Tsunade and Shizune were stifling giggles at the sight in front of them, much to the chagrin of the victim.
Tsunade cleared her throat, completely ceasing her assistant's giggling. "So, Kakashi," she began, settling down, "how did the test go?"
Kakashi, who was annoyed beyond comparison stood lazily at attention...
With the remains of Training Ground 7's wooden post tied to his back. He grumbled incoherently and Tsunade cupped a hand around her ear to emphasize she hadn't heard what he said.
"Sorry, Kakashi, what was that?" she asked with an amused look.
"I said," Kakashi began in a more clear tone, "I didn't stand a chance." He sighed. Swallowing his pride was not something he was used to and he couldn't fight the lump that formed in his throat as he gave his report. "To be honest, Sakura had no chance to show whether or not she was a threat, but she did shock me with that monstrous strength she showed at the beginning." Tsunade had a prideful smile on her face, as did Shizune. "But Naruto completely dismantled me with little to no difficulty; without using any notable jutsu, might I add." If Kakashi could, he would scratch the back of his head in embarrassment. Tsunade nodded.
"I see. ANBU!" she ordered, calling forth a boar-masked ANBU member.
"Yes, Lady Hokage, how may I be of assistance."
"Call forth genin Naruto Uzumaki for me with due haste. Make sure he understands this is an order," she said sternly. Naruto had the type of attitude that would make diplomats either gawk at his brazen demeanor or have him killed on sight for improper behavior.
"As you wish," the masked individual said, vanishing in an instant.
"I'll make sure... he gets you out of that bind," Tsunade said, losing her previous composure and bursting out into full-on laughter, slamming the desk with her fist, followed by her assistant doubling over in mirth. Kakashi scowled.
Naruto... you'll pay for this...
Naruto was in a deep sleep on the couch in his apartment, limbs sprawled out and hanging off haphazardly. He sneezed before mumbling something imperceptible. The light, intermittent knocking at his door was completely ignored as he continued to reside in dreamland.
The knocking began to crescendo, causing Naruto to stir. Stretching like a cat, he wiped the tiredness out of his eyes and rolled the stiffness out of his shoulders and neck. "Just a second," he groaned, sluggishly dragging his feet across the floor and tiredly stalking towards the door. He opened it to see an ANBU member waiting patiently to relay what he assumed was an important message. Naruto took in the features of the figure and leaned against his door, urging the Hokage's guard with a head nod to relay whatever information they came to put forth.
"L-l-lady Hokage requests your p-presence effective immediately, Mr. Uzuma-maki," they stuttered out, abashed at his appearance.
Surely enough, Naruto hadn't bothered to put on a shirt, instead choosing to answer the door in his pajama bottoms. His necklace hung nicely around his well-developed chest, bringing attention to his well-toned and tanned body, six-pack on full display. His bottoms were a bit loose, hanging only barely around his waist, his v-cut being exposed freely.
"Ms. ANBU, are you feeling alright? It looks like your mask is going to melt with how much heat your face is producing," he asked, concerned. The ANBU member shook her head vigorously from side to side. Naruto made note of the platinum blonde ponytail that swished back and forth.
"Everything's ju-just fine genin Uzu-" she was cut off by Naruto raising a finger to silence her.
"Ino, just call me Naruto," he said with a grin. The ANBU stood still in shock, her cover revealed.
"PUT ON SOME CLOTHES, IDIOT!" she screamed, causing Naruto to stick his fingers in both ears, whining with a miffed expression.
"I'd rather have you screaming for me to do the opposite, wouldn't you agree?" he said in an annoyed tone, rolling his neck around to alleviate the tension in his bones. He mentally sighed upon hearing a satisfying 'crack'. The ANBU member, now revealed as Ino Yamanaka simply balled her fists at her sides and vanished in a swirl of lavender petals. "Odd," Naruto said before vanishing in his own Body Flicker.
A sudden calm breeze passed through Tsunade's office. "Yo, Granny, I turned the wind down so your papers wouldn't get messed up this time," Naruto said, giving a lazy two-fingered salute to his Hokage. Realizing he was standing next to Kakashi, he merely gave a nod in greeting towards the scowling jonin.
"Is there a reason you came to my office in such indecent attire, Naruto?" Tsunade asked with her eyebrow twitching. Naruto shrugged.
"I'm not naked, am I?" he asked. Shizune turned her head, face turning a dark shade of red, TonTon squealing amusedly in her arms. Naruto felt a presence in the corner of the room shift. He turned to stare at the spot.
"No, you're not. Anyway, I summoned you here so you could help untie your former sensei," she said, gesturing to the tied-up jonin. Naruto's mouth made an 'o' shape in recognition.
"Oh, didn't see you were in such a sticky situation," he said nonchalantly before turning to Tsunade. "Ne, Granny, if an elite jonin can't break the bindings of a genin, shouldn't there be some kind of reform or disciplinary action taken?" Tsunade sighed at his obvious joke of a question.
"Naruto, we all know the rules don't apply to you. You're no normal genin. I'd do well to field promote you to the next rank but you simply lack the experience." Naruto scoffed, still staring at the wall's corner. "Now please unbind Kakashi," she stated sternly. Naruto merely poked the part of the ninja wire that had been tied and it immediately came loose, causing the post to make contact with the wooden floor. The silver-haired man narrowed his eyes at the blond but still nodded his thanks, which was ignored.
"Thank you," she said calmly before raising her voice to a shout, "and pull up your damn pants!" she yelled. The corner Naruto was staring at revealed the boar-masked ANBU falling face first, blood trickling through the eyeholes of her mask. Naruto chose now to look down and sure enough, his pants were so low that his curtains were revealed to match the drapes.
