Tale of the Setting Sun
Chapter 30: "The Road Continues"
The Great Toad Sage was waiting for Jiraiya in a shallow pool of water surrounded by giant scrolls. "Here it is revealed... In my dream, despite your perversions, you will manage to become a splendid shinobi. You will come to stand on your own two feet, acquiring disciples... One such disciple will one day bring about a great change to the world of shinobi. This I saw in my dream."
"A great change?" Jiraiya repeated.
"Either great stability or great destruction... The likes of which this world has never seen before. One of those two changes."
"One of those two...? What do you mean?"
The Sage's right eye opened a crack; the dark pupil stared straight into what felt like Jiraiya's soul. "You will guide that revolution. And eventually, there shall come a day when you will be forced to make a critical decision. That choice you make...will decide which way the change goes."
His mind churned with questions, the weight of the prophecy already bearing heavily on his shoulders. "I... what do I do? In order to make the correct choice?"
"In my dream you walked the world, writing books."
"Books...?"
A flash of red sparked brilliantly in the puddle by his feet. Naruto's eyes narrowed, but he didn't stop moving: The fox had been following him all morning, making no real effort to conceal its movements. He had a feeling it had been on his scent for longer than he'd realized.
As soon as they'd crossed from Rice country into Hot Water country, Jiraiya waved Naruto off with a conspiring glint in his eye. "I think it's about time I took off."
Out of consideration for each other's sanity, they had taken to occasionally splitting off for a day at a time. Naruto usually spent the time training with his clones, and as for Jiraiya—well, he assumed the older man had his own needs to take care of.
The path Naruto chose took him through a bamboo grove. Green bamboo trunks shot up from the ground, crowding the sky; rays of sunlight filtered through, reflecting off the trunks and lighting his way through the forest.
Crack.
His gaze shot to the source of the sound, but there was nothing there. While it was clear the fox was still on his trail, it was maintaining its distance, making it difficult to pinpoint its current location.
Naruto wondered whether his previous summons attempt hadn't been as unsuccessful as they'd thought. The only question was, why had it not revealed itself to him? Judging by the lack of hostility, it didn't seem to have any malicious intent, notwithstanding its previous attempt at a prank.
When he decided he'd had enough, he stopped. "Come on out already."
A summer breeze blew through the grove, and he heard the bamboo trunks crackle. In the distance, a bird whistled.
Then with a rustle, the fox emerged from the thicket. In the daylight, Naruto was able to get a much better look at it: It looked like an ordinary red fox, albeit dressed in a black haori coat.
To his bemusement, it lay on the ground and let out a yawn. "What's for lunch?"
Judging by the tone of its voice, it was a male fox—though, the fact that it was talking at all meant that it wasn't an ordinary animal.
"Why are you following me? What is it that you want?" When the fox didn't respond, letting out another yawn instead, Naruto raised a hand to the handle of his tantō.
The fox was back up in a flash, his tail swishing in the air. "Alright, alright! I'll tell you, so calm down!"
Folding his arms across his chest, Naruto looked at the fox expectantly.
With a delicate cough, the fox bent his forelegs in a stiff bow. "My name is Amakurō. You summoned me here with that pitiful offering, and I've been following you to see whether you're worthy of signing my contract."
That confirmed it: His natural affinity was for a fox. The irony of the situation didn't escape Naruto and he had to wonder whether his being the jinchūriki for the purported demon fox had anything to do with it.
"So why did you turn into my teammate? How do you know who she is?"
"I didn't and I don't." The fox—Amakurō—licked at a paw. "I was testing you with an illusion. You saw only what you didn't want to see."
'Didn't want to see'? What did that mean?
In an effort to clear his head, Naruto exhaled. "Well, then? Am I worthy?"
Amakurō let out another yawn. "No, I don't think so. You don't talk much and you're too violent. I'm going to pass on this one."
Caught off-guard, Naruto blinked. While he didn't know what he'd been expecting, it certainly hadn't been rejection. A thorn of irritation was starting to twist in his chest—and for some reason, that irritated him even more.
