A/N: I had a comment that was concerned that this version was smaller, that it seemed to be moving too quickly. I would like to assure you that it has not been condensed in any way. In fact, it has been expanded. The first release of this story incorporated much more in the way of review feedback than this second release has. There were soo many in fact that I wrote half an update and used the other half of the chapter to address most of the outstanding reviews I'd received leading up to Chapter 16 so, if anything, this story has more content and has covered more ground as I've removed the "Fireside Chat" chapter and stuck (mostly) to the increased story content.
Note: I did keep the original release (including the reviews) and refer to it often to make sure I include everything from the first story.
I would, however, like to address the question behind a Guest review this week that did pop up during the first release. This unknown visitor was unhappy with my use of the oft used "assault of a minor" trope and questioned both why I felt this was necessary and inferred that I was too unoriginal (or enjoyed abusing children) to come up with any other method to develop a story. I won't attack this person's character as they felt it necessary to do in my case but I will provide two comments in regards to your uninspired (and unfounded) evaluation of me and my writing skills and why I chose to use the trope.
One: I will not speak on any other Fanfic author and state that I used it because it was an expedient method to develop the plot venue for this particular fic, much like your chosen avenue of using an unidentified Guest account to voice your concerns. The trope (for me) expediently allows me to develop the relationship between the protagonist and the main character that enables the Hanyou story plot in the way I desire. A "Guest" account (for you) is expedient as it provides you a false sense of invincibility - as you can say whatever you want and, unless they are an ADMIN, people cannot challenge you or call you out on your choice of words. It's an expedient method for you to act in whatever manner you choose without repercussions for your actions. Many would call this "the coward's path" but I don't know you, so I will not make those aspersions to your character. It's false bravado and unnecessary in a world where you should feel free to speak your mind, whether you chose to accept the responsibility for those actions or not. I am not your judge; your own actions do that admirably without my help.
Two: Unlike your assumption that I lack the imagination to develop a story without such an overplayed trope, I am capable of destroying your argument with two simple words, "No More." That story, which is also mine, does NOT use the very overused abuse trope, however, it does not shy away from the harder-than-normal life Naruto has lived (I just don't go into any real detail about his life beyond a few select instances). Let's be real for a minute - there aren't any tropes that aren't overused in fanfiction anymore. The subject matter is over a decade old and, if it's been written about before, it's been re-written at least a dozen times with the notable exception of the one-pager I'm currently trying to decide to continue or not.
No, I do not have high hopes, whoever you are, that you'll read much if any of the fic in question (No More). It's considerably more complicated than "Nature of the Savage Beast" and, unlike the non-English speakers who have given that fic a try and found it too complicated to follow easily, the overly-complicated interwoven story is sufficient to confirm that your assertions are unfounded based on fact.
Otherwise, why would you ever accuse me of being unimaginative enough to come up with something that didn't rely on abusing a child to start a story?
There are additional Q&A points addressing the latest reviews at the end of this chapter.
~Ja Ne!
~I I I~
Chapter 18: A Bridge Over Troubled Waters
~I I I~
Kiba was not a happy boy as he walked down the road leading away from Konoha with the smelly bridge builder belching along behind him. He couldn't smell anything when walking behind the man - other than rancid sake - so Kakashi put his nose to better use out in front. He didn't mind though; they were out of the village headed off in a grand adventure!
That was enough to make even the dreaded prima donna easier to stomach.
On the painfully truthful side, the whiny brat's attitude had at least one good point to it. It was Sasuke's temper tantrum that helped them get this C-Ranked escort and he was happy to be away from the village for a change, even if he was also sorry that there would be no real challenge without enemy shinobi to deal with. C-Ranks were limited to high-bandit threats, nothing trained nin like him and Akamaru couldn't handle. A shame really as he was sure they could handle a bit more even with that waste of flesh they called a team kunoichi.
The disgruntled dog-nin made no attempt to hide his contemptuous side-glare at the preening pink head.
Kiba had another snarky snort at her expense there. His mother and sister had been less than impressed with the girl and took every opportunity to remind him of what they referred to as a "worthless breeder," meaning someone only good for making more Inuzuka. In the Inuzuka Clan, she'd never amount to more than a third class family member below the ninken - a clan that honored strength of limb and courage of heart, and Sakura possessed neither in his opinion.
Kiba clasped his hands behind his head and sighed once again as he tried to tune out Sakura's continued wheedling of the Last Uchiha. Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard to his sensitive ears, so much so that he was almost euphoric when she suddenly shut her trap.
He didn't care why just that she'd finally shut the hell up.
Sakura had stopped chattering about the wonders of spring weddings and how she was going to be in the latest fashion when Ino gets married to the "Dobe," something that continued to baffle the dog-nin. Sasuke responded with his usual monosyllabic enthusiasm only to hear her ask, "I thought it hadn't rained for weeks? That's odd."
The entire group (minus Kiba) focused on the water puddle in the middle of the road but only Kakashi caught the now frantic face on the bridge builder. Shortly after Kakashi passed the puddle to the side, his face buried in his favorite orange book of smut, chains wrapped around his upper body stopping him in place.
