Author Note: I decided to post this chapter early since I can't be bothered to get up early tomorrow. This chapter is gonna have some feels, but I hope ya'll will find it enjoyable! It was a challenge to write. I don't wanna reveal anything, so hurry up and get to reading!
"Disembodied voices of higher beings."
"External Dialogue of Lesser Mortals."
'Structured Thoughts'
Setsuri
Chapter Twelve
"Ignorance is bliss."
Naruto awoke with a groan of disgruntled confusion. He felt sore everywhere but ached more on the inside than the outside. It was like he was in a full-body cramp. Sitting up, he looked around lazily, yawning as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
'When did I get back here?'
Naruto crossed his arms, tilting his head from side to side as he tried to remember, but everything was fuzzy. The last he'd recalled, Sasuke and he were having their usual spar before dinner. Shrugging, Naruto struggled to his feet, hissing as soon as he put his full weight on his legs.
'Shimatta! What the hell?! Why am I so stiff?! This sucks, dattebayo!'
Muttering curses under his breath with every step, Naruto willed himself to get dressed. Once he was back in his ninja attire, the confused yet determined apprentice-ninja went to work liberating himself of the almost crippling tightness within his limbs. Naruto refused to appear as a burden to his teammates and bit back a whimper as he went through his routine. He didn't know where everyone was, or why they didn't wake him up, but he was of no use to anyone if his movements were hindered.
"Kuso!" Naruto growled as he tested his limbs once more. He was still a bit sore, but it was tolerable. Gingerly he exited his room and headed downstairs to find only Inari and Tsunami. His team and Tazuna were nowhere in sight.
'Is it already that late? What happened to working in shifts?'
"Anô-Sa! Anô-Sa, where is everyone?" Naruto asked sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. He already had a sneaking suspicion of where his team would be but didn't want to make any assumptions.
"Oh, Naruto-Kun! How are you feeling? Your sensei wanted you to take the day off to continue recuperating. It seems you overextended yourself the other day. After using too much, chakra? He said he'd be by this afternoon to check in on you. Your friends will be happy to know you're finally awake. They've been quite worried about you, especially Hinata-Chan. Nē, Inari?" Tsunami explained with a knowing smile as she turned to her son. Inari hesitantly grunted in agreement, glancing up at Naruto before he quickly turned away.
This new behavior confused Naruto, causing the preteen to tilt his head as he thought it over. Usually, Inari had nothing to offer but scathing remarks and grim preaching. It was different to see him act shy. As Tsunami's words registered in his mind, Naruto couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.
'They were worried about me? Shimatta, I guess I overdid it again. Hopefully, Kakashi and Hinata aren't angry with me. It's surprising to hear that Sasuke was worried though, I thought he didn't give a damn about anyone but himself… Was he really worried about me, or about me hindering the mission?'
Plastering on his best grin, Naruto let out a nervous chuckle, "Heh-heh-heh, I'm doing okay now, we ninja are built to be resilient after all! How long did I oversleep, anyway? I kinda feel bad that I missed my morning spar with Hinata-Chan, but it's also kinda weird that my whole team left. Are we not working in shifts anymore?"
Tsunami blinked in surprise before giving Naruto a sympathetic smile, "Naruto-Kun, I don't quite understand the situation entirely, but from how your sensei behaved, your situation appeared quite serious. You've been asleep for almost two days."
"T-two... DAYS?!" Naruto screamed in shock, stumbling backward until he fell on his rump, gripping his hair in disbelief. Two days, he'd been asleep for practically two days?! What the hell did he do to himself?! Naruto was always used to recovering faster than everyone else, whether it was physical injuries or simple exhaustion. He wasn't even worried about receiving a lecture later, he was expecting a full-on ass-chewing. Naruto shuddered to think how disappointed his mentor might be. Was that why he'd been left behind? He'd need to make it up to the team somehow, how could he be so irresponsible...
"You must be hungry, let me prepare something for you," Tsunami offered kindly, drawing Naruto out of his spiraling thoughts. He watched as the young mother gathered up the project she'd been working on with Inari, it was knitting, or maybe embroidery? Naruto wasn't quite sure. The young boy had studiously held his mother's yarn to keep it from entangling. Maybe she was making something for winter?
Such thoughts had his mind drifting back, a red scarf, burned and torn apart. Hopelessness, isolation, shame, as these unfocused thoughts passively drifted into his mind Naruto's eyes drooped. Just as his vision started to glaze over, the genin's training instincts kicked in. He felt eyes upon him, snapping back into reality Naruto looked up to see Inari staring at him. The expression on the young boy's face was hard to read. As their eyes locked, Inari was quick to look away once more.
Furrowing his brow, Naruto closed his eyes as if appearing deep in thought. In actuality, he was trying to tune into the boy's emotions through his sensor abilities. The young boy's emotions were a scrambled mess, regret, fear, curiosity, apprehension, hope, sadness, anger, helplessness. It was hard to pinpoint the dominant emotion. Opening his eyes once more, Naruto studied Inari, frowning as he tried to guess what was on the child's mind.
It seemed Inari didn't appreciate the staring because it didn't take long for him to quickly stand and make a dash upstairs. Letting out a sigh, Naruto took his time following the boy, his muscle soreness hard to ignore as he climbed the stairs once more. The genin didn't have much else to do and didn't want to dig a deeper hole for himself by disobeying Kakashi's orders. Might as well pester the kid while waiting for breakfast.
