Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto Franchise that belongs solely to Masashi Kishimoto; I do not own Heaven's lost Property, High School DxD or any other Anime I borrow themes from. The only thing I claim is my OC's and original Story Plot.
Author's Note (A/N): Hey guys I'm back with another important chapter. Happy New Year and 2019! I hope things are well for everyone in their lives as this will be the first chapter posted of the new year. We explore and go in depth with Naruto's new responsibilities as a Chūnin and the pros and cons that come with it. The difference between a Genin and Chūnin is a major difference and the intricacies will be explored in depth here in this chapter as it isn't as glamorous or lax as it may seem in the Manga/Anime. A more militaristic and complex system is in place here that will make the world of Naruto seem far more intricate and complex than ever before. With his increase in responsibilities it's going to come with consequences in his personal and social life that Naruto's going to have to acclimate himself to.
The world is going to open up to Naruto now that he has his promotion as the dangers he will face in the near and far off future become more dangerous as time goes on. With a new updated look and a major increase in his powers that he will begin to explore soon enough Naruto is going to have his hands full with the things to come as very familiar faces conspire against him for their sadistic enjoyment and gain.
I hope you all enjoy this chapter so sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Chapter 79
A Chūnin's Responsibilities
"You have to leave again?" This question was asked with a heart wrenching sad tone that caused a disappointed sigh to escape Naruto's lips. He was leaning down on his knees to be more at level with Ai who asked this question. Her aquamarine eyes were misted over with tears which threatened to fall as she looked up at her father who sighed sadly in return. "Yes honey… I have my job to perform. I'm a Chūnin now which means I'm now officially apart of the village's standard military. I'm going to be expected to perform at a higher level and I'll have a lot more responsibilities on my shoulder. Which includes a lot more missions, guard duty, and what I'm going to be doing now which is patrol duty." Naruto explained gently as he cupped Ai's small face with his larger hands and wiped away the tears that were beginning to fall. Her lips were trembling, and he knew she was seconds away from crying.
Naruto was assigned to patrol duty on the northwestern border of the Land of Fire. He was being assigned to a patrol squad with other ranking shinobi in their forces. This was a required and standard responsibility for all Chūnin and Jōnin to do. Patrolling and guarding the interest and security of their country itself was the entire purpose of the Hidden Village System. The shinobi are meant to protect their country in every aspect possible.
As a newly promoted Chūnin, Naruto was expected to meet a certain quota of military duties which included border patrol and rotational guard duties at the different outposts scattered throughout the entire Land of Fire. All combat vetted Chūnin and Jōnin are required to meet this quota several times per year no matter their rank or position. Support oriented Chūnin and Jōnin who work in certain departments are exempted from this criteria unless their department has offices in those outpost away from the village. Even Clan Heads and Elite Jōnin are required to perform patrol and garrison duties 4 times a year with the intervals being once every 3 months for a week straight.
Even the Chūnin and Jōnin staff members of the Shinobi Academy have to meet this standard on their own time which usually happens when school is out of session for the summer until the next school year begins. To ensure that all active shinobi are participating and contributing to the efficiency of the village this law was put in place by the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju. He was a very strict and militarized man who had the mind of a general. He believed in order and efficiency and it was all on his shoulders that the groundwork for the village's integral and internal infrastructure was laid down. These military laws were further reformed and streamlined over the many decades of the Third Hokage's reign and well into the short term of the Fourth Hokage.
Now it was just the norm that every Chūnin and above was expected to know. For the last two weeks since his talk with Lady Sōkyoku, Naruto has spent his time at the Hokage Administration Building and specialized military training halls receiving training and sitting in on seminars dedicated to teaching the Chūnin and even the Jōnin about their new responsibilities to the village. Genin weren't truly apart of the overarching military structure of the Hidden Leaf. That was one of the reasons why they don't have a standardize uniform and flak jacket or dress code. They weren't allowed to participate in standard deployments such as guard duty or patrol routes and they were never tasked with guarding any key areas within the village either. A Genin's duty during war time was to guard the civilians and village itself while the Chūnin and Jōnin fight on the actual battlefield.
Of course, during war time these rules are often blurred heavily, especially during the Third Shinobi World War, but the limitations placed on the Genin were rules advocated by the First Hokage Hashirama Senju himself who was passionate about not letting young children see the horrors of war and allowing them to have some semblance of a childhood even if they were still training to be shinobi. His dreams were shattered during the Third Shinobi World War when young children around 6 and 7 years old were out on the main battlefield and were making kills. Individuals like Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha could attest to such claims as their innocence were lost long before they knew what the word even meant.
Now it was Naruto's turn. He was now officially apart of the military and as such he had many new duties to perform. He had responsibilities now that would only increase with time as he gained more work place experience in his new rank and position. By the time he reached Jōnin rank his workload would be even higher as he would be requested to participate in more high-profile missions and assignments. This was his duty now and he couldn't walk away from it. This was just one more step on his way to becoming Hokage one day. Now he just had to make his children understand this fact… that was truly the hard part.
"Do you really have to go… you've barely been here these last few weeks. When you get back you're exhausted and tired." Roku complained as a downtrodden look was on his usual cocky face. "Yeah, you haven't even taught us how to play ball or any other activities like you promised." Dai added on with a disappointed look on his face that tugged at Naruto's heart strings. He's made a lot of promises that he wasn't able to keep to the children. They've all been trying to gain his attention for the last few weeks and he was never able to deliver on that because of how exhausted he would be after the long 8 to 10 hours of drills, exercises, and other training he would receive from his new superiors.
The difference between a Genin and Chūnin was vast, it was far different than how it's depicted or advertised from afar. You go from having barely any responsibilities to having the weight of the entire world settled onto your shoulders. It was a stark contrast and a very harsh reality check. It was something Naruto was going to need to adjust too. If he was living by himself then this wouldn't be a problem, but he has 8 children who all need his attention and affection. They were being left behind in the wake of his new priorities.
"Boys… take it easy on him. Dad is really busy and tired. He's doing the best he can." Asagi defended with a stern tone as she put herself between the twins and Naruto who had Ai in his arms. "Butt out of this Asagi! It's not fair to us! He's barely been here these last few weeks. He's shrugged us off and gone straight to bed sometimes. He's promised us things that he hasn't delivered on!" Roku yelled with small tears brewing at the corner of his eyes. He felt abandoned by the boy who he wouldn't be caught dead calling dad. He looked up to Naruto… he delivered on all of his promises all the way up until a few weeks ago when he got promoted. They've only been with him for just a few days short of a month, but he could already say that he loved to older boy… not that he'd ever admit it.
Naruto was the strong alpha male role model that they needed in their life as growing boys. Naruto filled that role in every capacity and his kindness and ability to empathize with them earned him a very special place in the hearts of the twins. They were apprehensive about showing their feelings because of the rough childhood they've had but they truly did love Naruto as their guardian. He was everything that they could ever ask or hope for in someone to save them from their past. But now… it was like they were being left behind. Deep down the boys knew they were being needy and selfish, but they couldn't help the fact that they just wanted his attention and affection.
While the others didn't want to vocalize this pressing matter Shion and especially Moegi felt the same way, Ai it went without saying that she really needed Naruto's presence being the youngest and even Asagi would admit that she wanted to spend time with the boy who she now thought of as a father. He meant the world to her since he risked his very life to save her from the Cauldron of Resonance. He never gave up on her and they could have easily died in that inferno, but he did everything he could to comfort her all the way up to the last minute. She loved him more than she's ever felt for anyone besides her younger siblings.
She remembered her own parents dying when she was just five years old. Her whole life came crashing down and one by one her surrogate younger siblings started flocking towards her when they started to lose their parents as well. Throughout all of that commotion during that turbulent time she never had a chance to grieve on her own and fully accept their death. She was convinced no one would be coming to save them and that they would all live out the rest of their life on Hōrai Island without ever seeing the outside world.
But Naruto changed all of that and for that very reason Asagi loved him more than what she could put into words. She loved him more than she probably should… but that was for another time. "Guys!" Naruto shouted as he raised his voice to gain everyone's attention. He didn't want an argument to break out between the siblings. That was the last thing he wanted.
"I understand that you're upset with me boys. You're right… I have been breaking my promises to you all and for that I'm sorry." Naruto began as he saw Shion and Moegi walk up to him with concerned looks on their faces. They could see the guilt building up on Naruto's face. This was affecting him just as much as it was for them.
"I know saying that with my promotion I'm expected to take on more responsibility is an excuse you don't want to hear anymore so I won't say it. I've been busy… but that is no excuse for me neglecting you. I have to do my duty as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf, but I also have a duty to you all as a father." Naruto explained as the two boys took a pause in their anger to listen to what their father had to say. "I can't promise you that I won't continue to be busy as time goes on… but what I can promise you is that I'm going to take the day off today and spend it with all of you. You guys need me… all of you and I'm going to be there for all of you." Naruto announced as hopeful looks appeared on the faces of Ai, Moegi, and Shion while Roku and Dai looked surprised. As for Asagi she had a concerned look on her face as she voiced her apprehensions.
"What about your meetings and staff duty today? You leave tomorrow so don't you have to go today?" Asagi pressed as she would think that missing his last meeting and training session would be very bad since he was going on his very first deployment. She didn't want him to get in trouble for their sakes.
It was a valid point that started to catch the attention of the others present. Iris and Chaos of course knew that this was a bad idea since they would often attend these sessions with their father while under disguise, so they knew how important and tedious these meetings and training exercises could be. Missing any one of them… especially the final one would reflect badly on him.
