Author's Note: Here we are with another chapter of Son of the Sannin, beginning a new mini-arc, starring Utakata! You know, I watched the filler arc about him in order to write this arc, and have to say, while it wasn't bad, despite being titled "Six Tails Unleashed" it was more about Hotaru than Utakata, with the latter playing more of a supporting role to Hotaru, rather than the other way around. Still, I liked Hotaru enough as to include her in the story. Now, enjoy!
Chapter 69:
Trail of the Six Tails
or
Being stubborn isn't something unique to Naruto
Hokage's Tower
As usual, Jiraiya was in his office, accompained by a couple clones, doing the work his position demanded. Somebody then knocked the door. Without waiting for the Hokage to answer, a lizard-masked ANBU entered the office, carrying several scrolls.
"Hokage-sama, these are today's letters addressed to you specifically," the ANBU said, placing the stack of scrolls on the table, and then he picked one. "But you should read this one first. It's labeled as 'urgent', and carries the personal seal of the Mizukage."
Jiraiya nodded, and after breaking the seal, he unfurled and read the scroll. His eyes started to widen as he read its contents.
"Quickly, find my son and his teammates! Tell him I have an urgent mission to them!" Jiraiya asked.
The ANBU nodded. "Yes, Hokage-sama!" he said, before vanishing.
…
Sarutobi State
The residence of the Sarutobi Clan wasn't something the Assault Squad was used to visit. Still, in just a few months, they dropped by so often, everybody felt as if they've been the their whole lives. The reason for this, naturally, was that their sensei was now a member of the clan.
"I thought that nobody had bigger place than the Hyugas, but this one is pretty big as well," Naruto pointed out, as he took some moments to admire the state while they walked across the front patio.
"The Sarutobi Clan is one of the largest clans of Konoha. Naturally, they'll need a big place to house all of their members," Haku replied.
"Even then, I like this place. It feels far more livelier than the Hyuga State," Hinata pointed out.
"Yeah, People here greet you with a smile. It's like they don't have a stick up their butts," Naruto pointed out, before shooting a quick glance to her girlfriend. "No offense."
"None taken," Hinata replied with a hand wave. "Though, you know, sometimes I wonder if I would have been able to make you fall for me if I was as stiff and overly formal as the rest of my clansmen."
"If that was the case, I doubt you would have been interested in me to begin with," Naruto pointed out. "But I'm sure you would have. You still have plenty of other admirable qualities."
For a second, Hinata could swear she saw Naruto's eyes locked onto her chest.
"Oh, look. Kurenai-sensei's there," Haku noticed.
And indeed, their Jonin sensei was leaving the main building just as they were about to head in. The Genjutsu Mistress was now wearing a sleeveless red cotton dress over a green short-sleeved t-shirt. Her stomach had now a notieable bump.
The former leader of the Assault Squad smiled upon seeing her students. It wasn't hard to tell why they were here.
"Naruto, Hinata, Haku! What a nice surprise," the red eyed woman warmly greeted them. "Did you come here to see me?"
The three of them nodded in unison.
"Indeed. But I see that you're about to leave. Do you have any chores or tasks to do? Because if this is a bad moment, we can come another moment," Hinata said, in an apologetic tone.
"Yes, I was going to leave, but we can spend some time together," Kurenai suggested. "If you want, you can come with me to the place I'm heading."
"Sounds nice," Haku agreed. "Where are you going?"
"First, I'm going to stop at the Yamanaka Flower Shop to buy some flowers. Then I'm heading to the cemetery."
Her three students blinked in surprise.
"Uh, are you sure you want us to go with you? I mean, cemeteries aren't the kind of places you go with friends," Naruto uneasily said, as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"On the contrary. I think they're places when one needs the support of your friends and family the most," Kurenai countered. "Since in those places, we're at our most vulnerable."
Her three students looked pensive upon those words sunk in. They always thought that when one was with their deceased loved ones, it was a moment of personal privacy, not to be shared with other people.
"Besides, that way I can talk you about a certain somebody I would have loved for you to meet," Kurenai said.
"Alright then," Naruto said with a shrug. "Let's go then."
"Since we're at it, I might visit Father's grave as well," Hinata said, before she rubbed her arm. "I admit that I don't pay him as many visits as I should."
Their first stop was the Yamanaka Flower Shop to buy some flowers. At the counter was Ino's mother, who, after some light talking, told the members of the Assault Squad about Ino's recent streak of doing solo missions, much to her sensei and teammate's concerns.
"I'll tell her about it the next time I see her," Hinata had promised Mrs. Yamanaka.
Naruto's reaction, or lack of thereof, didn't go unnoticed by his perceptive girlfriend, as if somehow Ino's behavior didn't surprise him. She made a note to ask Naruto if he knew something about Ino. After pushing those thoughs to the back of her mind, Hinata bought some carnations to leave at her father's grave. Carnations meant admiration for a loved one and acknowledging their great deeds, something befitting for her proud father. She saw Kurenai ordering some white roses, which symbolized innocence, and made her wonder who was this person she was going to visit.
