A.N: So, I've had a little chat with our pal Naruto (who has a strict policy against the easy path), and have come to the conclusion that this story is gonna be a slow burn. I've projected a lot of broad subjects to cover in this chapter, but those are gonna get pushed to the background as the focus stays on Naruto, his relations, and the renegade SI.
Originally, Pseudo styles featured a second SI that acted as a bit of a ring leader for the genin cast. If I play this right, that character should fade into the background as well. An incarnation of plot devices is a hazard light in my eyes. That said, in the practice of hypocrisy, I still use the elder SI as a bit of a crutch. Don't make a mental image that isn't forgiven a regular dose of mistakes. That's what nightmares are for.
Cutting back to our blond hero and his cast. I do believe that children harbor a lot more potential and inherent know-how than they're given credit for, however, I've taken quite a few liberties in how these kids behave. They're only three years old at this point, but with how I'm writing them, I feel like I'd given them a pass on the infancy stage.
===Chapter 9===
From a shell of callous and numb shades, the first seams of color began to creep. The new year turning the bitter ice giants, and releasing in a single breath the steady aura of a milder season. Those seeds of tougher make or sound purchase began to break apart the soil. At long last, the first signs of spring were made ready to emerge in full.
It had taken a fair amount of dedication to navigate a Konoha lined with ice. Throughout all the great wars, and many decades between them, it had been an alien novelty not even the most talented residents were prepared for. Naruto had taken to spending as much time outdoors as he could stand to avoid the execution block that was the hallway stairs, and, with the benevolent turn it became scarce, the time he would spend at home.
His route became as intricate and well versed as the new root systems. He knew every facet of a number of streets, and even reckoned the average foot traffic. It wasn't so easy to get lost or turned around anymore.
Of course, to that end, he had an advantage. Navigating the slicks and securing himself to vantage points had him further out of his way than most else would accomplish, even genin of lesser repute. Thankfully, his talk with the old man hadn't grounded him so. In fact, the Hokage took a rather supportive interest in the blond's development. Inviting demonstration and an occasional word of insight.
On top of feeding his ego, Naruto was especially happy to see some of his old caretakers again. Cept for rooster. That one was always a bit grouchy, and the boy had trouble parsing praise from despite. He did enjoy these sessions though. Not only was it an opportunity to get some perspective on how he was learning, but he managed to gain some ideas for the future. (A-heh-Choo! Sniff, "Rub in in will ya?")
Fuinjutsu is a bit of a scary thing. In many popular cases, it is used to drive one thing out, to channel it elsewhere, to be deployed and replaced at a moment's notice. If you are conservative and innovative about it, you could fit an entire building into something you'd be comfortable wearing. But there's a part of the art that isn't so well understood. It isn't an open or closed deal, and as risky or convoluted as it gets, experimenting and figuring out how you're best suited to go about it is essential to mastering it.
No two sealmasters create one the same way, and trying to replicate the way another employed it is the undoing of it's practice. There are the basics, and a number of raw aspects that go into it. Honestly, if you've ever lived out of a suitcase, or gotten in the practice of improvising your own solutions, you've probably put into practice a component in the specialty. It's not always on paper, or derived in reality, the inspiration that really drives the works.
I'm not a master of fuinjutsu, but my workshop holds examples of what the archaic has to work with. Gliding touch across the surface of my latest innovation, a wisp of smoke rose with a quiet hiss. Checking the seam against the bar of sunlight afforded to the room before returning it to the amber lit shadow.
Temperament, in its own right, is an art. Thankfully, the likes of the root corps were beginning to settle. It wasn't pretty. The die hard allies in Danzo's circle have a litany of ways to exercise control, what with years of practice in what the various arts could impose. Willpower is an asset that is checked by shame. A person denied their chakra will begin to struggle after a while, but worse, without any method to rekindle those embers the body will forgo the needs and regard for the assets beneath those wings.
It takes not a small spark, but that is the deception that makes frightful a backdraft's power. Those who find peace with anguish are not prepared to encounter someone who is passionate about it, and even those who aren't know not what to expect from the outset.
From what I'm aware of the Root corps tributaries, The leadership has reached a state where the various branches of the core can function, and that includes a few that I recognize from the camp. I'm still wary, as it is a matter of resolve that determines whether the command structure grows from this. What I know for sure is, Root won't survive to sweep this completely under the rug, and I'll be there to hustle any attempt to put it out elsewhere.
