Sasuke retrieval arc
Demise pt2
Walking on the, by now, familiar path through the forest line, Tenten frowned a little at the sight in front of her. As she passed the torii that marked the entrance to the Uzumaki compound, Tenten saw countless Narutos on the large pond. But on top of the wooden platform in the center, where the bridges crossing the pond were connected, stood Mitarashi Anko, a very happy Mitarashi Anko.
"Target practice," one of the copies yelled as he jumped on the bridge. His black shirt, sporting the Uzumaki clan symbol, was soaked. By the smell of it, although they stood a few meters apart, Tenten strongly suspected it was from sweat and not from the pond below.
"You're exaggerating everything again?" she hollered, and then pinched the bridge of her nose while muttering something about 'boys' and 'ridiculous training methods'.
"Errr, only a little," Naruto shrugged. "But after the thing with Sasuke, I realized I had to up my speed. I mean, that bastard wasn't even the quickest guy at the Chunin Exams, and he still had me on the ropes while I couldn't use kage bunshin. Luckily, Anko is… well, I wonder if I should call it friendly," the blond frowned. "Ah well, let's just say that she's friendly enough to help me out. Aside from testing my new limits on how much chakra I have, it is giving me more experience in how to dodge and evade attacks. Even though I can't train my physical speed this way."
"She's just happy that she has an endless supply of clones which she can kill, isn't she," Tenten deadpanned, seeing the maniacal grin on the older kunoichi's face.
"Kinda. Though, I would rather have her blow off steam here, than let her continue with her crazy attempts at making Raido a more social man," a sweatdrop ran down the back of the blond's head. Then again, Anko's methods, which usually involved pain or snakes, or both, didn't really seem to be related to what she said she wanted to do. 'She's just annoyed she hasn't tortured or interrogated anyone, and now she tries to take it out on us. Well, on Raido, at least. Kurenai-sensei won't allow her to touch any of us, and Ako-chan is… well, even Anko knows when to back off.'
"Boss is at the temple, just knock at the front door before you enter, in case he's doing something crazy again," the clone continued aloud. "Though I bet that crazy snake lady is going pop at least one of my brothers before you arrive, so Boss will know you're coming.."
"You're all alone with Anko?"
"Nope. Raido and Gaara are up the mountain with Yamato, as Gaara is doing chakra control exercises. Temari has a few of my brethren with her, to teach us how to improve our futon jutsus. My futon jutsus… Errr, whatever. We are all me, so who cares. And Karin… well, she's having some fun with Kurenai-sensei and the others, going through a lot of training," the clone chuckled.
"S-sensei, do we… really need to… do this?" Karin panted.
"Of course," Kurenai frowned. "Kiba and Hinata aren't having much trouble, so I think you should really keep working on improving your stamina."
"At least you recover quicker that we do," Kiba smirked. "Though, this was only the warming up exercise!" Akamaru yipped in affirmation and hopped over to the now depressed Uzumaki.
"I'm sure you'll improve quickly, Karin-san," Hinata encouraged her. If anyone could relate to Karin's lack of confidence, it would be Hinata. "When we first became genin, we had to adjust to the training regime too."
"Yeah.. Konoha certainly trains its genin harder than Kusa ever did," Karin sighed. "Ah well, let's continue. I'm not going to hold you back this time!"
Kurenai couldn't help but smile at the determination of her genin. In her years, she had seen more than her fair share of shinobi who lost motivation after dropping out of the exams. Not everyone had the willpower to continue pursuing their goals after having such a setback, not to mention that many lost their innocent ideas on what it means to be a shinobi. Too many genin still entered the exams with some kind of romanticized idea of their careers, and were unguarded against the brutal onslaught that usually followed during the first rounds which weeded out the weakest and most naïve of them.
'Sometimes is it just so easy to forget that they are still just children…'
Just before Tenten went to knock on the old and weathered door which closed off the Uzumaki mask storage temple, a voice resounded, telling her to come in. "You've really lived among the Hyuga too long, didn't you?" Tenten muttered, walking towards the main hall.
"Nope, but I did put up a lot of barriers around this place, so I knew someone was right in front of the door," Naruto answered, surprising the girl with how sharp his hearing was. The main hall was now filled with two large tables, whose tops couldn't be seen due to the vast amount of books and scrolls littered on top of them.
"Whoa, what bomb did explode in this place? Or was it a tornado that created this chaos?"
"I, eh… Guess I have to clean up, don't I?" Naruto laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I had to do a lot of research for Gaara's sealing, and considering how Ako and the others don't come in this place… I mean, usually I just clean my room because Ako gets mad if I don't. She can be surprisingly strict for someone who appears to be so calm…"
"They don't enter this room? Why not?" Tenten frowned.
"They're afraid. See those masks?" Naruto pointed at the podium, of sorts, where several oni-masks hung beneath three connected symbols of the Uzumaki clan. "Those things are rather dangerous. That's the reason why I put up barriers around this place, even though it is within the confines of this compound."
Tenten noticed that something was off about those things. In fact, they spooked her. As if the demonic visages were actual faces, staring at her. Seeing the girl take a step back, Naruto smiled. "Don't worry, they don't bite."
"What are those things?"
"Not sure," Naruto chuckled when she glared at him. "I'm not going to take any risks with those things, seriously. Some feel like they would suck out my soul if I'd put them up, others feel like a promise of endless torment, and others…" Naruto shivered for a moment. "I have to study the seals engraved on the masks in perfect detail, before I'm even doing a thing with them. And that's only for the ones that don't freak me out. The really bad ones… I'm not touching those, not for a hundred million ryo."
Tenten paled a little. Whatever frightened Naruto, someone who was unfazed even when confronting a bijuu, was something wayyyy beyond her comfort zone.
Rummaging through a pile of scrolls on the table, Naruto finally found what he was looking for. "Here," he threw it towards Tenten. "It's a copy of a weight seal, which includes some pre-sets which you could switch between when activated, so that it is easier to apply to the weapons you wield."
"Wha?" Tenten stared owlishly at the blond.
"You used something like that to beat Shino, during the finals. This version is a bit more advanced. I thought you would like it, considering how it complements nicely with your Bukijutsu. I mean, it's a seal that can be applied to most of your weapons. Well, except for the throwing weapons, I guess," Naruto considered. "But you'd be a better judge of that. It's your specialty, after all."
"T-thanks," Tenten felt a bit awkward that Naruto just handed her such a jutsu, without even asking for anything in return.
"No problem," Naruto smiled widely. For an instant, Tenten was stunned by the realization of how much the boy had changed. No longer did he have that distant look in his eyes, as if he distrusted the entire world around him. No, his blue eyes had a cheerful sparkle that just seemed to be too contagious to resist. "How are Bushy Brows, Neji, and Bushier Brows Sensei doing?"
"Training, of course," Tenten sighed. "Ever since you beat Lee, his 'flames of youth' are burning higher than ever. So I had to get away for a while, as I couldn't stand Gai sensei's rants on 'youth' any longer. As for Neji, well, he seems to have changed a lot. He spends a lot more time with us now, though the death of his father hit him hard," she admitted.