Inari was predictably in his room, holding a worn picture frame as he sat looking out towards the ocean, crying quietly to himself. Naruto had seen it plenty of times since their arrival. After a long moment of silently watching the boy, Naruto decided to make his presence known, gently knocking on the door to announce himself.
At the sound, Inari jumped, quickly wiping away his tears and hiding the photo before he turned to stare at Naruto. The orange-clad ninja was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest, and a subdued look on his face. Instead of continuing to stare at the distraught child, Naruto turned his gaze up at the ceiling.
"You know... I could ask what's wrong, but we both know that's a dumb question. Instead, I wanna talk. You see, the way I look at it, I don't think your dad would want to see you waste your time crying all day. Your mom and grandfather are probably worried sick about you too. So, what's worth crying about, anyway? If it's because you're afraid Gatō's gonna hurt us, don't worry. Hinata-Chan could probably take on his thugs with one hand tied behind her back, -ttebayo. Don't even get me started on what Sasuke or Sensei could do." Naruto explained in as gentle a tone he could muster, before chuckling as he finished.
Glancing over, he found Inari bowing his head, his features hidden beneath his fisherman's hat. The preteen was expecting another tirade of how his team would die, and how unbeatable Gatō's thugs were, but he hoped Inari would at least try to consider what he had to say.
"How can you handle it all?" Inari finally mumbled.
"Hm? Well, we're ninja. We're supposed to be tough."
Inari shook his head, finally looking up at Naruto with a confused yet determined gaze, "No, I mean how come you're so strong? Hinata-Nē-Chan said you don't have any family, but you're always smiling, and are so sure that everything's gonna be okay in the end. You're not afraid of failing, being hurt, or anything. Even your sensei says you never cry or make excuses. Even when you might be sad or hurting, you push through it. For the sake of your dreams, and praise from those around you."
"Heh, so they said all that, did they?" Naruto asked, scratching his cheek as a blush started to creep up his face. He'd have to give Kakashi and Hinata more credit for their observation skills. "...Well, they're partially right. I can just repeat the same crap that I was taught. That a shinobi must endure, a shinobi mustn't show their tears, a shinobi must be prepared for any situation, you get the point." Pausing, Naruto walked over to where Inari sat, turning his gaze out towards the seascape. Even with the mid-morning fog, it was still a beautiful sight to behold.
"However, I think this time I'll be honest. You see, I actually do get scared. I'm scared of failing, getting hurt, losing my friends. I'm scared of a lot of things, dattebayo! In fact, as embarrassing as it is to admit, I was so scared the first time I faced an enemy ninja, that I froze up! If it wasn't for Sasuke and Kakashi-Sensei, I'd probably have been killed," Naruto admitted dryly, smiling softly as he noticed the look of horror cross Inari's face. He felt it best to leave it unmentioned that at the time he was supposed to be guarding the kid's grandfather. Yeah, that would make him look so uncool and lame.
"Anyway... After that, I made a promise to myself. I promised that I'll never be a coward ever again. I promised I'd never give up, give in, or run away. Meaning, I'd never go back on my word, or break any of my promises." Naruto affirmed with a resolute nod, before turning to face Inari fully, a broad encouraging grin adorning his face.
"So, you see, I still have a long way to go until I'm as brave and strong as everyone thinks. However, I don't allow these weaknesses to stop me. I've just learned to accept them. I train my butt off to get stronger, and I chose to not let fear control me. Even if I might get hurt, or even die, I'd rather choose to do the right thing if it's within my power to do so"
Stepping back from the now enamored boy, Naruto struck a confident pose, "After all, I'm aiming for the top! -ttebayo! My dream is to become Hokage, the strongest, most respected ninja in our village! They're considered heroes to us shinobi, and heroes aren't lame weak-kneed cowards."
Just as Naruto finished his speech, he stiffened slightly. Fortunately, going unnoticed by the now somewhat inspired Inari. The apprentice ninja could feel two unfamiliar hostile presences approaching their location. The entities thankfully didn't seem to be ninja, given that their chakra reserves seemed minuscule in comparison to the enemies Naruto had faced thus far. This did little to comfort him though as their auras still dripped with sadistic joy and bloodlust.
Naruto needed to come up with a plan, and fast. He had two people to protect, and he'd have to do it on his own. While deep in thought, his glowing smile slowly morphed into a brooding frown. Carefully, Naruto climbed out onto the windowsill, balancing himself with experienced ease as he turned to give Inari a serious look.
"Speaking of being brave, I need you to do something for me. It seems we have some uninvited guests for breakfast. So, Inari, what I need you to do is keep your mom in the house. No matter what you guys hear, don't go outside until I say it's okay, understood?" Naruto watched the younger boy closely to make sure he'd comprehended his instructions. Once Inari sent him a hesitant nod Naruto quickly crept out of the house, hopping down noiselessly onto the back deck.
Silently, Naruto made his way around towards the front of the house. The intruders appeared to be mercenaries, or simply hired goons. This didn't concern Naruto much, since any genin worth their salt could take on regular bandits with ease. What caused him to pause was the swords they carried, and their ties to Gatō that they were mumbling about. It seemed they were here to collect a hostage. He couldn't allow them in the house to hurt Tsunami and Inari. Time to do what Naruto was best at, being a distraction
With a wry smile on his face, Naruto stepped out of his hiding place, appearing to be surprised, "Eh? Who're you?!"