"I know you're worried Asagi but it's fine. I understand the consequences of what I'm doing but I can accept the responsibilities for my actions. From the very beginning I was always on my own. The whole weight of the world was placed on my shoulders because I'm the Jinchūriki for the Nine Tails. I've had to fend for myself for far to long and I was starved for affection. Now I have so many wonderful children to take care of, so my shoulders can bare the whole weight of the world." Naruto passionately stated as he watched the happy tears start to fall from the twins eyes. The boys have a very hard time showing their emotions and Naruto knew he had his work cut out for him with raising them. He needed to be there for them no matter how much guilt or regret he feels regarding his new responsibilities.
"You'd really do that for us?" Dai murmured in shock as this wasn't what he was expecting out of his father figure. The self-sacrificing nature of the blond haired Uzumaki never ceased to amaze the children. "I'd do all of that and more for you all in a heartbeat. So, all of you go grab your stuff… we're going to the local park to play and have fun!" Naruto exclaimed with an enthusiastic tone of voice that got Shion, Moegi, and Ai who jumped out of his arms to run back further into the apartment to find items to bring with them as well as a change in clothes.
"But won't you get in trouble?" Roku mumbled in slight amounts of distress as he was now starting to see the consequences of his own actions. He didn't want Naruto to get in trouble for his sake, he looked up to Naruto as his hero. He was his role model who could do no wrong in his eyes, for him to intentionally break the rules for their sakes made him feel guilty on the inside. Seeing the distress on the three oldest children Naruto put on a small smile while placing his hand on Roku's shoulder.
"Don't get the wrong idea about this guys. I don't condone breaking the rules and I don't ever want you guys doing the same just because you think it's ok because I've demonstrated it. I'm doing this for you all because I love you and I want to make it up to you guys by spending time with you. My sensei taught me that those that break the rules are trash but those who abandon their friends and family are worse than trash. I'm okay with being trash but I'm not okay with being below that. I will never abandon you all." Naruto comforted as he brought the younger boy into his embrace who cried on his shoulder. It was going to be a tedious and long process of breaking down the walls of all the children. They needed to know that they could trust him explicitly and he would do anything to ensure that. They needed to know that this was now their home and he was their guardian.
"Come on… let's go have some fun."
Main Gate – Hidden Leaf Village [Early Morning Deployment Time – 7:00 AM]
It was the moment of truth for Naruto as he reached the main gate at his designated time. He wanted to be punctual considering his actions yesterday. He never showed up for the briefing, so he knew some form of punishment was in order. Looking over to the guard booth that Izumo and Kotetsu man ever so faithfully Naruto saw the two Chūnin partners sorting through documents handed to them by the away teams preparing to leave the village on their patrol missions. From this distance Naruto could see Izumo with a cloth in his hand and a spray bottle in the other. From his interactions with the gate guardian over the years Naruto has come to learn that the man was a serious germaphobe who hated germs with a passion. The triggered Chūnin was furiously scrubbing down the countertop after a ninja who was handing him a set of scrolls sneezed unexpectedly. An irritated look was on the poor young man's face while his partner Kotetsu teased him mercilessly with his laughter echoing out in the early morning atmosphere.
'He's really funny Dada… maybe I should mess with him again?' Chaos's skittish voice rung out within the confines of Naruto's mind. It was refreshing personally for Naruto. It's been a long time since he's been on a normal mission with his daughters tagging along. Around his neck was Chaos's black choker with the small segmented links of chain that had Iris's teddy bear pendant hooked on at the bottom. Both girls were in their disguises and ready to start their next adventure. After spending the day with his foster children Naruto felt better about taking on his new assignment which included bringing Iris and Chaos along. Unlike with his foster children, the twin girls were bound to his soul and as such they couldn't be physically far apart from him. After a certain range was passed, Naruto's chakra network would begin to go haywire and become unstable preventing him from using his chakra properly. He would also begin to feel an instinctual need to seek them out which could lead him to withdrawal like symptoms of not being able to find them. For that reason, among many others… it was favorably in everyone's best interest that Naruto always takes the twins with him on all of his important mission outside of the village.
Looking himself over for the final time with a flare of anxiety around him Naruto reminisced about his design and stylistic choices. Naruto was wearing a semi thick orange hoody with a long sleeve dark blue shirt underneath. For pants they were the same dark blue color as his undershirt was with a prominent almost neon strip of orange running down the length of the shinobi brand clothing. Around his neck was Tsunade's prized emerald green crystal necklace that he won from her in their bet. Over his favorite orange hoody was his brand-new Chūnin Flak Jacket in a light forest green color. The vest was from a new batch that just came in just this week. The vest was fitted to Naruto's very small size making the vest an extra small. Over his waist was his favorite mafia belt that had several accessories secured to it that he could easily access at a moment's notice. On his forearms and shins he also equipped lightweight and somewhat thin but durable and flexible ANBU styled armored guards to increase his defensive and offensive capabilities. On the back of his waist attached to his belt was a tan oval shaped travel pack that comes standard with all Chūnin and Jōnin in the village and right below that secured in a thick holster strapped horizontally across his back was a small Chakra conducting blade that was about half a length longer than the standard kunai but shorter that an average katana.
The chakra blade was meant as a learning tool for Chūnin who are working on mastering their Chakra nature as the blades were easy to use and allowed chakra to flow freely in it with far less resistance than in other materials. By the time you reach Jōnin you no longer have to carry the blade around, but some ninja do in storage seals for an extra weapon when out on the battlefield. The metal used to forge the large knife is cheap but decently durable which has allowed it to be mass produced for the shinobi forces in the village.
All in all, Naruto hoped to make a decent impression on his new squad mates. He worked hard on picking out these clothes with Shoko and Hinata as well as many others offering their own input and advice into this task. Personally, he really enjoyed his new look and he was extremely comfortable in his new clothes. As long as he was comfortable and protected by them then he could do his job effectively and everything would be okay. Coming out of his thoughts Naruto moved forward with purpose. He had to be confident in himself.
In total Naruto could see four squads containing four ninja each in it loitering around the gate. However, only two caught Naruto's attention. The squad he was being assigned too and the one that he could see Shikamaru joining. "Are you ready for this Naruto?" It was a simple question from his best friend who was walking beside him. Shikamaru didn't even try hard with updating his look. He just put his new flak jacket over his preexisting clothes and walked straight out of the door. To be honest it was a typical Shikamaru move to pull. A small smile came to Naruto's face as he turned to address the lazy and lethargic boy who had bags under his eyes. "Yeah… I'm ready for this… I only hope my squad captain doesn't bite my head off for missing orientation yesterday." Naruto shivered lightly as Shikamaru quirked his eyebrow in curiosity.
"You missed orientation with your squad? Why?" That wasn't like Naruto in Shikamaru's opinion. The only reason why Naruto would miss any of his appointments would be… oh… of course. "Does this have something to do with the brats?" Shikamaru was right on the money as he saw the somewhat sheepish if not guilty frown appear on his friend's face. "The kids spoke out against me… they were feeling really left out and abandoned. I haven't been hanging around the house lately since we've been going to all of these training sessions and meetings. All of these new responsibilities are killing me."
An understanding look crossed Shikamaru's face as he patted Naruto's back in sympathy. "Being a parent must be such a drag. We're too young for this nonsense." Shikamaru sighed as Naruto chuckled in appreciation. "Yeah I know… but I have to do better. I have a lot of things on my plate to juggle. Their feelings and needs come first before anything else and as their father I have to put their priorities first… even if it means I have to get in trouble." Naruto amicably stated as Shikamaru gave him a hidden look of pride and respect.
"It's your funeral I guess… it's too bad Hinata left with yesterday's platoon for her first assignment. Otherwise she would be hear to see you get chewed out." Shikamaru joked as Naruto paled ever so slightly. He was grateful for the fact he was able to see his girlfriend off on her first assignment. They had a real tough conversation in the following days after his intimate discussion with Henrietta. The two girls had a private conversation in which the young marionette confessed to the Hyūga Heir what she had done.
A tense silence followed this admission as Hinata let what her close female friend told her sink in. Shock, disbelief, hurt, and jealousy all flared up in Hinata at random intervals and intensities as she quietly contemplated her next course of action. Should she be angry and betrayed by Henrietta's? It was the very first question that Hinata asked herself once her mind settled over the shock of hearing Henrietta's admission. But deep down Hinata couldn't necessarily blame her best friend. Henrietta had feelings for Naruto, it was as plain as day and anyone, but Naruto could see it. They've had many conversations about this very topic over the years and they have both encouraged each other with mutual support. So, it shouldn't be such a surprise that the brown-haired girl would eventually make a move on her crush… it's just unfortunate that her timing was horribly off.
It was a long conversation after that in which Hinata allowed some of her more real emotions to show. She did admit that she was angry at Henrietta for her actions but quickly relinquished that anger as this wasn't Henrietta's fault. She didn't know that Naruto and Hinata became a couple since this was the first time she's interacted with them since before they left. The two girls came to a resolution regarding this incident with their friendship not taking a hit at all as Hinata then had a follow up conversation with Naruto which went a little different than what the heiress was expecting.
Naruto was remorseful and guilty for his actions as he even admitted that he allowed the kiss to last longer. While embers of jealousy sparked in her chest at hearing this fact Hinata did her best to push those negative feelings aside as she consoled her best friend with forgiveness which was met by resistance from Naruto who informed Hinata that he would be leaving on the first deployment as he didn't feel like he deserved either her forgiveness or understanding. He was mentally beating himself up over his actions as he explained to her that he felt like he betrayed her trust after defending their relationship in front of the Fire Daimyō himself. He felt disgusted with himself for his actions and he was angry at the fact that Hinata wasn't being hard on him.
Seeing what was happening Hinata understood that it was Naruto's morals and pride being crushed by his own conscience. He loved her very much and he couldn't condone his own actions… she couldn't understand why at the exact moment she felt it but Hinata without warning kissed Naruto who was silenced by her actions. It was love… Hinata felt an intense surge of love at realizing Naruto's feelings. He loved her far too much if this was how he felt after making such a mistake.