So long as they don't become parasites, nor serve as fodder, I am content to leave root to form their own devices.
My hands idle as yet another item troubles me. It is one of my own curses, being realized in this world. Ever since that day, with the serpent sage, I have not been apart from the lurking shadow that haunts him. For all the aspects that fuel a person, nurturing their primary drives, I am especially wary of this one now.
Aspects are ever present. To some, one can be vital or a paragon of virtue, while in others it instills effects like a poison. No one aspect can rule over all others, and some of the everchanging gatherings can become devastating. It is an underlying legend. One does not split the stone to salvage favor with an aspect. Ironically, what I do despites directly that train of wisdom, but in doing so I am well aware that the founding principle is never whole again.
It isn't something that can be avoided either. That's why people cling to a single facet of life, hold it apart from all others, and entrust it with the tools they base their lives around. Once you learn to imbue and discern such an essence, you can continue to forge ahead, even when the world as you knew it is torn away.
It is disturbing to see the aspect of one most evil manifest in the day to day lives of others. They can be the canvas of some of the most horrible betrayals, and it can be difficult to admit a clean slate in the fallout, but they are ever present all the same.
A flash of white breezed through the hall, stopping behind the gate for just long enough to squeeze through, before sending it thumping closed. A bead of sweat formed on the less than well rested guards. The manilla ball waving back a short fairwell.
It had been a long time after the incident since she was allowed to leave home alone. Even after another week, the exhilaration that pumped through her veins bordered on nervousness. Still, if Hinata lingered long, her bodyguard would volunteer to look after her. There was nothing she could do to talk her way out of that if it came up.
At every hour, someone would be out to check in and make sure she was well, and then it was a poll of weather she got away unsupervised. Hinata didn't feel the part of a princess suited her. She felt content to observe from afar, and the attention under a looming chaperone tended to be one sided or altogether forced.
Abridged 'good mornings' and exaggerated enthusiasm it was then. In the end, it got her all the room to breath she could ask for. One of her favorite spots in the village was privy to some of the earliest blooms, and the other day, a few had been on the verge of emerging in full.
Hinata was halfway down one of the last stretches toward her destination when her breath left her. Driven out, she was already surrounded in colors so vibrant they overpowered her expectations for the promised reveal. Finding her footing a moment or two later she came upon her intended track of forest.
It was still premature for the spring, but the climate in that one neck of the woods had become a funnel for the scarce pollination. The din and activity in that hollow was extravagant, but to the point that it seemed more sensible to watch from a distance. A stroll through that would leave one more colorful than an art project gone awry.
Hinata found a park bench that had a fair view of the meadow, and allowed herself a moment to soak it in. Hoping it may be the first of many great moments to come, but burning it into memory all the same.
As time went on, Hinata felt her thoughts drift to topics not so well suited for the vibrant scene. With a longing glance to the meadow, she went to clear her thoughts, and get an impression of her favored locations.
A surge of water came over the brim, and the blond scrambled back to keep from getting himself doused. The soft earth amidst the field, already prone to scuffs, was turned to mud. The area before and to either side of the matted training post he'd been using a trap lain for his sandals.
He cringed visibly as he looked to the jonin standing by.
They rubbed their brow in resignation, "You really need to be more aware of your surroundings."
Naruto shook his fists, "I know, I want to, and I'm trying. I'm just not used to…" He glanced at the pitcher and his frown deepened, "I've mostly stayed away from using them in small spaces. It's hard to keep track of them all. I just forgot to look okay?"
The jonin nodded, twisting the post and drawing it from the ground, "That's going to be a problem for you if you ever need to get ready in a hurry."
Naruto was reminded of the narrower limbs that would extend behind him as he ran or wove around corners. He scrunched his brow in thought, "Those one's are different. I do worry about it, but it's easy to keep them out of the way." He rounded fiercely, "If I could, I'd be using that, but the kind that I have push out all around me." He glanced at his palms, "I can't tell if I've got them all yet."
The fact that Naruto hadn't yet gotten account of the nine appendages wasn't surprising, but it wasn't exactly the kind of explanation one wanted to kick off with the three year old. The idea that they more or less branched out would do for now, "So what's stopping you? There's a difference in the shape when you stand and run, can you demonstrate that here?"
