Disclaimer: "I do not own the rights to Naruto, and I am currently seeking HELP to obtain the means to obtain them! Donations, please! Any and all help to acquiring the rights to Naruto is helping me one-step-closer to making the fanfic canon, but also pulling me into financial security! :D
... What do you mean things don't work that way? I can't just ask for help and donations like that?"
Quick Note: ... Lol, I actually had to split this chapter. I was close to finishing the full chapter that I intended to write when I noticed that the word count was at 26,000 ... so while I finish the last scenes I need to write and then edit the last bit, I thought it would be a good idea to post the first half as one chapter and split up this gigantic chapter, cause holy shit, I did NOT realize it was going to be this long! xD
Fourteen Days Until the Exam
As the jinchūriki entered the technicolored training room once more, Killer Bee and Yugito took a few step forwards together before turning back around to face their fellow jinchūriki. They activated their Bijū Forms, which the other jinchūriki quickly followed suit with.
"So, we've been working on individual skills these past sessions because both Bee and I know that each bijū would grant you all individual abilities that you all need to experiment with. However, it is time we work on something that all jinchūriki should be capable of using." Yugito stated as she crossed her arms.
"This technique will give the enemies some trauma; it's time you all learn the Bijūdama!" Bee declared as he opened his mouth.
Han's eyes widened in response: "So, our Bijū Forms grant us the ability to use even the bijūdama?"
As if responding to Han's questions, Killer Bee created a black orb of spiraling chakra from his mouth. The orb grew in size and proceeded to rotate rapidly. The orb continued to develop more-and-more until Bee jumped into the air and launched at a distance into the ground. Upon contact, a massive explosion could be felt, creating a shockwave.
All eight other jinchūriki winced slightly at the impact of the shockwave, but everyone stood their ground as they watched the dust cloud begin to fade.
"So that's what a bijūdama looks like coming from one of us, huh?" Rōshi noted with a grin.
Bee grinned back as he gave the elder jinchūriki a thumbs-up: "This jutsu can take many shapes, from a massive bomb to just a tiny scrape. You control the chakra amount; just don't miscount!"
"What he's trying to say is that you need a ratio for the jutsu." Yugito said, sighing. She then held up eight fingers; four on each hand. "You need eighty percent negative chakra." She then dropped six fingers, leaving only one up on each hand: "And twenty percent positive chakra. An eight-to-two ratio. You can use however much chakra you want, and modify its characteristics as a result, as long as you keep that ratio intact."
Yugito took a few steps forward as she cracked her knuckles: "I doubt there's a more destructive jutsu in our arsenal then a bijūdama. Bee showed you one of the ways you can use it, but let me demonstrate another." She opened her mouth and began to create a similar-looking dark orb of chakra. Instead of launching it, however, she proceeded to bite down on it. When she opened her mouth, she launched out a blast wave of chakra forward.
"H-Holy shit!" Naruto's eyes widened.
A second passed by before she turned around to face her fellow jinchūriki, a grin of her own on her face.
"Now unlike Bee, I didn't just needlessly torment our poor training room's floor any more than it already has been, but I'd like you to imagine exactly what would have happened to anyone in the path of the bijūdama."
"They'd get vaporized…" Fū shook her head as she clapped her hands, stars forming in her eyes: "I need this!"
"You seem a bit… too excited to learn this, Fū-san." Utakata noted, rubbing the back of his head.
"Hey, can't blame her! That blast was a beauty, for sure!" Bee stated. "This jutsu takes a lot of ya, but I'm sure you got the stuff, duh! Now let's make like a cactus and get straight to practice!"
"A cactus?" Gaara tilted his head slightly.
Yugito facepalmed. Hard: "That was the most forced rhyme I've ever heard, holy shit…" She turned to glare at her fellow jinchūriki: "Can you please be a normal adult for once in your life?"
"Some raps land and some fall flat; but the most important thing is that Bee's always up to bat!" Bee returned her glare with one of his own: "Miss two wants to go? Then let's give our friends a little show! I'll-"
"As 'interesting' as it would be to watch you two fight to the death, would you mind doing it outside of the training room? Or maybe after our training session?" Yagura requested, a sigh escaping his lips: "I'd like to start practicing with the bijūdama right away."
In an instant, both Bee and Yugito turned away from one another. Both blushed slightly, having the decency to at least appear embarrassed.
"Th-That's a good point." Yugito mumbled, shaking her head: "You all should get on with practice. Bee and I will be here to observe to help as needed."
Bee nodded his head in agreement, which prompted the other seven jinchūriki to take a few steps forward and turn slightly, facing seven different directions.
'The bijūdama, huh…' Naruto rubbed his chin in thought for a moment.
"Gyūki's and Matatabi's hosts did a good job with the explanation, but always remember that I am the bijū with the most chakra. By that logic, you have access to the most destructive bijūdama: one stronger than any of the others can produce." Kurama stated, his eyes narrowed: "Just remember that eight-to-two ratio. If I messed up the ratio, it would hurt like a bitch, but if you were to mess up? With your human body?" He snorted in response: "Good luck healing!"
'… Thanks for that.' Naruto gulped in response before he took a deep breath: 'Alright… let's try!'
'I said I'd tell them… bah, I should have taken Kakashi up on his offer to talk to them…' Sasuke grumbled to himself. 'Would have made this whole conversation a hell of a lot easier.'
The Uchiha paced back-and-forth by a set of stairs leading up to a training ground on the mountains. Kakashi had told him that Kiba, Akamaru, and Sakura were going to practice together with their newly acquired Ninken summons. His former jōnin-sensei had recommended that he go join them, explaining to them what happened and then training alongside them with his own summons. It made sense to him and the logical side of him was telling him to just go up and get it over with.
… His 'non-logical' side, however, had different plans, and Sasuke continued to follow its suggestion as he continued to remain near the base of the mountain.
'Why am I even having a hard time with this?' He told himself, his hands tightening: 'You're… not at peace with Itachi's death, but you better than yesterday. I should be able to talk to them about it.'
He started to climb up the stairs when the image of Sakura's and Kiba's faces entered his mind as he rushed off from their team meeting. He came to a stop, a frown developing on his face.
'Why did I just rush off like that like an idiot? I could have let them all know… maybe they could have tagged along. Been extra numbers… maybe Itachi would be alive… maybe Tayuya wouldn't be in a coma…' Sasuke grit his teeth as his hands tightened: 'Why was I a fucking idiot…'
Sasuke remained still for a moment in his spot on the steps for a moment as he got lost in thought. After a few seconds, he was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps. He turned his head upward in time to see Sakura, Kiba, and Akamaru rushing down the stairs towards him.
'… Tsk. Probably got too close and Kiba's and Akamaru's scent sniffed me out.' Sasuke's teeth grinding grew louder. 'Dammit, what the hell do I say…'
"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura called out: "Wh-Where were you? What happened?"
"Yeah, dude. Where've you been?" Kiba asked. Akamaru barked in agreement with his owner.
Sasuke said nothing in response, his eyes unable to make contact for a moment. After a few seconds, Sakura took a few steps forward towards him.
"You look stressed. Really stressed." She frowned: "What's wrong?" Sasuke did not reply and started to bite his lip, drawing blood slightly. Sakura's frown deepened: "Sasuke, don't keep things bottled up. What happened?"
"… Itachi was killed." Sasuke finally stated.
Both Sakura's and Kiba's eyes widened in shock. The three were quiet for a moment before Sakura reached out and pulled Sasuke into a hug. He stiffened slightly in response, which only caused her to tighten her hug.
"I'm so sorry, Sasuke." She mumbled.
Before Sasuke could respond, Kiba took a step forward and joined the hug.
"… Is that why you ran off?" He asked.
"… No." Sasuke shook his head: "… I ran off because he wanted to meet with Tayuya and me. He got killed by Akatsuki…" His hands tightened slightly. "I watched… and couldn't do a damn thing. I was too fucking weak…"
The three Team Seven members were quiet for a moment as they simply held onto their group hug. Sasuke remained still in it for a moment before he finally reached out and hugged them back.
When they finally broke the hug, Sakura and Kiba stared at Sasuke intently. The Uchiha was still for a moment, his body starting to relax.
"I'm impressed you aren't crying… I would be crying if something ever happened to my sis like that." Kiba admitted, rubbing he back of his head: "Shows how strong you really are."
"I… wouldn't say that." Sasuke sighed in response. "I already cried all I can. Right now, all I feel is… emptiness, is the best way to put it."
"… I'm not certain that's the right word to use, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said, shaking her head: "You don't seem 'empty' right now."
"Maybe it's not." Sasuke shook his head, sighing again: "I don't know. Simultaneously feel too much and too little…" He took in a deep breath, before his eyes went to Sakura's, then to Kiba's: "I'm sorry. For running off like I did. And sorry for not finding you all tomorrow."
"The hell are you apologizing about?" Kiba asked, shaking his head: "Dude, we're the ones sorry about what happened! Don't you apologize for anything."
"We're your friends, Sasuke-kun. We're teammates." Sakura added. "I thought we already said this after you learned the truth about your brother, but I'll say it again; we're always with you. And if there's anything you need, we'll be the first there to help."
