"So Naruto has told me your names, but why don't you introduce yourself," Jiraya said with a smile but Anders could tell that it was a smile that could easily become malicious.
"I'm Sora-doji." Sora said. She was taking Jiraiya's presence a lot harder than he was with how badly she was shaking. Anders was taken back by it as well, but he didn't let it show.
"Anders S. Viking," Anders answered, his voice not quaking like Sora's was.
"Please, have a seat." Sora said, motioning towards the table, where Naruto was already sitting and looking at the food eagerly- chicken and rice, mostly, which Sora had led in making.
"You guys made this?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah, we figured it would be the least we could do since you've been so kind to let us stay here." Sora explained as she took her own seat.
"That he is," Jiraya said as he sat down besides Naruto. "Naruto here has a very kind heart."
"Oh so now you're interested in his well being?" Kushina asked as she stood besides Naruto and glared at Jiraiya.
"Don't say stuff like that Pervy-sage," Naruto said embarrassedly.
"And I told you not to call me that, I am a Super Pervy-sage," Jiraya said jovially.
"P-pervy-sage?" Sora repeated, grinning shakily. "I hope you aren't corrupting young Naruto's mind."
"Yeah, I hope you aren't," Kushina also said.
"It's not corruption, it's enlightenment, but I have to ask what are you doing in Konoha?" Jiraiya asked.
"Here to see the Chunin Exam," Anders said as he took out his Pass and placed it on the table. "Got here a bit early, but thankfully we ran into Naruto here, when we realised we didn't have enough money to rent a hotel room for the entire period."
"Huh, authentic, so you two are civilians from Demon Country?" Jiraiya asked thankfully not asking for Sora's pass.
"Demon Country? Oh that is a nice cover," Kushina said.
"Yup!" Sora confirmed, pointing at her horns. "Not many places you can get born with horns like these ahaha."
"That is true," Jiraiya said. "Though I am curious as to how you know advanced shinobi stuff?"
"We were born into a clan, but as you can tell, we only have enough Chakra to keep us alive, but that doesn't mean we couldn't study the books," Anders explained.
"Yeah, countries without Ninja Villages still go by how it was done in the old days," Jiraiya admitted.
"Yeah, and so we figured we'd help our new favorite Genin when it sounded like he was going to kill himself with Shadow Clones, and the conversation just spiraled from there." Sora said, nervousness assuaged somewhat by the chance to brag about Naruto, for some reason. "This kid's a chakra god. You picked a good apprentice."
"Hehehe," Naruto said as he scratched his neck at the praise. "So can we get to eating before it gets cold?"
"Oh, right, sorry." Sora said, before they all went (just barely out of sync) "Itadakimasu" and began to dig in.
"Sorry if it's not the best." Sora said as they did. "I- we tried to do what we could, but your kitchen's a little under...what's the word… understocked? For tools."
"No it's great, not as good as Ramen, but it tastes good," Naruto said.
"Yeah, simple but effective food," Jiraya said.
"And sometimes that is the best, good food doesn't need to be complex," Anders said as they continued to eat until it was done.
Sora smiled as she ate. "That's a relief."
A moment of slightly-more-contented than awkward silence passed for a moment as they ate.
"So what is the relationship between you two?" Jiraiya asked as he finished his bowl of chicken and rice.
"Close friends." Sora answered. "Traveling companions."
"Traveling companions? My, my," Jiraiya said while Naruto looked a little confused at the exchange that was going on.
"No, nonono, not like that." Sora said, face turning orange. "He's like my brother."
"Yeah, part of the same clan but not directly related, different branches and all that," Anders added.
"So just cousins who became friends then close as siblings?" Jiraiya asked. "That just makes it better." This caused Sora to choke on her rice.
"Sora, Over Soul me so that I can strangle his perverted ass," Kushina almost demanded.
Sora did not react, as she was busy drinking water trying to clear her airways.
"What? Why would that make it better?" Naruto innocently asked.
"You'll know when you're older, kid," Anders said as he just continued to eat, the comments made by Jiraiya not even phasing him.
"Huh?" Naruto said in even more confusion.
"The fuck he will!" Sora and Kushina said in sync. "Don't go twisting the minds of the youth like that, you perverted sage!"
Jiraiya actually moved back a bit in shock as if he had just seen a ghost. "Ah, so you're a person of fine taste as well?" Jiraiya asked Anders, moving his attention towards him. "So have you read my books?"
"Don't ignore me, you bastard!" Sora and Kushina fumed, still in sync.
"No," Anders answered. "I have actual taste."
"Harsh," Jiraiya responded in faux pain.
"Though with all the questions you have been asking us, can I ask you one?" Anders asked.
"Sure fire away," Jiraiya responded.
"Why did you decide to train Naruto?" Anders asked.
Sora and Kushina suddenly slammed a fist on the table in sync-exact same motions, Anders was now realizing. "Especially after all these years of neglecting him! You've been a really shitty godfather, believe it!"
And suddenly Anders had the feeling they were all inside of a giant frog.
"What did you just say?" Jiraiya said as he stood up while Naruto had wide eyes.
"I said." Sora/Kushina said, and Anders could tell it was more Kushina's body language than Sora's with how she was moving- Sora was way more animated when she spoke. "That you've been a really shitty godfather to my son. What would Minato th- ghk" They gurgled as Jiraiya's hand was suddenly around Sora's throat, a kunai less than a centimeter from her eye, Sora's hands gripping his arm futilely
"Who are you, what are you, and where did you hear this?" Jiraiya asked, all sense of mirth and jovial 'I could kill you'-ness replaced with the cold-blooded killer.
"Pervy-sage what are you doing to Sora?" Naruto asked while Anders tried to move and found that he was stuck in frog. "And what happened to my place?"
"Naruto stay out of this," Jiraiya said.
"Well this became a shit storm real quick," Was Zabuza's unhelpful commentary.
"O...ver...soul…" Sora said through being choked (again). "Manifest."
"What?" Jiraiya asked, before Kushina solidified and punched him in the face, causing him to let go of Sora due to the sheer shock of the situation and he stumbled slightly back.
"That was for pinning Sora against the wall," Kushina said.
"Kai," Jiraiya said. "Kai, kai, kai, kai," Jiraiya repeated again and again to break the non existent illusion.
"Mom?" Naruto asked, totally lost. "Pervy sage? What's happening?"
"And this is for not being here," Kushina said as she kicked Jiraiya in balls before he could react, sending him to his knees. Making all males in present and in the vicinity wince.
"Ahh, Kushina?" He asked in shock as he stared at the Uzumaki.
"No, it's Mito-sama, of course it's me!" Kushina said angrily. "Geez, I mean I know I'm dead and all, but I am here, believe it!"
"What… I… I don't understand." Jiraiya said in clear disbelief and non comprehension.
"We… can talk to… the dead." Sora coughed out. "And… you know… channel them… like this…"
"You, you're a ghost?" The Toad Sage asked.
