Ch.11- Return of the Morning Mist
Sharp, serpentine eyes strained to stay open.
Orochimaru pressed his forehead against the wet, cool tiles of his personal shower in an effort to fight off the heavy burning sensations coming from his arms.
The two, once lethal, appendages hung slack as if they were strung with weights. Where once there was ghost-white skin, now lay purple dead flesh. Skin had already begun peeling, revealing tar-like blood that oozed from seemingly every pore and vessel.
Lifeless fingers twitched pathetically as their owner hissed in agony.
The water pouring from the shower-head wasn't helping at all!
Orochimaru grit his teeth to keep from screaming; it would not do to let his minions hear him acting so weak. And instead slammed his shoulder against the side wall, and then sliding down to the bottom of his shower.
As the ice-cold spray pelted down on him, the infamous Sannin let his mind wander in another effort to escape the pain. Orochimaru let himself think back to his failed invasion.
Yes, he would admit, it had been a long shot. Because while he'd managed to procure the full force of Suna's ninja force, the rouge-ninja knew that combined with his own forces the army only matched half of Konoha's over-all military strength.
And that was without taking into account the skill-level of most of those ninja.
'If only I'd been able to bring Kimimaro!' If he'd been able to bring that young man, Orochimaru had no doubt the last Kaguya could have easily decimated almost the entire Konoha force single-handedly. But it was not to be.
And yet, despite the initial failure of his invasion plan, Konoha's former head of R&D still managed a slick smile as he recalled his other objective.
The death of his former sensei, and Konoha's Sandaime, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
'The only one in that whole village with the power to stop me is gone now,' the Snake-Sannin thought in hideous glee. 'And now, with him out of the way, Project Rebirth will soon crush the Leaf!'
With the villainous madman's dream of his former home's demise within his grasp Orochimaru leaned his head back against the wall and lets loose a maniacal laugh.
Yes, now all he needed to do was track down Tsunade to fix his arms, and then his plan could begin.
The ex-Leaf shinobi wasn't the only one getting lost in his thoughts. The whole of his former village were also heavy with emotion. Only, in their case, that feeling was sadness.
Something that the world itself must have been feeling because the days following what has become known as the Konoha Crash, the sky above the Elemental Nations greatest village was shrouded in darkness. Black clouds, heavy with rain, seemed to be crying alongside those who mourned for their former Hokage.
It was a light, dreary sort of downpour. One that softly pelted the multitude of ninja who were paying their respects to the dead Hiruzen.
One that matched the tears streaming down Naruto Uzumaki's cheeks.
Naruto, dressed in a black funeral kimono had long since rested his white rose atop the dead Kage's grave, and now stood in line with the rest of the viewers he'd been assigned to. His groups turn was almost over.
The funeral procession would take all day. Ninja would come in per-assigned groups, while civilians would be allowed to come by at their availability so that everyone would get a chance to pay their respects or say their piece.
But while the memorial was beautiful, Naruto could feel nothing but sadness. His azure eyes were tinted with the dark traces of a sleepless night.
Because no matter who he may become, Naruto Uzumaki would always remember being that little boy who cried into the shoulder of his Hokage. The first person to treat him, not like a monster, but like a person...a human.
And now he was gone.
For Naruto it was the first time he'd ever dealt with personal loss, as he had never known his parents. And because of this the blonde was forced to deal with it alone. To the best of his ability the young Leaf-ninja swallowed down what he was feeling, and instead focused on his next move.
That had been two weeks ago and now Naruto found himself walking the streets in a journey to the Yamanaka flower shop; he and the platinum-blonde had agreed to work through her first kill together during the invasion the weeks before. The whiskered genin saw her inside talking to her parents but, before he could finish making his way over, a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
Looking from the gloved hand, and up towards the owner, azure eyes were met with the sight of Kakashi.
The ex-Anbu Captain had also dressed in funeral clothes but now returned to active duty. And yet, while his mask was still present, Kakashi's normally ever-present book of porn was nowhere to be found.
"Whatever business you have with Ino is going to have to wait Naruto; you're needed. The Shinobi Council has called a meeting."
"About the next Hokage?" Naruto questioned morosely.
Kakashi surprised the blonde by shaking his head. "Yes, but also...about chunin promotions."
Naruto had been allowed to stop by his apartment to change and so, after fitting himself into a new set of clothes, the two Leaf shinobi made their way towards the academy building. It was as they crossing rooftops that Kakashi voiced his thoughts on the genin's new look.
"What happened to the outfit you chose for the finals? I'd assumed that was your next new look Naruto."
The young ninja's head shook in the negative before explaining his latest change. "I'd worn that as a way to excite the crowd, and make me look interesting to those foreign contractors. And I also thought it'd be a nice way to give credit to Anko for her training."
Nodding in understanding, and chuckling at that last bit of information, Kakashi asked about happened to his first outfit. "And I see you've brought back the orange."
With a questioning eyebrow Naruto looked down at his newest outfit. The blonde was dressed in a high-collared sleeveless white shirt that was striped along the ribs and shoulders with burnt-orange, and fitted black pants that ended at his black ankle boots and were also trimmed in orange along the sides. Naruto had left the top of his shirt undone, revealing that he had an undershirt lined with the same male that had been interwoven into his cloak underneath. On his wrists were black wrappings like the white ones Kurenai wore. And finally, the wrappings around his face had not been returned after being burned away as he battled Gaara.
The young ninja's zanbato had been left at home.
Looking back at his sensei, Naruto gave a frail, but cheeky grin as he told the man, "Is it wrong if I missed my favorite color?"
Kakashi gave a lighthearted chuckle despite the gray atmosphere around them and replied, "No, in fact, I think it looks better on you than those dark colors. Although I am surprised you've taken to wearing your headband around your arm."
And indeed he had. Naruto's newest fashion choice also included moving his blue-clothed hiati-ate to his left bicep. This had the added effect of leaving his wild, flame-like blonde locks wafting as he moved.
"Oh, yeah, I just thought of trying something new. I've decided that, the best way for me to honor Zabuza's name is by enhancing the reputation of his title, which I can still do while staying true to myself."
'Plus I don't think now is the right time to be dressing like the Grim Reaper.'
Kakashi nodded his understanding before asking his student about his new whiskers. "I didn't know they grew Naruto."
