Chapter four: Missions and thieves.
Hiruzen had seen much death over the years, largely due to his occupation as a Shinobi. He had been directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of both allies and enemies over his career. He always regarded death with a certain degree of professionalism, knowing full well that it was a natural part of the job. But never before had he taken any form of pleasure in the death of another human being… until today.
He stared down at the form of the deceased Kizashi Haruno, which was now covered by a blanket. For many years now, the man had been a perpetual thorn in the Sandaime's side and, according to many, was one of the main reasons behind the festering corruption within Konoha. Hiruzen certainly wouldn't miss his long-time enemy… most especially after learning that Kizashi had been abusing his family for years as evidenced by the highly graphic and detailed contents within Sakura Haruno's diary.
He had only been given a brief summary by Kiba Inuzuka who had briefly babbled about Kizashi being killed in the streets by little six inch dolls driving toy cars. As ridiculous as it sounded… not only had there been a prior sighting of these dolls from the Mizuki incident, but also knew it had to be possibly linked to Iruka's death. Upon his arrival to the Haruno residence with his Anbu, Kurenai had filled him in on the rest, and said that she had found Mebuki Haruno unconscious and tied up in a closet with her daughter's diary taped to her body.
This not only showed that Kizashi was the sole target, but it seemed like the killer wanted them to know the specific reason why Kizashi had been killed. It would seem that their mysterious killer operated with a Vigilante mindset and the dolls were likely his minions. According to Kurenai and her team, the dolls quickly retreated into the sewers when they attempted to interfere. To be honest, it actually made perfect sense.
The sewers were liken to that of a highly intricate maze much like the insides of an anthill, but if one knew how to navigate those tunnels, it is entirely possible to get virtually anywhere you wanted in Konoha… assuming you were small enough to fit in the smaller pipes and had the stomach to walk through all that filth, though for those dolls it wasn't an issue… not to mention it was likely their only means of being able to move about the village completely unnoticed, especially in great numbers. But who was their master? So far, it seemed this Vigilante hasn't killed without just cause and hasn't yet attacked any innocents.
A part of him wondered if this unknown person would be suitable for the Anbu division, after all,, It wouldn't be the first time that any Shinobi village has recruited a potential Shinobi with questionable moral character but undisputed capabilities. So long as this vigilante doesn't harm innocents then he didn't see any real problem with recruiting them to his village's ranks.
Sometimes… a Kage needs someone that can make 'certain problems' disappear. Minato had Kushina after all, and while the Yondaime was hesitant to unleash his wife on anyone, just having her closeby served as warning enough not to cross either of them. And if need be… well… let's just say Kushina was VERY good at her job.
"Hokage-sama?" The form of Kurenai asked, breaking the Sandaime out of his musings. He cleared his throat for a brief second then turned towards the Genjutsu mistress, his face a stony mask. "My apologies. I was just thinking about something. You were saying Kurenai-san?"
The raven haired woman replied "Of course. I just mentioned that I sent my student Hinata to send word to Sakura of what transpired." at her report, the Hokage gave a brief nod of acknowledgement as he glanced over towards the form of Mebuki who was sitting off to the side wrapped in a security blanket as she tried her best to answer the Anbu's questions but it seemed that she couldn't remember anything noteworthy. Only that she fell asleep and woke up in the closet after being found by Kurenai.
Hiruzen stroked his goatee a bit in thought as he came to a simple conclusion. Regardless of how this investigation turned out, at least one notable menace was now out of the way. Additionally… there was a strong likelihood that there would be some form of fallout and it would be best to be prepared for it.
Meanwhile.
"Way to be a good teammate Sasuke! Treating us all to lunch! What a pal!" Naruto spoke in a boisterous tone, roughly slapping the Uchiha on the back several times as the raven haired boy's eye twitched in obvious annoyance.
"I didn't agree to any of this! You took my wallet!" The Uchiha complained glaring harshly at the forms of Anko and Naruto, the latter waving around the Uchiha's wallet which was quite full of cold hard cash.
"Ah. Cheer up Sasuke. We're now celebrating since we're a team. Don't spoil the mood." Kakashi spoke with his signature eye smile, though it was still amusing to see the Uchiha's current state.
"Bring on the steak! I'm ready to chow down!" Sakura spoke excitedly as she grinned in anticipation for the meal. Her cheerful mood being easily noticed by everyone.
"You seem happy. Something put you in a good mood Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked as he gently tipped his hat to her, easily sensing the warm and fuzzy vibes basically rolling off of her. Plus… he had a very good idea why she was so happy, even if she herself wasn't yet aware of it.
"I dunno. I just feel so happy all of a sudden. And not just because we passed our Sensei's test. Something good must have happened." The pinkette spoke with a smile. As the newly minted team (minus one) enjoyed the atmosphere and small talk, Naruto saw something flash outside the window.
He glanced in the direction of the flashing light that seemed to be coming from a rooftop and saw some of his Proxy lookouts were using a mirror to reflect the sunlight to send a message in morse code which translated as 'Mission accomplished!'. His earlier suspicions about Sakura's mood being confirmed since Kizashi was now dead and she was now free of him. All that was left was for the news to officially reach her, but he knew that would sort itself out.