"That she is, along with a few others here, though I am surprised no one is following you around," Anders said as he finally took notice of that fact.
"Yeah… At least some vengeful-erk." Sora agreed as she sat up and massaged her throat. "Why the throat today…?"
"Easy target," Zabuza commented. "Good for both restraining and causing a quick kill."
"Oh, okay…" Sora said.
"Wait there are more ghosts in my place besides mom?" Naruto asked, his face going whiter a bit.
"Not haunting you, bud." Sora said. "We've got friends on the other side, so to speak."
"Yeah, three follow me around," Anders said.
"Oh uh cool, hey ghosts," Naruto said nervously.
"Hello Naruto-kun, hopefully I can talk to you later," Haku spoke the stoic ninja speaking up for the first time in hours.
"They said hi." Sora helpfully added.
"Wait, hold on, ghosts?" Jiraiya asked. "And, Kushina, if that's really you-"
Her glare cut him off.
"-you know what I mean, is he there too, or…?" Jiraiya asked.
"No, he isn't." Kushina said solemnly.
"Ah," Jiraiya said in sadness and disappointment. "Guess his soul really is stuck there?"
"Yeah," Kushina answered.
"Who are you talking about?" Naruto asked.
"We'll tell you when you make chunin." They both said at the same time. "Or sixteen," Jiraiya added.
"Oh," Naruto said in disappointment.
"I am sorry Naruto, but that, that is a secret I can not easily share," Kushina said.
"Speaking of secrets." Sora said, her eyes unfocused again as she sat still save for her breathing. "I'm already kinda low right now, you've only got like 2, maybe 3 minutes for this, get snappy with the chatty."
"So can I get an explanation?" Jiraiya asked as he un-frogged the place.
"Get them to tell after I am done talking with my son, Jiraiya," Kushina said as she went over to Naruto while he just held his hands up in surrender.
"Fine, fine, I'll wait," He said as mother and son began to talk once more, and continued healing mental wounds that had been left unattended for far too long.
The others were all silent during the three minutes it lasted.
"So…" Jiraiya said as Naruto wiped some tears. "Let's start over shall we?"
"Let's do that," Anders said as Sora sat herself back on the chair, looking even more tired than before.
"So, who and what are you?" Jiraiya asked in a much much more calm tone.
"I am Anders S. Viking, and we are Shamans," Anders said.
"I'm Sora-doji." Sora added tiredly. "And I'm 'pissed off'. But it's simple. We can see the dead. We can channel the dead. I can manifest the dead, I guess."
"Never heard of people with that kind of ability," Jiraiya said.
"The world is a big place Jiraiya of the Sannin, there is a lot between heaven and earth," Anders said as he crossed his arms.
"Mostly ghosts." Sora added in a clear attempt at humor. "But it is what we do, and we can do it. And obviously we don't have any ill intent here, or Kushina would have finished strangling me this morning."
"What is your intent then?" Jiraiya asked.
Sora looked at Anders, and they shared a look for a moment, before saying "Survival." together.
"Not exactly welcome most places, looking like this." Sora said.
"Yeah, most would think you were a demon," Jiraiya admitted.
"She isn't a demon," Naruto said in a tired voice. "Sora is nice and makes good food."
"Aww, thanks bud." Sora said, patting his head. "You're a lot nicer though, helping out strangers like this."
"Because you were nice, you showed me mom didn't abandon me," Naruto said.
"I would, never, never do that, oh Naruto," Kushina said with tears in her eyes as she ghost hugged her son.
"Anyone who would is either blind, stupid, or the king of jerkwads." Sora said.
"Is that you or Kushina speaking?" Jiraiya asked skeptically.
"Me. Didn't even know that could happen like that." Sora noted.
"Your souls were probably still entangled up a bit is my guess," Anders said as that was the only reason he could think this could have happened. Especially with how they were alike when it came to children.
"Anyway is that really all? Survive?"
"Yeah, live, survive get stronger, it's a very dangerous world," Anders answered.
"Yeah, a lot of snakes in the grass, so to speak." Sora said. "Don't much like 'em."
"Same," Jiraiya answered as his eyebrow rose slightly. "So you clearly have no ill intent towards Naruto?"
"Obviously, or Kushina would have killed us in our sleep," Anders said, though he didn't think it would be possible as with a single thought they could just Spirit Ball a spirit.
"Or this morning." Sora said, clearly still sore about that. "Downside of Shamanhood- we can interact with ghosts, but they can interact with us, which can hurt sometimes."
"Sorry for the over reaction," Kushina apologized but she didn't sound very sincere.
"Huh that is interesting, so have you seen any other ghosts in the village?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yeah, but we've been actively avoiding most of them." Sora said.
"Most just follow around a person or stay in an area, in their own little world," Anders said.
"Yeah, it gets like that sometimes," Nana said. "A few times you just zone out and days pass by in the blink of an eye."
"Seen anyone of importance?" Jiraiya asked.
"No," Anders answered. He hadn't seen anyone that seemed important like the second or first. Not even an Uchiha, but he guessed they all either moved around Sasuke, Obito, Itachi or just stayed in the district.
"Kind of assumed that most of the big names are either attached to living big names, or moved on already." Sora explained.
"That makes sense," Jiraiya said in acceptance. "So you're definitely not a danger to Naruto or Konoha. But you did lie about being civilians to enter."
"We are technically civilians." Sora noted. "Not ninja, not affiliated with any military, etc."
"And would you have let us in if you knew to start with?" Anders asked.
"...You make a fair point," Jiraiya said. "Though I am surprised she didn't flag the system, with her appearance and all."
"Aheheh." Sora laughed nervously. "They didn't even look twice at me."
"You were smuggled in, weren't you." It was not a question.
"Yeah…" Sora said with a nod.
"How?" He asked.
"Shaman magic." Sora stated. "It's like ninja magic. But with more ghosts."
"It's not magic," Jiraiya said.
"Oh it basically is, you shout technique names like they were spells," Anders said.
"It helps mold and focus the Chakra alongside seals," Jiraiya said.
"Like a wand and chants help a wizard focus and mold magic," Anders said back.
"Are you telling me magic is real, too?" Jiraiya asked.
"Magics real?!" Naruto asked, suddenly excited at the prospect.
"Unless you call chakra magic (which I do, shut up), not really." Sora said.
"It's not magic," Jiraiya said defensively.
"It totally is, different flavour, but magic all the same," Anders said.
"...He is right," Haku said in disbelief.
"And if you're gonna say it isn't because you know how it works, they say that any sufficiently analyzed magic is basically technology." Sora added. "And you guys have televisions so you know what I mean by that."
"Shit," All three adult ninjas, living and dead, said at the same time, making Jiraiya not pick up on Sora's last statement fully, not noticing the possible slip-up.
"Mhm-hm." Sora hummed triumphantly.
"You know that I am going to have to report this to the Hokage right?" Jiraiya said.
"...Can you try to make sure we don't end up dissected for it?" Sora asked worriedly.