This set Konoha's jinchuurikion edge; he was hoping no one would notice. Something that had happened after his brawl with Gaara, after being pumped with Kyubi's chakra, had been the thickening of his whiskers. His senses had also taken a jump, which he'd discovered after smelling how filthy his apartment really was, to the level of when he originally needed chakra for it.
Naruto understood that this was the price he was paying for using the Nine-Tails' power, but that didn't mean he liked it.
He'd attempted trying to talk with the monstrous fox again, but the young teen had found that he was unable to recreate the connection. So, Naruto resigned himself to dealing with it for now.
Or at least, that's what he'd decided before this moment.
"Oh," he answered quickly, "yeah. I normally just trim them down, but with everything that's been going on and since I was wearing those bandages I just forgot."
"Well, it certainly makes you look more...feral," Kakashi complimented carefully. "Just, be mindful of the rest of the villagers seeing that Naruto. They...well, they may not take too well to the new look."
Naruto surprised the older shinobi by scoffing in reply to that warning.
"What they think doesn't mean anything anymore. They're either going to like me or they won't, so I'm just going to be the best ninja I can while working towards honoring Zabuza and becoming the Hokage."
This answer shocked the masked Jounin. From the minute Naruto introduced himself the blonde had boasted loudly about how he would make the entire village respect him.
What happened? When had his knuckle-headed student become so grown up?
"That's...very mature of you Naruto. I'm proud of how you've grown in such a short time and, just so you know, it's moments like this that will make the Council believe you'll make a great Hokage one day."
For his part the young ninja in question could only give his Jounin instructor a look of amazement; other than Iruka-sensei no one had ever told him such things before. it made him think that maybe, just maybe, he really could become the Hokage.
It didn't take the duo much longer after that to reach the academy, and after being ushered inside by Kakashi, Naruto began to make his way towards the Council meeting room.
For some reason, the blonde had a knotted feeling he couldn't shake.
Like this day was going to hold a lot more than just the possibility of promotion.
xXx
When he and Kakashi finally entered the room they were looking for, Naruto was surprised to find that he wasn't the only genin in the room. Along with himself, the young Uzumaki's azure eyes found Shikamaru and Hinata as well.
Other than his fellow genin, Naruto saw that there were three elderly figures seated at the head of a concession of men and women the blonde suspected were the Shinobi Council.
"I've retrieved genin Uzumaki as you've requested," Kakashi announced to the various clan heads.
It was a man covered in bandages that answered the Copy-Ninja. "Good, thank you Kakashi. I understand our request may seem...immediate, given what has recently befallen our village, but surely you understand the necessity of it."
The Jounin in question simply shrugged as he answered, "I suppose so; keep up appearances and all that. Although, don't you think we should wait until we've acquired a new Hokage before making promotions?"
"Normally, yes, we would agree with you." This response came from the other old man, who sat to the right of the bandaged elder, he had a head of wild gray hair and wore glasses.
"However, as you've already said, we must retain our place as the strongest village and to do so we'll have to show we can manage making decision even in the face of tragedy."
"Besides," the bandage-covered elder spoke up again, "it wouldn't do to send a mere genin on the next mission this Council has in mind."
This peaked Shikamaru's interest, and with a raise of his hand he asked, "And just what mission would that be? Because if it's too much of a drag I'm just gonna go ahead and say right now that I don't want it."
It was a new voice, one that came from behindNaruto, that answered that question.
"The mission to come with me and retrieve our new Hokage."
All eyes turned, and Naruto's head swiveled, to look at who had spoken. And while most in the room knew the man they found, the genin had no clue.
The speaker was tall, easily dwarfing even Kakashi, and large. His body, while dressed oddly, was no doubt built with muscle. He had a large mane of pure-white hair that was pulled into a knee-length pony-tail whose bangs were pushed back by a horned headband with the word 'oil' engraved on it.
The man's torso was clothed in a green kimono and red haori, with a mesh suit underneath. His lower-body was covered by matching green pants and red wooden sandals. Over his shoulder was a strap, which was used to carry a large scroll over his back.
"And who are you?" Shikamaru asked in disinterest.
Who was this guy, and what made him qualified to look for the next Hokage?
It was Kakashi who answered both the Nara heir's spoken, as well as unspoken, question. "So you've made it Lord Jiraiya, did you just get in this morning?"
"Yeah," the newly introduced Jiraiya answered. "Sarutobi sent me that message back during what I guess was the second stage of the chunin exams, but I was stuck deep under cover and couldn't get away until lately."
Before Kakashi could say anything on the subject though, Naruto frowned and asked his own question.
"Deep cover? What kind of mission could have been more important that you weren't here for when your Hokage needed you?"
The way he seethed between his teeth set many in the room on edge.
Kakashi saw this immediately, and tried to cool the blonde's fury. "Now wait Naruto, you don't understand—"
"No Kakashi," Jiraiya cut him off. "Let the kid talk; I wanna hear what he has to say."
The stern look the older man gave him quickly had the Jounin closing his masked mouth. Kakashi could clearly see the look in the Sannin's eyes, and decided both the man and his student needed this.
When Jiraiya turned his attention back to the blonde, Naruto was ready to jump down his throat.
Only for another voice to cut through their conversation. This time, it was one of the elders.
"As much as I'm sure you would enjoy the verbal battle Lord Jiraiya, you must remember, we are in a bit of a hurry." The old woman spoke.
The Sannin kept his eyes on a scowling Naruto but addressed one of the male elders. "I thought for sure you would throw your own hat into the ring Danzo; what's wrong, afraid Orochimaru will come for you next?"
It was revealed to the chunin hopefuls that 'Danzo' was the man covered in bandages. As the elder looked down from his raised seat and answered, "Certainly not. I just feel that, given the circumstances, someone of more renown is needed to fill the role for now. With Tsunade as the next Hokage, Konoha will be seen as the phoenix; a powerful rebirth from old ashes."
Jiraiya made a show of not looking convinced, but conceded due to the importance of the moment.
"Alright then," Shikamaru's father spoke up. "If you all are done introducing yourselves we can get this meeting over with. I've got an angry wife at home and, longer I'm away, the longer it's gonna take to defuse her."
With no other business, the chunin vests were handed out to all genin in the room. Hinata was the first to receive the honor, and was pleasantly surprised when it was her own father who presented the promotion to her.