After regaining his composure Naruto gently pushed Hinata back while explaining that he was taking the first deployment opportunity that he could so that he could be away from her… this was his form of self-punishment for what he felt was a slight against his girlfriend. Saddened and reluctant at this Hinata tried to talk Naruto out of his intentions, but the blond haired Uzumaki was adamant with his actions. While saddened by the fact he was trying to leave early the young couple managed to end the conversation of good terms when they later found out that Hinata's squad would be leaving ahead of his.
"I'm sure she would have a worried expression on her face like usual. Anyways… good luck Shikamaru and stay safe." Naruto departed with a smile as he saw his squad beckoning him over to them. The same could be said for Shikamaru's squad who was gearing up to leave. "Yeah… don't let trouble find you… it usually does." That was Shikamaru's parting words which Naruto couldn't help chuckling at as the truth was definitely spoken there.
Taking a look at Shikamaru's squad Naruto saw three other shinobi who surprisingly enough he was able to identify from some of the most prominent clans in the village. The squad leader was a tall shinobi named Muta Aburame from the famed insect controlling clan. He is a very skilled and experienced Special Jōnin with years of squad leading experience under his belt. Muta had long brown hair and like all other Aburame, his eyes were obscured by sunglasses. His attire consisted of a long-sleeved, tan jacket with a high, upturned collar. The remainder of his form was largely obstructed by the low hemlines and overlaying clothes. He also had a harness fastened to the back of his outfit which he used to carry around a gourd in which he carried additional kikaichū. It was a logical reason why he was the squad lead as Aburame shinobi were extremely diligent and skilled ninja. They were perfect leaders.
The next was a Hyūga named Tokuma Hyūga from the main branch of the clan. He had a very strong Byakugan which he trained specifically for tracking. Tokuma has shoulder-length, spiky brown hair with two long bangs framing either side of his face and the featureless white eyes inherited by all Hyūga clan members. He wears the standard Leaf shinobi uniform complete with a black headband in bandanna style and flak jacket.
The last member of the team was a fellow Chūnin by the name of Ranka Kikumoto. He is a member of the Hidden Leaf's Intelligence Division and the Analysis Team where he was often in charge of autopsies. Ranka had a plain appearance that worked to his benefit in blending in during missions or hostile environments. He has short brown hair that is covered by his Hidden Leaf bandanna style headband. He has a small pointed goatee and wears the standard outfit of the Hidden Leaf shinobi. He also has small, squinted eyes that rarely seem to be open.
With Shikamaru joining this squad it stood to reason that this was a capture and neutralization-oriented squad with abilities that helped them in both reconnaissance and in capturing targets alive. It was a well-balanced team that was flexible enough to respond to any situation and be strong enough to make a difference with every member on the team being incredibly intelligent with Shikamaru being the prime example of such a fact. The lazy Nara heir would flourish and do well on this team. He was a great fit.
From first glances alone Naruto could already tell his squad was a front-line attack team full of heavy hitters. The squad leader was a well known and respected Elite Jōnin by the name of Hayama Shirakumo who has built up quite the reputation for himself over the years. He was in his late forties being 47 years old and a well-known veteran of both the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars. He was also known for being one of the very few shinobi in the entire village with a Wind Nature Chakra type making him quite formidable in close combat with the sword on his back.
Hayama has long dull dark-grey hair held in a ponytail. He also has a very prominent scar running vertically down the right side of his mouth and visibly pronounced tear troughs under his eyes. He wears the standard leaf shinobi outfit, albeit his uniform has short sleeves and like Tekuno his trusted friend and partner, the traditional red, swirl pattern was only on his left shoulder sleeve. He also wears a pair of fingerless gloves and carries a thin katana strapped horizontally to his back.
All in all, he was an exceptional shinobi who even those like Kakashi, Guy, and Asuma respect and look up to because of his experience and seniority. The next member of Naruto's squad was Hayama's long time best friend and partner Tekuno Kanden. He was also a well-known shinobi with highly coveted skills in Bukijutsu with him being one of the best in the entire village. It wasn't a well-known fact, but he was actually Tenten's second cousin. His skills in Bukijutsu was often jokingly thought of to be hereditary.
Tekuno has a very prominent and robust build with shaggy afro like brown hair. He wears the standard attire of a leaf shinobi along with fingerless gloves. He also wears his flak jacket unzipped under which he wears a utility sash which holds several scrolls. Like Hayama, his shirt only has the traditional red, swirl pattern on his left-sleeve's shoulder.
The last member of the team was an old man that Naruto's never seen before. Unknown to him this man was a legend in his own right within the village. He was known as the Eternal Genin because he has held his Genin rank for 50 years. His name is Kosuke Maruboshi. He has been a longtime friend of Hiruzen Sarutobi when he was alive and like many during his time he was a student of the Second Hokage. Being 60 years old Kosuke has had a very long career in which he has served under the Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage's and now he's serving under the Fifth Hokage making him one of the most experienced and well-respected shinobi the village has.
Kosuke is an elderly man with his once black hair, now greyed which he wears in a short ponytail. He wears a mesh armor shirt under a short, brown, sleeveless kimono with a pair of grey pants. He carries a wok that he uses for multiple reasons ranging from cooking in while out on missions, to supplementary weaponry during battle. He also carries a ladle, and a sword sheathed horizontally across his lower back.
"I see you are punctual and on time… it's a stark contrast compared to your noticeable absence from yesterday Chūnin Uzumaki." Hayama intoned once Naruto presented himself to his squad leader. Internally Naruto cringed as he knew this greeting was to be expected. He was a no show yesterday and even though he told his children not to worry… now he was worrying. This man was now his commanding officer… pissing him off was hazardous to his career.
'Oooh… Dada you're in trouble.' Chaos teased with her typical frenetic nature as Naruto resisted the urge to allow his annoyance to show on his facial expression. He already knew his little girl couldn't resist the urge to tease him at every chance she got, it was in her very nature after all. 'Not now Chaos…' Naruto grumbled as a moment of levity came in the form of his other daughter. 'I'm sure everything will be okay daddy. No need to worry.' This was Iris's own input into the conversation and as usual it was the direct opposite of her sister's stance on a subject. Her words of encouragement were enough to allay some of Naruto's worries as he felt Eva shift in his hair. 'Thanks Iris…'
"I'm sorry sir… I had a family emergency. I'm sorry for not informing you of these changes sooner. It was rude of me." It was a bit of a stretch, but Naruto knew he had to suck up to the squad leader in order to get past this set back. He was in the wrong as yesterday was the orientation in which the squads were supposed to meet each other and familiarize themselves with each other's skills and personalities. Because he never attended that meeting he was now at a disadvantage compared to everyone else present.
"Humble… I see. Apology accepted but that doesn't mean disciplinary action won't be taken. This will be written down in my report and I want you taking double shifts during our patrol routes." Hayama ordered with a somewhat stern expression on his face. Bowing in understanding Naruto resolved to stay on the man's good side from now on. He was off to a somewhat rocky start… he didn't want to do anything else to make it worst.
"We'll introduce ourselves once we get underway. We're leaving now so that we can remain on schedule. Chūnin Uzumaki recite your squad number and mission parameters." Hayama instructed as Naruto silently understood what the experienced man was doing. 'I'm being hazed. He's going to be hard on me since I'm the new guy around here… especially since I didn't make a good first impression on them.' Naruto knew he had his work cut out for him as he mentally went over all of the relevant information regarding his unit and assignment.
"We are Patrol Squad Number 9. Our mission is to patrol and protect the Northwestern border of the Land of Fire in Patrol Grid Section 3 Alpha." Naruto recited this fact with a clear and concise tone that got a small smile to come to Kosuke's face. 'He's a spirited young one isn't he Minato… you and your wife left behind an interesting son.' It went without saying that Kosuke knew who Naruto was and who his parents were. Kosuke has had the privilege of serving alongside the Legendary Sannin, The White Fang, the previous generation of Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and the Legendary Titan's over the course of his long career. He knows every single shinobi in the village both past and present.
"Humm. Very good young man." Hayama complimented as he took out their mission scroll and unfurled it for Naruto to see. It had a lot of detailed information on it but the most relevant information on the scroll was the small chart towards the top with a centerpiece of information printed in a slightly more prominent and stylized manner to serve as a highlight of the basic information any of the squad members could look at on any occasion.
Patrol Squad #9 [Northwestern Border – Patrol Grid Section 3A]
Hayama Shirakumo – Leader {Jōnin}
Tekuno Kanden – Second {Jōnin}
Kosuke Maruboshi – Squad {Genin}
Naruto Uzumaki – Squad {Chūnin – Recruit}
This information was displayed at the top of the scroll with paragraphs of information printed below detailing certain aspects of the mission that was generally unimportant. Right above all of the printed-out notes of information but directly below the mission chart was a printed map detailing their patrol area and a depiction of the northwestern quadrant of the Land of Fire. On the map Naruto could see that the area was broken down into four large over sections that spanned the entire length of the full northwestern quadrant. Inside of each of these over sections that were appropriately named Section 1 – 4 were 4 smaller grids named Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Epsilon. All in all, each quadrant had four patrol sectors that was further broken down into four patrol grids that a team of four was assigned to. That meant that for every quadrant a total of 64 ninja were constantly patrolling and protecting the area with a vigilance that would make the village proud.
Their mission was to patrol Section 3 Alpha Grid. Each of these grids were about 5 – 10 square miles in surface area for each squad to patrol. It was a decent amount of land to cover per squad, but it has been a system that's been in place for well over 30 years. To simply put… it's effective. If the old formula isn't broke… don't fix it.