Akamaru barked in agreement as he finally moved forward and nudged Sasuke's knee. Sasuke looked down to the white dog before a smile finally developed on his face and he patted his head softly.
"Thanks…" He mumbled before turning his attention to his teammates: "Sorry, to both of you. Guess I needed that reminder." He rubbed the back of his head slightly: "I'll try and be better in the future."
"Don't feel like you have to come to run to us if you don't want to, though." Kiba added. "If you need to rest or some shit first, do it man. We don't care. Just know that whatever you do need, we got your back." His hands tightened into fists: "Like you said you're feeling weak? That's a bunch of bullshit, but if you want to train, we're down to get back into training with you."
"I'd be down for that." Sasuke nodded his head: "I did sign the Dog Contract yesterday, so I do have to practice with that, amongst other things."
"We were just working with the Dog Summons as well." Sakura stated, smiling: "Come on, let's get to work then!"
With those words, Sakura and Kiba began to drag up the stairs towards the training ground, with Akamaru following behind.
'… Seriously, why was I having a hard time talking to them?' Sasuke asked himself, shaking his head as a content sigh escaped his lips: 'Sakura, Kiba, Akamaru… thank you.'
Finally pushing his thoughts about his emotions and Itachi to the side for the day, Sasuke's mind focused solely on one thing: training alongside his former genin teammates.
Thirteen Days Until the Exam
"Is the food almost done? Cause I really need some! I'm so hungry, I could kill, and if I don't get some, I will-"
"Bee-san, I swear…" Utakata rubbed his forehead for a moment before shaking his head and raising his voice: "Please. Another fifteen minutes of peace and quiet, and it should be ready to be served."
The Rokubi jinchūriki heard no complaints from Killer Bee or any of the jinchūriki in the dining room with him. He sighed in relief as he turned his head back to the kitchen, coming face-to-face with Hotaru, who was giggling slightly.
"Funny to think of how powerful Bee-san is and how you're learning from him, but when it comes to food, he has the patience of a child." She stated.
"That's putting it mildly." Utakata said, shaking his head: "I respect the man greatly, but I don't think I'd be able to handle this training session if I was just with him alone." A snort escaped his lips: "Don't know how Yugito-san has dealt with him for so long. It's almost a miracle she hasn't murdered him."
Hotaru giggled further in response but did not say anything in response. The two returned to their cooking.
After seven minutes, the two pulled everything out of the oven and off the stove-top and started to plate, creating individual plates of teriyaki salmon, rice, enoki mushrooms, and spinach, all neatly arranged and each with a plentiful portion.
"It smells so good, Utakata-sensei!" Hotaru took in a deep breath as a grin developed on her face: "We spend so much time on the road that I don't think I've ever seen you in a kitchen before. You're really an amazing cook!"
"Eh." Utakata shrugged in response: "I'm only adequate. Harusame-sensei was the one who taught me how to cook."
"Oh?" Hotaru's eyes widened in response: "Your… sensei?"
"Yeah." He replied.
"That's really cool." She replied as she tilted her head slightly, a slight hesitant look on her face: "Do you think you could tell me more about your sensei sometime? I mean… if you d-don't want to, but…"
Her voice started to trail off slightly. Utakata looked at the blonde for a moment before a smile developed on his face. "Yeah, I can. We'll talk more after dinner."
Hotaru nodded her head, smiling in response: "Of course!"
Utakata was quiet for a moment as he watched the blonde-haired girl hurry over to the other side of the kitchen and start to pour tea. He noticed the excitement in her eyes as she hastily poured the cups, occasionally spilling a few drops on the countertop, followed by an apology right after before she returned to the next cup.
He already knew what her excitement was about; Hotaru had always asked him questions about his past in Kirigakure and his sensei, but Utakata kept the information away from her, only sharing vague comments and doing his best to kill the conversations. The possibility of learning any of her 'aloof sensei's life' was a genuinely exciting moment for her, which was enough to make Utakata feel bad.
He had been taking Hotaru for granted. He recognized that he was polite with her and was contributing to her training, but he was directing things too much without her perspective. This was something 'Dark Utakata' had called him out on and it was something he knew he had to stop. If he could finally start referring to Harusame as his 'sensei' in conversation again, surely he could have an honest and open conversation with Hotaru… right?
'She deserves more than that. She's… a lot more than…' Utakata took in a deep breath before speaking: "Hotaru, what would you like to do when this is all over?"
"Huh?" Hotaru stopped pouring tea as she turned to meet the Rokubi jinchūriki's gaze: "What do you mean?"
"When this incident in Kumogakure is over." Utakata elaborated. "What do you wish to do afterwards?"
"Um…" Hotaru bit her lip in response before she shrugged her shoulders: "I haven't really thought about it much. I kinda assumed we would be travelling to somewhere new like usual."
"But is that what you want to do?" Utakata asked.
"… I'm still not sure I get what you mean." The blonde replied, frowning: "You're not asking me if I want to leave, are you? Because I still feel like I have much to learn from you, Utakata-sensei!"
"I'm not asking you to leave." He shook his head. A sigh escaped his lips as he took a few steps closer to the girl: "I just know that you've sacrificed a lot to come with me, Hotaru-san. I want to make sure that your needs are being taken care of to."
"Sacrificed a lot?" She repeated before shaking her head: "No, not at all! I don't have any family left, Utakata-sensei. The Tsuchigumo Clan is almost all but extinct and I'm all that's left of it. All I really want in life is to get strong enough to carry on the legacy of my grandfather and the clan to the best of my abilities."
"Yes, and-"
"And you've already been helping me a ton by teaching me!" Hotaru interrupted, a blush developing on her cheeks: "And you're still helping me by letting me stay with you, even though I know all you wanted to do is get rid of me! You're the one whose sacrificed a lot, Utakata-sensei!" She shook her head as her eyes met Utakata's: "S-So, if you really want to know… I don't care what I do next or what we do next. If I'm still able to train under you… able to be with you… I don't care what we do!"
Utakata's eyes widened in response to her statement. He was still for a moment as he stared back at Hotaru, who – despite the blush that was still on her cheeks – was still staring back at him with a determined expression.
"Hotaru…" Utakata repeated her name for a moment before he felt his eyes started to tear-up.
"Utakata-sensei?" Hotaru's eyes widened as she closed the distance between the two of them: "Wh-Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?"
"… No. Of course not." Utakata shook his head, chuckling as he reached forward and hugged the girl.
"Eep!" Hotaru yelped in response and her cheeks darkened exponentially.
The two remained still for a moment until Utakata's tears dried up. He finally broke his hug and looked the blonde in the eyes once again.
"Hotaru, if it is really up to me what we do, then would you like to come back with me to Kirigakure… potentially permanently?" Utakata asked. "I've been thinking about my duty… both as a shinobi and a jinchūriki, and I think it might be time I finally return to my home, now that it knows peace." His smile widened for a moment: "Plus, being in a hidden village might do you some good for your development as a shinobi. Does that sound fine with you?"
"That…" Hotaru's words started to drag on for a second – and her cheeks darkened even further into a deeper shade of red – before she nodded her head, her smile widening, somehow: "That sounds perfect to me!"
With those words, the two finally returned their attention back to the dinner. They finished plating the meals before hurrying off into the dining room, delivering plates to other jinchūriki.
As the group started to talk amongst one another, both Utakata and Hotaru could not help but stare back at one another, only barely paying attention to the conversations around them. They were too focused on their plans after this invasion was over.
And they both were ecstatic about the next steps forward in their lives together.
Hidan was not certain exactly when he could expect to see Kabuto. The two had parted ways shortly after meeting with Oyashiro for the first time, as his partner had 'research that needed to get done'. He gave no timeline of when to expect him, only that he would be back in time for the invasion. Not that Hidan minded whatsoever; without Kabuto present, he had more time he could devote to prayers, training, and rituals that he would not normally be able to do if he was busy 'entertaining' his partner's usual curiosity. He also knew that, before time, Kabuto would be back.
And as expected, he was right. Upon returning to their cave hideout after a day of training, he was greeted by the sight of Yakushi Kabuto.
What he was not expecting, however, was the fish-looking woman sitting on a rock next to him, meditating.
"Ah, there you are." Kabuto said, smiling as he waved at his partner: "I trust you've been, Hidan?"
"Hmm." Hidan hummed to himself before turning towards the stranger: "Who's the fish bitch? Did you find someone for Kisame to fuck?"
She broke her meditation to glare at Hidan: "It's not polite to call a lady a bitch. Be more conscientious of your words, lest you wish to die."
"Me? Die?" Hidan nearly growled as his hand reached for his scythe: "Say that again and, in the name of Jashin-sama, I'll cast you into the pits of hell!"
"You can try." She said as she closed her eyes: "But you'll be swallowed by the depths long before you can even touch me with that little gardening tool of yours."
"Gardening tool?" Hidan seethed for a second before a grin developed on his face as he took a step forward: "Damn right it's a gardening tool! One specifically for Jashin-sama's garden of the damned, and your corpse will make a fine fertilizer for it-"
"Now, now. Calm down, both of you." Kabuto stated as he jumped between the two of them. His eyes then turned towards Hidan as he chuckled: "First with the Konjiki Brothers, and now with Isaribi. You have a knack for pissing off my associates."