"You do your clan, as well as your village, proud this day Hinata." Hiashi Hyuga commended his oldest child, an undertone of pride hidden inside his usually stoic words.
Knowing her father to be a man of few words Hinata did not feel any less elation when his speech consisted only of those words. In fact, to hear him verbally praise her ability in front of so many important figures only made her feel that much more accomplished. She had earned her father's respect.
Hinata had found she was right to forgo her usually heavy jacket, as when she slipped into her new flak jacket and zipped it up the Hyuga heiress found that, if she had brought it, the bulky clothing would have made for a tight fit.
Once the young kunoichi stepped back Shikamaru stepped forward next, receiving his promotion from his own father. Like with Hinata, the Nara heir received few words, but Shikaku did compliment them with a strong hug. It was always a proud day when one's child was acknowledged for their growth, and even the lazy Nara clan were no exception to that rule.
But then, with Shikamaru's turn done, Naruto knew he was to be next.
And while he was truly excited for the promotion, and glad to see his hard work paying off, the young blonde couldn't help feeling that it would be a hollow victory. As there would be no loving parents to personally hand and congratulate him; it would be done stiffly and by the book. No warmth. No love.
It was with these thoughts that Naruto stepped into the spotlight. And while he attempted not to show it, all those old enough could see behind his mask. They could see his sadness.
At least, until someone else came crashing through the door.
"Sorry, I kinda overslept. I didn't miss it did I?"
It was Anko.
Although, from her disheveled appearance any outsider would be hard pressed to believe the woman they were seeing was the same one that had defeated Baki of Suna. Her normally provocative clothing was replaced by loose-fitting lavender pajama bottoms that pooled around her feet and an over-sized white t-shirt. Even Anko's usual fanning pony-tail was absent; in its place a messy tangle of bedhead.
Naruto saw the way she was dressed and couldn't keep from cracking an amused smile. In the month before the finals he and the snake-mistress had formed a close friendship, and the blonde knew he'd always have a soft spot for the older woman's crazy antics.
"You just barely made it, Special-Jounin Mitarashi, young Naruto was next to be promoted." Danzo informed her.
Anko let out a very strong breath of relief as she threw her whole head back in a show. But when her gaze left the ceiling, the woman's warm brown eyes locked with Naruto's own blue pair and she smiled.
That smile turned into a sheepish grin as, ruffling her messy hair in embarrassment, Anko told him, "I hope you don't mind Naruto but...I asked the Council if I could present your vest to you. Ya know, since I couldn't have my own team enter or anything, but I got to train you, and you won. So..."
Naruto felt his face morph into a wide-eyed look of disbelief, before it shifted to one of warmth as the blonde stuttered a response.
"U-Uh yeah, that's fine Anko-sensei. In fact, that's great."
Giving her blonde charge a smile of her own, Anko made her way over towards the elders. Although because of her state of dress, the woman's normally swaying hips and sassy steps were exchanged for a slow shuffle so as not to trip. After being handed an unusually worn flak jacket, the Special-Jounin moved to stand in front of Naruto.
It was then that she saw the look in his eyes; like he was being given a backhanded promotion with such a beaten vest. Remembering what she'd been told the day before, Anko smiled gently as she went about holding out the vest.
"Naruto Uzumaki, for showing not only strength but also sharp intelligence, as well as your tremendous services to the village of Konoha I am more than proud to present you with the very same flak jacket worn...by your father."
Whatever words he had been expecting, those last three were definitely not it.
This was shown when the newly minted chunin's hands, which had been reaching out to take said jacket, stopped short while their owner's eyes popped and his mouth hit the floor.
His mouth still hung open, Naruto's eyes flickered from the padded vest up to look at Anko's. With shuddering breaths he asked, "W-What did you j-just say?"
"Your father Naruto," the Special-Jounin confirmed. "The old crows told me about it when I asked them to let me promote you; this chunin vest belonged to your father, and he wanted you to have it the day you yourself achieved the rank."
All eyes in the room could clearly see how hard the young blonde was trying not to cry by this point.
Naruto let his head drop so that his growing head of blonde locks covered his eyes, but the young chunin's hands jerked back to life, and slowly took hold of the jacket before bringing it to be pressed against his chest.
Never one for sentimentality, Danzo only let this go on for another few seconds before clearing his throat. "Yes, and we've also got something else for you chunin Uzumaki, but first we must decide which one of you three will be accompanying Lord Jiraiya on this important mission."
It was the Sannin himself who answered that question.
"While I'm sure both clan heir's have an exemplary amount of skill, I've read the reports on all three young shinobi and wish for Naruto here to be the one coming along with me. Hopefully to no offense to either of you two?" He finished with a questioning look to both Hinata and Shikamaru.
"Unless my first refusal was only in my head, I think I've already turned down this offer," Shikamaru told the oddly-dressed ninja. "It sounds like a real drag."
"And Hinata would not be available for it at this time," Hiashi answered for his daughter. "As she has a very important meeting with me after this, followed by an extensive round of new training."
Hinata looked to her father with a look of confusion, as he had not told her about any of this beforehand, but simply voiced a quick agreement when he gave her a firm nod.
"Very well then," Danzo concluded. "Then you two are free to go while young Uzumaki will stay behind to be briefed on his first mission as a chunin."
It took no other words to get both Hinata and Shikamaru out the door, with Hiashi telling his daughter to await his return at their home. Once the two younger shinobi made their exit, it was Jiraiya this time who had something for Naruto.
The white-haired Sannin walked over to the now composed blonde and held out a thick roll of parchment, an envelope tied to the scroll with a piece of twine.
"The vest is from your father, but this scroll and letter are from your mother. Like your old man, she too wanted these held until you advanced past the rank of genin. Since her specialty was kenjutus, her gift to you was the dances of her family...your family."
Just as before Naruto found his hands shaking as he took hold of his gift, only this time he managed to keep his tears at bay.
Jiraiya noticed this and said, "I'd recommend waiting until you're alone before opening the letter kid; she wrote it herself, and while I may not know what's in it, I have no doubt it'll turn on the tears. Probably worse than your dad's vest with how sappy she was."
That last bit caught Naruto's attention.
"You knew my mom?"
"We all did Naruto." This came, surprisingly, from Tsume Inuzuka.