"All of our pre-stage preparations are complete… we leave immediately." Hayama's commanding voice boomed out as Naruto saw the Jōnin hand a copy of the mission scroll over to Izumo and Kotetsu before motioning for the rest of the squad to form up on him. Lining up at the gate Naruto watched as Shikamaru's squad and the other two squads do the same. Shikamaru's squad was Patrol Squad #11 and their patrol sector was Section 3 Delta. That meant that their two squads were going to be working in close proximity to each other. That was reassuring to Naruto since if an emergency came up he would be able to seamlessly work with Shikamaru effortlessly if the situation demanded it.
"Is everyone ready?" Hayama asked one last time as he looked over his three squad mates who all nodded their heads in affirmation. They were ready to begin their mission… they would do their job diligently as expected of a Hidden Leaf Shinobi. A proud and respectful nod of his head was Hayama's own response to his teammates.
"Squad 9 Deploy!"
Land of Fire – Northwestern Border: Patrol Squad 9 [Patrol Grid Section 3A]
Eleven hours passed since Squad 9 left the Hidden Leaf village and during that time Naruto began to familiarize himself with his new teammates. It wasn't really well known but once you are assigned a team of this nature, you will often find yourself working with them on a regular basis for the rest of your career. Hayama and Tekuno have worked together for nearly 20 years at this point. They were the best of friends and excellent partners who worked together with a synergy born of that friendship. They had an outstanding successful track record in missions throughout their career and they were a cut above the rest.
Trekking through the thick foliage of the forest famously known throughout the Land of Fire Naruto was happy to finally take a break after hours of traveling to their designated patrol area. It was now 6:00 PM in the evening and the sun was starting to set. They covered a lot of ground in that time as they made it all the way to their patrol area in record time. They traveled so far that the team even passed through the township of Midway which Iris and Chaos had a lot to say about. The town was thriving now ever since the disastrous attack by the two Angeloids. They haven't returned so far, but Naruto knew it would only be a matter of time before those two dangerous females returned again.
As of now the citizens was enjoying the newly constructed buildings in their town's square. Business was booming and that was all Naruto needed to know to feel good about his contributions to the quaint little settlement. As long as they were thriving then that made Naruto happy, even if they were generally a nosy bunch.
The team landed in a small clearing that had a beautiful flower patch filled with exotic and vibrant vegetation that only grew in this particular region of the Land of Fire. With the Land of Grass being their direct border only a few miles away a large variety of plants and trees grew in this region that couldn't be found anywhere else in the entire country and much less in other countries either. The Land of Grass was well known throughout the entire world for its very exotic and colorful foliage.
This was their rendezvous point. They would begin their full-scale patrolling tomorrow, but for now they could rest. "Kosuke… the sun is starting to set; can you get the dinner ready? Naruto you will set up camp while Tekuno and I scout the area." Hayama ordered in a somewhat softer tone as he's been drilling Naruto on his knowledge of Chūnin ranked procedures, doctrines, and policies all day. So far Naruto has been holding up to the veteran's scrutiny much to the Jōnin's satisfaction. He was impressed with Naruto's memory recall and advanced knowledge on subjects that were beyond the scope of the average Chūnin. It was above even the average Jōnin in certain criteria and subjects.
"Yes sir!" It didn't take Naruto long at all to set up the basic camp the squad would be spending their night in. It was evening time now with the sun beginning to set in the background. The senior of their group was masterfully using his Wok and cooking utensils to create a delicious meal for the group to enjoy. Naruto couldn't help but blatantly stare at the old man who's cooking skills were obviously far surpassing his own. It was a privilege to see him in his element working diligently on his craft. The soup that Kosuke was making smelled delicious and Naruto knew that it would most likely taste delicious too.
"There's something on you mind young one… what is it?" Kosuke had a pleasant smile on his face as he addressed Naruto who perked up with a bashful blush on his face. He didn't mean to be caught staring uncontrollably at the cook. This was quite embarrassing. "Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare at you like that. It's just that you're a great cook ya know." Naruto sheepishly commented while scratching the back of his head in his signature habit. An amused chuckle escaped the old shinobi's mouth as he added a pinch of spice into the frying pan. The food was going to have a lot of flavor to it.
"Thank you, young man, but that wasn't what I was referring too." Kosuke cryptically responded as he raised one of his greyed eyebrows in amusement. Baffled and caught completely off guard, Naruto wasn't sure what Kosuke was alluding too as Hayama and Tekuno walked back into camp from setting up traps and defenses in the area. Dinner would soon be ready, and all of their duties were complete for the time being. Sitting down on an upturned log Hayama rose an eyebrow in interest to the conversation progressing between his two squad mates. He heard the tail end of the words spoken and now the Jōnin was getting an inkling into what the senior shinobi was trying to allude too.
"I'm sorry sir, but I don't know what you're talking about?" Naruto was genuinely confused as Kosuke had a pleasant and inviting smile on his face masking any of his true intentions or thoughts. "You've had a lot of thoughts preoccupying your mind all day since we left. You've been spacing off on you own time and from what I can gather you've been contemplating on how to tell the rest of the squad something that's been on your mind." The old Genin smirked as he caught the look of surprise that crossed Naruto's face. His analysis was right on the money as usual. He was almost always right about such things.
'He's noticed the times I've been speaking with Iris and Chaos all day. The times I would space out or grow quiet were times I was conversing with them. He has a really sharp eye.' Naruto gleamed as he panned his eyes over to Hayama and Tekuno who were carefully watching his every move and facial expression. They were very interested in the conversation developing before their very eyes. Hayama has had his suspicions throughout the day about Naruto's strange behavior but he's kept them close to his chest… until now.
"I guess I have to come clean then… there has been something I've been trying find a way to tell you all. I just didn't know how to broach the subject… I've had trouble doing this exact thing in the past." Naruto admitted as the three older shinobi turned to give him their undivided attention. "Is this about your Jinchūriki status?" Tekuno politely asked in curiosity while taking keen notice of the fact Naruto tensed up in response to this question. 'No… that's not the issue here. While his status is a touchy subject from what I've heard this seems like something else.' Hayama countered within his mind as he watched Naruto tug on the strange choker warped around his neck. He thought it was a very odd and peculiar accessory to wear for a boy his age and the teddy bear pendant only raised more questions, but the middle-aged man kept his more personal opinions to himself. Now it would seem that something else was going on.
"No sir… it pertains to my other status…" Naruto extended as Kosuke placed his cooking utensils down as his interest was very much peaked at how Naruto would handle this. Hiruzen was his best friend for decades… of course he would know about Naruto and all of the interesting events that have occurred in his short life. He knew what was really going on here.
"Other status…?" Tekuno pondered as he tilted his head to the side in confusion. He wasn't made aware of any other conditions pertaining to the village's resident Jinchūriki. He held no malice towards Naruto for his condition. Sure, he lost his own little brother the night of the Nine Tails attack, but he was an expert in Fūinjutsu and a very mature man to boot. He knew the difference between a kunai and the scroll it was sealed inside of. It was his specialty of course. It was a popular metaphor but one he appreciated and liked to use.
"… Yes… my status as a father." Naruto murmured as he tapped the choker around his neck while dropping this bomb on his squad mates. 'Did he just say father?' Tekuno blinked as his mind paused in bewilderment. Hayama on the other hand was paying more keen attention to his subordinate as he felt a shift in his chakra reserves right before he was surrounded in a blurred distortion. In moments Iris and Chaos were sitting besides Naruto now while Tekuno jumped to his feet in shock while Hayama did everything in his willpower to keep his body from tensing up in caution like it wanted to. 'Oh, this is so funny.' Kosuke chuckled to himself as he watched the reactions of his two colleagues. He was expecting this exact response and he wasn't disappointed now that it's come to pass.
'I didn't sense anything up until the point that these two girl's appeared. They were traveling with us the entire time and I never noticed? That's a dangerous phenomenon.' Hayama registered in his mind as he watched the twins readjust themselves to their bodies. They were transformed for eleven hours straight. Their bodies needed to stretch out.
"These are my twin daughters Iris Uzumaki and Chaos Uzumaki." Naruto introduced with a tremor of trepidation in his voice. He didn't know how his squad mates would take it with him bringing along two children on an active mission. He went through the same thing with his classmates and sensei's. It was as nerve wracking then as it is for him now. 'There are other Uzumaki's? He's supposed to be the only one.' Hayama pondered as he watched Iris yawn while stretching herself out. He took in their appearances. It only took him a quick glance at the twin Uzumaki siblings for the experienced veteran to come to an abrupt yet accurate conclusion. 'These girls aren't human.'
Hayama right off the bat was drawn to Iris's radiant and luminescent sapphire blue eyes that were glowing with an ethereal glow. Those were textbook indicators that she couldn't control all aspects of her human form. Her skin had a very healthy sheen to it and it made her look like a porcelain doll. Her hair was a vibrant and healthy golden blond that practically matched her fathers to a tee, yet even then hers looked more richer in saturation. To put it bluntly Iris looked too perfect as far as her physical appearance was concerned. She didn't look real in certain aspects. The mesmerizing and enchanting aura she gave off that was making it hard for Hayama to turn away also confirmed to him that Iris also exuded some form of alluring attractant attached to her aura that suggested ether a celestial being or certain species of temptation such as a succubus or nymph. The tranquil atmosphere that she was also projecting added credence to his theories as well.
The veteran wasn't surprised or caught off guard about the girl's true natures. He's been around the block as some would say. He's encountered his fair share of supernatural entities over the course of his career. Most of those very rare encounters happened during war time were the constant strife and bloodshed uprooted and attracted the supernatural denizens of their world from their natural hiding places. Some of the casualties suffered in the war on all sides of the conflict didn't actually occur from opposing forces clashing. Sometimes an unlucky shinobi would stumble across the wrong creature and pay the price as a result.