He gave a quick tip of the hat to the Proxies and mouthed 'Job well done' to them earning a series of salutes from the distant dolls before they vanished out of sight. And just in time too as the restaurant staff brought Team Seven their meals. The team gave a brief 'Itadakimasu' and began to dig into their steak dishes, Sakura especially seemed to be digging into hers with gusto, suggesting she didn't get to enjoy meals like this often.
"Slow down Pinkie. The steak's not gonna run off on ya." Anko spoke, trying to get the Haruno to slow down a bit, which seemed to work as the pink haired Kunoichi gave a sheepish expression then slowed down her pace and started cutting her steak into smaller pieces to avoid the possibility of choking.
It was at this point that they took notice of someone approaching their table, and it wasn't a waitress. It was one Hinata Hyuuga, her face pale and she was currently panting for air, her disheveled appearance making it look like she had just run a marathon "Sakura-san! I've been looking everywhere for you!" The Hyuuga heiress managed to wheeze out, her legs wobbling under her, making it appear she could collapse at any moment.
Naruto smoothly slid out of his seat and swept up Hinata in a bridal carry so she wouldn't fall down. "Whoa now. Take a second. We don't need you passing out on us." The whiskered teen spoke in a concerned voice as Hinata blushed profusely from the close contact with her crush and gave a nod as she tried to catch her breath.
"What's all the fuss Hinata-san?" Sakura asked with a raised eyebrow, it seemed kind of odd that the Hyuuga girl was seeking her out like this. They hadn't ever spoken much at the Academy so they weren't exactly friends or anything. Did something happen?
"Sakura-san… there's no easy way for me to explain but…" Hinata spoke and then paused as she pursed her lips for a moment and then continued to speak "But your father… he is dead."
Once those words were spoken, all eyes turned towards Sakura, waiting to see how she would react… though a certain pair of pariahs had a small idea. The pinkette smiled coldly and snickered as she spoke in a bone-chilling voice "It's about damn time."
Most everyone present felt their hearts drop into their pelvis, or felt a strong urge to relieve themselves because of how nonchalantly the pinkette took the news of Kizashi's death. Hell, she was now chewing some of her steak as if there was nothing wrong at all. "Ummm… Sakura? Didn't you hear what Hinata said? She said your dad is dead." Kakashi asked since he had never ever seen someone take the news of a family member in such a manner.
"And why should I care? He was an abusive bastard." The pinkette spoke with a grimace, which was quickly replaced with a sinister smile. "Oh, and by the way Sasuke-'kun', I never really liked you and I think you're an asshole." The Haruno added since her 'father' was now unable to do her harm for anything she said or did that could jeopardize her 'relationship' with the Uchiha. That part of her life was dead and gone as far as she was concerned.
"So, how did he die? I'd really like to know. Did he die in agony like a squealing piggy?" The Haruno asked, showing off a darker part of herself that she had long repressed for so many years… and in the background, Anko was liking this new side of the pinkette. It kinda reminded her of herself.
"Erm… He was attacked. By dolls. They stabbed him to death. He looked like he was in a lot of pain before he died." Hinata surmised, the scene she described still burned into her mind since that was the first time she had seen a man killed in such a brutal manner.
Sakura hummed in thought as she raised an eyebrow and glanced over to Naruto. The whiskered teen having an all-too 'innocent' expression as he winked at her flirtatiously. As far as she was aware, he was the only person that caught onto the fact she was being abused, however there was no way for him to have done the deed during their test… unless he had some kind of connection to the aforementioned dolls? She decided not to ask him about it quite yet since she didn't want to implicate him.
"Well… this turned out to be an… interesting day. Should we reschedule our meetup or anything Sakura?" Kakashi asked politely, earning a quick shake of the head from the Haruno.
"Nah. No need for that. I'm all set and good to go." She spoke excitedly, earning a small sigh from the Copy Ninja. He supposed that if she didn't need time to grieve for an abusive father, then it may be better to put her energy to more productive pursuits.
"Umm… Naruto? You can put Hinata back down now." Anko spoke, gesturing towards her favorite blonde who was still carrying the heiress. The Jinchuuriki merely chuckled and replied to her "She hasn't asked me to do so. Are you jealous that you're not being carried like a princess or something Hebi-hime?"
The Dango lover playfully flipped him off since he wasn't wrong. While Hinata simply shrugged her shoulders as she enjoyed the contact with her crush. But she still couldn't stay since she needed to report back to her sensei and let her know everything was all right. "Naruto-kun? Can you please let me go? I need to meet back with Kurenai-sensei."
"As you wish Hina-chan. Say hi to Nai-chan for me." The Uzumaki answered and gently released the heiress, allowing her to leave. Hinata bid everyone goodbye and then left. Once she was gone, the blonde Uzumaki asked "Anyone up for dessert?" And then proudly held up the Uchiha's wallet.
"Stop mooching off of me you bastards!" Sasuke shouted as he tried to snatch back his wallet, earning some chuckles from the rest of team seven. The atmosphere becoming somewhat jovial again as they tried to move past the little scene they had just experienced. Kakashi and Anko shared a look and nodded to each other as they silently agreed that it would be interesting to see how this rendition of Team Seven would turn out.
