I do not own Naruto that is the property of Masashi Kishimoto.
"I am big" God, biju, summon talking
"I am normal" Human talking
"You can't hear me inside my mind" Inner thoughts of a person
I underestimated the workload of the holiday season but here is the next chapter as promised. Also I am happy to announce that I will be focusing on this story for awhile.
Additional note 12-31-2015: I am sad to report another death. This holiday season has been rough so I advise all who read my stories to look to your loved ones and give them a hug and tell them that you love them because you never know when they might leave you.
So I got my first real flamer and to them I only say why did you read up to chapter five if you hated my story?
But they did bring up something I will address. You may skip this if you wish.
First the reason certain canon events happen despite Kushina being alive. Well Kushina was occupied. She wasn't able to take on the more difficult missions because she was raising a baby and she didn't trust most people with her jinchuriki son. Add this to establishing connections outside of Fire Country while trying to maintain her property in Konoha, as well as being a clan head, and well Kushina was unlikely to be in the field.
Of course the Uchiha Incident was changed. It happened earlier and more people died, as well as more members of the Uchiha Clan surviving. Other incidents like the assassination of the Land of Tea's noble are of my own creation.
Finally, according to the timeline of my story, the Third World War ended two years before the Kyubi Attack. No one wants a war this soon after that war came to an end. You can look at our own history after WWI to see the reluctance for another war, with the various diplomatic agreements and excuses that took place during the rise of Hitler's Germany in the hope that WWII wouldn't happen. You can say I am borrowing a little bit from that.
The Second issue brought up was Kushina's death. I read over it and I stand by it. Kushina is undersupplied and outnumbered. In the initial ambush she becomes disoriented by the explosive tags and tries to escape what she assumes are a large number of Kiri hunter nin. She is then poisoned and her Shinigami gift begins to heal it but she is not immune so she still suffers from the poison, slowing her down. She then limits her options by not going to the water (1 of her affinities) and instead away from it thinking that the Kiri ninja would have the advantage (again she doesn't know it is Konoha). This lead to another trap which leads to more explosives which damage her legs (the bones are nearly broken), her healing is now working on both the poison and her wounds. Her evasion tactics also didn't work because of the Kikaichu in her hair. After that she was captured by the Nara's jutsu and killed. Also consider how far she had to travel to reach the Land of Tea and that Konoha had plenty of time to plan the ambush since they knew where she would be. Also she was only prepared for basically a C rank mission.
Whew done. Anyway here is the next chapter. Oh I couldn't find anything on the technology level of the Elemental Nations since it seems to be all over the place. So I am saying that the technology is similar to ancient Japan, so basically no electricity. Except for certain exceptions all futuristic (see modern world) technology will be said to be caused by seals. I most likely will remove computers, I think I saw one or two in the series, but I could be wrong.
Chapter 11: The Festival
Naruto awoke the next day as a stray beam of light hit his face from the window. Groaning the boy moved into a sitting position and looked out the window, taking in the sunny day with few clouds, a perfect day for the Festival of the Sage.
Examining the position of the sun Naruto grumbled to himself as he slid out of his bed and began his morning rituals. "I overslept."
Finished with his morning rituals Naruto goes to grab one of his training robes so that he could practice his taijutsu's katas before stopping himself and instead turning back towards the bathroom to bathe. Ino and Hinata would arrive at 1000 and he had awoken at 0800 he did not have time to practice his taijutsu and prepare for their arrival.
After bathing Naruto once more entered his room and looked through his clothing before picking out a more formal kimono of the Uzumaki Clan, a clan head kimono that he had had commissioned. The kimono top like his robes was white with red accents. Though unlike his robes, the kimono top bore the signature swirl of the Uzumaki clan on its shoulders. For pants he wore a grayish white hakama. Completely the kimono was a white haori that bore the Uzumaki swirl on its back.
At the footwear Naruto hesitated. He didn't like wooden geta, they made too much noise for his liking. However it was also considered bad form to wear nontraditional clothing for the Festival of the Sage. If he wore ninja sandals instead of the geta it would say he didn't trust Konoha with his protection.
"Sometimes I hate political nuances." Naruto thought as he gave a heavy sigh.
Naruto however perked up as he reminded himself that if he wished to interact with the nobility one day he would have to grow use to walking and wearing geta. The nobility didn't like it when they couldn't hear their guests walking around them.
Exiting his bedroom Naruto headed towards the center of his clan compound that still maintained the original temple and maintained the appearance of a room of study or meditation room with an assortment of seals around the room. The seals themselves were just a collection of storage seals combined with relay seals that Naruto had combined in the Uzumaki style, making the seals themselves appear as decorative drawings to non-Uzumaki. Once an Uzumaki applied spiritual energy into the seal it would do one of two things, either release its contents and turn the room into a temple for the Shinigami, or seal their contents and turn the room into what it currently appeared as, a room of study and meditation. For lack of inspiration Naruto had regretfully called the Uzumaki seal the Room Adjustment seal.