Naruto furrowed his brow at Jonin and shifted to turn. He built up some speed before performing a few weaves, then almost tripped at the edge of the mud pile. Cutting his demonstration short, he drew on his tails and felt them fan out behind him, "How's that?"
The jonin arched a brow and took a few steps around the boy, "Your tails changed a little when you stopped, but stayed the same when you stepped back. Puffing up afterwards."
Naruto leveled his gaze. He'd noticed the strange lapse. It was the first time he'd actually tried to change them while they were already out. If he could do it before, could he do it the other way?
The tails rustled behind him as Naruto tried to gain control over them. Feeling at odds, he tried imitating his running start. The feeling of the track of earth ahead of him merged in his mind's eye, the feeling of narrowing his movements down. His eyes widened and he glanced behind him as his tails extended further back.
The jonin clapped, "Well that's something. Now, do you think you can use this, or do you want to stick with the same old for the time being?" They only had the hour. Try as they might, it was a busy world, and an idle ninja is a disarmed ninja.
Naruto glanced at the equipment and inclined his head to face the Jonin, "If it's alright with you, I could practice with this until next time." Pumping his fists, "I will get this down, believe it!"
"Alright well, You'll have to make do with whoever draws the short straw. Will you be alright with that?" At the nod from the blond, the Jonin turned with a wave, "Good progress today, rugrat." And vanished in a swirl of leaves.
cut-Hinata wasn't a social creature. Far from it, she had made it through her entire life more content with being a wallflower. It was a life that came with the bells and whistles of being a child though, and every parent wants to show their child as much of their world as possible. That and their boasting privileges.
The heiress was introduced early on to a number of clan households, especially those with kids of their own. It wasn't in her best efforts to memorize each of them at the time, but she could recall vaguely, from time to time, the impression those families made.
Her mother's voice was a bastion of respite in her home. Both soothing and empathetic, Hinata cherished every moment she could bask in that much. One of her hobbies, one she intended to share with her daughter at every turn, was gardening. As lulled as she was from the details, Hinata had formed a connection with the ideal, and one of those impressions.
The brunt of the trip through the streets went by in a disconnected haze. Stray thoughts marking the passage of each avenue, and counting the steps. At length, she arrived at her destination, and it was like her heart emerged from a cave, only to bawl over unmarked walls.
Distantly, Hinata knew the season was shy of its prime, but the display of wilted evergreen shrubs caused a place within her to tremble. In the wake of so many vibrant hues, it did the memory disservice. Wiping her cheek, Hinate resolved to make the most of it.
Half an hour later, the bell chimed. In the area beneath the clerks panel, a blonde, brooding over lettered building blocks, failed to notice. That was, until a head of deep blue hair came around the aisle, "Umm... the clerk's out for a bit, but she'll be back soon." She scrunched her eyes and tilted her head, muttering softly, "Hi- nata?"
The blunette paused in her stride, nerves lighting up her posture like a festival bush, and started swaying, "Uh-umm." The silence of the shop had been endearing enough, but the idea of explaining her presence there had never occurred to her.
Doubt swirled in Hinata's mind, but amidst that, a sliver of inclination slipped through. Tucking the lip of a paper cone nervously, Hinata brought the object from beside her and revealed it to the blonde, "I-Ino?"
'Ino's' eyes widened, "It is you." Her mouth opened wide when she understood what the girl was holding, "Wow, huh- where did you get that?"
Hinata shifted behind the uprooted flower, "I found it, outside."
"No way." Ino dismissed the thought outright, but after a moment she noted that Hinata wasn't pushing her claim. Curiosity built around the silent calm, "Really?"
Hinata glanced up briefly, before nodding, "There's meadow full of them, not far from here."
Ino shifted excitedly, checking herself as she brushed a few of the blocks around, "Can you show me?"
The doorbell trilled once again, a bag of groceries set atop one of the less used isles. A few steps later, eyes fell on the previously occupied spot at the counter, now disturbingly empty.
An arrangement of blocks drew her gaze, and a moment later the young mother braced her forehead, "Ino…"
It was the scene out of a fairytale, and had it not been for her earlier exposures, Hinata may not have taken the time to observe Ino's reactions. Although, if you forgave the notion that it was attached to her body, Ino's gaze would have filled the role of the many birds absent from the scene. She did, at one point, give a sound of warning when Ino moved to further explore the wonderland.