"Hey, Hinata, I was going to buy some flowers to leave at my biological parents' grave. Do you have any suggestions?" Naruto asked. "Though something different from yours. I don't want to copy you."
"Try gladiolus. They symbolize strength, honor and loving memories," Hinata replied. "I'm sure that's how both you and everybody else remember the Fourth Hokage and his wife."
Naruto smiled at her suggestion. "Thank you, I'll do that."
In the end, Haku was the only one who didn't buy any flowers. He explained them that after his father killed his mother, and he killed his father in self defense, he left their hometown fearing for his life, and thus he doesn't know what has been of their bodies.
"Have you thought about them?" Kurenai asked. "Maybe return to the Land of Water, and see if at least they were given proper burial?"
"Sometimes," Haku said, sounding oddly neutral. "But I was so little when they went away... I have no lost love for my father, but I don't even remember what my mother used to look like."
"That's so sad," Hinata emphatically said.
"I guess it is. But it's not so bad anymore. I do have a new home and a new family. Yugao-san and Hayate-san took care of me when I came to live here, and there's Zabuza-sama. They're as much family to me as my mother was, even if we aren't related by blood."
A few minutes later, they arrived at the cemetery. While Kurenai, accompained by Haku, went to visit her father's grave, Hinata and Naruto went to visit the grave of Hiashi Hyuga.
"Do you think in your father?" Naruto asked.
"Sometimes," Hinata replied. "I'm twice as old as I was back when he was taken away from us. And Hanabi-chan hardly remembers him. Can't blame her for that, since he was not even four."
"I do have some vague memories of him," Naruto told her. "He looked quite stern and imposing. He made quite the first impression when I first met him."
"Yes, father was strict. Though he could be loving and understanding as well," Hinata replied. "I guess he had to appear strong in order to maintain order in the clan."
"Wonder what he would have thought had he seen your speech when you were appointed the new clan head," Naruto said, chuckling a little upon recalling the memory.
"I like to think he'd be proud of me," Hinata said, a bit unsure. "He was a man of high expectations. But I'm sure that he would have loved to see the clan united."
"He would be more than just proud," Naruto added.
After spending a few more minutes, the couple moved to the graves of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. Naruto placed half of the flowers on each grave, and stood there without saying anything.
"I admit that I should have visit them more as well. But hey, I didn't even get to know them, so it's kind of hard," Naruto said, trying to sound justified, before his face softened. "Still, they were my birth parents and died to protect me. Plus I'm their only living relative. They deserve as much."
"Jiraiya-sama used to be the Fourth's sensei. Did he tell you about him?" Hinata asked.
"Yeah, plenty of stuff. He was a pretty cool guy and a badass ninja. The ideal all ninjas should strive for," Naruto said, chuckling a little. "Or at least, that's what dad used to say."
"There's also Kakashi-sensei and Rin, who studied under him," Hinata reminded her boyfriend.
"Yeah, I asked Rin a few thing about him. Makes me wish I was able to meet him," Naruto sotly replied, his voice laced with some melancholy. "I can't believe it was one of his students who caused his death. I could never picture neither myself or any of you guys doing something like that to Kurenai-sensei."
"From what Rin told us, Obito's case was far more complex than what we think," Hinata replied, and realizing that she sounded like she was defending Obito, she quickly added: "Not to say that's an excuse for all the atrocities he did. It's just that... we like to think we know both ourselves and those close to us, but everybody can change or do something out of character in a dire situation."
"Still, how one does go from wanting to be Hokage to setting a Tailed Beast loose in the village and not caring how many people die?" Naruto questioned.
Hinata placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I don't know. But I think it would be best if never found out."
"Guess you're right," Naruto admitted, before something caught his attention. "Oh look, there are Haku and Kurenai-sensei!"
"Let's go meet with them then," Hinata said, removing her hand from Naruto's shoulder.
The group of four gathered together, and the raven haired woman lead them to a certain grave in the most recent part of the graveyard. Apparently, it was from the heir of a certain clan, whose symbol was a wing segmented in three parts as if there were feathers. Kurenai's three students read the name in the tombstone.
HERE LIES YAKUMO KURAMA
LAST MEMBER OF THE KURAMA CLAN
"So, a clan died with this girl," Haku noted, grimly realizing that he could have been in a very similar predicament.
"How did you know this girl, Kurenai-sensei?" Hinata asked.
"The Kurama was a clan specialized in genjutsu, thanks to their Bloodline Limit, which made their illusions so lifelike, the body would react as if it was the real thing. For example, a genjutsu of fire would cause actual burns in the skin," Kurenai explained.
"Amazing," Naruto gushed upon knowing such a bloodline exists. Or existed.
"However, not all members manifest this bloodline. In fact, this bloodline hasn't been manifested since the times of Hashirama. This caused the clan to dwindle in both size and importance over the decades. Until Yakumo was born, and much to their parents joy, she had the bloodline. However, there were complications. She had some health problems, and had a lot of trouble keeping her powers under control.