"They are going to do what?" Naruto asked, sounding mortified.
"I didn't mention when, just that I have to, Sensei is busy with the exams, and this is just a minor issue, so I am not going to bother him with something this minor," Jiraiya said, making both Anders and Sora breathe a sigh of relief.
"Speaking of the exams." Sora said, causing Anders' blood pressure to spike. "How's the training going?" And back down it went, as she was clearly just trying to change the topic.
"Well, it is going to go a lot faster now," Jiraiya said, and muttered something like one-hundred Narutos shouting at once. "I didn't even think that kind of training was possible with Shadow Clones, well feasible anyway."
"Well, that's our Chakra God for ya." Sora said, oddly proudly(?) about Naruto's progress.
"Yeah, that is an apt description of Naruto's stamina," Jiraiya said.
"But my head hurt after I popped them," Naruto complained as he clutched his head.
"That's called 'thinking', I know you don't do that very of-ghk, dammit Kushina!" Sora cursed as she rubbed her arm where Kushina had hit her.
"Only I can call my son an idiot!" Kushina said angrily.
"Huh guess Kushina took offence to that," Jiraiya said but unlike with Sora, Kushina's fist just passed through Jiraiya.
"Kushina you can't touch living people unless we're doing the magic shit." Sora said tiredly.
"She just tried to punch me didn't she?"
"Yeah," Anders answered as he watched Kushina pout after Sora said her thing.
"Well, it's getting late, I'll see you tomorrow Naruto I have a lot more material prepared for you," Jiraiya said as he stood up.
"Wait, before you go." Sora said, getting up and getting close to him- she was taller than him at the moment- as she leaned down and whispered something in his ear that Anders didn't hear.
"..." Jiraiya's eyes widened a fraction. "Sure, just come with Naruto tomorrow, we'll do it then."
"Okay, thank you!" Sora said happily before sitting back down. "Have a nice night!"
"You as well," Jiraiya said. "And, since you mentioned getting stronger, I assume you're going to be training?"
"Yeah, Kushina showed us her old training grounds," Anders said.
"Ah, didn't think to use that place, then we'll go there tomorrow instead of the ravines and cliffs near the hot spring," Jiraiya said as he exited the apartment and closed the door behind him.
"So what did you ask him?" Naruto asked.
"Well, to tell you the truth…" Sora said, drawing it out. "I asked for a signed copy of a book he wrote."
Naruto made a face of disgust and disappointment, one mirrored by Kushina. "Really?"
"Yeah, uh, it's one of his older works though." Sora said, making eye contact with Kushina. "Bit older than you are, Naruto."
That made Kushina's expression turn around.
"Well this was an exciting evening," Anders said.
"Yeah, you can say that," Nana said.
"How about we clean up dinner and then get some sleep?" Sora suggested, shrinking to heal her throat (again).
There was a resounding approval of the plan, even from the ghosts.
Xxx
"Good morning, Jiraiya-sama." Sora said with her best grin as she and the group met up with the Toad Sage on the way to Kushina's preferred training grounds.
Jiraiya raised an amused eyebrow. "Oho, so you've recognized my greatness?"
"I legitimately have a lot of respect for you." Sora said truthfully. "Also, today's gonna be rough on me so I'm eager to get my hands on that book."
"That makes sense." Jiraiya said.
Naruto's face crinkled in disgust at the mention. "I still can't believe you wanna read Pervy-sage's books."
"It's a really important book, okay?" Sora said defensively. "In a way, it was kind of world changing."
"Pfft. Glad to hear someone disagrees with the publishers." Jiraiya said. "Didn't sell very well."
"Yeah, well, they're dumb." Sora said.
"Haha, I like the way you think, kid." Jiraiya said, going to pat her head.
Sora batted his hand away. "NO TOUCH!" She said, holding her arms up in an X. "Perverts not allowed! Especially after you choked me!"
Which caused passersby to give the man looks of disgust.
Which made Anders and the others smile.
"Alright, alright, geez." Jiraiya said, taking a step back, hands held up in surrender. "Let's just… get to training. Promise I won't be as rough."
"Okay you phrased it like that on purpose and you know it." Sora said angrily.
"...Let's just get to the field." Jiraiya said bitterly in defeat.
Sora's smile was smug as they did so.
Naruto laughed as they did so.
"Alright, so, gimme that book." Sora said, holding out her hand. "I'm gonna need something to do while we're doing this."
"Doing what?" Anders asked.
"I'm gonna manifest Kushina again so she can train her son, duh." Sora said, causing Jiraiya and Naruto's eyes to widen, for very different reasons.
"Huh, good idea," Anders said. "Jiraiya can give the clones all the fucking knowledge."
"Yeah, sure, that." Sora said, not commenting on the innuendo. "But, I'm going to be doing this basically nonstop as long as I can today, so you're buying us lunch." She told Jiraiya, pointing at him.
"I do that when I take my break," Anders said as he reached into his shadow and pulled out the hilt of the Kubikiribocho.
Sora rolled her eyes. "Not you, dumbass, the toad."
"I thought you were talking to me," Anders responded, having not seen the pointed finger.
"Sorry, my b." Sora said, before turning back to Jiraiya. "Anyway, book? Then I'll find a nice spot and the Uzumaki's can play a bit."
"Wait, you can just keep doing that?" Naruto asked eagerly. "You can keep bringing mom back?"
"Yeah, as long as I got the energy for it." Sora confirmed. "Just like how you can keep making clones, Chakra God."
"If you keep calling him that, it's going to go to his head." Jiraiya said.
"I sure hope it does!" Sora declared.
"Yeah if one deserves to have a bit of a big head it is Naruto, especially if he has to keep dealing with the world's angriest fur ball," Anders commented.
Naruto's happiness drained away instantly and was replaced by fear. "What?"
"...There is no way to save that sentence is there?" Anders asked as he realised what he had said. The sound of ghostly face palming could be easily heard.
"No, there isn't." Sora said flatly.
"Y-y-you know…?" Naruto asked, voice actually trembling as he asked, pulling at Sora's heart.
"Yeah, it's uh… kinda hard to ignore it being there." Sora said, going with Anders' explanation- and the truth, for that matter, every time she touched Naruto she could immediately feel Kurama's rage bubbling beneath the surface.
"Yeah, knew the second we met you," Anders said. "We don't just deal with ghosts, we deal with all kinds of spirits, animals, nature, items, and even gods."
"We haven't met any of that last category yet." Sora said, honestly doubtful of such existences approaching her idea and definition of the word, but willing to bet something others would call 'gods' did actually exist. It was part of why she kept joking about Naruto being a 'chakra god'.
"We kinda have now, as the fur ball is definitely an animal spirit in the divine realms of power," Anders said.
"I suppose he is a fraction of a goddess…" Sora mused.
Jiraiya, who had been watching this with an amused expression, suddenly didn't look so amused, causing Sora to realize her slip. "I'm sorry, what?"
