Author's Note: Welcome back! This will be my longest chapter to date (10K+ words), and the next two chapters will be just as long! Don't get used to it, though. It took a while to write that much.
Responses were amazing last chapter, and I took some of the criticism into consideration. I removed a couple sentences from the previous chapter to make things a little less obvious. I intentionally made it easy to pick up on, but it was glaringly apparent after taking a second look.
I'm glad to see a lot of people were happy to see Naruto make Chunin. He definitely deserved it after his S-Rank mission performance.
Continuing leaving your fantastic reviews, and I will continue to write as fast as I can.
Chapter 32: A Rat Hidden Amongst the Leaves
Naruto tapped the backside of his pen against the bottom of his chin and twiddled the writing utensil between his index finger and thumb while a look of concentration consumed his features. It was long overdue, but this had already taken up the bulk of his morning. It even started to spill into the afternoon.
For what seemed like a long time, inspiration and motivation, they had felt as if they were at a standstill. Life had caused his thoughts to turn into a jumbled, incoherent mess. It was hard to tell what was up or down sometimes, let alone good and evil.
Yin and Yang.
When he finally got around to putting pencil to paper, what would the result be? The blond boy had been lost about where he wanted to go with his thoughts. But now, after his conversation with Chiyo, the path had started to become apparent. The light at the end of the tunnel had begun to come into focus.
Naruto, along with four of his clones, sat around the apartment, writing the day away. In recent memory, life had gotten in the way of any potential free time he would have had. It wasn't like the early goings of his adventure with Jiraiya. However, despite that, the plan to write a sequel to his successful novel had always been there. With the little downtime he'd be granted following the mission to rescue Gaara, it was finally time to put an end to the bout of writer's block that had plagued him.
"Don't you think a tone shift like this would be, I don't know, jarring to the readers?"
After hours of collaboration, one of the doppelgangers finally decided to say what had been on everyone's mind since they started the brainstorm session.
The original blinked and then gave his copy a strange look. "Would it really be all that surprising? I think it's a pretty realistic interpretation of the world we live in. A person's entire life can flip on its head in an instant and be changed forever. Whether it be good or bad, change happens whether we want it to or not. If you don't ride the waves, you'll just be pulled under by the rapids."
"Well, yeah, but…"
"Wait a second… why are you even worrying about the readers in the first place?" The real Naruto asked as he cut off his clone. "That isn't the reason that we write these stories."
"What about sales?" All four clones seemed to agree with this, shown by the simultaneous nodding of their heads. "How can we expect it to sell well when it's so much different from the first book? Our fans aren't going to be expecting something like this."
"You… you care if it sells well?" Sure, their last book was a best-seller, but that wasn't the expectation when they wrote it. As long as it got published, the blond would have been happy even if it didn't sell a single copy.
This all began because he wanted to beat Jiraiya in their bet. It later coupled as a way to put his feelings out there for all to see.
The blond copy gave his summoner a dubious look. "Duh. We like money."
"Wow, okay." Naruto felt like each time he brought his clones together like this, he learned something new about himself. It was almost as if he was peering into his own subconscious. "I didn't realize that mattered that much to me…"
'My own clones are making me feel like I'm shallow…'
"Unlimited ramen."
"Hm." Upon hearing that well thought out, beautifully crafted argument Naruto rested his chin on his hand. After a moment of contemplation, he formed an equally intelligent response. "I do like ramen."
'Maybe being shallow isn't that bad, after all…'
A knock at the door broke the newly-minted Chunin's concentration. With a huff of exasperation, the boy slid off the bed and made his way to the door. He was greeted by the appearance of a member of the ANBU down on a single knee. They wore the mask of the cat.
The Black Operative appeared to have no interest in formalities and got straight to the point. "Naruto Uzumaki, Ibiki Morino will require your assistance in one-half hours-time at the Torture and Interrogation wing of the Intelligence Division Building."
A feeling lingered in the back of the aforementioned boy's mind. He tried to reach out, to grab what felt like a distant memory of the past. To some, trying to recall a hazy memory was a tall task. To someone who has mastered the art of sorting hours of information by way of Shadow Clone experience transfer? It was borderline child's play.
It was on a day over two years ago. The then-Genin had tried to forget it, but those memories came back to him as clear as day.
Naruto's eyes flashed in realization as the memory clicked in his brain. "Oh, it's you!" The familiar and alluring aura around the mysterious man confirmed his thoughts. "You're Uddo, aren't you? Didn't we meet in the Land of Waves?"
The man stiffened slightly but gave a curt nod.
"It's good to see you again! It's been a long time." The newly-minted Chunin said with a genuine smile.
"I'm surprised that you remember me; we didn't speak much during that mission."
"Well, you seemed nice. I try my best to remember nice people. They're pretty hard to come by sometimes."
Cat didn't say anything in response but seemed to shift uncomfortably under the Chunin's gaze. An ANBU member wasn't often recognized. And, even then, no one cared about who the men and women behind the masks were. There were nameless tools that served the Kage of their respective villages.
To be nameless and unidentifiable was the goal they aspired to reach. It was nearly an honor.
The boy seemed to take the hint and snickered to himself. "So, Ibiki needs me to stop by in half an hour? Okay, I'll be there. Thanks for letting me know."
Uddo nodded and silently body flickered away.
'Man, the ANBU are almost as stuffy as those councilmen from the Sand. Does no one around here know how to have regular conversations? Hell, I have better conversations with myself sometimes.' The blond mused to himself. 'Ah, well.' He closed the door back behind him and walked back into his apartment.
"Who was at the door?" One of the clones asked as he looked up from his paper scribbled.
"Yeah, was it Jiraiya-sensei?" Another one asked with a touch of excitement.
The original shook his head. "Nah, nothing like that." He added in a dismissive wave. "Ibiki's finally gotten around to summoning me. I guess they need some help or something. I've gotta leave in a couple minutes after I grab some things."
"What, they couldn't let us have one day off before dragging us back in?" The sales-conscious clone asked irritably. "We just dropped off Sasori last night! I bet they didn't even try to get him to talk!"
The real blond smirked. "We know perfectly well that a Shinobi's work is never done. Look at Master Jiraiya, he always seems to be doing some type of mission. Besides, it won't be so bad. You guys can stay here and work on the story for a bit while I go and take care of this. Sound good?"
"Yeah, whatever. Leave to go do the cool stuff while we get stuck writing another book to make you rich!" The clone in search of unlimited ramen waved the original off. "Just make sure you bring back some Ichiraku, ya damn slave driver!"