"That's why Hokage-sama tasked me to personally train this girl –it was a year or so before I became your sensei–. I made a lot of progress with her, and her health improved thanks to a treatment developed by Tsunade-sama, and had hopes that she could become a Genin. However, before she could be examined, tragedy struck; her house was caught in a massive fire, killing both her and her parents." Kurenai finished her explaination.
Kurenai's words were followed by a long moment of silence as her students absorbed them.
"While the charred corpses of her parents were found, there was no trace of her body," Kurenai stated. "At first I had hopes that maybe she escaped and was alive somewhere out there, but in the end I was forced to admit the truth. Yakumo and her clan were gone forever."
"How is that you never told us about this other student of yours, Kurenai-sensei?" Naruto asked. Though he sounded more curious rather than indignant.
"Yakumo was my tragedy, not yours. I didn't see the need to get you involved in this," Kurenai replied.
"Even then, I'm glad you told us about her," Hinata chimed in. "That way, more people will remember her. Even if we didn't get to meet her when she was alive."
Kurenai smiled a little. "Yes, that's a way of seeing it, I guess."
At that moment, a lizard-masked ANBU appeared before them.
"Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuga, Haku Yuki. Hokage-sama requires your presence for an urgent mission of utmost importance," the ANBU told them, his tone being stoic but at the same time conveying urgency.
Kurenai's three studnets exchanged knowing glances, realizing what such mission was going to be.
"Guess we'll have to continue our talk another time, Kurenai-sensei," Naruto apologized.
"Don't worry. I know that when duty calls, you must heed said call. Come on, go," the Genjutsu Mistress said.
Her three students quickly waved her goodbye before leaving for the Hokage Tower.
…
Hokate's Tower
The three younger members of thr Assault Squad were in the Hokage's office, standing in front of Jiraiya, sitting in his desk. His face sported a serious look, and was holding a scroll in his hand. The crest of Kirigakure was visible on the scroll.
"A few moments ago, this message arrived from the Mizukage," Jiraiya began, showing them the furled scroll. "She said that her forces had located the jinchuriki of the Six Tails, Utakata."
Naruto instantly beamed the moment the news reached his ears.
"That's great!" Naruto beamed. However, his expression turned serious the moment a certain thought sunk in. "But she didn't write that message just to tell us that Utakata is safe, right?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "She send a team of ANBU lead by two of her swordsmen in order to retrieve and escort him back to the village, but he refused. A fight ensued, and eventually the ANBU were forced to retire, since they couldn't risk harming him in any way. Upon seeing the outcome of the mission, Mei realized that maybe the word of another jinchuriki might be make Utakata see reason and return to the safety of Kirigakure."
"And that's where I enter the picture, right?" the blond guessed.
Jiraiya nodded. "Yes. According to this message, Utakata and some girl that travels with him are currently in a place called Nagi Island. The Kirigakure team will be waiting for you," the Hokage pulled out another small scroll and tossed it to Naruto, who easily caught it. "This scroll contain additional information on the mission. Now that you know the essentials, you should hurry and head towards Nagi Island as soon as possible. You will take several days to arrive there, and it's possible that by that time Utakata might have left. If that happens, the Kiri ninja will follow him as to not lose his track. Not to mention the constant threat of the Akatsuki."
The three of them nodded, but it was Naruto who replied. "Leave it in our hands, dad. Akatsuki will go home empty handed this time around!"
After bidding Naruto farewell and hoping he had luck on his mission, Jiraiya returned to work. Given that there were no scheduled meetings for that day, Jiraiya decided to try to finish the paperwork for the day as soon as possible with the help of Shadow Clones, and then spend some time writing the next Icha Icha novel –he was way behind schedule, but he was sure his fans would understand– and after that, do something with Tsunade and the kids.
The twins' kidnapping attempt made Jiraiya realize how easily somebody could take your loved ones away from you, and he wasn't going to let anything to enjoy every moment he could with his wife and kids.
At that moment, somebody knocked the door. Jiraiya suppressed a groan, he wasn't in the mood for a surprise meeting or any bad news. It'd better be important.
"Come in!" Jiraiya said.
The door opened, revealing Itachi Uchiha. Yep, it was important.
"Hokage-sama, I finished my investigation in Amegakure," Itachi began. "I managed to abduct one of its ninjas, and bring him here. I left him at Torture & Interrogation, but I took the liberty of interrogating him myself to see what he knew."
"Please take a seat," Jiraiya said, waving at one of the chairs in front of him. "And tell me everything. Leave no details out."
Itachi nodded, sat down, and gave Jiraiya a detailed recollection of his infiltration in Amegakure, up to the interrogation part.
"Your suspicions turned out to be correct, Hokage-sama. As Torture & Interrogation will more than likely confirm, Hanzo the Salamander is no longer the leader of Amegakure, and hasn't been for at least the past five years," Itachi stated. "Akatsuki controls the village."