"She and my wife were usually paired with young Sasuke's mother Mikoto for mission," Hiashi Hyuga informed the blonde. "Together they made for quite a formidable force."
"Kushina was also the one who instructed many of our greatest kenjutsu users today; one of which happened to have been the man you met during the second exam." Anko rounded the memories out, recalling the red-headed beauty from her time before leaving Konoha with Orochimaru.
'Kushina,' Naruto thought, rolling the name around in his head. His mother had a beautiful name.
Jiraiya's voice interrupted those thoughts though as he spoke again. "All those things are true Naruto, and I'll tell you more about her during the mission, but we really do need to get moving if we don't want Tsunade to get away from us."
Being reminded that he had a job to do, and that there would be time for reminiscing later, Naruto slipped on his new flak jacket before turning his full attention to the Sannin beside him.
"Alright then, let's hear it."
xXx
While Naruto was being briefed, somewhere inside the village a pair of cloaked figures were sitting in a tea shop.
Both wore traditional rice hats with paper streamers to further conceal their faces. The only difference between the two's state of dress being that, the shorter of pair, had bells dangling from his hat.
"I don't see why we don't just nab the kid now," the taller figure questioned in a clearly male tone. Across his back he carried a large, wrapped sword, and as he reached out for his teacup one could see that his skin was an odd blue color.
The shorter of the two kept his eyes trained on the small tray of dango sitting in front of him as he answered in a cool tone. "Because simply walking around the village would be foolish. He may not be hard to find, but with shinobi the likes of Kakashi Hatake wandering about we would be hard pressed to stay hidden if he puts up a fight. No, we'll get him when we're sure he's alone"
"I guess," the blue-skinned man agreed, "but I don't like it. I wanna see just what this kid's made of, see if the rumors are true."
"You will get your chance; just be patient."
xXx
Naruto exited the Council chambers through a side exit, flak jacket settled over his torso, and made his way back towards the village. He had been asked to pack for his newest assignment, and be ready to leave within the hour.
Knowing he had enough time, Naruto turned back and walked into the academy. Using his memory from the parent-teacher night, the blonde quickly found the room he was looking for and gave a gentle knock.
The instructor inside looked over at him through the little window, a look of annoyance at being interrupted on her young face, before she walked over and opened the door.
"Can I help you?" She questioned with a begrudging respect. The blonde was a chunin now after all.
"Yes, sorry to disturb you but—"
"Big brother!"
Naruto grinned sheepishly at his fellow chunin before peering around her and finding who he was looking for. "Isa-chan, hey, I need to talk to you for a second."
"We are in the middle of a very important lesson Uzumaki-san, can't it wait?"
"I'm sorry, but no. I've got a mission taking me out of the village and I need to talk to let her know; please, it'll only take a minute." The blonde chunin offered a hopeful smile at the older woman standing in the door, and gave a thankful one when she relented.
Isaribi made her way down happily from the the fourth row and down to stand beside her onii-san.
Kneeling down to be at eye-level with the younger girl, Naruto offered a smile as he told her about his promotion.
"Big brother that's great!" The scale-covered academy student launched herself into the blonde's vest-covered torso and gave him a big hug. She and the newly minted chunin snuggled a bit before Naruto pulled back again, this time with a regretful smile.
"But there's a problem with that; I already have a mission Isa-chan. They want me to head out of Konoha with another shinobi to find the next Hokage, so I won't be here for a while."
Isaribi looked at her onii-san with wide, puppy eyes as she whimpered. "W-What? B-But what about me, what am I gonna do?"
Naruto could see she was thinking he was leaving her again, so the blonde quickly put her fears to rest.
"Oh, Isa-chan, don't worry about a thing. I've already asked Anko-sensei to watch you while I'm gone okay? She'll take great care of you, okay?"
"W-What if Anko-san get a mission too, w-what'll happen then?" She wailed quietly.
The girl's guardian shushed as he pet her violet locks. He had taken her to a salon to have the mess taken care of, and now the nest had been turned into a soft head of hair. "No worries there either, my little mermaid, she's taken time off so she could watch you. She won't be going anywhere while I'm away."
This finally assuaged the little kunoichi in-training's fears to rest. With her onii-san's word given she knew everything would turn out okay, and that allowed her to calm down.
Then, with one last hug Naruto motioned for her to head back to her seat before waving one last time and leaving to get packed.
Deciding that, if he was quick enough, he could meet with Ino after packing the blonde chunin raced home.
Being sure to take only what was needed, Naruto managed to leave himself with a little over a half hour to spare. He made a mad dash for Ino's home.
The ringing of the bell above the door alerted the young girl behind the counter that she had a customer, and when Ino Yamanaka looked up from her magazine she was surprised to find a young man who looked familiar walking into her store.
It was only when she noticed his whiskers that the heiress realized who it was.
"N-Naruto? Is that you?"
Said blonde gave a bright smile as he returned the greeting. "Yep, I came by to see how you were doing. Sorry I wasn't able to stop by sooner, the village contracted me to use my shadow-clonesto help in rebuilding the village. I was even payed for my services."
Ino raised a brow in thought; she did recall seeing a copy of her fellow blonde at seemingly ever street corner.
"That's great Naruto," she offered another smile. "But, and I don't mean to sound rude, what made you think to check up on me?"
Here Naruto's look morphed into one of tentative seriousness.
"I remembered the promise I made you during the invasion; about helping you through your first kill. Again, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to speak with you...although, you seem fine Ino."
The Yamanaka heiress' powder-blue eyes flashed with the memory of that day, before softening as she sent Naruto a grateful look. "You don't have to apologize Naruto, we were all busy after...what happened. And if I seem fine it's because I did talk about what happened; with my daddy."
At the chunin's questioning look Ino elaborated.
"I-I had a nightmare about what happened; it wasn't the first time, just this one was really bad. Daddy said I'd been screaming, and wouldn't stop fussing, so when he finally got me up and asked me what was wrong I told him. We stayed up all night talking."
"That's great Ino," Naruto told her. "I'm glad you got to vent to someone, and the added bonus that it was your dad was probably a big help huh?"
Ino nodded in agreement before her face took on a look of apprehension. She settled her right hand against the opposite arm and rubbed it in a show of anxiety. Naruto noticed this immediately and asked what was wrong.
