(_) - Editor/Author/Narrator's side notes.
Also, techniques will appear in quotations, but are not strictly spoken aloud.
A.N: Sorry for the extended delay. As it turns out, even if the session isn't inactive writing wise, I've taken an abundance of time getting ready for future scenes, and figuring out how I want to draw out the mood. I'm sorry if the notice before was misleading. I'm not exactly solid when it comes to staging intervals, but I know that, when I get a lot of time to work over the ideas in my head, they tend to be a lot more fruitful on the page.
Consequences of a fledgling writer. I will work towards my best, so please forgive my timing. Again, thank you all for your patience.
===Chapter 14: Strategy===
Life went on in the coming days. For the blond uzumaki, he never let a day go by when he did not surround himself with the company of others. And while he held a special fondness for Ituka, the boy's absence did not discourage him.
The time they spent together had left an impression however. After a handful of days, and as the exams began, Naruto felt himself increasingly dissatisfied. As though he were falling back on his progress.
A child will learn to crawl, to walk, to run. So soon in life, Naruto was learning to fly, and he did not want to lose sight of that feeling.
He was young. Much of the days would be spent resting and adjusting. The changes in day to day life, slowly being made a part of his own. Launching through the forest at breakneck speed, nay, even navigating at a sedate pace was taxing on his body. Adapt as he may, it showed in his activity with the other kids, he was rationing himself.
Of course, to those who didn't know him so well, it appeared he was settling in. Becoming more calm and at ease around the others. His spunk would resurface at the behest of anyone though, and he took his turns with all the gusto they had come to expect.
Still, some of the older kids began to wonder what had changed.
Pushing himself to his limit, Naruto came home each day almost beat tired. Dinner of one day becoming breakfast for the next, and the interval at which he ate began to shift. He was burning himself out, and it wasn't long before he was confronted about it.
Naruto was deep within the treeline, when something grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. On sudden alert, his jacket tightened around his shoulders. He hadn't sensed anything stalking him, and his breath settled as he caught sight of one behind him.
His trepidation resurfaced as Iruka towed him about, "Naruto! Have you been out here training this whole time?"
Naruto burst out, "Iruka! You're back! Does this mean the exams are over?"
Iruka frowned, "We'll me and my team have been preparing for the second stage, but then I caught wind that you've been worn down lately. What have you been doing out here?"
Naruto shifted sheepishly, "I was-" Frankly, he'd been trying to emulate iruka's moves, however, Naruto shook his head, "I'm trying to get stronger Iruka. You're doing everything you can to get better. I should be doing the same!"
"I've studied, and worked my way up for years. I may not be a genius, but not even the early graduate genius' could keep up when they started." Iruka folded his other arm over his chest, "At your age, working yourself to the bone will be the death of you. Have you considered what would happen if you fell apart up there?"
Naruto flinched, and Iruka's temper caught on the sheer dismay in the boy's face, "You think I don't know that? I barely know what I'm doing, and I spent hours figuring out how you did what you do, cause I can't-" Naruto hissed at the world like it was a sour thing and glanced to the side, "I'm not you. I'm sorry. I thought I could handle it at first, but I can't stand the idea of- of just quitting!" Anger and fear warred on his features. A defeated look unlike anything someone his age should have felt creeping in.
Iruka's heart melted at the sight. He'd never really seen this side of him, and it clashed with what he knew of the exuberant and stubbornly optimistic blond, "It's not a bad thing. Knowing when you've found your limits? It's important, and difficult, even for kids who are older than me." Iruka set the boy down, "You just need more time, okay?"
Naruto stifled, and rubbed his brow. Reluctantly, he nodded.
"C'mon. I bet you're hungry."
Naruto gave a chirp of protest, "You haven't been going on any missions though, Iruka?"
Iruka paused in step, 'And there's that side of him that I keep forgetting about.' Turning to face the blond he chuckled, "It'll be alright. But you raise a good point. We've both been overworked lately, so how about something more robust than ramen?"
Naruto carefully treated the line between his favor and the clear compromise. Still cautious about overstepping Iruka's trust, he nodded, "Thanks Iruka."
The chunin hopeful nodded, "Just do me a favor and wait until we can find you a decent coach. Somebody has to make sure you're not being reckless."
"Okay."
It was a tough time for residents of the leaf. With the damages sustained during the biju attack, the relief of a peacetime economy was shattered. The majority of political efforts were diverted to prying the jaws of that beast open, and getting enough through the gap to keep their essentials alive.