"Losing those dear to you… If it didn't affect him at all, he wouldn't have had a heart," Naruto grimaced, and Tenten saw that despite the cheerful attitude earlier, Naruto was still a rather contemplative. "And that would've been worse than the pain he feels right now."
"What did you do to him?"
"Eh?"
"Neji, he hated his clan. He had so much anger that Gai-sensei even considered taking him out of the exams, saying that Neji wasn't ready for promotion yet. But after you beat him… He suddenly addresses Hinata as 'sama', but without any of the sarcasm or gloomy expressions which he used to have with it. And attending the party for your birthday too, it was almost a bit out of character for him."
"Neji was cornered, and did things most people would have done, I guess. Hinata convinced me to force him from the path he was on. Frankly, if it had been up to me at that point, I would rather have murdered him for what he did during the prelims. But Hinata showed me that my beliefs were just as wrong as Neji's. Hatred isn't something that emerges without a cause. I was merely fighting the symptoms, while Hinata showed me that it is far more effective to confront the root cause."
"What do you mean?" Tenten frowned. "You mean that whole main and branch business from the Hyuga clan? You messed with his seal, didn't you?" she realized.
"I trust you, Tenten, so I won't lie and deny it- but never tell anyone that I can do that," Naruto looked her in the eyes. "If the Hyuga knew I could mess with their caged bird seal system, they wouldn't be very pleased. Well, that would be an understatement… Considering the power the Hyuga clan has, this is the kind of stuff that could cause civil wars."
Tenten paled, and was too speechless to do anything but nod.
"I know that Lee and Gai-sensei wouldn't question his behavior, and happily accept it as a change for the better. But you're too inquisitive," Naruto smiled. "You'd ask. And Neji can't give the honest answer without revealing this secret. And knowing him, I suspect his response would be rather disrespectful…" Noticing Tenten's grimaced, he started chuckling. "Now you know why he was such a prick about it."
"I suppose.. Not that I like it. Stupid secrets everywhere," Tenten mumbled.
"We're shinobi. It's not like all our conflicts could just be solved by turning it into a contest of whose jutsu is the most destructive. No, the secretive stuff is part of our lives. Though, I'd agree that just blowing everything apart would be an easier solution at times. At the same time, we can't expect people to just change after a single conversation. That would be utterly unrealistic," Naruto shrugged. He walked over to the other side of the hall, and took out his bo staff. "How about a spar? I haven't trained bojutsu since before the Jii-san fixed my seal."
"Yeah… Though, I have a question on differentiating elemental types of chakra for the chakra-conductors within barrier seal too, but we can deal with that afterwards. And I wouldn't mind venting some frustration," her predatory smile made Naruto pause for a second.
"Damn, everyone treats me like a punching bag these days," his shoulders slumped down due to a (mostly) faked depression.
"We're just trying to cheer you up," Tenten giggled. "And your less depressing attitude as of late also invites it. Now, we can at least mess with you, without having your eyes glowing red."
"Then I suppose me getting bullied is an unwanted side effect of getting my seal fixed? Ah well, I guess it's better than having the Kyuubi panting on the back of your neck."
"Is what Jiraiya-sama said really true? That Sandaime-sama reinforced your seal before he died?"
"Well, you heard Ero-kage's speech, right? What he said might not be fully complete, but it was correct nonetheless," Naruto sighed. "The Kyuubi is strong, so over the years my seal started to get some damage. The effort it took to stop Gaara, when he released the Ichibi in the middle of Konoha, only made things worse for me. The more of its chakra I used, the more my seal got damaged- to the point where I was starting to lose control. Jii-san undid that damage, and made the seal stronger than it's ever been."
"But… won't the people be scared now? I mean, you once said that your status as a jinchuriki was kept a secret."
"I asked for it, to make my burden public knowledge and to abolish the laws that prevented people from talking about it. Most of the adults knew about it anyway. And I told everyone that matters to me about it. So everyone who doesn't know at this time, well, I guess their ignorance would hurt me more in this case. If they want to hate me, they'd at least hate me for the right thing," Naruto shrugged. "And with their Godaime making the last will of the Sandaime public right after the funeral, perhaps they'll see the point in the old man's sacrifice. Aside from saving my ass, of course," he sighed.
"Gai-sensei said it was the noblest thing he ever heard of. Well, not literally, but with all the 'youthfulness' stuff removed, that's what he meant."
"Perhaps. I mean, it's obvious that I'm eternally grateful for what he did for me. But I can't help but feel sorry for Konohamaru," Naruto admitted. "If not for me, his grandfather could've lived for another few weeks. But due to my failure to contain the Kyuubi…"
"Hey! Jiraiya-sama said that it wasn't your fault, it was that of the seal. And who wouldn't understand that? Even the power of the freaking Yondaime has its limits when it comes to a monster like the Kyuubi, right?"
"…I guess you're right. Thanks, Tenten," he smiled, although not very convincingly. 'But what was that about the seal not being finished? What happened that night, when I was born? How could the seal have been incomplete from the very beginning? If that had not been the case, the Kyuubi would not have been able to slowly corrode the seal. But considering how neither Ero-sennin nor Baachan knew what the old man's mysterious last words meant, we could not figure out why the seal had been incomplete. Although, Ero-sennin did mumble something about old suspicions that someone had manipulated the Kyuubi that night. But those suspicions died along with the Uchiha clan. Weird, if you consider it... If they were all wiped out in one night, as the stories said, then there had not been any Uchiha among them who was strong enough to manipulate the Kyuubi either. Unless… unless it had been the one who killed the Uchiha, himself. But it couldn't have been Itachi, he was too young at that time…'
"Yeah, yeah, come on," Tenten urged him, oblivious to his musing. "I'm going to smack some sense into you. I can't allow myself to let you go full emo," she huffed. However, she felt a little annoyed that she felt a blush creep on her face.
"Who wouldn't go 'full emo' if they experienced being killed dozens of times a day?" Naruto laughed sheepishly.
"Anko took all your clones out?"
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Every. Single. One. With a freaking fireball, because she ran out of kunai…"
"She really is crazy, isn't she?"
"Only when she's not sleeping… or when she's at the dango booth," Naruto considered. "But in all other cases: yes. It's not that Chie isn't giving her enough reasons to go mad… I think the lack of alcohol is what really drives Anko mad."
"You are distracted," the bird flattered down, and looked Hinata in her eyes.
"S-sorry," Hinata squeaked.
"So, who is the boy who is lucky enough to deserve your affections?"
"T-that wa-wasn't-"
"I thought I told you not to attempt to lie to me," Suzaku chided her. It wasn't that the being was strict about it, but Hinata heard enough to know that she had to speak her mind.
"I apologize, I was merely worried about… a friend."
"You want him to be more than your friend, don't you?" the kind voice sounded more amused than Hinata had ever heard before. "You don't need to say it. I can see it clearly, dear."
Hinata bowed her head in defeat. "He.. Naruto-kun lost someone important to him. Again. I am a bit worried about him."
