Howdy folks, Dez Guardius here. I owe you all an apology for the length of time, and I apologize here and now. It's been a while, so I'll get everything out: WotD is on something of a permanent hiatus until I can find out where to go with it, and WotS is being revamped.
That revamp is here, apparently.
I know this is disappointing, and I'm disappointed in myself for the former choice. Problem is, life has gotten kinda hectic for me. The good news is, I have my own computer now, along with some free time after graduating. While I wait for the various employers I've sent applications to to reply, I'll hunker down and spew out a few chapters.
There will be changes, such as me starting during the Wave Arc instead graduation, because that essentially stays the same, all the way up to the Zabuza Arc, with these changes:
1. Naruto did not try to unseal and transfer Kyuubi. After taking a closer look at the sealing matrix used, I realized that would have still killed him instead of tearing Kyuubi apart. Plus, after examination, this was an attempt to God-mode him WAY too fast.
2. Naruto did not perform the horizontal tango with Hinata and Sakura, at least, not yet. I realized that that was going WAY too fast, so instead, he and Hinata are in the meet-and-greet phase, while he and Sakura are still the frenemies they are in Canon.
3. Summons have been changed. I'll think you might be interested what I do here.
4. There was also a letter from Kushina, along with Minato's. That letter brings... complications here.
5. Personalities will be more real; there is no way in hell that Naruto would come out as the happy idiot he's portrayed as after years of neglect. Likewise for Hinata and the stutter she carries, and various others. This does not mean that personalities will be doing a 180, just that a nice cold glass of realism will exist.
That being said, on with the show.
Blah Human dialogue
Blah Summon/Demon dialogue
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Chapter 1: The Remainder
A blonde in a blue jumpsuit stormed through the forest, a surly frown on his face. He had just had to listen to some little emo brat whine and dine on how he and his village were the only one's suffering at the hands of a madman.
Uzumaki Naruto snorted. "That little brat's got the nerve to claim that he's suffering? He's doesn't know suffering," he muttered, glaring down at his stomach.
It was a month or so ago when he found out that at his birth, the dread Kyuubi no Kitsune that attacked Konoha was sealed into his stomach. It was all so clear, why everyone sans a few glared at him with such hate. Why every so often, random shinobi would attack him when he was younger. Why most places in Konoha refused to admit him. Why parents turned their offspring against him.
Well, he would show them. He persevered through it all, and was aware of everything; his burden, and his heritage. The last son of two powerful clans, the extinct Tenmuujin (now the Namikaze) clan, and the essentially forgotten Uzumaki clan.
Flashback
That was close," said Uzumaki Naruto, as he sat and unfurled the scroll. This was the Scroll of Sealing, a scroll that had all sorts of Kage-level jutsu within it. Naruto had been told by his sensei Mizuki to retrieve the scroll and learn a jutsu from it as extra credit, then Iruka-sensei would pass him, for Naruto had failed his third Genin Exam in a row. Having successfully stolen the forbidden scroll, he began to indulge in the fruit of his labor.
"Let's get started…" he mused, looking over the scroll. "Kage Bunshin?" he muttered. "That looks interesting…" Moving on, he saw a bunch of other jutsu. In a moment of insight, he retrieved a blank scroll from the pouch on his back, and began copying down jutsu.
When he got to something called "Shishou Fuujin", he saw a spiral below it. 'Hmm… is that a seal of sorts?' Struggling to remember what Iruka-sensei had taught him about seals, he faintly remembered that some needed blood to open. Biting his thumb, he rubbed the blood across the seal, and in a puff of smoke, another scroll appeared.
"What the… why does this have my name on it?" said Naruto, squinting his eyes. Deciding to review it later, he put it in his pouch and got to work on learning Kage Bunshin.
Of course, hours after he set to work, and right after he finished learning the difficult Jutsu, Iruka showed up. In summary, Iruka got pissed, yelled at him over the scroll, Naruto mentioned Mizuki, Mizuki showed up after throwing a Fuuma Shuriken, taunted him and Iruka, and revealed to Naruto why he was hated.
"You are the Kyuubi no Kitsune!" he roared, grinning madly while reaching behind himself. "And when I kill you, I'll be the Hero of Konoha!"
Naruto was dumbstruck. It was all so clear now... the hatred of the villagers, and why he was beaten to near death on his own birthdays. Faintly hearing Mizuki yell how even Iruka hated him because of his parents' deaths, he just stood there as Mizuki threw one of his overly large shuriken at him.
When he felt blood hit his face, he snapped out of his stupor to see that Iruka had taken the shuriken in the back. "… Why?" he croaked out.
"Because," Iruka said, tears streaming down his face, "you're just like me. It must have been hard, hiding all that pain… but I can't hate you, not you…"
Falling to the side, Iruka rolled onto his seat to pull the shuriken out of his back. Mizuki rushed him, yelling, "Fine, demon-lover! I'll just kill you both and take the scroll for myself-!" He was cut off by a knee to the face.
Iruka was now feeling massive amounts of pain, and unable to help. "Naruto, run! Get away! Protect the scroll with your life!"
Naruto stood the scroll on end, and said, "But the comrades come first… isn't that what you taught us, Iruka-sensei?"
By this time, Mizuki had recovered and stood. "Comrades!? Pfftt, you're just like me, demon-brat! You have all that power, and…"
"Shut up," said Naruto, glaring at Mizuki while putting his hands in a cross-shaped seal. "You hurt Iruka-sensei, and I'll return his pain to you one thousand-fold."
"Come on, Kyuubi! Let's dance!" yelled Mizuki, pulling another large shuriken, and he immediately wished he hadn't said that.
Surrounding the area were at least a thousand Naruto's. Courtesy of Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
Both Iruka and Mizuki were gob-smacked. Iruka thought, "He mastered a S-Ranked Ninjutsu…" Mizuki turned his head, scared out of his wits. "What… how… what the…?"