"Alright, alright." The Chunin clipped a weapons pouch to his hip and laughed. "Just make sure that you write what we all agreed on. If you do that, I'll bring you all back two bowls of Miso with extra pork."
"Oh, extra pork?!
"He said two bowls, right?! I didn't mishear?"
"You got it, boss!"
"We're gonna hold ya to that!"
The soft click of the front door left the doppelgangers to their own devices.
They didn't speak; the only audible sounds within the room were the taps and scratches of pens and pencils against the papers and parchment. The team of blonds worked best by drafting their ideas individually and then bringing them together via collective groupthink. Despite being copies of the same person, each clone tended to come up with at least a couple unique and interesting ideas. The tantalizing flavors of noodles and broth appeared to be an effective motivator for the group.
Well, most of the time.
"Hey, guys. I have a pretty great idea." One of the clones decided it best to break the silence. "I think it would be awesome if we made a story about r-"
"No books about ramen!" The other three clones blurted out. There was always one of them that wanted to write about food. How many times did they have to explain that no sane person would want to read about something like that?
"I'm just really hungry, you guys…"
…
On the other side of the door, Naruto took in a deep breath as he tightened the knot of his headband. 'Maybe I can grab a bite to eat on my way there. I was so focused on my work that I forgot to get some breakfast.'
The walk through the village was a relatively quiet one. Naruto didn't see anyone he was familiar with, and he wasn't in much of a mood for small talk, anyway. Though, that was probably because he was hungry. The streets around the markets were packed with civilians and Shinobi, but the commotion fell on deaf ears. It was a skill he developed to avoid the hateful glares and whispers of the villagers, but now it just allowed him to keep to himself—a nice little silver lining in that whole ordeal.
Now that he thought about it, the Jinchuriki hadn't really received many of those familiar looks. It wasn't something he had put much thought into since returning, but it was definitely noticeable. People looked his way, sure, though the emotion in their eyes was different. They still whispered in his direction, but their facial expressions weren't the same. It was almost like people were curious about him and gossiped amongst themselves instead of loathing his existence. Though, what they were curious about, Naruto wasn't sure.
'Is there something on my face?' The teen mused as he used his hand to wipe any smudges or spots that might be on his cheeks or mouth. He frowned; his hand was clean. So, that wasn't it. 'Do they not recognize me and think I'm a foreigner? Sure, I haven't been around in a couple of years. Even so, I don't think I look that different. I'm still blond, not any people around here can say that.' One of his hands unconsciously brushed against his cheek. 'And I still have these… a pretty identifiable trait if I do say so myself.'
The Uzumaki was brought from his thoughts, a pop of color in his peripheral caught his attention. It was a little green and beige shop off to the side of the road. 'Dango-ya, how original.' The teen thought to himself dryly. Though, to his surprise, his stomach decided it was time to growl loudly. 'Well, I'll be picking up the ramen after I meet with Ibiki. Maybe a sweet snack wouldn't be so bad?"
Naruto shrugged and ducked under the blue banners that led into the sweets shop. The interior of the building looked about as small as it did on the outside. There were a couple wooden tables with bench-like seating, and, deeper in, an old woman stood in front of a cash register. Upon seeing her new customer, she smiled brightly.
"Why, hello, young man." Her warm tone surprised the boy, but it was definitely welcome. "Is this your first time eating here? You don't look familiar."
"Yeah, actually." Naruto scratched his cheek in slight embarrassment. "I was walking by, and my stomach told me to stop in and give it a look. I guess I have a bit of a sweet tooth today, ha-ha."
"Well now, we can't have that. I'm a firm believer that everyone in the Leaf Village should taste the dango from my shop. It's famous around these parts!" A sparkle in her eye alerted the blond teen that this wasn't a game to the old woman. Her business was clearly something she took very seriously. "Just for that, I'll give you a fifteen percent discount on whatever you decide to get today. Think of it as a first-time buyer special."
"Wow! You really mean that, Granny?" The shop owner chuckled at the informal nickname and nodded her head. "You're the best! Thanks a bunch!"
"Don't thank me." Said the old woman, her warm smile never leaving her face. "Now, do you know what you would like to order?"
"Actually, yeah." Naruto had his hand on his chin while he looked at the hanging menu above the woman's head. "Can I get an order of hanami dango with a green tea, please?" This wasn't the first time he's had this type of sweet dumplings. The Chunin was by no means an expert on the dessert, but he and Jiraiya had frequented a couple shops during their travels after their escapades at Mount Myoboku.
"Of course, that is an excellent choice. That will be fifty Ryo, young man." Naruto handed over the money with an eager grin. "Your order will be ready in a few minutes. Feel free to take a seat, and I'll bring it right out to you."
"Actually, can I get the dango to go?" Asked Naruto. "I have a meeting that I gotta rush to real soon."
"Of course, dear. Don't you worry about that, I'll take care of it."
The blond nodded graciously and turned around to sit and wait for his food. While doing that, he happened to run into a familiar face.
Anko Mitarashi, his second proctor in the Chunin Exams, was sitting at one of the tables. She was absentmindedly sipping on some tea. There was a pile of dango to her right and a pile of empty sticky on her left.
"Ah, you're Anko, right?" The teen asked while walking up to the Special Jonin.
The woman in question glanced up quickly, and then looked back down at her delicious dumplings. Naruto definitely wasn't crazy; the woman licked her lips similarly to that of Orochimaru. "What do you want, brat?" She asked in between bites of the succulent sweets. "Don't ya see that I'm busy with some really important stuff, here? You'd better have a good reason for interrupting the most important part of my day."
The Uzumaki couldn't help at stare at the remains of what must have been a massive dumpling order in front of the rather petite woman. "Hehe, you really seem to like dango, huh?" The purple-hair kunoichi narrowed, and Naruto suddenly felt himself sweat under the pressure of her gaze.
"Do you want something? Am I supposed to know who you are? You can't have any of my food. Get your own."
"W-Well, I wouldn't expect you to remember me. I was one of the participants in the Chunin Exams a few years ago. You were my proctor in the Forest of Death." Jiraiya's student realized it firsthand, but Orochimaru's former student was someone who got straight to the point. Thankfully, that slice on his cheek had healed nicely.