"Granny, I think you need to evaluate your subordinates to test their professionalism. Frankly, this is a disgrace," Naruto said with a fake grimace before he vanished in a gust of wind. Tsunade sighed, happy at the fact he didn't blow away her papers that time. "Shizune, please help Ms. Boar," she stated, rubbing at her temples.
Kakashi cracked his neck, loosening himself up and ridding himself of the stiffness he was feeling. "Lady Hokage, you noticed the seals on his forearms as well, right?" Kakashi asked his superior. Seeing her nod, he glanced towards her assistant who was rousing Ino awake. "What do you think they could be for?" he asked, curiosity in his tone.
"I don't know, Kakashi, I'm not a seals expert like my perverted teammate. Why don't you ask him yourself?" she said in an exasperated tone. Kakashi nervously rubbed the bad of his head, not unlike his former student.
"I don't think he'll tell me," he said, abashed. Tsunade rolled her brown eyes at him.
"Stop acting like a nervous schoolgirl and go ask the boy yourself, join Hatake. Now leave me be! I have sake to-I mean paperwork to do!" she said, waving her hand in dismissal. Kakashi's shoulders slumped as he Body Flickered away.
After dressing more properly, which was his regular outfit, Naruto took to taking a morning stroll through the shopping district. Discretely snatching an apple from a nearby vendor, he continued to walk through the crowd until he saw a familiar head of pineapple-shaped hair.
"Yo, Lazybones!" he greeted between bites. Shikamaru muttered 'Troublesome' under his breath before cracking a smile towards his old friend and classmate. "You and Temari on a date or something?" he asked in an amused tone.
The sandy blonde girl whose hair was in four spiky ponytails scoffed, crossing her arms. "This bastard is too lazy to get out of bed by himself, much less set up a date," she said sarcastically. Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the girl's antics. Naruto snickered at the truth behind her statement.
Temari now wore a black kimono that reached down to her legs, with slits along the side and a more revealing neckline. A red sash was tied around her waist, and she wore fingerless black gloves as well as her forehead protector on her forehead.
"You would only know how he wakes up because you're in the same bed, oh Wise One." Naruto allowed himself a grin upon hearing the girl sputter to come up with a response. His lazy friend merely sighed.
"Don't put any more thoughts into this troublesome woman's head, Naruto." Said woman glared at him which was easily ignored. "So when'd you get back, anyway?"
"Just yesterday, actually." Shikamaru looked slightly surprised. "Oh yeah, and congrats on your promotion Temari," he said grinning. Temari nodded in thanks. The girl then smirked before asking her own question. She walked forward and stood chest to chest with him before looking up.
"What have you been eating, blondie? Last time I checked you were just a shrimp barely Gaara's height." Temari placed a hand on Naruto's head and back down to hers to compare the difference. Naruto merely chewed his apple loudly and disturbingly, causing the girl to back up in disgust, childishly giving a thumbs down.
"Temari, what're you doing in Konoha right now anyway? You act as a liaison or something?" he asked, taking another large bite of his fruit. Temari nodded her head, confirming his suspicions.
"The chunin exams are already coming up, so Mr. Bedhead here is going to be the proctor and my escort," she said, pointing a finger towards Shikamaru.
"It's troublesome, really," the black-haired teen said, scratching his head. "So what're you gonna do?" Naruto shrugged, throwing his finished apple into a nearby trashcan.
"I don't have a team, so I can't participate, right?" Shikamaru looked up towards the clouds to think over the question. Noticing that they were holding up traffic, he motioned for the two blondes to follow him.
"You're pretty chummy with the Hokage, so my guess is you can be pardoned to act as a one-man cell, which shouldn't be too much trouble for you if you haven't been slacking off," he said, giving Naruto a pointed look. The blond nodded so he continued, "If that's not the case, you could probably make your pick of two genins that would form your three-man cell." Naruto nodded thoughtfully, thanking Shikamaru for his insight.
"I already have two people in mind, but I'd rather they get through it themselves without me having to pull their weight. It may be a team assignment, but there's no teamwork in leeching off of a more experienced member and breezing through." The other two nodded their heads in assent, finding the logic reasonable. "Guess I'll have to get field promoted, instead."
Temari placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Well, whatever you choose, good luck. We don't want to leave you too far behind," she said, strolling past him. Shikamaru followed and nodded a goodbye towards his friend.
Naruto continued walking before a familiar brown-haired ponytail made itself known at a particular ramen stand. Smiling, Naruto made his way over to his favorite food establishment and lifted the curtain to see a tanned man with a horizontal scar over his nose hungrily slurping noodles. When the man noticed someone sitting next to him he almost choking on his food. The new arrival patted him on the back before he regained his composure.
"Naruto?" he asked incredulously. The newcomer smiled.
"Did ya miss me Iruka-sensei?" the cheeky blond asked with a grin.
Iruka gaped. "You look like you finally stopped eating ramen!" he exclaimed. Upon seeing Teuchi glare at him he quickly apologized, rubbing his neck abashedly.
"I guess you could say that," Naruto chuckled. His height was still an uncomfortable topic for him. "Just drank fresh milk instead of the rotten kind," he joked. Iruka winced apologetically, reminiscing about the time Naruto caught diarrhea from drinking the beverage spoiled.
"You down to catch up for a bit," Iruka asked his student as he gathered his chopsticks to feast once again. Naruto eagerly nodded and began to regale his old academy instructor with tales of his travels.
"Boom," a figure holding its hand with a teal-colored ring on the index finger held into a half ram sign cried out. Elsewhere, two consecutive explosions occurred, causing bits and body parts to fly about and scatter in a brewing sandstorm. "Looks like their lives were temporary, hm. Such is the fate of such a delicate art."