The lead Naruto grinned and said, "If you're done pissing, it's time for your ass-kicking!"
The forest was then introduced to Mizuki's wails.
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Many moments later found Naruto at his little apartment, placing his new Hitai-ate on his dresser, and looking over the various jutsu he had copied. It was then that he remembered the other scroll, and pulled it out. He saw another seal on it, and biting his thumb once more, rubbed it over the seal. He then read the scroll.
To Uzumaki Naruto
If you are reading this, then all has gone as planned. Naruto, you may not know me, but I know you. My name is Namikaze Minato, but I am known as Yondaime Hokage. You are my only son and heir, and I hope you can forgive me for what I'm about to do.
My son, it is with a heavy heart that I do this, but too many have died already, and no more need to. The Kyuubi no Kitsune is attacking, and I intend to make it so that it can't hurt anyone else. So, I am forced to seal it with you, my son.
You may hate me for this, but I am out of options. You are the only chance our village has for survival, and your mother - my beloved wife Kushina - may not survive the night, but I can at least make sure that you can. If I could, I would seal it elsewhere, but I cannot. You are the only one able to hold it. With the jutsu I made, the Kyuubi will be locked away, but I will be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice.
The Kyuubi approaches, so I must end here. You are the last of our mighty clan, and you will be in constant danger because of it. Our clan information is below, so please, keep it to yourself, at least until you can defend yourself. I hope that you will be seen as a hero, but a nagging feeling says otherwise.
Once more, I am sorry for this, and I love you with all my heart.
Your loving father,
Namikaze Minato, Yondaime Hokage
When Naruto finished reading it, he wiped the tears from his eyes. "Baka," he murmured. "A part of me hates you for putting me through hell. But you did it to save me, and everyone else…" he frowned, hugging to scroll to his chest. "I don't know if I can forgive you for now... but maybe I can in time... Minato- san…"
Wiping away his tears, he looked to see two more seals. Unsealing the first, out popped a scroll roughly half his size, and he unfurled it to read it.
To Whom It May Concern:
If you are reading this, then our legacy lives on. You, reader, are the last of our clan, the Tenmuujin Clan. We were among the most powerful shinobi in the Elemental Countries, at their making. This was due to our doujutsu, the Reinogan. With it, we were nigh unstoppable.
Unfortunately, due to unknown reasons, our clan produced mainly females; for every 3 female Tenmuujin, there was 1 male. And our clan started dying off, also due to unknown reasons, so those of us left relocated to Mizu no Kuni.
But then, the First Bloodline War came, and we were nearly annihilated. There were roughly twelve of us then, and by the time we made it to Hi no Kuni, that number was reduced by half. To protect our identities, we changed our names to Namikaze, and have remained here in Konohagakure for fifty years.
Naruto lowered his head. He had a family, but they were all dead… killed in the Kyuubi attack. He narrowed his eyes, that Kyuubi was the reason he had no family. But since he had his father's techniques, he would find some way to make it suffer. Shaking his head, head moved on.
Reinogan:
To activate, the user has to mold chakra in their eyes, and it will activate. Upon activation, the first level is already accessible. It is possible to use two levels at once, but it will take more chakra to keep the eyes on.
Naruto closed his eyes, took a deep breath, put his hands in the Ram Seal, and opened them. His vision was a bit sharpened, so he got up and looked in his mirror, and there his eyes widened.
His eyes had turned a shimmering orange, and he had no pupil. He could also see a small black triangle at the top of his iris. Grinning, he went back to his scroll.
The Reinogan has five levels. When the Reinogan is in use, the user's eyes will lose the pupils, and will glow a specific color for each level, and have a small triangle to represent each level. Once all five levels are unlocked, the user will possess five triangles going around the iris, forming an apparant pentagon. However, to unlock each level, certain conditions must be met, and no levels can be skipped. When the user wants to use a specific level, they must say "Reinogan no Tomoe: ...", then the level/power name. To activate a specific ability, they must say either "Ichi" or "Ni" (when applicable).
"Sweet," said Naruto, and he looked down further to see what he had gained.
Tomoe 1 - Kanchi (Perception)
Level 1 allows the user to see all details, to the point of being able to duplicate anything being done before them. The user can also see up to a maximum of 1.5 miles away. Level 2 allows the user X-Ray vision, and they act similar to the Byakugan of the Hyuuga Clan in this aspect, from seeing Tenketsu to seeing foreign objects in the body. "Kanchi" is obtained when the user first activates their doujutsu. When in use, the user's eyes glow orange with one black triangle. On a side note, to use Level 1 and 2 at the same time requires the user to say "San".
Naruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Going outside and jumping to the roof of his apartment, he decided to test it out. Looking towards the Hokage Monument, he said "Reinogan no Tomoe: Kanchi Ni!" Immediately, he could see the monument close-up, and he could see each of the Kage's faces in clear detail.
Grinning, he jumped down, and went back inside. He went back to the scroll to see what was next.
Tomoe 2 - Kanetsu (Heat)
Level 1 allows the user to see any heat given off, from fire to body heat. Level 2 allows the user to see any chakra, from residue to being produced. "Kanetsu" is obtained when the user has increased their natural eyesight by at least 50. When in use, the user's eyes glow yellow with two black triangles.
"Damn, how am I supposed to do that," he said. Thinking, he then decided to go see the Hokage later on.
That decided, he turned his attention to the other scroll. He had a sneaking suspicion about who it was from, and hoping against hope, he read it.
My beautiful child, Naruto,
I am Uzumaki Kushina, and I am your mother. I wish I could be there to watch you grow into a weapon of righteousness. I do not mean to say that you are a tool, far from it. We shinobi are the weapons of our villages, to protect and serve. I protected and served the world by being the second Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. I keep the world safe from its hate, and when you are born, you may become the new Jinchuuriki. There can be no others, for our clan, the Uzumaki, are the only ones able to contain its power and rage.
