The Wanderers
Chapter 55 – Nine Parts of a Whole
A/N: Apologies about the lateness of this chapter, the last weekend was a bit hectic. I ought to be back on schedule now, at least for the foreseeable future.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, there would still be some 'bad' good guys.
***Previously-On***
The battle of the Kage Summit is over, but the aftermath was a lot to deal with. Lee's injuries were severe, but he was going to live due to Neji's medics. The Raikage stormed off after he confronted the Otokage about the choices he made during the summit, just after Gaara, Yugito and Roshi all heard a strange ringing in their heads. The Tsuchikage informed the others that he had no interest in helping them with their war against the Quiraji while he fought Cascading Flow in his own land. Neji took his army back to Otogakure and left Lee in Gaara's care. Once the Mizukage left, Gaara summoned his spy Matsuri and sent her to follow her while he took his bodyguards back to Suna. Back at Otogakure, Neji began a restructuring of the village, with many of his best shinobi taking leadership positions. In Iwagakure, Roshi decides to follow the strange sound in his head and went into the prison in his village to release Han from within so the two of them could go together. In Kumogakure, under orders of the Raikage, Yugito hunted down Killer Bee, but decided to follow him to where the sound was leading him. In an unknown village, the Tailed Beast container Fu is confronted by an old enemy and is forced to flee towards the sound. In another part of the world, the container of the Six-Tails was convinced by his occupant that he needed to go as well, though he wasn't happy about it. In Sunagakure, the Kazekage and his bodyguards returned, but Gaara was unable to put the sound out of his mind. Leaving the duty of leading to his advisors, Gaara left the village to pursue the origin of the sound, knowing that there was a possibility that he might meet an old friend there.
***End Summary***
Killer Bee clutched at his head as the two of them moved over the plains at a quick pace.
"Are you still moaning about that? It was barely a love tap, Bee," said Yugito in front of him with a wide smirk on her face.
The rapping shinobi turned away his face with a pout, "What you be callin' a love tap could fell a thousand dragons!"
Yugito huffed and pushed herself off the ground faster with a small burst of chakra, ignoring her companion for the time being. He'd started rapping again as they'd moved along the edges of the Land of Fire towards their current location, and while she was grateful she could understand him once again, he had a habit of getting on her nerves.
How close are we? I don't know how much longer I we can avoid detection, Matatabi.
The fiery Tailed Beast contained within Yugito snarled loudly. "Just over that ridge, Yugito."
The blonde shinobi turned to tell Killer Bee, only to see the tall dark-skinned shinobi writing feverishly in his notepad.
Yugito sighed and ignored him, keeping her eyes on the ridge ahead. She hadn't spent much time in the Land of Tea, but it appeared that her occupant knew the land well enough to navigate on her own.
The two Kumogakure Tailed Beast containers made one final jump over the ridge in front of them and skidded to a halt, as they saw a single figure leaning against a large tree just beside a cliff leading into the vast ocean.
The figure nodded slowly as he recognised their approach, his arms folded across his chest. Yugito breathed out slowly as she heard a grunt of recognition from her occupant, while Killer Bee knew enough of the situation to put away his notepad, though he still muttered a beat to himself quietly.
The figure receiving them appeared as a young boy, messy grey hair on his head and a long stitched scar running from his left eye to his green poncho. He had pink pupil-less eyes that watched the two of them like a hawk, while his hook-like pole sitting beside him on the tree.
"Do you recognise him?" asked Yugito quietly as they began to walk towards him.
Killer Bee shook his head slightly, "The Eight Tails says he's one of us."
They could both see the forehead protector attached to his front, though it took a moment for them to realise who he was.
"I'm glad you could come," said the figure, uncrossing his arms and extending a hand. "I was worried the message might not have reached everyone."
"So you did call us here then," said Yugito, taking his hand cautiously. "It wasn't clear who sent the message, or how."
The Kirigakure shinobi nodded as he realised her hand and extended his own towards Killer Bee, though the Kumogakure shinobi just looked at his hand with suspicion.
"Bee, what are you doing?" whispered Yugito quickly.
The Eight-Tails container looked down at the small shinobi, a frown sitting on his usually cheerful face, "You are meant to be dead. It is a well-known fact in the world."
The short shinobi withdrew his hand unoffended and took a step back. "I got better."
"So what is this all about then?" asked Yugito, ignoring Bee's strange claim for the time being.
"Wait until the others arrive, then we shall discuss why we are here."
The two Kumogakure containers looked at each other for a moment before sighing and turning to look at the ocean that spread out before them.
"Who else is coming?"
oOoOoOo
The sun slowly rose across the sky as the three of them waited without saying a word to each other. It was a strange circumstance that had brought them together, but they knew it wasn't over yet as a single figure appeared in the air.
"Who's that?" asked Yugito, shielding her eyes from the blaring eyes.
The figure flew closer to the tree with three pairs of insect wings on her back, waving her hands like a four year old child. The girl's green hair slowly parted back to its normal place on her head as she landed on the ground softly.
Her insect wings folded up and disappeared into her back as she grinned widely at meeting them. "So this is where the party is, huh?"
Killer Bee grinned at her entrance, "You got a good attitude, kiddo."
Fu chuckled and put her hands behind her head, tapping her foot on the ground. "Thanks, old man. Is this all of us?" she asked, looking at the three of them cheerfully.
The Kumogakure shinobi ignored her old man comment, he would have expected as much.
"I doubt it," said Yugito, watching as the tanned girl walked up to their other companion with a wide grin on her face.
"Bit young to be a Tailed Beast container, aren't you?" she asked.
The Kirigakure shinobi coughed awkwardly, "I'm older than I look."
She looked him up and down for a moment before chuckling and taking a step back, "I'll bet you are."
The Tailed Beast container turned to the Kumogakure shinobi, "I'm Fu. Nice to meet you all."
"Yugito," said the Two-Tails jailer, nodding to the younger girl respectively.
Killer Bee looked down at her with a wide grin, "I'm Killer Bee, you better remember the name, cause if you ever forget I'm gonna bring ya pain!"
Fu stared at him for a moment before bursting out into laughter, grasping her sides. "Oh my god, that is hilarious. Do you know how bad your rapping is? Do it again! Do it again!"
The Eight-Tails container frowned and took a step back, "That ain't cool, yo. Don't be ragging on my raps little thing…"
Beside him, Yugito planted a hand into her own face, "Oh Bee, for the love of…"
oOoOoOo
As the day fell into night the four of them were still waiting for the others to arrive, and the more impatient ones in the group had left to get some food before returning to see that no-one else had arrived yet.