The two men whipped around, hands immediately going to the hilts of their blades. Upon spotting Naruto, the men relaxed slightly, though their hands never left their swords. The first man was young, with long, light blue almost white, neck-length hair, mostly hidden by a dark sock cap. On his face, he had tear-streak markings just under his eyes. He wore a long faded blue fisherman's jacket over a pair of dark dull brown trousers that ended just below the knee.
His companion looked older, with curly, light brown, hair tied in a messy topknot. His notable features were the tattoos covering his left arm and chest, and an eye patch covering his right eye. He wore a weathered light purple kimono tied around his waist and sarashi around his lower abdomen. Seeing the way they held themselves, Naruto knew not to completely underestimate these men. They weren't just some backwater thugs-for-hire, they were rōnin.
"Heh, seems one of the ninja brats decided to show up. Tough luck for you, Kid." The older one mused with a chuckle.
Naruto tilted his head and crossed his arms, appearing completely unfazed, "Geez, is this Gatō-guy desperate, or what? I mean, if he had to hire you two ugly clowns, he must really be scraping the bottom of the barrel." The blonde snickered, giving the men a cheeky grin.
This statement earned Naruto a harsh snarl from the older man as the two mercenaries unsheathed their weapons, "You just signed your own death warrant, Brat!" The shirtless man growled. "Zōri, we can deal with the woman later. I'm itching to cut up this useless fool."
The younger man known as Zōri sighed in defeat, shrugging dismissively as he got into a battle stance, "Yeah, yeah… Alright, Waraji, but make it quick. We can't keep the boss waiting."
Naruto took their threats in stride, utilizing his time by absently cleaning his ear. It was a ruse, as he subtly started gathering chakra in preparation for their attacks. His trap was already set, they just needed another push, "Eh, you dumbasses don't seem that big of a deal. After all, as Sensei says, a weak dog barks loudest. I bet I can take you down in just two moves, dattebayo." He taunted further, delivering them a double helping of the single-finger salute.
That did it, the men sprang into action cleanly slicing through Naruto in an instant. At least that is what they thought had happened. In the next second Naruto had been replaced with a log, and the original was airborne. Naruto chuckled cheekily as he threw a pair of shuriken at the mercenaries, barely missing them.
"Heh, maybe your sensei should've spent more time teaching you better aim-"
BAM! Waraji's words were cut off as both he and Zōri were hit with an unexpected and unforgiving blow to the head. Naruto grinned devilishly as his clones made quick work of the thugs. All it took was a well-placed, chakra-infused, kick to the face for both men to go down. It was honestly boring to fight against non-ninja.
'Does this still count as two moves or three?' Naruto mused, stepping forward to give his doppelgängers both clones a high five. Pulling out some ninja wire, the orange-clad trio went to task binding the unconscious assailants securely. Cautiously, Naruto set aside their swords. He didn't want them tossed aside for someone to come across but didn't want the blades to find their way back to their owners either.
Once Naruto was satisfied, he sent one of his clones over to the dock to grab a pail of water. With mischievous glee, the doppelgänger splashed the men with the saltwater, rousing them unceremoniously from their incapacitated state. Naruto took the bucket, flipping it over to give himself a makeshift seat, and put on the best impression he could of his mentor's stony face.
"Good morning, assholes. So, should I expect more of you lightweights to show up before lunch?"
Waraji merely sneered, looking completely unperturbed with his current predicament, "If that's when you're expecting back up, you're in for a rude awakening, you foul-mouthed brat. I bet by now Zabuza or the boss made quick work of your little friends. You ninja all think you're so smart! We were just sent to collect the woman as collateral!"
"Waraji, shut up, you idiot!" Zōri snapped, shoving against his partner's back irritably, and sending Naruto a wary glare. At least the younger man was smart enough not to completely underestimate the now frowning genin.
Naruto didn't say anything as he got up and headed back for the house leaving his pair of Kage Bunshin behind. He did however smile darkly as he heard the men start to scream. Opening the front door, Naruto looked on to see Inari arguing with his mother and barring her from the entryway.
Shaking his head at the scene, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle, "It's safe, guys! I just wanted to let you know before I head out that there's some leftover trash on your front deck. If this place was attacked, there's a pretty good chance that the bridge is being targeted too or will be soon from what I've heard. I need to go back up my comrades as soon as possible." He quickly explained to Tsunami before glancing down at Inari, smiling warmly as he patted the boy's head.
"Good job, Inari! My plan went off without a hitch because of you, -ttebayo! Now, you can handle things here, right?" The little boy beamed, nodding with determination, but his mother seemed more hesitant. "Don't worry, they're just unconscious," Naruto explained quietly, watching the woman relax noticeably before he turned to leave at breakneck speed. As his clones dispelled, Naruto couldn't help but laugh as he ran. They really did a number on the men and left them beaten senseless. It almost brought a tear to Naruto's eye, reminding him nostalgically of when he'd pummeled Mizuki.
Propelling himself through the treetops, Naruto tried to pump chakra into his limbs but had to stop when he felt his fatigue returning. If he could, Naruto would punch himself for being such an idiot. He'd been so focused on being helpful, that he'd forgotten the primary objective of this mission was to guard Tazuna. How could Naruto protect anyone if he was too exhausted to fight? If his team was being attacked by Zabuza again, would he be a help or a hindrance?
Hinata glared out into the mist, desperately trying to push her byakugan to see through the chakra-laden vapor. The mist was different from what they faced the previous week. This was thicker, colder, and laced with chakra, effectively blinding the young Hyūga. Fortunately, she wasn't as blind as her charge, but seeing the chakra emitted from everyone was like gazing through frosted glass.