"Maybe cause you keep bringing in fucking heathens!" Hidan hissed, still glaring at the fish-like woman. "Who the fuck is she and why should I not make her Jashin-sama's next sacrifice?"
"I'd rather you not try." Kabuto said with a sigh: "As I just said, her name is Isaribi, and I have picked up a contract with her. In exchange for helping her, she will be aiding us in the Kumo Invasion, and after."
"Hmph." Hidan scowled in response: "If you need more 'associates', then let me do the recruiting. I know a couple of Jashinites who would be more than willing to help with our mission! So stop recruiting assholes that I can't sacrifice!"
"If you wouldn't mind, that would be excellent." Kabuto nodded his head, adjusting his glasses: "That one high priestess you met with in the Jashin Temple would be of great use for us, I believe."
Hidan frowned in response: "I doubt we have time to write to Ikiryō-sama before the exam. She wouldn't get here in time to fight with us."
"No matter. I'm certain she could be of use later." Kabuto shrugged in response. "After all, we may have other assignments after this is all done."
Hidan said nothing for a moment, as if thinking. Kabuto left his partner to his thoughts and turned his attention back to Isaribi.
"The Akatsuki will be meeting soon, hopefully. By the time I figure out a plan, I'll tell you how you can help with it." He stated. "In the meantime, I'd like to do some more experimentation with your cells, potentially allowing you to revert back to a normal 'human' appearance at will."
Isaribi opened her eyes once again in response. She smiled in response and bowed her head.
"Feel free to experiment with my body and cells however you wish." Isaribi stated. "If it gets you closer to freeing me from this hell I was forced into, I'll allow anything."
Kabuto smiled back as he started to walk towards her, adjusting his glasses once more.
'There are still thirteen days left. Plenty of time to get her situation figured out and stabilize her cells.' His smile widened into a grin: 'Also enough time to mix hers with mine and unlock a Kaima Form of my own, and experiment with it a little. Hopefully.' He shook his head: 'So much to do still. Need to start work right away.
Twelve Days Until the Exam
"I must say, the poisons you produce are particularly potent, Hinata-chan." The 'White Snake Sage' noted.
Hinata's eyes moved around Ryūchi Cave, looking at the puddles of dark-purple poison on the cave floor. After a few seconds, she turned her head to face the 'White Snake Sage' and smiled.
"Thank you so much." She said, bowing her head. "I feel like it took some time, but now it feels almost second-nature to produce the poison."
"Spoken like a true member of Ryūchi Cave." The 'White Snake Sage' chuckled in response: "Manda may still disapprove of you, but you have my support always, Hinata-chan. If nothing else, you are devoted to learning the art of our clan's senjutsu."
"I don't want, nor need, Manda's approval." Hinata noted, her smile fading slightly.
"While I don't particularly care for that hatchling, you may need to be a little more respectful when addressing the Snake Boss Summon." The sage replied. "You don't wish to anger him more than you already have."
"He already hates me. There's no point." Hinata admitted, now frowning. She crossed her arms as a thought occurred to her, causing her frown to deepen: "… If you do not mind me asking, do you by chance know if Kabuto has come to ask him for help in the invasion?"
"I keep myself separated from the generic politics of Ryūchi Cave with the outside world. Manda's intentions, Mamushi's intentions… it doesn't matter to me." The 'White Snake Sage' replied as she breathed out another poof of smoke: "So I don't know. Perhaps that's the case. Perhaps it's not."
'… I wish you cared more about more about the outside world.' Hinata bit down on her lip, resisting the urge to speak.
The snake, noticing her discomfort, proceeded to chuckling again as she opened her mouth. A large red dragon appeared from her mouth, holding onto an orb in its hand.
"I have a technique I'd like you to learn, but I think it's best if you get a demonstration first. Just prepare for a sensory overload, child." She stated before her eyes narrowed on the red dragon: "Sage Art: White Rage Technique!"
The red dragon proceeded to coil around itself and started to screech. Within seconds, a light began to illuminate from the dragon's body just as the screeching grew louder.
"What the-" Hinata's words died on her lips as she fell to her knees, bringing her hands to her ears, and started to scream: "AGHHHHH!"
Her senses were overwhelming her. Hinata hissed in pain as she tried to steady herself and block out the sounds and lights. As she tried to steady herself, the cornea of her eyes began to shut, almost instinctively. After a few seconds, the sensation was gone and she was no longer blinded by the light.
'That's gone-' She hissed as the screeching seemingly grew louder: 'Ugh, but that noise though…'
A few more seconds passed by before the dragon seemed to fade away, removing both the light and the screeching noise. Hinata's eyes returned to normal as she made eye contact with the White Snake Sage.
"So, your body picked up on how to shut-off the light." She noted as she breathed out a poof of smoke: "Thanks to your body's augmentations as a result of Sage Mode, you were able to close your cornea. Rather useful if you are the only thing that can see and no one else can, hmm?" She chuckled: "White Rage Technique is a useful jutsu that could turn the tides in a battle for you."
"I see. That jutsu really is ruthless." Hinata said as she rubbed her ears, trying to mitigate the pain: "But how am I supposed to block out that screeching?"
"There are ways around it." The White Snake Sage replied. "Your best bet would be to simply channel nature energy into your ears and have it form a blockade of sorts. That might be the easiest way for you to do it, considering your physiology."
"I… see." Hinata nodded her head.
"Nevertheless, I wish for you to learn this jutsu." The snake stated: "Let's begin immediately, shall we?"
Hinata, again, nodded her head as she began another session with the snake.
"Alright Sasuke, let's try this again!" Kakashi stated as he ran through hand signs: "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
Within seconds, a large dragon made of water rose from the nearby lake and rushed forward at Sasuke. The Uchiha closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before re-opening his eyes, the Mangekyō Sharingan flaring in both.
"Amaterasu!"
Black flames appeared directly on the water dragon before it could make contact with Sasuke's body. The flames quickly spread over the entire dragon before the flames completely evaporated the water. Despite its target disappearing, the black flames remained present in the eye.
'My left eye casts the flames. It's the source of the jutsu. And my right eye shapes it…' Sasuke took in a deep breath as his right eye concentrated further: "Blaze Style: Fire Lightning!"
The black flames proceeded to change shape, forming into spikes. They extended outward, with a few of the spikes connecting with the ground. Upon impact, the fire began to spread on the ground rapidly.
Sasuke turned his head, causing all the black-flame arrows to return to his side, forming a ring of sorts around his body. He then closed his eyes, which caused the flames to finally extinguish.
"Did you call that 'Blaze Style'?" Kakashi asked, tilting his head slightly.
Sasuke nodded his head in response: "Now that I know I can manipulate Amaterasu and use it in different ways, I'm going to treat it like its own elemental release. But it can't be 'fire release'; it's much more than that."
"That's… one way of putting it, if a little bit dramatic." Kakashi noted with a chuckle. Sasuke frowned in response, but before he could reply, his sensei began to speak up once again: "I do find it interesting that your eye manifested Amaterasu, by the way. From my understanding of things, the Mangekyō Sharingan's unique abilities are, well, 'unique'. Even for direct blood relatives. It is rather unusual that you share the same ability that your brother had."
"That's true, but I do think my Amaterasu might be stronger than his." Sasuke admitted with a frown: "The trade-off, of course, is that I'm not capable of using Tsukuyomi, but that's not a concern for me. I can deal without it." His eyes narrowed as he tightened his hands: "The next task is to learn Susanoo."
"Susanoo…" Kakashi repeated the word of the technique with a sigh: "I wish I could be of better help with this, but I'm afraid I cannot provide even a demonstration of how you would use it. Unfortunately, you need a full pair of Mangekyō Sharingan in order to create one."
'And my other eye might be elsewhere…' Kakashi bit down on his lip, his mind going back to Obito. He shook his head, pushing those thoughts away: 'Not right now. I can worry about that later.'
"I think I remember how Itachi performed it. I should be fine." Sasuke replied, shaking his head. "What I am going to need help with is, once I form it, is maintaining it and keeping it as sturdy as Itachi's."
"Well, right now, we have a little less than two weeks for you to get it formed." Kakashi reminded, smiling behind his mask. "So, let's get back to work."
Sasuke nodded his head in response as he closed his eyes. 'Just think of Itachi's example… You can do this, Sasuke.'
He re-opened his eyes once again, the Mangekyō spiraling around into a different formation in his eyes: 'You have to do this, Sasuke! For him…'
The two Sharingan-wielders had a long, long training session for the rest of the night as Sasuke continued to work on his abilities, determined to create a Susanoo before time.
Eleven Days Until the Exam
Ebisu stared intently at his students, who were panting heavily on the ground, struggling to stand. The jōnin turned his attention to a pocket watch in his hands. He nodded his head as he clicked a button on the watch and pocketed it before turning back to his students, smiling.
"Alright, it's been five and a half hours. I think this is a good stopping point for today." He stated.