Touching his hand to the seal painted in plain sight next to the entrance Naruto pushed spiritual energy into the seal and watched as the room changed before his eyes. The tables and mats lining the floor were sucked down and replaced with pillows for sitting. The walls once empty except for the occasional artwork were filled with the tenants of the Shinigami, with one wall being dedicated to the masks that had originally been housed in this building. Finally, on one side of the room, the shrine for the Shinigami appeared with a smaller shrine by its side, the same shrine that Naruto and his kaa-san had used in his old home.
Sitting down onto one of the pillows Naruto turned towards the shrine and said a prayer before activating his sensor and meditating. While his sensor wouldn't tell him when the girls arrived since his range of one hundred yards in any direction wouldn't allow him to detect the front entrance of his compound he figured he could practice making the technique subconscious while he organized his thoughts, especially since he had been unable to fit in his morning taijutsu practice and he didn't trust himself not to fall into what his kaa-san called an Uzumaki trance, otherwise known as getting lost in fuinjutsu study.
However it was not long before Kushina decided to interrupt her eleven year old son's meditation. "Are you ready for today?"
"Yes kaa-san." Naruto answered.
"Good. Do you remember what we talked about last night?" Kushina continued.
"Hai kaa-san, I remember. It does explain some of Hinata-san's actions. Though you couldn't tell me what Ino-san is thinking, just that she was curious about me." Naruto said with a tone of fake accusation. Naruto didn't mention how the discussion about girls had caused him to examine his own feelings with Ayame and made him slightly nervous and confused about why he was nervous about interacting with the sixteen year old girl, a girl he had known since he was six.
"Well girls are complicated. I only gave you a cheat guide." Kushina huffed back.
"I was only teasing kaa-san." Naruto thought back after he heard Kushina huff in his mindscape, while stifling a laugh at ruffling his mother's feathers. He thought he was beginning to get a hand of this teasing thing.
Meanwhile inside of the mindscape Kushina smiled. She had caught her son's tease but went along with it. She was just happy that he was loosening up around the people he trusted. In her eyes it wasn't good for her baby boy to be so wound up.
"Then I have only one more thing to say. Have fun." Kushina exclaimed happily from inside of the seal. She remembered the Festival of the Sage from when she was younger and though she didn't like the religious parts of the festival, she had loved the atmosphere. Some of her best memories were made at the festival with her friends and loved ones.
"Hai kaa-san. But I will also…" Naruto began before he was interrupted.
"But nothing. Today is about fun. No business, no plotting, no important stuff, just fun. And you are going to have it sochi-kun." Kushina said sternly. It was time for her son to enjoy himself and the festival was a great excuse to have fun.
"Hai kaa-san. I plan to have fun. However the festival would be a great time to make connections." Naruto said. Naruto did not have much longer before he graduated from Konoha Academy and he wanted his position in the village secure before the vultures came.
"Remember what I taught you." Kushina chastised softly.
"You taught me that if I wished to be a leader then I must consider my words and actions carefully. That they could make or break a leader." Naruto replied back, referencing his mother's lessons on politics. Lessons that Kushina herself had to learn in her quest to become Hokage. It had been a difficult lesson for her teenage self, back when she could still consider herself an innocent child having fun.
"Don't get smart with me. I was talking about my lesson about the Festival of the Sage." Kushina said in a motherly tone.
"You said that political business and deal making is looked down upon at the Festival of the Sage." Naruto replied.
"That's right. The only business conducted at the festival are the merchant stands and dignitaries getting drunk before they resume business the day after…well probably the day after that because of the hangover. Anyway if you want to build alliances you are going to have to do it the normal way. Make friends." Kushina said with a slight laugh at the hangover part. She could remember the day after well, as long as she was careful and didn't drink too much her Uzumaki healing would allow her to avoid the hangover from the previous night and allow her to have the occasional bit of fun with her hungover friends.
"So I should just have fun?" Naruto asked mentally. It was a concept that had unfortunately become outside of his comfort zone after the death of his kaa-san. He was always building connections, expanding the Uzumaki business, looking for other members of his clan, or laying the ground work for future manipulations. His relationship with Ayame had been formed mostly through the girl herself tearing down his walls, while his other friendships were more like happy accidents on his path to revitalizing the Uzumaki clan and getting justice for what happened to his clan in the past. The idea of just going into public and having fun, it was unnerving to the young redhead.
"Hai." Kushina said while hiding the sadness in her tone. She knew that Naruto was happy with his life and that he needed to grow up fast but it was moments like these that reminded her that her child would likely never experience the carefree childhood she had hoped for him.
"Very well kaa-san… But I will make sure to not embarrass the Uzumaki Clan." Naruto responded.
Inside of the seal Kushina laughed at her son's response. Her son may have said he wouldn't embarrass their clan but she knew what he was really saying, he wouldn't embarrass himself. It was the fear all children his age had, it was always nice to see some of her son's childlike characteristics.