Looking over to Chaos was a dead give away as well. Hayama could sense the sheer amount of bloodlust and insanity radiating off of Chaos's body like the sun beating down on him with its harsh rays. Her very large and hazy slanted eyes were windows into her soul that alluded to the insanity he was noticing. Her unnatural eerie smile and facial expression that so far hasn't changed also added weight to his theories. He couldn't tell what either of the girls were but Hayama knew without a shadow of a doubt that they weren't human in the slightest… they were both something more… much more.
"You have kids?" Tekuno gaped as he watched Iris's beautiful eyes pan over him and his squad mates. He felt the same tug on his subconsciousness that Hayama felt. The tranquil atmosphere and the alluring aura surrounding the primordial being sparked his inner instincts and intuition that plagued his best friend. He knew what this was… these children weren't human. "Yes… I found them as newborn babies when I was six years old. I took them in and raised them ever since… recently I also gained six more kids to worry about after coming back from Hōrai Island so my personal and social life when combined with my shinobi career and recent promotion has become practically non-existent in these last few weeks." Naruto explained in an even tone as he watched the reactions of his superiors.
"Eight kids… wow… but that doesn't explain why your brought along two children with you. We can already tell they're not human but that's no excuse." Tekuno added in while Kosuke went back to preparing the dinner. His eyes were on the food before him while his ears were glued to the conversation happening. Hayama was keeping his own opinions to himself as he watched Chaos's hazy eyes watching the food being stirred in the wok. Drool was accumulating around the corner of her lips as she tuned out the rest of the world around her. She was a simple being at heart but Hayama wasn't fooled in the slightest. His instincts and intuition were telling him that she was incredibly dangerous. If not in power, then in temperament. She was unpredictable… a variable that was ever changing and couldn't be controlled.
"They are physically bound to my soul… we can't be far apart from each other." Naruto explained as Hayama came out of his inner thoughts. "How powerful are they? What are they?" These were loaded questions and Naruto would only really be able to answer one of them effectively so biting the bullet he spoke up. "Using the shinobi ranking system. They would conventionally be high end Chūnin low Jōnin one on one using just their physical abilities and much higher if using all of their techniques. If they were using their maximum power… then they'd be beyond Kage Level. But for them to use such power it's very impractical and takes a heavy toll of my body since I'm their host and they store their energy within my soul as a container." Naruto admitted truthfully since when Sōkyoku took over she was able to smack around Lilith and force her into retreat who was previously giving Tsunade and Jiraiya trouble. The same could be said for Chaos who was able to damage Gōra with a supercharged attack back during the Land of Waves Mission.
The girls couldn't properly or fairly be judged by the scaling system used by the shinobi. Their unique and powerful techniques and physiology makes them superior to humans in their own unique way. Just because they couldn't use their true power all the time in a consistent manner due to the limitations on Naruto's body didn't mean it wasn't there and it couldn't be used in a pinch.
This was a lot for the other members of Team 9 to take in as they sat and discussed the presence of the girls on the mission. Hayama took this time to evaluate the twins and learn more about both them and Naruto. He was pleasantly surprised to find out that they were fun to be around. It reminded him of his own children. He had two daughters and a son who were all adults by now. He married young due to the wars going on at the time with him and his wife having their first child which was a girl when they were in their late teens. He was 19 and she was 18 when they conceived their first child.
"Is dinner ready Mr. Kosuke?" Chaos asked with her obtrusive nature as she suddenly appeared in the old man's lap startling the senior ninja as well as the other two members of the squad who grabbed their weapons in caution. Kosuke had a small knife held to Chaos throat that he drew on instinct alone but when the full gravity of the situation caught up with him he let out a dreaded gasp of mortification. "Oh, my goodness… I'm so sorry little one!" The chef wailed as he quickly put away his knife now that he registered what was going on.
"This looks good." Chaos herself was neither fazed or completely aware of her surroundings as she allowed the steam and smell of the soup to waft into her nose. Her eyes sparkled in childish delight when the heat from the steam washed over her face warming up her chubby cheeks. She wasn't concerned at all for the distress she was causing the others… or so they thought as her perpetual smile twitched ever so slightly in amusement as she absorbed the fear and negative energy from the squad members around her.
"Oh brother…" Iris sighed while pinching her brow in exasperation. She knew her sister was going to do this… it's what she always does when meeting new people or in her attempts to break up serious moments. It was widely unknown to most, but Chaos wasn't as oblivious as she makes herself out to be. She takes a sadistic pleasure in causing distress and discomfort to those around her. It's how she feeds and sustains herself after all. Chaos doesn't require food or water to sustain or survive off of. As long as she received a steady supply of negative emotions on a consistent intake, she could survive indefinitely and operate properly on a day to day basis. It was just in her nature to consume more than what she actually needs. Gluttony… if it needed a poster child to advertise itself Chaos would be the number one choice.
"Chaos what have I told you about doing that?!" Naruto yelled out in embarrassment as he watched the little girl turn her head in his direction and tilt it over to the side. "To keep doing it?" This answer was met with a deadpan stare by her father who wasn't amused in the slightest by the Angeloid's typical behavior. "Try again." Naruto twitched as he walked over and plucked Chaos out of Kosuke's lap before she could dip her hand into the wok. Sitting down away from the fire and the cooking utensils around it Naruto placed Chaos in his lap so that he could keep an eye on her. The unhinged girl's childish whines of complaint went unacknowledged by her father who scratched her stomach to distract her… and it worked. Chaos went from complaining about getting her hands on the soup to melting in her father's lap as her stomach was tickled and massaged. Her typical dopey smile was increased ten-fold as she became complacent.
"I'm sorry about that…" Naruto apologized with an embarrassed expression on his face. He should have known Chaos would pull her typical stunt. She did it to the Third Hokage when he was debriefing their squads after the Land of Wave's mission. She's also done it many times when meeting other people as well.
"What was that?" Hayama demanded as he relaxed his muscles a bit. He's never seen such speed before and he's been in the presence of individuals such as Minato the Fourth Hokage and A the Raikage back during the war. Her actions reminded the veteran Jōnin of how the Yellow Flash could suddenly appear in a location without warning. But the thing with Minato was, he left evidence behind when teleporting. A small sound of displaced air along with an uprooting of a cloud of dust. Here… he didn't see any of that. One nano-second Chaos was standing next to her sister and then the next she was in Kosuke's lap without a single frame of time passing between the two events from his point of view. He couldn't make heads or tails of what he just saw.
Nervously scratching the back of his head with his one free hand Naruto thought over Chaos's actions. Even he didn't know the full mechanics behind his daughters favorite passive ability. What made Chaos's ability so dangerous and versatile is the fact that this strange ability is passive. Which meant that it was always active, it was as easy as breathing for Chaos who behaves in this strange manner 24/7.
"Chaos and Iris both have many strange and powerful abilities. For Chaos here her most used one is what you just witnessed. I've spent many years contemplating it and I think she is manipulating reality in a short radius around her." Naruto explained as he watched the mentioned girl perk up in his lap, he could only assume he hit the nail on the head as Chaos got the same knowing expression on her face like she usually does when she and Iris know something he doesn't.
"Reality Manipulation… and you never thought to ask her at any point before this?" Hayama inquired with an edge of disbelief in his tone that was matched by the expressions on Tekuno and Kosuke's faces. Even they were equally shocked by Naruto's admission. In all of their combined years they've never run across such a thing before. It was unheard of. "I never thought I'd get a straight answer…" Naruto deadpanned as Chaos was a free spirit and if it was an answer he wasn't meant to know yet since the two girls are very selective and secretive about certain topics and future events Chaos would just beat around the bush or outright not answer him.
Deciding that he had nothing left to lose Naruto turned to Chaos who was staring up at him with her large purple eyes in excitement and amusement swimming around in them. "Chaos do you want to tell me about your favorite technique… what is it?" Naruto gently asked to the unpredictable girl who smiled at him in response.
"Space/Time and Reality Manipulation (Kayros), an emitter type ability that is passive in activation. Maximum range of 50 meters the entire area is subjected to my ability to warp and manipulate events to my advantage. My other abilities are locked during the duration of me phasing to different locations." Chaos intoned as her eyes shifted around as her scanners could be seen within her retina moving around in concentric circles. Her ability to recall data was always a sight to behold from Naruto's opinion. She had a super computer in her brain that was on a level all onto itself.
The others let this information settle in as dinner was served in which Eva introduced herself in an irritated manner once the realization dawned on her that Naruto failed to introduce her. To say things were awkward after that would be an understatement as the members of his squad had to also let the information sink in that their village's resident Jinchūriki was also being possessed by a demon.
It took awhile but eventually the commotion in the camp settled down to a crawl as the others witnessed Naruto's interactions with Iris and Chaos while he was getting them ready for bed. It was night time now and it turned out to be a pleasant treat to watch the very young father at work. Several times Hayama wanted to instinctively jump in personally since he has experience with children, but he would stop himself every time he'd see Naruto one step ahead. 'This kid is something else… he's a natural at this.' The aged shinobi thought to himself as he watched Naruto manage Chaos's rambunctious nature who was running circles around the young boy who was trying to change her into her pajamas.
"I'll let you wear your favorite hat tomorrow if you come over here Chaos." Naruto deadpanned as he was having a difficult time as usual controlling his hyperactive daughter near bedtime. She wouldn't stop pestering his squad mates who were all taking to her in different ways. Kosuke loved her to death as she reminded him of the hyperactive nature his own grandchildren displayed. Tekuno was very impressed with Chaos's knowledge on his weapons that she demonstrated while Hayama himself took keen notice of Chaos's hidden intelligence. She was a lot smarter than she let on. He only didn't know what the two girls were because Naruto never elaborated on it. Even when he repeatedly asked and tried to pull rank he would just clam up. The same could easily be said about Iris. The three men adored her as her gentle and naturally alluring nature made her a natural at endearing herself to others.