The Snake User took a sip of her drink. She looked the kid in front of her up and down with an unreadable stare. Her attention lingered a bit longer on his mop of blond hair and huffed. "Naruto Uzumaki, right? If you're mad that you didn't get promoted, you're damn near three years too late to contest the Hokage's decision. Leave me alone."
Naruto blinked. "What, no. That's not what I'm talking to you for. I actually ended up making Chunin recently, but that doesn't matter."
"What is it, then?" You could tell by her tone that she was starting to get irritated at the meandering conversation.
"I just wanted to ask you a couple questions about the Torture and Interrogation Department. See, Ibiki wants to meet with me and I-"
"Why would I know about anything to do with T&I?"
"What? But aren't you a part of T&I? You work there, don't you?"
"Huh?! Where the hell did you get that idea?" She took another bite of her sweet dumplings with vigor. If Naruto hadn't been so focused on the conversation. Her mannerisms would have reminded him of a certain Akimichi.
'Wait, has she eaten five more sticks worth since we started talking? H-How?! When?' Those speeds reminded him of the time Team 7 tried to see what Kakashi looked like beneath that mask of his.
Even more sweat. "Well… you seem pretty close with Ibiki. Oh, and you just seem like you fit in perfectly with that kind of work. Besides, I could have sworn I had heard from someone that you were in T&I." At this point, the boy was just rambling on nonsense.
"I don't know who you heard that from, but I have no clue what the hell you're talking about." She waved one of her newly empty dango sticks in the kid's face. "I mean, sure, I like torture. It's pretty fun, I give you that. But I've only ever done it in the field. If I bring someone in, the first thing I do is hand them over to Ibiki's ugly mug. And not, I don't stay around and watch the show. Though, that's mainly because Ibiki tells me to leave. He's a real buzzkill, did ya know that?"
Naruto twitched slightly. He wasn't sure why, but it felt like his entire life was a lie. 'I coulda swore she worked with them… where did I hear that? Who else thinks this?!'
"Here you go, dearie. One order of hanami dango with a green tea."
Naruto's state of bewilderment was broken by the sweet old shop owner that called out to him. She held up his food in a to-go bag and a disposable cup for his beverage.
"Wow, this smells great." The teen grabbed his order from the woman's hands with a giddy smile. "Thanks, Granny. I can't wait to taste it!"
"Just promise that when you taste how delicious they are, that you'll come back soon for some more."
"Oh, trust me, Miss, I'll be back." Behind Teuchi and Ayame, this was only the second time that a shop owner in the Leaf had treated him so kindly. Just for that, they had earned his business for the foreseeable future. "I can already tell that these will be fantastic!"
The boy bowed deeply and turned to leave. Though, something compelled him to stop and look back over his shoulder. "By the way, Miss Anko?"
"What is it now, brat?"
"Ya might want to take it easy on the dumplings. If you keep eating like that, you'll get fat."
The Snake Queen's stopped chewing, her eyes narrowed dangerously, and she let out something akin to a beast-like snarl. To Naruto, it felt like a cease and desist order.
"Ha-ha, forget I mentioned anything." His nervous laugh was an indicator that he was about to hightail it out of there. At that moment, he knew how Jiraiya felt when he would get caught while spying on angry women. "I'll see ya around!"
The kunoichi watched, eyes still narrowed, as the blond bolted out of the shop. After a moment of lingering on the spot where he had just been, she looked down at her favorite food. Anko frowned, let out a sigh, and pushed the plate with her dango away from her.
"Damn brat…"
…
After rounding a corner a reasonable distance away from the eruption zone, Naruto chuckled to himself and rubbed the back of his head. 'First Sakura, and now Anko… I should really watch what I say around girls.' If there was one thing the Great Toad Sage didn't teach him, it was the complexities of the opposite gender. Though, that wasn't unexpected. Jiraiya wasn't exactly the ladies' man he believed himself to be. Far from it, actually.
"Boss… is that you?"
"Eh?" Naruto blurted out, not realizing that someone had snuck up behind him. "Is that you. Konohamaru?"
"Big Brother Naruto, it is you!" The Third's grandson shouted exuberantly. "I heard that you came back to the village a little while ago, but you left on a mission before I could see you."
"Yeah, I haven't had much time to relax since coming back. It just seems to be one thing after another." The Chunin scratched his cheek. "But enough about me, I see that you've become a ninja. Congratulations, the headband looks good on you!"
Konohamaru straightened his headband, a toothy smile plastered on his face. "Thanks, hehehe. I've been putting in a ton of work so that I can catch up to you. I can't have my eternal rival leave me in the dust on the path to becoming Hokage, after all!"
The teen fought the urge to frown. "R-Right. Well, uh, continue to have that mindset, and you'll keep getting stronger. I can tell that you've improved a lot, so I'm definitely going to have to keep my guard up." He ruffled the boy's hair. "I can't let a brat like you surpass me."
The Genin huffed. "You don't have to treat me like a kid, you know. I am a ninja, after all." Suddenly, his eyes began to twinkle. "Hey, I almost forgot! I have this really awesome pervy Ninjutsu that I've been dying to show you! Do you want to check it out?!"
"Actually, I have a meeting in a few minutes that I can't be late for. Can we get a raincheck?"
The twinkle in the Sarutobi's eyes dimmed, and his gaze fell to the ground. "Oh… okay. Sure, no problem."
The dejected look from his biggest fan ate away at his resolve, and he mentally sighed. "How about you walk with me on my way over there, instead? I may not have enough time to see how much you've grown, but we can still catch up. Sound good?
"Sure!"
Naruto tilted his head in the direction they were meant to go in. "Walk with me." Said the blond.
"Okay, hehehe." Hiruzen grandson clasped his hands behind in head in a familiar fashion and followed his rival. "So, where are ya heading, anyway?"
"I was summoned to the Torture and Interrogation Division by Ibiki. He was one of my proctors in the Chunin Exams, so I know how strict the guy can be. He would tear into me if I were late for my summons.
"Ooh, that's so cool." The kid was practically deifying the Uzumaki at this point. "What do ya need to go there for? Something super important, I bet."
"Ah, ah." Naruto held his finger up in a chastising manner. "Sorry, I can't say. It's a big secret, and I can't tell anyone. Not even you, Granny Tsunade's orders."
"Ah, you're no fun!" The Sarutobi lamented. "You can tell me. I won't let anyone else know! I promise!"
"Hey, didn't you say that you're a Ninja now? You should know that a Shinobi should never disregard his orders from a superior. Unless… you wanna tell the Hokage that you want me to leak out classified intel?"