"No thanks, Granny. I'd rather not take the mission."
Tsunade arched an eyebrow as she leaned back in her chair. "It appears I've been too lenient with you, genin. Know your place when addressing your superiors."
Naruto fixed the platinum blonde with a mild glare before huffing and shoving his hands in his pockets.
Naruto better watch himself and what he says, otherwise, I'll be the one getting reprimanded for it, Kakashi thought sullenly as a bead of sweat trickled down his head.
"Sorry, milady!" Sakura shouted before forcefully planting her hand on the back of Naruto's head, attempting to make his bow. She fell forward facefirst after realizing Naruto's posture was too rigid to even move an inch. "Ow..." she said, cradling her now red face. Naruto snorted.
All banter was cut short when the door burst right off of its hinges, slamming against the wall at the force used. Everyone was immediately alert to the intrusion.
"Sorry for the disturbance, Lady Tsunade, but Sand's Kazekage has been captured by members of the Akatsuki! They requested assistance as soon as―" All the room's occupants had shocked faces as they robotically turned their heads to see Naruto's reaction.
Surprisingly, he stood stock-still at the news, a neutral expression on his face that showed calmness and complete composure. What ensued was anything but calm, though. The room's temperature drastically dropped several degrees and the windows were opened by a strong blast of wind. Everyone ducked as shards of glass flew everywhere, books fell off shelves, and stacks of paper swirled around the boy's still figure.
The woman who had burst in the door proceeded to faint, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Shizune, albeit unsteadily, attempted to rouse the woman out of unconsciousness but was failing due to her own trembling hands. She kneeled next to the woman, glad she wasn't standing since she knew if she had tried she wouldn't be able to accomplish much.
This is Naruto's killer intent?! Sakura thought with shock as her body was paralyzed with fear. Even flexing her fingers was a difficult task. Her pupils focused on Naruto's deceptively lax form. No... is this just his anger alone?! If this is how it's like when not even directed towards anyone... then...
Kakashi stood calmly but it was evident he was trembling ever so slightly and by the apprehensive glance he cast the blond, it was clear how uneasy he felt. Tsunade, being the first to regain her composure attempted to quell the boy's fury.
"Naruto! You have to relax!" she shouted, standing on shaky legs, placed her hands on her desk to remain balanced. The brewing storm immediately settled, the papers previously swirling around Naruto falling to the floor.
"I'll see you guys at the gate," the boy said in an even tone, disappearing in his signature Body Flicker.
Kakashi dropped down to one knee, panting in a cold sweat. Sakura fell to both knees and grasped at her throat, trying to catch her breath. Tsunade grumbled several curses before dismissing her two subordinates. "Team Kakashi, pack sustenance designated for a week's worth of travel and be at the gates in 15." Nodding, Kakashi and Sakura hastily made their exit. Tsunade dragged a hand down her face and groaned. "Now to pick up these papers again. Shizune!"
Jiraiya leaned against the gates of Konoha, his arms crossed and his eyes fixated on his disciple. Upon seeing his godson's disposition and fixed him with a look that caused the boy to loosen up.
"I don't need to tell you, do I?" The boy didn't answer the man's rhetorical question, instead choosing to sit in a cross-legged position and faking sleep. Several minutes later, Naruto's team arrived with backpacks and uneasy looks on their faces. The Hokage appeared soon after.
"Tsunade," Jiraiya began, pushing himself off the gate with one foot. His teammate held up a hand to signify she knew of the situation and he nodded. He glanced towards Naruto from the side of his eye which Tsunade noted, shrugging.
"Pervy Sage," came the deep voice of Naruto who was sitting on the ground, hands behind his head. Everyone turned their eyes to him. He slowly stood up, dusting himself off before saying in an icy tone, "Akatsuki will not get away with what they did to Gaara―and for the record, their grimy hands won't even touch me." All the ninja present looked towards each other as Jiraiya contemplated his words.
"Well," he began, one hand on his chin, "I was the one who trained you," he said with a smug look. Naruto gave a deadpanned stare before he looked towards another new arrival.
"Here to see us off, Iruka-sensei?" the boy asked with his body already turned towards the wide expanse outside of his home village. The chunin stared at the boy's back and nodded.
"Good luck!" he stated with a grin. Naruto walked forward giving a thumbs up. The second he stepped past the gate he had already taken to the treetops in a lightning-fast sprint. Sakura and Kakashi sighed as they too made their way towards the Sand village and after their blitzing comrade. Jiraiya shook his head at their expeditious departure.
"I didn't even get to tell that Kaka-brat to look after Naruto." Iruka chuckled and shook his head.
"Naruto and Sakura are not children anymore so I don't think that'll be necessary," he said with a surefire grin. Tsunade and Jiraiya shared smiles at the confidence the man had in their respective apprentices.
"Naruto if you don't tell your clone to let me go right now, when we stop running I'll use my Chakra Scalpels to sever off your-"
"Don't worry, Sakura. Naruto is actually making good time. If anything, we're a burden on him with how leisurely of a pace we were going before he picked us up." Sakura gave her silver-haired sensei a hard glare before huffing and turning forward. The world passed by as a green and brown blur as the six moved through the dense outer forests of Konoha.
Running into Temari on the way, the sandy blonde decided to accompany the three and was currently riding piggyback on Naruto's back, as was Kakashi. Sakura, however, was being held under one arm like a crate of not-so-fragile goods.
"Stop complaining, Pinky. I for one am very comfortable as of right now," the blonde woman said, placing her head in the crook of the boy's neck. She was the only one not with a clone. Sakura scowled with her arms crossed.
"I don't get why he has a clone carry me but he gives you special treatment," she huffed. The blond boy gave a quick answer to her question.