With a vicious comment of, "One down," the two shinobi wearing gouged Kiri headbands tugged hard on the spiked chains and Kakashi's body was ripped into pieces much to the dismay of his shocked Genin team.
"Quick! Get the builder!" one of the enemy nins barked out as the two charged the group of frozen Genin...
~I I I~
By the fortieth mission, Naruto was on his knees in the Hokage's office begging for something, anything more challenging.
He was shocked when the Hokage nodded to Iruka who then handed Kurenai a scroll asking her to have her team ready to leave for Wave country in two hours to back Kakashi's Genin. Apparently, their C-Rank (Kakashi had pleaded for his team to get the first upgrade because of the Uchiha) ran into a brother team of ninja assassins. Kakashi had returned their heads via scroll and messenger falcon not even an hour ago.
All other Jounin and Chunin teams were out while the remaining Genin teams were clearly not ready. Gai's more senior team was not due back for another few days and Kakashi needed support sooner rather than later.
"Why can't the old man deploy an ANBU squad?"
Naruto had to admit the vixen's question was a valid one but couldn't break in to ask the question while his sensei was being briefed by the Sandaime.
They were to escort a boat in Fire country's one port village bound for Wave named the Nami Hebi, or Wave Serpent, and Iruka shuddered noticeably at that. Once safely there with the cargo, they were to disembark and rendezvous with the first team as their support. Why the old man felt the need to modify the rules of succession should Kakashi be found severely injured or incapacitated didn't make any sense but the old man's directive was crystal clear; as they were fulfilling a support role, Kurenai's squad would answer to the designated heavy combat lead - whether it was Kakashi himself or, as they all suspected, the bratty Uchiha.
It made no sense, absolutely none. Yes, they were a heavy combat team but every Genin fresh out of the academy could (theoretically) step into that role. Yes, Kakashi was a heavy combat instructor having served in that capacity as a both a Genin and ANBU squad member, but that didn't give Sasuke, who had next to no real-world heavy combat experience beyond their brush with the "Demon Brothers" of Kirigakure, the experience to be positionally superior to Kurenai, a Jounin Kunoichi. Yes, she was still new to the rank. Yes, she was not a heavy combat ninja as being Genjutsu specialist normally relegated her to a support role automatically, but she was still a Jounin, at least three full ranks above the spoiled Genin in Kakashi's squad.
Naruto suspected favoritism to the Uchiha, perhaps an opportunity to prop him up and it left a bad taste in his mouth.
The ordered quickly soured the faces of each Genin and the Hokage saw it right away even though none spoke out against the order. Instead, Kurenai's team snapped crisp salutes and left to pack.
"Kurenai, I wonder if you and Naruto would stay behind for just a moment." Pausing at the door, the two promptly returned to stand in front of the Hokage's desk. Once the others exited the office, he activated a set of privacy seals and handed Kurenai a separate scroll.
"Keep this with you at all times, Kurenai. Under no circumstances are you to show this to anyone other than myself of the Fire Daimyo in extreme duress." The old man's eyes swept over the silent Genin standing faithfully next to his sensei in outrage at her apparent demotion. He ignored it and pressed on.
Kurenai nodded, the severity sinking in immediately.
"For Naruto, this is an S-Class mission on behalf of the Wave Country's Daimyo directly from our Daimyo, the Lord of Fire. Once in Wave, you are to assassinate the wealthy civilian Gato of the Gato Shipping Company. His head will be required as standard proof of the deed. While in Wave, as the second requirement of your mission, you are to rescue the Daimyo of Wave from this fiend's clutches and return her to her rightful seat of power."
Hiruzen waved his hand to cut off Kurenai's building protest at assigning an S-ranked assassination mission to a relatively fresh Genin. It would appear that mistakes were being made aplenty today.
"I am aware of your concerns, however, our intelligence sources have confirmed that Gato is in fact a civilian backed by largely civilian bandits and thugs. This should be well within Naruto's capabilities. As Kakashi deals with any remaining missing nins, your team will be free to focus on this highly sensitive political mission."
None of that eased the frown from Kurenai's face. "Are these the same intelligence sources that confirmed the bridge builder's original mission was a standard C-ranked escort?"
The Sandaime, for all his blustery throat clearing, chose to leave the valid query unaddressed.
"Quite."
Hiruzen passed the most recent photo of Gato to Naruto who spent thirty seconds staring into the weasel-like eyes smothered in layers of fat before incinerating the photo in his hand.
What he saw in that photo was a man engrossed in his despot-style life of excess, a man used to forcing his way through life without remorse. He saw a man very comfortable in the obscene levels of pain and torture he inflicted on the defenseless through the unrepentant application of barbarism via money, which he obtained through treachery, torture and greed in vast amounts. That was the face of a horrible sack of human flesh needing to be killed.
The photo showed a short, well-fed, well-dressed man standing on a platform, his two grizzled, katana-wielding guards standing next to him, while he laughed at dozens of ragged humans being paraded past him in chains and into a slave-trading vessel.
The Hokage hated to take the boy's innocence so early but this was a desperate mission they could not refuse. The Fire Daimyo would accept no failure and they had very little time. He handed a separate scroll, one with black trimming around both ends, to Naruto.
"Take this to the ANBU armorer. They know you are coming." Naruto paused while accepting the document, his displeasure with his former grandfather figure far from eroded.