Naruto continued to work on his sensor ability for another thirty minutes before rising from his position on the floor and pushing some of his spiritual energy into the Room Adjustment Seal. With the Shinigami shrine once more hidden he left the room and headed towards the kitchen. The girls would arrive soon, very soon if they came early.
Entering the kitchen took in the cabinets, the island in the center, the hanging basket of fruit, and even the chakra powered appliances like his fridge and oven. Grabbing a tea pot he took some fresh green tea leaves and set about making a fresh pot of tea for his guests.
Once the tea was set he grabbed some cheese, fruit, and vegetables and began to cut them up for a platter for the girls and him to eat off of before the festival. The food was light so they wouldn't spoil the festival but it would allow them something to snack on.
Idly his mind wondered as his hands blurred through the practiced motions of wielding a knife, the actions very similar to holding a kunai. Paying little heed that his practiced movements with the knife would enthrall civilians as he swiftly cut the items he had chosen. Instead his mind turned towards the kitchen.
The appliances were chakra powered allowing for chakra to be turned into an electrical current and be used for cooking or for the storage of food. The appliances themselves could be used without the seals but would not be able to be used in the modern way, instead requiring wood for burning or ice to keep food cool. The seals themselves were generic seals that allowed for the owners to use their own chakra to power them.
Naruto himself disliked the simplistic chakra conversion seals not because of their utility but because their use announced the presence of a chakra user to any sensor in the area. As such he usually cooked his meals the traditional way, sometimes suffering from his own stubbornness.
Naruto cringed as he remembered his last cooking mishap. His cooking was not great, acceptable, but not great.
Once Naruto was finished cutting the assorted vegetables, fruits, and the slight bit of cheese, he grabbed a few slices and ate them before grabbing the pot of green tea, some cups, and the platter of food and headed towards the garden in front of his compound. Ino and Hinata would be arriving soon.
Reaching a table in the garden Naruto set down what he was carrying before moving towards the gate, taking care to avoid ruining his kimono as he walked. The girls were not registered in his security seals, in fact only Naruto was registered in his security seals. They would not be able to get in without his assistance.
Naruto did not have to wait long for Ino to arrive with Hinata trailing slightly behind her, the Hyuga's posture showing a sense of nervousness as she got closer to the Uzumaki Compound. Naruto silently thanked his mother for her talk last night. If she hadn't given it to him then he might have embarrassed himself wondering why Hinata was so nervous and whether or not the girl might be sick. Instead he now knew about Hinata's crush on him, something that may be useful to him in the future.
"Hi Naruto-san. You ready to show us your garden?" Ino asked as she waited for Naruto to open the gate to his compound.
"Hello Ino-san, Hinata-san it is a pleasure to see you. If you would just step back." Naruto said politely, ignoring his mother's small grunt of annoyance at his formality. It wasn't his fault that he was raised this way, it took some time for him to loosen up.
The girls took a step back as Naruto walked up to the gate and placed his hand on his clan's crest, a swirling whirlpool, before using his Uzumaki given spiritual energy to unlock the gate.
While Naruto was doing this Hinata shyly spoke up as the gate began to open. "It's a pleasure to see you too Naruto-kun." Beside her Ino smiled mischievously. She was going to enjoy teasing the young Hyuga, it was her job as Hinata's best female friend she reasoned to herself.
With the gate open the girls quickly let themselves in before Naruto pulsed his chakra through one of the gate's supports and the gates snapped closed.
"I have some tea and snacks if you would like." Naruto kindly offered. He knew that the tea would calm Hinata down. It was always a relaxing drink for the young Hyuga and had been key in Ino and Naruto's efforts to make the girl less shy.
Ino smiled knowing what Naruto was doing before answering. "That would be lovely." With that said Ino began to lead the way her strong personality causing her to lead the way while Naruto and Hinata followed behind her.
"Thank you Naruto-kun." Hinata said from beside Naruto as they walked.
"It's no trouble Hinata-san. I like to make the people I care about happy." Naruto said kindly as he walked beside the girl.
Hinata froze for half a second and blushed a deep red before turning her head away from Naruto and walking once more, the girl's mind having conjured a more romantic meaning to Naruto's words.
In front of the two Ino held in a bark of laughter as she eavesdropped on her friends. Sometimes Naruto's kind formality and Hinata's shy crush on the boy could allow her the best entertainment.
Seeing that Hinata was embarrassed Naruto turned his attention to Ino before calling out. "Ino-san, you're going the wrong way. The tea is in the center of the garden, not the house."
Ino froze as a small embarrassed flush came to her face before she composed herself and turned around. "Well then Naruto-san, lead the way."
Ino made a show of stepping aside as Naruto lead the girls to the table he had set the tea and platter on. Reaching the table he pulled out the chairs for Ino and Hinata and sat down on the other side of the table.