"It's 'cause you don't shut up. My ear falling off mid-sprint would be pretty disadvantageous should we run into an enemy." Naruto giggled at the ticklish feeling of Temari laughing into his shoulder. Kakashi remained quiet, glancing towards the pinkette. Said girl gave no reply, instead choosing to stay silent. Why isn't Kakashi-sensei making the point that should we run into enemies it would be disadvantageous for all of us not to be on our feet?
Several silent hours passed by before it was broken by guess who.
"Naruto, why are you so adamant in saving Gaara anyway? I get that you guys are close friends but the way your acting is way too irrational, even for you." Considering the person involved isn't Sasuke, she mentally noted. Naruto almost didn't respond but chose to entertain the girl.
"'Cause he's like me," was the curt response. Sakura blinked, unsure of what to make of that. Kakashi and Temari immediately understood. Naruto glanced at the girl from the corner of his eye and half-sighed half-growled. "Do I have to spell it out for you? Gaara and I are demon containers-Jinchuuriki. To the Akatsuki, we're nothing more, nothing less. To our respective "homes", we're the demons themselves." Sakura had the decency to look ashamed, remembering her treatment of Naruto and the harsh looks he used to be scrutinized under as a child. Parents taught their children to hate him and they did so without question, and she was one of them. Naruto's voice became low and distant.
"He suffered longer and way more than me. Assassination attempts made on him by his own father?!" he spat on the ground. Temari shifted uncomfortably on his back which was ignored. "I had people along the way, he always had no one but himself. His treatment caused him to have a twisted view of the world, added to the fact his demon would prattle on about bullshit in his head when he tried to sleep. Imagine living like that! I can't bear it! Knowing that he's out there suffering, probably even dying..." Naruto's body trembled with rage upon finishing his tirade. The only sounds were the surroundings whizzing past. A single drop of water trailed down Temari's face and she sunk deeper into Naruto's back.
Thanks, Naruto... just for caring. Temari thought with a sad smile.
"Sis."
"Sis.
"Sis, you dead yet?" this question was met with mad cackling that echoed in a room with only a small pond in the center. On either side of the bond was an elderly figure clad in all black loose-fitting robes with a white poncho-like top. One, a man his head wrapped his bandages and long white eyebrows framing his face over his eyes that looked hollow and lifeless-an infinite abyss. His features were wrinkled and disheveled yet even in his hunched-over form he held himself with the confidence of a wise and experienced ninja. The most pronounced feature was a brown birthmark parallel to his right nostril. The other figure, a woman, looked relatively the same. She carried herself more lightly and the slightest bit of light-heartedness. Her once lavender-colored hair was tinted gray and now styled into a bun with two thick bangs framing both sides of her face.
The woman's laughter died down and she spoke in a voice that sounded dry and unused, "Gotcha! Playing possum again!" The man sighed.
"Why must you be like this? I can't even tell anymore..." the banter was cut short when a Sand Jonin, also the Sand Siblings' former instructor, by the name of Baki walked into the room.
"Honored old ones, I humbly come pleading for your assistance," he stated politely.
"What can we, old relics of the past, doomed to an eternity of being shelved and collecting dust possibly do, here and now?" Chiyo asked tersely.
"A mercenary group named the Akatsuki has gotten their hands on Shukaku. We cannot allow this to stand, otherwise terror will be wrought upon the ninja world."
"It is your world. We are merely living in it. It is also a generational problem that does not concern us," came the voice of Chiyo's younger brother, Ebizo. Baki stood firm, attempting to stroke the elders' egos a bit.
"Both of you maintain powerful channels in each ninja village, as well as possessing special routes in and out of non-allied nations. For us to gather information at a rapid pace such as yourselves would be implausible."
Chiyo scoffed, "I've no earthly ambitions left. I'd simply like to see my sweet grandchild's face once more, nothing else. Besides, we have retired as shinobi many years ago."
Baki inwardly smirked. "Perfect, seeing as your grandson is a member of this mercenary group."
"Why?"
"Pardon?"
"Why? Why does it matter that Itachi is one of the ones after me?" Naruto said, slightly turning his head towards Sakura.
"Well... I've been reading up on a plethora of things these past few years, and I tried to find out as much as I could regarding him, but most was classified." Naruto scoffed.
"Why does any of that matter? Get on with it already," he bit out. Sakura restrained herself from shouting and simply pressed on.
"He's the one Sasuke wants to kill... and his older brother..." Naruto said nothing. "That's why he's got such a thirst for power! But that'll be his downfall because Orochimaru only has around half a year before he makes his move and tries to steal his body!" Naruto's eyes widened a small fraction before narrowing. How does she even know about that? What type of snooping has she been doing to get ahold of that information? I told Pervy Sage we should've kept those documents blood sealed! He quickly relaxed his features before he was noticed. Most likely, Temari felt his body shift, but luckily she would remain quiet. "Unsurprisingly, Orochimaru was a member of the Akatsuki as well at one point. Using the allotted information, we can make the following assessment; the closer we get to Akatsuki, the more intel we get on Orochimaru... do you follow me so far?" Naruto hummed in accord towards the analogy.
"Sasuke will be just within reach. Now I get what you're saying," Naruto turned to the girl, putting on a fake smile to show the girl he agreed with her thus far. She's still fixated on that bastard, but this time the way she speaks about him it's as if she wants to kill him...? What does she think she can do at her level, anyway? Does she think she can protect us, or something? Stupid girl. Naruto mentally sighed. The one admirable thing about her is her heart is in the right place, even if her methods are questionable at best.