Once their dinner came to a close and the bill was paid, they all decided to head their separate ways for the night, the Uchiha was the first to get up and leave after finally retrieving his wallet back and left grumbling angrily to himself. The rest of the team chuckled at his expense, knowing full well that he wasn't lacking in money to burn.
Naruto glanced over to his dear friend Anko and mouthed a quick 'I'll see you later.' Earning a nod of understanding from the dango lover who gave a two-fingered salute and left so she could go home and chill for a while before tomorrow came. He then turned towards Sakura and asked "Hey Sakura, would you like me to walk you home?"
The Haruno gave a thoughtful expression for a moment then smiled warmly and nodded since she appreciated the company, not to mention it would give an excuse to be alone with him and talk privately. The two Genin then left together, leaving Kakashi to be the last one at the table who decided to take this chance to read a few pages from his favorite little orange book.
Outside, both Naruto and Sakura walked together in a comfortable silence, any hostilities from their past having melted away. Though the silence didn't last for long as Sakura suddenly spun around, grabbed the blonde by his collar and roughly pulled him into a dark alleyway out of sight from the street and any potential passerbys. "Whoa now Sakura-chan. If you want to have your way with me, there's a thing called Love hotels… unless doing it outside or in public is your thing." The Uzumaki spoke teasingly, earning a small punch to his chest from the pinkette who chuckled at his joke.
"Hardy har har, 'baka'. Now tell me the truth, it was you, wasn't it?" She spoke in an accusatory tone, as though she were conducting an interrogation.
"Me? What did I do? I don't know what you're talking about." The whiskered teen spoke with a broad grin, the thinly veiled sarcasm earning a scoff from the pinkette.
"Ohhhh, no. Don't give me that shit. I'm not a gullible Fan-girl, I never was. You were the first and only person to realize what I was going through, and now the old man is dead. Heck of a coincidence, wouldn't you think?" She spoke with a dark chuckle.
"Is it? Who knows? Let's entertain the idea and say, and this is not an admission, that I did kill Kizashi Haruno; what are you gonna do about it?" The blonde asked cooly, a coy grin on his face as his words earned an amused giggle from the pinkette.
"That depends. If you weren't involved, I'll just say it was my mistake and move on. Though if you did kill that bastard, then I would work hard to repay you for it. You want to use me as a sex toy? I'll lift my skirt up for you anytime, anywhere. You want to gather a few friends and gangbang me? I'll do it all with a big grin on my face as I take your loads. You want to use me as a broodmare? I'll pump out as many kids as my body can handle." She spoke in a serious tone, giving off a cocky grin as she released the blonde from her grip then straightened his clothes for him.
"Enticing offer. I could lie and take advantage of you." Naruto spoke the last part in a snarky voice, his words earning some laughter from the pinkette.
"Don't insult my intelligence Naruto-baka. We both hid behind masks for years. And what's that old saying? You can't bullshit a bullshitter? Because I know for a fact you aren't the kind of guy to ever take advantage of a girl." She responded in a confident tone, earning a tip of the hat from the blonde since she had hit the nail on the head.
"Believe whatever you want to believe then Sakura-chan." The whiskered teen spoke with a charming smile, and then gave a small wink. Even if he didn't say it out loud… she knew for sure that he was the one responsible for her salvation. Now she and her mother were finally free of a monster.
"Sure. I'll do just that. I look forward to serving you and your 'needs' in the future." She spoke with a saucy grin and then cupped his crotch in her soft hands. "Now if you'll be excusing me… I gotta start packing on a few pounds if I ever want to fill out and fix this stick figure of mine." She spoke and then gestured towards her flat chest and butt which didn't show off any curves.
With that said, she excused herself and began to walk the rest of the way home on her own. Leaving Naruto behind to watch her form leave, and when she had vanished from sight, the young Witch Doctor decided it would be a good idea to check in on his apartment and see how his Proxies were doing.
A short while later.
"Heave-ho! Heave-ho!" Came the collective chants of the steadily growing army of dolls as they continued their construction project for their masters and their boss. One particular doll, dressed in a black robe seemed to be overseeing the work that was done.
"Wok fastah! Foe de Bossu!" The black robed doll shouted earning a collective chant of "Foe de Bossu!" From the numerous Proxies as they quickly doubled their efforts which satisfied their apparent foreman as the dolls worked tirelessly with an almost fanatic zeal. Unlike human workers, the Proxies had no need for food or sleep. While they were small in stature, their ever growing numbers made up for it.
"Cuhpkaku!" Shouted a random Proxy as it approached the black robed one, which answered to the name 'Cupcake'. The black robed doll in question turned towards its comrade, identifying it as a lookout and gibbered as if to ask what it wanted.
"De Bossu!" The doll shouted and pointed towards the door, and as if on cue, the door gently swung open revealing the form of Naruto Uzumaki himself. Their beloved Boss. "Good evening my friends. Working hard or hardly working?" The whiskered teen asked with a chuckle, earning some giggles from the dolls. A few of them dropped what they were doing and began to crowd around his legs, hugging whatever part of him they could grab with their tiny little arms.