As Hinata sat down she looked amazed at the plants around her. In her eyes the garden was beautiful, a fact aided by the Land of Fire's warm weather, allowing for plants who would usually be without flowers this time of the year to be in full bloom. Hinata like Ino and Naruto also loved plants. One of her hobbies was even flower pressing. Perhaps she wasn't a gardener like Ino and Naruto but she kept her own small garden. It was a common interest that helped to get her to open up to her best friend and crush.
Beside her Ino was also amazed, taking note of the beauty of the garden. However she also noticed what it hid. She could see several poisonous flowers. The common hemlock flower, her azaleas, irises, the belladonna flower, nightshade, oleander, grevillea, the list went on. She could even see her favorite amongst the garden, jimson weed. There were more non-flowering poisons hidden amongst the garden, but from her knowledge about plants, everything in this garden was poisonous in measuring degrees.
"This is too much to be a coincidence. Could he be like me and follow the old ways?" Ino thought to herself.
"I'm glad you like it." Naruto said as he set down a cup of tea in front of each of the girls.
"Naruto-kun this is incredible." Hinata said in astonishment as she absently accepted the cup of tea.
"Thank you Hinata-san." Naruto said as he preened at the praise inside of his mind. The garden was perhaps his pride and joy, requiring even seals so as to allow some of the plants that weren't exactly native to the Land of Fire to grow.
"It is quite impressive Naruto-san." Ino said as she took a sip of her tea. "In fact your choice in flowers is quite a colorful variety. I would say they would bring the desired reaction from anyone." Ino finished meanifully.
From across the table Naruto's eyes hardened slightly before he answered. "Thank you Ino-san, I like to believe that I have a flower for every occasion. It helps to make a garden varied." Naruto responded with equal meaning.
"Let's see how you answer Ino-san." Naruto thought as he watched the blonde girl.
"Yes a varied garden is great and shows great skill. I follow the same belief in the setup of my own garden but if you had to pick just one, which would it be." Ino answered while allowing a hidden omission into the conversation.
Naruto nodded slightly as he examined Ino's words before answering. "I would have to say the delphinium flower. Its beauty seems to capture my soul and steal my breath away. What would you choose if asked?" Naruto answered.
Ino took note of the flower he named and the way he said it. She knew the delphinium flower, it was a beautiful flower that was both cardio-toxic and had neuromuscular blocking abilities. It had some other unpleasant effects as well. More pointedly the flower was also fatal. By the way Naruto described the flower he clearly knew the effects.
"I think I would have to pick the datura stromonium.." Ino said as she pointedly took a sip of tea while making sure to keep her eyes locked on Naruto's.
"It's quite a nice flower and its fragrance has even given me some pleasant dreams. It just puts my mind at ease. I'm not sure why but it has a calming effect and I can't seem to take my eyes off them sometimes." Ino answered just as pointedly as Naruto.
Naruto knew the plant Ino named, he had put into the garden for the exact effects that Ino had alluded to. The plant more commonly known as jimson weed was known for causing distorted vision, delirium, abnormal thirst, coma, and even death. Naruto had a feeling she knew exactly what she was saying and doing when she answered his question.
"That is a great choice in flower Ino-san." Naruto answered with a more serious smile on his face.
"Thank you Naruto-san, I quite like yours as well." Ino answered with the same smile on her face.
Beside the two Hinata felt confused. There seemed to be a deeper meaning to their words but she could not understand what she had missed.
Naruto seeing her confusion quickly derailed Hinata's thoughts by asking her a question. "Hinata-san what is your favorite flower?"
"Lilacs. I just love the stems of flowers that lilacs have. I even made a couple bookmarks from them… though you don't seem to have any here." Hinata answered while taking note of the absence of her favorite flower.
As Hinata rose her cup of tea to her lips and Naruto began to refill his cup before he answered Hinata's question, Ino got a mischievous smile on her face. Carefully watching the cup as it reached Hinata's lips.
"So Naruto-san don't you think Hinata-chan looks amazing." Ino announced the moment Hinata's cup reached her lips.
Hinata shocked by Ino's words choked on her tea and spit it out, while Naruto barely stops himself from spilling the tea in his surprise at Ino's question.
"Ino-chan! You can't…You can't just say" Hinata spluttered in embarrassment as she desperately tried to find something to clean the mess with.
"Oh come on Hinata-chan. We dressed up. Naruto-san should be honored that we graced him with our presence. Don't you want to hear how pretty he thinks we are?" Ino teased both Naruto and Hinata.
Ino smiled like the cat that caught the canary as Hinata was now suitably distracted from the conversation that Naruto and she had had. It wouldn't due if the Hyuga heiress discovered her friends' shared interest in the art of poisons. Not when Ino just found someone else belonging to Clan Wars Era mentality for being a shinobi.
Naruto composed himself before answering Ino's question while Hinata in the eye. "Hinata-san does look rather lovely this evening."
Naruto said as he took careful note of the cream white kimono Hinata was wearing. The kimono itself had the Hyuga family crest on the back. It also had trails of fire in the shape of petals dancing from the right shoulder of the kimono to the hem of Hinata's left side. As a stray thought Naruto noticed that while the kimono wasn't too tight on the girl so as to be improper, it was tight enough to show that Hinata's body had matured more than Ino's had.