"I hope we aren't expecting everyone," said Fu. "I've heard the Nine-Tails has been dead for years."
"He isn't dead," came a voice at the side of the group. "He's far too stubborn to die."
The four of them turned to watch a small whirlwind of sand slowly emerge from the ground. It swirled for a few moments before dissipating into the form of a Sunagakure shinobi.
"So you've come as well," said Yugito, greeting the Kazekage with a slight nod.
Gaara turned to the group slowly, "I heard the call, same as you."
He acknowledged the presence of Killer Bee and Fu, who appeared to be arguing over Bee's choice in clothing considering the colder climate in the Land of Tea.
His gaze fell upon their other companion, and for a few moments he didn't recognise him. Gaara wasn't wearing his Kage outfit; he wore a basic Sunagakure shinobi outfit with his gourd sitting on his back.
"Information about your death appears to have been incorrect," he said, walking up to the Kirigakure shinobi and extending a hand towards him. "Are you still a Tailed Beast container? Or did that change with your reappearance?"
"You seem to know a lot about me, yet I know nothing about you," he said, taking Gaara's hand tightly. The two of them stared at each other intently.
"Sabaku no Gaara. The Kazekage of Sunagakure."
The Kirigakure shinobi cocked his head slightly, "A Tailed Beast container is a Kage in this age? Perhaps things haven't changed as much as I thought."
Gaara released his hand and crossed his arms over his chest, "They have. Just in ways you mightn't expect. Some progress has been made, though whether it sticks is yet to be decided."
His compatriot nodded in agreement, while Gaara turned to the others and introduced himself properly.
That's five…where are the other four?
oOoOoOo
The five of them waited patiently throughout the night until the next morning, with none of them feeling the effects of fatigue due to their patiently waiting occupants. They hadn't questioned why they needed to wait, and while the one who appeared to have summoned them there didn't say anything about it they knew it was important that they all be there.
Gaara already knew the dispositions of the two Kumogakure Tailed Beast containers, but the cheery girl who seemed to come from the since-destroyed Village of Waterfalls was not what he had expected. He could see the pain in her eyes like all the others, but she hid it in a manner that reminded him of an old friend. It was rather refreshing.
"Here comes another one," indicated Yugito, pointing to the horizon.
The whole group turned to look at the single figure walking towards them.
Fu leaned forward slightly with a hand shielding her eyes from the sunlight, "Oh, he's a handsome one too. Think he's one of us?"
"Judging by the chakra coming from him, I'd say yes," said Gaara, leaning his back on the tree at their meeting place.
The figure slowly came properly into view, wearing a blue open robe with no indication that he was a shinobi at all.
"So this is the meeting place after all," he said quietly, looking over the strange group of shinobi past his long black hair. "As good a place as any I suppose."
Most of the group simply watched him stoically, while Fu waved in excitement. The newcomer had a gloomy look in his eyes, but he greeted the group nonetheless.
"What is your name?" asked Yugito, standing at the front of the group.
Utakata looked at the blonde woman with a dull look, "Courtesy demands that you give me your name first."
The Two-Tails container glared at him for a moment, but Utakata smiled charmingly at her and bowed at his waist.
"I am Utakata, the bubble-user."
Yugito wasn't going to forgive him for that, but she forced a smile onto her face and greeted him, while Killer Bee was frantically trying not to laugh behind her. Turning her side slightly, Yugito elbowed him in the stomach, causing Killer Bee to double over in pain while Utakata continued to smile as he introduced himself to the next person in the group.
The others greeted him normally, though Fu wasn't able to hide a slight blush when she shook his hand. When he saw the Kirigakure shinobi that had arrived first his eyes darkened slightly and he refused to extend his hand in greeting.
"Saiken tells me you are the jailor of the Three-Tails and that you are the one who sent the message to him."
"I am, and I did. What of it?"
Utakata said nothing in return; he wasn't able to read anything in the pink eyes of the short shinobi, but the way that he kept to himself physically bothered him.
"Who are we still missing?" asked Killer Bee, having recovered from his companion's blow. "One, two…there are still two missing I think."
"Three," corrected Gaara, before indicating to outside of the group. "There are more coming."
oOoOoOo
"So you lot really came," said Roshi, looking over the group with a disapproving grunt. "This is a waste of time if there ever was one."
The tall armoured man standing high above everyone else didn't say a word, though his brown eyes stared at each Tailed Beast container in a way that put them all on edge.
"Your name is Roshi, am I right?" asked Gaara respectfully, he recognised him from the summit.
The red haired shinobi turned to him with his usual frown, "It's good to know that your shinobi village can afford to have their leader strutting about with a bunch of renegade shinobi. I guess your war mustn't be so important to you."
Gaara didn't change his expression, even as he took a step forward and stared the Four-Tails container in the eyes, "I have my priorities in a time of war, same as you. Perhaps if your village wasn't fighting a meaningless war against its own people you would understand that."
He took a step back, "And I have no reason to justify my actions to someone like you."
Roshi gritted his teeth at the Kazekage's barb, but kept his comments to himself as he saw the whole group had seen the exchange between the two of them.
Fu walked forward to extend a hand towards the tall Tailed Beast container, "You look like an interesting guy. My name is Fu. What is yours?"
Han looked down at her intensely, "A strange specimen you are. You hold great power within you, yet there is a scarred interior you try to hide from the outside world."
She looked at him with a confused expression, lowering her hand, "I…I don't understand…"
"That is quite clear…" said Han, taking his right hand out of his vest and placing it in front of Fu's face. "I wonder how you would look without your face…"
Roshi immediately moved in between the two of them, placing a fist on his chest, "Han!"
Even without being able to see his mouth, it was clear to the red haired shinobi that his companion was smirking horribly at him.
"So you are prepared to stop me? Do you really believe you could kill me, Roshi?"
"I would try, Han. We need everyone here, and you will not destroy our efforts for your sick interests."
Han didn't respond back, putting his hand back into his vest and stepped back.
Roshi turned back to the group, who all put down their respective weapons and stared at the Iwagakure shinobi intensely.
"I brought us here for unity, Roshi," said the Kirigakure shinobi, placing his hooked staff back against the tree. "If either of you have a problem, you need to keep it to yourselves."
The Four-Tails container glared at the young-looking shinobi for a moment before sending a glare at Han behind him. "As you say…Yagura. I would be interested to know how you are still alive after all these years."
"I will speak on such matters when our last member arrives," said the ex-Mizukage.
"Last member?" asked Roshi curiously, looking around the group. "The Nine-Tails isn't coming, he died years ago. We eight are the only Tailed Beasts remaining."