"I heard about what you did to Kizashi. Excellent work my friends." The blonde congratulated them with a smile, earning some cheers from the Proxies that whooped and hollered in joy for the praise. "But our work is far from done. There's still plenty of other scumbags that need to be taken care of, and I'll be needing your assistance again in the not-so-distant future so expect me to use your services a lot. Until then, keep up the good work."
When the blonde was finished speaking, more cheers erupted from the dolls as they clapped in appreciation for the Uzumaki's words and were looking forward to more jobs in the future. Naruto smirked and carefully stepped over the dolls to avoid trampling over them as they resumed their construction project of his old apartment. "Ohayo Cupcake. Progress report?" The blonde asked as he tipped his hat towards the little black robed doll.
Cupcake nodded and began to speak in what seemed to be gibberish, but the blonde nodded his head along as though he understood perfectly what the Proxy was saying… which he actually did. "Yeesh. Mold and stuff? Wood rot? I'm amazed that this place is still standing or hasn't gone up in Flames or something." The blonde muttered as he glanced over at a group of dolls that were using some kind of device that looked like a cross between a lifting platform and battering ram armed with a sledge hammer to bust down the walls.
He had to admit… those dolls were pretty creative when it came to finding ways of making up for their small size. Naruto then took notice that one particular doll seemed to be missing "Where's the Sakura doll?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, prompting Cupcake to give his report on the subject.
"Ah. So she chose to stay behind and keep an eye on things in the Haruno Household eh? Makes sense I guess. Who knows? Sakura may need a guardian angel's intervention in the future." Naruto muttered as he tipped his hat, earning some squeaky giggles from the proxies, a few of them recalling stabbing the noisy pink haired man to death.
That was more fun than killing the whiny silver haired man. Naruto then smirked to himself a bit as he leaned against his cane, feeling rather triumphant with his success. Still, he'd have to be a bit more careful in the future on account of the fact that Sakura correctly connected the dots. So of course there may be others that could figure it out just as well. It would probably be for the best to wait things out for a while. Now that he was on a team, he would be able to focus more on his Shinobi training while in his free time, he can continue studying the arts of magic and Voodoo from the Loa.
For now, he would wait and see how things play out. He pulled out his deck of tarot cards and pulled one out to get a read on what to expect tomorrow… and it seemed as though the cards said that tomorrow he would form a connection and lifelong friendship with somebody. The whiskered teen grinned a bit to himself and felt a sense of confidence that tomorrow would be interesting to say the least. Now then, with his brief survey done here, it was time to head back to Anko's place for a good night's sleep.
"I'll be back tomorrow. Keep up the good work my little friends." Naruto spoke with a tip of the hat and then departed, leaving his little assistants to continue their work.
"Foe de Bossu!" Cupcake shouted, urging all the others on as they parroted the phrase in unison as they continued shattering and breaking down the walls. Their eagerness to please the Loa and Naruto shown as they worked with an almost fanatical zeal. They hoped that their patrons would like the place when it was finished.
The next morning.
In the mission assignment office, Hiruzen Sarutobi can be seen sitting behind his desk, smoking from his favored pipe as he oversaw the assignment of various missions to teams that were best suited for the chosen team. He then glanced over at his new 'assistant' and asked "How many more teams do we have to assign missions to?"
His new 'assistant' was none other than Tsubaki, the late Mizuki's girlfriend who now had a seal planted on the back of her neck to ensure her obedience and to keep her from escaping. She was currently serving her time in endentured servitude and community service until the time came for her chance at parole. While she wasn't directly involved in Mizuki's plot, the withholding of crucial information involving the theft still counted as a serious crime, hence her current station.
"Just Team Seven Hokage-sama. They should be due to arrive any minute now… assuming Kakashi-san is on time." She murmured out at the end, earning a soft snort from the Sandaime since that was true. And he had to admit, Tsubaki had taken to her position rather well. If she continued to be cooperative, it was possible she may get parole early for good behavior.
His brief musing was interrupted when the form of Team Seven entered inside. "Morning Old man. You seem to be in a good mood today. Ah, and it's Tsubaki-san too." Naruto spoke as he tipped his hat to her.
The Chunin girl pursed her lips, remembering that he had drugged and kidnapped her, but she didn't hold any grudges against him since he had actually done the village a service… one that she didn't do herself. Hiruzen chuckled at the blonde boy's words and replied "Indeed. And I see you know Tsubaki-san as well. She has been very helpful with paperwork and whatnot. She keeps a good filing system going."
His words earned a few chuckles from the Jonin since filing paperwork and mission reports could indeed be a hassle. "Enough with the niceties. We're here for a mission." Sasuke spoke impatiently, earning a few scowls from everyone present. Still, he wasn't wrong either. But he could definitely do with some lessons in manners.
Hiruzen ignored the Uchiha's rudeness this time and spoke "Naturally. Speaking of which, I have a special mission for Team Seven." The Sandaime announced, earning some raised eyebrows from the newly minted team.
"Special mission? Who's the client and what're we supposed to do?" Sakura asked, hoping to get more details. The Hokage gave an amused smile as he replied "You're looking at the client now."
"Eh? You Jiji? Well now… this mission might be interesting." Naruto spoke excitedly while the two Jonin listened quietly. Just what kind of mission was their team going to get right out of the gates?