"Yes, I know full well that you know where the secret armory is, Naruto. I am not so blind to your rampages throughout Konoha and, given the mission you are about to embark upon, I am grateful for the stealth and avoidance fleeing my ANBU has given you." His face flickered from loving concern to determination.
"You will need every advantage at your disposal to succeed. Use whatever force is needed to succeed and survive, Naruto. We cannot afford to fail here."
Naruto met his eyes and nodded once. "What about Kakashi-sensei's team?" he asked.
"Strictly need to know and they do not need to know unless you require their assistance."
Naruto nodded again already determined to avoid the Uchiha at all costs.
"Make me proud, Naruto."
Nothing more needed to be said. To Kurenai, the two-hour preparation time seemed unnecessary until you took in the context of this conversation.
Naruto clenched his jaw and bowed to his Hokage. "Hai, Hokage-sama. It will be done."
Righting his body, he left the office with his sensei, not even realizing he had moved until he was home and packing for a two-week trip, the scroll holding his top of the line ANBU body armor and mask buried in one of the side pockets.
Kurenai later watched him carefully as they leaped as a group through the trees to the harbor town. She understood, although she disagreed, with why the Hokage ordered her to act as a support squad to Kakashi's team. Judging by the grim expressions in her own squad, she'd need to explain it to help avoid conflict between the two teams. She was more than keen enough to pick up the hidden "pamper the Uchiha to give him incentive to stay in the village" aspect of the mission, something every Jounin sensei for this year had been briefed in-depth on should they interact with Kakashi's squad but that did little to help the affected Genin of his year group forced to stomach his insufferable attitude.
Since when did a village revolve around a single shinobi? Since when did Konoha's concept of teamwork get shunted to the side all to coddle a spoiled Genin whose done absolutely nothing to bond with his peers?
Sighing at the uphill battle she could see on the near horizon, Kurenai focused ahead to her team's dual-hatted mission and how she was going to keep her own Genin from murdering the bratty survivor in his sleep. She had no idea that Kyuubi had him bring something additional for a side trip once they got this "Gato" sorted out.
~I I I~
"Kit, are you well?"
Naruto gave the mental equivalent of a shrug. While he didn't relish the idea of taking a life, Gato definitely fit the bill as the penultimate need to save lives by taking another. Killing him was easily the lesser of two evils.
He could deal with Sasuke as he'd always done - in small doses.
Naruto read the dossier on the businessman behind the billion Ryu business empire and it did not speak well of the man. His legitimate enterprise was a hollow front whose sole purpose was to launder money from his drug, racketeering, and slavery pursuits. Tens of thousands had suffered at the hands of this man, directly or indirectly, a creature less than human that took extreme pleasure in inflicting pain simply because he could.
He never openly challenged a well-established entity, like a hidden village or capital city, but then again why should he when so many smaller and less defended opportunities existed? He knew this man's type as he'd seen so many similar examples of humanity right in his own home, cowards that preyed on the helpless child under the very noses of the village leadership, a child that had devoted his life to protecting those same people from a demon that nearly wiped them out once before.
No, this man would die and Naruto would not mourn him.
According to the mission planning section of the dossier, the upcoming boat ride would take them two days. As they were traveling to the harbor without a civilian tying them down, Team Eight made up some time on Team Seven, the crew having been alerted to expect them in short order. Despite his inherent optimism, Naruto's mind continued to spiral leading to a restless night walking the weather decks of the Wave-bound vessel.
The blond looked out across the relatively calm water to the northern shore of his destination, his left hand idly scratching behind the ears of the kit lounging in his tactical vest. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths of the night air, relishing the salt-laced breeze and the gently cresting seas. He found the setting calming.
"You should at least come out and speak, Sensei. A guy might get self-conscious."
Kurenai's lips parted revealing her perfect teeth as she dropped her camouflage. A few silent steps brought her to the railing and within arm's reach.
"One of these days I'm going to catch you off-guard." A soft chuckle was the only response she got back.
"Are you ready for this?" she asked, her face pointing out ahead of the southbound ship as her eyes took in his askance profile.
A simple question, true, but it had spider-webbing implications. The surprisingly calm shinobi took a deep breath before turning and giving her his undivided attention.
"I've been forming options since we left Konoha but I won't know anything for sure until I've had a chance to gather information on Gato's organization."
Kurenai nodded. It seemed like a logical first step but it wasn't what she was referring to.
"No, Naruto. I meant are you ready for what you must do once we catch him? That simple act isn't quite so simple. Often enough people find their first kill impossible or traumatic enough that it leaves life-long scars."
She turned her head to meet him eye-to-eye.
"I was hoping to spare you and your team of this as long as I could."
Naruto laughed this time, his belly-filled rumbling seeming out of place or, at worst, symptoms of mental instability. Kurenai's left eyebrow rose as her fears began to stir. She noticed that the fox kit snuggled in his jacket was staring intently - and intelligently - at the boy having a nervous breakdown.
Eventually, with some minor gasping and reduced hilarity, Naruto got enough air back into his lungs to form a coherent response.
"Thank you for wanting to spare us the emotional scarring, sensei but you're a few years late in my case." Kurenai's face melted into shock.