Gaara went to correct him, but to his surprise Yagura merely shook his head and indicated to the sea behind him with a thumb.
"Just ask your Tailed Beast, he'll tell you that the Nine-Tails is still alive."
Each of the group unfocused their eyes to do just that, though Gaara had to close his eyes completely to communicate with Shukaku.
Can you feel him? Is he close?
"You mean your little boyfriend? Yeah, you could say that."
Gaara resisted the urge to groan, he hated it when Shukaku disrespected him like that. He thought that the blonde shinobi beating the madness out of the Tailed Beast would have given him some measure of understanding, but Shukaku wasn't exactly the most consistent of Tailed Beasts.
"Well, he'd better get here soon," said Roshi, having confirmed with the Four-Tails quietly. "I'm not one for just waiting around."
The other Tailed Beasts shared a look before moving to their own locations, keeping mostly to themselves. None of them trusted each other yet, and unless something drastic changed, none of them would.
"You aren't still complaining about that, are you?"
"Well, she could have dropped us a little bit closer. It wasn't that dangerous."
"It was an armada of battleships, honey. The captain has to look after her crew above all else."
Naruto and Hinata ran over the water of the ocean with chakra in their feet, moving at a rapid pace as the sky slowly became lighter. They'd left their ship an hour earlier, and yet they still couldn't see any land in front of them.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" asked Hinata, as the two of them jumped high up into the air to avoid a massive wave.
Naruto shrugged, "I'm not the one giving the directions. They are getting closer to us though."
His wife activated her Byakugan and nodded slowly, "The cannonballs are getting closer. They'll catch up to us before we get anywhere close to land."
The blonde shinobi stopped running and Hinata stopped just in front of him. "Naruto?"
"Just one battleship is it?"
Hinata nodded again, she could already tell what he wanted to do. "Please don't do anything too dramatic, Naruto. We are so close to getting home."
Her blonde husband gave her a quick wink before turning around and running along the ocean back where they had come from, while Hinata stood and waited patiently. With her Byakugan active she was easily able to track his quick movements, though she frowned slightly when she saw a large cannonball flying towards her from the battleship that had been following for the past hour. It was surprising that it had been able to keep up with them, but that was as far as it was going to go.
Smiling to herself as she watched Naruto grinning as he moved towards the attacking battleship, she put up a hand towards the air. The cannonball made a screeching sound as it flew straight at her, threatening to blow up in her face.
While moulding a small amount of chakra, Hinata waited patiently until the cannonball was right in front of her before activating her technique. With her precise chakra control Hinata was able to surround the cannonball with wind chakra and stopped it in the middle of the air in front of her face.
"I guess I should get rid of this…" she said to herself, knowing that her husband was too far away to hear her.
Her Byakugan had a massive range of sight, but she still couldn't see any land within her range. Shrugging to herself, she began to swirl her hand in place, moving the cannonball around in the air like it was in a slingshot. After a few seconds of gaining momentum, Hinata flung the cannonball as far away as she could, in the opposite direction to where her husband was currently running.
It only took a few moments for the cannonball to disappear out of her sight, Hinata smiling to herself as she turned her gaze back to where Naruto was.
Naruto ducked and weaved as he saw the battleship moving its cannons to shoot him, though they appeared to know that he was too small a target to hit at his rapid speed and irregular movements.
Once he got in range, Naruto leapt high into the air and landed on the deck of the battleship, grinning mischievously at the crew. Just before leaving Grace's ship, Naruto had started to wear a long black jumpsuit with orange linings along his arms; he looked completely out of place with the sailors that were surrounding him. He'd taken it from a ship they had stormed a year ago, but he hadn't wanted to wear it until they were sure they were close to home. He'd wanted to get a cloak as well like his father used to wear, but there had been none that fit his tastes, much to his disappointment.
The battleship he had just landed on was a war galley, similar to the one they had left, with three sets of sails and two groups of rowers, with two dozen of cannons lining the sides and front. There were around fifty sailors by Naruto's count, and judging by the hateful looks they gave him he gathered they were Quiraji soldiers.
So Grace was right, they were blockading the mainland. That must mean we are close to home and they were either trying to stop people leaving, or stopping us from returning.
Almost immediately there were swords at his throat, but Naruto didn't even flinch, merely keeping his face at a constant smirk. A sailor barked orders at the others before stepping off the wheel and towards Naruto's position, wearing a heavy set of leather armour and red stripes across his forehead, pulling a jewelled sword from his belt.
"What is your game, shinobi? Did you really think you could break our blockade? We've hunted your kind for years."
Naruto watched from the crow's nest of the ship as the captain tried to threaten his shadow clone. He'd taken out the sailor within the nest without a sound, and he was happy that he was able to do so, unlike previous years.
"How long are you going to wait here?"
The blonde shinobi rolled his eyes; the Kyuubi had been chattier recently since it had been getting stronger within him. Naruto hadn't had to reinforce the seal holding the Kyuubi within since discovering the Tailed Beast was still inside him; it seemed like the Tailed Beast preferred to assist Naruto against the Quiraji, though how long that would last remained to be seen.
He glanced down at the deck to see the captain yell out for a moment before pulling up his sword and slicing his clone's throat. The blonde shinobi disappeared in a small puff of smoke, causing all the soldiers to jump in surprise.
"Well, guess I should get going," he said quietly, cracking his knuckles and moulding a large amount of chakra. "Let's see if this trick works…"
Pushing off from the crow's nest, Naruto leapt high up into the air and used his wind chakra to spin rapidly in the air above the battleship. He could feel himself getting sick from the spinning, and it wasn't helping that the chakra he was producing was getting out of control.
Kyuubi, you aren't helping…
"It's more fun this way. Besides, you said you wanted to be more destructive. Have some fun in life."
Naruto wanted to shrug in response, but his body was already spinning too fast for the motion. He struggled to put his hands in front of him to activate his new technique.
His wind chakra flew out of him like a shuriken with his body as the centre, though the scale was far larger than he had expected. As the sailors stared up at him with awe, he fuelled the technique completely with chakra.
"Futon: Daigai!" (Wind Element: Great Scythe)
His chakra appeared as a white and red shuriken around his body, expanding out so far that it hit the ocean dozens of feet below him.
The battleship didn't stand a chance.
Naruto's chakra sliced through the wood of the ship like it wasn't even there, sending giant splinters flying into the ocean below. The sailors that were in its path were sliced into tiny pieces, while many others were sent flying into the ocean.
It took him a few moments to slow down his momentum, though he couldn't see any good place to land. He pushed out a small amount of wind chakra from his feet to move away from the ship so he could see the devastation, though he lacked the accuracy that his wife did.
