Title : Growth
Author : Flame Catalyst
Disclaimer : I don't own any of the Naruto characters, It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto-sama……..I love that guy!
Summary : In the lands of the shinobi events are coming to a head. In these turbulent times new enemies will be made, new alliances forged, and in the eye of the storm the outcasts will join together to change the course of history. NaruHina
Erm hi folks gives sheepish grin here it is at long last the next chapter sorry for the stupidly long delay. First there was a one month trip to Canada then as soon as I got home I found out I was going to visit relatives in Europe for another three weeks! Ok don't let my groveling keep you from the next chapter ;) runs away
Youkai = Demon/s
Chapter 9
The sand storm blew furiously managing to momentarily block the blazing afternoon sun. Two figures dressed from head to toe in white robes gamely shuffled through the storm seeking shelter behind the golden sand dunes the landscape provided.
Naruto didn't know whether or not to curse the storm, the little sand particles it blew up had the annoying habit of entering his mouth making him shiver with irritation every time he crunched the grit between his teeth, what was worse the sand also got into his eyes blinding him. But on the plus side it was blocking the sun; almost any other discomfort was worth that.
After weeks of traveling deep within Wind country Naruto had learnt to hate the large fiery orb that hung above his head, in fact the blond Genin would have been glaring at it hatefully now had it been visible and if the consequences on his eyes weren't pain and blindness.
When they had first entered the country of Wind Naruto, wanting to act cool had refused Jiraiya's offer of protective robes. A day later he had bitterly regretted the decision, by next morning the hyperactive Genin had turned lobster red. Taking pity on Naruto's whines of pain Jiraiya had cooled down the young shinobi with a quick water jutsu leaving a very damp yet grateful Naruto. He finally understood now why so many of the Sand-nin in the Chunnin exam had worn white robes around their ninja outfits and veils across their faces. A second offer of a robe wasn't refused.
The white material of the cloth was best at reflecting sunlight, giving the wearer some semblance of coolness while providing protection from the harsh sun, and the cloth was long enough to cover the whole body and be wrapped around the head and mouth warding against irritating sand most of the time.
Squinting around him for a likely resting place Naruto saw a large dune which would provide perfect shelter, giving protection from the wind and providing some shade to the weary travelers. The shriek of the wind made it impossible to talk so turning Naruto gestured at the figure behind him pointing to the dune, the figure gave a nod of comprehension and began following.
After a good ten minutes of slogging through the increasingly violent storm Naruto again turned to his partner and gave an encouraging thumbs up. Hinata's lavender eye's peeked back at him from beneath her robes as they crinkled in what he guessed was a smile.
Holding out his hand he helped the girl take the last few steps into the dune's shelter. Finding instant respite from the wind Naruto immediately threw himself down on the sand motioning for Hinata to join him.
With a sigh of relief the blond Genin began to remove the cloth covering his face revealing a peeling nose on a ruddy face. Naruto's normally spiky hair was plastered to his head due to the make shift turban he had made, still his eyes were the same as ever sparkling merrily as he observed Hinata removing her own head coverings.
"Sooo hot" Naruto moaned while he ruffled his hair attempting to return it to it's normal spikiness.
Smiling at Naruto's failing attempts to revive his hair Hinata nodded. Taking her pack off she joined the boy sitting next to him.
"Water,, Naruto-kun?" asked the girl taking a large flask from her pack.
"Sure, thanks Hinata-chan!" grinned the sun burnt shinobi. As he reached for the flask their fingers lightly brushed giving both a small but pleasant shock.
'What is this? We've been traveling together for half a month and I still jump every time we touch' Hinata thought in dismay as she hastily began rummaging through her pack to hide the rising color of her cheeks.
Naruto feeling the same took a hasty swig of the flask to hide his own embarrassment. But instead of drinking he thought about the girl across from him and his increasingly strange reactions to her presence.
Even small skin to skin contact sometimes left him feeling like he'd been struck by lightning, burnt by fire and frozen by ice at the same time, all the while his stomach would be doing flips inside of him like it was performing one of Lee's katas. Her laughs and smiles were infectious making him return them until he stood there grinning like an idiot all the while unable to take his eye's off her, but not caring because as long as they smiled at each other and laughed together he was content.
Since the three weeks they had started traveling together with Jiraiya the pair had got to know each other better and in doing so had begun to trust and rely on each other more. All this Jiraiya encouraged declaring staunchly that the most powerful skill two shinobi had been team work, all the while laughing slyly and scribbling in his note book when his two charges weren't looking.
Despite the toad hermits questionable motives for encouraging team work Naruto and Hinata were progressing at an impressive rate. Hinata learning Kage Bunshin no jutsu at Naruto's insistence while the blond Genin mastered two the medium level fire jutsu's Jiraiya had in his impressive arsenal.