"Well, during our talk daddy asked if...i-if I still wanted to be a shinobi. I told him I wasn't sure."
Hearing this Naruto's own blue eyes filled with shock. She was thinking of giving up on being a ninja?
"B-But Ino, why?"
"Because Naruto, when my father asked me what my reason had been for entering the academy I was ashamed to tell him it had been to get a chance at meeting Sasuke. I'd seen him around the village a few times, and when I learned he was entering the academy it seemed like the perfect way to get to know him. I-I didn't ever actually give any thought to what sort of life I'd be leading if I became a shinobi."
This explanation rocked Naruto's world. The young Leaf-ninja had never thought anyone in the academy would be there for anything other than to become a member of the village's ninja force.
It just seemed...unreal. Foolish even.
"S-So then what do you want to do Ino? If not a shinobi, then what path do you see your life taking?"
"That's just it Naruto; I don't know. I mean, I don't hateworking in my family's shop, since I do love flowers, but working here forever wouldn't make me happy. But on the other hand, the only other thing I know is being a ninja and I don't think I can kill someone again. I-I don't know what to do—I don't even know why I'm telling you of all people."
Naruto gave his fellow blonde a sympathetic look, trying to convey that he empathized with her pain before giving his reply.
"It's probably because, while we may not exactly be friends, you and I have never really been enemies either Ino. I'm like an unbiased third opinion; your dad would tell you to follow your heart, but internally want you to take the safest route while a friend like Sakura would most likely try and use joking to make you think what your going through isn't so bad."
Ino took on a thoughtful expression at his words, but when she didn't interrupt Naruto took that as a cue to keep going.
"As for what you should do, I'd tell you to take some time for yourself before really coming to any conclusive decision. Try different things, read a few books or even articles, learn about other professions that have to do with things you already like.
Then, take a good long look at yourself and think about what you want; what you really want, and will make you happy. If it's a life with Sasuke, then find out what he surrounds his life with and use that to connect with him while still staying true to yourself...just so long as you remember not to change yourself just to get someone's attention. Because at that point they aren't worth it."
Naruto finished his advice with a gentle, but knowing smile. One that let Ino know that his last words were spoken with experience; his past feelings for Sakura. Knowing this, the platinum-blonde came from around the counter and set her hand on the boy's shoulder.
"I'm sorry that Sakura never noticed what a great guy you are Naruto," Ino offered before looking sheepish. "And I'm sorry for anything mean I've ever said about you during the academy, I-I didn't see the real you back then either."
The blonde chunin was caught off-guard by the heiress' apology, as well as her kindness, but recovered quickly. Reaching up, Naruto let his own calloused hand hold the soft one covering his shoulder.
"It's alright Ino, I know you didn't really mean any of it. Your eyes never held any true animosity towards me, and that's more than enough of an apology for me."
The look her fellow blonde gave her caused Ino's face to color a delicate pink, while the feel of his hand enveloping hers caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach. However, before she could think to say anything else, the bell signaling a customer rang and a new voice filled the electrified silence. Effectively killing the mood.
"There you are gaki; I've been looking all over for you. Flirt with your girlfriend on your own time, we've gotta head out, and what sort of chunin would you be if the first mission you were given turned out to be a failure?"
Ino jumped at the newcomer's voice, squeaking as she pulled her hand from Naruto's grip.
Said blonde turned his body with a scoff, azure eyes finding the form of Jiraiya waiting for him at the entrance of the shop.
"Yeah, yeah you old goat I'm ready if you are, so let's go. Besides, you were the one who told me you had something important to do first." The look in Naruto's eyes spoke volumes of how little he believed the Sannin's story.
But before the large man could defend himself, Ino found her voice again as she shockingly pointed to Naruto's vest. She would later admonish herself for being so distracted by his looks that she'd missed it.
"You got promoted Naruto?"
"That's right little lady," Jiraiya butted back in. "And he's already about to be in trouble if we don't get a move on. He can regale you with all the fascinatingdetails later, but for right now he needs to come with me."
"Geeze calm down, I'm coming." Naruto breathed out his frustration before looking to Ino again. He offered her another smile, this time apologetic, before telling her he really did have to go.
"I'll see you later Ino; maybe we can continue this with some lunch when I get back?"
"Y-Yeah Naruto, that sounds good. I-I'll see you when you get back."
With one final wave the blonde chunin left the flower shop, not knowing that he was leaving with a string attached to the Yamanaka heiress' heart.
And back inside, among her flowers, Ino cupped the hand he'd held to her chest, blushing lightly at the feel of her own rapid heart...and the image of that smile playing over in her head.
xXx
"I warned you this would happen," a cool voice calmly admonished the person beside them.
The two cloaked figures from the tea shop were staring down a pair of Konoha Jounin. Standing no more than a few meters in front of them stood Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma Sarutobi.
"Can you really blame me for wanting to have a little fun?" The blue-skinned assailant questioned in an excited tone.
"He can when it draws the attention of some one the Leaf's strongest Jounin," Asuma scoffed. "Now I won't ask nicely again; who are you, and what are you doing here?"
It was the shorter of the pair who answered. And when he did, both Konoha elites felt themselves freeze. "Could it not simply be my desire to see my home again Asuma, Kurenai?"
As he spoke, the obviously young man reached his purple-painted fingers up and took hold of his rice hat. Then, slowly pulling it from its place atop his head, he revealed a face that neither Jounin ever expected to see again.
The young man was no older than nine-teen, and possessed an unnaturally handsome face that was framed by a head of jet-black hair with a central part. There were pronounced tear-troughs under both his eyes and, while these things were distinctive in describing the young man, it was in fact his eyes that made him stand out.
His Sharingan eyes.
"I-Itachi...Uchiha."
Asuma barely managed to get the name past his lips, the cigarette between them falling to the bridge they were standing on due to the shock.
Kurenai could only look at the teen in front of her in disbelief. She had heard the stories, listened to the rumors, but never had the genjutsu mistress ever actually met the Uchiha prodigy. And while she'd seen Kakashi's own implanted dojutsu before, there was something...chilling about the way Itachi seemed to make the copy-wheel eye look.
Almost...mesmerizing.
At least until a chuckle broke the trance, and drew the woman's own crimson orbs to the Uchiha's partner.