"The tailed beasts are all fractions of a goddess made by the Sage of Six Paths." Sora stated, deciding to double down on the 'they should know this' thing.
"Well former goddess I would say as Kaguya basically became a demon when she went ten-tails," Anders said.
"And now she's the moon." Sora said with a nod.
"How do you know that?" Jiraiya asked.
"You know the saying that dead men tell no tales?" Anders asked.
"Yeah, that's bullshit when you're a Shaman." Sora continued.
"Yeah, ghosts talk a lot, especially really old ones," Anders said.
"Turns out, when the dead get the chance to talk to the living, they almost always take it." Sora continued.
"Yeah, that is pretty damn true," The ghosts said unison.
"Huh," Was all Jiraiya said as he looked like he was currently processing the previous information.
While Naruto just looked confused, his mind taken off the previous topic of his prisoner.
"Okay so, book please?" Sora asked, holding out her hand again. "I'm sure Kushina and Naruto have a loooot to talk about today."
"Uh, yeah, sure, here." Jiraiya said, taking a book from his coat and placing it in her hand.
And, just like requested, it was the right book, which when she opened did in fact have Jiraiya's signature, though it looked it had been there for a while.
"Nice! Alright thanks, I'm gonna find a nice place to sit down and let everyone else get to it." Sora said, heading towards a tree that looked particularly nice to sit in and still gave her a full view of the area.
"Yeah, I am going to do my thing," Anders said. "Over Soul: Spirit of Ice Blade," He intoned and a second later an ice copy of the Kubikiribocho manifested from the hilt.
"Wait, is that…?" Naruto asked, staring at the blade. "That's Zabuza's sword, but… ice?"
"Literally, it's the blades hilt, haven't killed anything to remake the blade with blood," Anders answered as he turned to face them and Sora saw that a ghostly copy of Haku's mask was floating a bit over Anders' hand that she hadn't noticed before. Though it seemed like she was the only able to see that like the impression of Nana's face that was on the cape when that Over Soul was used.
"You stole Zabuza's sword?" Naruto asked incredulously.
(Meanwhile, Sora was struggling to climb the tree while keeping hold of the book, much to the amusement of Kushina).
"Well it's not really stealing when he gives permission," Anders said.
"More like a gift, don't it going to waste, also put me in you so that I can talk to the kid," Zabuza said.
(Sora fell out of the tree in her effort to climb it, landing on her back, causing Kushina to laugh hysterically at her absolute failure for such an incredibly simple task. "Even babies can climb trees better than this!" Kushina said through ghostly tears of laughter.
"Either help me out or shut up." Sora said embarrassedly as she got back up and resumed trying to climb the tree, cursing her inability to reach any of the branches to climb properly).
"Wait you talked to his ghost?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah, and he and Haku are here, well Haku is in the sword," Anders said. "And Zabuza wants to speak to you."
"What?" Naruto asked.
("Alright, alright, I'll help, if it means I can go talk to Naruto-kun sooner." Kushina said, holding out her hands to give a proper foothold.
"Thank you." Sora said as she used said foothold to grab the branch she'd been aiming for and pull herself up on to, before getting up to the one next to it and sitting against the trunk with a sigh. "Ah, there we go."
"I do have to ask, if you couldn't reach, why didn't you just grow?" Kushina asked.
Sora stared at her for a moment before her entire face began to heat up. "Shut up, and go talk to your son." She said, slapping Kushina's arm with a declaration of "Oversoul: Manifestation," caused the now-corporeal Kushina to fall the short few feet to the ground, having expected her to be off-balanced, only to be disappointed when Kushina stuck the landing with style and ease.
Kushina looked up at her bemusedly.
Sora scowled back. "Go hang out with your kid, God knows he needs you."
"Alright." Kushina said with a smirk before turning and walking towards said son.
Sora sighed and leaned back against the trunk, book on the branch underneath her forgotten for now as she watched Anders get possessed).
"Hey kid, been a while," Zabuza said as he placed the Sword of Ice on Anders' shoulder.
"Zabuza! But I thought you and Haku moved on?" Naruto asked in surprise.
"Would have liked to but Haku is stubborn and we just kept arguing about who should go first until the new Boss showed up. And I thought might as well, until Haku decides to not be stupid and Kubikiribocho gets a proper succesor," Zabuza said rapidly.
"Oh okay," Naruto simply said in response to the wall of words. "I am glad that you're at least together still."
"Me too kid," Zabuza said. "Now I am going to put Anders' body through the paces," He said as he moved directly out of Kushina's path and over to the corner they used yesterday. And Sora saw that Jiraiya's eyes were placed on the now possessed Anders, though they were quickly pulled back to Naruto and Kushina.
"Mom!" Naruto said happily, his face immediately lighting up upon seeing her.
Kushina picked him up in a hug. "Good morning, my precious Naruto-kun. Are you ready to learn about our family?"
"We have family?" Naruto asked in surprise.
"Yes, of course we do. Or did." Kushina said. "Seriously, I cannot believe how little they teach about Ushizo at the Academy these days."
"Uh, before you get to that." Jiyaiya spoke up, causing Kushina to turn a surprisingly level headed glare (but a glare nonetheless) on him. "Maybe have Naruto make some clones so I can continue training him for the Exams?"
"Oh, right, the Chunin Exams!" The Uzumaki's both said in sync.
"Woah." Naruto said in awe that that had happened, before shaking his head and crossing his fingers. "Uh, right, Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
And suddenly the field was filled with orange.
("It's like a field of sunflowers." Sora said.
"Do sunflowers have orange stems?" Azrael asked.
"...Yes.")
"That is never not impressive." Kushina said, voice filled with pride.
"Holy shit they were not exaggerating," Zabuza said as he stopped swinging Haku around.
"Alright, clones, with me, we're gonna keep working on chakra control!" Jiraiya said. "I know you've made some progress already, but your control is still shit compared to how much you've got."
"You said we have family?" Naruto asked eagerly.
Kushina smiled. "Yeah. Lemme tell you about Ushizo…"
All the while Zabuza kept putting Anders' body through the wringer. "Definitely starting to adapt to your body, though you still lack a lot of muscle. Won't be able to swing the real sword around unless more is gained quickly. Oh don't be like that… yeah I am interested too, but let us keep our focus on this and you have plenty of muscle in no time and not be a literal stick in the air," Sora heard the former Mist Ninja say.
She tried looking over the field and everything going on in it, but doing that and maintaining Kushina's Manifest was way too tiring.
As such, she picked up the book and began reading.
Dedicated to all the people,
who despite of the pains and sadness
in the world believe in the light of assurance,
which shines in the distance.
Prologue- My Name Is...
A noise slashed in the silence. Naruto was barely able to hide behind the tree…
Xxx
Possession.
It was a common thing in most supernatural fiction.
Where one person's body got overtaken by the mind or soul of another and then was puppeted around.
It was not something Anders had ever expected to experience, but he didn't think it worked exactly like this for anyone who wasn't a Shaman.