"Death is a natural part of life, something we must all face."
"I know, but he- Why do some people have to suffer so much more than others?"
"Do you want to delude yourself with ideas of equality? Nature does not bother itself with the opinions of mankind, dear. Notions such as 'fairness' are merely human inventions, but the world does not change its shape in order to fit the perception humanity has of it. No, human perception must follow the world. If you want to learn, you must be willing to abandon your ideas. You must be prepared to question yourself, in any possible way; including the habit you have of underestimating yourself, child."
The bird rustled its vermillion feathers, and hopped on the branch of a nearby tree. Hinata and Suzaku were within the confines of the Uzumaki compound, as Hitomi had deemed it best not to start any training exercises in the vicinity of the Hyuga clan, due to the risk of being discovered. When Hinata had explained this reasoning to Suzaku herself, the bird had merely been amused, stating that she wouldn't be spotted if she didn't want to be.
In fact, that very subject was the focus of today's training: chakra control, with the aim of becoming undetectable.
"You should try to focus yourself again, child, and continue."
"Yes, Suzaku-sama."
The bird watched as the young heiress closed her eyes and did as she was asked. 'Good. Hitomi-chan truly is correct that Hinata-chan has more potential than she had. Hinata's chakra reserves are certainly far greater than hers at this age, though still completely insufficient to summon my real body… Until then, I shall just use this body as a substitute. Humans may mistake me for the ruler of all birds, but that doesn't mean other birds won't bow to my will. But, with a little of my chakra merging with this servant, I can see through its eyes and convey my voice, even to those who lack the power to summon me completely. With the will this child has, she might be capable of doing it in a few years.'
She looked – well her minion did – at the young girl, and realized that she also had to correct a lot of her fighting style. The art of Juken had really deteriorated over the last century. 'Those fools focusing on power while their style is named 'gentle fist'. And they wondered why I refused to be summoned all this time?' Suzaku sighed, mentally at least, and considered that the girl didn't even perform so badly given the circumstances. Her natural affinity for water at least came with the usual tendency of flexibility. She shuddered at the thought of how much she would have had to re-educate the girl, had she been born with an affinity for earth…
"We'll wait here, Raido, you just go to the pervert and hand him your reports. Although with all the secrecy, I wonder if you're asking permission to marry Anko-chan," Naruto smirked. "Is that a file with nude pictures of her?"
Poof. Raido turned crimson instantly. "W-what?! I would never… I fell right into that one, didn't I?" the scar-faced tokubetsu jonin sighed as he realized he had been had.
"Completely," Karin laughed, after slurping down the last of her ramen. "Aah, you're really right, Nii-san. This is the best ramen ever!"
"Dear Kami, with two Uzumaki as customers, we're going to have to hire more help," Ayame looked at her father.
"Hey, don't think that I'm a pig like my brother!"
"Nee-chan, you just ate five bowls…"
"I trained the entire day," Karin pushed her glasses back, trying to hide her embarrassment. "It's not like I always eat this much. And it's their fault for making this stuff so good!" she pointed at the laughing Ayame.
"Told ya, ramen is the food of the gods! And old man Ichiraku makes the best ramen in the world!" Naruto put his bowl down. "Two more miso please!"
"Already working on it," Teuchi smiled. "Don't worry, Ayame, I'm sure Ako-chan won't let them come here every day, so it's not like we're being overrun. Right?"
"I sure hope so… I'm not going to last long if I'm going to have to make this much ramen every day," Ayame sighed. "Oh, more customers!" she walked towards the new entrants. "Welcome to Ichiraku's, do you need some time to decide or are you ready to order?"
"Well, I'll be back in ten minutes," Raido turned to Naruto. "You two should be fine here. It seems highly unlikely that someone would attack you on a street this busy."
"We'll manage, don't worry," Naruto waved him off. Turning to his nee-chan, "Seriously, he should relax a bit. Anko certainly has a point on that, hasn't she?" he mumbled, looking at the vanishing figure of their guard.
"Yup," Karin agreed. "Though I doubt Raido-san is ever going to accept that…"
"Stubborn as mules, both of them," Naruto chuckled. "Imagine if the two of them got married."
"Anko and Raido?" Karin dropped her chopstick in surprise. "Never! They'd kill each other before that," she laughed.
"See, Kakashi-sensei was right," a stoic voice sounded up from behind Naruto. "Why you ask? Because, Naruto-san is well known to spend a lot of time at this specific ramen stand."
"We know that," Sasuke grumbled.
"Hello, Naruto-san."
"Yo, what's up Shino? Why would Kakashi send you after me? Don't tell me you guys want to kill me again?" Naruto chuckled, though it could by no means be seen as a gesture of amusement. Naruto's cheerful attitude while eating ramen had disappeared the moment Sasuke showed up, something which definitely did not get past Sasuke. Then again, the last time they met had been less than friendly. Sasuke did not have fond memories of the corrosive chakra that Naruto had emitted that day.
"We are here to apologize," Shino remained patient despite Naruto's jab. "For none of us were aware of your burden, nor the sacrifice you had to make for our village."
"You already suspected that I was a jinchuriki, even though I did not confirm it," Naruto shrugged. "Besides, you never attacked me for it, so there's nothing you have to apologize for. If anything, I would have to apologize for not telling you sooner. And if you take into account what I did at the Wave mission, I suppose I can understand Sakura's response too, even though it was rather disappointing."
Sakura flinched, but looked defiant nonetheless. "How was I supposed to know what you are? I just saw you change and… slaughter."
"Yeah, you weren't prepared to see a shinobi doing a shinobi's job, I know," Naruto still found that he cared little. He could hardly imagine that he once had hopes for this girl. 'Especially if she refers to me as a 'what' instead of 'who'. That doesn't get her any points on sympathy.'
"Why didn't you tell us?" Sakura was a little ticked off by Naruto's nonchalance. "If you had told us we might have-"
"You might have what? How would anyone respond when being told that the person in front of them contains the demon that destroyed half the village a decade ago? No, I just wanted to be treated as a normal person. Instead, I have felt your disgust and fear ever since you saw me defend those villagers."
"You and normal," Sasuke scoffed.
"As hard as it may be for you to understand it, being considered 'normal' was all I ever wanted," Naruto glared at him. He could sense the intent radiating from the Uchiha. Even without the Kyuubi's influence, this was fairly obvious. "I'm here to eat some ramen, not to get into another stupid fight. Besides, you have destroyed your reputation in Konoha enough by now, didn't you? Though I bet what little goodwill you had was just enough to evade a more serious admonishment; but even that idiotic council will get fed up with your attitude someday."
"Sasuke isn't here to fight," Shino interrupted. He turned to face the Uchiha, but the latter remained silent. "He is here to offer his apologies, for the unwarranted attack on you at the Uchiha compound."
Well, at this point Naruto could do nothing but laugh. Sasuke's frown only got deeper. "I can see how sorry he is," Naruto chuckled, catching his breath after the laughter. "Such a heartfelt confession, I am so moved. I suppose Kakashi sent you here for that? It's just as convincing as could be expected of the infamous copy ninja… Geez, the bastard's not even interested enough in this to bother coming here himself. I guess he couldn't just copy another sensei…"
"Why do you dislike nii-san so much?" Karin wondered, frowning when she saw Sasuke's grimace.