"Just yesterday, this was left taped to the front door of my private residence." The Hokage spoke as he produced an envelope from his robes and placed it on his desk, allowing for the newly minted team to approach and pull out the note inside.
'The Forbidden Scroll will be mine! Don't try to stop me.' Was what was written on the paper… except there were two things that Naruto couldn't help but point out. "Okay… this note would appear a bit more threatening if it wasn't written in crayon. And it's not the smartest move to announce your crime before you attempt it." The Uzumaki's words earning nods of agreement from everyone present.
"The writing is pretty crude too. Like a kid wrote this, as evidenced by the crayon." Sakura pointed out as she scratched her head leading her to continue speaking "So is this a prank or something then?"
The Sandaime rubbed his temples as he spoke "I believe so, and if the 'thief' is who I suspect it to be, you shouldn't have much trouble. Hence why this is classified as a D-rank for the time being and why I don't want to waste my Anbu on such matters. That aside, I also believe that this team can do something that I myself wouldn't be able to with the thief in question." The Hokage spoke in a cryptic manner, his eyes locked on Naruto's form earning a raised eyebrow from the boy.
"A prank eh? Well if that's the case then I guess me and Anko aren't needed to…" the Copy Ninja spoke only to earn an elbow in the ribs courtesy of the Snake Mistress.
"Don't use this as an excuse to slack off to read your porn. We still gotta observe the team and shit." Anko growled out, refusing the Copy Ninja the chance to slack off earning a sheepish chuckle from the masked man.
"Oh fine. And it's not porn, it's art." Kakashi retorted, however his response earned a dark look from the Snake Mistress as she mumbled quietly "Anything written by that fucking perv doesn't deserve to be called art."
"Well then Team Seven. It is time for you to go to work. The Forbidden Scroll has been moved to my private residence on a temporary basis until a new and more secure location has been built to store it. I wish you all the best of luck." Hiruzen spoke earning a series of nods, although a certain Uchiha muttered something about this being beneath him though no one seemed to be paying him any attention.
With their mission parameters given to them, it was time to go perform their duty for the day.
Later.
"Am I just eating because I'm bored?" Asked the form of Sakura as she picked at a slice of strawberry cheesecake that she had been saving in a storage seal for a snack, deciding to take a page from Naruto's book and use said seals to keep snacks and food on hand in case she ever needed them. She wasn't going to go hungry like she almost did during their test. She then glanced over towards the window and saw a trio of cats happily playing just outside which made for an adorable sight.
"Careful Sakura. Eat too many sweets and you run the risk of getting fat. Same to you Anko-chan." Naruto spoke in a warning tone to the Kunoichi, the Snake Mistress in question shivering in horror and disgust as she pictured an older and fatter out of shape version of her… she'd have to cut back on her daily Dango and red bean soup intake… severely.
Sasuke for his part was staring at a large glass case display that contained a large scroll, which he assumed to be the Forbidden Scroll. "Hn. This doesn't make sense to me. Why keep something like that tucked away when all the techniques inside could be put to use?"
Kakashi glanced up from his little orange book and guessed that the Uchiha mainly said that because he wanted to use the techniques for his own purposes and then spoke "While I can't say that I totally disagree with you, there are a number of techniques in that scroll that are far too dangerous to use. Many of which potential enemies could wish to steal, either from the scroll itself or from those who learned said techniques."
The Uchiha snorted in annoyance as he continued to leer at the scroll. Naruto for his part rolled his eyes and guessed that the 'scroll' on display was little more than a dummy. A fake to mislead potential thieves while the real one was hidden somewhere in or around the Hokage's home… though he wasn't gonna tell the Uchiha that.
"Hey Sakura. How's your mom doing?" The Uzumaki asked out of concern, causing the pinkette to give him a warm smile at his concern.
After taking another bite of her cheesecake she replied "She's alright. A little shaken up, she still thinks this is all a dream and when she wakes up she'll find herself under his thumb again. She's going to get some therapy for the abuse she suffered. Otherwise? I think she's going to be okay."
Naruto was glad to hear that and hoped that the Haruno family could put everything that happened behind them. Sakura then snapped her fingers and said "I almost forgot! This was left for me too." The pinkette then pulled out a small doll made in her likeness.
"Isn't it cute?" She spoke as she presented it to her team. Naruto and Anko already knew of its existence and nodded in agreement, Sasuke of course ignored the Haruno. But Kakashi raised an eyebrow and had to admit that while he didn't know anything about dolls… this one was made with a lot of care and attention to detail. Wait, didn't Hinata mention something about Kizashi being attacked by dolls or something?
The Sakura doll seemed harmless enough… but for some reason he felt a sense of unease. He felt almost as if those little button eyes were watching EVERYTHING. Kinda creepy really.
"I decided to take this little thing with me as a good luck charm." Sakura spoke, hugging the doll to her chest as she gave a flirty wink towards Naruto, since she had guessed that the doll was from him. Before their little conversation could continue further, the lights cut out, leaving the team in pitch black darkness.
The sounds of little feet rushed past them, then there was the sound of glass shattering. Naruto remembered the location of the light switched and thrust his cane towards it to flip the lights back on, which revealed the form of a small boy with a long blue scarf holding the 'scroll' they were meant to protect.