"What do you mean, Naruto?"
Naruto glanced down into the sparkling eyes of his fox and seemed to mull something over for several minutes. At some point, he seemed to come to an agreement with the animal and, instead of meeting her gaze again, looked out across the low-lying waves as if gathering strength or… calmness.
"I was five and just moved into my first apartment." Kurenai blinked in shock not for the first time during this conversation. "For a short time, a nice old lady would come to my home and cook simple meals twice a day and help me clean up. She tried to show me how to do simple things and, for a while, I could pretend to lead a normal life. It was almost like, you know, coming home to a grandmother or somethin'...
"This was far better than the previous year when the orphanage threw me out at the age of four and I spent the next year living in the gutter scrounging together whatever I could find, mostly rotten food from the trash piles."
Kurenai looked truly horrified her entire body rigid with shock.
"You see, she had no children or grandchildren. She never lost anyone to the Kyuubi so all she saw was a small boy that needed someone to love." His eyes took in the gentle swells of the water beneath the gently rocking ship. He could almost see her smiling face, could almost smell the honeyed candies she kept in her handbag for when he'd been extra careful cleaning up.
"So this nice old lady and I pretended to be family. She pretended to be my family and we got along fine. We even got to spend a few months happily pretending together and, for a brief moment, I got to live how the vast majority of people in Konoha spend their days."
When he turned his eyes away from the sea, she saw no warmth or happiness there.
"One day, 'baa-chan didn't come home. So, I waited by the door all day so I wouldn't miss her. The next day she didn't come either, so I made instant ramen and cleaned my apartment extra careful like the way she'd showed me thinking she'd come back if I was a really good boy. When I was done, I once again waited by the door so my happy face would be the first thing she saw." His hand idly returned to the fox's chin as he gently scratched and smoothed her fur.
"She didn't come that day either.
"The following day I received my first visit from ANBU, a young officer with silver hair that stood straight up in the air wearing a dog-faced mask. He delivered a brief message then left without another word."
Kurenai tsked audibly in disapproval knowing exactly who that ANBU was.
"He simply stated, 'Your caretaker has had an accident and she won't be able to take care of you anymore.' Having delivered his message, he vanished in a swirl of leaves and it would be several months before he and I crossed paths again. What's worse was that no one ever came to take 'baa-chan's place so I learned how to take care of myself as best I could."
By now Kurenai was appalled and growing sick to her very flat stomach. He was a baby. Surely Konoha's hatred and blind prejudice would not make a defenseless child suffer?
"I started meeting with Hokage-jiji regularly after that, once a week at first then gradually less, and he helped out whenever he could get a spare moment, which wasn't often. I did ask him once, a bit later on, about whatever happened to Sakurako-baa-chan." Naruto chuckled here briefly. "He avoided the question and said that she got too old to keep up with me and had to retire."
Naruto rose from the railing he had been perching on and turned to face her.
"Now that I'm older and have access to the hall of records, I did my own research and know what really happened to her." Kurenai perked up bit hoping she wouldn't have to fight back the tears she felt building in her eyes.
"Baachan never made it home the last night I spent with her. Some enterprising shinobi found out that she was caring for the demon child that murdered his older sister and simply couldn't let that stand so they followed her home one night as she passed through the market square and knocked her senseless. They then proceeded to cut off her fingers, gouge out her eyes, and cut out her tongue before stabbing her through the heart. It was meant to be a message to anyone else brave enough to help a specific and unwanted child in Konoha."
Kurenai gasped.
"Oh, I don't blame Hokage-jiji for wanting to spare a child the gory details, even a child that had been emotionally abused and psychologically attacked repeatedly since the age of two by both people hired to care for him and by those that blamed him for the deaths of their loved ones on the night the Kyuubi attacked Konoha."
Naruto stepped closer so that she could clearly see his bright blue eyes.
"More importantly, and to answer your question, I think Konoha through its nineteen separate attempts on my life from the age of three on has done more to prepare me for this mission than any other experience in my life since I became shinobi. Never fear, Sensei." He reached up and laid a hand on her right shoulder.
"When the time comes, I'll do Konoha proud." Naruto gave a brief smile, one patently fake and more for her benefit than his own, then quietly padded off to his bunk room and a sleeping Shino.
Kurenai did credit to her profession and cried silently on the prow of the boat for less than five minutes before padding off herself to a fitful night of sleep. She had a new reason to loathe her village.
~I I I~
Before long, the afternoon sun showed them the shore of Wave country on the horizon and their hopes rose just before a thick fog started to roll in. Kurenai yelled up the mast where Shino was practicing his tree climbing and called him back down to the deck. Catching her concern, Naruto looked down over the railing and called Hinata back up from the water's surface and her chakra control practice. Once they were together, Naruto looked out across the water and saw the masts of three boats just hidden in the mist.
"I'm guessing they're not friendly," Naruto joked. Shino nodded, his teammate's dry wit tickling a primal spot in his brain.
The panicked shout of pirates from the wheelhouse a moment later confirmed the suspicion. The captain started yelling orders preparing to turn west and run for freedom near the southern coast of Fire Country.
"Ano, Kurenai-sensei. Tell him to keep going. I will handle the pirates."