Naruto had jumped at the chance to help Hinata learn Kage Bunshin and was happy to help her begin mastering the fire jutsu's after she had mastered his signature move. But despite Naruto's enthusiastic help and Hinata's hard work learning the jutsu's wasn't coming easy to the kunoichi. Growing discouraged at her failure Hinata had began to despair but Jiraiya's gentle words restored her faith; "Our Hinata may have a soul of fire but she sure doesn't have the temperament, don't worry little one, we all have our weak and strong points" the normally blunt ero-sennin had spoken kindly. In that moment Naruto felt a surge of admiration for the old man. She still had not mastered the techniques but was coming close and Naruto would wager that she would learn them any day now.
So caught up in his thoughts of Hinata, Naruto completely forgot about the flask in his mouth and inadvertently inhaled, leaving him spluttering and coughing.
Seeing him choking Hinata stopped looking through her pack and hastily began to pat him on the back until the coughing fit had passed, leaving Naruto even more embarrassed and red faced than before.
"Gomen" he wheezed while trying to think of a quick excuse "I drank too fast" he finished lamely.
But instead of calling him a baka and giving him a disgusted look Hinata simply laughed softly and shook her head making her midnight blue hair dance around her pale face "Don't worry Naruto-kun there's plenty of water left" And once again Naruto was reminded of the huge and wonderful difference between Hinata, and his usual traveling companion and now former team mate Sakura.
Giving a sheepish grin Naruto returned the flask and lay back against the sand watching as Hinata took her own sips from the now half empty container. He found that he never tiered of watching her, even the simplest tasks she performed smoothly and gracefully thought Naruto as the girl raised the flask for another sip, her pale slender fingers holding the container steady so not a sip of water was spilt. Idly he began to scratch the whisker marks on his right cheek.
Feeling his eyes on her Hinata turned to Naruto, finding himself caught staring he quickly began chattering about the first thing that popped into his head.
"Hinata do you regret leaving home?" he blurted out the question then winced. Since leaving their village not a word had been spoken of Hinata's flight from her clan, hoping that he had not put his foot in it, Naruto waited anxiously.
Startled by the question, Hinata took a few moments to think on her answer.
"No" she finally replied "I think leaving the village with you and Jiraiya-sensei has been one of the best decisions I've made, I'm just glad you decided to invite me to join you" Hinata finished smiling shyly while twiddling her fore fingers together.
"Heh, that was nothing!" Naruto grinned scratching the back of his head bashfully.
"Nothing?" Hinata squeaked her eye's widening with shock "y-you shouted at Tsunade-sama until she gave in and let me join you, you shouted at the Hokage!"
"Yeah well the old hag acts tough but we both know who really runs the village!" Naruto joked trying to sound haughty while preening.
If possible Hinata's eyes widened even further, one did not hear the Fifth Hokage of the hidden Leaf referred to as old hag everyday. It was obvious that the girl didn't know weather to be shocked or amused, but looking at Naruto still preening and looking so smug with himself tipped the scales in favor of the latter. Holding her hands in front of her mouth it seemed that Hinata was trying to keep the mirth from escaping, but soft giggles soon became full blown laughter.
Like the chimes of a thousand tiny bells Hinata's melodious laughter filled the air making Naruto chuckle in turn. Soon both of the Genin were laughing so hard they could hardly breathe, tears of amusement running from their eyes.
"N-Naruto-kun if Tsunade-sama heard you speak like that she would run you out of the village" Hinata managed in between bursts of laughter.
"She would if she could catch me" boasted the prankster as he tried to catch his breath.
The image of the irate Fifth Hokage clutching at her skirt as she chased a grinning Naruto flashed through Hinata's mind setting her off on another bought of laughter.
Above them the sun began to slowly emerge once more as the sand storm began to subside turning the dull yellow sand a brilliant gold. Cursing Naruto once again began wrapping the white cloth around his head then helped Hinata pack the rest of their things away.
And so they set off once again stopping every now and then when they saw one of Jiraiya's markers embedded in the sand.
The hermit had went ahead to scout out the nearest village, claiming that it would be quicker if he went on ahead. Naruto had claimed that the old man had wanted some time alone to perv. Hinata hadn't said anything but Naruto was pretty sure that she didn't believe him, and why would she? Around Hinata, Jiraiya stopped behaving like the old pervert Naruto knew so well and became more like a kindly grandfather looking after his favorite grandchild. For the first time Naruto witnessed a Jiraiya who's head wasn't lost in thoughts of women and even though he though it a great improvement he didn't think it would last, the man was a pervert to the core.
Since the begging of their trip the toad hermit had turned into a fount of information teaching them about the landscape and how to live off it, about various flowers and roots that would help heal a wound and cure other ailments (it turned out Hinata knew most of these already) and lastly about the local folk lore of both the country of Fire and Wind. Most of these Hinata had heard as a child but Naruto drank in each story with a child like fascination that surprised both of his traveling companions.
When Hinata had innocently asked how he didn't know any of the stories that were the staple of the children of Konoha, the blond Genin just laughed and waved her question away, an odd expression on his face. Naruto remembered long ago asking one of his minders for a bed time story, all he had got was a cuff to the head and a rough "Go to sleep", he hadn't asked again.