The young kunoichi kept a calm exterior, maintaining her battle stance, ready to act if needed. However, internally she wanted to cry. They'd been caught by surprise shortly after arriving at the worksite. Tazuna's men had been attacked in their absence, and they were trying to defend themselves against Zabuza and his masked partner. As Sasuke's screams once again hit a crescendo, Hinata's flinched, willing herself not to resist blocking the wails from reaching her ears.
Hinata desperately wanted to help her teammate, but someone needed to protect the client. Seeing her teammate cornered, and seemingly tortured made Hinata wish that Kakashi allowed her to fight Haku instead. However, they could only go off the information they had initially. At that moment in time, Sasuke appeared to be the stronger and faster combatant. It was a split decision on Kakashi's part, and they could only pray Sasuke didn't pay the price due to unforeseen circumstances.
Eyes widening, Hinata couldn't believe what she was now seeing. A gentle glow permeated the fog. The entity paused, before splitting into two. One half went towards Sasuke, while the other hurried over to her.
"N-Naruto-Kun?! What are you doing here?" She asked disbelievingly, shutting off her byakugan to get a better look at the newcomer. Naruto grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
"Well, Tazuna's house was attacked-"
"What?! Kuso! My family, a-are they alright?! ...Damn that Gatō!" Tazuna interrupted, sounding equal parts anxious and angry. Hinata chanced a glance back to see the elderly man's pained expression, he looked on the precipice of defeat. She couldn't blame him. It seemed this whole community was being pushed to their breaking point. Turning her attention back to Naruto, she watched him grin and nod. Hinata listened as Tazuna sighed in relief, muttering thanks to no one in particular.
"Yeah, they're fine. It was just a couple of mercenaries. They were no challenge at all, -ttebayo! Then we heard about a possible ambush down here. Boss wanted to warn you guys, but it seems we didn't make it in time." Naruto mumbled with a sigh, disappointment clear on his face as he crossed his arms and sulked, clearly frustrated with himself.
'...Wait, Boss? Only his shadow clones refer to him that way. Oh, please no!'
"N-Naruto-Kun! You can't!" Hinata started, activating her dōjutsu once more, only to see she was too late. The real Naruto had already entered the death trap.
"Don't worry, Hinata-Chan. Boss has it handled, -ttebayo! He sent me over to act as backup, but it looks like you have everything under control." The doppelgänger continued, completely unperturbed by Hinata's dramatic outburst. Instead, he kept looking around, cautiously drawing out a kunai to arm himself, as he smiled reassuringly over to her.
"Mind filling me in on everything that's happened so far? Boss's been practicing a lot with our technique, so we're getting better at transferring information without always needing to be dispelled. I'm a top-notch Kage Bunshin, unlike the regular fodder he makes, so I can at least help this much." The clone proclaimed with an air of pride. The doppelgänger's confidence was contagious, and just what Hinata needed now. Hesitantly, she nodded all the while trying to keep an eye on the real Naruto and Sasuke's battle.
"Well, Kakashi-Sensei is fighting Zabuza, just ahead. I think he's the one who created this fog. It's laden with chakra and hindering the effectiveness of my byakugan. Sasuke-Kun's in a battle with his partner, his name's Haku. From what I can tell, Haku uses ice-based ninjutsu, a Kekkei Genkai, mostly to create senbon and those mirrors, and he's fast, Sasuke-Kun was barely able to keep up with him without infusing his body with chakra. "
"Hm… That's an issue. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to affect my abilities. I think that's the only reason I was able to sneak over here. Good thing we did all that extra training with Kakashi-Sensei, nē?" The false Naruto reassured, turning to smile at Hinata one more.
Suddenly the clone's posture stiffened, and both genin turned their attention to where Sasuke and the real Naruto had been. It'd only been a few minutes, but Hinata was wise enough to understand that that's all most battles needed to reach their conclusion. She willed her byakugan to allow her to see the fate of her teammates. It seemed Sasuke's chakra glow had dimmed significantly, which was distressing, but something was wrong with Naruto.
When he'd first arrived, his chakra was a soft warm glow, showing that he still hadn't completely recovered from his chakra exhaustion. However now she could see his body erupting, or more accurately, bubbling with a dense chakra. What was going on? In all the years Hinata had known Naruto she'd never seen this before.
"...Ugh! It burns!" Naruto's copy hissed, hugging his gut in shock as he fell to his knees. Hinata looked at him with concern and confusion, an expression mirrored on the face of the doppelgänger. Just as the clone dispelled, the surrounding area was whipped by an explosion of energy, followed by the reverberations of an inhuman roar. Hinata looked on, frozen in place as her mind tried to comprehend what her eyes were now seeing.
'...Naruto-Kun…?'
Naruto was furious, miserable, but mostly confused. He angrily kicked at the slowly receding knee-deep water and punched at the surrounding brick walls. The distraught preteen didn't know where he was and couldn't remember what he'd been doing before he got here. All Naruto knew was that he was full of vicious pent-up energy, and he wanted to make someone hurt as much as he currently was. Hot angry tears pooled down his flushed whisker-striped cheeks as he screamed out his aggravations.
Oddly enough, his screams were answered back by a roar echoing from further down the chamber. The unexpected reply snapped the perplexed boy out of his mindless tantrum. Sniffing as he tried to regain his composure, Naruto cautiously shuffled down the dimly lit halls. Continuing silently through the flooded passageways, he tried to remember what he'd been doing. Why was he so angry? He'd never felt angry like that before. Everything was so fuzzy and mixed up.