As while Zabuza was swinging around his arms and moving the rest of his body, Anders also felt in control still, it was like he was moving his limbs alongside Zabuza learning the movements of his swings, the katas, his techniques being ingrained into his body and mind.
And at any moment Anders could eject the silent killer from his body, and he had always wondered how Zabuza was silent swinging such a massive blade around without making a sound. Anders still didn't know, but he was somehow fucking doing it.
And speaking of the blade it was still relatively easy to maintain the Over Soul Anders had made using Haku and the hilt of the Kubikiribocho.
So yeah, Anders found this a rather effective way to train. And the Ninja Khan made for very effective dummies.
Though at one point it did come to an end as Jiraiya brought lunch and he felt that his reserves were about down to like one-fifth of full.
"Reject," Anders said as Zabuza's soul was ejected from his body and he disengaged the Spirit of Ice Blade. "Ah, my bones are cracking."
"That means it's working," Zabuza said he and Haku took their usual position alongside Nana, man he should get some rings for them to inhabit or something when they walked around. As they could be rather distracting at times.
"I know, but I can still complain," Anders responded.
"Yeah, Toshi did it all the time," Nana said. "Ha… What my idiot successor is up to now?"
"Probably the usual heroing, may or not be getting gutted by All for One," Anders said.
"Did you have to remind me of that?" Nana complained.
"Sorry," Anders apologised. "Hopefully he managed to avoid that fate."
"Who are you talking to, kid?" Jiraiya asked as he handed Anders a lunch box.
"Just one of the three ghosts that follows me," Anders answered.
"Figured as much," The Sage responded as he sat down alongside Naruto. Kushina had turned back to a ghost-ghost about ten minutes into her talk with Naruto, so the blonde had ended up joining his clones with Jiraiya. Which was still longer than last time Sora did it.
"Where's Sora?" Naruto asked, looking around. Anders could see Kushina wasn't with him, so logically if he looked for a ghost with red hair…
As he was looking, he heard a loud 'thump' followed by Kushina's laughter, drawing his eyes to a blue person-shaped depression in the grass beneath a tree a bit away.
"There she is," Anders said as he turned his attention back to his lunch.
"So, Anders, what were those blue Shinobi guys?" Jiraiya asked.
As he did, Sora approached being carried by one of her samurai in a princess carry. "Hey, heads up Naruto, I don't think I'm gonna be able to Manifest again today, I feel like I just sprinted around the city wall." She said as the samurai kneeled and gently placed her on the ground. "Food?"
"And what is that?" Jiraiya asked.
"Oh, that's her sword!" Naruto was quick to answer.
"Her… sword." Jiraiya repeated.
"Yeah, uh, as you can tell, we don't exactly carry weapons?" Sora said. "Because we have these guys. They're great." As she said that, sitting cross legged on the ground, the samurai proceeded to pick up her food and feed it to her.
"Yeah and what are those guys, for they have no Chakra at all," Jiraiya said. "It's actually kinda disturbing, as I am a Sage, even plants have Chakra."
"Uh, well." Sora started, holding up a hand to stop the Samurai feeding her. "The best comparison would be summons."
"But summons are alive, that thing is not alive, not even a ghost," Jiraiya said.
"Yeah, most summons summon a specific living entity from a group upon use, right?" Sora asked, getting a nod from Jiraiya. "These bad boys are more like manifesting shadows into a specific shape instead. I get Samurai, he gets Ninjas."
"That makes no sense, where do they come from?" Jiraiya asked.
"The Shadow Realm," Anders answered. "They are specifically called Shadowkhan and you get a contract by coming into possession of one of these bad boys," Anders said as he pulled the Shinobi Oni Mask out of his shadow.
"What the-no, what are you doing!" Sora said, scrambling to try and hide his mask.
"Ah, so it is their version of a contract of sealing, instead of writing your name in blood, you just have to have it on you?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yeah you have to wear it on your face like Sora currently, but I get around it by putting it on my shadow's face as it were," Anders said as he pressed and hand against Sora's Oni face, keeping her overly paranoid ass at a distance and put the mask back in his shadow.
"You fucking fool, why are you telling people our weaknesses?!" Sora asked.
"...Sora its not a weakness when you're the only one that can remove it… besides me I think," Anders told her, feeling the need to smack the stupid out of her.
"Ah, so that's not your real face." Jiraiya said. "Are you blue because of that mask, too?"
"No, this is my face, I'm not wearing my mask right now." Sora denied.
Anders responded by reaching out and actually pulling it off. "Would you stop with that when it isn't necessary?"
Sora froze as her actual face (not that much different, really, mostly the coloration, and less bumps, but he thought her real one was better) was exposed, her Samurai fading to nonexistence.
She was still for a moment, before lunging at Anders, trying to get her mask back. "Give it back!"
"Nah," Anders said as he held it out of her reach. "You're being stupid."
"No, you're being stupid!" Sora said, being stupid and forgetting she could grow to reach and instead trying to scramble to do so instead. "Gimme me back my mask! I need that!"
"When you stop being a baby," Anders said. "Literally."
"I'm not being a baby, I'm being rational here!" Sora insisted.
"I mean literally, physically," Anders responded while he saw that both Jiraiya and Naruto were looking on with amusement at the scene as Sora failed to get a hold of the mask.
Sora looked at him in non-comprehension before realization dawned in her eyes.
Wait no, that wasn't realization, that was-
Anders was suddenly blasted back as she eye-lasered him, before plucking her mask from his hands while he was still reeling and putting it back on her face. "'Baby' my ass…" She muttered.
"Woah!"
"Sora!"
"Why would you do that?"
"Did you kill him!?" Naruto's question was assuredly the loudest.
"No, he's fine." Sora assured.
"Bitch…" Anders said as he continued to lay on the grass, while there had been no physical damage he had still felt the pain of the eye beams colliding with his face. "I am of half a mind to give you Dog and blast you with Dragon."
"And what would that solve, exactly?" Sora asked.
"Nothing, but it would make me feel better," He snarked back.
"...Why are we like this?" Sora asked, shaking her head.
"Well I think it all started the day we were born."
"...I mean, you're not wrong." Sora agreed. "But I don't think that's right, either."
"Well it has to start somewhere and the beginning is always the best," Anders said as he sat back up showing Jiraiya and Naruto he looked no worse for wear.
"So is that technique you just did one that pushes people, or…?" Jiraiya asked curiously.
"No, I'm running on empty." Sora quickly covered, glaring at Anders and conveying the idea to not explain the Talismans as well.
"Yeah, that right there was nothing more than a mild sting compared to usual," Anders said.
"I've blown through six-inch steel with it before!" Sora happily declared.
"That is pretty strong," Jiraiya said and after that silence reigned for a second before Naruto spoke up.
"So when you said Gaara was like me Anders, and Sora said that people thought he was a Demon, were you talking about him having something sealed into him like me?" Naruto asked.
"Uh, yeah." Sora said. "Yours is surprisingly soft and fuzzy fury personified, his is murder made manifest through sand. A lot meaner."