Just like with earlier Chaos appeared in Naruto's lap without warning with a giddy expression on her face. She loved her favorite straw hat and if her father was allowing her to wear it then that was all the incentive she needed. Iris herself had a disapproving look on her face but Naruto couldn't hold himself to her standards. It was hard getting a hold of Chaos… even with his life time of experience the girl was just untamable.
Later that Night / 1:00 AM
It didn't take long for Naruto and the others to find themselves in their sleeping bags. They would have a long day ahead of them the following day as they began their patrol. The group would need to be well rested as this patrol mission will last exactly two weeks in duration. "Naru are you up?" Eva asked once she heard the snores from Iris and Chaos. They still didn't know how Chaos was capable of snoring even though they turn her off. It was one of life's great mysteries as far as the Uzumaki family is concerned.
"Yeah Eva I'm up?" Naruto replied back as he felt his hair shift around. "We haven't had a chance to talk privately in a while. I wanted to know how you're holding up?" His faithful partner gently asked with her squeaky voice that caused a soothing warmth to swell within his heart. Leave it to his other half to always look out for him. "I'm doing good… it was a weight off my chest to come clean with our team. I couldn't keep the girls hidden from them for long." It was a truth that Eva could easily accept since it has been a problem the blond haired Uzumaki has had to deal with in the past. It was one of the hardest things Naruto has had to do when it came to his growth as an individual.
"You're getting better at handling this. It would be a little easier if they were human. But they're celestial beings with immense power. It makes it hard for us to trust others." Eva agreed with a nod of her head as she floated around Naruto's face so that he could see her. "I know… but it's not. I have to protect their identity the best way I can. If someone like Orochimaru found out about Iris and Chaos, then he'd never leave me alone. I'd be hunted down relentlessly just so that he could get to them." Naruto commented with a groan of annoyance that Eva couldn't help giggling at. Once again it was a true statement that Eva could easily accept as they already had enough problems in their personal life that would support this claim. Now that he's taken in six foster children, the need for him to be extra vigilant and cautious about their safety has gone through the roof.
"So how are things between you and Henrietta. I'll admit I'm a bit hurt you held back on telling me after it happened. I feel neglected." Eva pouted with a twinge of real hurt masked over her overdramatic persona, but Naruto could see right through his other half's facade. He hurt her feelings and now he had to make it up to her.
"Don't pretend Eva… I know I hurt you and for that I'm sorry." Naruto apologized with a frown as he saw Eva's eyes darken with sadness. "I know I've been pushing you recently with your relationship with Hinata and the others. I've advocated for you to be with more than one person. I just never fully prepared myself for the obvious disadvantages that would come with it. I guess we all have some growing up to do huh?" Eva proposed with a small chuckle which held her insecurities inside them. A sad and understanding expression came to Naruto's face as he reached out to caress Eva's face with his finger. "We will have our time Eva… I promise. This won't be the last time we have this conversation either. I think we should pick a day to fully put all of this out in the open. I don't want it weighing down on our hearts forever." Naruto suggested as the little Winter Fairy smiled faintly in gratitude.
"I would like that… you should also spend some more time with Henrietta in the future. I'm worried about her and the other's health. Lady Tsunade scheduled their brand-new surgeries for next month while she tests out the chakra armor you showed her. I just don't want the girls to continue living their lives with regret." Eva admitted with a sad and worried look on her face that was equally matched by the one worn by Naruto who completely agreed with what his partner had to say. Their health was always fluctuating, and Naruto was no fool. Angelica had it the worst and she probably wouldn't live long. He wanted to ensure that all of his colleagues were as happy as he could make them. They deserved it after the hard life they've had to endure.
"I'll do just that. I'm just scared Eva." Naruto admitted with a vulnerability in his voice that perked Eva up who stared into her partners eyes with a signal to continue. "I was born an orphan… I never thought I'd ever have love in my life, let alone romantic love. I was alone until I met you and then I thought it would be us against the world. Old man Third and the Ichiraku's were so kind to us but I didn't anticipate them sticking by us for as long as they have. Then we got the girls and for the first time I felt needed. Then Hinata came in and we got ourselves our very first friend who I would have never thought we'd ever get this far with. Then Shoko and Anko came along and I felt the love of a family…" Naruto monologues with his voice cracking in certain areas. This was extremely personal for him to be confessing but this was all being said to his faithful companion. There was no one else he'd rather tell such things to than her.
"… What I'm trying to say is that I never would have imagined I'd fall in love with Hinata or be inclined to give a relationship a try with anyone besides one partner. I've always loved you since the day we met. You saved my life while I saved yours unknowingly from Lilith. We're inseparable but even then, I never had a clue on how we could make a romantic relationship work because of our size difference. The fact is I just never thought I was meant to have love in my life and now all of these girls are showing their feelings for me… it's overwhelming. I don't really know how to handle it since I feel like I don't deserve to have it." Naruto confessed as tiny genuine tears fell out of not only his eyes but that of Eva's who started to sniffle and squeeze her eyes close.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry. I didn't know…" Eva cried as she landed on Naruto's forehead so that she could hug him. The wetness of her tears could be felt by Naruto who reached up to hold his partner. "It's ok Eva… I don't blame you at all for this." This sentiment wasn't shared by the blond fairy who shook her head in contention to this. "That doesn't matter. I should have never pressured you into this if this was how you truly felt about love. I'm literally your other half. I'm supposed to know everything about you, yet I didn't know how your heart truly felt. I'm awful." Eva cried as Naruto hugged her to his chest with a genuine smile on his face.
"It's okay Eva… because of you I was able to accept my feelings for Hinata and get together with her. You've supported me every step of the way on everything in our lives. I can't imagine living my life without you because I honestly love you Evangeline. I will never blame you for what has happened. We'll push forward and make the best out of this situation." Naruto confessed as he felt the tiny girl go still in his hands. Eva's heart was beating out of its chest as she floated up to Naruto's face who could see the healthy blush on her face.
"You really mean that?" The smile never left Naruto's face as he shook his head yes. "I love you too, Naru." The Winter Fairy cried as she kissed her partner square on the lips. Their size difference always made this endeavor comical and awkward for the two halves, yet they've managed over the years. "One day it will be our turn Eva to get together as a couple. For now, I just need to know what that means for my relationship with Hinata. I want to be a good boyfriend to her and juggling my feelings for Henrietta and the care I feel for Aria is tough enough. I need to mature more before I can handle so many people at once." Naruto soothed as he held the little fairy to his chest once more. A weight was lifted from his shoulder with this impromptu confessional session but in the end, it was needed and not unwelcomed. The turmoil he felt when the Fire Daimyō proposed his daughter's hand in marriage to Naruto weighed on his heart and the incident with Henrietta complicated things even further as he felt like a hypocrite.
Now he felt much better about this ordeal. It seemed like it was much more manageable and plausible for him to get through. A lull in the conversation followed this as the two partners sat in silence enjoying each other's company while counting the stars above them. The other squad members in their team all had their sleeping bags out with Tekuno keeping watch. It would soon be Naruto's turn and he was expected to stay on guard for twice the amount of time compared to the others as a form of punishment for not showing up for orientation the previous day.
"Did you see the look on Sasuke's face when we told him about our promotion?" Eva brought up after the long comfortable silence between the two partners with a twinge of concern in her voice that Naruto matched with the frown on his face. "Yeah. It was jealousy and anger. He tried to hide it, but it was there. He's in a very dark place right now and I'm worried for him. That encounter with Itachi devastated him." Naruto voiced his opinion as he thought back to the look and attitude his teammate and friend showed him when he broke the news of his promotion that evening after finishing his long conversation with the Fire Daimyō. It was clearly obvious to Naruto that Sasuke didn't take it well. He didn't even show up earlier this morning to wish him luck on his first deployment.
To say Naruto was concerned for the last Uchiha would be an understatement. The boy truly is in a dark place and Naruto resolved to keep an eye on him for both of their sakes. "Whatever that Tsukuyomi technique was it really did a number on him. To think that his older brother is so powerful and skilled. Could you imagine him being a Hokage in our time?" Eva suggested in an amiable way to which Naruto quickly debated her on. "He'd definitely be an effective Hokage with his razor-sharp skills… although I think his mute demeanor would be a turn off to the populous. When he put us under the Tsukuyomi I saw the massacre. I couldn't even tell Hinata about it even though she was wondering. It was horrific Eva and I've been trying to keep myself distracted and together all of this time." Naruto admitted with a very low and disturbed tone of voice.
The things that he saw under the effects of that powerful Genjutsu would forever haunt him. So much killing and senseless violence. Hinata wanted to know what had happened to him while he was under the Genjutsu, but he ultimately couldn't find it in him to tell her, he even dropped his line of inquiry into what was bothering her about her encounter with Kisame. There was clearly something on her mind about what the shark man said to her. But ultimately that potential conversation was left to the wayside. That was something he wanted to pick up with her the next time he saw her. They had a lot to discuss.
"I could tell… you haven't been all here. You've been using these last few weeks and all of the hectic chaos going on to distract your mind from everything that's been happening. Was it really that terrible?" Eva murmured as she watched Naruto's eyes darken a bit in recollection. "Worse… it was horrific. The entire clan was slaughtered and not even his parents were spared. But I can't help not shaking this gut feeling of mine that there is something more to this story." He's had weeks to mull over the memories he was forced to experience and the inner detective and investigator in Naruto was screaming at him that not everything was adding up. Something was off with the entire massacre and it was starting to bug Naruto now that he's had a substantial amount of time to digest everything he was given.