The feral grin on his face told her this would be at least satisfying to watch after last night's story so she yelled up to the captain to hold course. He paused for a second but her stern glare had him soon reversing his orders to a very panicked and now thoroughly-confused crew. When she looked back, Naruto had moved to the front of the boat letting the entire crew see him and what was about to happen.
With an audible pop and three puffs of white smoke, three Naruto clones appeared and immediately leapt over the side and out of view.
Everyone on the Hebi was watching with quiet interest now.
Seconds later their blond heads could be seen running across the water's surface and, as they got within projectile range, began body flickering to random locations just before a small plume of water would splash up where they were standing a scant moment before. All the while, the clones kept closing in on the now visible ships bearing down on the freighter. With one last surge of chakra, the three clones flickered until they were gripping the pointed bows of the approaching ships at the waterline.
Then they exploded with enough force to blow open the bow of their respective ships, each one luffing in the choppy water and taking on enough fluid to tip the rear end up at a thirty-degree angle. Within minutes, each of the three ships were diving below the water and the Hebi's crew let out an enormous whooping cheer.
Kurenai walked up behind her student and patted his shoulder with an amused grin. It was a very effective way to deal with a long-range threat while boosting the morale of a people being beaten down by Gato's cruelty.
"How long can you keep that up? If I'm seeing correctly, there are more friends waiting ahead." Naruto grinned and turned back to his sensei, his eyes glinting mischievously.
"I never felt the chakra drain from those three Bunshin. Last time I checked, I could make over four thousand of those guys before it started to hurt." He could clearly see the shock in her eyes before he summoned the next three Bunshin, this time without seals, smoke or noise, and sent them ahead to meet the next wave of pirates.
"I recommend leaving fifty more behind with the crew when we disembark, to help offload the supplies and make sure the people of Wave get them."
Kurenai thought that was a very good idea and asked Hinata to pass their intent to the Captain. She was beginning to think she was unneeded on this mission.
The captain predicted this would be the Hebi's fastest run to Wave yet and he was right. Without a need to dodge pirates or barter for their freedom, the ship made landfall a full half-day earlier than planned. Naruto fired off a small company of clones when they docked and the group took the captain's token needed to prove safe conduct of their first mission. From the wooden pier they could see more fog up on the bridge and hear the sound of combat accented by the sound of one very excited dog.
Naruto patted Tatsua absentmindedly. He regretted not being able to bring Tamami as well, but he hadn't shared that part of his life with his team. Maybe later but for now he needed to build some trust.
Naruto settled his tanto into his black sash as Kurenai motioned for them to move out. By the time they reached the bridge, however, it was all but over. They arrived in time to see a small hunter nin vanish with the body of another much larger ninja. Not ten seconds later, after Kakashi turned to face Kurenai and her group and whisper, "Oh, hello Yuhi-chan!" they saw the Copy Nin fall flat on his face from apparent chakra exhaustion.
Sasuke wasted no time barking orders, which Kiba promptly ignored. Kurenai approached the civilian with their group, while completely ignoring Sasuke's rant, and made short introductions of her and her team, then motioned for them to head to his home as Kakashi had originally planned. While Sasuke was still trying to get Kiba, Shino or Naruto to carry their unconscious sensei, Kurenai's team pointedly walked past him again muttering, "He's your problem so deal with it," before following Kurenai and Tazuna.
Sasuke was not a happy boy by the time he carried Kakashi's dead weight the five miles to the house the entire time muttering how he was next in command with Kakashi out like he was and, as they were assigned as backup to Team Seven, he was, therefore, the one in charge by order of mission precedence, meaning the Dobe had better get his act together and start following orders or find himself brought up on charges once they were back in Konoha.
While an impressive rant by emo princess standards, it accomplished nothing other than to frustrate him further as he and Sakura struggled under their sensei's dead weight.
He was so frustrated that he failed to see five Kage Bunshin appear at the tree line behind them and take off in different directions. Kurenai noticed and nodded to her student. Those Bunshin were very useful.
Tazuna welcomed the large group to his home and promptly apologized for what would be cramped sleeping arrangements. They would make do and his grandson, Inari, would sleep with his mother, his daughter Tsunami, while they made do. Despite the argument that Kurenai's team would camp outside and not impose, Tsunami would hear nothing of it. They were the reason her father was alive, and she would not dishonor their efforts by being a poor host despite the apparent suffering of her entire village.
As such, the three kunoichi would share a room and the four male Genin would share the guest room, at least that was the plan until Sasuke began to make a scene, still angry at being ignored back on the bridge. Embarrassed by his lack of professionalism, which was loudly being supported by his overzealous fangirl, Naruto opted to sleep under the house's stilt foundation citing no hardship with the island's temperate climate. Wanting to move past Sasuke's poor showing and keep Hinata from pummeling the obviously exhausted boy into gooey paste, Kurenai waved off the arrangement with a dire facial warning to the brat. She would be bringing this up at the post-mission briefing with the Hokage.
Kakashi slept on the couch and would stay there until he could move about normally. Tazuna was not pleased at the way Kakashi's team treated the blond boy and said as much; he was their comrade and that, by default, meant that Kakashi's kids could and should do better. Sasuke promptly waived off his comments as irrelevant. As the new leader and the Last Uchiha, it was important to set the working standard right away to keep good order and discipline.