"N-N-No, that's o-okay… I don't need to know." Ebisu's student went rigid at the mention of the blond Senju. Her wrath was legendary, and it was something that he did not want to be on the receiving end of.
"Ha, I thought so."
"You know, you sure have changed a lot, Boss."
"Hm? What do ya mean? I'm still me." Everyone keeps saying that to him.
"I don't know." Konohamaru contemplated with his chin in his hand. "Something about you just seems different… You seem more responsible, I guess. If anyone disobeyed the Hokage's orders, I would have that it'd be you. To be honest, you've always been kind of an idiot."
'Cheeky brat…'
"Speaking of different, what's up with the villagers lately?" Naruto doubted the preteen knew anything that would be of help, but it was still worth a shot. "Even since I've come back, they all just look at me and whisper between themselves. You have any idea what that's about?"
"Oh, that?" The Genin said through a yawn as if it was nothing that important. "From what I heard, you're kinda famous around here now."
Naruto eyes squinted in utter confusion. "Famous? For what?" That was the last thing that he had expected.
"Your book." The kid said as if it was obvious. "You wouldn't know, but your book was the talk of the whole village when it came out. Seriously, all of the book stores sold out on the first day!"
Jiraiya's student was aware of how his book sold, but that didn't really tell him much. "Okay, but that doesn't explain why everyone is acting so weird."
"I don't know that much, but Ebisu-sensei told me that your book 'opened a lot of people's eyes.'
"Yeah?"
"Mhm." Nodded Konohamaru.
"If they liked it so much, why don't they walk up and talk to me? Isn't it weird that they're just staring at me from afar?"
"Sensei says they feel guilty about something, but he didn't tell me what. I don't really get it, either, honestly. Do you know what he's talking about?"
"Guilty, huh?" Naruto paused for a moment in faux thought. After appearing to think it over, he shook his head. "Nope, I have no idea what Ebisu is talking about. I should probably ask him."
Asuma's nephew frowned but didn't press the subject. "Well, when you find out, let me know. Okay, Boss?"
"Of course, kid." He ruffled the boy's tall hair once again. They finally made it to the blond's destination. Just in time, as a matter of fact. "Welp, we're here. I gotta go inside, but I'll definitely see you around. Okay?"
Konohamaru's cheeks reddened up from embarrassment, and he pushed his idol's hand away from him. "Don't go treating me like a kid again! While you're in there doing boring missions, I'm gonna be training to get even stronger than you! Got it? I'll be Hokage before you, you can bet your life on it!"
The Chunin smiled. "Oh yeah? Next time you'll have to show me some of the things you've learned. We can spar, and I might even show you a thing or two."
"Wait, really?!"
"Yeah, just make sure to bring Moegi and Udon with you next time. It's been ages since I've seen the two of them."
"Heh, deal!"
They exchanged a thumbs up, and the Genin watched as his mentor walked through the doors of the Leaf's Intelligence Division.
What a curious day this had turned out to be.
Uddo, by the look of his distinctive mask, was patiently waiting in the lobby, no doubt to act as a guide to bring the boy where he needed to go.
"Nice to see you again, Uddo." Naruto said with a wave. "So, where are we heading?"
"Good, you're here." The Wood User said in a subdued tone. "T&I is located in the west wing. I'll show you the way, Ibiki is already waiting for you."
"Lead the way."
The ANBU nodded wordlessly as he led off to the side and down a long hallway. Naruto trailed slightly behind his guide on his right side, but could still see the cat whiskers wrapped around the sides of his mask.
"You're not much of a talker, are you?"
Uddo stole a glance at the boy to his right but swiftly turned back to look ahead. After a moment, he decided to answer. "I don't have much to talk about."
"Well, what do you like to do?"
"Serve my Hokage and nation as a Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village." The stoic man didn't miss a single beat with his response.
The teen scratched his cheek. "Right… Okay, what do you do in your free time?" He was determined to get somewhere with this conversation.
"I don't have much of that." They rounded another corner, which led to another long hallway. This place was almost akin to a maze. "Sleep, I suppose? Yes, I enjoy sleep."
'Maybe I was wrong before… The ANBU Black Ops might be even stuffier than Gaara's councilmen.' Naruto shook that off with an awkward laugh. "Do you have any hobbies? What do you like that doesn't include being a ninja?"
Yamato hadn't expected to have a conversation like this or any at all. No one had ever realty taken an interest in who he was or what he liked, to the point where he didn't even know much about those things, himself. The fact that Naruto was asking him all of these questions threw him off a little bit, but that wasn't a bad thing. It felt good.
"I suppose I enjoy architecture."
'Finally, we're getting somewhere.' The Chunin thought thankfully. "Architecture, that's cool! So, do you like to build houses in your free time?"
"When it is necessary."
Naruto gave the man a strange look, but couldn't say anything in time.
The Wood User stopped in from of a heavy-looking steel door at the end of the third hallway they made their way down. "This is where you'll meet Ibiki. He should already be inside." Cat bowed slightly and turned back the way they came. "Have a good rest of your day, Naruto Uzumaki."
"Thanks. You, too. And, oh, make sure you find yourself another hobby! Your life sounds kind of boring."
"A-Ah, well…" Even with all of his Shinobi training, nothing could have prepared him for the brashness of the Uzumaki. "I suppose I will keep that in mind."
Such a strange boy.
Tsunade found herself walking through the village at a near-frantic pace. It wasn't often that the Hokage would go to investigation sites herself, but this was a special case. If the pit in her stomach was any indication, she knew this was somehow connected to the eerie feeling that's loomed over her these last few weeks. To satiate her conscious, the Senju needed answers right away. She relaxed slightly upon seeing the back of Shikaku's spiky head.
"Now, son, tell us everything right from the beginning. I want to make sure that we don't miss out on anything." The Nara Clan Head said calmly.
"I-I already told you everything!" Kotetsu was sitting down on a bench with his head buried in his hands. "I d-don't know what else to say!" You could tell by the tone in his voice; he was lost.
"Just walk me through the whole thing again." The patient Jonin Commander asked again.
"O-Okay." The Chunin took a few calming breaths to lower his rapidly beating heart. "Izumo had been acting a little different lately. He said things that he normally wouldn't say acted in ways that I had never seen him act. Then, a few days ago, he had mentioned that he wasn't feeling well; asked if I could man the gate alone in case he's too sick to join me. I said yes, since things had been pretty quiet recently. But I hadn't heard from him since and wanted to check to see if he was okay."