So they traveled for another hour following Jiraiya's markers until finally as they crested a large dune they saw below them a small village walled to keep out the biting desert wind.
With a "Whoop!" of joy Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand and began rushing down the sand towards the village, he could already taste the ramen.
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Heavy rain had begun to fall; the dark clouds covering a crescent moon making an already gloomy night seem sinister. For the various taverns and pubs located around the countries of the shinobi such nights were a god send. Patrons would come to dry off and share a pint while drying off near the fire while exchanging gossip and rumors with friends and neighbors.
In the Smiths Hammer, a less than reputable tavern in the outskirts of Thunder country exactly such a thing was happening. Even though the patrons were in appearance seedier than your average tavern goers they still enjoyed a warm drink and the company of their fellow man on such a dreary night. In the decrepit tavern the patrons sat on rickety and mismatched chairs around creaky drink stained tables. The floor which was covered in wood shavings to absorb any spilt drinks looked like it hadn't been changed in months if not years. Most of the clientele seemed to prefer long hooded cloaks which obscured most if not all of the wearer, while the few persons that didn't cover up really should have as their appearances would have put even the mangiest tramp or the meanest thug to shame. The aroma of the establishment was that of a week old dead dog and only added to the 'unique' charm of the place, while the bar staff finished off the whole look. The term 'happy to help' clearly had never been heard in this part of the country as most drinks were served with a glare most only saved for their hated enemies.
'A seedier place you could not find' was one of the few boasts the tavern could claim. Which perfectly suited many of the patrons, one such being Noriko, formerly of the Yamanaka clan, a young woman of sixteen whose appearance was masked by a black cloak embroidered with red clouds?
She sat and listened to the mass of humanity around her while sipping what the barkeeper had claimed was mead, the taste however could have classified it as anything from vomit to really tasty gutter water.
Grimacing with the vile taste the girl concentrated on the conversations around her, listening to any information that would be valid to her mission. She had been nursing the drink for over an hour and still not a word was said about the young Hyuuga heiress who had disappeared from Konoha so suddenly.
Pushing her glasses to the bridge of her nose irritably the girl rose from her table and threaded her way through the crowded room looking for her partner. Looking from table to table still she could not spot a second figure in the same cloak, with a growing feeling of dread she headed for the exit.
Fat drops of rain fell from the heavens turning the dirt path leading to the inn into a mass of mud and puddles, making her way gingerly through the mess the girl began to curse as the falling rain covered her glasses turning the world into a collection of blurs. Now unable to see clearly and slowly getting soaked the young woman headed onwards headless of the dirt and water. Hearing a sigh over the pounding rain she looked to her right seeing nothing but the trees which surrounded the path. About to continue onwards she head another sound, this time a moan. Making her decision she turned from her path and entered the forest, as silent as a ghost.
Gliding through the trees she was pleased to find herself mostly sheltered from the falling rain, which was only noticeable by the soft thumps it produced as it hit the forest canopy above. As she entered further the sounds became more pronounced, heavy breathing intertwined with moans and a silent voice begging "Please….please"
Her unease turned to a mix of horror and disgust, she knew what she was about to see, she had witnessed it before. But even as a part of her begged herself to turn away, to go back to the warm tavern, another more reckless part kept her legs moving towards the sounds. Morbid curiosity filling her she continued like a moth to the flame. And as she passed another oak she saw.
The scene could have been taken right out of a romance novel, in the faint light of the moon two figures stood embracing seeming to be in the middle of a passionate kiss. The woman's long inky black hair covering most of hers and her partners faces then traveling further down to blend in the black cloak of the Akatsuki, almost invisible in the darkness of the trees, the red clouds embroidered along the black silk unseen in the gloom. Soft kissing sounds mingled with the patter of the falling rain, and then stopped. The black haired woman slowly moved her face away from the partners. The expression on the man's face confirmed that something was very wrong, and that this was anything but a romantic scene.
Noriko recognized him, she had seen him earlier in the tavern laughing with another group of men. In the tavern he had been wearing a roguish smile on this face while his blue eyes had twinkled with mirth, all that had changed. Mouth now agape his eyes bulged and rolled in their sockets wildly while tears leaked from them, blue eyes screaming the pain that showed clearly on his face. But where such an expression on any other man would have been accompanied by tortured screams of pain all this one managed to expel from his mouth were horrified weak sobs of "Please…….please"
"My beautiful one" purred the woman as she stroked his chest.
"Please…".
"You love me don't you?" she half asked half demanded while softly stroking his cheek with back of one hand.
A spasm of pain passed across the man's face as the skin she had touched blackened and died "Please….." croaked the man, his life clearly ending "please…….please".
Noriko stopped herself from vomiting as she witnessed what she considered the vilest bloodline in creation. Being born in Konoha she had never understood the fanatical hatred of unique bloodlines that had spread in some countries, Wave Country being a good example. But over the two years she had been with her partner she had not only began to understand, but also to fear herself.