While Hinata's face turned hot enough to cook on, Naruto turned towards Ino and continued. Taking in Ino's appearance, Naruto noticed that the Yamanaka heiress was wearing a purple kimono that like Hinata had her clan's symbol on the back. Her kimono like Hinata's was also tight but loose enough to avoid the obscene. Her sleeves however were different, being long enough to hide her hands if she should wish while at the same time showing them off if she desired. It would allow Ino to hide objects or poisons if she wished without being suspicious. Finally Ino had a design of white vine like flowers traveling across her kimono in a similar fashion as Hinata's.
"Of course Ino-san looks quite beautiful as well." Naruto said with a smile towards Ino, making sure that he maintained eye contact with the blonde girl.
"Kaa-san was right. Looking a woman in the eye when you compliment them seems to be very effective." Naruto thought as he took in the red faces of the two girls.
"He was supposed to get flustered. Not turn it back on me." Ino thought as she turned away from Naruto with a flushed expression. She had been embarrassed by the sincerity in the boy's statement.
Ino composed herself before turning to Naruto and giving him a once over before speaking. "I think Hinata-chan and I can agree that Naruto-san looks handsome." Ino said with a coquettish smile, her previous efforts to manipulate boys her age having taught her how to fluster them and get them to do as she wished.
"Ino-chan!" Hinata said scandalized at Ino's words to her crush. Hinata sometimes didn't know how she became close friends with the teasing and confident girl when she herself was quite shy. Still even though Ino's actions sometimes embarrassed her Ino was a true friend.
While Hinata began to softly lecture the girl on her behavior Naruto forced a blush down. He was not used to any form of seduction being used on him, something he made a note to work on. He hadn't put much thought into anti-seduction techniques since his sensor ability could pick up emotions.
"Oh come on Hinata-chan, between the three of us, no one will be able to take their eyes off of us." Ino said with a happy tone while watching as Hinata's face turned even redder.
"Ino-chan, I don't want to be the center of attention." Hinata said shyly with a slight whine in her voice.
"Hinata-chan you'll be fine. You're one of the prettiest girls in our class." Ino said encouragingly.
"Ino-san is right. Now perhaps it is time that we head out to the festival." Naruto said as he decided to save Hinata from Ino's teasing.
Naruto stood up and began to collect the dishes.
"Your right, let's go have some fun." Ino said as she stood as well and grabbed a dish to help Naruto clean up.
From behind Ino, Hinata gave a thankful smile to Naruto. She knew that when Ino got into teasing her that she sometimes wouldn't stop until her face had overheated from its blush. Still Hinata wouldn't trade her friends for the world. They made her more confident and were always there for her when she needed it.
"Even if it means being teased or getting embarrassed by their actions and treatment, I wouldn't trade them for the world." Hinata thought to herself as she got up to help Ino and Naruto with the dishes.
With the dishes done the trio quickly left the compound and began to take the walk back into the village proper. Neither moving quickly or slowly, they just enjoyed each other's presence as they walked.
It was not long till they reached their destination, taking in the bright colored stalls, the children playing games, and the adults milling around laughing. Further in events and contests were being held for civilians, ninja, and even the occasional samurai visiting Konoha for the festival. All over the street were streamers and lanterns. The village had really decked itself out for the festival.
Allowing himself Naruto found himself floating between food stands and games. He even found himself in a dance with Hinata when his sensor failed to pick up hostile intent when Ino pushed him good naturedly into Hinata, who stumbled with him in her arms onto the dance floor.
He didn't know the dance but it didn't seem like the dance mattered since he noticed several different dances going on as the people danced in joy. So making sure not to embarrass himself he used the dancing lessons he had from his mother and danced. It seemed that learning to dance by correcting his clones as they danced with each other under his mother's instructions paid off as after his dance with Hinata was over Ino swept herself into his arms and they began anew.
They stayed there for awhile having fun, trading partners after each dance. With Ino even making Hinata dance with her. After they finished dancing they decided to get a drink trying some of the exotic fruit drinks that weren't often seen in the village.
Eventually Hinata stopped as they reached a small theater.
"Hey how about we watch the play?" Hinata asked as she looked over the schedule while managing to forget her shyness in her excitement and happiness from the festival.
Naruto looked up at the sun and saw that they still had a few hours before Ayame's shift ended. They would have time for a quick play. "Sure. We have time." Naruto answered.
"Sounds fun." Ino said.
"Great. There's one starting soon. If we hurry then we can get good seats." Hinata said excitedly. Her mother used to take her to plays before she died. Ever since then plays have held a special place in her heart.
Reaching for the door Naruto suddenly braced himself as he sensed Ino's sudden movement towards him, the blonde girl wrapping her arms around his and leaning into his side. "Well Naruto looks like your escorting us to the theater."