He hadn't expected himself to care at all.
"Fine then."
It was Amakurō's turn to look taken aback, as he said quickly, "That's it? Just so you know, I'm pretty powerful. You're going to lose out big time by not signing a contract with me. I mean, where else are you going to get a summons as good as me?"
"I don't need a summons," said Naruto. Or so he told himself, anyways.
As he left the fox behind, he felt a sharp gaze trained on his back. But he could no longer hear anything behind him.
It was sunset by the time Naruto reached the village of Yugakure, where he was supposed to rendezvous with Jiraiya. He hesitated before he stepped past the entrance gates—and then pushed his legs forward.
Had it really been five years since he'd last visited this place? It looked almost exactly the same as it had back then. While there were a few new resort hotels, the hot springs and the crowd of tourists had remained the same. It was as though the incident with Hidan had never happened at all.
Colorful lights bobbed in the distance, and as Naruto made his way toward it, he realized a summer festival was going on in the center of the village. Glowing lanterns dangled in the darkening sky. Smoke rose from the food stalls, filling his nose with the smells of fried dough and grilled meats. Some of the attendants wore masks as they strolled between the attractions.
There was a stall with a pool full of glimmering goldfish. Three children were huddled around it and just as he passed by, one of them shouted out, "Look at that fat one!"
Something about the wording brought Naruto to a sudden halt. Everything was spinning, and for a moment, it was as though he'd been transported back in time. If he just looked, it almost felt as though he'd see two shadows walking in step behind him.
He didn't look. Instead, he stood there, rooted to the spot. The crowd's chatter surrounding him seemed to rise in volume, filling his ears.
"Naruto?"
He stiffened—but it was a young boy staring uncertainly up at Naruto's hitai-ate. There was one around his neck as well; it wasn't the first hitai-ate Naruto had seen in the village. It seemed that for all its increasing tourism, Yugakure still had a population of aspiring ninja.
"Yes?" he said.
Recognition flooded the other boy's face, and he pointed at himself. "Do you remember me? I'm Taki! You saved me!"
Naruto did a double take. In his memories, the child he'd saved in the midst of Hidan's slaughter had been barely older than a toddler—and yet the boy in front of him was already starting to lose his baby fat. While he was still shorter than Naruto, coming up to his shoulders, Naruto had a sinking feeling that he would soon be outstripped.
It seemed not everything had stayed the same after all.
"I remember you," he said. The corners of his lips spasmed up in a shot at a smile, but from the other boy's faltering expression, it wasn't one of his better attempts.
"Where's the rest of your team?" asked Taki, looking around.
Naruto felt his throat constrict. "They're not here. It's just me."
"Oh." Taki stopped. "It would've been nice to see everyone." His face brightened. "Still, I'm really glad you're here. Hey, why don't you let me show you around?"
He hesitated. If it was anyone else, he would have declined. However, for this one vestige of nostalgia, he let the younger boy lead him around the village.
As Taki prattled on about his life over the past five years, Naruto found himself becoming swept away in the account of the family noodle business which had failed, causing them to seek a better life in Rice country. After another abject failure there, the family had recently returned to the village to start again.
"But I told my parents not to worry." Taki tapped the hitai-ate resting around his neck. "I'm going to become a top-notch ninja and take care of them."
There was a quieter section of the festival, separated from the colorful stalls and the crowd's chatter by billows of warm steam that rose up from holes in the ground. A small shrine stood there, dimly lit by candles.
"What's this?" asked Naruto. He didn't remember seeing such a place before.
Taki's face was solemn. "This is where we remember everyone who died that night. My parents and I come here often to burn incense."
In a flash, Naruto remembered that the boy hadn't escaped the incident unscathed; he had lost his sibling.
Feeling the need to say something, he said, "I'm sorry I couldn't save your sister." It had never before occurred to Naruto to be apologetic, but even as he spoke, he suddenly realized that he did feel sorry to the young boy standing before him.
Taki shook his head. "To be honest with you, I don't really remember her much anymore." He touched his hair—a long thin braid trailed down from the side—and smiled. "The one thing I remember is that Mother used to braid her hair. That's why I grew this out... So I don't forget."