"What kind of ill luck would give you the ability to cause pain simply by touch?" Noriko thought still feeling sick at her partners, Itoshi Ayame condition. She also knew now that the ability want controllable which was why at this moment a man was dieing.
"Tell me" she Ayame, her face hidden by the darkness.
"Please, tell me you love me" she begged desperately, getting nothing but another feeble "please". For a moment the Noriko saw a paroxysm of despair and rage pass through her partners face as a stray beam of moon light briefly caught her.
"Tell me you love me!" shrieked the woman, her hands tightening around the man's throat. Her only reply was a gurgling noise as his throat blackened beneath her hands.
With a scream of rage and misery Ayame began to beat the man, each new strike darkening his skin more until blood began leaking from the hideous wounds.
Noriko watched with growing horror and then bolted running through the forest, the hood of her black cloak catching on branches and bushes as she sped back to the path tearing the cloth from her head and letting her long gold hair fall free. All the while screams of pain and fury echoed behind her.
After a few seconds frantic running she reached the muddy trail leading to the tavern. The girl stopped breathing hoarsely more from fright than anything else. Looking around she saw the faint lights of the tavern partially hidden behind a rise of trees and realized at she had distanced her from the building rather than nearing it.
With a bitter laugh the girl fell to her knees, letting the pounding rain soak her as mud seeped through her cloak freezing her feet and legs. She felt numb, that thing tearing a man apart in the forest was her partner, the woman she had traveled with now for two years and she had now for the second time seen her commit a vile murder. The worst thing was knowing that it would happen again, and knowing that it had already happened before, countless times. 'Knowing that you wont do anything to stop it' a sly part of her mind whispered to her. She ignored it, what did her, a member of the Akatsuki care for the life of one pathetic man? She herself had killed countless times and saw many others die, it was nothing to her. 'Ah, but to see them die so horribly' she grimaced.
A brief flash of lightning and the boom of distant thunder sounded distracting the now drenched girl from her dark thoughts. Standing up she started to trudge back to the tavern when a voice stopped her.
"Noriko"
She stopped and turned in surprise swiftly scanning the path and trees surrounding it with no results.
"It really is you" the feminine voice came again seeming shocked.
A flash of lightning, this time illuminating the speaker who stood in the boughs of a tree fifteen feet away. She wore a simple white mask decorated with large red segmented eyes painted around the eye holes and a set of mandibles painted where a mouth should have been. White plates covered most of her forearms, the plate on her left arm so long that if jutted past her elbow, the same material covered her torso and shins. Crouching on the bow of the tree her armour wet and shining in the feeble moonlight gave her the appearance of a deadly insect, tense and ready to strike. The two tattoos one of a flame underlined below that of a leaf displayed proudly on her right arm confirmed Noriko's immediate assumption that this was an ANBU of Konoha.
The ANBU jumped gracefully from the tree flipping in the air once before landing seven feet from the now wary Noriko.
"Who are you" Noriko asked readying a jutsu that would have the woman immobilised in nanoseconds.
Instead of replying the ANBU simply undid her mask letting it fall to the mud with a dull squish
For the second time that night Noriko got a very unpleasant shock " Jeska w-what are you doing here!?"
The ANBU herself a girl no older than sixteen narrowed her dark eyes in anger "That was my question, they told me Itachi had killed you" accusation and fury thick in her voice.
The unmasked kunoichi stood there in the rain, short black hair refusing to bow to the weight of the water slowly soaking it making it look even wilder than Noriko remembered. The same lips, the same slightly upturned nose and the same dark eyes fixated on her drinking in a friend thought dead for years.
Noriko simply stood and stared for a few moments at the best friend she never thought to see again.
"Well he didn't kill me, he took me with him" she managed finally.
"Why? Why did you go Noriko? Why did you leave!?" Jeska asked a edge of despair mixing with the anger.
But Noriko heard the unasked question; "why didn't you take me?"
"I-I met him as he was making his escape and convinced him to take me" Noriko began hesitantly her eyes far away, remembering. "He was acting so strangely but I managed to convince him to double back into the village and try and find you but when we came to our meeting place you weren't there. By that time the whole village was in uproar, we had to leave without you to avoid capture. Before we left Itachi performed a strange jutsu which created a perfect copy of my body, he didn't want my parents to know that I'd betrayed the Leaf. I'm sorry Jeska.
Blood drained from the raven haired ANBU's face leaving her skin looking almost translucent in the faint moonlight. The rain dripping onto Noriko's glasses made her friend seem like a pale spirit, her face now blurring with her white her armor.
Shaking her head slowly Jeska whispered hoarsely "Noriko, I'm going to have to kill you"
"No Jeska, join us. It'll be like before, the three of us doing what ever we want" Noriko pleaded hoping against hope. Her friend stood silent seeming to freeze, then a hint of movement, she shook her head weakly, uncertainly. Then just as Noriko began to speak Jeska shook her head more firmly.