Kakashi watched both his subordinates with a skeptical eye before returning to his lazy posture. Naruto's demeanor did a complete 180. What's he thinking of right now? He did his own mental calculations for the duration of the trip and kept silent.
The group arrived at their destination within the next hour, mostly due in part to Naruto's clones. Naruto dispelled the two clones holding his former sensei and teammate, causing the former to gracefully land on the sand and the latter to get a faceful. Sputtering irritatedly, Sakura stood and glared at the real Naruto's back. Temari graciously got off and greeted the guards at the entrance before quickly growing worried for her brother, Kankurou.
"Lead the way, Temari," Sakura told the girl sternly, a professional expression on her face. Her time as a medic ninja would be put to the test.
Rushing into the room her younger brother was in with Sakura hot on her heels, the group was greeted with Lady Chiyo and several Sand medics standing over the boy's unconscious body. Turning to face the new arrivals, Chiyo sprang into action with a look of anger on her face. Everyone stood shocked at the display of speed.
"I'll get you, White Fang of the Leaf!" she cried out before leaping towards Kakashi with the grace of a woman decades younger. Kakashi's singular eye widened a fraction before he saw the back of Naruto's orange and black jacket. Springing off her heel, the old man aimed a knee towards the boy's face which was easily stopped by the boy's index finger. He slowly placed each finger on the woman's kneecap and pushed it down, forcing her to crouch before leaping back to make space. Naruto had an annoyed frown as he stared at her.
"Yo, Kakashi, you must have gotten rustier than this old hag's fingernails if you got so shaken up," Kakashi ignored the jab at his skills and stared long and hard at the woman. It seems she mistakes me for my father.
"Today I get revenge for my son! You despicable-!"
"Sis!" her rant was cut off by Ebizo. "That's not him, he looks like him, but the lad's a little too young..."
Staring for a couple of seconds, she connected the dots and gave out a mirthful chuckle. "Tee-hee! Never mind, then!"
"Nevermind all that, I'll be focusing on Kankurou, so everyone, hush!" Sakura cried out. Naruto and Kakashi leaned against the wall lazily, while everyone else watched the procedure in mild fascination. Sakura dipped her hands into a pan of a special green liquid and when her hands emerged they were inside a bubble of the strange fluid. Running her hands over the open wounds on Kankurou's body for a couple of seconds, a violet liquid emerged, and Sakura smiled. "There. I've extracted a majority of the poison, so he is in no immediate danger," she said pridefully. Temari's body slumped against the wall and she let out a sigh of relief.
"All that's left is to neutralize the remaining toxins in his system, so someone needs to go and fetch me some medical supplies." Naruto was impressed but didn't let it show.
"You remind of that Slug Lass... I never imagined someone like you would be here..." Lady Chiyo said with doubt lacing her voice. Sakura chuckled lightly.
"She was my mentor for some time, so I would hope there are some lingering traits of hers in me!" Chiyo remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.
"Time flows by quickly," she said with a smile. Naruto pushed off of the wall.
"This is good and all but hurry and get what you needed to be done so we can chase down those cloaked bastards," he said, walking out of the room.
"I've gotten word that by some miracle, Kakashi's team has already arrived, so make your way in assisting them with due haste," Tsunade said. I understand Naruto's most likely the strongest in this village bar myself and Jiraiya, but to allow a threat like the Akatsuki to rest on his shoulders is completely ridiculous.
"Roger! It seems Kakashi's young students' flames of youth burn brightly today! To manage to get to the Sand by foot in merely half a day is ludicrous! Come, my students! We shall reach the destination in half the time! If we do not..." Gai's enthusiastic voice was drowned out by Neji and Tenten.
The branch Hyuga member was garbed in a white kimono shirt with long, loose sleeves, matching pants, a navy-grey apron tied around his waist, and black shinobi sandals. He now allowed his hair to flow freely down his back and had his forehead protector in its same position, covering his seal. He had a tan, drawstring back slung over his shoulders carrying his mission supplies.
Tenten now wore a white, sleeveless, high-collared white blouse with maroon edges. On her hands are black fingerless gloves, and on her feet are low-heeled sandals. She wears maroon, puffy hakama-styled pants with the exposed parts covered in bandages and now lacks a shuriken holster, holding all tools in a medium-sized sealing scroll on her back. Her black forehead protector rests on her forehead to complete the fit.
The two, green spandex-wearing men with bowl cuts' outfits remained relatively the same, only now, Rock Lee proudly wore a standard Konoha chuunin flak vest.
"You think they realize it takes a minimum of three days to get there, even at top speed?" Neji sighed exasperatedly at his only sane teammates' question.
"I don't believe it matters to them. Words are wasted when speaking to them, you know this by now."
After Sakura concocted an antidote and confirmed their suspicions about Sasori of the Red Sand being an Akatsuki member, Team Kakashi was off this time, with Chiyo in tow, to rescue Gaara. Before leaving Kankurou's room, Naruto silently vowed to himself he would fulfill his duty and return the brunette's brother in one piece. Before he left the room he had mentally noted that Kakashi summoned Pakkun to inform their backup of their destination; The Land of Rivers. Making a cross-handed seal, two replicates of him stood directly in front, nodding their heads in quiet assent before vanishing in gusts of wind. Naruto's hair blew back gently as he looked out the window and towards the vast desert expanse.
"Things are getting interesting."
Water droplets hitting the rocky ground were the only sound permeating a dark cave in a nondescript area close to the Sand Village.
"You're late," came the detached yet booming voice of a holographic figure. His most distinguishing qualities were his eyes that were a dark lavender with four concentric rings as pupils. "Preparations have already been made," the authoritative voice said.