"Yeah, rough, coarse and gets everywhere," Anders said.
"I'll slap you." Sora said jokingly.
"Was that a reference of some kind?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yep, though yeah, you have number nine Naruto, Gaara has number one," Anders said with a sad sigh as Gaara's situation could easily have been avoided if his seal was not seemingly faulty if he remembered correctly.
"Technically weaker, but in the way that the legendary Copy Nin Kakashi is weaker than Jiraiya." Sora said. "They're still leagues and leagues above us, and I'm pretty sure you too, Naruto."
"That is an apt description and I assume you know because ghosts?" Jiraiya asked.
"They really are that strong aren't they?" Naruto asked in a slightly amazed but humble tone of voice.
"Yes to both." Sora said. "Remember, ghosts talk a lot when they find out when you can listen. And the Bijuu are, to reiterate, the scattered fragments of the original goddess of this world. They're a bit of a big deal."
"Yeah, it takes Kage's and an army to even fight one," Jiraiya said.
"Or the Shodaime." Sora said.
"Or the Shodaime, but making comparisons to him is kinda unfair to others that isn't Madara," Jiraiya said.
"Well, there's also the Fourth, and the Leader of Rain, and maybe like, Hanzo? You're the expert on all three of those though." Sora said.
"Wait, leader of Rain? I don't know who that is, nobody actually does after Hanzo got ousted," Jiraiya said in confusion, not even refuting the statement regarding Minato.
"Remember what we keep saying about the dead talking a lot?" Sora asked. "The Leader of Rain not only has the eyes of the Sage, but I heard he has spiky orange hair and the absolute loyalty of a blue haired paper-wielder who's so good she can fly."
Jiraiya's expression froze at that. "Oh god they are alive," He said in a tone of voice that spoke of pure relief.
"Huh? Who are you talking about Pervy-sage?" Naruto asked.
"Three of my former students, I thought they had died, but to hear them still be…" The Toad Sage said as he wiped tears away from his eyes. And now Anders wondered if they should also tell him they lead the Akatsuki as well. But that felt like an utter dick move to do to him right now in Anders' opinion. "Need to plan a visit for later."
"Anyway, how's Naruto's training going?" Sora asked, clearly trying to change the topic, Anders able to see the same dilemma he was feeling on her face. "It seemed like it was going pretty well so far, but y'know, we aren't ninjas, I'm not a 100% how this stuff works."
"Well actually, it will go even faster now with the clones, we're currently focusing on getting his Chakra Control, Taijutsu, academics and tactical planning up to snuff," And Anders heard Kushina growl a bit at the academics part. "And when that is done we will move onto the advanced stuff as there is one jutsu I want to see if he can learn before the Exams start, and one or two elemental ones."
"Ooh, yeah, what's his element?" Sora asked. Anders knew she knew that, so he wasn't sure why she was asking.
"Haven't found out yet, don't have any Chakra Paper currently on me," Jiraiya said.
"Chakra Paper?" Naruto asked.
"Paper that allows you to see what kind of Elemental Nature your chakra leans towards, a Shinobi can learn jutsu of all elements, but the one they have an affinity towards they learn the best, and the ones they tend to learn how to do Nature Transformation with," Jiraiya explained.
"On that note, Jiraiya, you wanna make a bet?" Sora asked.
"What's the price?" Jiraiya asked. "And a bet regarding what?" And Anders could start to see where Sora was going.
"The Chakra Nature of everyone's favorite blonde, of course." Sora said with a smile. "Winner gets to ask for anything from the loser- and that's thing, like object or service, not like 'I win so you commit die' or something like that."
"Everyone's favorite?" Naruto repeated.
"...You're on, though prepare to lose, as I am not Tsunade," Jiraiya said. "It's obviously going to be Fire, no red hair so I don't think he got the Uzumaki Water."
"Ha, well, I say it's gonna be… Wind." Sora said smugly.
Immediately, Kushina started cackling. "Oh you know don't you? Oh this great, and Jiraiya has always thought mine was Water. Hahahaha!"
"Wind?" Jiraiya said in disbelief.
"Wind?" Naruto said in disbelief.
"Yup." Sora said, equally to all of them. "I'm betting on Wind."
All the while Anders was trying to keep as calm as face as possible as to not laugh at Jiraiya's sure fire loss. Instead he asked the obvious question. "So what are you going to be asking of each other?"
"It's a secret~ ." Sora said with a wink.
"Mine is obviously that mask you got," Jiraiya said.
Sora's eyes widened, obviously having forgotten her mask was an object. "Wait, what? You can't take that, it's mine! It's basically my face!"
"No it's not," Jiraiya said. "You proposed the bet, well you can call it off, but then you will just be a well. Bock, bock chicken."
"At least chicken tastes better than toad!" Sora said, conspicuously not denying she was a chicken. "But of course I'm not calling it off, I make my bets I stick to them. But as a note, you will have to fight me for the mask if you want it, rite of succession and all that."
"Okay," Jiraiya said as he held up his hands.
"Okay." Sora said with a fierce nod of determination, before turning back to her food with renewed vigor and eating it.
All the while Anders began making plans for a thing he wanted to do.
Xxx
"Jiraiya!" Sora said frantically as she approached the training ground a bit late. "Jiraiya holy shit I found out some super sensitive information from you-know-whats, where's somewhere we can go that's absolutely certain is secure? This is fucking world shattering."
Jiraiya's mildly cheery expression immediately became a dead serious frown. "One moment." He said, before in a move so fast Sora didn't even see it, there was a poof of smoke and suddenly they were inside a toad again, just Sora and Jiraiya. "What did you hear?"
"Orochimaru." Sora said, not really needing to play up how frantic the information on the crush was making her, since she was starting to get attached to Konoha after the second week. "He's the leader of the Hidden Sound, and he and the Fourth Kazekage are planning a full-scale invasion using the Chunin Exam Finals as a starting point, and they have plants in the Konoha team, whatever the team Kabuto is on? Whole thing is loyal to Orochimaru, but Kabuto in particular is like a double triple agent whose formerly 'Root', whatever that is, so he's super dangerous, and is probably the best Medic-Nin currently in the village, but Orochimaru is obviously a snake in snake's clothing so he's already killed the Kazekage and is impersonating him with that freaky body thing he does, and before you ask how I know this, Rasa's own ghost told me." Sora said all in one breath. "In other words? Big invasion."
"...Okay, now the reports I've been getting make a lot more sense," Jiraiya said as he took in the information. "And it's a really good thing I am the Village Spymaster or Sensei would be seriously questioning me how I know this after I tell him."
"Yeah." Sora said as she caught her breath. "So, yeah. You going to do that now? If not, you got that chakra paper yet?"
"Got it, this morning," Jiraiya said. "I'll be informing the Hokage after I see what Naruto's affinity is and give him the appropriate scrolls to start with… Also where is Anders?"