"No, it's too late for that Noriko, my family are depending on me and with the Third dead, Tsunade-sama needs every able bodied shinobi, the Leaf is fading, my village is on the brink of collapse" the overstated word reminding Noriko painfully that she was now a renegade "and I wont abandon it. My responsibility as a ANBU captain of Konoha demands that I-"
"Don't do it Jeska" Noriko's voice rang out warningly "I don't want to kill you"
"I don't know how much you've improved but before you left you had still never beaten me in any of our matches. Also, know that I am now considered one of the finest fighters in the Aburame clan. Noriko, you cant win" Jeska said dispassionately, stating a fact, but then she was never one to brag Noriko thought sadly.
"Jeska don't do this" the blond warned.
But the appeal went unheeded as the wild haired ANBU raised her arms, adding the sound of thousands of bugs to the patter of the falling rain.
Luminous green insects crawled onto Jeska's arms and began to fly, looking like tiny glowing fireworks as they rose. They joined the normal bugs in flight throwing the immediate area into a soft emerald glow.
Poison bugs, highly evolved bugs that not only had the ability of poisoning opponents but also bestowed resistance to most other poisons. Noriko remembered the day Jeska had attained the insects. The normally solemn girl had been bursting with happiness, very few of the Aburame clan managed to cultivate the deadly creatures within their bodies, to achieve such a feat was a symbol of pride and great promise to the clan. To celebrate the two friends had went to their favourite ice cream parlour, It turned out the new bugs liked the ice cream as much as the girls, joining Jeska in green droves to sample the desert. The bugs had promptly been dubbed ice cream bugs by the giggling kunoichi's.
"Ice cream bugs" Noriko blurted, snapping her out of the happy memory of another life.
Jeska recoiled as if struck, the swarm of flying bugs recoiling with her "Damn you Noriko don't make this harder" she said, a flash of pain tracing her features.
But in that moment of hesitation Noriko won. Even as her friend spoke her hands began to form seals beginning the most powerful Genjutsu she knew. Seeing the blond kunoichi's sudden flurry of movement Jeska raised her hand ordering her bugs to attack. But even as they began their flight towards cloaked girl the last seal was completed.
"Ultimate deception no jutsu!"
As suddenly as they had started the little green comets stopped. Buzzing almost in a confused manner the glowing bugs began to retreat.
A look of complete astonishment showed it's self on Jeska's face "What did you do" she gasped near panic "I can't feel her at all!" she screamed clutching at her chest.
"You shouldn't have told me about her" Noriko sobbed "you should have kept it a secret!" she screamed accusingly.
A look of horrified comprehension dawned on the raven haired teens face "You're controlling her"
Still crying Noriko nodded "I'm sorry Jeska, I'm so sorry"
A look of utter fear swamped the Aburame's black eyes, then receded slightly as determination came to the fore, Jeska began running at her friend, a kunai gripped firmly in her right hand. Even as she ran, behind Jeska's hammering heart the Queen attacked.
The Queen, the most important organism in the hive lived within every Aburame shinobi. Nesting behind the beating heart of her host she directed the hive within the rest of the body using commands both hormonal and chakra based to carry out the will of the shinobi she resided within. And using that knowledge Noriko had created her own Genjutsu, one that would fool the most vital creature within her friends body to act against her.
'Who'd have thought that Jeska would be killed by a secret she told her best friend' Noriko thought bitterly tears and rain now indistinguishable on her face.
Reeling in confusion the Queen held fast by Noriko's powerful jutsu attacked the host she had lived in for fifteen years. Wickedly sharp mandibles and scythe like arms pierced her hosts, Jeska's heart, stopping the girl in her tracks only three feet away from Noriko.
"Oh", sounding surprised Jeska shuddered then fell to her knees. Before she could fall further Noriko had her, wrapping her arms around her dieing friend.
"Noriko" Jeska gasped, her hand clutching the traitors shoulder with desperate strength.
"What is it?" she sniffed while softly stroking her friend's unruly hair.
"Love you" she managed smiling dimly, her eyes far away, then, "tell him……..tell him I love him too", and then with a last shuddering breath the spark went from her dark eye's, Aburame Jeska died.
Noriko felt as if the hands of the Death God themselves had just entered her chest and tore out her heart. With a scream of pure sorrow she collapsed into the mud, holding Jeska's corpse like it was the last precious thing on earth.
Through the raw grief she only had one thought, 'How am I going to tell Itachi I killed one of our cells?'
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He had grease dripping from his chin and fingers, his cloths were in mud smeared tatters, and he probably smelled like something that had died three days ago, but Tetoya Mizuki had never felt better.
Shuffling closer to his small camp fire the missing-nin took another roasting rabbit from it's spit and bit into it's haunch savoring the crunch of the seared flesh and the salty flavor that filled his mouth.
'Sure beats the tasteless crap I got in prison'
After the time spent in a dark, damp cell the forest teeming with life and sound was heaven. Before the prospect of catching his own food and sleeping on the forest floor would have filled him with disgust, now such thoughts sent bolts of pure happiness through him, he was free and every twig that dug in his back when he went to sleep and every rabbit that evaded his capture reminded him of that fact.