"Who the hell is this little brat?" Sasuke asked with a small growl. The two Jonin shook their heads and sighed since they knew who the thief in question was just from one glance.
"Should've figured it'd be this kid. He's the Sandaime's grandson, Konohamaru." Anko spoke as she stood up and stuffed her hands in her coat pockets.
"Wait, wha? Why would the Hokage's grandson want to steal the Forbidden scroll?" Sakura asked with a raised eyebrow which earned a snort from the scarf wearing boy.
"Wouldn't you like to know? Doesn't matter since I'll be the Hokage after I learn a Jutsu from this here scroll." Konohamaru announced with a chuckle as he quickly reached into his pocket for something. As he did so, Naruto couldn't help but notice that the boy's scarf appeared to be snagged to the display, likely when he threw off the glass case to get the fake scroll.
The blonde could warn him about it, but figured that it wouldn't be fun to spoil the surprise. The Sandaime's grandson threw a smoke bomb causing it to explode into a large Grey cloud to help cover his escape. He tried to use the momentary diversion to escape and slip past Team Seven… only for a choked gasp to come out followed by a thump.
The smoke quickly dispersed revealing that his scarf did indeed get snagged, and it had tightened around his little neck when he attempted to run off. Naruto stood over him and spoke "Not a good idea to wear a scarf that long. It could easily get caught on something. Or, a potential enemy could use it against you and strangle you to death with it." The Uzumaki then used the blade hidden in his cane to slice off a large portion of the unnecessarily long scarf, freeing the boy as he gasped and wheeze for air.
When the boy got his second wind, he pointed an accusatory finger at the Uzumaki and shouted "You! You tripped me up and choked me! Didn't you?!" At the boy's accusation, the Uzumaki in question gave a casual shrug.
"I didn't do anything. A scarf that long can easily get caught or grabbed by something as I previously mentioned. It's actually a bit of a wonder it hasn't already done you in." Naruto spoke with a slightly sadistic chuckle, the rest of his team silently agreeing with him as Konohamaru pouted.
"All right now. Come on. Spill it. Why try and steal the scroll?" Naruto spoke impatiently, the only response he received was the Sarutobi boy sticking his tongue out mockingly. The kid was certainly stubborn. Had to give him that.
"Gonna be all obstinate, eh? That's all right. I'm certain the cards can tell me what I need to know." Naruto spoke as he pulled out his deck of tarot cards.
"Please. You really think parlor tricks are gonna work Dobe?" The Uchiha muttered as he rolled his eyes, believing things like fortune telling and tarot cards to nothing but cheap tricks.
The Jinchuuriki ignored him and pulled out the first card and began to speak "Interesting. You have been living in the shadow of your grandpa for some years now, and people only see you as just that, the Sandaime's grandkids. They always suck up to you because they have to, and you can get away with virtually anything… but what you really want is genuine acknowledgement and respect. You believe that by becoming Hokage that you'll gain the recognition you desire. That about cover it?"
Once Naruto had finished speaking, the Sarutobi boy's eyes seemed to light up almost instantly "Holy cow! You got all that just from looking at a card? Is there some kind of special trick?" The scarf wearing kid asked in awe, earning a few chuckles from the blonde.
"To properly read the tarot cards takes a certain degree of training, and the right connections to the spirits. This was a fairly straightforward and simple reading. Plus… I also know how it feels to be alone. Now answer me this… do you sincerely believe that anyone will respect a 'hokage' that took the mantle by cheating or using dishonest methods? Would anyone respect a Kage that hasn't earned the title through their own hard work and earned merits?" Naruto asked at the end, earning a small frown from Konohamaru who had to admit… that the whiskered Genin made a solid point.
"I know all that but… it all seems like such a long way. And I want to be Hokage right now." Konohamaru mumbled in a slightly depressed manner.
"Yeah. It is. But you can't go around taking easy shortcuts to get what you want. Want a piece of advice? What you want isn't always what you need. You want to be Hokage, but what you really need is to find and make friends that will appreciate you for being you. And if you do that, I think you'll find things to be much easier and better. After all… a special someone helped me out a lot over the years." Naruto spoke and then flashed a smile in the direction of a certain Dango lover who smiled back warmly.
"Is it really that simple?" The young Sarutobi asked hopefully, earning a nod from the whiskered teen. Naruto crouched down to meet Konohamaru at eye level and replied to him "Trust me, I wouldn't lie about that kind of thing. Just give it a try. And if you ever need a hand, I'll be there to help you out."
Konohamaru was silent for a few moments and then nodded in acceptance as he muttered "I guess it's worth a shot. I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused." The Sarutobi apologized prompting the others to nod in acceptance since it seemed he had learned his lesson.
"Don't worry about it. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, what matters is if we learn from them. Anyway, go find some friends and be sure to train hard if you're serious about being Hokage. I look forward to sparring with you when you get stronger." Naruto spoke as he tipped his hat.
In response, the scarf wearing boy grinned and gave a quick salute before running off, most likely to go find potential friends. Once he was gone, a telephone began ringing, alerting Team Seven who all raised curious eyebrows. "Should somebody answer that?" Anko asked as she tilted her head, at her question, Naruto shrugged and volunteered himself as he picked up the phone and muttered a quick 'hello?' Into the mouthpiece.