The semblance of normalcy had been cast over a delicate web, and following the damages wrought by the abnormally harsh winter, if fell to the shoulders of each citizen. To get those repairs underway was a decision to make, and a personal battle to sustain. For the most part, this meant pooling resources among communities, and collaborating to repair one system at a time. This striving gave hope to a number of residents with otherwise little to nothing to show for. With all they had left, they would strive for a better future.
A member of one of those communities, a young woman, had taken to running errands for the neighboring shops. With several businesses on the block shutting down for want of supply, many bets were hedged on their more robust counterparts, and in exchange, favors and a tip from their revenues were provided.
It was the only thing keeping her and her brother afloat, but with enough errands, and a few weeks of dedication, she hoped to jumpstart their parents' shop, and get yet another avenue of trade flow through the block.
Her hopes and machinations came to an abrupt halt when something collided with her from behind, breaking her stride. Barely salvaging the bearing to brace her fall, she fell in a daze. Running footsteps echoed out ahead, and shifting her arm, and absence flooded her with panic, "Stop! Somebody, help! Thief!"
A jangle drew her attention to one side and distantly she reached out for the bag. Looking up, she noticed someone perched in the flower bed behind the fence who spoke, "I give 'em twenty yards. Then again, unless he's stupid, he'll be hidden by that point."
The stranger glanced down, frowned and slid over the fence into a crouch. Slinging the satchel closer he asked, "Are you alright? God to walk it off?"
Other than a bruised arm, and shock that was beginning to dull, her largest concern was doubt. The young woman weighed and examined the bag as she rose to her feet and asked, "How?"
The man raised a brow, "You're good then?" He shrugged, "A vetted interest in ninja tricks. That and that guy wasn't exactly hiding his intent, apart from you. He probably wouldn't have noticed a six foot wolf standing by." Pulling a piece of firewood from behind him, "If the old man complains, It's just another trip to the woods for me."
She raised a hand to her mouth, "You didn't need to do that."
He turned to go, "Course not. But then, you asked, us decent folk need to stick together, a chance to see someone smile down the road, and I get to rub it in." He perked up and turned, "Oh, and before I forget. If you go down like that again," He gestured both palms in front, "land two solid slaps, and turn your head like it stings. Have a fulfilling morning miss!"
It was the best way, moving forward. If they could get a couple of the bigger businesses around town to collaborate, odds were they could get ahead of this whole disaster. The sooner they stoked the fire and got a piece of the pie rolling in, the sooner things could branch out. In the end, the lesser off would have someone strong to turn to. More, for everyone!
He tucked the satchel further under his arms and brushed across rough edges. Disconcert morphed into disbelief. All at once, the slab of wood rendered, and something latched onto him.
"Spear binding: Twelve incarnations."
He ground to a halt moments later he fell to the ground in a shuddering heap.
"You should really be more careful. A woman scorned is a terrible thing, and in a time like this, You'd be really lucky if she didn't find something to stick it to ya." Shifting over the woodshed, "Consider this an early taste of karma."
"Oh criminy. Did you have to stick it to the poor sap?" The man came to a stop on a nearby rooftop, "At least tell me he'll recover?"
"I didn't break him Ago-nee." The other smiled at his reaction before focusing back on the shifting thief.
"Y-yo-ou. What are- what do you think you're doing." Tracking the sound, his gaze eventually wandered to the rooftop. A black haired woman with a violet hat and robes, with colored rings in her bangs and dark rosy skin, and beside her, a silver haired man, simple robes but for the sturdy sashes woven across his body, a metal device on his forearm, and a heavy tan.
As the thieves eyes refocused he saw them atop the rooftops and scanned them for a particular article, "Ninja." 'From the leaf?' "You," No way that wretch would be hiring bodyguards, "The Ninja corps will have your licence for this, if not your heads!" Unable to find the standard affiliation plate, the guy began to truly fear for his life. It wasn't likely, but if these were really some ronin, or vigilante ninja, they might not let him live. Already, he was saying his prayers, cursing them for coming after someone like him.
"C'mon. We're gonna be late." The man paused and looked over the quivering burlap, "Oh get over yourself. Picking on some lass who's tried every ounce as hard as you. This is what happens when you get ruled by cowardice." Catching the preening of the rose girl he bit out, "This is far from settled, Tracy. Pull another stunt, I'll sick the kid on you instead."
'Tracy' frowned, "You would do that. That jerk."
