcome.
The Hyuuga stared down the hole that led to the blonde's room and noted that almost every trap had been sprung and was dripping with blood. She could make out a large crimson smear at the bottom as she thumbed the scroll in her pouch. Planting the scroll on the ground, she released her equipment and donned her armor as quickly as she could before leaping down the cramped hole and landing at the bottom with an audible crack of the mats beneath her feet. Her pale eyes gazed in horror at the wrecked room; it looked like a maelstrom had moved through. She found the gaping hole that led to the tunnel system and found a blood trail snaking into the darkness. Without thinking, she bolted after the organic markers with worry building in her system.
"Please… not before I could talk to him! Not before…" she bit her lip, "Not before I could tell him how I feel…"
Dun Dun Duuuuuun!
Who did the first Hokage strike a deal with?
Are they benevolent or not?
And how will Hinata face her fears of the fox? (hey, alliteration...)
Little better? If you read between the lines, there's actually a lot of actual plotline and setup...
Hope you enjoyed it! Have fun deliberating, if you choose to do so.