"Nii-san?" Sakura frowned. "Since when do you have family, Naruto?"
Despite that his face was mostly hidden, Shino still visibly cringed. This was not the sort of question, especially with that discourteous tone, to ask an orphan.
"You don't sound like a fan of nii-san either. Look, I'm not really his sister, I know that, but we're both Uzumaki," Karin wondered what the pinkette's problem was. "But who cares?"
"I don't. Karin-neechan is the first Uzumaki I've found. As far as I'm concerned, she is my sister. Now, can I focus on my ramen now?" Naruto couldn't bother to even try to hide his annoyance. "Do you want a bowl though, Shino? There is something I want to talk to you about."
"Why do you hate Sasuke-kun so much?" Sakura blurted out.
"Excuse me? I'm not the one who began attacking the other," Naruto tone became rather icy. "Open your eyes for once, instead of always blindly siding with Sasuke. Try to understand the people around you, or else your blindness will keep chasing others away. Although I must say that it is rather ironic that you act this way, considering that you know very well what it is like to not be acknowledged."
Shino put a hand on Sakura's shoulder, before she could get the infuriated reply out of her mouth. "I am sorry, Naruto-san," he apologized once more. "It seems it was a mistake for us to come here. Why? Because Sakura is still grieving from her losses, while Sasuke is still too angry. I find your lack of composure disappointing as well."
"I had no intentions of insulting you, Shino, but you are all forgetting who I am. Did you really think you hid your intentions well enough? I can feel Sakura's fear as clearly as ever, and Sasuke… well, I think it doesn't take my particular sensory talent to notice his anger towards me," Narutoscoffed. "I thought you would have realized by now how dangerous it is if a person can't control his seal well enough. Are you really thinking Orochimaru gave you that thing without any ulterior motives? His influence will be as bad as the Kyuubi's was on me…"
That was the last thing Sasuke wanted to hear. All of the interior doubts within the young Uchiha flooded his mind, so he left before his anger got the better of him. With Sasuke stomping away, Sakura followed, leaving a frowning Shino.
"While I can understand your grudge against Sasuke, I find your behavior towards Sakura highly illogical."
"And why would that be? Naruto answered, more conversationally.
"Sakura is currently lost and confused, and under a great amount of stress. Why, you may ask? Because her mother died during the invasion," Shino stated. "After which her father lost himself to the intoxicating effects of alcohol, and perished due to an accident."
"So that was why she was so tense?" Karin realized.
Shino nodded. "Sakura has a lot of trouble dealing with her losses."
"I did not know that. It seems that, even without the Kyuubi constantly agitating me, I still act like a jerk," Naruto sighed. "Ah well, I will apologize for that on a later date. Even if she doesn't want to hear it, I owe her that much. But as for Sasuke… I must warn you to be careful," Naruto warned the Aburame. "The effectiveness of the method I used to seal the mark that Orochimaru left on Sasuke depends on Sasuke's willpower. The fact that that cursed thing influences him so much would suggest that Sasuke allows it to happen, that he seeks to use that power."
After a pause, Shino conceded, "His obsession with power seems to have increased, lately. Hatred seems to control his judgement, rather than logic."
"I guess I'm the last person to judge someone on that," Naruto grimaced. "But if I were you, I'd take this matter to Kakashi. And if he doesn't act, take it up to the Hokage."
"Sensei tried to reason with Sasuke several times now," Shino admitted. He didn't like to talk about others, especially not his teammates, behind their backs, but this was a matter that concerned him as well. In addition, he acknowledged Naruto's skill at fuinjutsu, not to mention that he began to realize that Naruto spoke from personal experience.
"You can use your kikaichu to analyze a person's chakra, can't you?"
"There is strand of kikaichu capable of such a thing, why?"
"Keep a close eye on Sasuke. If he really is tapping into that seal, the composition of his chakra should fluctuate whenever he's training or in combat. Or possibly, and it is the most troublesome option, the seal is affecting his mood. You're closer to him then we are. While I can sense the malice from that thing, I cannot say if it is affecting him… though I suspect it is doing so. The Sasuke I knew was someone who I looked up to for the way he coped with his losses. Despite everything, he remained strong. I wonder if my judgement about him was wrong, or if the seal increases his aggression."
Shino thought about it and nodded. "While spying on my teammates in such a fashion is not satisfactory, I must admit that this is the most logical way to analyze the situation. Thanks for your suggestion, Naruto-san. I shall take my leave now. Why? Because the ramen you ordered before we arrived is starting to get cold."
"Eh? No! Not my ramen!" Naruto despaired, crying fake tears.
"Completely serious on one moment, and then so childlike the next. You really are a strange person, nii-san," Karin giggled due to her brother's antics. "You really changed a lot, thank Kami for that…"
Looking up from his already half-finished bowl, Naruto smiled. "Wi-huubi mwaad mwe laik wat," he said with a mouth filled with ramen.
"Sorry?"
He gulped. "The Kyuubi made me like that. Seriously, when you sense that much hatred, while also constantly feeling angry yourself… The paranoia is a bit similar to the insomnia that Gaara had to suffer. I just expected enemies at every corner- that is why I made barriers and traps everywhere."
"But wouldn't the seal that holds the Kyuubi prevent-"
Naruto looked around, checking if anyone was nearby or not, and then whispered: "Something was wrong with the seal. Something interrupted the Yondaime when he sealed the Kyuubi within me. But as long as the fox isn't willing to tell me, I guess I'll never figure out what happened the night I was born," Naruto confided to her. "I suppose that is why I still feel sympathy for Sasuke, despite everything he did. He may be the biggest teme that walks the earth, but I can relate to his pain. And unfortunately, I can even relate to his anger…"
"Is that why you warned Shino-san?"
"Yup. Because if I am right, the source of Sasuke's anger will make his actions even more relatable to someone like me. You know, that cursed seal in his neck, I think that it drives him to be even angrier than he already was."
"I wonder what Sakura-san and Ino-san see in him," Karin mumbled to herself.
"Eh?" he looked up, his mouth already filled with ramen again.
"Nothing, nii-san, just finish your ramen, okay? Before Ayame-san thinks that you don't like their ramen anymore."
Stomping away from the ramen stand, Sasuke picked up the speed and jumped across the rooftops of Konoha. Soon, Sakura had lost him. While he thought she wasn't as annoying as usual lately, he had little interest in talking right now.
'Damn that Dobe! Kakashi putting me up to this was bad enough, but to be brushed off like that…' Sasuke felt frustrated. He felt he should have been stronger by now, and the dreams were only getting worse: seeing his family, his clan, slaughtered. Seeing the ones he loved, bathed in blood… those memories were a continuous source of pain. But it seemed like the memories hurt him worse than ever, at the same time as the frustration with his own lack of progress grew.