If you are reading this, then I have died protecting you. I hope you can forgive me for not being able to be there for you, my son.
There is a book, my son, being held in trust with my best friend, Uchiha Mikoto. After you read this, go to her, and tell her "She loves you, Miko-chan." She will know what it means.
Within this book lies the teachings of our great clan, the Uzumaki of Uzushiogakure. We are the pinnacle of human evolution, with large chakra reserves and a regenerative process resulting with long life. We also have a special chakra that manifests itself differently amongst the clan members; Mito-sama, my kinswoman, was a great Sensor, and I possessed Chakra Chains. I know not what you will have, but I am sure it will befit the nobility of our family.
Our line has ruled our village, and from the shadows of the great villages with wisdom, skill, and strength; masters of ninjutsu, kenjutsu, and fuuin jutsu.But even with these gifts, we are still mortal. We can still die.
I am dying even now, because of the Kyuubi being torn from me by the masked man. Beware the masked man, for he will stop at nothing to gain the Kyuubi and abuse it's power.
I am sorry your father and I cannot be there with you, but I will know that you will be strong and survive. We Uzumaki are survivors, and there are more out there in the world. The book will explain.
Grow up strong, and marry a girl who loves you for you, Kyuubi and all. And know that we will watch over you in the afterlife.
Love,
Uzumaki Kushina
Mom
This was heart-wrenching. The tears that he had just wiped streamed down his face. He swore long ago not to cry, for crying did nothing. But this...
He knew his parents. He had them, and lost them on the night of his birth. The memory was there, somewhere, but it was lost to him for now. He sniffled, then pulled himself into bed. Sleep now, and plan tomorrow.
And he would plan; oh, how those plans would bring about great joy to him and misery to his enemies.
As he slept, a certain entity watched. It saw that Naruto was at a crossroads, and decided that a little push was in order. It decided that it would cause a small amount of misery to the boy, and grinned. This particular bit of misery was tied to the boy's bloodline, and it would prove to be a great source of amusement in the future.
It was only right. It actually tolerated those noble savages descended from the Great One, and this particular savage would prove to be an endless source of amusement and chaos.
End Flashback
Reminiscing about recent events was cooling his temper, so as he walked, he thought about how that night brought about changes, changes that he both liked and held reservations about.
Flashback
Naruto woke up, and immediately knew something was different. It wasn't like he could actively see it, more like... it was just there.
Grumbling expletives at the sun, he dragged himself into the shower. Moments later, and more awake, he realized what it was. In the mirror, he noticed that his hair had gone red at the temples. Like the people in their 40s and 50s, except... his was red instead of grey. Furthermore, he could smell better; he could smell the ramen he had last night, the sweat in his bed, and even the expired milk in the fridge.
"This is going to be... different," he muttered. He picked out a new outfit he had bought recently. It was a navy blue jumpsuit, with the coat open revealing an ash-gray netted shirt, with a strange pattern on the stomach; a red spiral surround by five triangles. On the shoulders of the jacket were ash-gray patches with the Kanji for "Wind" in black. The netted shirt revealed a lithe set of muscles, although that wasn't uncommon for the other young shinobi. Lastly, he tied the Tenmuujin scroll to his back.
On his way to the academy, he noticed how the people avoided him and glared at him from a distance. Ordinarily, that wouldn't have bothered him, but now...
"I'm the reason they're alive, and they have the nerve to treat me like the bloody fox? I guess it's true what they say; people are dumb, panicky dangerous animals," he muttered, his annoyance rising and evolving into a slow simmering of anger. "You'd think they'd have the sense to not piss me off..." he cast a glare at a couple, a shinobi and his civilian girlfriend, and they actually flinched. He shook his head and kept walking.
A few minutes later, Naruto showed up at the academy at the appointed time in his new attire, and his arrival caught everyone in the room by surprise, and the first to recover was one Hyuuga Hinata, who had harbored a deep affection (cough, LOVE, cough) for Naruto; she blushed deeply, her eyes rolled up, and she fainted.
Naruto was snickering at the gaping new Genin, and then he noticed an enticing smell. 'Where's that coming from?' he thought to himself, then was brought out of his thoughts by someone asking. "What the hell are you doing here, Naruto? This is for graduates only!"
Pointing at his hitai-ate, he grinned and said, "Need I say more?" With that, he made his way up to a seat, but that smell came back. 'Smell's like honey,' he thought, and decided to follow his nose. Eventually, he came to Hinata. "Hinata-chan?" he said, poking her gently. "You okay?"
Hinata's eyes fluttered and she opened to see Naruto mere inches from her face. She reddened and tried her best not to faint. "Ha-Hai, N-Naruto-kun…"
Naruto nodded and sat one seat down, next to Sasuke. He then smelled dog, and rolled his eyes. "What, Kiba?"
Inuzuka Kiba glared down at Naruto, while his pet and partner Akamaru whimpered and tried to get his master to avoid Naruto. "What's with that hair, dobe? And that outfit? And that scroll?"
Sasuke wanted to know that as well, but he was too proud to ask.
Naruto grinned. "In order; I woke up like this, the winds of change blew last night and demanded a new outfit, and the scroll is my clan scroll."
That caused a number of people to think. A clan? But Naruto was an orphan…
Their thoughts were interrupted by Iruka, who came in. "Well, now that everyone's here, we can get started." Pulling out a clipboard, he faced the students. "Starting today, you are all Genin. But the hard part has just started. You'll be assigned to three-man teams, and each team will have one Jounin-sensei. The teams are balanced like so… the best in class, the worst in class, and one to balance them out. When you're assigned certain duties to the village, you'll follow your Jounin-sensei's instructions."