All too soon, Naruto found himself facing a large interwoven crimson gate. The color reminded him of the large Torii he'd seen in secluded sections of the village. The gate was impressive in size and design, it was possibly larger than even the great gates leading into Konoha!
As Naruto prepared to pass through one of the spaces, he'd figured was meant to be an entryway, a secondary barrier of brass-colored bars slammed down from behind the first. Being caught by surprise, the young ninja could only yelp while falling back into the now ankle-deep water. From behind the barred passage rumbled an amused chuckle.
"So, it seems you've finally decided to calm down. Took you long enough, Kozō. Though, I guess I'm really the one to blame," mused a voice Naruto found very familiar. He'd heard this voice all throughout his whole life, though it was never this loud and clear.
Hesitantly, Naruto got back to his feet and peered between the two gates, only to see a pair of large crimson eyes with slit-pupils, rust-colored fur, and a broad grin full of large, blade-like predatory teeth. Instinctually, the boy flinched, taking a few steps back, his eyes widening with fear. The imposing creature appeared momentarily hurt by his reaction but was quick to hide it.
Feeling reassured by the distance, the barrier, and the beast's placid demeanor, Naruto took a moment to inspect its physiology. The creature had an angular wedge-shaped skull, long erect ears, laid back in reflection to the animal's calm state of mind. Black markings formed from the inner ears, spilling over and masking the beast's eyes, paired with its equally blackened lips. This effect allowed the animal's intelligent eyes, and fearsome fangs to be even more noticeable. The being's body, though covered in short burnt-orange fur, looked remarkably human, discounting its hind legs, and the claw-like nails on its hands. Behind the creature, Naruto noticed multiple long, bottle-brush tails. He wasn't sure how many, only a few were swaying within his line of vision. Realization bubbled up within him, but instead of feeling apprehension and fear, Naruto found himself excited and relieved.
"Y-you're the Kyūbi!" Naruto finally exclaimed, pointing at the massive being, only to earn an eye roll in return.
"I am, and you're the idiotic loud-mouthed brat that I'm going to be spending a lifetime with. It's almost like an arranged marriage when you think about it."
Naruto felt his face, neck, and ears heat up as he blushed furiously. This seemed to only entice the giant fox, who took the time to laugh at his expense. Not knowing how to handle the situation, Naruto turned his back on the creature and sulked, kicking absently at the water he stood in. He thought the fox was supposed to be scary, mean, and bloodthirsty. This was not at all what he'd expected.
"Not everything's so black and white, Baka. Hasn't your sensei already taught you something along those lines?"
Naruto blanched in response, whipping around to stare at the bemused being. He was utterly dumbstruck. Had the fox just read his mind?! Deciding he didn't want the answer to that question, Naruto took a moment to look around the flooded chamber with better appreciation.
"Where are we?"
"To put it in the simplest terms, your mindscape, more accurately the first level of your Shinteki Hikōki. A place where we can manifest and communicate face-to-face."
"How'd I get here?"
At this question, the Kyūbi's expression shifted into a frown. If Naruto didn't know any better, he'd think the massive beast was giving him a look of sympathy. But why would the fox pity him? Shouldn't he hate Naruto? Nothing made sense!
"Kozō... What's the last thing you remember?"
Naruto hummed, leaning from side to side with his arms still crossed as he tried to concentrate, "Mmm… I remember making a Kage Bunshin to provide backup support for Hinata-Chan. Then, I went to help Sasuke, he was pretty pissed that I was there. After that, things start to get hazy. We were fighting this guy called Haku, but I underestimated how tired I was, we were getting our asses kicked..."
Suddenly Naruto grabbed his head, his eyes widening with fright, "Wait, kuso! Am I dead?! Is that why I'm here? Dattebayo…Argh! No, it can't be over! There's still so much ramen I haven't tried!"
"Hmph, I bet the flavor you'd really like a second helping of is that of a certain Hyūga girl," The Kyūbi snorted with a knowing smirk.
"...Yeah-Hey, wait a minute! Urusai, Bakagistune! Leave Hinata-Chan out of this!" Naruto growled, his blush returning as he shook an unimpressive fist threateningly at the still grinning vulpine.
"Heh, to answer your question, you're not dead. Try to think a little harder, what happened during your battle?"
Naruto frowned, massaging his temples as he tried to will his brain into cooperating. He tried to use the Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu against Haku's mirrors, but it was exhausting work. His clones were fragile with his still recuperating chakra reserves being spread so thin, and Haku made quick work of them. Then the enemy-nin made Naruto and Sasuke into a pair of pincushions. He'd fallen and struggled to get back up.
Remembering this, Naruto balled his hands into fists, punching the exterior gate in frustration. He'd become what he'd promised he wouldn't be. Naruto allowed himself to become a hindrance to Sasuke, and during a combat situation no less! Sasuke had a hard enough time dodging Haku's attacks before opting to protect Naruto on top of it.
'...That's right, Sasuke tried to protect me...'
As that thought hit him, Naruto stiffened, the rest of his memories slamming down on him like an avalanche. He remembered Sasuke's emotions of anger, fear, resignation, sadness, and a bone-chilling calm. Looking up to see that Haku had dealt Sasuke a lethal blow, and never once during their encounter had the masked boy shown an ounce of ill intent or bloodlust. How could someone ki- ...Do something like that, and not feel any sort of malice?