'I should have been much stronger. Itachi was way stronger at my age. And even though the Dobe has a demon sealed within him, he and Gaara are still way above me. Hell, even scum like that Inuzuka, and that ice-brat, managed to make me go all-out. Kakashi is holding me back.'
Jumping from the last rooftop, he noticed how Itachi's old cat was staring at him. "Shoo. Go annoy someone else," Sasuke snapped at the poor creature. Suto merely kept looking at the Uchiha, and Sasuke walked past the cat and entered his home. "I've got no other choice. If I want to get stronger, if I want to make Itachi pay for what he did… I need to accept Orochimaru's offer. This seal is the only way out. Kakashi, Shino, and Sakura… even the Dobe himself, they don't matter. They don't make me stronger," he grumbled to himself. "Me being stuck on pointless missions.. I'll only grow weaker if I stay here!"
In a bout of frustration, Sasuke kicked the couch again.
"And how can I allow myself to even care about anyone, while I haven't even avenged my family?"
Seeing him speed away, as he jumped over the rooftops, Sakura sighed. "Sasuke-kun isn't interested in talking anyway, so I might as well just leave him be."
Of course, going home would be no better. That place only brought up memories now, and memories hurt… So, she decided to just wander through the village for a while, aimlessly. 'Just like me. I have no purpose, I don't aim for anything at all,' she admitted to herself. 'Even Sasuke-kun… Why is he so cold to me?'
In hindsight, she regretted leaving Shino behind like that. Although he was somewhat awkward when it came to social interactions, he had been there for her when everyone else seemed to abandon her. Since the loss of her parents, aside from Ino, whom she now saw less regularly due to her moving in with her parents again, Shino had been the only person with whom she could talk about her pain, in the few moments Sakura was able to talk about it. Most of the time, she felt like she would either cry her eyes out, or break everything into tiny pieces: despair and anger were the things she felt most of all. Who could blame her?
'I just lost everything, and Kakashi-sensei doesn't even cut me any slack. Endure. As if I am some kind of emotionless anbu,' she scoffed, kicking a pebble away. 'Now… I feel so empty now. What have I been doing up to this point? Why did I even want to be a shinobi? Why didn't I realize sooner how great my life was… People like Sasuke-kun, they were always alone… and there I was: complaining about how nosy my parents are. Were,' she sniffed.
"Perhaps Naruto was right. I never took the effort to try and understand others. My pain… if this is what Sasuke has felt like for all these years, I can understand why he grew so distant." The pinkette scowled and looked up at the cloudy skies. "Am I really blinded?"
'But he still said that I wouldn't understand his pain. That his pain is greater than mine. How can he be like that?' Sakura thought sadly. Her inner personality started to stir a little. That voice had been mostly quiet since the day her mother died, but now it felt bitter.
'Only now are you starting to question whether the image you have of him is right?'
'Wh-what do you-'
'Sasuke-kun isn't as strong as you thought he was. Look at Naruto: he too has suffered. He too has lived alone. And if what Ino said is true, he also knows what loss is, better than most others. And let's not forget that he had a demon crammed in him the day he was born!'
'But..'
'You were the one who asked if you were blinded,' the inner voice replied sarcastically. 'And it is not just Naruto. Lee-kun told you his story. How he lost his only family. And unlike us, Lee had no talent either. But he endured. That is what sensei meant. He doesn't want you to forget. He never said such a thing.'
'But he-'
'Am I the only one of the two of us who actually thinks? You just jumped to a conclusion, got mad, and ran off. Shino helped you. Lee helped you. Ino helped you. But all you can see is Sasuke ignoring you. If what he does to you hurts you, then perhaps you can begin to realize that what you do also hurts the people who try to get close to you?'
Sakura had no answers. Her inner voice scoffed, and silence returned. Downtrodden, Sakura wondered why she had fallen in love with Sasuke all those years ago. What was it that had driven her to even chase Ino away? With the stinging pain that had numbed her heart, Sakura suddenly recalled her father's words:
"Our family has always been rather expressive when it comes to our emotions. Some may think it is a weakness, but do not be fooled. Those who are blind to their own emotions are the true weaklings!"
Sakura smiled a little at the thought, for the first time in days. Her pain, her grief, she had been foolish to want to run from it, to cast it away. It was part of her. If she wanted to renounce part of herself… If only it did not hurt so terribly much.
"Hey, Forehead!" a rather noisy blonde interrupted her thoughts. "I've been looking all over for you, come along!"
"P-pig, but-"
"No 'but's. You're coming with me, and that's it. We're having dinner at my place tonight. I know things haven't been perfect between us, but I would never call myself your friend if I didn't even try to help you through this," Ino grabbed the pink-haired girl's wrist and dragged her along.
Sakura could not decide whether it was her exhaustion or her indifference that led her to not struggle against the blonde.
"But, Hideo-dono, we need to act soon before things spiral out of control. He will be a danger," Hyuga Eiji argued. The elder Hyuga, and member of the clan's council, looked as concerned as he sounded. It was two days since Naruto met his former teammates of team seven at Ichiraku's. However, the other Hyuga elder had called for Eiji for other reasons.
"The Kyuubi brat is no longer on our grounds. He moved to what is rumored to be his own clan's grounds, although, I have never heard of such a place. Then again, real estate is more your specialization," Hyuga Hideo sighed wearily. The father of the current clan leader started to grow tired of his talkative and tense fellow-conspirator.
"Your daughter-in-law is becoming the problem, not that brat. Although I must say that having that brat on our grounds gave us a lot of political leverage. No one wants to offend that boy too much, considering what he represents- what he will represent."
"Yet still the boy has been a thorn in our side. Hajime's death is only an example of how dangerous that brat is."
"You think I do not know that?" Eiji growled. "But that woman. The way she looked at me. And you too… she suspects something."
Hideo grimaced. "I am aware of that. Though, I am more concerned about the fact that she began training her eldest daughter. The irritating aspect of that training is that no one can figure out what she is trained in. Even my son does not seem to know the specifics."
"As if he cares about that failure. He's the one who argued that Hanabi should be named heir. If Hitomi had not opposed that idea…"
"As long as she is officially the heir, my eldest granddaughter is a threat," Hideo sighed. "And while my son is still convinced that she is emotionally too weak to carry any responsibilities, I am sure you can see the small changes in her behavior just as well as I could. He might come to the conclusion that her growth shows enough promise. She is his firstborn, after all."
"I will not presume my sight is as good as yours," Eiji humbly responded. "But the girl clearly grew during the Chunin Exams."
Hideo frowned. 'Stupid old man. It is not the exams that worry me; it is that secretive training Hitomi is giving her. After all, if that girl gains the same degree of insight as her mother, she would become a serious nuisance. She would become difficult to control, unlike her younger sister. After all, Hanabi is exactly like Hiashi. Had tradition not decreed that I had to step down in favor of Hiashi when his fighting ability surpassed mine, I would still have been in complete control regarding this matter. But at least Hiashi is easy to handle. But Hitomi… I never found out why her insight is so much better than any other clan member in the clan's recorded history. Even my own insight is inferior,' he begrudgingly admitted to himself. 'Allowing that girl to marry Hiashi is probably one of my biggest mistakes…'
"We need to act soon," Hideo agreed.