Naruto paused, debating whether he should say it. "If it's any consolation, Hidan is dead. Rai killed him in battle."
According to the reports, with his unique brand of immortality, Hidan wasn't strictly dead—however, the ANBU ops had gathered the separate pieces and sealed them away, so he was as close to dead as possible.
Taki's eyebrows shot up. Far from the expression of approval Naruto had been expecting, he looked troubled. "Oh. I see... So, he's dead already."
Something about his tone seemed off, and Naruto asked, "Did you want to kill him yourself?"
"I...think I did, at one point. But..." Taki inhaled. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful he's dead. It's just, it doesn't really change anything. My sister is still gone. There's nothing you could've done about it, and there's nothing anyone can do about it now."
Naruto didn't know how to respond to that.
They spent a few more moments in silence in front of the shrine, and soon afterwards they went their separate ways.
"Bring the rest of your team next time!" said the younger boy with a wave.
The festival was still ongoing, and Naruto returned to the hubbub of the crowd. As he walked aimlessly between the stalls, he couldn't stop thinking about his conversation with Taki.
Even though he had lost his sister five years ago, he had none of the bitterness Naruto would have expected. On the contrary, despite the hardships of his circumstances, the other boy seemed to have moved on with his life. It was such a alien concept to Naruto, he found it difficult to wrap his mind around: How could you smile while thinking of someone you had lost?
There had also been Taki's response when Naruto had questioned whether revenge was his goal: "It doesn't really change anything." On that, Naruto silently agreed. When he had transformed into the Nine-tails, he had flattened Hidan and sent the rest scattering. And yet, it hadn't changed anything.
It was possible he had already understood this back at Gatō's hideout, when Naruto had spared the hunter-nin despite his role in Mayu's capture. At the time, he had questioned what had moved him to do so. But perhaps, he realized now, it was because he didn't blame him entirely for his teammates' deaths.
The truth was that if Naruto had done his job as leader and ordered his team members back to Konoha, even if Mayu had hated him for it, they would all at least still be alive. However, he had caved in and stayed because he had feared their rejection.
While many things had happened, in the end, what had cost him their lives was none other than his own weakness.
Suddenly, Naruto realized something warm was running down his wrists. Looking down, he jerked as he saw blood: His fingers had dug into his palms so hard, they'd pierced the skin. As he watched the blood drip to the ground, he felt a heated surge of shame.
Wiping his hands clean on the front of his pants, he thought to himself: Keep it together.
The abrupt sound of barking drew him out of his thoughts. It was an ugly, angry sound that shattered the cheer of the festival. Naruto quickly spotted the source—near a food stall, a large black dog growled at a young girl, baring its teeth in a show of aggression.
"Down, boy!" The dog's owner threw himself on the dog's back to try and stop it.
Her face hidden under a mask, the girl backed away, her slight frame shaking. And then Naruto saw it: A tail appeared, poking out from the back of her robes. The dog's owner must have spotted it at the same time for in a remarkable transition, his concerned face transformed into one of revulsion. He fell back and released the dog, which lunged for the girl—but the only thing left of her was a pile of clothes. Naruto glimpsed the back of a red animal scampering away, before it disappeared into the dark of the forest.
Cupping his hands around his mouth, the owner shouted out, "And you stay away!"
A murmuring audience had gathered to watch the spectacle. Naruto took in their reactions, which ranged from confusion to utter disgust, before approaching the owner.
"Is something the matter?" he asked.
The owner, a heavy-set man, squinted suspiciously at Naruto's features. "You one of them foxes too?"
"I'm a ninja," said Naruto, tapping his Leaf hitai-ate meaningfully.
Scratching his whining dog's head, the man grunted. "Can't be too careful with these things. Hadn't seen one around for ages... They're bad luck, they are, and thieves at that. If they linger for too long, you know that means something bad is going to happen. But you'll know all about that, I'm sure."
"What do you mean?"