"...Sasuke...He protected me, a-and then I got angry," Naruto uttered disbelievingly. Looking up at the Kyūbi, he saw the fox nod sagely at his admission.
"Yeah, you got angry alright! I was caught off guard and might've given you more chakra than I'd intended. It's been a while since I've shared my chakra with you, after all. Well, discounting the small leak I've been exposing you to over the years."
"What do you mean?"
"Didn't you ever question why you were able to sense everyone's emotions, and why the majority of your injuries miraculously healed overnight?"
"I thought those were just perks of being an Uzumaki! -ttebayo!"
"I see… Well, you're partially correct, but not completely. The information the Sandaime gave you left out certain things. Such as not mentioning Uzumaki Mito being one of my previous hosts. So far, it's been true that only an Uzumaki's body is strong enough to house me or have the potential to synchronize with my chakra. However, there are still drawbacks to this, at least until your body's had time to fully mature, as you'll soon find out."
Naruto listened carefully, while also thinking back on the battle he'd been losing. Haku had mentioned that shinobi were supposed to kill their hearts. Shinobi were meant to only be efficient tools of war. During what Naruto recalled of their encounter, the other boy had never once exuded killing intent, nor malice. Haku only seemed sad about the whole ordeal.
'Is this what it means to be a ninja? Being forced to kill even when you don't want to?'
Remembering how Sasuke looked, left an ache in Naruto's heart. Sasuke seemed to be in so much pain, both physically and emotionally. Recalling the feeling of his comrade's chakra signature dwindling to dangerous levels as he lost consciousness, it caused Naruto's gut to twist. How much time has passed in the tangible world? Was Sasuke still alive? Did Naruto have a chance to rescue him?
"The Uchiha will be fine."
"How do you know?"
"I just do, just as I know that you should head back soon."
"Oh... If you say so. But how do I leave? And, what if I want to come back? I mean, I still have a lot of questions for you." Naruto asked, fidgeting tentatively by folding his hands behind his head and kicking at the surrounding water playfully.
The Kyūbi didn't seem all that bad. Sure, he'd given Naruto a hard time and teased him, but the fox had answered most of his questions so far. Not to mention, if the Kyūbi had been the voice Naruto had been hearing over the past few years, that meant on some level the beast cared about him. Then there was also the fact that the Kyūbi mentioned that the Hokage omitted important information when Naruto was taught about his sensor abilities. Did the Sandaime lie to him outright? Or was the old man honestly not aware that Naruto's abilities partially manifested from the Kyūbi? What else did the fox know? What would he be willing to tell Naruto?
"You can come and go as you please with practice, willpower, and mental strength. Until then, you can try by meditating more, or if the need arises, I'll call you here myself. As I was forced to do this time," the Kyūbi explained as he laid down, resting his chin lazily on his folded arms. Looking away as he muttered his admission.
Naruto could swear the fox looked sad, or angry about something. It was hard to tell, and Naruto found in this realm he didn't have his sensor abilities to rely on. It was as if someone flipped a switch, and he was suddenly blind or deaf. On the other hand, it seemed like the fox knew everything about him, what he thought, what he felt, it was so strange and made Naruto feel a certain naked vulnerability. Is this how he made others feel? At least, the people who were aware of the full extent of his abilities?
"Kozō, we're directly linked. I can feel what you feel, and if neither of us is careful enough you can be influenced by what I feel. Especially when you're accessing my chakra. I want you to understand that it's okay for you to express your emotions. However, you must never give in to your anger, or it'll have dire consequences."
"Sorry, I don't get it." Naruto deadpanned after a long pause, causing the massive beast to let out an exasperated sigh, rolling its impressive eyes as it turned to stare pointedly at the small preteen.
"When you're angry I can potentially become angry as well. If you become blinded by rage while using my chakra, you risk going berserk. This means you have less conscious control over your actions, and I lose concentration. Currently, your body isn't strong enough to withstand the full force of accessing my chakra. I can heal it over time, but the reality is you'll end up hurting yourself, and others..."
"Oh… Is that what I did? Is that why you called me here?" Naruto asked worriedly, feeling his stomach flip and his heart sink as the fox gave him a hesitant nod.
"Kit, I'm gonna be sending you back now. You're going to see some upsetting things that you probably aren't ready for. Just remember, you weren't in your right mind. It wasn't your fault, and I promise we'll work together to make sure it never happens again..."
Just as Naruto opened his mouth to question the Kyūbi's statement he found himself no longer within the dark flooded chambers. At first, he wasn't sure where he was, everything held varying shades of red within the scope of his vision. Then, gradually the colors started to shift, the red receding to reveal the foggy mid-morning bridge.
Naruto tried to move but found he couldn't. In his dazed state, the boy observed that he was resting on his knees, with something heavy tucked under his chin, and wrapped around his body. His right arm felt wet, while both cold and warm. His front also felt wet but was steadily starting to chill. Confused, Naruto turned his head to see a very familiar face that caused him to freeze. Partially hidden behind dark bangs, a large brown eye caught sight of him before closing.
"So, you've finally returned to your senses… I'm glad." The individual breathed in relief, causing Naruto's eyes to widen as he silently opened his mouth, words failing to express his current anguish. This was the boy he'd met in the woods the other morning. Naruto tried to pull away to get a better look at the situation, but the boy only hugged him tighter, stilling his movement. The apprentice shinobi didn't have to be a genius to quickly figure out the state of things with how his fingertips started to feel chilled in the sea breeze.