"Ah. Naruto-kun! Job well done to you and Team Seven." Spoke the familiar voice of the Sandaime who sounded like he was in a very good mood.
"Old man… you were watching through that crystal ball the whole time weren't you?" Naruto asked or rather stated with a sly grin, his 'question' prompting some chuckles from the Hokage.
"Indeed Naruto-kun. I apologize for not giving you the full details of this mission and for having to get involved in a family affair, but I was confident that you'd be able to handle it and set Konohamaru straight. Kami knows I've tried myself, but he wouldn't listen to me. At any rate, there's another reason I'm calling… it would appear that two subjects of another mission are in your general area. If you can capture them, it would be a tremendous help." The Hokage spoke, prompting the Uzumaki to ask for more details about the 'subjects'.
"Well, the previous Tora has recently passed away so the Daimyo's wife was about to pick a new Tora to replace the previous. She had it narrowed to three potential candidates, but they all escaped before she could make her final choice. If you and Team Seven could recapture them, I would be very grateful." The Hokage explained… and then the sounds of a woman sobbing loudly in the background could be heard as Hiruzen muttered a 'please help me.'
With that, Naruto decided to hang up and reported what the Sandaime had said over the phone, earning some collective groans since they were all aware of the infamous Tora. "Great… so we have to chase down three of them? Did the Hokage explain what they looked like?" Anko asked in mild annoyance… her question being answered as a nearby machine began beeping which gained their attention and some photographs were printed out revealing three different cats.
One was black and appeared to be wearing a Witch's hat, another was also black and had a mischievous looking aura about it, and the last one had flax covered fur and had a playful demeanor. "Huh… they look like the ones just outside." Kakashi pointed out as he gestured to a trio of cats that were busy sunbathing outside and then… they all froze up and glanced between the pictures of the felines a few times and realized "THEY WERE OUTSIDE THE WHOLE TIME?" The Team shouted in unison.
After taking a few seconds to calm themselves Naruto spoke "Wow. What're the odds? Anyways… let's see if we can snag them before they wander off."
"Let's be careful, if these guys are as crafty as the previous Toras, we don't want them to run away. One by itself is bad enough." Kakashi muttered as he remembered the time he and his team chased Tora the fourth…. Those claws were perhaps one of the worst forms of physical pain he'd ever encountered after he had to pry the feline off of Obito's face… and those sharp little teeth…
The Jinchuuriki smirked as he summed a bento full of salmon to entice the cat's appetites. Hopefully a little bribe would earn their trust. "I think I should go out alone, that way they won't feel so threatened. The rest of you should circle around in case they do try to run." Naruto spoke, prompting the team to mutter their agreements, even Sasuke though he believed this was all a waste of his time.
The blonde boy gently tiptoed his way outside and sat a respectful distance away from the cats to avoid spooking them. They quickly took notice of his presence and eyed him curiously "Hey there. You critters hungry?" He spoke to them gently and then popped the bento open and offered the bits of fish to them.
This seemed to do the trick as the felines padded up to him, meowing excitedly as they accepted the food from him. Surprisingly, each one patiently took a turn as they gently took their respective pieces from his fingers. After their little snack, the cats began to rub their bodies against Naruto's as they happily purred showing that they felt comfortable in his presence. It seemed like they had taken to him rather quickly thanks to his little bribe.
After a few moments, the others emerged from their hiding places since it seemed the cats weren't going to bolt on them. "Wow. They took a fast liking to you." Anko commented with a small grin, though she wasn't totally surprised since he could befriend almost anyone if he tried.
"Eh. Animals always liked me." Naruto replied with a shrug, for some reason… he had a strong feeling about these cats For some reason, he could tell that they were far from ordinary. Deciding to take a peek into their future, the whiskered teen pulled out a random tarot card from his deck… and found that good fortune was on the horizon. It seems that both the Loa and Lady Luck were now favoring him.
A short while later. Hokage office.
Team Seven arrived rather quickly to turn in the needed reports… and were greeted by the pained yowls of another cat that was currently trapped in the embrace of a woman that is… rather on the large side if anyone was being honest. Everyone couldn't help but cringe, excluding Sasuke, at the cat's pain while the woman in question seemed to be squeezing it a bit too tightly.
At his desk, Hiruzen turned towards the team and spoke "Ah, Team Seven. I apologize for this, but apparently another Tora has already been chosen before you arrived. I'm sorry for sending you on a goose chase."
"Eh. No big deal. Didn't take much to catch these guys." Naruto spoke as he looked down at the trio of felines in his arms… all of which gave sympathetic looks to the new 'Tora' that was screeching out. If Naruto had to guess… it was probably screaming for a mercy killing. Poor thing.
"Excuse me ma'am… but I think you might be hurting your cat." Naruto spoke in a polite manner… and most everyone in the room, excluding Sasuke, looked at him as though he were insane. Did the idiot realize who he was talking to? This was the Daimyo's wife for crying out loud!