Raising an eyebrow, the man tapped his forehead. "You're a Leaf-nin, so I'm surprised you don't know. Rumors say it was a fox with a hundred tails that destroyed your village way back when." Beckoning towards his dog, the man added in a low voice, "After seeing that fox, you'd better watch yourself tonight."
With the man's departure, the audience began to disperse and soon, it was as though nothing had ever happened. The crowd moved around Naruto, their conversations fading in and out like waves on the shore.
The stall was selling inarizushi, rice stuffed in fried tofu pouches. Naruto bought one, and bit into it—a sweet and yet salty flavor spread in his mouth, and he quickly finished it. His stomach gurgled, and realizing he hadn't eaten all day, he bought another one and scarfed that down as well. Once he had satisfied his appetite, Naruto was about to leave the festival—when a stray thought suddenly struck him.
It was so simple, he thought. When you were hungry, you ate.
He looked down at his stinging palms. The blood had dried and he could see it already healing.
Letting his hands fall back down by his sides, he made up his mind.
Naruto bought a box of the inarizushi and walked into the forest. The sounds and lights of the festival faded behind him, and he was soon alone. The summer breeze that brushed against his skin was cool, and the dark sky above was filled with stars. He came to a stop before one of the trees, and lowered himself on a knee.
A wary voice came from the branches above his head: "What, are you here to mock me?"
Naruto placed the box down on the ground. "I brought a better offering."
A beat passed—and then with a rustle, the fox jumped down to the ground. Wearing a cautious expression, he examined Naruto's face—before dashing forward and tearing into the fried tofu.
Clearing his throat, Naruto said, "Just so you know, I'm the jinchūriki of the Nine-tails."
"So you are." Munch, munch. "And I am a fox."
Naruto hesitated. "What can I do to be worthy?"
Rice sticking to his snout, Amakurō said, "You can start by getting me another box of this."
Jiraiya had yet to make an appearance—no doubt, he was off doing more 'research' for his novels—and so Naruto booked a lone room for himself in an inn that evening. Laying back on the futon, he looked up at the dark ceiling before closing his eyes.
"You saw only what you didn't want to see."
He had thought about Amakurō's words all day, and after talking to Taki, he thought he had an inkling as to why he had seen Mayu on that night. Maybe he had known all along.
Naruto had tried to let go of the past to endure, like Kakashi had told him to. He had tried to replace his team with his training, in the hopes that everything he was feeling would go away. However, even though he had tried to forget, the void was still there, as raw as it had been since the day he'd first felt it.
How could you smile when you were alone?
How could you endure when it was your fault?
There were so many things Naruto didn't understand, no matter how much he thought about it. Even if he spent the rest of his life scouring through the Archives—his sanctuary where he had once thought he'd unearthed the secrets of the world—he knew that he would never be able to find the answers he needed there.
His heart was spinning with regrets and his head was spinning with questions. But at some point in the night, the smell of inarizushi lingering on his clothes carried him to sleep.
The next morning, when Naruto woke up, he found a note waiting for him. Sliding the door of the inn open with a clatter, he left the establishment.
The sun was just starting to rise; the rest of the village was still asleep, and the air was still with silence. Blearily making his way to the village entrance, he spotted a lone figure leaning against the gates. As his eyes adjusted to the glow of the sunlight, the grinning face of Jiraiya came into focus.
"We've got a long journey ahead of us," said the sage. "If you thought your training until now was hard, I've got something coming for you."
Taking in a deep breath, Naruto rolled back his shoulders. And then with a nod, he took a step forward.
If there was one thing he had learned over the past year, it was that there were still many things that he didn't understand.
But he wanted to learn.
A/N: And that's pretty much the end of the interlude chapters. These past few chapters have been a pretty significant departure from the story's atmosphere until now but in the next chapter, we will return to Konoha. Lots of previously minor characters are going to come into play from now on (as you may have guessed from the events of ch 28).
A huge thanks goes to my good friend blueandgold for reading and re-reading this chapter's multiple revisions. Also, a round of applause to AnHero from /r/NarutoFanfiction for helping me with an aspect of this story, and to everyone who reviewed.