Jiraiya let out a long sigh, as he leaned back on his chair. Those weren't good news in the slightest. Hanzo might have been a loose canon and a warmonger, but at the very least he was easy to both predict and appease.
"And since the ninja you interrogated was a mere Genin, I'm going to assume that such knowledge is both public and supported by the population," Jiraiya guessed. This definitely wasn't going to be the same situation as with Taki.
But much to his surprise, Itachi shook his head. "No, the man has no idea what Akatsuki is, even if he already met one already. Apparently, the village leaders are someone they call 'God' and his 'Angel'. He did met the latter."
"Do you have a description?" Jiraiya asked, fearing the answer.
"A woman in her thirties. Shoulder length blue hair in a bob haircut with a small bun, decorated with an origami flower. Light brown eyes. A piercing under her lower lip. The woman seems to have some sort of power over paper. If it's a Bloodline Limit or a secret jutsu, I can't tell," Itachi explained.
Another long sigh. Yes, he feared that answer for a very good reason. Naturally, such obvious reaction didn't go unnoticed by somebody so observant as Itachi.
"Hokage-sama? Is everything okay?" The Uchiha asked. "Is the woman familiar to you?"
"Sadly yes, she is," Jiraiya replied. The possible suspects of who this 'God' might be was pretty small, and Jiraiya knew he could reduce it to just one name.
"Do you...want me to do something about it?" Itachi offered.
"No, you already did enough. I need to check a few things and talk with some people before further action can be taken on this issue," Jiraiya replied. "Take a few days to rest. I heard that your brother was particularly upset after his latest mission, so maybe spending time with you might do him some good."
Itachi stood up, and make a bow. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. Do not hesitate to call me if you have another mission only I can complete."
…
Nagi Island
As Jiraiya had said, it took them almost a week to reach Nagi Island, since they had to travel all the way to the coast of the Land of Fire, and find and board a ship that could get them to the place in question. Luckily, Mei had already foreseen this and took the liberty to rent a ship that was already waiting for the Konoha team. Still, even if the ship was fast and the wind and waters were favorable, the trip by sea took four days.
As they got off from the ship and walked into the small port town, the three Konoha ninja took a moment to examine it. So far, the port town, while unremarkable at first sight, it was busy and teeming with activity. Being a neutral country, people from other nations saw Nagi Island as a nexus to do deals with other countries in a safe way.
"Alright, here we are," Naruto said. "Dad said that somebody from Kiri should be here. Hinata, use your Tenseigan to-"
"HEY, YOU GUYS! OVER HERE!" a female voice yelled among the crowd of people.
Turning in the direction of the voice, they saw Miyako and Suigetsu, wearing the Kirigakure Jonin uniform, as well as carrying their respecitve swords, the Helmet Splitter on Miyako's back and the Sewing Needle attached to Suigetsu's belt.
"Well, that was easier than we expected," Naruto pointed out.
"The mission demands for us not to waste any time. I appreciate that they took the effort to look for us," Haku said. The others couldn't help but nod.
As they walked towards the two young Swordsmen of the Mist, Suigetsu and Miyako greeted them with a polite bow.
"Naruto-san, Hinata-san, it's nice to see you again," the blue haired woman said, before turning to Haku. "It's good to see you too, Ambassador."
"The feeling is mutual," Haku replied, returning the bow.
"Sorry for my bluntness, but shall we skip the pleasantries and go directly to the matter at hand?" Naruto interjected, growing a little antsy at the exchange.
"Sure," Suigetsu said. "Come on, let's go."
…
After leaving the port town, they advanced into the island, which was composed mostly of very thick forests, that would remind the Konoha trio of the Land of Fire, if there wasn't for the many rivers and lakes that crossed the mass of land. One certainly could feel peace and harmony while being in such natural paradise.
"Even if you guys took some time to arrive, Utakata is still in the island," Suigetsu spoke. "Fortunately, despite our initial confrontation, we made him believe that we're not going to try anything."
"But that may change soon," Miyaki continued. "Utakata never stays in the same place for long, so it's a good thing that you arrived in time. As far as our last report goes, he's stil here."
"And where is he, might I ask?" Hinata said.
"He and the girl he travels with –we believe she's an apprentice of some sort– set a camp at the edge of a small waterfall lake. Our Hunter-nin watch his every step," Suigetsu said.
"Man, you send Hunter-nin after him? No wonder the guy reacted so bad then!" Naruto indignantly pointed out.
"Hey, what were we supposed to do?" Suigetsu said with a defensive shrug. "Hunter-nin are usually dispatched in these kind of situations. Anyway, that's why we requested your presence here. Maybe another jinchuriki might make him change his mind and see reason."
"Before Naruto-kun can attempt anything, we'll need to know more about this person," Hinata interjected. "What can you tell us about him?"