The battleship had been cut into two and large chunks of it were falling into the ocean as the Quiraji sailors struggled to keep themselves on the remaining pieces that were still afloat.
"Well that worked," said Naruto, surprised that it had worked so well.
"You are about to fall into the ocean you blonde moron."
Naruto looked down for a moment before being consumed by the ocean's water, gasping as his lungs were filled with seawater. He tried to swim up to the top frantically; he hated swimming in circumstances like this. It took him a moment before he calmed down and stopped thrashing about in the water, remembering the training he had done with his wife to get him over his dislike of swimming from a few years ago.
Concentrating on the seal he had etched into his chest, Naruto disappeared from inside the ocean with a loud crack of lightning. In an instant he was standing beside Hinata on the ocean floor, though he sank quickly as he hadn't steadied his chakra in his feet just yet.
Luckily Hinata had seen him disappear and reappear in front of her, reaching out and grabbing him by the shoulder to pull him up into her arms. She held onto him tight until he nodded to her that he was okay, giving her a quick kiss on the lips for helping him as he stood back onto the ocean.
"Thanks, beautiful."
"Still not good with swimming, huh?" asked Hinata with a warm smile.
Naruto could only shake his head reluctantly, "I don't know what it is, after all this time I thought I would be okay, but my body still shakes whenever I'm that far underwater."
"It's okay," she said with her hands in his. "That's why I'm here, remember?"
Her young husband smiling back and kissed her again, "I love you very much."
Inside Naruto's head, he could hear the Kyuubi dry retching violently. The blonde shinobi chuckled and put his arm around Hinata's waist.
"Do you want to keep going?" he asked with a warm smile.
She nodded, though he could tell she had a distant look in her eyes.
"Is something wrong?"
Hinata concentrated for a moment before turning her white eyes back to her husband, "Just worried about Grace, that's all. We've led her to a dangerous place, Naruto."
Naruto chuckled and looked back at the open ocean, "You are kidding, right? You saw her face when we came into range of that blockade. I don't think I've ever seen her that excited, except when we found that chest in the sand during the third raid."
His wife smiled as she remembered that time, the first time they had fought at the pirates' side since boarding her ship. "Ah, and then you drank too much ale and sang your lamentation about how much you wished Sasuke was by your side."
"I was…that wasn't…" Naruto shook his head violently, he'd tried to beat the memory out of his head, but it kept coming roaring back. "I thought we said we wouldn't mention that again."
"You said you wouldn't mention it again," Hinata chuckled as she pinched his side, "I did nothing of the sort."
Her husband sighed, "Evil woman…"
Hinata took his hand into hers, kissing him on the side of the neck before taking him several steps forward. "Come on, we've still got a lot of ground to cover."
Naruto mumbled to himself quietly as they moved quickly over the ocean surface, hoping that they were going in the right direction.
An hour later the two of them both grinned at the same time as they began to see land coming up on the horizon. Naruto had asked his wife why she hadn't used her Byakugan to scout ahead, but she had simply smiled sweetly and told him that she wanted the two of them to see their homeland at the same time.
The two of them looked at each other with affection in their eyes before taking a leap up the tall cliff face back into what they assumed was their homeland.
What they saw wasn't what they had been expecting at all.
Standing in a scattered group was a strange collection of shinobi from villages all around the shinobi world, confirming what they had suspected when they had left the pirate ship.
They were finally back in the land of shinobi, after over two years.
As they landed on the grass, both of them had very different reactions to the group in front of them.
Naruto noticed Gaara standing in the group with a rare small smile on his otherwise neutral face, thankful that the blonde shinobi had come as he had suspected. He immediately felt joy running through his body.
Hinata, on the other hand, noticed an oddly placed cannonball sitting in the grass in front of the two Iwagakure shinobi, who appeared rather put out by its existence. She swallowed loudly, she hadn't realised the cannonball she had flung had made it so far.
"Gaara! It's been far too long!" Naruto embraced the Suna shinobi with a joyful laugh, patting him on the back before standing back and regarding his old friend. "You look so different from back then."
"Naruto. You have been missing for a number of years. It is good to see you once again."
"You know this guy?" asked Fu, looking up and down at Naruto with her bright eyes.
Gaara nodded and indicated to Naruto with a hand, "We fought many years ago at the Chuunin Exams. He is the Nine-Tails container."
The Konoha shinobi initially frowned at Gaara revealing that to a group of strange shinobi, but from the non-judgemental looks they were giving it gave him a fair impression of the group. They were just like him.
"What is this group, Gaara? Why are we all here?"
Gaara looked over at the youngest-looking in the group with piercing eyes, "We were called here, by him. I thought you would have known that, Naruto, you are the last to arrive."
The blonde shinobi shrugged with a dumb expression on his face, "The Kyuubi doesn't tell me crap. We were following a map we found on a ship a few months ago. I was just kind of going on instinct."
Yagura frowned and stared at him suspiciously, "You…weren't following the call of your Tailed Beast? I find it oddly coincidental that you came to the exact location that the rest of us did."
Naruto could only shrug in response, "Well we had the map, and I was kind of…I dunno…"
The ex-Mizukage just shook his head in amazement, "Well…you are here, and that's what matters."
In front of Naruto, Gaara turned his gaze to his companion, "You are…Hinata, correct? The others have told me that the two of you are something of an item and that you would likely be travelling together."
Hinata chuckled at the accusation and brought up her hand, letting the sunlight glimmer on the red stone sitting in her ring, "A little bit more than that, Kazekage-sama."
Despite his stoic expression, she could see the surprise in his eyes. "How did you know?"
Pointing to Gaara's hand, Hinata smiled as she always did, "You are wearing the same ring your father did during the Chuunin Exams. The signet ring of the Kazekage."
Gaara looked down at his hand, he'd forgotten about the ring completely when he had left his village, it hadn't occurred to him that people outside the village would know about it.
"Kazekage? Get out of here!" exclaimed Naruto, reaching out and clapping the sand-user on the back in a manner that everyone could see Gaara wasn't comfortable with whatsoever. "How'd you manage that? I thought your father hated your guts."
"My father is dead, Naruto," replied Gaara without any emotion in his voice.
The blonde shinobi immediately apologised, but the Kazekage waved him off, it wasn't the time for such small talk. There would be time for that later.
"So this is all of us then?" asked Yugito, not sure what to make of the couple that had just arrived.
Yagura nodded grimly, "I couldn't imagine that all of us would be able to come, but this makes it easier for what I want to do."