Tsunami merely "tsked" in annoyance; she knew entitlement when she saw it.
Naruto thanked them for their concern and asked both hosts not to worry about it. He was used to being alone and didn't mind not being crowded in a room with three other people. Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter, was not convinced especially after witnessing his treatment at the hands of Sasuke and Sakura, of whom she was quickly developing a very unpleasant opinion of.
Hinata was not amused. She was so not amused that she threatened to knock Sakura out (again) if she ever raised another hand to Naruto in her presence. Odd how that forced the pink banshee to lock her mouth closed with a click.
Naruto nodded to Kurenai and went outside to set up camp beneath the house, pausing briefly to talk with her before leaving.
"Ne, Kurenai-sensei. This works for me as my Bunshin can come and go without causing problems."
Kurenai nodded with an apologetic look in her eyes. The boy noticed and gave her a warm smile, a true one that melted her heart. 'By the gods, the boy is handsome and will be a heartbreaker in a few more years if he survives this.'
"Don't get sick on me Naruto. I have a feeling we're going to need you."
Naruto stepped out into the night without a sound. Shino, in a strong act of solidarity, moved to bunk with his teammate until Kurenai stopped him saying she needed someone in that room to keep an eye on the Uchiha. She hated to admit that she didn't trust the boy to play fair and did a credible acting job conveying her discontent, which didn't require that much acting to be honest. Shino relented and turned, for him, a very unhappy glare for their temporary teammates. He resolved to make amends to Naruto tomorrow at his earliest convenience.
Naruto, on the other hand, was met below by two of his five Bunshin.
"Report," he barked.
Once he was sure none of the shinobi above could see him in the cubby he'd found underneath the house, he immediately stripped out of his traveling attire and began to layer on his new ceramic ANBU body armor, one of the clones helping to check the straps while delivering his brief. The type two upgrade was reserved for ANBU captains or higher and carried easily over the matte black Kevlar weave fibers. Even his poly-carbonate-resin-laced body mesh felt unbelievable… light, responsive, and nonrestrictive. This was the good stuff.
Bunshin one had found the Daimyo's old house. The servants were all dead except for an old handmaiden. Both women were beaten and looked gaunt but did not have serious injuries. Both could move about but would need some healing, a good meal, and perhaps a good night's sleep or three before they could flee under their own power. There were a dozen thugs posing as samurai watching them. Nothing the Bunshin gang could not handle. The Bunshin making the report was clearly not pleased with what he saw and was anxious to correct the situation he left behind.
Bunshin two found a thug camp that would need cleaning out. It was situated between the Daimyo's house and the main village and housed nearly three hundred of Gato's goons. All but one, their apparent leader, were extremely low-grade hoodlums, the leader not much more than that only bigger in size. The bad news was that the camp reeked of sweat, cheap beer, human excrement, and sex. When Naruto's eyes narrowed, the clone merely nodded his head in rage. They were using women kidnapped from the village and abusing them sexually. To gather all of this information, the clone Henged into a faceless thug and listened to conversations everywhere he could. Gato was building a crop of slaves to sell at market. The women at this camp are the "least valuable ones" unable to fetch a good price. Naruto read that to mean mothers and grandmothers past the prime age of most degenerates and pedophiles.
More and more he was getting acclimated to the idea of killing this human filth painfully, very painfully.
When he spat out orders to the clones it was with another nine lesser copies for each to back them up. He wanted a detailed map of the camp and a workable plan to free the hostages without casualties before they cleared it out. When the clone asked how many bandits they wanted them to kill in the camp as a message to the rest of Gato's forces, the original responded while donning his new ANBU-style mask with, "All of them."
It was the coldest sound either clone had heard.
If it was because of the shift in his speech pattern because of the mask, neither could tell. At this point, it really didn't matter to them. Both had an important mission to accomplish and they'd been given their marching orders. He would reinforce them with as many clones as they needed once their plans were finalized and approved. The "Boss," as the shadow clones often referred to him, had only two guidelines.
One, none of the innocents could be harmed any more than Gato's thugs had already done. He would provide as much manpower as they needed for that to happen so overcompensate without being a hazard to your own plan.
Two, inflict maximum suffering on the oppressors. Many of Gato's thugs had been brought with him when he invaded this country. They've made a career out of inflicting pain on the innocent and needed to learn the error of their ways. Naruto, though generally a kind soul, was averse to the suffering of the defenseless as he had grown and suffered in that kind of environment. He couldn't change his life, but he could damn well do something about it here. And he damn well would.
The clones that appeared all shared Boss's new look, their masks holding numbers instead of the "Infinity" symbol centered in the fireball resting above the masks eye slots. The two elder clones glanced at each other before making a single seal and changing their appearance to reflect the new attire. It was purely symbolic, but the image evoked strong emotions, hopefully, fearful ones in the humans they were about to brutally slay in the next twenty-four hours they'd been given to detail out their plan requirements. Besides, they liked the mask. It was cool as hell.