"Hmm, the Jinchuriki was more powerful than we anticipated..." came the voice of Deidara, a young man with golden blond hair tied into a half ponytail and the rest hanging down freely over his left eye. He wore a high-collared black cloak with red clouds as the central design, as did the holographic figures of the previous voice and his teammate, Sasori. The still and near lifeless body of Gaara was dropped unceremoniously to the ground with a dull-sounding thud.
"Nevermind that, the mission was successful, so well done." A deep rumbling was heard as the ground parted to reveal two large earthen-colored hands linked with shackles of the same wooden-like material as the disembodied appendages. They were in an outstretched position as if grasping for something that was just out of reach. As the figure continued to emerge, a statue massive enough to tower over a tailed beast revealed itself in its full glory. Nine eyes the sizes of an adult male stuck out of its head as though they were going to pop out of their sockets, but were tightly shut. The entity had a mummified appearance, a body shaped similar to a robe, and several spike-like protrusions on its back. This very being was known as the Gedo Statue, the husk of the fabled Ten-Tails and used for extracting the chakra of the remaining nine Tailed Beasts. Several other figures accompanied the disembodied holo-projection, eight, to be exact. They stood in a peculiar formation in which they were on top of each finger's tip. "Now then," the holographic figure with the lavender eyes said, standing directly in front of the downed jinchuriki, "Let us begin." The figure's holograph shimmered and dissipated before reappearing on the thumb of the statue's right hand.
As each figure simultaneously held their hands in a hand seal, the man began to speak once again. "I shall have you all know this process will be spanning a minimum of three days. Zetsu, your physical body will be tasked to stand guard outside. Use the one with the greatest range, is that understood?"
"Understood," came the voice of the pure white-skinned man with a venus fly trap around his head. The Fishman, Hoshigaki Kisame's holograph gave a slight groan.
"Three days? We're one member short... shouldn't we be allotted more time?" he asked curiously.
"If you have time to prattle on about the specifics, let's simply get on with the show," replied the voice of the leader. Silence ensued for several seconds before each Akatsuki member was enveloped in colors specific to their rings, the respective kanji enveloping the spheres surrounding their bodies;
Sphere, Three, North, South, Sky, Zero, Blue Green, White, Scarlet, and Boar.
The leader's hologram flared to life, his spiky and untamed hair sticking out every which way as he expelled his power with a shout of "Sealing Jutsu! Nine Phantom Dragons Seal!" True to his word, nine separate phantasmic entities in the shapes of dragon's heads dove towards Gaara's prone form before his body, and the entire cave was enveloped in a blinding light.
Team Gai had been making good time to the Sand Village when the group had to slow down their pace to conserve energy. It was in the treetops that the team was stopped by a familiar dog garbed in shinobi clothing. With words exchanged, Team Gai sped through the treetops at a breakneck pace, failing to notice the head that sprouted out of the bark from one of the trees, its glowing yellow eyes glassing over before it fully sunk back in.
As the group was speeding through the rocky formations of the badlands they were in, Pakkun's nose twitched. Turning his head to face the team he was leading, he declared that they were being followed. Neji's eyes widened with shock, his Byakugan flaring to life. Veins bulged around his eyes and he shouted, "Behind us!"
As the group halted, a fin stuck out of the ground, rushing at them with so much ferocity as it tore up the landscape it was submerged into. The group waited with baited breaths, Gai directly in the front, reading to charge in if need be. Then everyone's faces look on looks of confusion as the fin stopped, a large cloud of dust and debris negating their vision.
"Be on your toes, Team!" Gai's voice boomed out in a commanding tone. "Our vision is hindered, so make use of your other senses!" All sans Neji took Gai's words in stride. The silhouette of three figures emerged when the dust cloud was blown back by a fierce wind. It revealed two Narutos facing the large and imposing form of a grinning Kisame, sword on his shoulder.
Naruto?! the group collectively thought as they saw the back of their comrade, the familiar Uzumaki swirl in the center of his back.
But who's this other person? TenTen thought, making glances between the giant, wrapped up appendage in his hand and the contemplative look on their normally buoyant sensei's face.
"You're...!" Gai began as Lee glanced at his sensei.
"You know him, sensei?" he asked, curiosity and urgency lacing his tone. Gai gulped, furrowing his large eyebrows, a dark look on his face as he spoke.
"Who?" The team plus Pakkun resisted the urge to facepalm at Gai's forgetfulness and chose to stare down their opponent. Kisame had a sharklike grin on his face as he stared amongst his prey.
"Seems like this guppy is the biggest threat," he said aloud, marking Naruto as a threat, which confused most of the current participants. "Though, I would like to make this Green Beast remember who I am and why it would be best to know." Neji's eyes widened a fraction and his lips moved to speak but he was cut off by Naruto landing in front of him, his eyes hard. He looked down at the dog summon who nodded at the silent command. Gai, quickly noting the seriousness of the situation, took charge.
"Alright, Team, it seems we are to continue heading towards our destination-" he was cut off by the boisterous voice of Lee.
"Sensei! You can't truly leave someone as formidable as this in the hands of Naruto! I understand his flames of youth shine brightly, but he is up against-"
"Lee." Naruto's voice began in a calm tone. The wide-eyed boy looked towards the clone that had been standing in front of Kisame as it spoke. "Fall back."
An orange and black blur crashed into Kisame and sent the robed Akatsuki member flying several hundreds of yards back, his sword still gripped tight in his hand. He dug it into the ground to create an anchor and gritted his now bloody teeth at the effort it took to remain standing. Naruto was in the same position, his head slightly turned so he could face the team stunned into silence.