"Look at that Itachi, you didn't even have to try and the famed 'genjutsu mistress' of the shinobi world was almost caught by those crazy eyes of yours." The taller man reached his own hand up before removing his hat, and revealing a face both Jounin had seen numerous times in the Bingo Book.
Kisame Hoshigaki; S-ranked criminal and former Seven Swordsman of Kiri.
He was clearly the older of the two, and did indeed have blue skin; which, when pared with his sharp teeth and curved markings under his eyes gave him a very shark-like appearance. The former Mist-ninja's beady eyes stared across at his enemies with vigor, easily radiating the man's desire for a fight.
But just as Kisame was reaching for his sword, Itachi's voice halted him.
"I suggest you both step aside; I have no desire to kill you."
Asuma made a noise in the back of his throat. "Coming from a guy who butchered his own people I find that a bit hard to swallow. In fact, just seeing you walk right in here after what you did makes me sick."
"You two are both high-ranked criminals," Kurenai finally managed after finding her voice. "The fact you're both together, dressed in whatever uniform that is, can't just be for nothing. So I suggest you tell us before this gets ugly."
Kisame finally found his blade's handle and swung it from his back, smashing it against the ground in front of him.
Grinning ferociously he asked, "You know, these two are really starting to get on my nerves. Can I kill them?"
Itachi remained his cool mask as he told his partner, "Since it seems like they refuse to step aside I suppose so. Just remember, we don't have time for games, so this will need to be quick."
"They're as good as dead."
With a show of tremendous speed Kisame heaved his massive sword up, and ran it forward in an effort to drive it through Asuma's chest. While the Konoha Jounin managed to side-step this opening strike, this did nothing to deter the rouge-ninja and just caused him to turn the attack into follow through. Pulling back, Kisame came back with a hard slash through the air.
Asuma saw this and unleashed his own weapon of choice; trench-knifes. Bringing his large arms up in a cross-block, the bearded Jounin grunted as his foes heavy blade came slamming down on his.
And yet, despite it only being the man's one arm, Kisame had Asuma's arms buckling under the former Mist-ninja's strength. A deadly reminder of the rogue-ninja's nickname; Monster of the Hidden Mist. Asuma began to sweat as he felt Kisame's wrapped blade touch down on his forearm, and silently prayed for Kurenai to hurry.
The woman in question had just leaped back and had performed the hand-signs for a genjutsu when Kisame tensed his muscles, and with a fabulous show of ruthlessness whipped his sword back. Asuma let out a cry of pain as his bicep was torn through by the rouge's newly revealed blade.
"My massive blade, Shark-skin. As you can see it doesn't slice, it cuts you to ribbons!"
Asuma looked on as his adversary prepared for another assault, but grinned triumphantly when he noticed the man stating to flail. 'About time, Kurenai.'
"What the, what is this!?"
While to the Konoha Jounin there was nothing there, in Kisame's mind he found himself being dragged down in a pit of quicksand.
And while that went on, Itachi soon found himself being bound by a large tree.
Kurenai, who had become invisible moments before, reappeared from within her signature genjutsu with a kunai in hand. Angling the knife, the red-eyed beauty declared victory. "This is the end of the line for you two."
"Had we been any other ninja, you may be correct." Itachi's voice never wavered, there was no sense of fear in his eyes, and as he spoke his next words both Jounin learned why. "However, genjutsu of this level has no effect on me."
Then, in the blink of an eye, Kurenai found that shehad been inside of Itachi's genjutsu!
"Now it's over."
Seeing the young man rushing towards her, kunai in hand, Kurenai quickly bit down hard on her lip. The stinging pain snapped her out of the genjutsu, and she just managed to duck Itachi's deadly strike. Strands of her own raven-black hair were cut, further proving how close she'd come to death, and the genjutsu mistress just barely managed to throw her arms up to block a hard kick sent at her chest.
Itachi's strength, while not monstrous like his partner's, was still enough though to send the beautiful kunoichi rocketing through the air.
"Kurenai!" Asuma hollered in worry, but when he moved to be by her side the bearded Jounin was forced to jump back so as to avoid Kisame's Samehada.
"I wouldn't be worrying about her right now, not when you've got me as your opponent."
No matter how much he wanted to, the now Head of the Sarutobi clan knew there was no way he would get past Kisame without fighting him. So instead, the elite Jounin quickly weaved through a series of hand-signs before letting loose his jutsu.
"Wind-style: Dust Storm jutsu!"
A high-velocity stream of wind containing dust particles shot from Asuma's mouth. The ninjutsu barreled forward, its target being the rogue-ninja in front of the caster.
Kisame saw this, and seemingly vanished in a shocking display of speed.
Asuma cut his chakra from the attack, and pushed his body to its limit as he managed to jump over the ex-Cypher ninja's thrusting blade. From his place in the air Asuma whipped his body around, and aimed a strong kick at the side of Kisame's head.
With his right hand holding Samehada's handle, Kisame swiftly brought his left up, over the right shoulder, and stopped his opponent's kick.
With Asuma still in the air the former Mist-ninja angled his massive blade, and made an attempt to bring it up so as to gut the Konoha Jounin. The bearded shinobi surprised Kisame though by using his free foot to halt the rounded tip of the sword in its tracks.
But then, seeing how the man's leg was shaking, Kisame laughed.
"That was certainly an impressive maneuver, now let's see how long you can hold it."
Asuma knew the answer already though and, having no intention of being skewered, brought his hand level with Kisame's face and surprised the S-ranked criminal by streaming chakra through his knife. The ethereal blue energy sharpened and formed a solid extension along the weapon's edge, and Kisame was forced to duck away so as to avoid having it pierce his skull.
This gave Asuma the leverage he needed to wrench his leg free and jump away.
Kisame shook off the near-death experience, but growled in his throat when he noticed that his cheek had been sliced and a thin trail of blood had trickled over his skin.
"You're gonna pay for that." The rogue-ninja threatened before forming his own hand-signs.
"Water-style: Water Shark-Bomb jutsu!"
"Water-style: Water Shark-Bomb jutsu!"
Kisame's beady eyes widened in disbelief as his technique was copied, and two large sharks made from water collided.
The Mist-ninja turned his eyes away from Asuma and let his face morph into a look of intrigue as he found Kakashi's form standing along the water's surface, a few feet behind Itachi.