The blonde turned in askance, and when Hinata drew her attention to the sleeves she was wearing, Ino's eye shined in realization, "So that's why. Of course…" And even still, that the dreary streets were cultivating- such a surreal environment. Ino had to count the streets, and the turns they took before she could take this as any more than a dream. She beamed and appraised the brunette in the new light. Timid as she was, something like this came once in a lifetime, and Hinata found it, "Good eye, Hinata. This place," taking another sweep of the alcove, "Is a treasure trove!"
"You couldn't wait five minutes to on- a little escapade… could you?"
Ino couldn't be bothered to wipe the triumphant smile off her face. From her voice and composure, it was clear her mother wasn't unaffected by the scene. A nativity of flowers, including some that wouldn't normally appear so far from the mountains.
The inquisition was postponed further as another came huffing down the path, "Lady Hinata."
Hinata had the grace to appear abashed. Even in all her ventures, she'd played into the scenario, that she may very well be overdue her first check in. Her bodyguard would have her wrapped around his finger with this infraction.
Ino turned and clasped the Hyuga's hand, a passion burning in her eyes, "Walk through it, Hinata. I've got something to show you afterwards." Turning to the elder clansmen, she bore every ounce of pride and sincerity she could bring together, "As a favor. I owe her that much."
The Yamanaka bit the bullet and turned to the Hyuga imploringly. Truth be told, Hinata's find would go a long way in recovering from their lost inventory. If it were passed through the goodwill of the village's hierarchy, it would be a godsend.
It was feint, but there was a transient sigh of relief when the Hyuga's disappointment cracked, "Make better sure you're punctual for your next check in."
Hinata nodded and offered a genuine bow.
The winter had come into its peak with a myriad of consequences. Structures in the topography had been taken hold of by punishing contractions in the waterway. The natural springs within the mountain bed had been subject to constant deviations in their shed. Ice, earth and recoiling root systems pulled as much weight as the pumping heart. Drought and overflow struck the village landscape in turn.
There was an old basin in konoha, it had served as popular stopping grounds for years, and would likely resume again as the weather grew warmer. For the time being it was abandoned though, and the two girls found it all to themselves.
Hinata ceased moving the moment she caught sight of it. The two streaming falls had cut back against the cliff face, sprawling across its surface in a veiny pattern, met at each peak with moss and the occasional tuft of vegetation. The dull roar traded out with a myriad of trills and burbling, and the show was backed with a volume that wasn't normal. A deep cleave at the peaks spewing down into a number of jagged groves that lent to the display. The stone shore shined where prior months of dirt from foot traffic were rinsed out for several feet along the banks.
Barely reacting to the query of the blonde, Hinata crouched down, content to watch the tranquil display.
Ino chuckled over the display of modesty, "I know. I thought to myself, gee, this must be where all the beauty in the world has gone. Jealous me wanted a share, but I can't move mountains."
Hinata gave a hum of assent, and yet another trill of amusement came from the Yamanaka.
"You brought me to something I can have a part in though. Thank you, Hinata."
The two shared a few minutes just watching the scene. At length though, Ino stood up and dusted herself down, "Okay. We're gonna need to turn back soon. Wouldn't want to make your babysitter anxious."
Hinata hunched forward, a subtle hum rising over her spine, "Ah- yes. T-thank you, Ino. And… I'm glad. That those flowers made you feel better."
Ino smirked and tousled her hair, "And what's that about? Dropping in like some guardian angel, out of nowhere!" Ino helped the Hyuga to her feet, "Feel free to come by whenever, and I mean that. I need more surprises in my life."
Hinata nodded and straightened her jacket. As the two made their way, a distant outcry reached her ear, 'That voice…'
===Closing notes===
A.N: And with that, my targeted tally is six hundred words overdue. Hope you don't mind the literal cliffhanger. I've got another scene planned. More of the same sentimental stuff, but we're in the slow burn now. I'm hoping that I get an idea for a driving theme pretty soon, but by the will of fire, I guess we'll become that as it is.
Good news, I don't think this story will be getting taken down and revamped again. I've gotten way too involved with this run to rival scene for scene, and at length, I Imagine I've found a way to work in whatever I come up with into the progression as it goes. I've already added aspects that I threw away ages ago, and it works like never before.