"Humm. Whatever it is I'm sure you'll figure it out soon. I know you don't have the answer on you right now." Eva correctly assumed as it was true. Naruto didn't have a definitive answer to give and even his ideas and theories weren't as solid as he'd like them to be before he'd be comfortable with sharing them. There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding Naruto's inner thoughts and they wouldn't be going away any time soon.
"But look on the bright side. At least he showed us some gratitude for standing with him against Itachi. That has to count for something at the very least if nothing else." Evangeline optimistically poured out as Naruto chuckled a little bit in agreement. It was a silver lining in an otherwise bleak situation. He could see the tale tell signs of gratitude seeping through Sasuke's pours and he even managed a small nod of acknowledgement and a verbal word of thanks. That was big as far as Naruto was concerned who would take that rare show of emotion from the otherwise guarded and closed off Uchiha.
"I guess you're right… we just have to keep chipping away at him until he opens up. We'll get through to him and help him get through this eventually. We just have to not give up." Naruto concluded as he heard footsteps approaching him. It was Tekuno. It looked like now was the time for his extended shift.
It took a few minutes, but Naruto finally got himself situated in a tall tree overlooking their campsite. As an extra precaution he sent out a small battalion of shadow clones to patrol the outermost perimeter of their defenses. He'd be ready on the off chance that something was amiss.
'Why do I feel this ominous feeling in my gut? This animosity just over the horizon? Is it my demonic instincts acting up?' Eva mulled to herself after an hour into their overwatch. There was something bothering her now compared to earlier when it was peaceful. It was like a bad omen on the horizon. Something was coming in their very close future.
"Naru… I feel a disturbance in nature. I've got a bad feeling about something. I just don't know what." Eva spoke up when the tingling sensation in her wings wouldn't go away. "How bad is it? Are we being watched?" Naruto whispered out as he subtly started to allow his chakra to swirl. He had to keep a shadow clone with the girls to prevent them from waking up in the night, so he knew they were safe for the time being. With the other clones out scouting the area they would have an early warning detection system in place.
"I don't know… it feels like whatever it is it won't happen now… but very soon." Eva mumbled in a state of cautious confusion. She wasn't completely sure what she was feeling. It just felt like a bad feeling in the air. Like the calm before the storm. Whatever it was… she didn't like it.
"Whatever it is… whatever the case may be. We'll be ready for it Eva." Naruto reassured as he stretched out his own sensory abilities. He'd be on high alert and ready for anything. A shadow clone was already formed and making its way over to his captain to inform him of the situation. Naruto wasn't taking any chances since his daughters were with them and they were right near the border to the Land of Grass… and everyone knew what was beyond that… it was the Land of Earth.
Land of Earth / The Village Hidden in the Stone [Earlier that Morning]
The echoing sound of high heeled shoes clacking against the brick floors of a dank and dreary hallway was heard as a tall and very familiar individual could be seen. It was Balalaika… and she wasn't alone. Walking two paces behind her was her faithful companion. The Black Reaper and Hound Dog of Hotel Moscow. It was Karasuba and her ash grey long sleeve coat fluttered lightly behind her as she kept pace with her long-time friend and boss.
"Are you going to go through with this plan boss?" The reaper asked as she looked over to her side to see prison cells lining the long hallway they were in. Inside of these cells were hardened criminals and ex-shinobi of the Hidden Stone Village. They all ended up in this place for various heinous reasons with some being not worth mentioning. This place was the maximum-security wing for the Hidden Stone Prison. These former shinobi have all committed some form of crime and for that the rest of their lives were condemned to this bleak and hellish compound that was inescapable. None have ever made it out of the complex alive ever since it was built.
This was just the unfortunate grim reality for these men and women. It was a fate they were to share for the rest of their life… until now that is.
"Yes… this prison wing is starting to get a little overcrowded and this is an excellent way to thin the herd while accomplishing our other goal at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone as they say." The King Pin said with her own brand of cheerfulness in her voice. She was pleased with the plan she set into motion. It was evil and something right up her alley. "I don't care what happens to these men, I'm just worried that they will try to run once you set them free. Do you have a contingency plan in place for that?" Karasuba inquired with a curious look in her dead black eyes. She watched as Balalaika took an exhale of her cigar while opening the door to a large room. "I always have a plan."
Entering the room, the two women came upon a common room filled with convicts and guards who all turned to see the new guest. "Good morning ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure you're all asking yourselves why you are here. Let me explain." Balalaika theatrically poised while taking a seat on top of one of the nearby tables. These men knew who she was… everyone in the village knew. It was for that very reason why quite a few of them felt a nervous pit of anxiety well up within their guts. All of them were hardened criminals and former shinobi… but they all knew they weren't the strongest person in the room anymore. This woman was devilish and dangerous. They knew what she was capable of.
In total there were 43 men and women in this room. Typically, the prisons were separated by gender, but for this special occasion everyone was invited. "I have a proposition for you all." Balalaika intoned as she watched the curious and expectant looks on everyone's faces. This was out of the norm for them.
"I'm offering you all your freedom in exchange for you completely one simple task for me." The Legendary Titan commissioned as a resounding wave of surprise and shock tore through the large crowd around her. This was something they'd never expect in a million years. This had to be some kind of hoax.
"Hold up! This must be a joke! You'll let us out of this joint for one simple favor?" One inmate spoke out with an incredulous expression on his face. He wasn't believing this statement for even a second. No one has ever come to the prison to offer them any kind of deal before. They weren't even allowed visitation rights depending on the severity of their crimes. The fact it was coming from such a notorious woman like Balalaika was sending red flags off in not only his mind but the mind of several other intelligent inmates.
"Of course, you all should know that I always keep my promises. All I ask is for you to perform one simple task." The business woman purred as several of the inmates shared looks between themselves. Something wasn't right with this offer being made to them. It was fishy. You never make deals with the mafia… and you definitely never make deals with Balalaika.
"What might this task be?" Another inmate asked as a cruel and predatory like expression came to the blond-haired woman's face. "I have a target for you… a young blond-haired boy by the name of Naruto. He's a Chūnin from the Hidden Leaf Village." This information was met with the typical hatred from the Land of Earth natives. The animosity held between the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Stone from back during the Third Shinobi World War was still holding strong even to this day.
The level of devastation caused by the Hidden Leaf to the Hidden Stone during the war was catastrophic. In particular the clashes between the Legendary Titans on each side of the conflict caused massive casualties on all sides of the conflict with Minato Namikaze the man who would soon become the Fourth Hokage decimating entire legions worth of their shinobi. He single handedly massacred over 1,000 of their shinobi in one battle and all under 2 minutes. That death blow opened the Third Tsuchikage's eyes to the devastating effects the war was causing to everyone involved and made him finally opened to peace talks with the Hidden Leaf for the first time since the conflict started.
This bad blood still ran through the veins of the men present here today and this was enough to get their attention. "Why would you need 43 people just for one measly Chūnin. Even if he was from that damn village isn't this overkill? And why us?" Another inmate asked with an air of caution in his voice. This proposition was outrageous in his mind.
"I think you'll find that this measly Chūnin which just got promoted is a lot more interesting than you may think. He's a 12-year-old boy with extraordinary talent and power that easily makes him Jōnin level if nothing else. But it's his lineage that I think you'll find most interesting that would help explain away his advanced talent." Balalaika grinned as she poured on the suspense that was honestly starting to kill them.
"Oh… and what's so special about this kid?" Yet another man spoke with an air of indifference about him. He wasn't buying into what this woman was selling. He could care less about one simple Chūnin. A chuckle born from the depths of irony echoed from Balalaika's lips as she took a moment to let her amusement consume her. A snicker from Karasuba who so far was a keeping quiet started to grate on the nerves of the inmates.
"This boy's full name is Naruto Uzumaki…" Right away everything started to quiet down as every pair of eyes were on Balalaika now who was internally grinning a cruel smirk. "… and he is the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki the Titan's of the Hidden Leaf." You could hear a pin drop in the room if you wanted to as everyone wore an identically look of shock on their faces. They couldn't believe it. Two of the four Legendary Titan's of the Hidden Leaf gave birth to a son… an heir to carry on their combined legacy. The sheer amount of potential locked away inside of his body must be insane. To make Chūnin at 12 yet have skills that were far more advanced than that explains everything.
He couldn't be allowed to live any further… if his potential has already taken him to this point at such a young age, then there was no telling how powerful he'd become by the time he reached his biological prime. He'd be a monster of a shinobi in the same caliber as his parents… possibly even as strong as Balalaika. There was no way he could be allowed to reach such potential. He would have a noose tied around the neck of the Hidden Stone if they tried anything against him in the far future. If he was killed off now… their village could rise to greatness. Even though they were all in prison, these men still believed in the Land of Earth and its supremacy. Killing off the heir to two Titan's was a cherry on top that no one in their right mind would pass up the opportunity on.
"Now are you guys interested?" Balalaika purred with a gleam in her eyes that spoke volumes to the satisfaction she felt at catching all of these men in her web. Her powers of persuasion and getting people to invest in her was a skill she took the utmost pride in. Manipulating people was her specialty.
"Where is the little bastard?" Someone shouted as the room erupted into an uproar of jeers and curses. These dangerous men wanted blood now. "He's patrolling the northwestern border of the Land of Fire right at the border to the Land of Grass. He's well within your reach. One stipulation is the fact I want you to dress up as Hidden Stone Shinobi." The woman pitched as this got a wave of confusion to spread amongst the individuals around her.
"I want them to think they are being attacked by real enemy forces… it will definitely bring out the best in that young boy. Your objective is to kill him before I can guarantee your freedom." The woman stipulated as everyone paid close attention to what was being told to them. This was crucial information.