"Utakata was a very skilled ninja. He graduated the Academy at ten, got a promotion to Chunin the next year, and Jonin when he was just sixteen. While we don't know the exact date, we believe he was made into a jinchuriki when he was a small child. Though such thing was never a problem for Utakata," Miyaki explained, as if she was recalling the text of a Bingo Book. "Until one day, when he was twenty one, he lost control of his Tailed Beast, killing his sensei and many other ninjas in the procsess. After that, he fled Kirigakure and became a vagrant ever since."
"Do you know what caused to lose control of his Tailed Beast?" Haku asked, being the question in the minds of Naruto and Hinata as well.
Both Miyaki and Suigetsu shook their heads. "Whatever happened, he refuses to tell."
"Also, it's worth noting that at some point about a year ago, he started to travel with a girl. Younger than him, I'd say about eighteen to twenty years of age," Suigetsu added, before the white haired swordsman's lips formed a toothy grin. "Guess a man can't be alone that much time, hehe."
"We aren't sure what their relationship is," Miyaki punctualized, shooting Suigetsu a dispproving look. "Anyway, when we arrive at his location, I think it would be for the best if you got close to him alone. Our approach has to be as nonthreatening as possible."
"What if Utakata attacks Naruto-kun?" Hinata suggested, worry creeping through her spine. "How strong is he, by the way?"
"Like Miyako said, very strong," Suigetsu stated. "And that's not even counting his jinchuriki powers. We do know he has some degree of mastery over them."
"It's okay. There won't be a fight. I know I'll be able to convince him of the threat that hangs over his head. Over all of our heads," Naruto corrected himself.
"Several Kiri ANBU are heading towards our position," Hinata stated.
"They must be our Hunter-Nin," Suigetsu stated.
The two groups meet on the middle, and the Konoha ninja could see five ANBU, all of them wearing masks minus one, who appeared to be the leader of the small squad, a middle aged man with long dark brown hair, and a small beard and a moustache.
"Suigestsu-sama, Miyaki-sama. I see that you brought the Konoha ninjas at last," the man said, smiling a little. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tsurugi, ANBU Captain."
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and these are Hinata Hyuga and Haku Yuki," Naruto stated. "I'm the jinchuriki, by the way."
"I see. It's good to have you here," Tsurugi said, before his eyes rested on Haku. "You must be the ambassador appointed by Mizukage-sama at the end of the civil war, right? It's an honor to meet you."
"The feeling is likewise. But unfortunately, pleasantries will have to wait. Do you know where the jinchuriki is?" Haku asked.
"Yes. He and his apprentice set their camp at the edge of a river. They've been there for the past few days, but for the look of it, it seems like they're ready to move out. You guys arrived just in time," Tsurugi explained.
"Good. Tell me where they are, and I'll go. But please, have your men stand back. I need to be alone for this work," Naruto said.
"That's not a good idea, Naruto-san," Tsurugi countered. "Jinchuriki or not, you are still a stranger to Utakata. You won't be able to win him with words alone. I know that man. I think I should go with you."
"If you do that, he'll smell a trap," Naruto pointed out.
"And what do you think he's going to think when he sees a Konoha jinchuriki so far away from his home nation?" Tsurugi asked. Naruto blinked, not taking into account such possbility.
"Still, I think it's for the best if I'm alone. Even if he guesses my intentions or that we're in cahoots with you guys, if I go alone he won't feel as threatened," Naruto replied.
Tsusugi crossed his arms over his chest, and appeared to ponder Naruto's reasoning. He had to admit that, even if his intentions could be obvious, Naruto was right. His appeal would sound much more sincere and nonthreatening if he was alone.
"Okay then. But we'll be near you in case something happens," Tsurugi stated.
"Is Utakata-san a sensor?" Hinata chimed in. "He might sense our presence if it's the case."
"As far as I can tell, no," it was Miyaki who answered. "But that man has been running away from people like us for years, so the guy does know when somebody is following or spying on him. Meaning that we should be extra careful while masking our presence."
"Understood. Then, I'll watch from the skies. I doubt he'll be able to realize somebody's up there," Hinata said, before she took off into the sky, much to the Kiri ninja's amazement, and Naruto and Haku's nonchalance. Which didn't go unnoticed by the fromer group.
"Did that... did that girl just... flew into the sky?" a flabbergasted Suigetsu asked.
"Yeah, she did," Naruto happily said, placing his arms behind his back. "Man, I never get tired of seeing people's reactions when they see her fly for the first time."
"She didn't fly when I first me you guys," Miyaki pointed out, still looking upwards.
"No. That's something she learned to do recently," Naruto replied.
Miyaki pouted a little. "The Civil War would had ended much sooner if we had a ninja that could fly..."
…
Naruto tried to lower his guard as he walked towards the campsite. It was a foolish thing for a ninja to do, but being nonthreatening was key, and the last thing he needed was the other jinchuriki attacking him out of the blue. As he walked, not even bothering with stealth, even making sure that the two people in the campsite heard him coming, the blond took a look at the two people in it.
A man and a woman. The woman was a little older than him, with long dark blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a pink, sleeveless kimono that reached down her hips. She was setting up a small fire. This woman had to be his apprentice/partner/lover/whatever.