"Go!" With that one furious order, the group plus one Naruto clone made their way to the Akatsuki hideout in the Land of Rivers. Naruto faced his opponent who was grinning wickedly, hunched over on his sword like an old man clinging to a cane. The shark man then spit out a clump of blood on the ground, standing up straight with his sword pointing to face his opponent. He quickly had to raise it in front of him to block an ax kick that was aimed at his head. The force of Naruto's blow caused him to get hammered into the ground up to his ankles as he grit his teeth in frustration.
"Why isn't Samehada taking your chakra, you filthy runt?!" Kisame cried out in anger and frustration. It took all the strength he had to block the strike of the teenager in front of him and the boy looked like he was barely breaking a sweat. With his right heel on the flat of the blade, Naruto kicked his left leg underneath it to lock it in place, and letting gravity take ahold of his body, he positioned himself so that he was in a handstand, shifting his body weight to wrench Kisame out of the ground and slamming him behind him, his torso in an arch. Kisame lost grip of his sword and slammed into the ground headfirst with concussive force, head submerged beneath the ground like an ostrich as he attempted to pry it out. After the impressive feet of flexibility, Naruto spun on his hands and flung Samehada several yards away, stripping Kisame of his major asset.
Pebbles and dirt fell out of Kisame's hair as he removed his head from the ground and he wiped his face with the back of his sleeve, growling. "Once I get my hands on you, kid, I'll-" his sentence was interrupted by an excessive amount of blood flying out of his mouth due to a hard fist crashing into his gut. His vision was looking hazy and he placed a firm grip on the boy's exposed forearm, which was buried into his gut up to the elbow. He looked into crimson, slitted eyes as the boy mouthed the words;
"Wind Style: Delayed Punch." He felt his insides get smashed to pieces when a blast of wind tore through his body, sending him flying back with a gaping hole in his clothing, and more importantly in his torso. Soaring with his back facing the ground and his body limp, he forcefully opened his eyes to see his line of sight get cut off by a clawed hand enveloped in red chakra head straight for his face.
"Naruto!" Sakura shouted to the boy several yards in front of her. Ignored. "Slow down!" she cried out only for her calls to fall upon deaf ears. She groaned, seeing out of the corner of her eye that Kakashi was staring at her with a bored expression. She sighed. "I wanted to know how long they've been chasing after him. You know..." she trailed off, allowing her sensei to pick up where she left off. He gave a glance towards Naruto's rapidly disappearing figure before quickening his pace, sighing.
"It was about three years ago when two members came to Konoha looking for him. Now they've returned, but their goal is still unclear." Sakura soaked in the information like a sponge, assessing all the details before asking her question.
"Why did they wait almost three years to go on the move again?" The trees whizzed past them while they continued to make conversation, multitasking coming as second nature to them because of their occupation. Kakashi thought over her inquiry for a second before responding.
"It most likely was a matter of being unable to do something, rather than choosing not to. There's a rhyme and reason to everything, add that to the fact Naruto was with one of the Sannin at the time." Chiyo, who was listening intently up until now, decided to step in, adding her two cents.
"No... According to the intel I've gathered, there are others reasons. The extraction process of a bijū from their container is arduous and requires a meticulous amount of preparation..." Sakura chose to chime in now.
"What's a bijū?" she said, confusion lacing her voice. The wrinkles on the old woman's face seemed to crease and she couldn't help the exasperation from seeping out of her tone.
"You were a pupil of Tsunade's but don't even know that?!" Kakashi cut in to defend his cohort.
"In our village, the information about the Kyuubi was top secret," he said, looking forlornly at his other student's figure who's ears twitched slightly at the direction of the conversation.
"Unsurprising," the elderly woman stated, pausing for dramatic effect. "Allow me to explain; bijū are Tailed Beast Spirits. Long ago, there was the One-Tailed Spirit of the Sand, Ichibi. Then Shukaku, which was sealed within Gaara." Sakura's head turned slightly to face the woman.
"So there are other beasts apart from the fox, then?" Chiyo nodded.
"Nine, to be exact." Naruto's head turned the slightest fraction before facing forward once again, upping the pace. The duo of Kakashi and Sakura groaned while Chiyo let out a chuckle, clearing her throat. "Bijū are distinct in character, each having a different number of tails, starting with one at the Ichibi, going all the way to nine with the Kyuubi, their name representing the number of tails." The trio fell into silence as the information was absorbed. "They are massive concentrations of chakra, and during the Great Ninja War, each village sought out to control at least one of them for militaristic purposes. Their power was beyond human comprehension, and thus the end goal of complete control remained out of reach. For someone as formidable as the Akatsuki to get ahold of them would mean not only a large imbalance but a catastrophic result. One on its own is a liability but to seek the capture of all spells disaster for the world as we know it." Sakura gulped, swallowing the lump that had been forming in her throat from the information thus far, while Kakashi, who had already known the specifics being told, watched Naruto with a cautious eye. He noted the slight shifting of the bandages at his hands, showing that he had been straining not to clench his fists in anger. Unconsciously, Kakashi raised a hand to his forehead protector, mentally sighing.
"In peace times, things have changed..." he was broken from his thoughts by Chiyo's voice. "I heard that bijū have spread out across the world and exist in various locations..." Once again, the group fell into an eerie silence before Naruto's figure completely vanished. Kakashi's lone eye narrowed at the sunlight that peeked through the forest's canopy as they neared the exit. It then widened as his feet touched the grass, landing next to Naruto as he came to a complete halt. He set himself in a defensive stance, one arm out to stop the pink-haired girl behind him from advancing. Slightly in front of them was their blond comrade standing several feet apart from and face to face with none other than a man garbed in Akatsuki robes, the blood-red eyes of his Sharingan blazing through the dark bangs that framed his face, slashed Konoha forehead protector holding up his hair that was pulled into a short ponytail. He had on a necklace with three silver rings and his arms were hanging limply at his sides, blue nail polish on his fingernails.