The kind and gentle boy that worked hard to gather herbs for his cherished person, that boy turned out to be Haku. His precious person turned out to be Zabuza. Somehow Naruto had broken Haku's jutsu, and now the only thing that was keeping the enemy ninja alive was Naruto's arm, currently piercing through his abdomen. Naruto was in the process of killing someone he'd considered a potential friend.
"...I-I'm s-sorry…" Naruto mumbled shakily in a weak voice as he tried to keep his emotions internalized.
"I see… I presume this to be your first kill? Then forgive me for being the one to dirty your hands…" Haku whispered back, giving Naruto a reassuring squeeze from his still held embrace. "...Thank you, most people mistakenly believe showing mercy is a kindness. However, to go on living an empty existence is a cruel thing..."
"W-what?"
"Zabuza-San does not need a weak broken tool...and…"
Naruto listened quietly as Haku explained the despair of his past. How people like him were persecuted in his homeland, to the point his father killed his mother and tried to kill him. It was atrocious, dismal, and brought to mind the isolation Naruto felt in his early childhood. However, he'd only felt ostracized, which was painful, but to feel that, and fear being killed at any moment?
"You're going to become a formidable shinobi someday. I hope that strength will allow you to obtain your dream…" Haku finished, finally dropping his hold on Naruto.
Now free from his restraint, Naruto pulled back carefully to observe what he could of the gruesome scene. His heartbeat was wildly thrumming, still high on adrenaline as his eyes widened and his throat ran dry. There was so much blood. Even with his arm firmly in place, piercing cleanly through Haku's torso and clothes. How did he even accomplish that?!
"Y-you know, I think if we met under different circumstances, we would've been good friends." Naruto choked, trying to keep back the tears that threatened to spill. He was still on a mission damn it! He couldn't show his tears, especially in front of the enemy!
After a moment Haku's demeanor shifted, "I'm sorry, but it looks like this goodbye." In the next instance, Naruto was harshly shoved back. With his arm removed a torrent of blood splashed over his clothes and face. The stunned boy sat dumbly, looking to where Haku had once rested only to see a pool of deep merlot.
Kakashi was beyond stressed. While he'd been preoccupied with Zabuza he'd sensed its chakra. The chakra flare had been dark, heavy, and violent. Something had caused the Kyūbi to become angry. For a split second, Kakashi worried that the seal had broken, until he'd remembered the creature's weird fondness for Naruto. Either way, the beast had felt forced to act. Why was Naruto even at the bridge to begin with?! He was supposed to be resting still from expending his chakra. Were the rest of his students okay? It was too quiet within the mist.
Feeling forced to act in the concern of his subordinates, Kakashi goaded Zabuza into a false sense of security. Using his ninken to sniff out the notorious nukenin, Kakashi was ready to deliver the finishing blow, when he'd been caught by surprise. Out of nowhere, Zabuza's young accomplice appeared, taking the fatal attack meant for his mentor. Though, based on the boy's wounds he would have died in a matter of minutes anyway from blood loss, if not sooner. Had the injury been caused by one of his students, or had the boy managed to escape the Kyūbi's grasp?
The boy's death appeared to have affected Zabuza because the jutsu he'd cast to create the thick mist had been broken. Fortunately, Kakashi's faithful canine companions held Zabuza steadfast, giving the silver-haired shinobi a moment to respectfully set aside the deceased boy. Kakashi could only speculate but guessed that Haku sacrificed the last remnants of his chakra to shield Zabuza.
Taking the opportunity to check on his students, Kakashi could only sigh inwardly. Hinata was still doing a fine job of guarding Tazuna, but that was about the only positive thing the jōnin-sensei noticed. Naruto, as he'd assumed, was the one to give Haku a fatal injury. The boy looked near-catatonic, covered in blood and kneeling on the ground. The mentor worried how this aspect of the mission would affect the boy in the long run. With his heightened perception, Kakashi could also see evidence of chakra burns covering portions of Naruto's body. Mentally he cursed, they didn't have a trained field medic with them and were too far from Konoha for Naruto to receive proper treatment.
Lastly, there was Sasuke. Kakashi almost wrote off the last loyal Uchiha, until he'd seen the unmistakable rhythm return to the rise and fall of the boy's chest. He was alive, he could heal, and recuperate. That still left the concern of how he'd get proper medical treatment for his injured students.
All these thoughts and perceptions happened within the span of a few seconds, to everyone else it would have looked like Kakashi merely set down Haku's body and closed the kid's eyes out of respect. The elite jōnin had returned to his previous position and was about to offer Zabuza one last chance of mercy when one of the shortest men Kakashi had ever seen decided to show up, followed by a concerning number of ragtag mercenaries.
The fool proceeded to monologue about his plans to double-cross Zabuza. Why did people always feel the need to monologue when they believed themselves to have the upper hand? Zabuza predictably withdrew his claim on Tazuna's life, which meant he was no longer Kakashi's enemy.
What followed next was something that reminded Kakashi of scenes from the Third Shinobi War. Since Zabuza still possessed one functioning arm, he'd decided to take out his suppressed rage on the mercenaries and Gatō. It was utter carnage. Within that time, Hinata had somehow managed to rouse Sasuke, and navigate him, Naruto, and Tazuna over to Kakashi's side.