At first he hadn't known what it was, a strange feeling had crept up on him as he began to live of the land, traversing trees, digging for roots, hunting wild game. When he had finally understood this strange and peaceful feeling he had gotten quiet a shock, for the first time in his life he felt content.
'Fuck power, this is happiness and I'm going to squeeze every bit of it out of the time I have'
Mizuki doubted that he would live much longer; his employer had bid him to wait in the deeper areas of the forest surrounding Konoha until he was summoned. Even if he managed to assassinate his target he had no illusions about living long after.
'Either the Leaf will kill me or my employer will to ensure silence'
He couldn't escape, the mysterious Kan had promised him that he would learn the second he left the forest and Mizuki didn't want to test him. Right now the only thing keeping a pack of hunter-nin off his back was the Genjutsu Kan had placed on his old cell, his former captors still believed him to be at their beck and call.
Absently gnawing on a rabbit bone he mused about how much he had changed during his time in the cell, all his dreams of power had been scoured away. It's hard to maintain the ambition of Hokage in a prison cell.
You don't know what you've got till it's gone was the old saying; Mizuki had always thought that he understood it. He remembered idly quoting the phrase once when his T.V conked out leaving him sitcom less for weeks. He finished gnawing the bone and laughed, losing a T.V was one thing. But losing the right to decent food (he licked his fingers clean of grease enjoying the taste), to fresh air (he breathed in the night savouring the smells of pine and earth), to simply gaze at the sky (he looked above admiring the starry night).
What did the pretty Hokage hat matter, 'Why be leader of the village when you can be king of the forest' he thought with a snort of laughter
On a sudden whim he jumped to his feet and ran from the fire, with a "WHOOP!" he leap into the forest canopy running as fast as he could, savoring the tense and flex of his muscles as they carried him faster and higher. Climbing among the trees and sliding along their branches he felt like a kid again, a kid in his own playground. A playground of which he knew every nook and cranny, where he was invincible.
So he laughed and ran, he didn't know where he was going or why, but he ran, feeling a wildness enter him like the wildness of the forest it's self was entering him and claiming him as one of it's own. Ancient oaks, willows, cedars, and evergreens he passed in seconds feeling an almost unnatural awareness of their life force around him, like slumbering giants they lay, massive, teeming with vitality yet utterly still. He sped on, the trees around him turning into green blurs, until ahead he saw something that made him stop in wonder.
In front of him lay the largest tree he had ever seen, as a man dwarfed a child so did this tree dwarf all others around it. The Heart tree, seed father, first tree. He, like all children of Konoha had heard stories of this tree; it was a holy place for many of the clans and featured heavily in most of their mythologies. Centuries ago there had been many of these leviathans dotted around the countries of the Shinobi but as they years passed many had died, either due to disease or causes of man (the brief but bloody war between Leaf and Stone had been started by a stone shinobi's destruction of a Heart tree sapling that had began to growing on the borders of Fire country) until the only one Heart tree left lay in the country of Fire next to Konoha. Some legends even claimed that the tree had sentient awareness and could speak when it chose to. Before he had would have snorted at such a notion but in the noon light the trees majesty seemed unmatched, as he gazed upon it he though anything possible.
Walking towards it in a daze he touched it's rough bark feeling it's sticky sap beneath his skin like blood, he suddenly felt incredibly insignificant. A sense of awe overwhelmed him, he felt humbled, but even as this emotion took him the fierce joy that had filled him all night did not disappear but instead grew. He felt that somehow he had found his place in the world and a profound rightness suffused him. Mizuki looked above at the huge branches towering over him, instinctively he bowed his head letting his forehead touch the bark of the ancient tree. Instantly he felt a life force so huge it bordered on godly, he felt it turn it's attention to him.
'Little one,' it boomed in a cavernous voice, conveying untold ages of wisdom 'you have answered my summons, I have need of you'
The voice rocked into his mind, he felt like a sledge hammer was beating at his brain, Mizuki simply sagged against the Heart tree too overwhelmed to speak.
'You will warn them, the darkness is coming once again to consume the earth. The Youkai and your race have forgotten your true roles and it seems it is left up to me to remind you. Now see the past and remember'
Suddenly he felt himself falling backwards, arms flailing wildly he screamed, then just as suddenly as it had began it stopped. He found himself flying, and he saw.
He saw a land torn by war, drenched in blood and chaos. He saw demons, countless demons shining like suns of every imaginable color standing side by side on a great plain, he could feel their dread and sadness, their death was approaching. And just as the Youkai waited exhibiting a riot of stunning colors so their opponents stood on the other end of the plain, beings so black that their very presence drank the light surrounding them. To Mizuki, looking at it from a birds eye view the contrasts was staggering to see, like life and death staring at each other from across the room.