The face was white and smooth, almost androgynous. The eyebrows were single red dots near the innermost points above the eyes. Unlike other ANBU masks, the face narrowed slightly to a point just above the mouth before smooth lines melded it with the mouth and jawline. That point formed the greyish nose of the fox's face, no holes or slits for the mouth. Below the jaw hung nine tassels of golden fur, each tassel tied neatly with a red braid of fine silk, one centered under the face, and four more to either side. At the top of the head, two undersized ears formed points very similar to horns and a black curtain of Kevlar mesh flowed over the back of the mask wearer to obscure their hair so that the mask seemed to hover in the night without a body.
Centered in the forehead was a collage of symbology. A flame, with the aforementioned Infinity symbol centered in it, had five tiny Fūinjutsu seals representing the five basic elements in a halo, almost like a crown and above those seals were nine blood-red tomoes, the points arranged towards the burst of fire in the center, wreathing the design like a peacock's tail feathers. The eyes below the gently-sloping brow ridges were clear, smooth lenses leaving no openings in the mask. It was ornate and elegantly drawn and entirely appropriate.
It was the mask of the Kitsune Taichou.
Tatsua liked it so much she released her transformation and knelt before her master (boy was that a hard-fought battle), her leader, her friend (though she'd never willingly admit it), and re-pledged her swords to his service. Naruto acknowledged her pledge by cupping her face with his hands, lifting her eyes from the floor and placing the forehead of his mask against her own. She squealed in pleasure.
When she finished and had resumed her chibi form, Naruto looked around at the clones still with him. The ones he called lesser clones, those lasting less than twenty-four hours, had numbers in the same spot on their foreheads. The minor clones, the two before him with enough chakra to last for two weeks, had letters, these two being "A" and "B" respectively. He liked it and adopted the identity scheme resolving to use the ancient Roman numeral numbering system for his Major clones, those clones holding a full ten percent of his chakra.
The remaining three minor clones returned with the rest of the island sweep just as this exchange was winding down. At some point during the next three debriefings, Naruto registered another visitor with the barest flicker of his head even as his left hand motioned for the next clone to continue with their update.
There were roughly fifty thugs at the main compound, in which they found Gato's office. Gato apparently kept his personal money stores in his office under lock and key, the key kept somewhere safe (as Gato didn't seem surprisingly creative, they guessed it was somewhere on his person). Conversations eluded to a prized captive being held somewhere in the building believed to be a Cloud nin, possibly Jounin level. Gato seemed very pleased that he'd been able to get the nuke-nin Momochi Zabuza to capture her prior to their group arriving and was torn with what to do with her. At any moment the disgusting pervert, yes, he was there and yes, he'd put eyes on the filth, was torn between using this prisoner as a sex toy, ransoming her back to her village, or having his way with her before selling her into slavery. The Naruto clone was livid and wanted to rip the bastard's testicles off.
Naruto directed him to plan in the same way he'd done the first two with the added stipulation that he not kill the slime before the original could arrive and question him. He was adamant about that requirement – they needed information from him they could not obtain once he was killed and die he would. Of that, they could all be very certain.
And while they were at it, they would just rescue this prisoner and make sure she got home in one piece. Having given his report and received his brace of supporting clones for planning purposes, clone "C" assumed his new appearance and moved to stand by the first two.
The majority of the hostages were there at Gato's headquarters. Gato had taken over the only stone compound in the village – the Mayor's business district holding the Mayor's home, the bank and a few other buildings and appeared in crowded but good health. The village was largely cleared out except for the brothel, which was filled with, yup you guessed it, more prisoners. It would need to be cleared as well. With that update, clone "D" was born.
There was another group of thugs camped out past the village by the beach. They appeared to be mildly panicked as they'd lost a bunch of ships and people recently. The clones all grinned beneath masks at this. The reporting clone estimated their numbers around one-twenty. Clone "E" received his support group and the five lieutenants lined up for final orders.
Naruto wanted detailed plans for all five target locations by this time in two nights. He wanted them ready to move in three days. That would allow them to strike while Zabuza was still out of it, if he was still alive as Kurenai thought he might be and allow him time to take care of a personal issue. Squad commanders had leeway to create as many clones as needed to preserve operational effectiveness, however, remaining undetected was paramount. They were not to engage before all plans had been finalized and squad commanders were not to jeopardize themselves unless it was absolutely necessary to prevent compromising the mission. This operation absolutely could not fail.
With sharp bows and a whispered, "Hai! Kyodai-sama!" his squads of clone operatives whisked off into the night.
Naruto smiled under his mask at the friendly title, "Elder Brother." The suffix elevated it to one of respect and an odd reflection on his previous life comprised entirely of loneliness. His new brothers would follow his orders without fail and were connected at a level deeper than any ties of blood. Their conduct gave him peace of mind he could not get from normal subordinates and provided time needed to be successful at his appointed task. That bond also gave Naruto three nights to get out to the smaller island at the southwestern tip of Wave, the land of Whirlpools, and back.
Plenty of time.
Leaving a minor clone to sleep in his place along with his backpack of basic supplies, Naruto cloaked himself in camouflage and ran off into the night, the Kyuubi humming gleefully in the back of his head.