Ino smiled as she noticed Naruto's blush from her actions before she reached over and grabbed Hinata, dragging the Hyuga into Naruto's other arm. "You'll take care of us right?" Ino continued impishly.
Hinata turned a very bright crimson as she hid her face in the crook of Naruto's arm, only managing to make her blush more pronounced as she realized where she hid her face.
Naruto decided to ignore Ino's actions as he walked into the theater. He also decided to ignore his mother's laugh from inside of his head. Naruto knew that Kushina rather liked Ino's attitude, didn't stop her from advising him to be careful around the Yamanaka, but Kushina still liked the girl.
As for Ino she sighed happily to herself, she had finally managed to break Naruto's expression and get a true embarrassed blush from the boy. Ino knew she seemed to be an outgoing tease but this was how she came back every time she used the Yamanaka techniques. Strong personalities centered them, kept them from losing themselves. It's why she acted the way she did, making sure that she strongly exemplified her personality traits. It was why her social personality was like this, though she had a professional side to her as well, one that was much more serious with a mix of teasing.
The trio took their seats in one of the balconies, something that was afforded to them due to their own status in the village. It allowed them to avoid the crowded floor where most of the theaters guests were.
Soon the windows were covered and unnoticed by the Hinata Ino and Naruto tensed, both readying themselves for a trap. Their beliefs in the Clan Wars Era mentality not allowing them to like the dark.
"The Festival of the Sage, a time of happiness and joy, but why do we celebrate this day? Let me tell you." A voice said.
Soon the stage lit up as candles were strategically lit and their light focused to act as spotlights. A couple ran across began to run across the stage, a baby held closely to the woman's breast.
"Long ago the Dark One ruled the world. A malicious and evil creature, the Dark One knew no end to its cruelty and did not allow any to escape its grasp." The voice continued as a shadowed figure appeared over the stage with a pair of horns and red eyes.
"Run. I will try to buy you time." The man said as he gave the woman a light push and turned to fight the emerging shadow.
"However this was not the time of man, this was the time of the Dark One, a time of demons, a time before chakra." The voice said again.
The shadowed figure lashed out with its hand and a jet of what appeared to be fire hit the man and the man fell before the shadow performed a shunshin and caught up to the woman before slashing at her with its hand and the woman fell, barely managing to conceal the baby. The shadow gave a small but deep laugh before it used the shunshin once more and disappeared.
Hinata held her breath as she enjoyed the show from the theater. She had heard that this theater had actors and actresses that knew how to use at least the basics of chakra. She was happy to see that what she had heard was true.
"The Dark One was without conscious and killed all who crossed it. Sparing neither man, woman, or child. But one day there was a survivor, a mere baby who would have the strangest luck." The voice of the narrator spoke once more.
Suddenly music started as a soft melody of string instruments filled the air.
A woman with long hair and rabbit ears began to take the stage and walked towards the baby. "Shh little one don't cry." The woman said as she picked the baby off of the ground and began to sing it a soft lullaby.
"The baby would be found by the rabbit goddess, Tsukino Usagi. The goddess would take the baby and raise it as her own. Giving the baby her blood, she would teach him the ways of the gods and grant him a portion of her power."
The stage darkened for a second before it showed an older child and the rabbit eared woman as she taught him to read and later to fight. They even showed him using a flash of lightning and a sword.
"Eventually the boy had grown up and become a man and decided to see the world." The Narrator spoke.
The scene changed as a sakura tree appeared with the rabbit goddess giving a now grown man a hug.
"Be careful my sochi. The Dark One is ever watchful and not even I can oppose the Dark One's wrath. Be careful to avoid its wrath." The woman said tearfully as melody of sad music played through the air.
"I will kaa-san. I will never forget you. Who knows maybe I will bring a bride home." The man said with a smile before he waved and ran off.
"The man sheltered from the world by his mother was not ready. He witnessed atrocity after atrocity." The narrator spoke.
The music turned dark as the stage showed the man traveling from place to place, coming across destroyed villages and ruined landscapes, the images of fires and desperation highlighting his journey.
"But the man was kind and did what he could for those he found."
The scene changed as the music continued but now to a more sad sound as it showed the man burying the dead in a rather large graveyard by himself and giving a little girl some food.
"Eventually the man decided to confront the cause of the people's suffering despite his mother's wishes and came across a minion of the Dark One."
Once more the stage changed and the music became faster paced as the stage now showed the man facing off against what would only be called a demon. Behind him a family cowered.
"Go back to where you come from foul beast." The man intoned.
"Silly human, as if you could oppose me, I will just kill you all." The demon bellowed.
The demon began to attack as the man desperately fought it with his sword. The two putting on a display of thrusts, parries, and slashes before the sword was knocked from the man's hands.
With the man now unarmed and seemingly defenseless the demon lunged for him only for the man to throw lightning from his hands and electrocute the demon to death.
"After a pitched fight the minion of the Dark One was defeated. The man had saved the family and the rumors of what the man had done and his mysterious powers would bring hope to the world. However these rumors would attract the Dark One."