The man, whom Naruto guessed was Utakata, was pretty tall. He had short brown hair, with a ling bang covering his left side of the face, leaving a light brown eye visible. His lithe and svelte body was covered by a long light blue kimono –loose enough to reveal his bare chest– tied by an orange sash.
"Hotaru, stay here. I'll deal with him," Naruto heard him said as he handed her a handful of recently caught fishes.
"Hey there!" Naruto said, happily waving at him. He hoped his cheerfulness didn't come off as too fake.
"I don't know who you are," Utakata cut him off, as he walked towards the incoming blond. "And I don't know what do you want either. But if you appreciate your life, you'll turn around and go back to when you came from."
"Whoa, there!" Naruto said, bringing his hands up in defense. "You didn't even let me talk!"
"Because I have no interest in what you have to say," Utakata repeated. "Now leave. This is my last warning."
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. Listen, I know you're a jinchuriki," Naruto stated. The woman gasped a little upon hearing this, though less from the fact itself and more for Naruto knowing it. Utakata, however, remained impassible. "So I am."
Utakata was taken a back a little, but his frown soon returned. "Liar."
"I don't lie. Tailed Beasts share a special link. When two jinchuriki are together, they can feel that link. I'm sure that you can feel it as well," Naruto insisted.
Utakata was ready to deny such thing, but he was unable to. He did feel a weird connection to the blond, something he only felt with another person in his whole life. Still, that didn't change much. The blond was still suspicious to him.
"I admit that you're right. I feel a connection with you. But that leaves the question of what a Konoha ninja," he started, taking a look at Naruto's headband. "Is interested in a vagrant like myself. It can't be just because we're jinchuriki."
"Actually, that's exactly the reason," Naruto replied. "Some Kiri ninja contacted you in the past days, right?"
"Yes, they wanted me to return to Kiri," Utakata replied, before a realization dawned upon him. His frown turned into a scowl "Wait a minute... you're with them, right? They called you to convince me to return to Kiri? In know that, after the Civil War ended, Konoha and Kiri became allies."
"Damn, this guy is good. Better try to be honest so he has no reason to suspect me of anything funny," Naruto thought, as a trickle of sweat ran through his neck. "Yes, they called me. And it's very important that you listen to them. You're in grave danger. All of our kind are."
"Danger? What kind of danger?" the woman asked, as he walked towards the duo.
"Don't listen to him, Hotaru. They're lies to make me go back to my old village," Utakata told her, before turning his gaze back to Naruto. "Like I said before, leave. Or I'll make you leave by force."
"No!" Naruto shouted, his previous goodwill evaporating. "I'm not going to let anther one of us pointlessly die! You have to go back to the safety of your village! You're in danger here! And if you refuse, I'll make you return by force!"
Hotaru immediately placed herself between the two men, hoping to avert a needless fight. "Please, no! There's no need to fight!"
"You heard him, Hotaru. He threatened to bring me back to Kiri by force if I don't do as he says. I think a fight is inevitable at this point," Utakata seethed.
"No, it's not! Let's listen to what he has to say, okay? He doesn't look like an untrustworthy person." Hotaru insisted. Utakata didn't say anything, but judging by his body language, he appeared to agree with the girl. Hotaru then turned to Naruto. "What kind of danger are you talking about?"
"You see-"
"But first," Utakata cut him again. "Tell all the people with you to come out. If they're doing this for my own good and don't have any kind of ulterior motives, there's no need to stay hidden."
"I came here alone. The other Kiri ninjas are not here," Naruto stated.
"Come out, I know you're there! Tsurugi! Miyaki! Suigetsu!" Utakata shouted.
And much to Naruto's surprise –and chagrin– the Kiri ninja and Haku emerged from behind the trees. Naruto let out a defetaed sigh.
"Guys, I told you not to come with me. Now you ruined it," the blond pouted.
"Sorry, but this was too important. In case you failed, we need to be prepared in order to take Utakata by force to Kirigakure," Miyaki stated, ignoring the glare the jinchuriki of the Six Tails was shooting her.
"But such thing won't be neccesary, because Utakata will come to us of his own volition once he hears what's at stake," Naruto insisted, glaring at the blue haired swordswoman as well.
"If all of us are here, then there's no point in Hinata watching the sky," Haku said, waving upwards.
Much to Utakata and Hotaru's surprise, they saw a blue haired girl with glowing teal eyes slowly descending from above.
…
Sometime later
Night fell upon Nagi Island.
While Utakata was on edge at first, after some time he got used to the presence of the Hunter Nin. The masked ninjas did nothing other than stay silent and watch the campsite's surroundings, on the possibility that an enemy might appear before they could evacuate the jinchuriki. The rest were sitting around a fire while they enjoyed some dinner.
"And this Akatsuki people, you said that they already captured four jinchuriki?" Utakata asked.
Naruto nodded energically. "We managed to save one of them after his Tailed Beast was extracted, but it was mostly luck. I doubt we'll be able to do that again."