Up close, Kakashi could see the extent of his boys' injuries. The only way he would define Sasuke was to compare him to a living pincushion, besides that he just seemed fatigued, and would probably be fine, if not a bit sore for a couple of weeks. Naruto was a bit harder to pinpoint. Kakashi couldn't tell where Haku's blood ended, and Naruto's began. What he could see of Naruto's skin, usually clean and scarless, was covered in chakra burns of varying degrees. Kakashi could only imagine what type of pain he was in, and that was only on the outside.
Judging from Hinata's reaction, Kakashi would bet Naruto suffered some internal damage as well. Which wasn't a surprise since he'd been recovering from chakra exhaustion until just that morning. Observing Naruto's still detached state, Kakashi knew this whole ordeal was going to require a delicate touch.
"How bad is it, Hinata?" Kakashi finally asked quietly, looping a tender hand around Naruto's shoulder when he felt the boy feebly tug on the hem of his vest. Silently the boy leaned into the offered space of Kakashi's side, pressing his face firmly into the material. Naruto didn't do much else, he stayed silent, with his arms relaxed at his sides, but Kakashi was experienced and knew this was just the calm before the storm.
"S-Sasuke-Kun's injuries are mostly superficial, all of his vital spots have been missed. However, it'll require care to remove the senbon, since there's still a risk of additional injury," the girl answered professionally in a tone devoid of emotion. Kakashi could see Naruto wasn't the only one mentally removing themselves from the situation. Sasuke, himself just looked pensive, watching as Zabuza remained steadfast in his conviction
"...And Naruto?"
Hinata looked up at her sensei for a moment, before quickly looking at the ground and she fidgeted nervously, "It's…It's not good, Sensei. His Keirakukei looks...I don't know a better way to explain this, simply put, it looks terribly burned. I'm not sure how he's still conscious, let alone moving around," she explained, her voice cracking as she quickly wiped away unshed tears. "I-I wanted him to rest in the recovery position, but he was adamant about coming over here."
Kakashi nodded, absently stroking Naruto's hair as softly as he could. In different circumstances, he'd be touched by the boy seeking him out for comfort. However, given that they were still in a combat situation, and how Naruto usually was, this just sent the alarm bells screaming.
Zabuza had finally fallen but had taken down his target, and three-quarters of his forces. The remaining quarter were chased off as the townsfolk arrived on the bridge, led by a battle-ready Inari, armed with a wok fashioned as a helmet, and a loaded crossbow. With the fighting now officially over, Kakashi left his students to approach the once fierce demon of Kirigakure.
Kneeling, Kakashi found that Zabuza was still surprisingly alive, though mortally wounded. Carefully, and silently, Kakashi removed all the weapons embedded into Zabuza's body before picking up the other man as gingerly and respectfully as he could manage. His students might have had a shock on this mission that they weren't adequately prepared to face, but they survived, and Kakashi would show them the way they should honor and respect their fallen enemies.
"Haku, I want to see him…" Zabuza breathed with the quiet frailty of a leaf falling in autumn. Kakashi silently nodded before moving to abide by the man's final wish. Making his way back over to his students. Surprisingly Naruto followed and knelt next to Zabuza once Kakashi had set the man down near his fallen partner.
"H-Haku… He practically worshipped you. He told me that you were the one that gave meaning to his life, and he cherished you for that. I just thought you should know how much you meant to him…" Naruto clumsily explained to the dying man. His team looked at the usually sunny blonde with pity.
"Kid, I knew. Haku was too pure for this world, too kind, too gentle. He wasn't cut out to be a shinobi, and I forced it upon him...But, you know what? I'm glad you're the one he faced in the end." Zabuza replied, never once looking at Naruto. Instead, gazing at the serene face of his once apprentice. "You're just as kind, gentle, and foolish as he was…" Zabuza whispered with a grin, before closing his eyes. "If I could… If it were possible… I would want to go… to the same place...on the other side... as you…" He breathed wearily, his body growing still.
It took Naruto a moment to realize Zabuza had breathed his last breath. Then he started to feel the tears pool down his face. It seemed to trigger a full tidal wave of emotions that slammed into Naruto mercilessly. Sitting back, the twelve-year-old looked down shakily at his hands, still covered in Haku's blood.
Just like that, it felt like a thread snapped somewhere in Naruto's mind. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, and his jacket felt too tight. He coughed, his breathing irregular and shaky as he unzipped the blood-stained material, tugging distractedly at the collar to his chainmail mesh, it was suffocating. He needed air, he needed to get away!
Struggling to his feet, Naruto didn't even notice his companions trying to talk to him. At least not until he tried to walk away. Then Naruto found himself forcefully pulled back into the protective embrace of his mentor, with his face firmly held against Kakashi's chest. Naruto's whole body shuddered for a moment before finally, he allowed himself a muffled, long, anguishing scream.
Author Note: Am I evil for leaving the chapter off at a cliffhanger? Muewahahaha! At last the long-awaited introduction of Kurama! Well, partially anyway! How did you guys like my twist on things? I hope the fluffiness of chapter 11 was enough of a buffer! ^_^ Let me know what you think, and thanks for the continued support!
Keywords:
Sarashi - "Bleached Cotton" White cloth, usually made of cotton or linen. Worn in Japan in a variety of ways, such as around the body under a kimono, over one's chest, or around one's middle to support pregnancy (In the case of women.)
Rōnin - "Drifter/Wanderer" Samurai without a lord or master
Torii - "Bird Perch" A traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred
Shinteki Hikōki - "Mental Plane", First level of Naruto's Subconscious.
Bakagitsune - Stupid Fox