"Will he still cooperate? After your son sided with the current Godaime during the vote."
"That was a different matter. We cannot allow cowards to rule the village. No, my son was correct in his decision. But regardless of that matter, he will still want our support. And I hold all the cards he needs, I hold more influence over the clan than I ever did when I was the actual head. And he knows better than anyone that the Hyuga are the strongest of the leaf," Hideo boasted. 'Yet what value would that hold for the roots of the tree that carries those leafs? We must be careful with that man. He can never be trusted.'
Temari smiled when she walked towards the open space where once a building had been. On top of the mountain ridge, above the Uzumaki living quarters and the mask storage temple, her little brother and his fellow jinchuriki were having a rather vicious taijutsu spar. Temari knew there had been buildings up here too, prior to the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha. She could even see a few remains. But this open place still fell within the bounds of the barrier that surrounded the Uzumaki compound, so it was the perfect training ground for them.
'I've never seen Gaara act like that, to anyone,' Temari realized. She saw the two boys circling around each other, lashing out with fists, palms, or feet. But as fierce as the spar was, it was still done with a wide smile. Well, in Naruto's case at least. But even from a distance, Temari could see that her little brother was having fun too.
"What brought you up here, Blondie?" Temari was startled when the snake mistress spoke up from behind her.
"When are you ever going to stop sneaking up on me?"
"When are you not going to react like a startled hamster?"
Scowling, Temari turned around and glared at the older kunoichi. "I told you before that Kamatari is a weasel, not a hamster!"
"Who cares," Anko grinned wickedly. "Weasels, hamsters, cats, mice… They're all just food for my pretty snakes."
After her eyes were drawn towards the slapping sound she heard, Temari saw Raido with a hand in front of his head. The reddish imprint of his hand was still seen on his forehead. "Don't mind her, Temari-san. Anko is just an idiot," Raido sighed. He continued, ignoring Anko's indignant response. "What brings you up here?"
"Naruto's clones ran out."
"You smacked his clones?" Anko guessed.
"No. They just ran out of chakra," the blonde shrugged.
"It is to be expected. Both Gaara and Naruto indicated that they had far less chakra at their disposal after their seals were fixed," Raido put up his hand before the girl could react. "Despite their smaller chakra reserves, their control has increased drastically. If anything, I would say that they are both better shinobi due to this. But control is still something they both need to learn a lot about."
"At least Dusty figured out how to stop his sand from automatically trying to defend him all of the time."
"It only works for Naruto though," Raido sighed. "Your snakes have never gotten through."
"Yeah, bummer…"
At some distance from the trio, Gaara looked at his sister for a second.
"Hey, don't get distracted now," Naruto scolded him while landing a rather vicious blow at the back of the red-haired boy's head. Well, the boy's hair used to be auburn coloured, but after an earlier hit that created a rather large gash on top of Gaara's head, it now was truly red. Of course, they were jinchuriki, so healing was not really an issue for them, thus neither of them was really bothered.
"Why is my sister up here?"
"My clones ran out," Naruto shrugged. "I have access to less chakra after the Kyuubi's influence was kicked out of the window. Ah well, I'm still adjusting."
"Humans are strange," Gaara sounded almost subdued as he looked at his sister, who for some reason had gotten into a rather heated discussion with Anko. Even with his acute senses, Naruto only could pick up something about weasels and snakes.
"They call us monster, yet they are capable of being far more inhuman than we could ever be. And still… where there is evil in them, there is also good. Without your sister, I could not have changed you," Naruto smiled. "She feared you. Perhaps even hated what you became. And still she loved who you are, irrespective of the Ichibi."
"She gave me a reason to exist," Gaara agreed, still wearing the same faint smile.
Naruto couldn't do anything but agree with that. Friends and family gave him his reasons to exist as well- the reasons to endure everything thrown at him. And above all, 'Hinata… I still do not understand you. And I am sure that I must be mistaken. How could someone like you like someone like me? Perhaps… It will take time, but I will do everything within my power, so that I will not become a danger again. Jiisan gave me extra time, so I have to go all out. I will become strong enough to keep that bastard fox sealed within me.'
"Are you ready for another round?" Gaara frowned when he saw Naruto's determined grimace when the blond spoke. But with one glance at Temari, Gaara understood his determination. He too would go to any length to protect the people precious to him. And he would give no quarter to those who tried to harm his precious people- their blood would be a proper offering to his sand.
Raido sighed as the two kunoichi continued to bicker, but he felt relief as he saw the two jinchuriki resume their spar. Gaara lacked experience, but he was taught all the forms of his taijutsu style. Meanwhile, Naruto's style was a bastardized version of the juken. Raido had no doubts that Naruto usually used his fiery claws in conjunction with this style. But with some pointers, Raido had managed to improve Naruto's style by leaps and bounds. His stances, attack patterns, and defense had all improved. However, it was still as chaotic as ever, as the boy seemed to insist on being imaginative in every move he made.
It was not that Raido was bothered. He agreed with the notion that the blond would not be a taijutsu type. His humongous chakra reserves would make him an overwhelmingly powerful ninjutsu specialist, if, and only if, he could get better control over his chakra.
'Then again, Minato-sama combined ninjutsu and taijutsu together. Naruto's stamina would probably make him even better, although he is still lagging behind when it comes to his father's agility,' Raido scratched his chin. 'Or his mother's strength.' Yes, if the boy would get a better grip on the raiton elemental jutsus, he would likely be able to integrate the hiraishin into his style. 'Unless he continues to stubbornly refuse learning his father's jutsu. Why did he have to inherit that trait from his mother…'
'D-ranks. I hate D-ranks. What was that idiot of a new Hokage thinking when he sends our team to plough the fields for some sickly farmer? We are way better than that! And if it wasn't bad enough, Kakashi takes Shino and Sakura apart for training, leaving me to do all the work again,' Sasuke kept his frustration inside when his team walked back to the village. He knew very well that Kakashi would not like it if Sasuke voiced his frustrations. It would just end up with another boring speech.
While technically still a D-ranked mission, it actually took them outside of the village. But considering how it was well within the safety zone… Ah well, not that any of them really cared. Kakashi just took these missions as an opportunity to train his students, while he let Sasuke do the work. It was Sasuke's punishment, after all. In fact, if it hadn't been for the council's decision, Kakashi would have thrown Sasuke out of the team. The jonin kept a calm demeanor, but he was getting very tired of Sasuke's angry behavior. This was not the type of personality fit for the job. And while Jiraiya, just like Hiruzen, agreed with that, the majority chose to believe in Sasuke's bloodline instead of acknowledging the actual problems which Sasuke had.
Meanwhile, Shino had become even more silent than usual. Kakashi had seen that one of Shino's kikaichu had returned to him, and after that the young Aburame had seemed rather downcast. The only thing he had said was 'I need to speak to you, sensei, after we have reported to Hokage-sama', and that was it. While laid-back, Kakashi became curious about what could spook the usually unflappable genin to this degree.