Konohamaru's eyes narrowed slightly in response, but he did not verbally reply immediately. Moegi and Udon, in contrast, promptly fell to the ground and started to lie down.
"Oh thank god…" Moegi groaned.
"These sessions are getting worse-and-worse each time…" Udon grumbled.
"My apologies for that. I'm only trying to help you all grow stronger." Ebisu chuckled as he shook his head: "Hopefully I can make up for it with lunch. My treat, of course. I was told recently by Mabui-san about a restaurant that has the best curry." A dark red blush developed on his face as a perverted-sounding giggle escaped his lips: "Hopefully she's there. I really need to thank her for generosity-"
"No thanks." Konohamaru shook his head, frowning: "I'll keep training. Moegi and Udon can go on your little perverted restaurant trip if they want."
Moegi and Udon winced in response as they looked at their fellow teammate in surprise. Ebisu's blush faded as the man stared at his student with a frown on his face as he adjusted his glasses.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that 'perverted' comment just this once, but I'm not going to ignore that first comment." He stated sharply: "Konohamaru, training is over. I cannot allow you to continue any further on your own. You are going to exhaust yourself."
"Maybe you would be, but I won't." Konohamaru shook his head: "I need to get stronger and stronger! I have to make sure that I can show everyone how strong I am!"
"Show everyone how strong…" Ebisu shook his head, scowling: "What do you mean by that? Are you trying to prepare for the mission, or are you training just to show off in the exam?"
"The exam is the mission!" Konohamaru replied, scowling: "It's-"
"No. It's not!" Ebisu interrupted, taking a step forward to the genin: "I cannot believe you are focusing on that. Of everything going on right now, the exam is the least important thing here. The invasion preparation and the protection of Kumogakure is the only priority, not some stupid farce of an exam!" A sigh escaped his lips as his scowl lightened: "I am disappointed in you, Konohamaru."
Konohamaru's eyes widened in response: "Disappointed?" His hands tightened as his scowl returned once-more: "What the hell does that mean?"
"That attitude right now…" Ebisu shook his head again: "It's what I would expect of you back when we first started training you, when you were a child. But you're not a child any longer – you are a shinobi of Konoha, on potentially the most important mission of your life – so you cannot afford to act like a child!"
Konohamaru's glare intensified. Ebisu sighed once again. He looked as if he was about to respond, but his eyes briefly glanced over Moegi and Udon. The two genin were no longer on the ground and had little exhaustion on their faces anymore; the only expression they had was one of concern. He cleared his throat, softening his gaze slightly, as he turned away.
"Konohamaru, this is a conversation we should continue on in private. Later. After lunch." Ebisu stated: "I have stepped up all of your training regiments to make sure you survive this mission, to survive whatever happens during the invasion. That is the only thing that matters to me. Don't forget that's what is really important here." He sighed as he brought his hands together: "Please, don't let yourself get too focused on this exam and remember the more important mission behind this."
"We know, Ebisu-sensei." Moegi spoke-up, nodding her head.
"We won't forget." Udon nodded his head.
Konohamaru said nothing for a moment keeping his glare focused on his jōnin-sensei. After a few seconds of Ebisu staring back at him with a disappointed look in his eyes, the Sarutobi crossed his arms and turned away, sighing.
"I know. I'll keep the mission first." He replied.
Just like his student, Ebisu sighed, but pushed his discomfort as he gestured for his students to follow. The three genin proceeded to walk behind him as they hurried off to get food.
'Moegi and Udon understand, but Konohamaru…' He bit down on his lip. 'I wonder how Sandaime-sama would react knowing that you are still reacting this way…' He shook his head, taking in a deep breath: 'I'll talk again with him one more time and hopefully get it into his head. He needs to take this seriously, for the right reasons…'
"Thanks for stopping by Shikamaru." Shikaku greeted with a smirk as his son walked into his room. "Have a seat."
Shikamaru nodded his head as he walked towards his dad and set down on the mat, sitting at the opposite side. His eyes briefly glanced over the room, noticing the stacks of empty sake bottles littered around the three beds. A snort escaped his lips as he turned his head back to his father, who just finished setting up the shogi board.
"So, the Raikage really shoved you, Chōza-san, and Inoichi-san in a single room?" He asked with amusement: "Even I was given my own room. That's some blatant disrespect for the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi Clan Heads."
"It would be if we didn't request it." Shikaku replied with a smirk of his own: "Been a long time since the three of us actually went on a mission together. We decided room together for old time's sake."
"Nostalgia, huh?" Shikamaru nodded his head in understanding. His eyes then focused on his father: "Anyway, make your first move."
Shikaku nodded his head before moving his first piece. Shikamaru quickly followed suit.
The father-and-son grew quiet as they focused intently on their game. Minutes quickly passed by during turns as they analyzed the board, carefully moving their pieces. The match remained even mostly as Shikamaru held his ground, never falling for traditional baits that his father would use on him to create an opening on his board.
"… How long has it been since we played a game together?" Shikaku asked. "I think the last time you and I played was around the time of your exhibition match with the Sandaime and his teammates."
"Guess it has been that long." Shikamaru mumbled as he moved one of his rooks: "That was months ago."
"Guess it's only natural. You're usually busy with missions nowadays." Shikaku noted with a chuckle as his eyes focused on the board: "You almost beat me that day, you know?"
His soon shook his head: "Almost doesn't matter."
"True." Shikaku nodded his head: "But it's worth acknowledging. It's why I've been wanting to play a game with you for a while now." He then moved one of his pawns forward: "It's also why I've wanted to go on a mission like this with you."
The two fell into silence again as they turned their whole attention to the board. Minutes continued to pass into an hour. After two hours finally passed, Shikamaru moved a bishop into place and sealed the game.
"Checkmate." He stated with a grin.
Shikaku was quiet for a moment, staring at the board. After a few seconds of quiet focus, he moved a pawn forward, blocking Shikamaru's bishop from taking his king.
"Sure about that?" Shikaku asked.
Shikamaru blinked in response. He blinked a second time, followed by a third-time. Shikaku snickered to himself as he watched his son stare at the board for a few seconds before moving his bishop to take Shikaku's newly-moved pawn, leaving the board in the exact same lineup.
"Checkmate. Again." Shikamaru stated, his eyebrow raising: "What was the point of that, Dad? That move didn't change the outcome of the game; I already won."
"Suppose that's true." Shikaku admitted with a chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head: "But the look on your face was worth it."
"Asshole." Shikamaru grumbled, crossing his arms.
Shikaku's laughing then came to a pause as he stared at his son with a somber expression on his face: "I thought it was important to just prove a point. Yeah, you checkmated the previous turn, but I still had a move I could make. And even if it was fruitless, the pawn still had to make an attempt." A smirk developed on his face: "Jokes aside, you've really improved, Shikamaru. I'm impressed"
"Thanks." Shikamaru smiled in response for a moment before his eyes moved back to the shogi board. He rubbed the back of his head: "That's the first time I've beaten you."
"Suppose it is." Shikaku snorted in response as he started to organize the pieces back on the board: "Best two out of three?"
Shikamaru nodded his head as he started to set-up his side of the board, alongside his father.
Ten Days Until the Exam
'Time to finally rest-' Before Anko could relax and close her eyes, a knock sounded throughout her apartment complex: 'Oh whoever you are, fuck you.'
The Konoha jōnin grumbled for a moment as she turned over on the bed, trying to ignore the noise. She was tired, after all; she had been up since three in the morning training with Kurenai's genin team and with Yūgao and, after finishing up with them, went to a training session of her own in Ryūchi Cave with the White Snake Sage. Anko was exhausted and all she wanted to do was get in a small nap.
Unfortunately, the person on the other side of the door had other plans and proceeded to knock even louder. After nearly a minute, Anko finally groaned and pulled herself off the bed as she walked over to the door.
'Who the fuck does this bastard thing they are?' She grumbled, rubbing her eyes.
Once she reached the door, Anko opened it with closed eyes as she yawned.
"The fuck do you want?" Anko grumbled.
"Heh, you're tired? This early in the day?"
Anko's eyes widened at the sound of the voice. Now fully awake, she noticed she was face-to-face with Momochi Zabuza.
A grin developed on her face as she held out her hand. Zabuza reached out and shook it, a grin of his own underneath his bandages.
"About time you finally stopped by." Anko stated sharply: "Was actually starting to wonder if the Mizukage didn't bring you along for this mission?"
"Heh." Zabuza snorted in response: "I was the first person assigned to accompany her. I've just been kept busy with some admin work. Have to play 'advisor' to her alongside Aō." The two stopped their handshake and Zabuza crossed his arms: "You been well, Anko? Misora said you took up a second set of brats."
"Yup. I volunteered to be their sensei for this mission." Anko stated, chuckling slightly: "They're good kids."
"Surprised you'd bother." The 'Demon of the Hidden Mist' shook his head in response: "Mei tried to talk me into taking a genin team, but I refused on principle. I'm many things, but I'm not a babysitter."
"Hey, it's really not bad. You just gotta have the patience for it, which I know you don't have." Anko stated.