"Akatsuki seems to learn from experience. After we rescued Gaara-san, it appears that they got better at hiding their lairs and bases," Hinata added.
"That's why it's so important we find all the remaining jinchuriki and put them in a safe place. And so far, the Great Villages are our best bet. Being in the open alone it's an invitation to the Akatsuki," Naruto urged.
"Are they that dangerous?" Hotaru asked. "Because Utakata-sensei is very strong. If those Akatsuki came for him, I'm sure he'd be able to kick their butts."
"Akatsuki is comprised entirely of S-Rank criminals," it was Miyaki who spoke. "They know their prey are dangerous ones, that's why they made sure their members are able to face jinchuriki and win."
"Remember that they have defeated four other jinchuriki already," Haku added.
"So, why are they after us to begin with? Because of the Tailed Beasts?" Utakata asked. Naruto nodded once again. "And how do they expect to control them? Few are the jinchuriki capable of such feat. I'm able to control some degree of the Six Tails' power, but too much and I lose control of it."
"Actually, they don't plan to become jinchuriki themselves. You see..."
Naruto told Utakata everything he knew about the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and how if all nine Tailed Beasts were sealed inside it, the Ten Tails would be revived, which would spell the end of the world. How Akatsuki planned to take control of the best, Naruto didn't know, but in either case that monster couldn't be allowed to be reborn.
Both Utakata and Hotaru took a few moments to let the blond's tale sink in. While they looked surprised at first, they where now pensive. The jinchuriki more than his apprentice, though.
"What you say is indeed troubling. But I still can't help but think that this is part of an elaborate ruse to get me back to the village," Utakata stated.
"Come on man, we left you alone for years! We didn't even try to recruit you when we were fighting against Yagura –and your help would had speed things up a lot–, so please tell me why did we change our mind now?" Suigestsu hotly protested.
"Yes. And I doubt the jinchuriki of Konoha could have bothered to come all the way to this place just to sell you a lie," Miyaki added. "This is serious, Utakata-san. Words alone can't convey the threat Akatsuki is. Besides their power, they also have influence. It was them who controlled Yagura and turned our village into the so called Blood Mist."
"Hell, we don't even want you to come to Kirigakure in particular. If you want to stay in Konoha or Suna, then fine," Suigetsu suggested. "Our orders were to make you go to any of those three villages. But why would you prefer Konoha or Suna over your own home, well, I couldn't really tell."
Hotaru tugged Utakata's sleeve. "I think they're telling the truth, sensei. Besides, what would the Mizukage win by having you go to another village?"
The stubborn jinchuriki had to admit they had a point. Still, all the mistrusts and misantrophy built over his years of isolation after his sensei's apparent betrayal weren't easy to ignore. Even then, there was still a part of him that was constantly warn him of an impending danger.
"What do you say then? Will you let us protect you?" Naruto hopefully asked.
Utakata took a few moments to think his answer before he opened his mouth. "For the time being, let's wait until tomorrow morning. I need some time to think about what you guys told me."
While all of them were cautious and didn't get their hopes up, the fact that the jinchuriki had at least listened to them and was going to take their words into consideration was indeed a small victory. All what was left was to hope that Utakata would agree to take shelter in one of the three Great Villages.
After the tense discussion, people on both sides started to calm down. In order to maximize their chances, Naruto approached Utakata in order to make some small talk and bond with him, while also being careful not to mention anything that made it obvious he was trying to sway his decision. Empathy was the best course of action.
As they talked, Hotaru decided to do the same and sat closer to Naruto's two teammates. She put on her friendliest smile when greeting them.
"Hello there. I don't think we've been introduced to each other. My name is Hotaru, and I'm Utakata-sensei's apprentice," Hotaru began.
"Hello, Hotaru-san. My name is Hinata Hyuga, and this is Haku Yuki. We're Naruto-kun's teammates, though you probably guessed that already," Hinata replied. "Besides his teammate, I'm also Naruto-kun's girlfriend."
"Really? Cool. You make a cute couple," the dark blonde complimented, before switching topics. "So, you think Naruto will convince Utakata-sensei to return to his home?"
"We hope so. Naruto-kun has the ability to reach people's heart with his earnestness. I have faith he can do it," Haku replied. "Though I wouldn't be surprised if he failed this time. While things are better now, the Land of Water used to be a pretty dangerous place, in no small part thanks to the Blood Mist."
"Are you from the Land of Water?" Hotaru asked. "You wear both a Konoha and Kiri forehead protector. I didn't know a ninja could be loyal to two villages, even if they are allied. I mean, if war broke between Konoha and Kiri, who would you side with?"
"To answer your first question, yes, I was born in the Land of Water, but I grew up in Konoha, that's why I wear Konoha's crest around my forehead. However, I was made ambassador of Kiri in Konoha after the Civil War ended, hence the Kiri forehead protector in my neck," Haku expalined. "And to answer your second question, it's my job to make sure such thing doesn't happen. But if war eventually broke out, I wouldn't take sides; I'd try my best to make sure both sides stopped fighting and reached an agreement."