"And what is that?" said Roshi with his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face; "You had best have a good explanation for why you brought the strongest shinobi in the world to a single location. If one were a cautious person, he would think this is a trap."
"It is nothing of the sort, I assure you," said Yagura quickly. "We all share the same fate and the same burden. My…companion hasn't revealed to me the full extent of the relationship the Tailed Beasts once had with the enemy that has taken over our lands, but I know that it is serious enough because it sounds scared every time it speaks about them."
"They burnt the Quiraji's country to the ground."
The whole group turned to Naruto with confused looks.
"The Kyuubi told me a while ago about a war between the shinobi of the old days and the Quiraji," continued Naruto. "There are details you don't need to know about, but the Tailed Beasts know the enemy better than any of us. That's why they are so scared. They weren't able to defeat them completely."
Yagura breathed out slowly, it was as he had suspected. "That makes sense. This is why we need to work together, as companions of old. I don't have anyone else that I can trust; no-one understands the plight of a Tailed Beast container except us."
Several of the group turned their noses at the idea of working together, though each of them held their own misgivings about the situation in general.
While the conversation was going on, Hinata had found herself staring at the ex-Mizukage with a strange look in her white eyes. She wasn't sure what it was until she activated her Byakugan, and then it became abundantly clear to her in an instant.
Each of the Tailed Beasts containers was put on edge at her using her doujutsu, as an outsider to the group she was suspicious enough despite being a Tailed Beast container's wife.
"Something is wrong," she said, unable to contain her surprise. "Something is very wrong, Naruto…"
"What is it?" he asked, already trying to run through scenarios on what she could mean.
Before she could respond however, Yagura stepped forward and got the group's attention with a loud cough. "I believe she is speaking about me. There is something I need to tell all of you before I tell you why we are all here."
He reached up to his green poncho and pulled it down slightly, revealing a set of ugly scars across his neck that made even the most hard-bitten shinobi recoil.
"Until recently, I used to be dead."
***Flashback***
Yagura opened his eyes and yet all he could see was complete darkness. His breath caught in his throat like there was something stuck in his throat, yet he could feel that he wasn't choking.
Always a calm individual regardless of the situations he found himself in, Yagura felt around his surroundings with his hands, feeling a something that felt very much like stone on his fingers.
He tried to mould a small amount of chakra, and found it surprisingly easy to perform, far more than the last time he had. Normally there was a trick to it, but Yagura felt himself drifting back into memories of his childhood.
It's almost as if…
Even without his sight, he could feel around his body with his hands, and he almost jumped when he felt a strange mark on his stomach. It wasn't the seal he had once held, but something else.
It was then he realised that he wasn't wearing the clothes he used to wear in the past. At that moment his body froze as his nerves all flared up at once and the memory came slamming back into his skull.
He remembered a knife, one that had been plunged into his throat dozens of times by the same person. It was vague at first, but he recalled being drenched in lava and screaming out in pain, but he didn't recall being scared at all, or fighting back.
It was relief. A release from a misery he couldn't quite recall.
Always a calm individual, Yagura didn't panic when he realised what had happened to him. He was more drawn by curiosity of how he was still breathing, if that was what he was doing.
The ex-Mizukage felt around himself with his hands again, feeling the familiar touch of stone on the tips of his fingers. After a few moments he felt at a section of stone, his suspicions confirmed as he read the writing through his fingertips.
In death, all sins are forgiven no matter how heinous. Proceed to the next life with a clean slate.
Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure.
So it's true then. I am dead. Or at least I was.
One other thing occurred to him as well, something that was just as troubling.
The Three-Tails is gone.
Despite having been the container of the turtle monster for a number of years, Yagura found he didn't miss his previous occupant. He'd made the sacrifice once already, it was clear to him that he shouldn't have to do so again.
Seeing that he wasn't going to get anywhere at his current location, Yagura moulded a small amount of chakra again and placed both his hands on the stone above his body. It was strange performing a technique without his Tailed Beast fuelling his abilities, but Yagura had been a talented shinobi long before the turtle had been sealed within him.
The stones exploded outwards and he was showered with pebbles, but it was the light that hurt him the most, virtually blinding him before he could get his hand to his eyes. It wasn't the sun that struck his face, but a bright flame, one that sat upon a torch on a wall of stone.
Yagura groaned in pain as his eyes slowly adjusted to the light, though he found it far more difficult to move his legs than he would have thought. It was as if it had been years since he had done so before.
How many years have I been sitting here?
After considerable effort he was able to remove himself from his tomb, though when his feet touched the ground his whole body shook in pain.
"I'm never going to get used to this," he said quietly, rubbing at his stiff neck. He'd been buried in the Kage robes he'd almost never worn, and as he looked on the sleeves with his slowly adjusting eyes it was clear that he'd been buried for some years.
While his body was stiff and unresponsive, his skin appeared the same as it had been before. Either it hadn't as long as he thought or whatever brought him back restored his body as well.
Looking up at the torch on the wall, Yagura could feel a horrible sense of foreboding just outside the tomb. His memories were slowly returning to him, and he considered himself lucky that he had been buried in the Kage tomb at all.
Having visited the tomb once before when the Third Mizukage had died, Yagura knew the way out rather well, though placing one foot in front of the other proved rather stressful on his body.
It was almost half an hour before he found his way to the surface, and he came to the realisation that he wasn't too far from the village, though whether that presented a danger to him or not was yet to be seen.
When he came out of the tomb it was dark, the night sky covered the village's shadow in a rather nostalgic manner, though Yagura could only stare at the figure before him.
It was clearly a woman by the shape of her, but that's where the comparison ended. She kept her face and body hidden under a pale cloak that seemed to such in all the light of the fires around it within.
"Who are you?" asked Yagura cautiously, though he knew he was in no condition to fight her.
The woman didn't move, but Yagura could feel the pressure oozing from her to the point that it forced him to his knees.
"Why…did you bring me back?"
Do you remember me?
Yagura wasn't able to see her features, and her voice didn't ring through his ears like a normal one would. It seemed to ring in his mind like a thundering bell, and each sound caused a spike of pain through his head.
But he had heard the voice before, though it felt like it was more from a dream than reality.
It took him a few moments to realise, but when he did, he understood the gravity of the situation and how he had been brought back.
"Yes…I remember you. But how can you be here?"
This is my realm as much as the next one is.
The ex-Mizukage took one breath after the other; it was slowly becoming easier to breathe through his course throat. "Why did you bring me back?"
You have an inflated sense of your importance. You are merely a single piece in a grander puzzle.
Yagura stared at her dark hood, feeling the strength in his arms slowly returning. "You didn't answer my question." He tried to keep his tone respectful, but he knew it didn't come off that way.