The stage now showed random people smiling and saying that the end of the Dark One was coming. The music showing a sense of happiness as it continued to follow the man as he saved more and more people from the Dark One's minions. However the music took on a dark tune as the dark one appeared hovering in the background, tracking the man.
"Eventually the Dark One's minions would corner the man and the great army would battle against the man and those who now followed him. They would win but at great cost."
The scene changed to show a battlefield strewn with the corpses, both demon and human. The man would be in front of several more people, each armed with weapons as they cheered for their great victory. The music in the background was once more triumphant.
Suddenly the shadow of the Dark One appeared once more and the people began shoving the man back, telling him to run. With a heavy heart the man turned and ran from the battle.
The scene changed once more to the man standing on a mountain as he watched the Dark One kill those who followed him. In the background the music took on a more somber note.
"The man knew he could not defeat the Dark One at the time and was forced to flee as his followers bought him time and with the Dark One's victory hope was crushed. It seemed like no one could stop the Dark One from destroying the world."
The stage now showed the Dark One as its shadow spread over several tiny villages that erupted into flame as the Dark One's shadow touched it.
"The man studied the Dark One for a weakness and eventually found something that could defeat the Dark One, the Shinigami. But the Shinigami had no interest in the affairs of man, caring only for the deaths that empowered its realm. It cared little if the Dark One destroyed the world and the Shinigami's servants sent the man away."
The stage reflected the narrator's words as it showed the man reading through scrolls before coming across a scroll with the picture of the Shinigami on it. The stage then showed a throne of skulls with skeletal servants around the man sitting on the throne. The son of the rabbit goddess approached the throne and begged the man on the throne for help only for the man to laugh and have his servants send him away.
"Shocked at the Shinigami's callous nature the man had no choice but to steal from the god. Sneaking into the Shinigami's chambers the man stole part of the Shinigami's power and fled into the night. Unnoticed to the man his eyes became ringed once he absorbed the power he had stolen."
The scene changed to show the man sneaking around the Shinigami's throne room as the Shinigami and its servants slept before putting his hands over the Shinigami and a mist began to form between the two. Once enough of the mist had formed over the hands it dispersed slowly, seeming to sink into the man's skin. Afterwards it the stage showed the man fleeing with his eyes now shining with circles in them.
"The Shinigami enraged by the theft sent his servants after the man but they were repelled by the man. The man's blood from his mother and the power of two gods ascended him from the Shinigami's reach; it had made him a god."
The scene changed to the skeletal servants of the Shinigami trying to reach the man only for a bright light to repel their efforts.
"With the might of the Shinigami in hand the man set out to fight the Dark One."
The stage now shows the man journey as he looked for the Dark One.
"Then the man found the Dark One and they did battle, savaging the landscape in a battle between gods."
The stage shows the Dark One and the man as they do battle. The man threw lightning around while the Dark One threw fire. Exaggerated explosions and effects sounded as the battle continued and the music that had played throughout the performance matched its intensity.
"Finally the man struck the Dark One down."
The battle reached its climax where the man knocked the Dark One to the ground and struck it with lightning.
"With the fall of the Dark One, its minions fled into the sky."
The stage now showed demon like figures being pulled up to the roof of the playhouse while the man stood over the Dark One's corpse in victory.
"The man would go on to give the power of the gods to mankind and teach them how to wield it before he too would rise into the sky where he continues to do battle with the Dark One's minions, stopping them from ever reviving their master." The narrator continued.
The stage now shows the man on the stage talking to several cloaked individuals. "I give you this power so that mankind may always be safe, so that you may never know fear. I entrust upon you this power so you may protect and care for those that you love."
With those words said the man ascended to the rooftop of the playhouse while those cloaks looked on.
"This man was the Sage of Six Paths, the god of chakra. We celebrate today for it is on the solstice that the Sage of Six Paths defeated the Dark One and it is today that he drives away the minions of the Dark One once more." The narrator concludes.
The stage lights up once more as the actors and actresses take the stage and give a bow to the cheers of the crowd.
"Thank you. Thank you. We are glad you enjoyed the show." One of the men on the stage says, his voice identifying him as the narrator.
Naruto politely clapped as Hinata excitedly talked about the play. It had been a great play, the chakra effects being very well done and the music matching the mood perfectly.
Naruto meanwhile carefully hid his opinion. He knew that those who worshipped the Sage of Six Paths considered the Shinigami a dark god because of this legend that the Shinigami hated and tried to stop the Sage of Six Paths after he refused to help the sage. Which would mean that the skeletal figures that the sage defeated were the Uzumaki clan, something that was luckily not included in the myth.
Inside of the seal Naruto could hear his kaa-san grunt in annoyance at the play. Like Naruto she couldn't really enjoy the play since it was about the Sage of Six Paths and painted the Shinigami in a bad light, especially since it was by the Shinigami, the god they worshipped, that the two Uzumaki were reunited.