"So, you came to his apartment to find him, correct?"
"Y-Yeah." The worry-ridden Chunin nodded. "That's when I found his apartment completely emptied and ripped apart. He's never done something like this before. I know Izumo better than anyone! If something were wrong, he would have talked to me about it! That means something must have happened to him!"
"I thought as much." The Nara nodded gravely with a hand on his chin. "Seems like there's something else going on here." His thoughts drifted back to the theory that the Hokage had disclosed to him. 'If there is a mole in the village, then this could be an important key to revealing their identity.'
"H-Hey, is there something you guys aren't telling me?" Izumo's friend asked desperately. "There is, isn't there? Please, tell me! Is Izumo going to be alright; do you know where he is?!"
"I'm sorry, but that is all we know as of right now."
"B-Bu-"
"Kotetsu Hagane." The pair of men turned to see the Fifth Hokage walking swiftly up to them.
The eyes of the man in question lit up. "Ma'am!" He said with a salute.
"You are relieved of your duties. Please return home; we'll be in touch with you for any updates."
"But, Lady Tsunade… what about-"
"Let us work to find out what happened." The blond's tone was firm and authoritative, but her soft eyes showed layers of empathy. "If we find anything, you'll be the first to know. I assure you."
Kotetsu couldn't bring himself to hide his frown but nodded his compliance. "Of course, Lady Hokage. Thank you."
The Jonin Commander and Slug Sannin waited for the young man to leave before addressing the issue at hand.
"I didn't expect you to come yourself, Lady Tsunade." Shika said. "I had planned to deliver my report immediately after concluding our preliminary investigation."
"Normally, I would have let you." The kunoichi couldn't help but bit the inside of her cheek a bit too hard. "There's just this feeling that I can't shake, and I needed to come and see it for myself."
"I understand. Tsume and Kuromaru are doing a sweep of the premises. They should be done at any moment. Let's hope they can give us some clues to what is going on."
"I see." With a simple wave of her hand, a Black Ops member was at her side in an instant. "I need a member of the Hyuga clan here, immediately. Ensure that they are aware that the details of this are extremely classified. We can't let word out that we're on to something here."
"Right." Without another word, the cloaked Shinobi disappeared in a flash.
Not even a moment later, Tsume Inuzuka came around the side of the building on the back of her trusty Ninja Hound, Kuromaru. She hadn't said a word yet, but they could tell that any news she had would not be good. The look on her face said it all.
"Report." Requested the Hokage.
"I made a round of the building, but I don't sense or smell any troublesome chakra inside." The feral-looking Inuzuka said slowly. "As far as any other potential dangers, I'm not entirely sure what could be on the other side of those doors."
"From what I understand, Izumo didn't actually walk inside. The second he saw the state of the apartment from the front door, he reported it. A member of the Hyuga Clan will be here shortly. If there are any traps to worry about, their eyes will find them." Tsunade noted the look on the woman's face and frowned. "Though, that doesn't seem to be what you're worried about. Did you learn anything?"
"Yeah." Kiba's mom said with a nod. "The closer I got to his room, the more obvious it became."
"What is it?"
"It smells like death. And, by the scent of it, it's been like that for a while."
"What?! Why did this not get brought to my attention sooner?!"
"I reviewed the records of this building." Shikaku cut in. "It has a small number of occupants; only eight units. Furthermore, none of the other residents are Shinobi. Whatever happened here, it's safe to say no one heard, saw, or smelled anything."
"Damn…" The Sannin's expression darkened significantly. "Do you think there's any way that could be a coincidence?" She asked her commander.
"I think the most appropriate course of action would be to assume that, if someone is behind this, they planned this after collecting intel on their surroundings."
"Speculation won't do ya much good until we have more information." Tsume chimed in as she jumped off the back of Kuromaru. "Let's just wait until the Hyuga shows up. Their Byakugan will tell us a lot more about what's going on."
"You're right, but…" The Senju's frowned deepened even further. "I feel awful for saying this, but, deep down, I hope this is a similar situation to that of Sakumo Hatake." The blond ground her teeth together. "Because, if it's not…" She couldn't even bring herself to finish that sentence.
It would put the Leaf Village in grave danger.
And none of the three Shinobi present on the scene believed that they were that fortunate. No, there was no way that this was a suicide.
"Naruto Uzumaki." The man with twin scars running down his face breathed out. "You're late."
"Eh, only by a couple of minutes. I had to get something to eat, ya know?" The blond casually waved off as he entered the room.
It was a large, open room with a few large desks scattered around. Each station was manned by a Shinobi. They all seemed to be tasked with looking through files and going over paperwork. At the very back of the room, there were three sturdy steel doors equally spaced along the wall. The ones on the left and right were partially open, but the door in the middle was sealed shut.
"Hm, right." Ibiki frowned. "Now that you're here, I would like to get started as soon as possible. Or do you need to do something first? Gotta use the bathroom? Oh, how about a snack?"
Naruto's eye twitched. "Just tell me what you need me to do. What's going on?" He was going to ignore the not-so-subtle dry sarcasm of his former proctor.
"You brought Sasori of the Red Sand to me the other night. I've had a man with him every minute since then, and he hadn't uttered a single word." Ibiki shoved his hands deep into his pockets, a clear sign that he was frustrated with the situation. "Because of his puppet body, I am unable to extract any intel from him. He feels no pain, has no loved ones in this word, and does not fear death. There is nothing that we can use to get him to talk. None of my mind games are going to work on him, either. He's a… special case."
The Chunin scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, the thought had crossed my mind, but I was hoping you'd figure something out. You're the best, after all." Though, none of that explained what they were doing right now. "If that's the case, why am I here? If you can't get him to talk, then there is no way that I have a shot."
"Ah, but that's just it." The interrogation specialist spun around, and the back of his coat nearly slapped Naruto in the face. "About an hour ago, he finally said something. The first words since his imprisonment. That is why you're here."
"And… what did he say?"
"He wanted to speak to you. In fact, he made it abundantly clear that there was no one else that he would talk to, except for you."
"Eh?! He wants to talk to me? Why?"
"How should I know? I already told you, those are the only words that came out of his mouth." Ibiki growled out. "You know, I figured that in the three years since the Chunin Exams you would have gotten a little smarter. Guess I was wrong to assume that."