The hooded woman took a single step forward, and Yagura could see the grass beneath her black boots withering and dying.
Your former occupant is two hundred miles to the east. If you are quick, you can seal it before it realises your presence and alerts the village.
"You mean to make me a Tailed-Beast container again? To what purpose?"
As soon as he asked, he cried out in pain and dropped his head to the ground, biting back a loud scream. Everything in his mind was in agony, but he knew it wasn't a punishment.
It was a reminder.
"Sorry…I just…how long have I been dead?"
The pain in his head dulled slightly and he was able to pick himself up from the ground, to see that the cloaked woman had disappeared. It was clear that he hadn't imagined it since the grass was dead only in the sections she had been standing in.
What is her purpose? If she wants to reunite me with the Three-Tails, so be it.
Looking over at his old village, Yagura swallowed slowly. He knew he couldn't go back; they would just kill him again. He couldn't remember why he had done the things he had done in the past, but they were not things he deserved to be forgiven for.
Yet he still loved his village, and wanted to do whatever he could to protect it.
Even if it meant keeping as far away from it as possible.
***End Flashback***
Yagura waited for his story to sink in as he watched their reactions carefully. Han, Utakata and Yugito didn't react at all, though he figured that was because they were that type of shinobi. He knew it was a big ask to believe his story, but there was too much at stake for him to fail now.
Killer Bee and Fu stared at him with grins on their faces; he wasn't sure whether that was by personal amusement at the story, or just their general disposition.
Roshi had his usual disapproving expression on, though surprisingly he could see that the red haired Tailed Beast container believed his story. Yagura was glad to see this; he had heard of the Iwagakure shinobi's stubbornness, it apparently rivalled the Tsuchikage.
"That woman is our enemy," said Gaara, a heavy frown on his face. "She is one of the leaders of the Quiraji army."
Yagura nodded, he'd since figured that out after his apparent resurrection.
"To control life and death that way…what kind of power do these people have?" asked Hinata to no-one in particular, with her Byakugan it was easy to tell how much degeneration the man's body had gone through.
The Kazekage turned his gaze to Naruto, trying to find the words to describe what he knew he had to tell his old friend. "Naruto, there is something you need to know about her."
The blonde shinobi's gaze darkened, judging by the tone of Gaara's voice he knew it wasn't going to be good news. He wanted to speak to Gaara on a number of subjects, but that had to wait until they had figured out what the gathering was for.
Gaara didn't mince words. "That woman is the one who destroyed Konoha."
Both Naruto and Hinata looked at each sadly, it was clear that had suspected as such from their faces.
"If that's true…"
"Then why did she…"
Naruto put a hand up to stop Hinata from saying something she wouldn't want to. "I don't know. But let's leave this for another time, honey."
The others looked at them strangely, before Naruto turned back to Gaara.
"So what does this mean?" he asked quietly.
"It means…" interrupted Yagura, standing in the middle of the group. "…that there is more going on than we originally thought."
"So this woman revived you for what purpose?" asked Yugito.
"I don't know," replied the ex-Mizukage. "But when the Three-Tails was sealed back into me, I was told of a fierce battle the Tailed Beasts once fought against the Quiraji."
"She intends for you to fight against them."
The group turned to the tall Tailed Beast container, who had barely spoken more than two sentences the entire time. He didn't offer an explanation for his statement, but Han's stoic expression was enough to let the group understand his meaning.
Yagura nodded, "And that's why I brought all of us here. The reason doesn't matter, this is our world. Ours to protect and to save."
Several of the group scoffed at the notion, while Gaara took a step forward into the centre of the group.
"It isn't the first time she has done something like this. Rock Lee from Konoha once told me of a similar experience, though she never spoke a word to him. Whoever this Quiraji woman is, she clearly isn't working entirely for the Quiraji cause. Hatake Kakashi also spoke of her strange behaviour during the destruction of Amegakure."
Naruto and Hinata shared another look, one that was seen by most of the group. Not wanting to keep it from their new allies, Naruto coughed awkwardly and drew the group's attention.
"I…uh…also had an experience like that."
"Did you now?" asked Roshi suspiciously.
Naruto nodded with a slight frown, he was getting annoyed at the red haired old man and his interruptions.
"When I was training, I suffered a bit of a backlash and was heavily wounded. When I didn't think I would make it, I felt a strange horror in my bones, like I wasn't going to make it. There was this strange pressure on my shoulders, and I could feel myself being pulled into the ground."
"Get to the point, boy," said Roshi impatiently.
Naruto glared at him for a moment before breathing out slowly, "The point is, I saw her as well, though she never spoke to me. The injuries my techniques had inflicted…and the…limbs they had removed…were healed and I recovered, though all she did was stand there."
"So, the question is: is this woman an ally or an enemy?"
The Nine-Tails container turned to Utakata and frowned, "It doesn't matter what she has done, I won't forgive her for what she did to our home. My friends, my teachers, everyone in Konoha is dead because of her. Bringing me back does not make her innocent."
"Regardless, we are getting nowhere," said Yagura, hoping to bring the discussion back on topic. "I wanted you to know how I came to this point, but that isn't why I brought everyone here."
"Then get to the point," said Killer Bee at the back of the group. "Some of us have better things to do."
Yugito looked up at the dark-skinned Tailed Beast container suspiciously, "Like what, scratching your balls? Face it Bee, you are here like the rest of us because you have to be."
The Kumogakure shinobi scoffed and put up his hands in his usual pose, "You can't be hating me…"
His companion wasted no time in spinning around and slamming a fist into his face, though Bee barely moved in response, leaving her fist to hang on his face.
Yagura ignored them and turned to the rest of the group, "At the moment, there are five main shinobi villages remaining, correct?"
Gaara nodded, "Yes, though another one of them is hiding like the cowards they are."
The ex-Mizukage pointed to the forehead protector on his chest, "My home village is in trouble, and I cannot solve it on my own. Since we all share a common enemy, I brought you here to request your help. There is no-one else I can ask."
For several moments none of them said anything, until Fu broke the silence with a high-spirited laugh.
"Is something funny to you?" asked Yagura, his stoic face hiding how insulted he felt.
The young girl shook her head as she felt the laughter running down her sides, "I'm sorry, but I think I heard you wrong. You brought the Tailed Beast containers from every village, to help you solve a single village's problem? Kid, you are the worst at telling bad jokes."
"I have to agree with the lady," said Utakata, smiling at Fu warmly. "Kirigakure's problems are not ours, regardless of how we are connected."
