Chapter 2: The Life of A Hero!
"Aaah! Naruto!"
Ever since the Fourth Great War, Naruto had become more popular than ever. At first, he couldnt have been more happy to treated like a hero. But it got old pretty quickly.
He couldn't go outside for a minute withou being ambushed by guys who wanted his autograph, and girls who in the past, tended to ignore him.
And today was one of those days.
Naruto had been picking up some groceries for at home (Sakura had threatened to beat him if he didn't start to eat things other than ramen.) when he was spotted by some fangirls.
Before he knew it he was surrounded by gurls, fighting for his attention.
"Naruto! I got you chocolates!" said one girl.
"Here! Try some of my homemade bento!"
"Have a rose, Naruto-kun!"
Naruto tried his best to be humble and make up an excuse to leave, but the fangurls weren't having it.
'I can't believe Sasuke used to live like this.' he thought.
"Just use the Kawarimi no Jutsu, baka." said a voice in his head.
The voice belonged to none other than Naruto's partner and friend, Kurama, the Kyuubi no Kitsune.
'I don't want to be rude, Kurama.' Naruto replied. They're just showing their appreciation.'
Kurama huffed in reply, mumbling something about complex humans. Naruto accepted the gifts, and each girl kissed Naruto on his whisker cheeks, before running away and giggling to each other.
"Well aren't you the ladies man?" a familiar voice said.
Naruto turned around. "Tsunade?" he asked.
Tsunade was one of the people most close to Naruto. She and his teacher Jiraiya (or as he called him, "Ero-sennin."), were practically family to him. Jiraiya had been Naruto's godfather, and Tsunade was like his godmother.
Tsunade approached Naruto and wrapped him in a hug. "Naruto! It's been awhile!" she said, nearly crushing him.
Naruto escaped the death grip. "Yeah." he said. "You haven't changed a bit." He looked over Tsunade. She wore her usual grass-green haori with the kanji for "gamble" (賭, kake) on the back. Underneath sheworea grey, kimono-style blouse with no sleeves, held closed by a broad, dark bluish-grey obi that matched her pants, as well as her high heels.
"Why mess with perfection?" she said. "Though you've changed quite a bit."
It was true. Naruto had put away his orange and black jumpsuit for something easier to move around in. He had started wearing a black uniform style jacket with an orange zipper, allowing him to fold up the sleeves and rear coattails so that he could reach the pouches on his belt easily. And on his left arm, he wore a red arm band with his Uzumaki clan crest on it. His pants were still orange, but a little darker.
"It's a little big for me, but I'll grow into it in a couple months." he said.
"Well, at least it can't hurt my eyes as much!" Tsunade said.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "So why are you in Konoha so soon? I thought you'd still be traveling and teaching medical jutsu."
Tsunade shrugged. "I figured I should come back for a little bit and visit everyone. How's Sakura been doing at the hospital?"
Naruto was about to answer, but just then a few teenagers, who were huge fans, spotted him.
"Found him! It's Naruto, guys!" one said to his friends.
"Maybe, we should catch up some other time?" he said.
"Why not just use a shadow clone?" Tsunade asked. "Have it take your place?"
Naruto was dumbfounded. Why hadn't he thought of that before?
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he proclaimed, summoning a single bunshin. The clone ran ahead towards the teens, taking their questions and such things.
"Wow." he said. "I feel like a free man again!" He pumped his fist in the air from enthusiasm. "C'mon! Let's go see Sakura!"
Tsunade laughed as they started walking to the hospital. "There's the knucklehead I remember!" she said, patting his hair, which was a little bit longer since the war. "Geez, Naruto, when's the last time you got a haircut?"
Naruto rubbed the back of his head, giving her a sheepish smile.
"Ne, I've been busy studying all this time, I guess I didn't notice." he replied.
While Naruto and Tsunade continued talking on their way to the hospital,close by, someone was watching the two.
His build indicated that he was a man, but his face couldn't be seen.
"I have been thinking about cutting it short though." he heard Naruto said.
The individual crept into an alleyway, hidden by a large, black hooded cloak.
He had an earpiece in his ear, and was about to contact who ever was on the other end.
"Master. Uzumaki-san is making his way towards the hospital. And he's with the former Hokage, Tsunade Senju."
On the other end, a voice replied. "Good." it said. "Then that means they are all there."
"But Master, what of the Uchiha?"
The hooded figure could feel that the person on the other end was plotting. He never knew what would go on in his master's head, but he knew he was never to make a mistake while carrying out parts of the plan.
"The Uchiha must be kept separated from the Jinchuriki." It said. "They are too strong together."
"Yes Master." he said.
"Keep tailing Uzumaki. Make sure that he does not leave that village or you will answer to me Shin."
The other end cut off. It was just static.
Shin continued following Naruto. One thing was for sure. Naruto was going to have his hands full. And as for Sasuke? Well...
- LINE BREAK -
Somewhere, far from Konoha, there was a small town with a smaller Izakaya (It's a japanese pub).
It was place where rouge shinobi, bandits, and bounty hunters, criminals of the worst breed, would come to drink their troubles away, and find jobs to do.
There would be fights, and there would always be betting. You can imagine that it was always loud.
But when Sasuke walked in, everyone fell silent.
Sasuke Uchiha.
Yes, that Sasuke.
Rogue. Avenger. Revolutioner. Sasuke had called himself many things in the past. Back when he had been lost in darkness.