The Konoha jōnin took a step back further into her room, which Zabuza took as an invitation. The two jōnin walked into Anko's hotel room. She laid down on her bed slightly while Zabuza remained standing, looking down at her.
"So, who else from Kiri is here?" She asked. "Anyone I'd know?"
"You already know Mei, Aō, and Misora are here. Other than them, Haku, Chōjūrō, and Kahyō are here." Zabuza answered.
"No Suigetsu and Honoka?" Anko asked. "So, no reunion of all the Seven Swordsmen?"
"We wanted to keep some of our top shinobi back in Kiri, just in case anything were to happen." Zabuza said. "We wanted Kahyō to stay behind to, but she talked Mei into letting her come because her brother, Rahyō came alone."
"Rahyō…" Anko brought her right hand to her chin in thought: "I don't think I've met him."
"You haven't. He's a good swordsman. He's also our preferred candidate for the Seventh Swordsman once we obtain Samehada." Zabuza stated, a scowl developing on his face: "But it'll be hard to guarantee if that's going to happen."
"Why?" Anko's eyebrow raised slightly.
"Samehada is different from most swords. I…" Zabuza's scowl deepened, as if he was contemplating his word choice: "… I wouldn't say it's 'alive', but it's definitely sentient and it won't accept a user it doesn't deem worthy. The best bet to guarantee your 'worth' to the sword would be to be the one to kill Kisame. That's why we had Rahyō assigned to this mission: to be the one to kill Kisame."
"Makes sense." Anko nodded her head: "What's the problem, though?"
"It appears that Kisame is going to be involved in attacking all of the jinchūriki." Zabuza stated. "In theory, that shouldn't be an issue, since most of the jinchūriki aren't swordsmen. And if someone either Kamui or Utakata impressed the sword, I'd welcome either into the swordsmen." His hands tightened: "But I've heard the Hachibi jinchūriki, Killer Bee, is a swordsman."
"And you don't want him to get Samehada?" Anko asked, a grin developing on her face: "Can't handle another foreign member of the Seven Swordsmen of Kirigakure?"
"Yes, but it goes beyond having another 'foreigner' in our ranks." Zabuza said, shaking his head: "Can't say I know enough about Bee to hate the guy, but he's the Raikage's brother and he keeps him on a tight leash. If he got inducted, and one of our swordsman was at the mercy of goddamn Ē…"
Anko's eyes focused on Zabuza, who was getting noticeably angrier-and-angrier with each passing second. After a few more seconds, Anko snorted, which drew Zabuza's attention back to her.
"Still as angry as always… good to see you don't change." She said, grinning at the man: "Want to let some of that anger out in a fight?"
"Hmph." Zabuza's scowl finally dropped as a taunting smirk formed in its place: "Weren't you just complaining about being tired? You sure you're awake enough to even hold the blast-sword properly?"
"I'm wide awake now. Don't worry!" Anko replied, shaking her head: "Come on, let's go find ourselves a spot. Loser buys first round of sake."
"Oh, so we're going out drinking after this, huh?" Zabuza crossed his arms and nodded his head before turning back to the doorway: "Fine by me. I'll never pass on a free drink."
With that proclamation, Anko quickly grabbed the scroll with Shibuki sealed inside and hurried out, following Zabuza.
'Alright, let's see if I got it down now.' Shikamaru told himself as he took a few steps backward.
Homura was unable to meet for training today, and neither was his father. He had to get creative to think of a way to practice his 'Holy Barricade' jutsu by himself, and the idea thankfully came to him.
He just had to default back to an early mindset in his shinobi career; when in doubt, always go with explosive tags.
Shikamaru stared at the stone structures and practice dummies that he completely covered with his explosive tags. He stood still for a second, staring at them, before he made a hand sign. The sealings immediately started to light up.
He then ran through six hand signs, ending on monkey: "Ninja Art: Holy Barricade Jutsu!"
Light surrounded the tagged objects mere moments before the explosive tags detonated, creating massive explosions that scattered dust throughout the training ground. A minute passed by before all of the dust was dissipated, revealing the stones and the practice dummies, still surrounded in a bright light and completely intact without even a scratch.
"Heh." Shikamaru smirked in response: "Good. So I can do the jutsu even when I'm not in Sage Mode-"
His words died on his lips as a feeling of exhaustion rushed through his body and he fell to one knee. A hiss escaped his lips as he finally undid the jutsu, causing the light to fade away from the tagged objects.
'The Holy Barricade takes up more-and-more chakra the longer it's held up. That's the first time I ever used it when I wasn't in Sage Mode, and I can definitely feel the drain worse.' He told himself with a scowl: 'I'll have to be careful with this one, even when I'm using Sage Mode. I'll need to maximize timing to ensure I'm not just wasting chakra.'
After a few seconds of rest, Shikamaru steadied himself and was about to continue with training where he left off. Before he could start, however, he heard faint footsteps.
Shikamaru's eyes moved to the stairway to the training ground. After a few seconds, the newcomer stepped foot in the training ground.
"Ah, Shikamaru-kun. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Shikamaru's eyes widened: "Haku?"
Yuki Haku did not appear much different than the last time Shikamaru had seen him during the Kirigakure Civil War. The only real differences were that Haku's Kirigakure flak jacket was sky blue in coloration as opposed to the standard grey and his hair had grown longer a few inches. Other than that, he appeared mostly the same, especially the gentle smile on his face.
"I had assumed it could have been you up here when I heard those explosions. I remember you having a fondness for explosive tags." Haku said with a chuckle.
"Piss off." Shikamaru replied, which earned another chuckle from the Kiri shinobi. After a few seconds, Shikamaru started to laugh back as he crossed his arms: "How have you been, Haku? How've things been in Kiri?"
"I don't recall a time I have ever been happier." Haku admitted: "With the death of Yagura and the rise of Mei-sama, our village knows peace once again. It's been a slow process rebuilding the village, but it's going beyond well."
"That's good to hear." Shikamaru noted: "I heard you got some more family now, huh?"
"Oh, you've heard of them?" Haku nodded his head, his smile widening: "Yes, Kahyō, her brother Rahyō, and her son Hakuhyō arrived in the village shortly after the invasion now that Mizu no Kuni was safe again. It was surreal to actually meet Yuki Clan members." His smile grew sad as he brought his hands together: "It helps ease my heart slightly after that incident."
'Ah.' Shikamaru's eyes widened for a moment as his mind flashed back to the incident in Chishio Village and Karitoriki's bloodline executions. 'Every time I think back to that incident, I think of Kaguya Mari, but there was a Yuki Clan shinobi right…' An image of a black-haired man entered his mind. 'Yuki Daisuke…'
The training ground was quiet for a moment before Haku coughed lightly, drawing Shikamaru away from his thoughts.
"My apologies. I did not mean to kill the mood like that, especially this early in our conversation." He said, bowing his head.
"… Nah, don't worry about it." Shikamaru replied, bringing his hands together behind his back: "I still think about that night, too. Way too much." His eyes then narrowed: "But things are different, now. Nothing like Chishio Village and Karitoriki will ever happen again. I swear it."
"… I can feel your resolve." Haku noted softly, looking up to face the Nara with equally determined eyes: "That is good. I feel the same. And I think we have an opportunity to show it off here in Kumo."
The two were quiet for a moment as they simply stared at one another. Neither said a word for a moment, but both appeared to come to the same thought. Both nodded their heads as Shikamaru ran through hand signs while Haku pulled out a set of senbon as they began an impromptu sparring session.
Nine Days Until the Exam
'Obito is really alive…'
The thought repeated in Kakashi's head as he walked away from a training session with his former students. With each passing day, the thought echoed louder-and-louder in his mind, which only made his days even more exhausting.
It was something he had dreamed about; to receive news that Obito had somehow survived the landslide and that he was okay. If this were some kind of story, Obito would have returned back home, bruised up and bloody, but with a smile on his face, demanding to challenge Kakashi for his eye back. That was what Kakashi would dream about, whenever his dreams of his best friend were not actually nightmares…
However, if Jiraiya was right, then that reality was even worse than his nightmares.
'Taking on the name of Uchiha Madara, joining the Akatsuki, planning the downfall of the hidden villages… That can't be Obito…' Kakashi grit his teeth slightly at the thought before shaking his head: 'Itachi wouldn't have shared that info with Jiraiya if he wasn't sure. That has to be the truth… but then why…'
Kakashi sighed as he pulled out his copy of Icha Icha Tactics. He began to read the book as he started to walk through the streets of Kumo, but his thoughts were too scattered to even focus on the normally fascinating story and illustrations. He turned pages almost out of habit, barely processing the words, before he was interrupted by the presence of another shinobi. He briefly tensed up as the other figure approached him from behind.
"It's indecent to read porn in public."
Immediately, Kakashi relaxed as he turned his head, coming face-to-face with a brown-haired woman with curly hair, dressed in a standard Kirigakure shinobi uniform.
"I suppose it would be." Kakashi replied, chuckling slightly as he flipped the page: "Fortunately, I am not. I'm reading the latest copy of the finest literature series you will ever find."
The woman frowned in response: "Icha Icha isn't even the finest series in its genre, let alone all of literature."