"Kakashi Hatake," Itachi's ever-calm voice carried through the air. "You see Kisame, this is why I warned you about making a scene."
"I guess you were right then," the Uchiha prodigy's partner relented. Although he never lost his smile as he continued, "But think of the fun."
Itachi didn't take his eyes off Kakashi as he rebuked, "In case you've truly forgotten; we aren't here for fun. We have an objective...one that will need finding again now that we have been delayed."
"And just what is this objective of yours? What are you guys after?"
Itachi's eyes seemed to spin, drawing a look of horror from Kakashi, as he answered with only three words.
"The Yondaime's legacy."
xXx
Sasuke leaped from one final roof before landing with a flip in the middle of a side-street. From his place on the ground he looked over at the apartment complex that he'd been looking for and frowned.
What did Kakashi want with him, and why hadn't he been at the meeting place like he was supposed to? Because even with the ex-Anbu's reputation he had never been late for a meeting with the young Uchiha.
Sasuke exited from the alley he'd been in and made his way between the crowds to reach the entrance.
Upon reaching the front desk, the last Uchiha asked the lady at the front desk for his Jounin instructor's room number. When he was given the room, Sasuke left the lobby and made his way up the stairs.
As he walked up the steps, Sasuke thought back to his last meeting with the former Anbu Captain. The silver-haired Jounin had told him about the circumstances surrounding his desire to be promoted and what he'd been told angered the last Uchiha.
He would not be made a chunin.
Besting a Jounin by surprise during an invasion was not enough to overshadow the glaring disqualifications Sasuke carried.
"Your thirst for vengeance and lack of control is what lead to your loss of that eye Sasuke," Kakashi had told him. "And if you're not careful it'll be the reason you never move past genin rank."
But what did Kakashi, or any of them know? They hadn't been forced to suffer a genjutsu that had them witnessing the deaths of their entire family...their entire way of life. None of them understood the job Sasuke had been given. The duty that had been thrust upon him.
And the need for more power to accomplish his new destiny.
Kakashi had told him that their had been word sent out to a seal master who would take a look at the mark on his neck but, the more he thought about it, the more Sasuke began to think that he didn't want anyone trying to get rid of the seal.
The last Uchiha had deduced, through hours of silent debate, that it had been that very seal which had amplified his Sharinganduring the battle with Kiba.
As well as giving him that boost in strength and speed.
Such benefits had surely boosted him to chunin-level; and that was with the mark being contained by Kakashi's repression seal. Which begged the question: what would it be like if he'd let it run loose?
That had been the train of thought Sasuke was on when Kakashi's messenger hawk had appeared in the sky, and now, as he reached that track again, Sasuke found he had reached the Jounin's room. However, hearing voices from within and being curious the genin stopped and listened.
Hearing that his sensei had been brought down was shocking enough, but when Sasuke learned by who and why his blood ran cold...before boiling in hatred.
Knowing he would be stopped if they found him Sasuke backed away from the door slowly, and then turned and slowly made his way down half the steps before tensing, and shooting off like a rocket with only the last words he'd heard running through his mind.
"We need to keep Itachi away from Naruto at all costs."
xXx
Azure eyes looked down at the letter in their owner's hands in disbelief. Surely this couldn't be true. And yet, even after reading it for a third time Naruto found that the words written on the parchment before him hadn't changed.
Naruto was sure he was going to be sick.
But just as he was readying himself to vomit, the blonde's horror-stricken mind was snapped back to reality by a knock at the door.
Jumping from his place on the bed, the newly minted chunin used trembling hands to fold the letter back into shape before hiding it inside his pack. The normally astute blonde was still far too rattled to think about using his enhanced senses to check who was behind the door.
Besides, it was probably just that perverted old Sannin coming back from striking out with that woman from earlier.
Leaving his new flak jacket on the floor, Naruto made his way over to the door and unlocked it.
"So, she dumped you already—huh?"
Azure eyes did not meet a hungover Sage. No, instead when he'd opened the door Naruto found himself looking at a young man in a black cloak. The red clouds that were scattered over the uniform matched the deadly crimson of the stranger's eyes.
Eyes that Naruto recalled seeing on only two other people.
'Which makes this guy...'
"Itachi Uchiha."
In his studies Naruto had come across the Uchiha Massacre, and the man who performed it. At the time, the blonde had never expected this meeting to ever take place, and now that it was he had no clue how to react. Instead, only two thoughts could make their way into his head.
What was the mass murder doing here?
And, more importantly, what did he want with him?
"Well look at that, the kid knows your name. Looks to me you're more famous than you thought Itachi." The new voice drew Naruto's attention, and had the blonde looking over at the man standing beside the Uchiha youth. And the Kiri headband with the slash through it.
"W-What are you guys doing here," Naruto muttered in confusion. "What do you want with me?"
"We want you to come with us," Itachi answered simply. "As for why, well, I'm sure you can figure that out."
"The Nine-Tails." It wasn't a question; there was no other reason the blonde could think of that would draw two dangerous-looking shinobi to him.
"That's right so, if you could come quietly there's someone who would like to meet you."
"I would," the blonde answered carefully as he leaned against the door frame. "Except the Sandaime always told me never to go anywhere with strangers; so I'm gonna have to decline."
As he said this Naruto used his kawarimi to replace himself with the pillow on his bed before grabbing his pack and executioner's blade before pushing out his hand. "Wind-style: Great Breakthrough!"
Both rogue-ninja were surprised by the younger ninja's ability, but still managed to avoid the seal-less ninjutsu. Although, when they looked into the room again, all traces of their prey were gone. Itachi managed to keep the perturbed look from his face while Kisame glowered with excitement.
"Now that's what I'm talking about," the former Mist-ninja laughed.
Then, before Itachi could stop the larger man he was racing out the opened window in an effort to catch the fleeing blonde.
Seeing no other way now the Uchiha sighed through his nose and broke into a flock of crows before following.
With their superior speed it didn't take the pair long to find Naruto, and when they did it was interesting to note that he'd chosen a place devoid of people.
And then there was the stance he was in.
"You think using one of my village's jutsu against us is gonna help you kid?" Kisame taunted when he recognized the Hidden-Mist stance.
"I'll never know unless I try," was the answer as a thick fog began to roll in.
Seeing the creation of such a large-scale mist without a water source interested the former Mist-ninja enough that he was almost willing to let the chunin finish. Had it not been for Itachi that is.