But now? He was travelling. Trying to figure out who he was exactly.
As he walked through the room, everyone in the room watched him closely. He wore
a black high-collared shirt, a midriff-exposing flak jacket, and light blue pants. His sandals and ankles were taped up, and he had a blue sash wrapped around his knit hat on his head.
Sasuke sat himself down at the bar. He kept his head low. "Could I have some water?" he asked.
The bar tender stared him down. "We don't got water here son." he replied. "Just booze and bad people."
"Maybe he thinks he's in a candy store!" a bandit yelled.
Everyone started laughing and laughing. The same bandit walked over to Sasuke and put his hand on his right shoulder.
"Maybe you should try saying please, like a good boy." he said in a mocking tone.
"Get your hand off of me." he asked camly.
"Just who do you think you are gaki?" he asked.
Sasuke looked up at the bandit, and revealed a bright red Sharingan eye.
"I'm nobody."
The bandit's face erupted in black flames, as he screamed and fell to the floor, shaking violently.
Everyone in the room pulled out there weapons.
"You really don't want to do this." he warned.
One thug swung his sword at Sasuke, who merely got out of his seat, allowing it to get stuck in the stool.
The thug attempted to free the sword but Sasuke took his kunai and sliced through the blade, cutting it in clean in two.
The thug stumbled back with his now blade handle. He threw it at Sasuke, but he dodged again and it hit a rouge ninja in the face.
A second bad guy came from behind, taking his knife and attempted to cut Sasuke in two. He swiped but Sasuke jumped. He barely missed the blade, but it did cut through his left sleeve, and it fell to the ground as he landed, facing the guy.
"Ha! Looks like I got you!" he cried.
But the knife didn't hit anything, instead Sasuke took off his poncho. His left arm was missing, and there were bandages wrapped around the stub up to his tricep.
Sasuke picked up his left sleeve, and tied it on his left stub, using his remaining arm and teeth.
"Pretty close there. Try again for a ryou?" he said.
Everyone else began charging at Sasuke, trying to strike him, but unfortunately for them, Sasuke was much better at kicking ass. They couldn't touch him. He simply blocked or dodged, landing his own blows and knocking every single one of them out.
And just like that it was over. Bodies were littered everywhere. The floor, the seats, even in the kitchen.One small guy tried to escape through the door, but Sasuke threw a kunai at him, catching his shirt and keeping him stuck on the wall.
Sasuke grabbed him by the collar.
"H-hey man! I'm not really into fighting. I'm just a s-small thief."
"I'm looking for someone." Sasuke asked. "I was hoping someone here might know of him."
The thief flashed him a nervous smile. "Sure man, what's his name? I mean, I've got connections with lots of bad guys, you know? I've got names, locations, whereabouts. Whatever you need to know, I know."
He spoke very hastily, as he trembled in Sasuke's grip.
"Kotaru." he said. "Ring any bells?"
"Hm. Hmm. Kotaru. Kotaru, Kotaru, Kotaru." he rambled. "Nope. Don't know him."
Sasuke's Sharingan eye flashed.
"I don't! I swear I've never heard of him." he pleaded. "Well..."
"Talk." Sasuke said forcefully. His Magekyou Sharingan seemed to be staring right through the guy.
"I swear I've never met him before!" he cried. "But one time, here at the bar, a couple a guys came in, wearing black robes. Really messed up the place."
"Did they have red clouds on them?" he asked.
"What?" the small fry said.
"Red clouds." he repeated. "On their robes."
He shook his head no. "No clouds of any color. Just solid black. With hoods too."
Sasuke pondered the information. During his travels, he had come across rumors of people in dark robes, terrorizing towns, and killing innocents.
The name Kotaru always came up.
He didn't know if it was a person, or a myth, or somebody's idea of a joke, but Sasuke needed to stop it.
He had been following the rumors all the way to where he was now, at the izakaya. He was concerned that it was the Akatsuki, or at least someone's attempt at restarting it. The destruction and massacre wasn't that far off of their style. But each time he asked someone what these individuals looked like, it was always the same.
Black robes. Black hoods. Maybe it was because of his past sins, but the Akatsuki was a sore spot for him. He had joined them of his own free will, but they had offered what he wanted to hear, promising revenge, and he had been a fool to believe that they could right his brother's wrongful sacrifice.
Maybe it had nothing to do with the Akatsuki at all, and he was just paranoid. That's what he hoped anyway.
"What do you know?" Sasuke asked.
"*Gulp* Look, I overheard them talking about this Kotaru guy that you're looking for." he said. "They were trying to find something of his. A shrine. That's all I know, swear on my life!"
Sasuke stared at the guy, but let go of his shirt. The thief tried to pull the kunai out of the wall, but had no such luck.
"Heh, um... little help?" he asked.
Sasuke didn't answer him as he walked out of the building, ignoring the guy's cries to be let free.
'Well that was helpful.' he thought. 'Not only have learned nothing about this group's plan, I don't know where they are, or why they're looking for this shrine.' If Sasuke wanted to figure out what was happening, then it was time for him to take a little detour.
"Time to go home." he said.
Chapter End.
Hey guys, so that is it for this chapter, I hope you liked it and the next chapter will be uploaded next week! Thanks for reading, and dont forget to follow the story for updates, favorite it cause you love it, and comment questions, notes, or critiques you have for me. Thanks and good night! Or good morning, since its like 5:30 am.