Then with roars that shook the very pillars of creation the tide of darkness came forward, the earth shaking with their approach.. Returning it's own roars, howls and shrieks of defiance the Youkai prepared for battle. And so the tide of blackness crashed against the multicolored host.
Mizuki's view of the battle shifted as his birds eye view was changed, zooming in until it seemed he was walking through the carnage. A foot away from him a colossal bear spirit shining in white brilliance had it's throat torn out by a shadowy monstrosity with countless arms and a huge gaping maw. Mizuki watched in terror as the thing began to tear at the bears dissipating body only to have it's feast interrupted as a giant cerulean falcon shrieked, plummeting from the sky it's clawed feet plunging into the beings misshapen head and destroying it before it could even look up. The fighting seemed to go on for hours, constantly surging and ebbing from one sides favor to the others.
A violet colored wolf hamstrung a dark being that looked like a hideously mutated hound, it fell to the earth with a screech of pain and was quickly butchered by a emerald green preying mantis it's scythe like hands moving in a blur to end the struggling creatures life. It in turn was covered by a sheet of foul black liquid spat from the mouth of another monstrosity, looking like a organic cannon held up by pulsating tentacles. The mantis clicked in agony as the tarry substance began to corrode it's exoskeleton, only to be saved as a orange toad jumped up washing the thick fluid away with a jet of water from it's mouth. On the fighting raged and slowly but surely the Youkai began to be pushed back by the seemingly endless masses of their inky enemies.
Mizuki felt wetness on his cheeks as tears of despair escaped him his eyes witnessing countless heroes fight and die. He watched as the same violet wolf he had seen earlier go mad with grief as it witnessed it's entire pack slain. With a howl of agony it ran into the black mass, killing five of the black monsters and taking a sixth down even as they overwhelmed it, tearing it apart. The wolf's brilliant violet fur flickering and then disappearing in the shadow.
Once again Mizuki found himself floating above the melee, helplessly watching as the light was slowly swallowed. But then he noticed two pinpricks of color in the middle of the black mass. A fox, it's blood red glow easily distinguishable from the darkness surrounding it. The demon moved through the vile creatures ringing it, untouchable as the wind. Mizuki gasped with shock, it was the same fox! He watched amazed as the same Kyubi that had attacked Konoha leap nimbly away from attack aimed at it all the while laughing in an unmistakably feminine voice. Shaking his head with disbelief the nin rubbed his eyes making sure that it was in fact the same spirit, and it was. He could never forget the monster that had almost destroyed his village. It was almost identical to the last time he had seen it only if anything it looked younger and, he noted with surprise, where before there had been nine tails only three were now showing, waving wildly in the air as the Kyubi dodged and span among the shadows.
Twenty feet away from the glowing red fox another demon ran among the shade's. It's banded black tail held stiffly in the air a gold tinted Tanuki also danced among them laughing disparagingly, at the creatures around it standing out like a glinting like a gold coin among the shadows.
He watched amazed as first the Kyubi then Tanuki seemed to jump straight into two different shadow creatures. Their pursuers becoming puzzled at the sudden disappearance of their quarries looked around but soon lost interest brining their attention back the beleaguered Youkai. But Mizuki undeterred carefully examined the two shadow beings the demons had disappeared within. He watched as the shadow the Kyubi had disappeared into grinned at the Tanuki's shadow being, it's red grin returned by a golden one.
As one the two possessed shadows leapt onto their former comrades and began tearing into them with wild abandon. Confused at the sudden attack at their backs the other shadow creatures lashed out at each other soon starting a free for all. Mizuki all the while keeping his eyes on the disguised Kyubi and Tanuki watched with rising hope as the two repeated the trick again and again until countless dark beasts began to attack each other seeming to all but forget the Youkai they were battling with not moments before.
Laughing with unholy glee the disguised demons ran through the shadows killing indiscriminately until finally throwing of their cloaks and showing their true colors. By this time the dark beasts were too embroiled with killing each other to notice the two tricksters who rejoined the other Youkai, bowing to the cheers their comrades showered them with.
Mizuki watched laughing with relief as the demons regrouped and as one charged into the dark mass of their disarrayed enemies. Plunging and cleaving into them like a hot knife through butter, and with that charge, thoroughly disheartened the shadows scattered retreating wherever possible. Suddenly the scene changed.
A different place, peaks rose around him now tipped in snow. The air was heavy with cold and the ground thick with cold, again two hosts stood waiting for battle. But this time it was the shadows that were outnumbered, assembled in a defensive ring as on the other side of them waited the Youkai and at their feet dwarfed by their allies seeming like ants stood humans. Countless numbers of them, riding horses, lizards, wolfs, lions, bears, even snakes Mizuki was surprised to see. He saw people of all ages from wrinkly grandfathers to callow youths of both gender all wearing identical grim expressions. There would be much death today.
A demon stalked from the assembled ranks and turned to the waiting mass. It was once again the same Kyubi only this time four tails swayed in the wind.