"Yeah…"
"He's right, this isn't our fight…"
"Enough of this garbage!" yelled Naruto, his voice failing to contain the anger flowing through him.
Beside him his wife looked at him with concern on her face, "Naruto…"
Naruto stood at Yagura's side stubbornly, "He's asking for our help, don't just dismiss him out of hand! What kind of people are you?! At least listen to what he has to say!"
The Tailed Beast containers all stared at the blonde shinobi suspiciously, but Naruto didn't relent.
"We might be from different villages, with different backgrounds and experiences, but when the whole world is falling apart around us we have to help each other out."
Naruto clenched his fists tightly, "Otherwise, we don't survive."
Facing his old friend with a stoic expression, Gaara couldn't help but be impressed with his old friend. It wasn't hard to see the determination that had changed him and so many others; though he felt proud that Naruto had grown in the years he hadn't seen him.
"Nice words from a boy who knows nothing of war," said Roshi, rolling his eyes dramatically.
That line was the final straw for Naruto, with the blonde shinobi stepping forward and grabbing the Iwagakure shinobi by his shirt tightly.
"I've fought on battlefields you can't imagine, you old fool. I've charged an army of thousands by myself just to take out their general, so don't speak to me about war. I know about this world, and how it works just fine."
He glared down at the older man's angry face, "And don't call me boy, or I'll knock you on your ass."
"This fighting is getting us nowhere," pointed out Yugito from the edge of the group, while Naruto and Roshi glared at each with gritted teeth. "What is this problem you speak of, and why should we care?"
Yagura took a deep breath, he had to be careful how to frame what he was about to say, it would determine whether his effort here was wasted or not.
"The woman who is claiming to be the current Mizukage is an imposter. The real Mizukage is a prisoner within her own village. This is why I was brought back, to bring Kirigakure back from the brink of annihilation."
The three Tailed Beast containers that had been at the battle of the Kage Summit all looked at each with frowns on their faces, they'd all remembered the Mizukage during the battle, and how she hadn't fought in a manner that a Kage would be expected to.
Both Roshi and Yugito kept their remarks to themselves however, while Gaara looked the most disturbed of the whole group.
I knew something was suspicious, but what does that mean for our discussions and the training she gave me? Was she an imposter then, or was it afterwards?
"How do we know you are speaking the truth?" asked Utakata suspiciously.
"You don't, but I am," said Yagura in response. "I do not know why the false Mizukage is doing this, or when after my death it happened, but I do know something that causes my blood to run cold in my veins. The Fifth Mizukage is a good woman, and whoever is doing this is using her image to put the whole shinobi world at risk."
He reached into a pocket in his pants and produced a small sheet of paper, flipping it around so that the whole group could see.
On the paper was a picture, clearly taken at bad quality and produced hastily, but clearly displayed what was a very disturbing image.
Inside the picture was the red haired Mizukage, wearing the same image she had displayed at the Kage Summit, though she wasn't wearing her Kage robes. She stood in a field of trees and held a scroll in her hands, as she was receiving a scroll from an old man in pitch black robes."
"I don't get it, what does this mean?"
"So what, it's just a photo…"
Even Naruto and Hinata weren't sure why it was such a big deal, but Gaara could feel his blood run cold just as the ex-Mizukage had described.
"This…can't be right," he said in a rare display of emotion. "Why would she do that? This would change the whole war…"
Naruto turned to him with a confused look on his face, "What are you talking about, Gaara?"
"That's Kyoukou, one of the Quiraji leaders. If the Mizukage is treating with him…that means the whole village is either going to be converted…or destroyed."
The Kazekage turned to the group, having recovered his expression though it was clear he was still very disturbed. "We are already being pushed back too far…if we lose Kirigakure, we'll lose the war. That is a guarantee."
The Tailed Beasts all clenched at hearing that, they all knew about the Quiraji and the threat they posed. However they weren't sure about what they were being asked to do, as they all turned to their host with a variety of looks.
"He's right. I love my village and would do anything to save it, but this is bigger than me and my village. If Kirigakure turns to the enemy, they will destroy our whole country and everyone we care about."
"So what?"
Everyone turned to Utakata, but the blue robed shinobi didn't relent from his statement.
"We are the outcasts of the shinobi world. They hated us. Despised us. Why should we risk our lives for such people? We are all going to die at some point, now is as good a time as any."
Beside him, Fu let out a long sigh. "He's right; there is no point in saving people who would kill us in our sleep at the first opportunity."
Even with his normal cheery attitude, Naruto could feel each word the two of them spoke slam straight into his heart. It was nothing he hadn't said to himself in his darker times, and the fact that he never got the chance to prove the villagers wrong always ate at him.
"You can't look at it like that though," said the quiet voice of Hinata, feeling the same pain that the Tailed Beast containers were experiencing. "You aren't doing this for them; you are doing it for yourselves and your companions. If you are the only ones that can do this, then you have a responsibility to do so, even if it means taking a risk on your lives."
She slipped her hand into her husband's, causing the Nine-Tails container to smile sheepishly.
"If you don't fight, you are just as bad as the ones who caused you pain. And looking at your faces, I can tell you aren't those kinds of people."
Though she kept to herself the overwhelmingly negative feeling she got when she looked at the tall Iwagakure shinobi, something about him made her feel like running as far as possible in the other direction.
The current Kazekage took a bold step forward and stared at Yagura directly, "If it means your help in the war against the Quiraji, then I will help you, as will Sunagakure. You have my word on this."
Behind Gaara, both Naruto and Hinata nodded in turn. "We'll help too," said Naruto, holding his wife's hand firmly. "We have a lot of time to make up for."
Yagura nodded his thanks, turning to the rest of the group with the question written on his expression.
The others were not so easily convinced, though each of them could understand the stakes of their current situation.
The quietest of the group glared at the four of them for a few moments before taking a long step forward and placing his hand into his vest. "I will assist your efforts as well."
His companion from Iwagakure stared up at him suspiciously; it wasn't like Han to be so accommodating to other people without expressing his agenda.
He's probably waiting for an opportunity to do one of his sick experiments on their village. I swore that I wouldn't let him leave my sight, he's my responsibility.
Han wasn't going to offer an explanation as to his intentions, though Yagura wasn't going to complain. There was something about him that felt wrong, but the ex-Mizukage couldn't afford to not accept any help that was offered to him.
"Tell me something, Yagura," asked Roshi, turning his attention away from his fellow Iwagakure shinobi. "If we succeed, will you retake the position of Mizukage?"
"I can't say, but I doubt it. However I should have a large amount of influence on the efforts of our village, if that is what you are asking."