"Ha, you're just mad that you couldn't trick someone as dumb as me with your tenth question mind games! Like you said, it's been three years; let it go, Ibiki."
"Heh, the blind confidence you have in yourself is truly something to behold. No one else would have accepted that tenth question after not answering any of the previous nine." The T&I expert did his best to laugh it off, but Naruto could tell the man was still bothered by what happened. "Tell you what, I'll let it go if you can get Sasori to tell us what he knows."
"Without that confidence, I'd most certainly be dead right now." The boy smirked. "Leave it to me, I'll get him to talk."
"Perfect. He's restrained in the room behind the middle door." The Special Jonin gestured in its direction. "The Akatsuki, their motives, members, abilities, strengths, weaknesses; these are all key components of the organization that we don't know much about. Any and all things pertaining to the group hold priority."
"I know that much. I'm not that dumb."
Ibiki couldn't help but smirk while watching the blonde's retreating form. 'I can understand why you like that kid, Master Jiraiya. He's quite the interesting brat…'
…
Naruto closed the metal door behind him with a loud click. "I heard you wanted to speak to me." The newly-minted interrogator said as he took a seat in the questioning room. "Nearly twenty-four hours of interrogation and you don't say a single word. Why am I the only one you want to talk to?"
Those of the Torture and Interrogation Unit of the Hidden Leaf would do anything in their power to shift the advantage in their favor. A quick glance of the room could tell Naruto just that. The room was dark and depressing. It didn't have any windows for natural light that could potentially uplift the mood, an intentional design choice, no doubt. The bare stone walls reverberated sound to an extreme degree, and the floors were a bland grey color that scratched irritably against the bottom of your shoes as you walked. A table, two loud, metal chairs, and an incessantly ticking clock mounted on the wall were the only contents within the space.
This would all be effective in breaking down the will of their captive, but, as Ibiki said, this was a special case. As far as they were concerned, Sasori of the Red Sand was unbreakable. Hell, he was barely human, to begin with. Standard protocol proved to be useless on him. The only way he would talk is if he wanted to.
"You don't seem very happy to see me." Smirked the S-Rank threat. "As for why, well, that's a little complicated."
Sitting across the wooden table, Sasori was wrapped from head to toe in a straitjacket covered in chakra suppression seals. Unkempt bangs that fell in front of his eyes, along with his habitually emotionless face, made him look the part of a patient in a mental institution. The former Sand Shinobi was even tied to his metal chair, which was already bolted to the ground.
'A lot of precaution for someone who can't even use any Jutsu." Noted the Jinchuriki. 'Though, I wouldn't expect much less considering who the prisoner is.'
"It's complicated? How?"
"Before we get into any of that, I must ask; how many days has it been since our battle? It's impossible to tell how long I was dead or sealed away in that scroll."
"You could've asked anyone here how long it's been. I really wasn't needed for that."
"Yes, but I trust you. As much as someone in my position can trust another person, anyway." The sociopath said simply. "The T&I Department of the Leaf is well known for being ruthless and manipulative to get what they want. I'm sure lying also falls under that banner without hesitation."
'Why is getting the correct amount of days important to him? Would I be playing right into his hands if I told him that little bit of information?' Naruto couldn't help but cross his arms at his chest in a defensive manner. "It's been six days since you 'died.'"
"That is good news. Thank you, Naruto."
"Can you start getting to the point? What is all of this for, or do you just enjoy playing games?"
"Why do you seem so on edge?" The Puppeteer chuckled humorlessly. "I'm the one bound up, not you. You should relax a little bit."
The Chunin decided it best to not dignify that with a response, instead opting to give the criminal a hard stare.
"Hm, I thought this would be a little more fun. Where is all of that banter you had during our fight?" The Puppet User almost seemed sad. "How disappointing."
"Sasori."
"Alright, alright." Throughout the length of their conversation, the tone of Sasori's voice never actually changed. It was monotonous. "I think that it's safe to say that I have a lot of information on the Akatsuki. In fact, I was one of the main intelligence gatherers for the organization. However…" Chiyo's grandson smiled eerily. "If you want to know what I know, you'll have to do something for me first."
"You're willing to rat out your partners… if I do some errand for you?" It almost seemed too good to be true. Because of that, he'd continue with some precaution. The blond didn't think Sasori would lie to him, but he'd leave every possibility open.
"Don't misunderstand, the Akatsuki are not some close-knit group of friends. A lot of us actually can't stand one another. Any of them would betray me in an instant if they slightly benefitted from it; some would even do it for fun." The redhead explained. "Think of it as less of a friend group, and more like the various allegiances you see between the Five Great Nations. We don't trust, like, or care for others in the organization, but we work together to further our individual goals. Now that I have reached immortality, I have no need for the Akatsuki. They don't mean anything to me."
"Then why don't you just hand over all of the information willingly? In your eyes, you aren't really betraying anyone."
"I lost a mutually beneficial relationship, so I need to replace it with something else. That's what you're for, Naruto." Sasori's faced twitched, and a glimmer of emotion poked its way through. "There is still a loose end that I need tying up. If you want to know about the Akatsuki, then you need to take care of it for me. Do we have a deal?"
"It's not like I can force you to tell me what you know." Naruto mused aloud. "Okay, clue me in. What exactly do you want? I have to know before I agree to anything."
"Excellent." Sasori's smirk only grew in size. "Tell me, do you know Orochimaru?"
The Jinchuriki's eyes widened slightly at the mention of that name. "Orochimaru… that's right, I had heard he was a former Akatsuki member." Naruto couldn't possibly explain the vast history he has with the Snake in a short amount of time. The bastard dangled a lure in front of Sasuke, nearly destroyed the Leaf Village during the Chunin Exams, and killed Old Man Third Hokage. And that was probably only the tip of the iceberg for the awful things that he's done. "Yeah, you could say that I know him. If you want me to deliver a message to him or something, it's completely out of the question. If I ever see him again, I'm going to try and kill him."
"Now that's what I like to hear." The Puppet Master almost sounded eager at this new development. "You see, I can't stand that snake even more than you. What I want you to do is simple; kill Orochimaru, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know about the Akatsuki."
"Kill Orochimaru?!"
"I would do it myself, but I can't exactly walk around as I please. And I doubt that you people are going to let me out of here anytime soon. No, the window to make a move is rapidly closing. I have intel that suggests his current host body has begun to reject him, which means he may not be at full strength. Orochimaru must be defeated before he switches to a new body. Since I can't do it, then you must."