Looking back at the brooding Uchiha who was moving at some distance behind the rest of the team, Kakashi once again had this ominous feeling that Shino's request was all about Sasuke. Again. There were so many distractions these days… He wasn't really looking forward to Shino adding another one to the constantly-growing pile of headaches.
Equally distracted, Aburame Shino was still mulling over what he should tell his sensei and the Hokage. The evidence the kikaichu brought him was irrefutable: Sasuke was deliberately tapping into the cursed seal Orochimaru left on him. Apparently it was affecting his mood, too.
"There is no way that Sasuke-san can be unaware of the price that he would have to pay for such power," he mumbled softly against the back of the collar that covered his mouth. "But apparently he decided it was worth that price- why? He..." Shino fell silent. It disturbed him that his teammate would deliberately choose to do such a thing. Shino could find no logical explanation, other than the boy's desire for power. But what could be so important about strength that you would throw away everything you are?
Kakashi didn't notice the boy mumble, or at least he didn't show it. Sakura was too lost in thought to notice, just running alongside them, but actually thinking more about what she should do. She had still not visited the cemetery since her father was buried, and she had no idea if she could muster the courage to go there… and part of her refused to ask Ino to join her. No, if she went, she wanted to be alone with her parents' graves- but she wasn't entirely sure if she could take it. Part of her wanted to go there, while another part wanted nothing but to run away from that very place. It tore her apart.
Sasuke did not hear the Aburame's mumblings either. Even if he hadn't been lagging behind the others, he would have been too distracted. 'He has such a thunderous power. I'm completely inferior. All this time at the academy, all those weird fluctuations in his strength and skill… He was always hiding. Why didn't anyone say he was hiding the Kyuubi, of all things?' Involuntarily, Sasuke shuddered. 'And the feeling of fear that I had at that time, even Orochimaru's killing intent was a joke in comparison.'
Not for the first time, Sasuke wondered if his decision to go with the snake sannin's minions the next time he'd see them was the right one. 'Orochimaru is strong, but Naruto… that maelstrom of power, what kind of body does he even have that he can hold such a power? How can I… How can I grow that sort of power?' he looked in front of him. Yes, his decision was the right one. Kakashi had made it clear that he would not teach Sasuke anymore, not until Sasuke 'changed'. But the boy felt that he did not have the time to wait for such nonsense. In the end, his rivalry with Naruto only made Sasuke desire more power for himself.
But there was nothing for him in this village of idiots. Not even the strange sense of amity he had with Sakura and Shino was enough of a reason for the young Uchiha to want to stay. It was weird, but in a way it felt a bit like having a family when he was around those two, Sasuke admitted. 'But how can I even bring myself to care about anyone, when my real family can't rest until I avenged their deaths?' Sasuke grimaced. Subconsciously, the anger he felt when thinking about his older brother made Sasuke activate his sharingan- and that was when he saw it.
Dozens of senbon flew at his team members, perfectly aimed so that so they just fell within Kakashi's blind spot. Sure, that would never have worked on a normal day, but with the jonin being distracted, while also simultaneously under the false belief that no one would attack them so close to the village…
Sasuke's yell made Kakashi and Shino move, just in time. But Sakura got several of the needles in her side. Crying out in pain, the pinkette fell to the ground, seemingly rendered unconscious. Or worse… but Sasuke didn't want to think that way. He kept himself blind to that option. He had seen too many people he cared for die, he refused to see another one.
"It must be poisoned senbon, it must be," Sasuke mumbled. His sharingan flashed around, searching for their assailants. Much to his shock, he found one of their attackers standing beside him.
"Why did you fucking warn them, you clueless fucktard," the red-haired girl snapped at him.
"Calm down, Tayuya," a six-armed teen startled Sasuke even more, standing on his other side. "You just focus on taking that bug guy down, okay?"
"Tsk, whatever."
"Sakon, Ukon, and the fatass are stalling the jonin," Kidomaru remembered her. "So get your skinny ass moving and take that other piece of trash down, because our guys will need your help. You know that Kakashi is no joke, right?"
"I fucking agreed to the plan, didn't I?" Tayuya huffed. In front of them, in a blur of movement, three red-skinned demon-like assailants (one of near-giant size) suddenly erupted from the ground, ambushing Kakashi with such speed that the jonin barely even had the time to unveil his sharingan.
"What are you doing?" Sasuke demanded.
"Orders," Kidomaru shrugged. "You were taking too long to decide voluntarily, and we couldn't stay in Konoha indefinitely- not when our ally failed to become your next Hokage. Freaking idiot," he scoffed. "So what will it be? Will you struggle or will you submit?"
"I already made my choice," Sasuke grit his teeth when he saw how the girl uncovered the first level of her cursed seal. 'Shino won't be able to face her,' Sasuke realized. 'And with the others already having completely released the power of the seal, how long will Kakashi be able to withstand them?'
"Call those morons back," Sasuke glared at the six-armed boy beside him. "And then take me to Orochimaru. I don't give a damn about the consequences anymore, I only want power."
Kidomaru only smirked back. "As you command," he chuckled. Suddenly, he spit out some sticky substance. It was the same material as the senbon earlier. Sasuke could see the chakra within it glow, as he watched with his sharingan. Kidomaru formed it into a bow, while simultaneously releasing the first level of his cursed seal. As the black markings crawled over the boy's skin, he created a second object- an arrow.
"What-" Sasuke wanted to ask what the other boy was planning to do, but while his eyes could follow, his body was still too slow: he saw how Kidomaru pulled back the arrow, aimed, and released.
Sasuke felt as if his heart froze. All of a sudden it was as if time itself froze, and everything went in slow motion.
His sharingan projected where the arrow would go. Despite realizing the inevitable truth, he still started to move towards his teammate. But the arrow was too fast- or was he too slow? He could not say. He could not think. He did not want this- not his teammates. He would be the one to pay the price, not them!
With a dull thud, the arrow landed in the back of Shino's head. Distracted by Tayuya, the boy had never seen the arrow coming. And the few insects that hovered behind him were too weak to even hinder the arrow. The sheer force behind the weapon made it pierce right through.
Seeing that he was too late, Sasuke closed his eyes, trying to shut out what he just saw. But the sight of the Aburame with an arrow piercing through his head was already burned into his eyes… "NO!" Sasuke turned, but Kidomaru was already upon him. A dagger made out of the same web-like material as the bow and arrow was pressed against the Uchiha's throat.
"I thought you wanted power, and didn't give a damn about the consequences?" a wicked grin was on Kidomaru's face. "Did you really fool yourself, thinking that the consequences were only for you? You will need more determination if you even want to try and control the cursed seal that our master has bestowed upon you."
"But… not them."
"You chose power, didn't ya? You chose that over everything else. Even those pieces of trash, right?"