"Hmm." Kakashi hummed lightly as he turned away from the book to study the woman more. His eye narrowed slightly in recognition: "You're a new name in the Bingo Books, if I recall correctly. Yuki Kahyō, correct? One of the Seven Swordsman of Kirigakure?"
"Correct." She nodded her head: "And you are Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye."
Kakashi winced slightly in response at the use of that particular nickname. His response was brief, but the Kiri shinobi noticed it. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
"… Oh, of course." Kakashi shook his head, smiling behind his response while mentally scolding himself: 'I need to pull myself together. I can't let myself get frazzled at any mention of Obito.'
Kahyō frowned in response, but took the hint: "Regardless, I've heard of your skills from Zabuza-san. He's talked quite a bit of how strong you were in your fight with him in Nami no Kuni." A smirk developed on her face: "I'll be frank and say I'm curious. Care for a spar?"
Kakashi shrugged his shoulders in response: "I have nothing to do right now. Sure."
"You seem particularly disinterested…" Kahyō's frown deepened: "Do I bore you? Does it seem like I won't be an interesting opponent?"
"It's not that." Kakashi shook his head: "I have a lot on my mind. A lot that a good spar could potentially help with."
Kahyō's frown lightened slightly in response: "Then would you like to talk?"
"About?" Kakashi tilted his head slightly. "Forgive me, but you and I are strangers. I don't know if it's appropriate to talk to you about my issues."
"I've always heard it is better to converse strangers on those issues." The swordswoman offered, a small smile on her face: "Is that not the reason therapy exists? An unbiased third party might provide some comfort."
"… Maybe." Kakashi shrugged his shoulders: "But I'll see after we spar. Trust me when I say that will do more than enough for my sake."
Kahyō nodded her head in response. With that statement in mind, the two hurried off to the nearest training ground in order to begin their spar.
"Thanks for agreeing to train with me, Kurotsuchi-san." Hinata said, bowing her head as the Tsuchikage arrived at the training ground she was using.
Kurotsuchi nodded her head at her fellow kunoichi. Her eyes focused intently on Hinata's appearance, taking in her snake-like features.
"That's Sage Mode, right?" She asked. Hinata nodded her head, which caused Kurotsuchi to smirk: "It looks cool as hell. Almost enough to make me want to seek out a summoning contract."
"If you can find a compatible summoning clan, then go for it." Hinata offered, smiling. "I'm sure there's one available somewhere."
The two kunoichi were silent for a moment as Kurotsuchi brought her hands together. Once she did, her eyes narrowed on the Hyūga.
"You sure about this, right?" She asked.
"You're not going to detonate it, right?" Hinata asked. Kurotsuchi nodded her head, which Hinata quickly reciprocated. "Then yes, I'm sure. I need to try."
With those words, Kurotsuchi finished channeling her chakra before separating her open hands. Immediately, a cube appeared inside her hands: "Dust Style!"
Kurotsuchi extended her hands forward, causing the cube to expand and surround Hinata's body. Immediately, Hinata got into a stance as she adjusted her footwork.
"Sage Art: Protection of the Eight Trigrams: Sixty-four Palms!"
Hinata proceeded to spin her body rapidly, creating streams of nature energy that shot from her open palms around her body. The streams of chakra quickly struck the cube in different parts, generating smoke that completely obfuscated Kurotsuchi's view of the inside.
After thirty seconds of striking, the cube started to crack. A few more strikes passed through before it finally collapsed upon itself. The dust then started to settle and Hinata was revealed once more, completely unharmed.
"I can break through your Dust Style…" Hinata noted, a grin developing on her face as she pumped her fists: "I can really do it!"
"I'm not sure I should be happy about hearing that, you know?" Kurotsuchi noted, snorting. "I don't really want people finding ways to counter my strongest jutsus, you know?"
"Sorry." Hinata said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. Kurotsuchi snorted in response, which caused Hinata to tilt her head slightly: "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, just that's the kind of thing Naruto does when he gets embarrassed." Kurotsuchi noted, smirking slightly: "He's really rubbed off on you, huh?"
"Ah. I mean… I guess." Hinata admitted, smiling slightly. She crossed her arms: "I miss him."
"… I can imagine." Kurotsuchi nodded her head: "At least the exam will be over with soon. He'll be back with you again shortly."
"I know. I'm very excited about that. It has been way too long since I last saw him." Hinata said. Her smile faded slightly as she sighed: "But first thing first is this exam, and the mission." She bit down on her lip slightly: "Have to make sure it goes smoothly."
"It will." Kurotsuchi nodded her head. She then turned her attention to Hinata's hands: "I do think it's impressive that you were able to break through my Dust Style, but I do think if you want to, we can keep working on it some more. After all, if I really wanted to, I could have activated the jutsu instead of just leaving it up like that."
"True." Hinata nodded her head, her eyes narrowing: "I need to generate that strength much faster."
"Besides, it's actually a good idea to counter Dust Release in particular." Kurotsuchi admitted, her hands tightening: "That asshole Kabuto does have Gramps's corpse. There's a non-zero chance he might use him as an Edo Tensei some day, so it's important to know how to fight against Dust Release…"
Hinata's eyes softened on her friend, who was starting to grind her teeth. Hinata took a step forward towards Kurotsuchi and placed her hand on her shoulder, causing the Tsuchikage to focus on her.
"I'm… I'm still sorry. About what happened." Hinata admitted.
"… It's fine." Kurotsuchi said, sighing: "It's getting easier each day, unfortunately." She crossed her arms in thought: "Not sure why, though. I guess maybe just my mind is focusing more-and-more on being Tsuchikage that it's helping me cope faster, because I need to. Cause I got too many things I need to focus on properly."
"… That might be true. Time does help in general, anyway." Hinata said. Her grip on Kurotsuchi's shoulder lightened and the two kunoichi locked eyes once more. "And hopefully you'll be feeling better once all of this is over, and we have your grandfather's and father's bodies back, and Kabuto's corpse alongside them."
"… Yes. Definitely." Kurotsuchi narrowed in response: "We'll get them back, and we'll kill that silver-haired asshole."
With their shared proclamation in mind, the two kunoichi went immediately back to practice.
After finishing up another day of training, followed by an evening of dinner and socializing with the other jinchūriki, Han proceeded to walk outside Bee's Mansion and found a nearby tree. He slid down the base of the tree and looked up to the sky, noting the different stars.
'Once again, the stars are different than they were yesterday. It is surreal to think that this island is constantly in motion.' Han noted with a chuckle. 'Perhaps that would make a good drawing. Only how would I convey that-'
"Do you have insomnia?"
Han turned his head back towards Bee's mansion, coming face-to-face with Yugito. The blonde had a scowl on her face as she walked over to him. Han responded back by chuckling lightly, which only made her scowl deepen.
"That was a serious question." She replied, crossing her arms: "I know how to brew a tea that can help with sleep, you know? Or I could just get Motoi. That guy knows how to do the Temple of Nirvana genjutsu, if you need a more artificial way to go to sleep."
"That's not necessary, Yugito-san." Han shook his head, smiling behind his mask: "While I do have insomnia to some degree, it's nothing to concern you. I always find myself getting adequate rest someway or another."
Yugito shook her head in response: "That's still not healthy."
He shrugged his shoulders in response: "I suppose, but I manage fine. Have for the past thirty years."
Yugito frowned in response, but did not say anything. After a few seconds, she turned her head and prepared to walk back to the mansion. Before she could leave, however, Han called out to her.
"Is there a particular reason you're so concerned?" Han asked. Yugito's eyebrow raised slightly, but before she could reply, he continued: "And not just about my sleep; I notice you are very particular about all of us. Following training regiments, making sure we all eat together, get adequate rest… you act rather-"
"Choose your next words wisely, Han." Yugito said quietly, her eyes darkening as she extended out her hand. She channeled chakra, causing a claw to develop: "If you are about to say 'motherly', then I'd recommend picking a different adjective."
"I wasn't. That's Fū-san's thing." Han said with a chuckle, which only caused Yugito's expression to darken further: "'Obsessive' is the word I was going to use. You seem almost too concerned about all of us."
The 'dark look' in Yugito's eyes faded, but she remained still, staring at him with a passive expression. The two remained quiet for a few more seconds before she started to speak.
"Suppose it's out of obligation." She said. Han looked over to the Kumo shinobi, who proceeded to sigh: "This whole mission, to send all of us against the Akatsuki's leader itself, was my idea. I want to make sure it goes well. I need to do my part. And I don't want any of you dying because of sleep exhaustion or being overworked, or anything like that."
"I understand." Han nodded his head in response: "However, there's no need to be too concerned about us. We are all adults, Yugito-san."
"That's true, but I'd still hate myself if any of you ended up dying. I don't want any of that on my conscious." Yugito replied, pocketing her hands: "So pardon the 'nagging'. It's not meant to come across as such."
Han shook his head in response: "I never said it was nagging. Nor did I say I have a problem with it." He smiled behind his mask: "Personally, I appreciate it. I see it as a sign that you care."
"I do." Yugito nodded her head: "Perhaps a bit too much."