'Pft,' thought Sasuke. 'Three-man teams… more people to get in my way.'
'I think I'd might want to be with Sakura-chan,' thought Naruto, his arm supporting his scroll. 'Then… anyone else, except for Sasuke and Kiba.'
"Team 7… Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura…"
(In that order) "Yatta!" "Damn…"
"… and Uchiha Sasuke."
"Damn…" "Yatta!"
Naruto didn't bother raising a stink about Sasuke, so he just decided to bear with it.
"Team 8… Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata, and Aburame Shino."
Naruto felt somewhat sorry for Hinata, so he turned and gave her a thumbs-up, to help her confidence. She blushed and looked in her lap. 'There's that smell again,' he thought. 'Why is there a honey smell coming from Hinata?'
(We all know the rest of the teams.)
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Naruto looked out the door for the tenth time. "Where is that guy?" he said aloud.
"Naruto, stay still! He'll get here when he gets here," said Sakura.
"Well, since he's late…" said Naruto, placing an eraser on the door frame.
"Naruto…"
"What?" he shrugged at Sakura. "If he's a Jounin, then he should be able to avoid it."
Right after he said that, the door opened, and the eraser fell on the head of a silver-haired mask-wearing Jounin with his hitai-ate going over his left eye.
"Speak of the devil," said Naruto, squinting. 'He smells like dog, too…'
'This guy is supposed to teach us?' thought Sasuke.
"Hmm…" said the Jounin, rubbing his masked chin. "My first impression is… you're a bunch of idiots."
Afterwards, all four met on the roof. "Okay," said the Jounin, "let's do some introductions. You know, likes, dislikes… those things."
"You first," said Naruto, holding his scroll in one arm. "We don't know anything about you."
"Oh… me? I'm Hatake Kakashi. I have no desire to tell you guys my likes and dislikes. I have lots of hobbies. Dreams for the future…?"
"All we learned…" began Naruto.
"…was his name." finished Sakura.
"All right," said Kakashi, pointing at Naruto. "You first, scroll boy."
Squinting his eyes and grinning, Naruto started. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like many things, like Instant Ramen and Training. I dislike many things, like the 3 minutes it takes for Ramen to cook, and idiots. Also Emos, can't forget those whiny little bastards. Dreams for the future… I have many, but first to rebuild my clan and become Hokage! My hobbies are training, pranking, and gardening."
Kakashi nodded, while inwardly thinking, 'This is something new…' "You next, chicken head."
Sasuke glared at Kakashi, and said. "Uchiha Sasuke. I don't have a lot of likes, and I have plenty of dislikes. I don't use the word dream… but I have an ambition: To resurrect my clan, protect my mother Mikoto, and kill a certain man."
'A copycat and avenger… why am I not surprised?' thought Kakashi. "You're up pinky."
"I'm Haruno Sakura. I like…" she looked over at Sasuke and giggled. "I dislike Ino-pig and Naruto! Dreams for the future?" She looked off into space and giggled. "My hobby…"
"That's enough," said Kakashi, holding up a hand. "Okay, we'll start our duties tomorrow."
"Sweet," said Naruto. "What kind?"
"First, the four of us are gonna do Survival Training. But this isn't regular training. It'll be you three against me." Here he chuckled. "But…"
"But what?" asked Sakura.
"This test has a failure rate of 66%. Anyone who fails gets sent back to the Academy," said Kakashi, his visible eye in an upside U, indicating a smile.
The three Genin were gob-smacked, and Naruto was the first to recover. "So, what was the point of graduating!?"
"That was a Genin Selection Process, seeing who were the most desirable candidates for the rank of Genin. Anyway, you'll be graded on the field. By the way, don't eat tomorrow morning, you'll throw up." Handing them papers, he said, "The details are on the paper. Don't be late." With that, he poofed away.
End Flashback
Of course, they succeeded in passing the bell test, through Kakashi's grace, having figured out that it was teamwork that was needed in the end. Two weeks into the completion of the final test, he saw Hinata walking alone one day, and took a chance.
Flashback
Having just dealt with walking the Inuzuka dogs, who he was sure were out to make him miserable, Naruto breathed out a sigh of relief having completed the team objectives for the day. Now it was time to get some well-deserved Ramen. On the way, he noticed Hinata walking alone a few feet in front of him. Ordinarily, this would not have drawn his attention, but she seemed... sad somehow. Dense that he may be, he at least knew that that wasn't right.
"Oi, Hinata-chan!" he called out.
Hinata turned around, and immediately stiffened, reddening like a tomato. "N-Naruto-kun!"
"Wanna catch something to eat? My treat," he offered, thinking it was the right thing to do.
Poor dense, fool.
Hinata, her mind going a mile a minute, shakily nodded her head, and yelped when Naruto grabbed her hand, grinning like a child,
The next moment found them at Ichiraku Ramen, with Naruto ordering his standard seven bowls and Hinata ordering one. Naruto had breezed through three of them before noticing Hinata picking at hers. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Hinata started. "N-Nani?"
"You seem sad. I'm willing to listen."
Uncharacteristically, he blush faded, and her eyes fell. "It's n-nothing."
Naruto was quiet, then yelled out, "Ayame-chan, can I get these to go?" When the ramen was wrapped and packed, Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand and said, "Come with me, I've got something to show you."
Ayame watched the two disappear and giggled. "How cute is that?"
"It'll be less cute if Hiashi finds out," said her father, Teuchi, followed by a yelp as Ayame smacked him with a newspaper, saying "Be nice!".
Moments later, Naruto and Hinata sat on the Hokage Monument, on the Yondaime's head, watching the sunset. Hinata was in awe. "It's beautiful."
Naruto nodded. "I come here when I want to think." He looked at her, asked, "What's bothering you?"
Hinata didn't want to say, but it came out anyway. "I-I don't want to be a burden."