Numbed, Sasuke could only nod. He hated himself for it, but Kidomaru was right. This was his choice. He stopped resisting. This was the path of an avenger. It was a dark and forsaken path, he now fully began to realize- but he would have to endure it. 'I should have cut my ties sooner. This is my fault entirely. If I hadn't hesitated this long, they would not have to suffer the consequences. But this is the only option I have… I'm sorry Sakura. I'm sorry Shino. Kakashi. I have to do this. I have to kill Itachi. I must! Even if everyone hates me, even if I am branded a traitor, I must avenge my family!'
Kidomaru chuckled when he saw the look in his eyes. "I see you have accepted the inevitable. Follow me."
Past the corpse of Aburame Shino, Tayuya moved silent as a predator, sneaking up on their last and by far most capable adversary: Hatake Kakashi. She felt annoyed that the Aburame had been able to push her into using the first level of her seal already. He was far more competent then they had anticipated. She hated bugs right now, with a passion. It was a good thing that Kidomaru's arrow had made short work of that. With the Aburame dead, the creepy insects had scattered as well.
As she moved towards Kakashi, careful that he would not see her approach, she moved past the body of the pink-haired girl, who had been felled by senbon earlier. Paralyzed by the poison Kidomaru had put on these senbon, the girl was completely powerless and could only wait until someone would slit her throat. But now that Tayuya stood next to the defenseless girl, the red-haired kunoichi started to feel some doubts.
'Fuck! It would be pointless to kill this useless fangirl, wouldn't it? It's not like she could do anything to hinder that Snake's plan,' Tayuya mused. Still, her orders were clear: kill the entire team. 'I could just leave her be. The poison would last a few hours, long enough for us to haul ass,' she pondered. 'Nobody would miss these weaklings anyway, so there won't be a search. But the orders were clear- I gotta kill this moron.'
And yet… watching the team for these last weeks had made Tayuya a bit sympathetic for the difficult position the girl was in. 'At least this idiot had parents who loved her, rather than selling her to someone like Orochimaru-sama,' she spit on the ground, feeling bitter about her own fate.
The terrified green eyes looked up, staring into Tayuya's pissed-off dark-brown eyes.
"Life or death, what do you want, Pinky?" Tayuya scowled.
Bonus: A trapped cat (?)
Shizune kept glaring at the both of them. Anko just tried to avoid her eyes, while Tsunade at least had the decency to look ashamed.
"What were you two even thinking.." the usually level-headed woman now hissed in anger.
"Don't worry about it, Shizune-neechan," Naruto couldn't hide his mirth. "I wanted to fix the garden anyway. Though I do admit that a field with craters was not what I had in mind."
"Tsunade-sama was too drunk to punch straight," Anko muttered.
"I only started to squint when your snakes bit me," Tsunade retorted.
Whatever Anko wanted to say in return was cut off by a very impatient Shizune. "You two better behave from now on, or I will make sure you will. Anko's sake-ban sure gave me a lot of good ideas."
Anko looked at the angered medic stomping away. "She's joking, right?"
"I taught her too thoroughly for that threat to be idle," Tsunade muttered with a very, very pale face.
"Just be glad I managed to keep Ako-neechan out of this," Naruto burst out in laughter upon seeing the horrified looks. He had never laughed this much while in a hospital before.
Sometime later, both Anko and Tsunade left the hospital. Their injuries healed, but their pride still hurting. The blonde looked at the bluish-black haired woman. Anko had the same bloodthirsty expression as she did. "That cat will pay."
"Oh yes, she will go through hell for pranking us," Anko's sadistic smile unnerved the sannin.
But she agreed. "Making us look like fools… even causing the destruction of that high-quality sake… It was a bottle of the Marked Man label! Yes, she will definitely suffer for that."
Groaning, the forgotten toad sage awoke in the middle of the forest. "My head," the soon-to-be-appointed Hokage groaned. "What on earth happened…"
His ankle ached, and suddenly he remembered it. "Damn you, Hime. I am not some kind of blunt weapon for you to smash around."
Getting up, he decided to get back to the brothel. He needed some relaxation now.
A short distance away, a flabbergasted Kiba watched as the 'great' Jiraiya – his long white manes filled with twigs and leafs – now stumbled to get out of the Uzumaki compound. "I don't know either boy," Kiba mumbled, after Akamaru whined questioningly. "Let's just keep out of this."
Akamaru nodded, and urged Kiba to follow him. The pup knew that Karin would've prepared something to eat by now- something much tastier than the supposedly healthy stuff which Hana gave him. At least the pup could brag to the triplets that he had some good-tasting food every now and then!
Seeing the eager pup straddle in front of him, tail waggling in anticipation, Kiba knew what was going to happen. "We've got a mission later today, so don't eat too much, okay?" the Inuzuka sighed.
"Are you sure this will work?" Tsunade frowned.
"Of course it will! I've been living with them for quite a while now, and I know that Ako is the only one whom Chie listens to. That cat fears the Hyuga more than anyone," Ako snickered. "Well, she respects Naruto as well, but she once said that that was 'different', though I don't know why."
"Just planting this in her room… It seems too simple," the Senju hesitated.
"That's why she won't expect it!" Anko grinned. "We plant the evidence here, and Ako will figure out soon enough."
Tsunade remained a bit skeptical, but she assumed that it could work. Within the Uzumaki compound, only Chie was always busy pranking people, so naturally the suspicion would befall her. And if Ako found some evidence to support that suspicion…
"Too bad I'm a sensor," Chie chuckled from the door opening. Anko turned around, looking at the feline with a shocked 'oh crap' expression. Tsunade wanted to move toward the door, but Chie already closed it. "Don't worry, two-legs. I'm sure Ako-sama is happy to let you two out. Oh, and don't waste your time on trying to break free. Whisker-two-leg made these seals and barriers especially for me, after Ako-sama ordered him to do so. And the threat of being deprived of ramen made him very, very thorough…"
Anko paled as she heard the mirth in the cat's voice. "And we're not even at the window side. We are doomed…"
"Oh, and should I add that Ako-sama went out shopping with the Pig-carrying-two-leg?"
Now Tsunade paled.
"Never try to prank the queen of pranks!" Chie laughed.
A/N: Poor Shino. Nothing against him, but this is the reality of combat: people die. Dying is, in my fic at least, not a privilege reserved only for the bad guys. Speaking of dying, I wonder what decision Tayuya will make. Will she kill Sakura? Or could Kakashi save her?
I must admit that I was thinking of doing a scene on Hiruzen's burial in this chapter as well, but I eventually decided against it. I feel like previous chapter was a good conclusion for his character, and whatever I wrote just didn't feel right. Considering how I could not give him a better farewell, so I chose to move the story forward. Konohamaru won't be forgotten though.
Back to my usual items: has anyone of you read Senju's Heir by Seldom Prodigy? It's a good read so far. Good attention for detail, nice writing style, and an original start of the story. Yup, I'm certainly recommending this. Especially because it is a NaruHina fic!
Credits go to my beta reader, advisor, editor, and overall language expert Illuminated. And to all of you who encourage me with your reviews! You're dealing with a greedy author here! And I have a pink haired hostage. Unless you prefer a 'Demise pt3' for next time?
-Z-