"You know, the same care you give to us is something you need to do yourself." Han offered. Her eyebrow raised slightly, which caused him to elaborate: "You should get some rest yourself."
"Heh." Yugito snorted in response: "Rich hearing that from a self-proclaimed insomniac."
"While I don't get sleep much, I at least rest my body." Han said, his eyes narrowing: "You, on the other hand, actually seem to rely on sleeping for your rest and I can tell you haven't slept much. So you should rest a little bit."
Yugito did not reply again. Her eyes focused on Han for a moment, taking his words into consideration.
'… He does have a point.' She sighed to herself. 'I really haven't gotten a chance to rest at all. Suppose that makes me a hypocrite.' She frowned again as she turned her head back to Bee's mansion: 'Suppose I should get some rest-'
"If you're not ready to sleep, care to stargaze?" Han asked.
"Hmm?" Yugito blinked turning her attention back to him: "Stargaze?"
Han nodded his head before he turned his attention up to the spy. Yugito remained still, staring at her fellow jinchūriki for a moment before she, too, turned her head up to the sky.
A second turned to minute. A minute turned to three minutes. Soon, five minutes had passed. Before she knew it, Yugito lied down as well against another tree next to the one Han was leaning against. The Gobi jinchūriki, noticing her in his peripheral vision, smirked in response slightly.
"Your country has the most gorgeous night sky I have ever witnessed." He admitted.
"Does it?" Yugito asked, her eyes focusing on a set of stars that she thought must have been part of a constellation: "I don't think I've ever paid much attention. But the stars here are nice."
The two were quiet for a moment as they continued to stare at the night sky. Neither jinchūriki spoke, but both felt a sense of comfort at the other's presence as they simply gazed at the stars together.
Eight Days Until the Exam
'Ugghh… why… is this… so hard…' Naruto grit his teeth, trying to form an appropriate-sized Bijūdama in his mouth: 'I never… had problems… like this… with Kurama's chakra… before…'
On cue, the orb in his mouth started to deteriorate. All that remained was a whit mass of chakra that imploded upon itself, sending Naruto flying backwards slightly in the technicolored Bijū-training room.
"Dammit!" He hissed to himself.
"The bijūdama is like nothing you've ever experimented with before, Naruto." Kurama stated sharply in his mind: "It is considered the signature jutsu of a bijū for a reason. You can't compare simply channeling my chakra – even channeling my chakra like this, in your Bijū Mode – as comparable to manifesting a bijūdama."
"Yeah, yeah. I get it." He grumbled. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong though-"
"Yo! Say! Ho!"
Naruto turned his head to see Killer Bee approaching him, a grin on his face.
"Having trouble, number nine? That explosion had a nice shine, but that blast sent you for a ride." Bee noted.
"… I guess I'm having trouble." Naruto said, sighing: "I'm not sure why I'm having problems with it. I'm keeping the ratio in mind with the jutsu. It's just… I don't know, it's heavy as hell!"
"Heavy as hell and hits like a boulder, the bijūdama is guaranteed to make any enemy colder." Killer Bee stated proudly: "But remember that the jutsu can be made at a range. Why not trying using less chakra for a change? Work your way up to a heavier move once you found a rhythm and can really groove."
"I know that's what I'm going to have to do." Naruto sighed once more as he crossed his arms: "But I sorta feel like it's more than just that. There's got to be something else I'm doing wrong."
"Maybe cause you got a lot on your mind, there ain't no solution you can find." Bee offered.
Naruto turned his head, his eyebrows raising slightly: "Huh?"
"Number nine, I've been around the block. I know things, even if you won't talk." Bee noted as he turned his head, looking directly into Naruto's eyes: "It goes beyond this trial; you've been stressed for awhile. And until you let loose, the bijūdama won't be of use."
"Because I'm stressed?" Naruto blinked in response before a scowl developed on his face: "That makes no sense, y'know? Is that why all of us are struggling with it?"
Bee shook his head: "Not necessarily; we all got our demons, see? Why it's hard for them ain't the same for thee. So, tell me what's up, and maybe that'll help, ya chump?"
"Tell you what's up, huh…" Naruto's hands tightened slightly before he relaxed, sighing. His chakra cloak came undone, which Bee quickly reciprocated. "Guess I'm just worried about this invasion and making sure it goes well."
"Never thought you the type to get paranoid. There something you trying to avoid?" Bee asked.
"… I got a notice from the toads that something had happened to my cousin, Tayuya, on this mission. She's alive, but she's in a coma, and was real close to dying." Naruto stated, biting down on his lip: "And I'm glad she's fine… but I can't help but feel like it's a bad omen, y'know?"
Killer Bee crossed his arms and pursed his lips. Naruto stared at the man, waiting for a response. After a few seconds, he realized Bee was waiting for him to continue. He sighed as he pocketed his hands.
"I don't know. I don't normally believe that kinda shit. But I guess I'm just worried something could happen." He stated.
"… To one of us? Or someone else?" Bee asked.
Naruto blinked. 'Why does it always throw me off when he drops the rapping?' He shook his head: "To Hinata-chan or Shikamaru. Or to my other friends. Or to my students." He bit down on his lips: "Especially to my students. Guess I also still got weird vibes over them getting ambushed in the Second Exam." His bite grew harder as he started to bleed slightly. He winced before he finally let go of his lip: "I don't know. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to them."
"Do you think they're unprepared?" Bee asked.
"I… don't think so. I've been really impressed with their development up to this point. I've still been giving them training whenever I can, and I know the toads have been working their asses off too. I guess I just feel like I can do more, though." Naruto said, crossing his arms: "… I should do more."
The two jinchūriki were silent for a moment as Naruto closed his eyes in thought. He uncrossed his arms as he looked at Bee's eyes once again.
"You wouldn't care if I go see my students more, right?" Naruto asked. "I feel like I need to step up their training regiments for the last week?"
Bee nodded his head: "I don't mind. And Yugito won't care either." His eyes then narrowed: "Just don't focus only on them, you know? You need to remember your own training."
"I know. I won't. I just feel like I need to do more." Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head: "I want to teach them more stuff. I know I want to teach all three of them the Rasengan, but I don't have the time in a week to teach them. That's something that'll have to happen after the exam, so I'll have to find other things I can work with them-"
Naruto's eyes widened as a realization dawned on him upon mention the Rasengan. An off-handed comment he heard from Kurama once came to his mind.
'Dad made the Rasengan based on the Bijūdama! Maybe the principles of that jutsu can help with the Bijūdama!' He realized.
As Naruto began to grin to himself in realization, Bee started to chuckle. Naruto pulled himself away from his thoughts to face the Hachibi jinchūriki once again.
"Seems like you just thought of something. You got your shit together now, I'm trusting." Bee stated.
"Guess I do." Naruto admitted, rubbing the back of his head: "Maybe just being distracted from things prevented me from coming to a realization." His grin lightened into a smile: "Thanks a lot, Bee. For everything."
Bee smirked in response as he held out his fist. Naruto fist-bumped in response before the two jinchūriki parted ways.
'I'll figure out what I can really work on with my students later. For now, let's get back to this.' His eyes narrowed as he activated his Bijū Form once again: 'I'm going to get the Bijūdama this time!'
'This is where he wanted to meet up, right?' Kurotsuchi asked herself as she walked up to a restaurant with a sign with the name 'Falling Thunder'.
The Godaime Tsuchikage walked into the building and walked past the hostess, moving through the available tables. The restaurant was crowded, with many Kumo residents eating mostly fried foods. Her eyes moved from table-to-table until she reached the back of the restaurant where she found the man who invited her out to dinner, sitting on one side of the table with a shogi board laid flat on the table, with a plate of takoyaki to the side and two glasses of sake.
"Hello, Shikaku-san." Kurotsuchi bowed her head at the Nara Clan head as she took a seat across from him.
"Nice to see you again, Kurotsuchi." Shikaku bowed his head. He then raised an eyebrow: "Or should I be calling you Tsuchikage-sama now?"
"Please, don't." She snorted in response. "You're not from Iwa, you've known me since I was a chūnin, and I'm dating your son. Please don't address me that formally."
"Sure thing, Tsuchikage-sama." Shikaku stated with a snicker. Kurotsuchi scowled in response, which caused him to laugh louder before gesturing towards one of the glasses of sake: "I already ordered you a drink, if you don't mind. And take as much takoyaki as you want. I'll order another later."
"Thanks." Kurotsuchi nodded her head as she reached for her glass and took a sip. A smirk developed on her face as she set the glass done: "And you ordered strong shit too! I appreciate that!"
"Hey, I invited you. I need to be courteous." Shikaku said before gesturing to the shogi board: "Besides, I wanted to share a drink with you before we play. Don't think I've ever played shogi with you before, so I thought it was appropriate."
Conversation between the two died for a moment as they started to eat and drink for a moment before turning their attention to the shogi board. They then started to turn their attention to the board.
Shikaku's eyes were focused on Kurotsuchi as she played her moves. While she definitely thought out her moves, she was much quicker than both he and Shikamaru were with her decisions. He rubbed his chin in thought as he watched her try and quickly take dominance over the board.
"Been a bit since I played with someone who is usually this aggressive out the gate." He noted with a chuckle: "Your play style reminds me a lot of his, actually."