"He's either shopping or exorcising the Uchiha district, he said something about 'tomatoes'." Sora said. Or maybe she just thought of the word tomatoes? So he probably said he was doing the district again to try and clear out some of the malevolent spirits haunting it- there were a lot, she'd been with the first time they'd gone through. Her arms still hurt from it. "Probably the district."
"He can forcibly do that?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yeah, we both can, but he's way better at it." Sora said, jumping at the opportunity to brag about her best friend. "There was this one really angry old lady who I think was a Ninja because she was basically just fire and rage, well most of them were but she was pre-tty nasty." Sora said, rubbing her arms. "Also, not so fun fact- ghost fire can burn Shamans like regular fire."
"Noted," Jiraiya said with a little bit of fear. "Anymore sensitive information you have for me before I drop the toad?"
"Uh, yes actually." Sora said. "On the note of Uchihas- you might already know this, but Itachi is not the only adult Uchiha at the moment."
"Elaborate."
"An Uchiha wearing an orange mask with one eyehole." Sora said. "Claiming to be Madara himself, but that would make him like, a hundred plus years old, it's probably an imitator. But he's the one who actually slaughtered most of the Uchiha. I think Itachi literally only killed his own parents, and maybe the elders who were planning a coup, because of the masked man showing up at Naruto's birth, which Kushina confirmed for me, and is half the reason behind the whole 'Uchiha caused the attack' thing. The other half is obviously Danzo."
"We know that part, can just never pin anything on him," Jiraiya growled.
"We can probably help you find stuff about that 'Root' thing, one of the ghosts around Kabuto, I think her name was Nono? Nono Yakushi, something like that." She wasn't actually making that up, she'd seen him for about 3 seconds and had seen the nun-like woman floating behind him sadly. "She said something about Danzo and Root. I think they have like a tattoo on their tongues that prevents them from disobeying? Something like that."
"Going to definitely have to deal with all of that after we deal with Hebi-Baka," Jiraiya said using an insulting nickname for Orochimaru. "Anymore lovely secrets the dead have told you?...God you could classify as a village's greatest security breach."
"Yeah, and uh…." Sora thought for a moment, before snapping. "I know! Uh, Tsunade-sama uses her vast medical and fuinjutsu knowledge to make herself look younger! She's actually old enough to be my grandma, she's really old."
Meanwhile, in a casino halfway across the Land of Fire.
"And you win?" Said the dealer before her.
"Oh god," Tsunade said as she got the sign that something bad was going to happen soon.
"Hahahaha," Jiraiya laughed. "Okay, but seriously never say that to her or she is going to ground you, into the ground."
"I know it may not be obvious, but I'm not actually suicidal, I know when not to say things." Sora said, as a subtle jab to her partner in crime.
Jiraiya stayed silent on that. "Well, I'll be dropping it now."
"I'll let you know if I find out-" Remember, really, it had been like what, 6 years since she read Naruto last? And she'd never seen The Last. "-anything else that important." Sora said with a nod.
"Okay." And the toad disappeared as it arrived, in a burst of smoke.
"Ehh, what just happened?" Naruto and all his clones asked as they stared at the two of them.
"Adult stuff, don't worry about it." Sora said. "Also, I wanted to see if he had the paper."
"Oh, right, my element!" Naruto said excitedly. "I wanna start learning cool elemental jutsu like Sasuke or Kakashi-sensei!"
"Well, here's the paper." Jiraiya said, handing him the square sheet. "Just put your chakra in there and we'll see who wins."
"Wait, before he does." Sora stopped. "Let's just clarify that if we're both wrong, neither of us gets anything, right?" She already knew what it was, but it was always nice to be careful, and she wanted to make sure she didn't give away the game quite yet.
"Tch, of course." Jiraiya said.
"C'mon, c'mon, I wanna see!" Naruto said excitedly, grabbing for the paper.
"Alright, here you go." Jiraiya said. "Now, if I'm right, it's gonna light on fire." He said, holding up a second sheet which immediately ignited. "If she's right, it's gonna get cut in half. The other three don't matter for right now."
"3...2...1…" Sora counted down, before the paper Naruto was holding split in half in a clean vertical cut.
Jiraiya looked on in disbelief, while Kushina once again began to laugh like a maniac.
"So, that means its wind, right?" Naruto asked.
"Yup!" Sora confirmed with a massive smile. "It's wind. Which means I win."
"Hnn, okay," Jiraiya said as Kushina tried to stop laughing but utterly failed to do so. "What do you want?"
"Mhm… how about we save that for later? A little favor down the line." Sora said, knowing damn well what that meant for shinobi- and Jiraiya's face confirmed it.
He'd just been scammed.
"You knew it was gonna be wind? Didn't you?"
"Hey, I may technically be a Samurai, but the ninja ways work pretty well, too." Sora said, still smirking.
"Manifest me, manifest me, so I can say it," Kushina said.
Sora tapped her on the ass, causing the ghost to manifest. "Say it!"
"Jiraiya, wind is my primary affinity," Kushina said. "Not water like you thought it was."
"Wow I have the same affinity as you mom?" Naruto said in pure happiness.
"You better believe it," Kushina said.
"You two worked against me?" Jiraiya stated.
"Duh." They said in sync.
"Well, it was a 50/50." Kushina said.
"But I had a hunch it was wind." Sora said. "He was too fidgety and wild."
"Hey!"
"It's a good thing."
"Oh okay." Naruto accepted.
"You two are way too much alike," Jiraiya said. "Well here Naruto," Jiraiya said as he took two scrolls from his bag. "These are the most basic of Wind Jutsu, I would teach you myself but thanks to Bluey I have to go and talk to Lord Hokage." And at that the Sannin body flickered out of the area.
"At least call me Blueberry, it's cuter!" Sora yelled at him as he left.
"Wait, was that about what you told him?" Naruto asked, catching on surprisingly quickly.
"Not sure, just heard something from a ghost." Sora said with a shrug. "Anyway, don't you have cool Jutsu to learn?"
"You're right!" Naruto said, quickly opening one of the scrolls.
"Kushi, you wanna help him or can I save my energy for later?" Sora aksed. She'd gotten way better at Manifest over the last two weeks, up from a few minutes to a solid 20 or so (at max capacity), and she wasn't basically catatonic until she was about halfway to empty anymore.
"I'll stick around for now, I can help him learn." Kushina said.
"Alright, Imma start my exercises then." Sora said, before heading over a bit from the soon to be group of Uzumakis before summoning up a Samurai Khan. "Alright, c'mon Genzo, let's do this." She said as she got into a stance.
Sora and the Samurai Khan then proceeded to go through what Sora could remember of her Tae-kwon-do drills. Nowhere near as impressive as even Naruto's taijutsu training (mostly because it was Naruto brawling with himself) or anything native, but it was more about getting back into the swing of moving like this, especially with an actual deadly weapon pointed at her, something she didn't get the effect of sparring with Anders back in Heroaca.