"I see. Let's hope that such thing doesn't come to pass then," Hotaru replied, smiling at him.
"What about you, Hotaru-san? How did you become Utakata-san's apprentice?" Hinata asked. "I might be judging him too hastily, but he doesn't look to be a man patient enough to have an apprentice."
"Your judgement isn't that far off, Hinata. I met Utakata-sensei when he protected me from a group of ninja, though they were actually after him. I took him home and treated his injuries, and after seeing how strong he was, I asked him to be my sensei. At first he gave me overly difficult exercises in order to make me give up, but I was determined to complete them," Hotaru began.
"Such as?" Hinata asked.
"He first asked me to walk on water, when I hadn't have any kind of chakra control," she explained, while Haku and Hinata winced. "Though with perseverance, I managed to do it!"
"But that wasn't the end of it, was it?" Haku guessed.
"Not by a long shot!" Hotaru replied, laughing a little. "He then had me do a water jutsu, despite the fact that I didn't even know if my affinity was water to begin with, or even doing the basic exercises first. But once again, I proved my worth!"
"He really did want to get rid of you," Hinata stated, sounding a bit dazzed.
"He did. But in the end, I proved I had the resolve to be her apprentice, and in the end he accepted me," Hotaru stated. "I like to think that he grew to appreciate my company and saw me as a worthy apprentice."
"If he allowed you to stick with him for so long, I believe that's the case," Haku stated. "I know a thing or two about hard teachers. Albeit in my case Zabuza-sama never wanted to get rid of me, just make me as strong as possible in the shortest amount of time."
"You mean Zabuza, as in the current leader of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?" Hotaru asked, genuinely surprised. "Wow! And here I thought that I was so lucky to have somebody as Utakata-sensei as my teacher!"
"Lucky?" Hinata thought. "But Utakata-san wanted to get rid of her..."
"Also, sorry for asking you this. We know Utakata-san's stance, but what about you? Do you have any opinion on what Utakata-san should do?" Haku asked.
"As his apprentice, I'll follow him no matter what he decides. But honestly, I'd prefer if he decided to stay in one of the villages," Hotaru replied. "Not just for the sake of being safer, but because while traveling the world and meeting new people is fine, I'd like if we decided to stay in the same place more than a couple weeks. Both him and I could make more permanent friends."
"And you think you could convince him to do that?" Hinata asked.
Hotaru chuckled a little. "You already met Utakata-sensei, and know how stubborn he is. I can try, but don't expect much. I'm more interested in traveling with him than he is in having me following him around, and he's very aware of that," Hotaru admitted, averting her gaze. "If I told him that I want to live to one of the villages, he'll say that I'm free to do it."
"Still, it would be great if you tried," Haku insisted. "The stakes are really high."
"Don't worry, I didn't say no. I'll try to get on his case once he stops talking with Naruto-san and we can be alone," Hotaru promised. "But like I said, don't expect him to put much weight on my wants."
"Thank you for your effort, Hotaru-san," Hinata replied. "We don't ask more than that."
…
Nagi Island Port Town
Most ships usually avoided travelling during the night, since it was an incredibly dangerous thing to do. Without natural light, it was very hard to see rock formations in the coast that could sink a vessel. And sadly Nagi Island lacked a lighthouse to guide ships in the dark of the night.
Even then, a small ship managed to arrive at the island. It didn't stop at the dock, since its occupants didn't want to draw attention to their presence. Instead, they dropped the anchor when they were close to the shore, jumped into the water, and using chakra, they walked, or better said, ran, towards the island.
"So, the Six Tails Jinchuriki is somewhere in this island, according to the intel," one of the figures that came out of the ship stated.
"Indeed he is, Konan," the other one replied.
"How are you so sure?" Konan asked.
"If he left this island, we would have been warned. No, he is here, and he's unaware of the danger that hangs over his head."
"I see. What is the plan, Pain?" Konan asked.
"For the time being, let's track the jinchuriki. Find if he's alone, or if there's anybody accompanying him. Then, we'll devise an strategy, and attack," Pain replied.
"We must be swift and careful. I wouldn't put past the Great Villages to start gathering the wandering jinchuriki as well just to stop to our plans," Konan sagely adviced.
"Let them try," the Akatsuki leader replied. "Nothing but pain will await to those who stand in our way."
Author's Note: If there's something I like about this arc, is that I finally get to write my favorite villain. Here comes the Pain! Our heroes are indeed in a bad situation, given what's coming for them. Will they be able to save Utakata, or will he follow Yugito and die at the hands of the Akatsuki?
It was also nice to bring back a couple of the characters from the Kiri arc. Too bad I couldn't bring as many as I could. Still, there will be more chances in the future for them to shine as well.
Thanks to Ookami88 for betareading this chapter.
So, will our heroes survive against Pain, given that they have to face him much earlier than they did in canon? Share your thoughts in a review! Reviews make me really, really, really happy!