"Oh?" Kurotsuchi raised an eyebrow as she focused on Shikaku, waiting for him to make his move: "Who is that?"
"Namikaze Minato." Shikaku stated. Kurotsuchi tensed-up in response, which caused Shikaku to stiffen slightly as well. Nevertheless, he continued with his answer: "I think his wife rubbed off on him. He never really waivered much with his decisions in a game; he was just decisive and did what he needed to do to win."
"I… see." Kurotsuchi finally replied, frowning. She was quiet until Shikaku finally made a move before she focused on the board: "That sounds consistent with what I know about him."
The room was quiet as Kurotsuchi stared intently at the board. She started to take much longer thinking of a move, which caused Shikaku to sigh in response.
"Didn't really mean much by that statement. Didn't mean to offend you." He offered.
"No, no. It's fine." Kurotsuchi said as she finally made her move: "I mean, that's technically a compliment. Being compared to one of your village's strongest leaders…"
The table grew quiet as the two returned their attention back to their game. They continued for another thirty minutes until it became apparent to Kurotsuchi that she was trapped. She went too aggressive to early and messed up her king's positioning. Now, Shikaku was starting to recover his positioning and would soon be able to trap her entirely. It was only a matter of time – maybe six more moves max – before he finally took her down.
Nevertheless, she continued playing and set her next piece down. As she moved her king away once more, her eyes turned back to Shikaku.
"Don't take this rude, Shikaku-san, but why did you invite me out here like this?" She asked.
"Despite us knowing each other for some time, we haven't played shogi yet." He replied as he set down his next piece, putting Kurotsuchi in check: "I don't think I truly know someone until I finally play a game with them."
"Ah." Kurotsuchi hummed slightly as she moved another piece, taking the one Shikaku used to put her in check: "So… you got a better idea of me, now don't you?"
"I do." Shikaku nodded his head, smirking slightly as he moved another piece: "You already had my blessing, for what it's worth, but I definitely feel stronger about it now."
"Blessing?" Kurotsuchi asked as she moved her king away once more.
"You and Shikamaru." Shikaku clarified.
"… Ah." The Tsuchikage mumbled in response, a small reddish tint developing on her cheeks.
"I have a feeling you're going to bring him back to Iwa one day, aren't you?" Shikaku asked with a chuckle as he moved a piece again. Kurotsuchi did not reply, only making her next move, which prompted him to continue: "You two definitely love one another and shouldn't stay apart forever."
"… I do. I want to spend my whole life with him." She nodded her head: "We've… talked vaguely about things. But haven't made a plan yet."
"Probably something you two should do sooner rather than later." Shikaku offered as he took a sip from his sake glass before turning back to the shogi board.
With one final move, Shikaku moved his gold knight into position, making checkmate. Kurotsuchi sighed in response. The two fully turned their attention away from the board, staring back at one another.
"Not particularly interested in watching my son move away from home, but I am interested in watching him have a happy, successful life with someone he loves." Shikaku stated. "So, I'll say it again; you have my blessing, Kurotsuchi."
Kurotsuchi was still for a moment, staring back at the Nara Clan head. A few seconds passed by before she nodded her head and smiled, her eyes reddening ever so slightly.
"Thank you." She said softly.
The two were quiet for a moment before Shikaku cleared his throat before gesturing back to the shogi board.
"Care for one more game?" He asked. "I'll order another round of drinks, if you'd like."
Kurotsuchi grinned in response: "Fine with me." Her eyes then narrowed: "And now that I got a read of how you play, you're going down, Shikaku-san!"
He snorted in response: "Sure. We'll see."
The moon shined over Natagumo Lake, a hidden lake in a valley in the middle of a mountain range approximately ninety-eight kilometers away from Kumogakure. The area was known for venomous spiders that were considered dangerous to civilians and 'annoying' to shinobi, as the poison was difficult to treat without being properly treated. As a result, very few people seldom visited the lake. The only residents was a family of four entomologists, who were specifically there to study the spiders.
The members of said family were lying in four separate pools of blood surrounding the lake, their bodies desecrated with red markings that were considered 'sacred' to Jashin.
Standing directly on top of the lake's surface were the members of Akatsuki.
"Can't recall the last time we all met in person." 'Black Zetsu' noted, which earned a chuckle from 'White Zetsu': "This feels special."
"We aren't all here, though." Deidara said, turning to Kisame with a glare: "Where the hell's Itachi, hmm?"
"Dead." Kisame answered with a scowl" "Died giving out information."
"So he was the mole." Sasori noted, shaking his head.
"He's the reason Konoha was in Taki, right? That means he's the reason Kakuzu died, right?" Hidan asked, grinning: "Wish I could thank him for that."
"Konoha's appearance in Takigakure appears to have been a coincidence, as Itachi could not have leaked that information." Pain spoke-up: "Nevertheless, he was caught delivering information and he was handled appropriately."
"First Orochimaru, and now him… even the missing ninja of Konoha are truly horrid." Sasori scowled underneath the mask of his Hiruko puppet. His eyes then narrowed at Pain: "Has our plan been compromised?"
"It has." Konan answered for the leader.
"Then the mission should be aborted." Sasori stated.
"Sasori-senpai, how could you say that?" Tobi exclaimed, nearly falling to his knees in mock sorrow: "W-We've already spent so much time getting everything ready and organized. It's too late to cancel everything and it would be such a waste to call it quits now!"
"It would, but it would be a bigger 'waste' if the mission fails and we reveal our hand too much." Sasori said, turning his head to face the masked shinobi: "Even an idiot like you should understand that!"
"No, Tobi is correct." Pain spoke-up. Sasori turned his head to face him, prompting the leader to continue speaking: "We are behind schedule with capturing the jinchūriki. We must not waste anymore time."
"Besides, even if they are aware, we still have plenty of resources." 'Zetsu' spoke-up as it looked over to the side of the lake.
Sitting on the side of the lake were Shigaraki Tanuki, Tsumiki Kido, En Oyashiro, and two Amegakure Shinobi. The first was a young woman with green eyes and purple hair styled in a bun, with her Amegakure forehead protector being covered by her bangs. She wore a purple kimono jacket with a brown sash around her waste and lavender-colored pants. The other Ame shinobi was a man with green, shaggy hair and purple-colored eyes. He wore a grey sleeveless jumpsuit with a black line on it going downward from the neck. He wore black arm braces with visible bandages underneath and had an umbrella holstered to his back and a sword hilt attached to his side.
"Alongside the Amegakure shinobi, missing ninja we recruited, Oyashiro's 'assets' that we purchased, and Tanuki's 'Nue' creation, we should be able to guarantee victory." 'Black Zetsu' noted.
"We also have Edo Tensei." Pain stated before turning to Kabuto: "Do you have enough samples?"
Kabuto nodded his head in response: "I have plenty of interesting ones, although I may want more."
"Do you need samples for Kinkaku and Ginkaku?" Kido spoke-up from the side-of-the-lake. Kabuto's head turned towards him in surprise as the former ROOT agent only smirked in response: "Their example was the basis for my Tailed Beast Drug. Naturally, I have plenty of DNA samples of the Gold-And-Silver Brothers that I used for studying purposes."
"I'd appreciate those." Kabuto noted, grinning back in response: "It'd be fitting to use those, amongst the numbers already planned." He chuckled as he adjusted his glasses: "Now, all I need is a Raikage."
Pain immediately turned his attention to Zetsu: "You would be able to get a Raikage's DNA samples for Kabuto, yes?"
"… I'd be able to." 'Black Zetsu' admitted.
Kabuto's chuckling grew louder in response, especially as he noticed 'Tobi' staring at him. Despite the mask, he could 'feel' the scowl that the Uchiha was giving him.
'It would benefit us for me to have more samples for Edo Tensei, and you're frustrated I'm getting my way, aren't you?' He chuckled to himself: 'You really despise me, don't you, Obito?'
"Regardless, let's get down to more specific business." Konan spoke-up, drawing attention towards her. "Itachi leaked back information, so it's important to consider the plan we had and adjust accordingly." She crossed her arms: "I'd like to adjust the roles, both of ourselves and our affiliates."
The rest of Akatsuki nodded their heads as they began to discuss an overhaul of their invasion plans.
Information may have been compromised, but that would not stop them. The invasion would be successful, after all.
Author's Note: Hey everyone! So, chapter 119 is finished! ... ish. As I said, this and the next chapter were technically supposed to be one whole chapter, but I decided they really needed to be separated into two.
As you can probably get a gist from this chapter, these are the last days before the Kumogakure Exam happens. As a result, it includes a lot of the scenes I really wanted to include in these past few chapters, but could not find a proper place for them. I've had a ton of writing them, and I hope you enjoyed them! and enjoy chapter 120 when it comes out :)
I promise it won't be long! I only have a little bit left to write of 120, so I expect it'll be ready by Monday. Tuesday latest! Promise that! I want to get to the exam/invasion as much as you all want to, so I'll make sure it comes out very, very soon! Feel free to let me know your thoughts and everything! I'll see you all when 120 is finished and ready! Until then :)