Naruto frowned. "How so?"
"I-I can see it on K-Kurenai-sensei's b-body readings. I d-don't like to hurt people, s-so I try to le-lessen the hits I give." Tears starting coming out of her eyes. "I l-love my family. I hate what they've b-become, and what they're turning Hanabi-chan into."
"Is she your sister?"
"Yes. I don't want to hurt her, so I hold back, and let her win. F-Father doesn't see it, Hanabi-chan doesn't see it, only a few B-Branch members see it."
"Branch...?"
Hinata sighed, her heart breaking more. "O-Our family is divided. There's the M-Main Family and the Branch Family. The Branch Family protects the Main Family, but they are cursed."
"Cursed? How?"
"There is a seal, placed on their heads, to protect the Byakugan. But the Main Family uses it to inflict pain."
Naruto might not be highly intelligent, but he knew enough to about the world to draw appropriate conclusions, and prior to all this, had started on working on getting smarter. From what he was hearing, the family was divided and one part was basically enslaved. "That's wrong," he growled. "Why doesn't the whole family have the seal then, if the Byakugan is so important?"
"B-Because that is the way of the Hyuuga," she sighed. "A large number protecting the privileged few... the M-Main Family runs the clan, and the Branch Family protects it. The Branch Family does most of the missions outside of the village, and if they are captured, then they seal the Byakugan... through death."
"So what's to stop someone from taking the Byakugan from a living Hyuuga? Just sit there, and carve it out and preserve it while the Hyuuga's still alive?"
Upon seeing Hinata pale, Naruto realized that he might have said the wrong thing, but Hinata latched onto him and started crying. "Useless..." she muttered. "It's all useless..."
Naruto, not sure on what to do, just stroked her back until she calmed.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"D-don't be," she answered. "You've helped me m-more than you know."
End Flashback
Naruto let off a small smile at that memory. After that, he took her home. On the way, they talked, and she slowly began building herself up. Lost in his thoughts, he was surprised to hear a BOOM. He muttered "Reinogan no Tomoe: Kanetsu Ichi (1)," activating his Kekkai, and seeing a flare of heat in the distance.
He was grateful that he was able to keep it hidden so far, because he wasn't sure if he could go without using while his team was about. Thing was, he knew it would come out at some point, and he would not be happy with that conversation. About the only thing about this blasted mission that was okay in that regards was that he was able to get two Jutsu out of it, namely the Suiryuudan and Daibakufu, and the best part was that it was all thanks to the Kage Bunshin. But first things first...
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Kakashi, having just explained the reason for Naruto's reaction as "classified" while stating to look out for incoming reinforcements from Konoha, found Inari sitting on the balcony of his house, looking at the ocean under the moon.
"Can I join you?" asked Kakashi, who appeared behind him. When Inari didn't answer, Kakashi assumed implied consent, and sat next to him. "You know, Naruto didn't mean any harm by what he said," he started. "Sometimes, he just goes off without thinking, but he's generally a good person."
Gazing at the ocean, Kakashi droned on. "Tazuna-san told us about Kaiza… thing is, Naruto grew up without his father, just like you. Actually, you have it better off than he did." At Inari's confused look, Kakashi moved on. "Naruto grew up not knowing his parents, and before he came onto Team 7, he's never had a friend. But he strove through it, to prove to everyone what a good shinobi he can be. He probably got sick of crying, and he probably knows what it means to be strong, just like your father."
He and Inari jumped at the sound of a loud BOOM. Kakashi was through the house and his remaining students, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura appeared. "What was that!?" shrieked Sakura. "Are we under attack?"
"Don't bother," said Tazuna, shaking his head. "That sounded like one of Gatou's patrol boats."
"That cannonshot?"
"Yes, Gatou has cannons," said Tazuna. "Whatever poor soul was caught by his goons just bit it."
"That explains what was going on when we got here," said Sasuke. "You didn't want to be blown out of the water." He frowned. "Shouldn't someone get the dobe?"
"If I know Naruto, he's already on his way back," said Sakura. "He wouldn't be stupid enough to draw attention to himself in a hostile region."
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Naruto, having run toward the sound of the explosion, watched wide-eyed behind some bushes as a man who looked like a skeleton wearing black hakama pants, a black headdress, and wielding a long sword and a short sword limped towards a bloody man wearing broken armor over black pants. The skeleton man had silver hair to his shoulders, but it looked like some of it burned off in the back, and a necklace around his neck that had an upside-down triangle in a circle. He gazed at his opponent with wild crimson eyes and a mad smile.
"You are nothing, heathen!" he howled. "Nothing but a lump of flesh! As I said before, you will be a perfect blood sacrifice to Jashin-sama!" He was forced to use his longer sword as a cane, on account of his right leg below the knee having been blown off.
His opponent had faded orange hair, gray eyes, and a couple of wrinkles. He was also missing the left side of his armor, his left arm looked like it had been mangled, and blood was practically gushing from his mouth. He spat out a glob, and growled, "By the grace of the Creator, with the one true God as my witness, you will not walk away from this fight, heretic!"
"A broken record! That's what you are!" roared the Jashinist. He stood in front of his enemy, and raised his short sword. "Now die!"
Naruto knew he had to do something. It was poor form to interfere in someone else's fight, true, but even less so to sit back and let the old man die. What kind of person was he to do that?
The Jashinist grinned, blood streaming from his mouth. It was a quark of his, to instigate the ritual, inflict damage, then finish off the sacrifice up close and personal. He'd done it many times before, and he'd do so again. Problem was, this time he happened to have an unknown third party observing. The next thing he knew, he was gagging as a kunai embedded in his throat. His eyes widen as he saw the burning fuda tied to the ring, then he saw no more.