And, of course, she'd had Kushina help her out a bit in her training by making her a seal, currently located on her right shoulder, that basically put her under intensified gravity- Heavy Basket, that's what it was called. It was only at an effective 1.5 G's, and already she was really fucking feeling it, but she knew that it was just one of the sacrifices she would have to make on the way to perfection.
As for training her Shaman abilities, well, that was precisely what she was doing by having Kushina manifested for so long- training her Shaman abilities. Maybe not for direct combat, but it was definitely increasing her Mana capacity, or the efficiency of Manifest, she couldn't really tell, but she was getting better.
"Ow, fuck, fuck, fuck." Sora cursed as she made the Samurai stop after she messed up the disarm and got a long, shallow cut on her arm. She was still figuring out how to do this training, but she had decidedly not worn anything more than a tank top and shorts while doing it like this so she didn't ruin her nice clothes. "Fuck, where's the bandages?"
"Did you hurt yourself again?" Came the voice of Anders as he approached not looking singed this time around.
"No, Genzo did… but yes." Sora admitted. "Can you help me dress this? I know you have bandages in your shadow."
"Here," Anders said as he held out the roll of white fabrics.
"Merci Goku." Sora said as she took them and began to wrap the bandages around her arm. One nice thing about Khan swords- nothing on the blade to get infected by, so she didn't need to immediately wash it.
"Anders not Goku," Anders replied as he helped apply it.
"I know." Sora said. "Did you know the actual word is spelled 'b-e-a-u-c-o-u-p'? But it's pronounced 'boku'? It's so unnecessary."
"Well it's French so it has to be as obnoxious as possible," Anders said.
"Snrk." Sora snorted. "Yeah, if you're a word in french, and there's less than three vowels, you don't have enough vowwwwowowow." She said as he tightened the bandage.
"So what was that in french?" He asked smugly.
"Ah yes, I believe it means 'ass'." Sora said poshly.
"So anyway how has your training been going," Anders asked.
"Eh." Sora said with a shrug. "Hard to really gauge it. I'm not collapsing with oh fuck there it is." She said as her eyes unfocused. "Dammit… I'm getting better at Manifesting, but wooh, if I'm halfway to full or below I am not functioning properly."
"Well good to see your control improving, though I haven't seen it, have you figured out new stuff to do with Azrael?" Anders asked.
"Uhhh…" Sora stalled as she thought on how she hadn't really done anything with Azrael recently, so focused she had been on Manifest and her physical training. "A little?"
"So nothing besides the Holy Cross Bullet?" Anders said with a sigh.
"And Divine Divining!" Sora said defensively. "Also, Holy Cross Bullet?"
"Do you have a better name for it?"
"...Not right now, but that's too literal without any fun to it." Sora admitted. "Like, Divine Divining, it's snappy, it's got repetition. Holy Cross Bullet sounds like bad Engrish. Needs to be something like… I don't know man, but I'm not going with that."
"Well, anyway I think you should start working on improving your attack," Anders said.
"Why?" Sora asked. "Pig works pre-tty damn well."
"It's always good to have a diversified arsenal, and doesn't Pig like blind you when you use it?" Anders asked.
"Not literally, but it does give me some major tunnel vision." Sora said. "Like, I can only see what I'm hitting. So… okay yeah, I can see what you're getting at here."
"...I am really trying hard to come up with a funny response using the Pig Talisman but I am failing," Anders said. "Well I will getting to my physical workout, fucking vengeful spirits needing so much Furyoku to be exorcised."
"Oh yeah, how's the Uchiha going? You don't look extra crispy, so that's a good sign."
"Better than last time most definitely weren't taken by surprise this time around, think I am like half through all of them, the kids were the worst," Anders said in annoyance.
Sora inhaled sharply; she remembered that pretty clearly herself. "You feelin' okay?"
"Yeah, can't wait to shove my foot up Tobi's ass," Anders said.
"Oohoohoo, me too man, me too." Sora agreed, before sighing. "Ugh. If I could drop Kushi's Manifestation, I could train with you a bit, but I can't, and I've already used my ten minutes, it sucks."
"I know that you want the two of them two interact but you can't really continue if it is a detriment to yourself," Anders told her.
"I know, but… look at them, man." Sora said, motioning to the mother-son duo.
Naruto's brow was furrowed in concentration as he went through a set of hand signs.
"Alright, good, now gather the chakra in your hands, and then release." Kushina said, finishing the same series of seals before launching a burst of wind from her hands in what Sora was certain was a hadoken.
"Gather the chakra…" Naruto repeated. "And… release!" He said, thrusting his hands forward.
Where Kushina's was like a small tornado's worth of wind, Naruto's was like a particularly strong fart.
"Aww." Naruto groaned while Kushina visibly suppressed her laughter.
"No, that's good! That means you're converting your chakra properly." Kushina said with a grin. "Now you just gotta keep going at it, and then your Gale Palm will be like mine in no time, believe it."
"Okay!" Naruto said, reinvigorated, as he once more went through the hand signs, while Kushina watched proudly.
"You see what I mean?" Sora asked. "How can I break that up, man?"
"I know," Anders said as he folded his arms. "I know."
"Ugh. And like, I know I could probably just push myself even more by doing stuff anyway, but like… do we really need to?" Sora asked. "I mean, literally nothing is life threatening to us, in the long term. I'm not very keen on dying again, obviously, but like… do we need to get stronger? Or just… better?"
"Both, I want to change things here for the better even more, I don't want the Old Man to die, so I thought about assisting," Anders said. "And while we can't die, I don't want to end up in a situation where we don't die."
"...Oh god we could get Hidan'd…" Sora said, horrified.
"Or Kars'd, or Angelo'd, and other general fates worse than death," Anders said.
Sora shuddered at the idea. "Okay, yeah, so maybe we do need to get stronger. I do not wanna be a rock for the rest of my life."
"Well I would like to be The Rock," Anders said.
"Doesn't everyone?" Sora asked in genuine confusion.
"...You said you didn't to be a rock but what about the rock," Anders said.
"I know." Sora said. "Doesn't everyone wanna be Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson?"
"I was trying to be funny," Anders said.
"I know." Sora said with a grin. "Speaking of funny, my head's feeling weird, how about in like half an hour we spar?" She still had a solid 5 minutes left on this Manifest, so that should be long enough.
"Sure thing," Anders said.
"Oh, uh, by the way, I told him." Sora said, whispering the last part. "Almost forgot to say."
"Good."
"You two are probably the biggest security breach the Elemental Nations have ever seen with that out-of-context knowledge of yours," Zabuza said. "Wish you had shown up earlier." The man said in a tone of deep sadness.
"Sorry mate, we don't control the die." Sora said with a shrug.
"I know, well anyway, Anders on your knees I want fifty on the spot," The Swordsman of the Mist said.
"Yes, Sir," Anders replied as he did exactly what had been asked of him.
Sora, meanwhile, chuckled, as she decided to close her eyes and focus on breathing. Maybe meditating could make this whole process easier.