"Eh? What's that you said young man?" She asked as she turned to the blonde boy in question and then took note of the cats in his arms "Oh my! A fellow cat lover? How nice to meet you!" She continued to speak in a friendly manner as she admired the cats he was holding.
"I like all kinds of animals, and likewise ma'am. As I was saying, I can see you want to give your cat lots of love and affection, but I think you're being rather rough on the poor critter." The Jinchuuriki explained patiently, with both of his Sensei's making cutting motions across their throats to send a signal for him to shut up.
There was a pregnant pause for a few long moments as the Daimyo's wife cast a few glances between the new 'Tora' and the Uzumaki, the former crying anime tears as its soul seemed to be leaking from its mouth. "Is that so?" She asked prompting the blonde to nod as he set down two of his charges and gently carried the one with flax colored fur and then showed her how to properly hold a cat without causing it discomfort and to gently pet it.
After a few moments of instruction, the Daimyo's wife caught on rather quickly as her more gentle touch seemed to quickly soothe and relax the new 'Tora', the feline's eyes now shedding tears of relief and happiness that its suffering was over. "Thank you ever so much young man! What is your name?" she asked with a warm smile.
"Naruto Uzumaki. Genin of Konoha, member of Team Seven, lover of the fairer sex, and part-time professional asshole." The blonde spoke as he introduced himself with the Sandaime and the others staring at him with wide eyes, minus the Uchiha.
"Oh really? Erm… what's a 'professional asshole' do exactly?" The Daimyo's wife asked since she had never heard of the term before.
"Oh, it basically means that I make it my job to mess with people I don't like… mainly arrogant dipshits." The whiskered teen replied while casting a glance towards the self-proclaimed 'Elite'. The Daimyo's wife merely giggled as she responded "That sounds like an interesting job. I wish you luck young Naruto! I'll be sending you a generous bonus for showing me some tips about handling a cat."
With that said, she departed with a relaxed and happy Tora. Once she was gone Anko was the first to pounce on Naruto and started shaking him about like a ragdoll "ARE YOU INSANE YOU LITTLE SHIT?! THAT WAS THE FUCKING DAIMYO'S FUCKING WIFE!" She screeched out at almost the same volume of Sakura's infamous screeches during her time as a 'Fangirl'.
"Yeah? So what? She didn't seem like a bad person. Just overzealous." Naruto spoke out when he slipped out of Anko's grip, since he felt like he was about to get a major case of whiplash. "Don't EVER do anything stupid like that again." Anko warned him with a small snarl, which seemed to send a clear message as the blonde tipped his hat to her… and in the background Sakura wondered how his hat didn't fall off when their sensei was shaking him about.
"So, what happens to these guys then?" Kakashi asked as he pointed towards the cats that were currently surrounding Naruto and rubbing their bodies against his legs… although the one he was holding seemed to have swirls in its eyes as it meowed weakly.
"Hey old man. Mind if I keep these cats?" The Uzumaki asked, earning a dismissive shrug from the Sandaime who replied back "I suppose it's fine since they'll be needing a good home.
"Appreciate it. I'll see about getting them food, bowls, collars and stuff later. Now I just need to name them..." The blonde muttered to himself as he scooped up the other cats in his arms. The one wearing the witch's hat giggled as it spoke in a female voice "My name's Blair-sama. This is Yoruichi and Felix-chan!"
"YOU CAN TALK?!" shouted almost everyone in the room shouted with the exclusion of Naruto. "Of course we can talk. Are talking cats really that strange?" Asked the one called Yoruichi in a snarky tone as her compatriots giggled in amusement.
"I thought that there was something funny about you three. I sensed it almost immediately after we left, but couldn't put my finger on it. You guys are Familiars." Naruto commented with a smirk as the felines purred and rubbed their heads against him.
"You got it! Wait till you see what we look like in our human forms!" spoke the form of Felix with a giggle and a purr, giving the Uzumaki a sly wink.
"A Familiar? Is that some kind of special summon?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow, wondering if it meant that they could be potentially powerful tools if he found one of his own. After all, it should be noted that a number of big-name Shinobi have Summons. Like the Sannin or Hanzo the Salamander as examples.
"Not quite. Familiars are special animals that a ninja forms a close bond with, almost symbiotic in nature and work in tandem with their partners. Much like the Inuzuka's canine partners or the Aburame's insects." Kakashi explained as he crossed his arms. He hadn't sensed anything about the cats earlier, but then it was strongly possible that they were just really good at hiding their true nature.
"Hn. I see. Still, I doubt that those flea bitten cats will do you any good Dobe." Sasuke muttered arrogantly since he didn't see how they could be useful for a Shinobi.
The Uzumaki clicked his tongue and shook his head as he replied "Goes to show what you know Sasuke. In the Shinobi world, you can't solve all of your problems with brute force." The blonde was certain that these cats would prove very useful to him in the future, and make great company as well.
With that said and done, Team Seven departed to their respective homes, with Naruto tagging along with Anko since his apartment was still being renovated. He would also need to see about making certain… arrangements to find potential souls to feed to the Loa. After all… they could only be patient for so long before they hungered for more.
End chapter four.
Guest character list:
Blair. (Soul Eater.)
Yoruichi (Bleach.)
Felix. (Re : Zero.)