"Kisame, enough, you wanted your fight and here it is. Now hurry up before Jiraiya realizes what's going on."
The rogue in question huffed indignantly before gripping his sword handle and rushing his target. Itachi was always such a stick in the mud. "You heard him kid, you want to carry around that sword then it's time to prove you've got what it takes!"
Naruto saw the swordsman coming and immediately reached back for his own sword. Whipping the Executioner's Blade from its holster, Konoha's newest chunin swung the massive steel weapon around and clashed with Kisame's own unique sword.
Eyeing the scaly blade Naruto recalled Ten-Ten's information.
"So, this is really is the famous Samehada, huh? It's an honor to meet both it, as well as its handler, even if you are holding back." The blonde offered in respect. Then, Naruto let his muscles relax before sliding out from under the older man's path of attack.
With Kisame's sword smashing the ground of the park they'd entered Naruto swung his Kubikiribocho around in an effort to cut the man in half.
The former Seven Swordsman surprised his opponent by ejecting a kunai from a launcher hidden under his arm warmer and using his unbelievable strength to block the attack. Taking a moment to stare into the focused eyes of his foe, the blue-skinned nuke-ninja offered a scoff.
"That's because I want this to be fun; any more than this and you wouldn't have survived my first strike. No, I want to see if you're really worthy to take Zabuza's place, or if you're just a cheap fake!" Then, in a shocking display of dexterity, the shark-like man pushed off his planted feet and somersaulted over Naruto's swing.
Landing on his feet again, Kisame went low and spun, bringing his Samehada around in a sweep meant to take Naruto's legs off. The blonde stopped this completing his own spin, ramming his own sword into the ground, and then pushing up with his palm to hold himself in the air.
Both legendary swords 'clanged' as they met again, and Kisame had to give it to his young adversary; the Nine-Tails jinchuuriki was proving to be a special kind of opponent.
'It's too bad we have to capture him.'
The excitement grew when Kisame was forced to throw his forearm up to block an ax-kick, only to be surprised when the boy exploded. Kisame was sent hurtling back, but stabilized himself quick enough to dodge the thrown Kubikiribocho coming his way.
"Kisame it's another clone," Itachi warned. This gave the Uchiha's partner enough time to avoid the seal-less wind jutsu that the revealed clone shot at his back.
While the battle continued Itachi silently had to praise his target; Naruto Uzumaki was indeed skilled. The blonde they caught at the park had obviously been the real deal, but he'd apparently created a clone while waiting for them and then performed a replacement while lifting himself into the air.
'And then there's the fact he knows the exploding shadow-clone, as well as any form of seal-less ninjutsu.'
Yes, this boy would truly become formidable should he be allowed to develop fully.
"Kisame, that's enough playing around—"
"Itachi!"
The Sharinganwielder silently cursed. He had sensed his brother long before, but had hoped Kisame would be able to take care of the jinchuuriki before Sasuke arrived.
It would seem not.
Not even bothering to turn and look, Itachi uttered a single, composed greeting.
"It's good to see you too, little brother."
xXx
It wasn't only members of the leaf village that were surrounded by strife. Miles away, in the desserts of Suna, a number of the Sand village's scouts looked on in horror at a sight they prayed not to find.
The body of their Kazekage. The dead body Sabaku no Rasa.
And from the look of it, he had been dead for a long time. They could see from the way scarabs and vultures picked at little scraps of flesh that covered the almost barren skeleton.
"So then it wasn't Lord Kazekage who ordered the joint attack with Sound," one of the Sand-ninja muttered in a sick tone. "B-But then, if not him, who?"
"It had to have been Orochimaru," the scout leader answered through gritted teeth. "That psychopath must have killed the Kazekage and either he or that wretch Kabuto took his place. It's thanks to that bastard that we've lost not only Lord Rasa, but both Baki and Kankuro as well!"
The same ninja who'd spoken before then tentatively asked, "Should we tell Lady Temari about this, about what happened to her father?"
The sandy-blonde kunoichi had been placed under house arrest for aiding Naruto in Gaara's defeat, but because of her tremendous skill coupled with their need for active ninja that was the only punishment Temari received. Along with the brand worn by all Suna traitors.
"What good would that do," the captain questioned in response. "You and I both know the girl held no love for her father after what happened to her mother. Let the girl think he fell at the hands of the Hokage before the man battled Orochimaru."
"And I suppose there would be no point in informing Lord Gaara." A third voice concluded.
Gaara had lost his arm during the red-head's battle with Naruto and had been given an emergency procedure outside Konoha's walls to keep him alive. From there he had been rushed back to Suna along with the retreating forces, where he was placed in a sealed, sedated coma until a better seal master could be found to work on the jinchuuriki.
No, there would be no point in informing either of the last remaining Suna Siblings of their father's fate. They all had much more important matters to deal with, like the terms of surrender issued by the Leaf village.
xXx
Naruto eyed the Sannin that stood before him with a curious look.
"Would I like to learn the what?"
"The rasengan," Jiraiya repeated. He had broken it out upon reaching where he sensed Sasuke's chidori, then after chasing off the two rogue-ninja and sending a toad to take a beaten and comatose Uchiha home offered to teach it to Naruto.
"It's a jutsu created by the Fourth Hokage himself, and while normally I don't offer to teach it to anyone I think you can handle it."
Hearing about the Fourth Hokage reminded Naruto of the letter. However, his time practicing patience allowed the blonde to keep a cool enough head that he nodded sharply in a show of interest.
"Sure, if you think it'll help."
xXx
Itachi Uchiha stood before a figure wrapped in shadows as he stared into the uncharacteristically cold eyes of his mentor.
A pair of cool, onyx-black eyes looked back at him as their owner took in all the information they'd just been given.
"And you're sure he has the letter, and knows about what happened that night?"
It was an Itachi with his head bowed who answered. "Yes, I made sure the genjutsu I placed on Jiraiya was strong enough to override his sense of obligation. Kushina Uzumaki's fate has been revealed to her son."
"Good," the shadow replied. "Then we can only hope that Naruto Uzumaki succeeds where we, where I have failed. We can only hope he can avenge her."
xXx
A/N: As for Itachi's mentor? I will say that it's not Obito. I've made the decision that he's going to stay dead.