"I can see that I have your full attention now which is why I'm going to give you all some extra incentive." Balalaika smiled a visibly cruel smirk that sent shivers down the spins of everyone present. The Titan flashed through a set of hand signs to fast for any of the inmates to see before 43 small marble sized metallic balls spawned off of her skin. With a simple hand gesture these metal balls flew into the necks of every inmate causing them to scream in confusion and pain.
"What the hell lady!?" People were screaming and thrashing around as they all felt the discomfort of these metal balls passing through their skins. It was made out of her chakra, so it didn't break their skins, but they could all feel it inside of their necks as a constant reminder.
"Rule number one… if any of you attempt to flee the second I release you from this place this will happen." Balalaika threatened with an eerily calm voice before snapping her finger. The head of the very first person to speak up to Balalaika at the beginning of the conversation violently exploded sending blood, bone shrapnel, and brain matter all across the room spraying everyone with copious amounts of blood and guts. Screams of terror tore through the room as even the guards were left in a state of utter shock and mortification.
"Now, now everyone settle down." The sadistic woman purred with a puff of smoke from her cigar escaping her mouth. "Rule number two… if any of you attempt to kill each other off to get ahead of the competition this will happen." The King Pin announced as she snapped her fingers once more. The second person to voice their opinion had their head blow clean off scarring the inmates into a state of terror as they could barely hear the words being spoken to them anymore. They may be violent criminals but even they knew the fear of their own mortality.
"Finally, rule number three… if any of you attempt to hold back or kidnap him or his associates instead of just fighting him then this will happen." Once more for the final time the last person to speak out earlier found their head blown clean off with the room now deathly quiet. Everyone was covered in layers of blood and guts with petrified looks on their faces.
"Do you all understand the stipulations of this job. Complete it in its entirety and I will deactivate the bombs in your necks on the condition that you do not return to the Land of Earth. You all are disgraceful scum for even ending up in prison to begin with. I don't need your taint in my country any further past our agreement. Now do we have an agreement?" If these men were afraid of Balalaika before… then now… they were downright petrified of the dangerous woman who played with human life like it meant nothing.
Tsuchikage Administration Building / Tsuchikage's Office
To say that Balalaika's trip was successful was an understatement as the two women found themselves in a meeting room with none other than the Third Tsuchikage himself. "Do you have any idea of what you've done Balalaika?" The tiny and demur old man growled with his nasally voice sounding high pitch for the two Titans. This old man's name was Ōnoki and he was the infamous Third Tsuchikage of the Village Hidden in the Stone. He had a tenure that was just as long as Hiruzen's with the two of them being old rivals.
Ōnoki is a very short, old man with a triangular beard and a moustache that has angular corners, a big red nose and thick eyebrows. The top of his head is completely bald, although, he has long white hair on the lower-half of his head which is styled in a traditional chonmage haircut, the back of which is tied with a yellow ribbon into a topknot. Ōnoki wears a green and yellow coat with a red collar that is split into four long flaps that dangle around him like a robe. Underneath he wears the traditional Hidden Stone outfit consistent of a light green version of the Hidden Stone's flak jacket and mesh armor. He however has both his sleeves of his shirt but kept the single lapel on his right side. Along with this, he wears sandals.
"Yes… I've just orchestrated a brilliant event that will allow me to accurately gauge Naruto's abilities. Those poor fools don't stand a chance against Naruto's squad and if I'm right he is at full power since he has his little brats with him." Balalaika speculated with a content expression on her face as she panned her gaze around the Tsuchikage's office.
"You are taking a dangerous bet right now… even if that boy is who you say he is. Starting a war with the Hidden Leaf right now would be the most opportune time but I'm not willing to risk a total victory on the off chance that they can rally together. They just instated Tsunade as the Fifth Hokage and with Jiraiya and that old coot Dino backing her up then their strength isn't to be underestimated and if what you've told me is true about Shoko returning to active duty then I don't want to send our forces up against a Titan." Ōnoki declined with a harsh glare to the young woman before him who chuckled at the riled-up form of the old man.
"I'm hurt you wouldn't consider me in this equation Lord Ōnoki. Do neither I or Karasuba count to you, let alone our Jinchūriki?" The King Pin pouted with her husky voice reverberating across the office room. She was in a playful mood since she knew what would come from this coming conflict. An actual deadpan stare was thrown Balalaika's way as Ōnoki let out a low growl or indignation. "Oh… and besides Karasuba here would any of you actually want to fight for me in such a conflict?" This question was asked with a lot of snark behind it as Balalaika hasn't lifted a finger for her village since the last war ended while their two Jinchūriki were wanders who stayed outside of the village.
They didn't have nearly enough heavy hitters to comfortably declare war on the Hidden Leaf, even in their weakened state. Ōnoki with his experience could easily foresee the conflict dragging out to last longer than a simple lightning quick raid to destroy the village like he would envision. It wasn't worth it to fight them now.
Rolling her eyes in amusement Balalaika let out a small husky laugh while standing up from her chair. "You will see once this little experiment of mine is over Lord Ōnoki that little Naruto here will surprise you and prove that he is the son of the Legendary Titans. He will be a credible threat in the future if you decide to make him an enemy." Balalaika promised with a dark smile on her face that caused a frown to form on the Tsuchikage's face. "You're playing a dangerous game little girl." The Tsuchikage warned in a parting shot as Balalaika grinned in triumph with Karasuba loyally following behind her.
"It's the only game I know how to play." These last words were what Ōnoki heard before the King Pin left his office. He was troubled by the unpredictable woman's motives. Even if Naruto was the son of his sworn enemies, to stir up such a conflict with only a singular goal in mind was dangerous. It simply wasn't worth it.
'Come little Naruto, show the world your strength.' Balalaika had only one wish that she wanted fulfilled… and much to her delight it was about to be granted.
To be continued...
Jutsu Library
1.) Space/Time and Reality Manipulation (Kayros) – Chaos has the passive ability that is always active to manipulate reality in a relatively small radius of 50m around her and with this ability she can control the events within this predefined space. The most common use of this power that Chaos employs is the ability to teleport short distances towards things and locations that she has scanned and memorized beforehand or that happen to fall within her line of sight. Because of Chaos's ability to warp reality around her not only is the teleportation instant but it is also untraceable not to mention others can't sense her presence. However, Chaos doesn't seem to be able use her other powers while this one is active.
Author's Note (A/N): A monumental chapter in terms of character development and interactions. The chapter starts off with Naruto's promotion coming with a set of drawbacks, namely his children who are feeling neglected by his recent absence around the house. Just like with going to boot camp or officers academy Naruto has a lot of new rules and regulations to learn and as such he has been taking a lot of workshop like classes and exercises to train himself in his new duties as a Chūnin. This is a concept that he tries to make his children understand which doesn't go over so well. Roku and Dai in particular are more vocal about their grievances which eventually leads to Naruto making a serious decision. Skipping his orientation day Naruto spends the rest of the day with his children to make good memories with them.
This decision comes with its own set of consequences for Naruto who ends up on the wrong side of his new commanding officer Hayama Shirakumo who along with Tekuno Kanden and Kosuke Maruboshi are characters from the anime filler arc in Naruto Shippūden (Episode #190). These characters would make appearances later on throughout the anime including the very end during Naruto and Hinata's wedding. Hayama hazes Naruto a bit to get a feel for his character which he passes with flying colors. We also get a resolution to the fallout concerning Naruto and Henrietta's actions in the previous chapter. While Hinata forgives Henrietta without much difficulty, Naruto takes it much more personally with guilt clouding his conscience in his follow up conversation with Hinata who shows her compassion and concern for her boyfriend. While Hinata was able to easily forgive her two closest friends, how far can her compassion and tolerance last in the future?
Naruto once more undergoes the difficult task of revealing the existence of Iris and Chaos to his teammates who except for Kosuke are shocked to learn of them. Immediately Hayama and Tekuno recognize the fact that the girls aren't human as they take in their apparences and demeanors. As usual Chaos shows her very psychotic nature shows her typical personality by using her signature technique that finally gets a name to identify it by called Kayros.
For the first time in a long while Naruto and Eva get to have a one on one intimate conversation in which they share their feelings on the complex relationship problems facing them now that multiple girls have expressed an interest in Naruto. Things are further complicated by the fact that Naruto himself feels conflicted about his own feelings as he reveals a major insecurity that he's had ever since he was a child and that is the fact he doesn't believe he deserves to have love in his life. For a long time he didn't understand the true nature and intricacies of love and how it affects not only him but those around him. He felt undeserving of love which is why he is having a hard time coping with the sheer amount of different forms of love entering his life.
The conversation progresses in which the partners discuss Sasuke's growing darkness and the problems he's facing. Jealousy is blooming in Sasuke's heart after finding out about Naruto's promotion and increase of power. His encounter with Itachi destroyed his mental barriers and the happiness he's built up over the years. Sasuke's in a pretty dark place right now and knowing this fact Naruto has resolved to keep an eye on him for both of their sakes.
As we later on see Balalaika is conspiring against Naruto with her own ulterior motives in mind to make him stronger by sending dangerous criminals against him to fight. She wants as many obstacles set in his path to give him experience and strength by overcoming various levels of adversity. The King Pin of Hotel Moscow demonstrates her sadistic and cruel nature by blowing the heads off of three inmates to scare them into cooperating with her demands that she first persuaded them into.
The chapter comes to a close with Ōnoki the Third Tsuchikage making his formal debut into the story. He has a radically different opinion in mind in response to Balalaika's actions. He doesn't feel the risks and effort are worth it to try and kill Naruto even despite knowing who he is. Especially considering the fact that Balalaika released dangerous criminals from their prison to do her bidding.
Next Chapter: Chapter 80 (Balalaika's Test - Border Patrol)
That's the end of Chapter 79 I sincerely hoped you enjoyed it.
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Published: 1/8/2019