The wounded man winced as the upper part of the Jashinist blew to pieces. He shakily stood, then coughed as he dropped to one knee. "Damn heretic," he cursed. "Too many hits..." His eyes caught Naruto, and he squinted. "... Konoha?" he got out, before dropping to both knees and vomiting up a gout of blood, coughing and wheezing.
Naruto was by his side and helping him up. "Hold on, mister. I got you. Yes, I'm a Konoha-nin, and my name's Naruto."
The man turned his weary eyes to Naruto and murmured out, "...Satchel..."
Naruto looked around, and saw a brown satchel lying on some bushes. He grabbed it, then created a Kage Bunshin to help carry the man back to Tazuna's. "Hold on mister. I'm sure Kakashi-sensei can help."
The old man muttered a "Good lad," before lapsing to into wheezy breathing.
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"Are you sure that your student can handle himself?" asked Tsunami, having sent Inari to bed.
"Of course," said Kakashi. "He's been alone all his life, sad as it is. He'll come through that door, as chipper as a..."
He was cut off as the door burst open, revealing two Narutos and a bleeding old man.
Sakura shrieked, Sasuke and Kakashi pulled out kunai, Tsunami and Tazuna stared awestruck. "Enishi-san!" Tazuna said, rushing toward the old man.
"He's hurt bad," said Naruto, kicking the door closed behind him.
"You know him?" asked Kakashi.
"He lives on the outskirts of the village," said Tsunami, guiding them towards a mat on the floor. "He rarely shows up in town, and when he does, he's offers help to whoever needs it. But this is the first time I've seen him in months."
"What happened?" asked Kakashi, as he positioned Enishi.
"He was fighting some freak that looked like a skeleton," said Naruto. He helped Sakura and Tsunami remove the upper armor, and wrap Enishi's wounds with torn clothes rags, and kept talking. "The skeleton guy was going on and on about how he was gonna sacrifice Enishi, and how Jashin would like him as..."
"A sacrifice," finished Kakashi, frowning. "Where is he now?"
"All over the clearing they were fighting in."
"Sensei, do you know who that was?" asked Sakura.
"No," said Kakashi, as he created a Kage Bunshin. "Sterilize the area," he ordered. The Bunshin saluted as was out the door.
"What-?"
"That guy was a Jashinist," said Kakashi to Sakura's attempted question. "They are a group of cultists that were once based in Yugakure (2), but were expelled for their practices. They pay tribute to a being called Jashin, who they worshipped as a god of violence and bloodshed."
"... Damn heretic..." wheezed Enishi. He gazed at the group. "... my satchel... where is it...?"
Naruto held it over, and Enishi reached into it. He pulled out a chest, and opened it to reveal two items: a tanned ragged square with a strange symbol consisting of a spiral ending in a large triangular point at the outer end, and a short kusarigama emerging from the midsection below the point; and a two-inch long medallion that looked like an arrow-headed serpent wound around a pillar. "Give me your arm, Naruto-san..."
Naturally suspicious, Naruto was about to ask why, but the choice was taken out of his hand, as Enishi grabbed his left arm, pushing up the sleeve, and slapped the tan square onto his exposed flesh.
"Fuuin Jutsu: Niku Yuugou (3)" he muttered, and a glow encompassed the covered area.
It hurt like hell to Naruto, and he let out a sharp yelp and tried to pull away, but the old man was deceptively strong. Kakashi clasped the wrist of Enishi, but the old man suddenly let go. "What did you do to him!?" he growled.
"A gift," Enishi rasped. "I wish... I could have passed... it to an elder... but I'm out of time..." he raised the medallion. "Take care... of this... lest you lose yourself... to them..."
Clutching the angry flesh, Naruto growled out "To who?"
Evidently, Enishi did not hear him. "You are... the only one... nearby... who can be trusted... but you... will need... protection..."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Why him? And protection from what?"
Enishi's breathing began to slow. "Search the Eastern shore... of Hi no Kuni... seek out the tainted one... he will answer to Daikani (4)... He will protect you... and you will... make them remember..."
Now Naruto was curious, but felt uneasy. "Remember what?"
Enishi looked Naruto in the eye. "They have forgotten us... but you will make them remember us... our clan... the Uzumaki clan..."
The shinobi stiffened, and Naruto went pale. This old man, this stranger that had just branded him with a strange symbol, was family?
Kakashi realized that this was a chance for Naruto to gain and maintain some familial ties, and tried to use what little Medical Ninjutsu he knew. His hand glowing, he ran it over Enishi's chest, but the old man gasped out "We... will... endure... we... will... survive..." and went still, his eyes closing.
Sakura reached a trembling hand toward Enishi's carotid artery, then withdrew it. "No pulse," she whispered.
Everyone gazed down at the dead body of the recently revealed Uzumaki. In a cruel twist of fate, Naruto had gained a family member, and then lost him in a matter of minutes.
Enishi's body began to twitch, causing everyone to back up. His veins appeared, blackened as if by necrosis, and his flesh began to constrict, until his body looked like a clothed fleshy skeleton. Then the flesh peeled and fell, revealing the skeleton beneath.
Sakura and Tsunami both ran out of the room, and the sounds of vomiting were heard. Tazuna, Naruto, and Sasuke were both pale and shaking. Kakashi, slightly pale, sighed and gently, reverently, picked up the cloth-covered skeleton that used to be Uzumaki Enishi, and carried it outside.
Naruto followed him, in silence, followed by Sasuke. Kakashi found a nearby tree, and laid the skeleton against it. Naruto created a Kage Bunshin, and it transformed into a shovel. He dug, until he made a moderate-sized pit, whereupon Kakashi laid the bones of Enishi to rest.
"I'm sorry for your loss." That did not come from Kakashi, strangely. It was from Sasuke.
"You-"
"I know how it feels to lose family, obviously," said the Uchiha. "The only ones alive now are me, my mother, and... him."