Chiyo's eyes narrowed as she got a good look at the man. "Those eyes... So this is the boy who murdered his entire clan," she said in a lecturing tone. She saw out of the corner of her eye that Sakura was looking rather confused at their predicament, seemingly not understand who they were up against until Chiyo had uttered those words. Her eyes hardened and her body tensed up. A perplexed look was hidden behind her battle-hardened eyes as she watched Naruto's body lose its tension and his shoulders slump, his sharp canines showing as a grin put itself on his face.
"Long time no see, Kakashi... Naruto-kun..." Itachi said in a deep, monotone voice. Sakura's eyes narrowed at the familiarity in his tone.
So this is the guy who's caused Sasuke and Naruto so much pain...! She lost her train of thought when Naruto started chuckling mirthlessly, his hand raising to move away the bangs framing his face and run a hand through his hair. A crimson-eyed staredown ensued as Naruto's voice filled the clearing.
"You're such a good kid, Itachi," Naruto began with a detached voice, throwing everyone except the traitor off. He then continued in a slightly more chipper tone, though what he said was anything but.
"I would've killed myself that day, if it wasn't for you, after all."
The sound of a hard and rapid heartbeat thumping against someone's chest resonated through the clearing. Two confused women turned to look at Kakashi to see he was frozen with shock, his mouth through his mask clearly wide open and his lone eye nearly bulging out of its socket. Naruto's head leisurely turned to his sensei, his neck craning so he could look the man right in his eye.
"You remember, don't you, Dog?" he said in a crazed voice. Blood trickled out of the side of Naruto's mouth, causing Kakashi to regain his senses. A kunai was buried hilt deep in the blond's gut, held firmly in place by Itachi's manicured hands. Naruto didn't turn his head and watched as the three sprung into action to defend him.
"You should know better than to let your defenses down, Naruto-kun." The boy's eyes narrowed as he turned to his attacker, three shadows descending upon them. He dispersed into a cloud of smoke and Itachi's eyes widened as he leaped back, his eyes watching closely as a gloved fist crashed into the ground, tearing up part of the landscape around them, rocks flying into the air.
"Don't look into his eyes, whatever you do!" came the commanding voice of Kakashi among the debris. "Follow his movements by watching his body and footwork! If he seizes you with his vision, it's over, but as long as you don't meet his eyes with yours, you're clear!" Sakura nodded, removing her fist from the ground and leaping back to gain distance.
Chiyo, with grace and acrobatics lost by most in her age group, deftly kicked each large chunk of dirt and rock that had flown up and straight towards the retreating Uchiha. Sharingan flaring to life, Itachi easily bobbed and weaved through each piece of earth that soared towards him with the speed of a missile. He did not fail to notice the Copy Ninja whose own Sharigan had been revealed, zigzagging through the debris with a lightning-encased hand. The sound of birds chirping was heard alongside a sickening 'squelch'. Kakashi's hand pierced straight through the Uchiha's heart, but rather than blood, feathers returned to him when he removed his hand. The sound of crows squawking filled the ears of Team Kakashi and Lady Chiyo before Kakashi cursed aloud, a flock of the raven-colored birds replacing Itachi and flying about to cause chaos.
"Shit! It's genjutsu!" Kakashi cursed. "Where's Naruto?!" he asked frantically, eyes darting around the clearing to find his student. His ears twitched as he heard the rustling of bushes, and immediately everyone was on high alert. That was, until, coming through the brush was none other than Naruto, an unidentifiable individual slung over his shoulder. The man had a hole in his torso where his heart was supposed to be and was gingerly laid on the ground by the blond. The boy hadn't a scratch on him, which unnerved everyone, and all watched with bated breaths to see what the could-be-imposter would do next.
"I killed him." The blond said with a bored tone, giving a hard stare towards the Copy Ninja. Kakashi, realizing this was not a fake, but the real Naruto, relaxed slightly and pulled his headband over his eye, sighing resignedly. "And this wasn't Itachi. It's some sort of imitation-type jutsu," he said, giving a glance towards Lady Chiyo. "Most likely something your grandson would be capable of, considering he's a puppet master." Chiyo's eyes looked downcast for a moment before she straightened herself out, nodding.
Naruto noticed out of the corner of his eye that Sakura was giving him a look that demanded answers. Slowly turning his head, he glared at the girl with crimson eyes. She didn't back down and the staredown continued for all of ten seconds before the blond clicked his teeth and turned his head.
"I don't have time for this. Details aren't important. Right now, the mission is first, and we're falling behind." Kakashi, concurring with his student, nodded and gave Sakura a shake of his head.
"Naruto is right. This was clearly a diversion, meaning that our opponents are pressed for time and wish to draw us away from them. That can only mean we've gotten much closer than they initially anticipated.
Sakura glared at the spiral on Naruto's back as he sauntered past her, not sparing a single glance. She grit her teeth and grudgingly followed him as he started his sprint towards their destination, Chiyo and Kakashi close behind. Sakura's mind was set ablaze with a cacophony of thoughts.
What did you mean by you would've killed yourself that day? What's going on? And why did it look like Kakashi-sensei was guilty of whatever he was referring to? Too many questions for a later time. She mentally concluded that she would ask Naruto whatever she had to once they got back to Konoha. Her glare softened and she watched his back get smaller and smaller as he widened the distance between them. Why does it feel like we know nothing about you? Why is it just now that I'm discovering things that happened years ago between members of my team?
This chapter was mad fun to write, and this is where the story slightly changes from the canon. Some major events won't play out the same even if they do occur in the same manner. I ain't sorry about the cliffhanger but expect a new chapter soon as fuck.