Naruto grimaced at the implications behind the man's words. Sasori wasn't aware of it, but the teen knew precisely who the next host body was supposed to be. And he was right; if the serpent succeeded, he would become much too powerful. The Sharingan could not fall into his greedy hands.
"A window?" The blond repeated between squinted eyes. "Is that why you were curious about how long it's been since our fight? Something is about to go down, isn't it?"
"That's right." The man's cold voice chilled the air around them. "You said that it has been six days, correct?"
To which Naruto nodded in confirmation.
"Go to the Tenchi Bridge in the Village Hidden in the Grass. Six days from now at noon, one of Orochimaru's men is working undercover for me as a spy, a man named Kabuto Yakushi. That is where I am supposed to rendezvous with him."
"That bastard again? Great." The news of him being a double agent wasn't all that surprising to the blond. After Naruto found out that the Medical Ninja was a Sound spy, the man would always be considered a weasel in his book.
The former Akatsuki member tilted his head slightly to the side. "Oh? You know of him already?"
"Let's just say we aren't exactly friends." The Chunin couldn't hide his distaste for Orochimaru's lapdog, which was made clear through his venomous tone. "So, what's the plan? Capture him and have him lead me to the Snake's den?"
"That would be ideal, but it may not be that easy." The redhead warned. "I suspect that this meeting may be a trap. I have a feeling that Orochimaru became aware of the Jutsu I placed on Kabuto. For a while now, the information Kabuto has supplied me with has been much less comprehensive than I've been used to. That means Orochimaru is either suspicious of him, or he has already been made aware of my influence. If that's the case, he may appear in Kabuto's place with plans to eliminate me."
"Good. That will make it much easier for me to kill him."
"What if they both decided to go? You're strong, maybe even strong enough to defeat a weakened Orochimaru by yourself. However, I don't believe you are powerful enough to defeat both of them at the same time."
"I can always find someone in the Village strong enough to take on Kabuto while I deal with the Snake. Actually, I already have a few names in mind."
"You could always take me with you, you know?"
"I didn't realize you were a fan of telling jokes, Sasori."
"The only thing I desire in this world as of right now is his elimination. I would do anything to do it with my own hands."
"And what about when he's dead?" Naruto asked. "What then?"
"Does it matter?" The restrained man responded dubiously. "I will have achieved everything I have ever wanted. I will finally be happy."
"And if you aren't?"
Sasori closed his mouth and remained silent. Though, the immediate change in demeanor told the Chunin all that he needed to know.
He didn't want to think about the possibility of his last hope being unfulfilling.
"How can I trust that you'll fulfill your end of the bargain after I complete mine?" Naruto asked to get their conversation back on track. "I can't force you to do anything; you can't possibly expect me to just take your word for it."
"Naruto, are you saying that you don't trust me? After all that we've been through together?" If the Puppeteer was trying to sound sarcastic or playful, he didn't. Like always, his tone was void of any and all emotion. "That hurts, truly."
"Can you honestly blame me?" The teen retorted.
The former Sand Ninja let out a sigh. "I suppose not." He shifted slightly underneath the straitjacket. "Then, I shall give you a little piece of information right now to show you that I'm serious. And, trust me, it's vital to the safety of your village."
'The safety of the village?!' Naruto eyed the man carefully. "Okay, talk."
Sasori showed the faintest glimmer of a smirk.
"Move this rug, please." Neji instructed, the veins around his pale eyes pulsing with chakra. "There's something under here."
The ANBU nodded silently, and two of them moved an inconspicuous throw rug that had been placed in the middle of Izumo's Living Room.
After the Hyuga had discerned that the apartment was not booby-trapped, the team of Shinobi was cleared to move in. The unit had smelled like death, according to Tsume, but there was no body to be seen. At least, not any that the Hyuga prodigy could detect. However, they didn't need a body to prove that something had happened.
The wooden floors underneath were stained with splatters of what appeared to be dried blood—more than what would be necessary to die from blood loss.
"Hm, by the looks of it, whoever did this attempted to clean up their mess." Shikaku said as he kneeled down to get a better look at the evidence. "There's no body to speak of, so it goes without saying that we can rule out suicide." He glanced over to ANBU. "Find something that may have Izumo's scent on it. Tsume, do you think it's possible to get a scent from this stain?"
"I'm not sure. If we're lucky, the scent may have seeped into the wood before it was cleaned. Kuromaru?" She asked her hound.
The single-eyed wolfdog nodded and began to stiff the red-stained flooring. After a moment, another Black Operative returned with a scarf from the bedroom and presented it to the beast. The hound sniffed that, as well.
"It's faint, but the blood is definitely the same scent as the owner of this scarf." Tsume's companion said gruffly.
"Why would an enemy spy kill a Chunin of all people, and in their house, no less?" Mused the Nara. "What would he have gained from this? By the looks of this place, they tore it apart in hopes of finding something. But what? None of this makes any sense."
"Do you think it's possible someone within the village killed him over a grudge?" Tsunade asked the Nara hopefully. "Maybe this is a contained incident and not an enemy attack?"
"You think another Leaf Shinobi did this in cold blood?" The genius rested his chin into his hand. "I suppose that could be a possibility. Do we have potential suspects?"
"Is it possible that kid Kotetsu could have had a hand in it?" Tsume chimed in. "He conveniently found the crime scene. It would make him an obvious candidate to rule out."
"I doubt that." Neji added with a shake of the head. "I saw them together just a few days ago. They seemed as friendly with one another as always. I don't think that he would have-"
"Wait… did you just say a few days ago?!" The group was startled by the sudden outburst of Kuromaru. "Are you sure of that? When was this?"
"Five or six days ago, if memory serves." The Side Branch Cadet frowned. "…Why?"
"That's… not possible. The scent on the floor isn't fresh." The hound's piercing, yellow eye widened in distress. "It's aged. If I had to guess, it's been here for at least two weeks."
It felt as if the temperature in the room had just dipped several degrees. At that moment, you could hear a pin drop in the room.
"So, there is an Akatsuki spy in the Hidden Leaf?" Naruto's fingernails dug deep into the table. "Damnit! Now of all times?!"
Sasori tilted his head to the side at the child's reaction. "Seems like you already suspected something was amiss."