Leaving the theater with the happy girls the two would head over to the Ichiraku ramen stand to pick up Ayame. There they would eat ramen and talk about the festival while Ayame would gossip with the girls while at the same time getting Naruto to open up.
Afterwards the two would visit the Nara petting zoo and encounter the horde of loud children. Ino would smother a laugh each time she looked at the Nara men as they worked at the petting zoo.
During this time Naruto would sit beside Ayame as she pet a baby deer, a smile once more a permanent feature on his face, as he enjoyed the moment of peace with his best friend as well as the other girls.
Eventually the group would leave the petting zoo before once more hitting the stands where the group would play games and Ayame would shockingly beat the group in a balancing competition with her being able to balance more objects on top of each other while holding them in her hands.
"Apparently chef training gives better balance than ninja training." Ayame had told Naruto with a cheeky smile before giving him the stuffed animal she had won from the competition, a simple stuffed bear. Naruto however loved it.
Now Naruto watched as the final event of the day took place before the children were sent home and the adults swarmed the bars. It was also apparently a curfew that Ayame shared as her dad's overprotective urges wanted the young adult home after the event.
Together the group looked on as multiple jutsu were launched into the air. They observed as a dragon of fire danced around a dragon of water. As fireballs exploded in the air into plumes of embers, and lightning danced from suiton jutsu to suiton jutsu. It was a beautiful display that many talented ninjutsu experts participated in, putting on a show for the people of their village.
Looking around Naruto took in the entranced look of his friends before Ayame nudged him.
"Hey are you going to be able to do that one day?" Ayame asked.
"Perhaps." Naruto answered.
"Well when you can, promise me that you will show me." Ayame said quietly as she didn't want to distract Ino and Hinata from the show.
"It's a promise Ayame-chan." Naruto smiled.
Ayame clasped his hand and smiled, "Great. Make sure to be ready, I want you for opening night when I have my own restaurant."
Naruto gave Ayame's hand a slight squeeze before he answered, "With cooking like yours, how could I turn you down."
The two shared a small laugh before turning back to the show, though their hands never let go.
Later at the Uzumaki compound Naruto stripped out of his kimono and put on his bed clothes. Placing the stuffed bear on his bed side table Naruto collapsed onto the bed.
"So did you have fun?" Kushina asked from inside of the seal.
"Yeah. It was fun." Naruto answered as stared at the stuffed bear.
Today had been a fun day if a confusing one. He had improved his friendships with Hinata and Ino and had a lot of fun with Ayame. But he had also had his drive behind his actions reaffirmed during the play.
"Are you alright?" Kushina asked.
"I'll be fine kaa-san." Naruto answered.
"Come into the seal tonight. We can sleep together like you did when you were younger." Kushina suggested.
"That sounds nice kaa-san." Naruto thought back tiredly.
Inside of the seal Kushina held her sleeping son. While she had not personally known the strains of being a double agent because of her jinchuriki status, she knew many of the strains that such agents felt. Due to her rank, her ambition to be Hokage when she was younger, and as Minato's wife, she had seen and heard about many of their troubles. Making friends amongst the other side was not an uncommon problem.
Kushina knew Naruto was a lonely boy so it would remain to be seen how his friends would affect his judgment and his plans.
Alright that is the end of this chapter; I hope you enjoy what I am calling the cursed chapter. It seemed every time I started this thing something bad happened. It got to the point where a part of me wanted to skip this chapter. On that note I have already started the next one.
Oh before anyone says Naruto is beginning to side with Konoha, don't worry he's not, but having friends on Konoha's side can affect his judgment. Will he turn them? Can he? Will he sabotage himself if they are in danger? Could someone use them against him? Could they use their relationship against him? So many possibilities. Plus a character is boring if he is linear, all characters need some form of inner conflict.
Anyway I experimented with relationships in this chapter a bit. I had Ino and Hinata work together as a friendship, which I think worked pretty well. I can definitely picture a teasing and outgoing Ino with a shy and at times proper Hinata. I also tried to develop the friendships between the three.
Sadly for the Ayame fans she didn't receive as much attention this chapter but I gave you a bear. If it has a deeper meaning well that is for me to know and you to guess about.
Anyway the play should answer why people think the Shinigami is a dark god. It also shows how history can become legend or myth in this case.
So next chapter should involve more ninja stuff with the (trumpets blaring) graduation. Yes graduation on chapter 12. After that the story will pick up its pace as the world starts turning. Once again there will be a Wave Arc, though expect it to be different from normal.
I am asking now but I will likely put up a poll, but would you be interested in more interlude chapters like with the Ino chapter? I have a couple panned like an akatsuki and Sasuke chapter, though some may be unavoidable even if you say no (one or two Ino specific ones to show more of her character and how she becomes/is Naruto's rival). It could give you a deeper idea on what is happening in this universe rather than the focus on Naruto.
Anyway thank you for reading. Once again please review and if you have questions I will answer your review or PM if I can without ruining the story for you.
PS: All of those poisonous plants and their side effects are real and are not to be used at home.