Roshi took a deep breath, it was a lot to take in but he represented his village's interests and there was something to be gained here that wouldn't be available in the future.
"If I help you in this fight, I would need a guarantee that your village won't ever go to war with mine in the future. In writing, from the proper Mizukage. If you can guarantee me that, then I have no choice but to assist you. I may be stubborn, but I'm not a fool either."
Yagura nodded quickly, "That I can do. We have no interest in attacking other shinobi, the Quiraji are all that matter now. We have to work together."
With that, the Iwagakure shinobi had dedicated themselves to the mission that hadn't been fully revealed yet, while the others were still making up their minds.
While she was one of the shinobi that was not associated with a shinobi village anymore, Fu could feel his muscles tensing at every mention of the Quiraji. She could still remember when the man in white armour destroyed her hated village with his army, and then later a figure bearing a striking resemblance had come after her and her master.
She couldn't forgive that, even if she didn't care about the rest of the shinobi world. Her master's ghost demanded her take action, and this was the closest she could get.
"I'm coming as well," said Fu, her cheerful smile hiding her real intentions. "It isn't like I have anything else to do."
While the ex-Mizukage was thanking the Seven-Tails container, Yugito and Killer Bee were talking quietly to each other, trying to work out what they were going to do in the situation.
"For all we know, this could be a trap," whispered Yugito, wary of how tricky the Kirigakure shinobi had a tendency to be. "Can we afford to trust this man?"
Killer Bee shook his head, acting serious for a change. "These fools aren't something we can get hung up on. If they are still anything like they are during the invasion, we are gonna need all the help we can get. The war will return to home at some point."
The dark skinned shinobi looked over at the group that had agreed to help the young looking Tailed Beast container, feeling a strange sensation when he saw the hopeful look on the Konoha shinobi's face.
"The Eight-Tails says we should trust them, and I agree with it. There is something here…we shouldn't let go." Killer Bee stared at his companion carefully, "Besides, if the red haired one can get a guarantee, why can't we?"
Yugito frowned; she hated the fact that he was right. He might look and act a fool most of the time, but he had been fighting far longer than she had, and he knew how the world worked in his own strange manner.
"But what would we ask for?" asked Yugito at a whisper.
Yagura, having heard most of the conversation, stepped towards the Kumogakure shinobi with an accommodating smile. "In the past years, Kirigakure has taken a number of your companions prisoner. If you help me take back my village, I swear I will release them."
Yugito and Killer Bee looked at each for a moment before nodding their agreement.
"I can't speak for the Raikage, but we will help you," said Yugito, reaching out a hand to shake on the agreement. "But we will need to know more before we go attacking another village on just your word."
Their host nodded his understanding, he wanted to get all their consents before he spoke of his plan, that way there was a lower chance for betrayal. Even now, he couldn't completely trust any of them.
After a few moments everyone turned to the one Tailed Beast container who hadn't committed to the cause, each of them seeing the disquiet written on his face.
How can they all just agree like that? Are they fools?
"They understand each other, Utakata. As they understand you."
The blue robed man gritted his teeth; he didn't want to get swept up into someone else's war. He'd been enjoying the calm and quiet, but it seemed that he wasn't allowed to have a peaceful life.
"You were called here the same as them, because you alone have the power to help. We brought this war upon you because we could not finish it, and I'm sorry for that. But you don't have a choice."
You are putting too much on me, Saiken. What if I can't?
"Then the world burns, and your struggle will have meant nothing."
Utakata sighed quietly, it was clear that he had no choice. "Fine. It would seem we Tailed Beast containers have to stick together, even in this ragtag group."
"You have my thanks, everyone. We have much ground to cover, and I fear that we don't have much time to spare. We'll have to make haste across the countryside before moving to the Land of Water and I can tell you about my plan."
"Gaara, what is the state of the Land of Fire?" asked Naruto, though he felt like he already knew the answer. He wanted to know before they left.
The Kazekage's eyes darkened slightly, "I won't lie to you, Naruto. The Land of Fire is no longer in shinobi hands. The Quiraji are using it as their base of operations while they invade the other countries. It is lost."
Both Naruto and Hinata looked at each other grimly. After Konoha had been destroyed they had entertained the possibility that they could rebuild their village, but that dream was slowly moving out of their reach.
As the group whispered to each other quietly, Naruto coughed awkwardly and took a step forward to look at the group as a whole. "Um, you guys should go on ahead. I have something I want to check up on."
By his side, his wife frowned slightly, "You've got that look on your face again, Naruto. What are you thinking?"
Naruto couldn't help but grin; he could appreciate how well his wife knew him. "It's been years since we saw home, and by the sound of it, home has changed immensely. I just want to pay my respects."
"What are you saying?" asked Yagura.
The blonde shinobi kissed his wife on the top of her head before turning to the ex-Mizukage. "I'm going to scout out the Land of Fire for a little bit. I'll catch up with you on your way to the village."
Several of the group scoffed at the thought and then jumped when Naruto disappeared without a sound, leaving no trace of his movements. They all looked around for him, except Gaara and his wife, who shared a look of common understanding.
They both knew him to be the type to run off without a plan.
"Who is that boy?" asked Yugito, having never seen that kind of movement before. He hadn't let off any chakra when he disappeared, if anything he'd demonstrated a technique like their enemy had.
Gaara let out a long breath, "He'll be back. He always comes back. We should get going."
The others appeared suspicious, but there wasn't anything they could do about it. They began to question Yagura about his plan as they moved along the grasslands in the slowly approaching night.
Even without her Byakugan, Hinata could see Naruto hidden on a tree a short distance away; she could feel the smile on his face.
I guess I knew what I was signing up for.
She felt at the mark on her chest that would allow him to return in an instant. They shared more than one bond, but she knew that she couldn't go with him.
Only Naruto would be able to do what he had in mind.
Author's Note:
The next chapter will be all on Naruto's adventure in the Land of Fire, something I've been waiting to do for a while. It should be rather…illuminating.
I haven't had the chance to explore Han as much as I intended, but that's how the writing goes sometimes. In later chapters I'm hoping to convey him the way I was thinking of, but I'll have to ask for your patience.
(To Hunter Sim: The song Konan was singing is called 'Easter Snow' by Christy Moore.)
There are parts of these chapters that I sometimes feel like they've been rushed, and as much as I've tried to compensate for that, I occasionally wonder whether I'm getting ahead of myself with this amount of writing. Please tell me whether you are noticing anything like that, it's something that's been on my mind.
Please review and tell me what you think. I try to take each review into account, and believe me I read them all. Tell me what can be improved, what you liked, what you didn't, everything. I'm a writer so I'm always open to criticism.