Chakra built up across the surface of the metal, exploding from my chest, it blanketed the room in a hazy light. Shoot. How have I not considered the difference when that energy reacts.
...Actually, this could help with the 'charging in the dark' issue.
Following Iruka's intervention, Naruto found himself stuck at home for hours on end. Part of that had been the arrangement he made with Iruka, to give himself time to recover and ensure he was well enough rested. But what hit him largely was that in absence of the rush, his body kept raising one demand after another. Aches, pains, cravings, and most infuriating of all, sedation.
He knew it was petty, that he blamed Iruka for him falling apart. Still, as time went on, he himself noticed that his day to day energy was rising. As much of that had been attributed to his discomfort, Naruto began to outgrow those handicaps, as it left him with more and more to work with.
It hadn't been a new pain either. He'd spent a fair amount of time stabilizing those maladies to keep himself in the running, and while he had his heart set on growing to be more like Iruka, that extra amount of effort migrated into an afterthought day by day.
That extra energy affected more than just his body and well being. Naruto hated the idea of becoming strong on 'laziness', Whenever he had time to spare, be it a rainy day or a lull in day to day activities, he focused on whatever exercises he knew of. During one afternoon, as he was running low on ideas and new options, he discovered his tails had a kind of warmth to them. (Begrudgingly, as he didn't like being regarded like some weird animal, he'd let the similarities sink in. Provided that it wasn't a taunt on the part of the old man, or anyone else.) That warmth pulsed and shifted as he cradled one in his arms, and as he explored the sensation, he found distantly that he could detect things touching them.
If only that he could feel around and find things in the dark, the thought excited him greatly. It did go to show that, when suffering from exhaustion, his extra limbs had gone numb. Between the restoring energy and his insight to maturity, he started to discover a bit more about his abilities, and that extended to promoting his physical strengths.
He hoped through it all, that Iruka would be around again soon, and that he could start learning new ways to get stronger. Again, he was never one to wait on inactivity.
'Patience, Anticipation, Focus.' Those three repeated as a mantra, but it's far easier said than done, to get those attributes in focus. At the sound from within the building, my least cooperative aspects leapt from the array like a kickstand.
"Chimera, this is tough!" The creaking of floorboards drew near, and naturally, caution rose. Who would have reason to come here…
Knocking at the door solidified my concerns, and I rose to answer. Reaching to access the latch, I felt a presence. A foreboding one sure, but it affected my network in a unique way.
"You sure this is the right place?"
In a single movement, the thin metal frame roared with a periodic chirp. My fist flown, Impacting against something sturdy, but with an unnerving controlled give.
"Careful kid. It's best not to be causing a stir here." The strong arms surprise, his sides are brushed about and a pressure against his spine.
I glance up with a sneer, "Diego you old bastard? Where have you been?"
His eyes twitch for a second. A blast of torso driving me off and a hold so narrowly averted, I'd might have plowed through the back wall with the impact. Brushing off my overzealous he answered, "It's been a disaster and a half getting things sorted on the home front. You know well enough, most of us can't just flit from place to place like you do."
I did my best to mitigate the chip on my shoulder. It hadn't been the 'for the greater good' mercy mission it was cracked up to be, "I hear that." Turning to face the guy, I addressed the itch in my chakras, "Dude, Looking like the whole three in one package. You think there's gonna be a chance to spar any time soon?"
The shortest among us groaned and rubbed her brow, "Boys."
I normally incline toward counter angles for this type of remark, but considering the avatar before me, "I can't argue with that. Speaking of, does this me she…"
Ago shrugged and shook his head, "Only time will tell. If she's ready and able, she will come."
I nodded and glanced between the two, pausing to examine the shorter, "Is this new? Seems the coat of arms has shifted a bit."
Tracy folded her arms, "These colors suit me. You're not one to take issue with diversifying." Spoken as much a warning as a declaration.
I bowed slightly, "I thank you for doing so. Really I think it suits your temperament."
Tracy's brow twitched, "Just keep that mouth of yours in check. You're still the clueless bumbler you ever were."
Ago folded his arms, "Time is short. We had a bit of a dust up coming in, so It's best if we each lay low for a bit."
Tracy quipped a brow, "How did you manage to keep your… eccentricities, under wraps?"
I rubbed the back of my head mournfully, "Honestly, I can't explain it. What I do know is that the sensory field isn't helping them."
Ago did a phenomenal job covering his amusement, "Typical." Tracy however shook in irritation, "You~ Incurable Cheapskate- You're such a parasite!"