"It started with the incident in the Land of Waves, which I'm sure you're fully aware of. You guys were able to separately track the movements of Jiraiya-sensei and me. The perv made the assumption that you had a highly skilled tracker and infiltration specialist. Then, there was the news of those men used to impersonate Hidan and Kakuzu. If moles were able to sneak their way onto the Sand's council, that only made it more likely that they could do it to us."
"The two from the Sand were actually my subordinates." The Scorpion of the Red Sand corrected. "Though, that incorrect analysis was still able to lead you down the correct path. I shouldn't be surprised… Jiraiya of the Sannin is legendary in the world of espionage and information gathering. The infiltration was successful shortly after your attempted capture that day. While I'm not sure about the details of how it came to be, they've already been in the village for about two years."
"That long? Seriously?!" The Chunin was doing his best to quell his nerves. The prospect of having someone watch him without his knowledge had made his skin crawl. "So… who is it and where can I find them?"
"His name is Zetsu." The Puppeteer began with a blank expression. "He is a white, humanoid creature with yellow eyes and green hair. His adept tracking comes from a skill he possesses that allows him to move undetected underground. As for where he is right now, well, I have absolutely no idea."
"I don't get it." The blond breathed out slowly. "Something like that would stick out like a sore thumb. How has he been able to go unnoticed, but still able to steal our intel?"
Sasori's lips curved down into a slight frown. "Zetsu has a special ability just for situations like this. If he can steal even a sliver of chakra from someone, he can turn into an identical copy of that person. This is no ordinary Transformation Jutsu; his 'Substitution Technique' copies a person's chakra signature, scent, and even the victim's clothes. Not even the visual prowess of a Hyuga or nose of a Ninja Hound can pick out the fake."
A shiver went up the Jinchuriki's spine. This situation was much direr than anything he could have predicted. "If what you're saying is true, how the hell am I supposed to find someone that can disguise themselves like that?"
"I said I would give you information about the Akatsuki, not advice on how to deal with your problems." Glowered the redhead. "That's something you will have to figure out on your own. However, I will tell you one piece of good news; despite being a vital member of the Akatsuki, Zetsu does not possess high fighting power. In fact, I can say with certainty that he is the weakest one within the organization."
"I have to tell Granny Tsunade right away." Naruto's abrupt jump to his feet made his chair scrape unpleasantly along the stone ground. Sasori winced ever so slightly. "Something like this can't be pushed off!"
'Granny?' Sasori thought dryly.
The teen turned to leave, but something in his mind made him stop. His gaze fell on the restrained Grandson of the woman he watched die just a few days ago. He smiled warmly for the first time since entering the room. "Thank you for your help today, Sasori. This goes a long way in stopping the Akatsuki."
"I didn't do it for you." The Puppet shot back with a cold tone. "We spoke about this already. I need you to kill Orochimaru, and this is the best way to ensure that you do. If the roles were reversed, I'd add you to my collection without a second thought. Don't forget that."
"Heh. You know, you remind me of someone else that I know." A certain furry fox immediately came to mind. "We'll talk again soon, okay?"
"Get out of my sight. You're beginning to irritate me."
"Heh, okay. I can see when I'm not wanted." The Uzumaki rested his hand on the steel door's handle. Before he turned it, he looked back over his shoulder one last time. "Oh, and about happiness… I think you should think about what you want from your life, and why."
The former Akatsuki member narrowed his eyes. "What?" He already had that, didn't he? Since a young age, Sasori's dream was to become everlasting. It was complete; he had done it. Still, something was missing.
"What is your purpose in life? Why are you here in the first place? Find that, and maybe, one day, you can truly be happy."
Sasori didn't take his eyes off of the back of the blond's head. Even after the boy disappeared behind the cold, steel door, the man's gaze was still transfixed on that spot. There was, at least, a modicum of sense behind those words. After all, it wasn't like the Puppet Master had many options he could use to occupy his time. No, he was alone with his thoughts; and that was it.
The quiet walls were not as inviting as they had been just a short while ago. For once, he found himself missing the noise.
'Hm.'
Author's Note: Like I said, super long chapter. It's slower paced, but I still wanted to fit a lot into these next couple of installments to get into the next arc faster. I hope you don't mind.
The joke about Anko was that it's widely accepted fanon that Anko works in T&I. She doesn't actually.
Let me know what you think! A lot happened, so I don't expect you to talk about everything. What did you like? Dislike? Hope to see more of?
Review generously!
See you next time with Chapter 33: It's Better This Way. (I already can see the shitstorm this next chapter is going to cause in the review section).
Data/Bingo Book Entries
Naruto Uzumaki: Hidden Leaf Chunin
Age: 15 (Almost 16)
Ninjutsu – 5, Taijutsu – 4.5, Genjutsu – 3, Intelligence – 4, Strength – 4, Speed – 4.5, Stamina – 5, Hand seals – 4
Total – 34
Rank – High A to Low S
Profile: Extremely talented in both Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. Highly perceptive in recognizing and dispelling subtle and powerful Genjutsu. Not a skilled tactician, but can devise unorthodox and effective strategies on the fly. Impulsive and extremely reckless decision making. Compassion is his biggest enemy on the battlefield. High strength and speed. Monstrous reserves of chakra and the Shadow Clone Jutsu (along with its variants) make him perfectly suited to battle several enemies at once.
Battle Type: Assault (More info on battle types on my profile page)
Sakura Haruno: Hidden Leaf Chunin
Age – 15
Ninjutsu – 3.5, Taijutsu – 3.5, Genjutsu – 3.5, Intelligence – 4, Strength – 5, Speed – 3.5, Stamina – 3, Hand seals – 3.5
Total – 29.5
Rank – B to High-B
Profile: Medical Ninja prodigy with an aptitude for Earth Style Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. Has superb book smarts and above-average intelligence, but too little battle experience. Emotions dictate her fighting ability too much. Slightly above average Taijutsu and speed, incredible strength ensures that one punch is all that is needed to end a fight. Average stamina and chakra reserves.
Battle Type: Combat Medic
Yamajiji – Izumo, but I forgive you for mixing the two up. Lol.
And Sasori will cooperate… in his own unique way, as you already saw. Thanks!
Anime Aikouka – Lmao. This got a good laugh out of me. Almost makes me want to change the wording. I blame the English Dub.
ThelittleKing – If only Kurama was a little less of an ass, am I right?
There were a few more small/mundane things that happened in this chapter. Can't just have him bounce around from mission to mission with no respite.
vyoom – I miss writing Jiraiya :(
Thanks for the review!
Altzelic – Good guess! How deep does it run, I wonder?