Kurenai stepped out of the shadows, her clone above interacting with the group, so she could observe her student's actions. What she saw in his planning meeting with his clones impressed her. The young man showed a natural affinity for leadership and an amazing knack for multi-tasking. He was juggling multiple attack plans and rescue scenarios with apparent facility. Furthermore, his limitless store of chakra to pull from only made his one-man army's success a real likelihood given their opponent, and that was considering the unknown variable of Zabuza. She would have to check in on him in a couple of nights to see where they were at. As she turned to leave, the clone left behind in the sleeping bag opened his eyes and chuckled, stopping her retreat.
"I was wondering when you were going to come out. Did you enjoy the show, sensei?" Kurenai tried not to blush.
"I was very impressed by the planning debrief." Her even tone did wonders at hiding her fluttering stomach.
"He knew you were here, you know. We all did." She could not hide the slight increase of her shocked eyes. "The more he is surrounded by beautiful women, like yourself, the less mindful he is of being watched."
"That's absurd! He is half my age!" she hissed. She hoped it at least sounded sincere.
"We're not blind and you know about some of his enhanced senses." Before she could ask more, the clone raised a hand and cut her off. "When Boss trusts you enough to share the rest, he will." The clone rolled over. "Just know that he finds you desirable even if he never admits it. You're a beautiful woman. You are, however, his sensei so he'll never cross that line unless you force his hand. He respects you too much."
Kurenai swore internally. "You sound as if some of you don't agree with him."
"Some of us don't share his apprehension, just so you know." The clone lifted his head and gave her a rakish smirk. This raised questions in Kurenai's mind about mental stability and fragmented personalities. "You know it's funny how he spends all his time railing against perverts yet spends any chance he can watching you bounce around. Makes you wonder what he'd do if given half a chance…" The clone left that last part hanging in the air.
Kurenai looked down at the two flesh globes hiding her toes and smiled.
~I I I~
Off deep into the forest, Naruto sneezed underneath his mask.
~I I I~
"That doesn't mean that he isn't a normal and highly hormonal pre-teen, so it doesn't mean that we don't also dream… or even fantasize about pretty women, like you." His head returned to the nook of his elbow. "You can blame Jiraiya for his 'unhealthy' opinions about what is acceptable behavior around women. That man is a prime example of how not to act."
With that, the clone settled in and pretended to go to sleep leaving a very conflicted Yuhi Kurenai with her inappropriate thoughts… and later, dreams. Also, a new-found hatred for the toad sage.
At the same time, five squads of Naruto clones dispersed with their individual information-gathering tasks, many taking the form of rats or other small animals. In other places, stray dogs almost far too skinny to consider killing for food, lurked around camps of brigands looking for scraps and handouts. By dawn they would have memorized and compiled extremely detailed layouts of all of Gato's holdings, to include the confiscated buildings in the captive village he was using to warehouse all of the stolen goods pilfered from the citizens of Wave just to sell them in other nations.
The real Naruto reached the coast a few hours before sunrise and took stock of the smaller island across the strait. He could hear the churning ocean but could not see it clearly off of the shores of the smaller landmass just on the horizon. On a whim, he released his shape change and pushed chakra into his eyes. The distant shore zoomed into focus and he could see the enormous whirlpools, like pearls on a necklace ringing the island, just past the shoal break.
Thankful for enhanced night vision, he patted Tatsua's head one last time then began sprinting across the water. Cover of night should hide his approach from either shore.
He was so focused on his distant homeland that he missed the heavily lidded gaze of his passenger as she struggled to maintain some semblance of control.
~I I I~
A/N: Q&A
Working backwards along with the reviews, I'll start with the latest one.
- An unidentified Guest asks about Naruto will manage to keep hold of his Kitsune and human chakra networks indicating that Chapter 14 (where Kyuubi warns that his human network will atrophy if he doesn't utilize it) and Chapter 17 where Tamamai discovers that the Academy has been working to sabotage his chakra control (and how she's planning to help him master his human chakra network so that he can become strong enough to protect the Kitsune from humanity). That right there is the gist of those two chapters. Kyuubi warns when talking to a sleepy Tamami in the seal that he could lose the use of his human chakra if he does not use it - it's like a muscle that shrinks if you don't exercise it. This is a possible truth as his Reika network can overtake his human network if he lets it shrivel up enough through disuse. However, if Tamami helps him master his human chakra and he strengthens his human network, he can maintain a healthy balance through the Modulous Gland and learn to use both sources of chakra.
- Crowe8177: I did say that this is not a harem piece and I meant it. I did not say that the CRA, or some version of it, might or might not be put into place. For the purposes of a harem, I'm referring to the traditional concept of a harem involving wives, concubines, and the progeny therein (as seen in the Ottoman, Mongolian, or other empires employing the concept). The plan is for Naruto to be involved in a polyamorous relationship instead of the dozens (to hundreds) of significant others in a harem (despite harem being defined as 'a group of women' without specific size or numbering). He will never, at most, be married to more than the three women identified in the story description - meaning polygyny, making him a polygynist, or a person married to more than one person at a time. Whether he actually marries all three is another story entirely that I will not spoil ahead of time.
- Lord Borhon: I believe I answered your review at the start of the story (just the first paragraph, not the return feedback about Naruto's attack in Chapter 2). Let me know if anything was unclear or if I missed something.
~Siva'a