Kakashi nodded. Uchiha Mikoto had barely survived the sword strike in the chest, and was fading by the time she was found. It was touch and go for a while, but she pulled through.
That remark from Sasuke reminded Naruto to go see the Uchiha widow when they got back. They had been doing so many D-Ranks that he hadn't had the time to go see her.
The three walked back in silence, and when they arrived at Tazuna's home, the reinforcements arrived as well, in the form of Team 8.
"Kakashi," nodded Yuuhi Kurenai.
"Kurenai."
"What's the matter?" laughed Kiba "Couldn't handle an easy-ass C-Rank?"
"K-Kiba-kun..."
"The mission was upgraded to a low B-Rank, remember?" responded Aburame Shino, his teammate.
"Actually, it's an A-Rank," said Kakashi, motioning them inside.
Kurenai raised her eyebrows as she and the others entered Tazuna's home. "How the HELL did that happen?"
"A little interference from Momochi Zabuza."
Kurenai let out a sigh. "Anything else?"
"Yeah," said Kakashi. "A Jashinist was in the area, but Naruto blew him to kingdom come, mainly because said Jashinist was distracted..."
"By what?"
"By my relative," muttered Naruto.
There was an uncomfortable silence. Finally, Shino spoke. "I was unaware you had relations here."
"I didn't know either," said Naruto. "I didn't know until he told me, and died in front of us."
Kiba winced. "That's harsh. But why was he here? And what was his name?"
Naruto frowned. "Uzumaki Enishi. And he was looking for more of us." He stood up, and marching to one of the guest rooms.
Hinata made to follow, but Kakashi stopped her. "Let him go."
"B-but..."
"He's needs some time alone," said Kakashi. "He'll be fine."
"But what's this about the Uzumaki?" asked Kiba. "And how come we've never heard of them."
"Later," said Kakashi. "I'll tell you later."
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The next morning, Kakashi, Kurenai, Tazuna, Sakura, Shino, Kiba, Hinata, and Sasuke left Tazuna's house. Naruto was inside sleeping, having not shown his face for several hours. "T-Take care of Naruto-kun," said Hinata.
"Let's super special awesome go," said Tazuna enthusiastically.
"Please don't say that…"
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At the bottom of the bridge, Zabuza and Haku with her Hunter-nin mask on gazed impassively, ignoring the squawking radio that spewed Gatou's voice. "You ready, Haku?" asked Zabuza.
"Hai," she said.
"One thing Haku," said Zabuza. "That boy… Uzumaki Naruto… watch out for him. Out of those four… he and Kakashi are the most dangerous."
"How so?" she asked, confused.
"If my hunch is correct," said Zabuza, "then if that Uzumaki kid knows about his heritage, he's well within his rights to kill any Kiri-nin or Iwa-nin he comes across."
Said Uzumaki was frantically getting dressed. Kakashi had left him a note saying to meet them at the bridge. As an afterthought, he eyed the medallion on the nightstand he had placed it on, and put it on. As he left Tazuna's house, he saw a bush rustle. "Hmm?"
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"Would you please stop saying 'Super Special Awesome', Tazuna-san?" said Sakura irritably to Tazuna, who had said it yet again. "It's stopped being funny a while ago…"
Tazuna, ignoring Sakura's bashing of his new catch-phrase, gaped at the five wounded workers lying on the bridge. "What the hell happened!?" he asked frantically, and stiffened when the worker gasped out, "A monster…" And then, the mist rolled in.
"Oh hell," muttered Kakashi. "On point!" he said sharply. "This is it… They're here."
"Kirigakure no jutsu," said Sakura under her breath.
"Long time no see, Kakashi," came Zabuza's voice through the mist. "I see you're still with those brats… and you've brought company. The Genjutsu Mistress and some more brats. And look at them, they're shaking in their boots."
As the mist cleared, there were eight Zabuza's around the eight. "I'm trembling…" said Sasuke, grinning, "… with excitement!" On Kakashi's orders, Sasuke moved with the speed of a tiger and slashed through the Zabuza's, and they dropped to the ground in splashes of water.
Some yards away, the real Zabuza and Haku appeared. "Looks like the brat's grown," said Zabuza, now wearing a black muscle shirt, black pants, and striped arm and leg warmers. "Looks like you have a rival now, eh, Haku?"
"Indeed," said she.
"Looks like I was right," said Kakashi. "That masked guy was Zabuza's comrade…"
"This just got harder," said Kurenai. "An A-Rank Nuke-nin and an unknown..."
"I'll fight him," said Kiba, stepping forward.
"No, I will," said Sasuke. "Tricking us with that stupid act… I hate bastards like that…"
"Impressive," said Haku, gazing impassively at Sasuke. "even if the Mizu Bunshin have 1/10 the strength of the original… still, impressive…"
With that, she disappeared and reappeared in front of Sasuke and lashed out. 'Fast!' thought Sasuke as he parried her blow.
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Back at Tazuna's house, Waraji and Zouri, two of Gatou's goons, had broken in and cornered Tsunami. Inari came running at his mother's scream, and saw the two samurai. "Mom!"
"Run Inari!" yelled Tsunami. "Go and get help!"
"Gatou said to get the women… Should we take the brat, too?" asked Waraji, and Zouri answered, "We only need one hostage." "Ah," said Waraji, pulling his sword. "Then maybe the brat needs to go…"
"Wait!" said Tsunami frantically. "Lay one finger on the boy, and I'll bite my tongue and kill myself! You need a hostage, take me instead!"
"Fine," said Zouri. "Thank your mom, kid…"
Inari crouched behind the wall and cried to himself. He wanted to help his mother, but he didn't want to die. Then, Kakashi's voice appeared in his head. Then Kaiza's, and his family. "I'm gonna be strong," he said, standing. "I WILL be strong!"
Outside, Tsunami walked in front of Zouri and Waraji; the latter stroking Tsunami's skin while saying, "Hehe… such pretty skin… gives me ideas, no?" Zouri groaned and said, "Walk faster woman. Waraji, you can slake your lust later…"
"WAIT!"
Waraji, Zouri, and Tsunami turned around to see Inari running at them, yelling, "Let go of my mom!" "Cut him," said Zouri, drawing his sword. "Finally," said Waraji, drawing his as well. The two rushed the small child, ignoring Tsunami's cries, and slashed.
Instead of Inari, they cut a log with his hat on it. Hearing a chuckle, they turned around to see Naruto with Inari on his shoulder. They prepared to charge him, when they heard a voice behind them say, "Hey guys!" Spinning around, they saw a evilly grinning Naruto, and then all went black as they got the crap beaten out of them by Kage Bunshin.
"Thanks for your help, Inari," said Naruto as his Bunshins tied up the two samurai. "You've grown, and that's what counts. Kazai-san was right, and you're proof right now." Looking at the two tied-up samurai, Naruto cursed lowly. "If these guys are here, then there's trouble at the bridge." Turning to Inari, he gave him a thumbs-up and said, "Take over from here, Inari. Be a hero!" When Inari nodded and gave him a thumbs-up back, Naruto grinned and ran off, saying, "Uzumaki Naruto is on the way! Here I come to save the day!"
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CLANG! Haku and Sasuke traded blows once more. Zabuza was slightly impressed, to say the least. So was Kakashi. "Sakura," he said, moving over, "stay in front of Tazuna. Sasuke'll handle the Hunter-nin. Kurenai?"
"Shino, Hinata, guard the bridge builder," barked Kurenai. "Kiba, assist Sasuke!"
"Finally!" said Kiba. "A chance to show off my skills, right Akamaru?"
"Bark!"
Speaking of which, Haku blocked Sasuke's kunai with a senbon. "Please stand down," she said calmly. "I don't want to have to kill you."
When Sasuke said, "Don't be foolish," Haku replied "I see… but next time, you won't be able to keep up with my speed. I have two advantages… the water on the ground, and I've occupied one of your arms. Now all you can do is run," she finished, putting her free hand into half-Ram. And then, she started to do seals.
It shocked Kakashi, Kurenai, Kiba, and Sasuke. Kiba and Akamaru interfered, tackling Haku. Haku shunshined away, and completed her work.
"Hijutsu: Sensatsu Suisho (5)." When she stomped on the water on the ground, it rose up like a wall, then began to freeze. When it did so, it turned into senbon made of ice, and launched at Sasuke and Kiba.
Sasuke, remembering his training, concentrated his chakra to his legs, then jumped skyward, avoiding every single shot. Kiba and Akamaru leapt to the sides, then came around the impact zone.
Sasuke fired shuriken at Haku, who jumped backwards to dodge them. He reappeared behind, and said to her, "You're pretty slow… and from now on, you're the runner." Raining blow after blow, he had Haku on the defensive.
"Don't hog all the fun!" yelled Kiba, as he activated his family's ninja art. "Ninpou: Shikayuu no Jutsu (6) !" He sped up and attacked from the left, forcing Haku on a further defense.
Zabuza couldn't believe that his loyal subordinate was losing a battle of speed. Kakashi told him so, too. "I can't have you underestimating my team, now… Sasuke's the #1 Rookie in Konoha, Sakura's one of the brightest, and Naruto… is the #1 unpredictable shinobi."
"Don't count me out Kakashi," added Kurenai. "Kiba's the fastest Genin in his year, Shino's the best Strategist, and Hinata is the most damaging overall, with the Jyuuken."
Zabuza started to chuckle. "Haku, at this rate, we'll be driven back." "I agree," she said, putting her hands in a strange seal. "We can't have that now, can we?"
Sasuke noticed the chill first, then he saw the water on the ground rise up and form into large, rectangular tiles. Then he heard, "Makyou Hyoushou (7)!" "What the hell is this?" he muttered.
"Hey, what gives!?" yelled Kiba. Akamaru was trapped on the other side, and barked at his partner. The puppy ran around to attack Haku, but Haku stepped into one of the tiles, and her image appeared in all of them. "Well?" she asked. "Shall I begin?"
Sasuke cursed. He saw Kakashi run toward them, and saw Zabuza block his path. "What's with these mirrors?" he asked himself, then he heard Haku's voice say, "Time to show you my true speed." Sasuke then found himself riddled with senbon.
Sakura, trying to help out, threw a kunai at Haku, who reached out of a mirror and caught it. A shuriken caught her eye, and she saw it cut part of Haku's mask when said Hunter-nin saw it too late. "What…?" she began, then saw the answer on the outside of the dome of mirrors.
A blast of smoke, and Naruto stood before them, his hands raised like Zabuza's as if performing the Hidden Mist Technique. "There's no need to fear," he said grinning. "Uzumaki Naruto is here!"
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Translations:
(1) Kanetsu Ichi = Heat One
(2) Yugakure = Hot Springs Village
(3) Fuuin Jutsu: Niku Yuugou = Sealing Technique: Flesh Fusion
(4) Daikani = Great Crab (This will make sense later)
(5) Hijutsu: Sensatsu Suishou = Secret Technique: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death
(6) Ninpou: Shikakyu no Jutsu = Ninja Art: Four Legs Technique
(7) Makyou Hyoushou = Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals
This is about the only time I'll translate something we've seen before. New techniques and places will have their translations, but that will be it.
Also, I would like to thank Contramancer for pointing out something that was barely touched on in the Manga, namely taking the Byakugan from a living Hyuuga. That's the idea for how Ao got his eye, according to his biography, thus proving the flaw of the Hyuuga Seal.
I may leave up the original Windows of the Soul, for a couple of weeks, but I'll end up taking it down, unless you want it up still.
Ja Ne!