"It is time!" the Kyubi cried, feminine voice echoing around the clearing, Mizuki hesitantly began thinking of the fox as a she. "Let's finish this once and for all, today we send the Oni back to the hell they came from!". At the crowds roar of approval she turned. And as one the host surged forward running through the snow with astonishing speed, and just as they met with the Oni a blast of light brought Mizuki back to reality.
He blinked owlishly until the bark in front of him came into focus.
'Warn Konoha little human, you must bring the demons back' the trees voice resonated within him.
Still disorientated he shook his head weakly wanting to tell the tree that demons were evil, that they hated humans. But then he remembered the Kyubi and in doing so remembered Naruto "I…I'll see what I can do"
'You must do this Mizuki, you must also tell the Hokage that a group of shinobi will soon arrive in the village, and she is to send them to me'
"Wait you just expect me to waltz into Kono- wait, what do you mean she?"
'The Fifth Hokage'
"What Fifth!? What happened to the Third!"
'He lost his life to the Death God'
"Death God!?, oh never mind it doesn't matter anyway I cant go into Konoha they'll kill me as soon as speak to me"
'You must do this' the tree repeated stolidly.
"I don't have to do anything!" Mizuki retorted begging to grow angry.
'Mizuki I have chosen you as my speaker'
"You've chosen me to tell the people who want nothing better than to kill me that a tree in the woods has proclaimed the apocalypse and the only way to stop it is to return the blood thirsty Youkai to the world?"
'I'm glad you understand little one' the Heart tree rumbled sounding proud of him.
Mizuki gaped at the tree before him "Don't I get a choice in this?"
'We don't always get a choice little one'
"What's to stop me from simply going from here and ignoring your warnings?"
'You believe them and you don't want to see the end of the world any more than I do'
"All right, but I'm going to die" Mizuki acceded, sighing in defeat. Then through his contact with the tree he felt a huge surge of pride and affection, he couldn't help but smile.
'Don't worry, while you are my speaker I will protect you with my power'
Unnaturally, as soon as the words were spoken Mizuki felt all his worries melt away. Again he felt the wildness that had drove him on earlier return.
'Go little one, enjoy this night, tomorrow your true task begins'
Needing no further urging Mizuki broke contact with the Heart tree and again raced through the forest once again feeling the sense of rightness fill him.
Jumping from tree to tree seeing a great cleft ahead with a huge run up, he jumped. Jagged rock beneath and the timeless sky above he flew between earth and heaven, between life and death and crowed with exaltation. A small part of his mind warned him to stay quiet that such noise will bring the hunters down on him, but he ignored it refusing to let such a small thing as death spoil this night. With a thud he landed inches from the edge rolling to absorb the impact and without missing a beat continued on.
Through the blur of trees he saw a lake ahead and with a cry of delight he sprang from the topmost branch of the ancient willow bordering the lake and leap in, the icy water taking his breath away. He swam for how long he could not say letting the water wash away the dirt from his body and the worries from his soul, and when he finally emerged he felt reborn, read for anything.
Ready to die.
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The moment they entered the village they knew that something strange was going on. The entrance which should have at least had one guard was deserted; as were the narrow streets and market stalls they passed giving them the uncomfortable impression that they had just entered a ghost town.
Naruto's initial irritation at finding a third food stall empty began to deepen into full blown worry, where they ever going to eat?
Hinata however was taking the disappearance of the villagers far more seriously, hearing a distant roar the pair began running through the empty streets following the sound. Turning a sharp corner they found where all the people had gone ahead of them seemed to be the entire population of the small village. Their backs turned to the two Genins, their attentions focused on something that Hinata and Naruto could not see.
"Thirteen years I've been waiting for this, you should have been put down a long time ago" the voice floated above the crowed filled with the promise of death. Another voice replied softer than the first, it sounded slightly familiar to Naruto.
Wanting to see what was going on Naruto began to push through the crowd losing Hinata in the press.
"You're not touching my brother!" a young woman's voice screamed.
'Now that definitely sounded familiar' mused Naruto, looking around him for Hinata, Naruto saw the gentle natured girl trying to politely move through the crowd.
"A-ano, excuse me…..p-pardon me" her soft voice failing to reach the ears of the riveted throng.
Naruto sighed; he added being louder on the list of things to teach the girl. Moving back towards her Naruto grabbed her by the hand feeling the strange feeling surge through him again, looking into her surprised eyes he grinned "This is how you do it Hinata-chan" and with that Naruto began pushing through the crowed using his free elbow to good effect leaving a trail of devastation at his back. Still clutching Hinata by the hand he plowed forward leaving the shocked girl following in his wake trying to apologies to the various injured villagers, "S-sorry, oh dear are you ok?, I'm very sorry"
Seeing an opening ahead Naruto gave one last jab with his elbow catching an unfortunately tall man in the crotch. With a shriek of pain the man went down, Naruto passed happily not even noticing the man. "H-he didn't mean it" Hinata managed weakly as she passed the crouching man who was by now in tears.
Naruto's happiness on finally seeing what was going on disappeared. Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara stood in a line all looking the worse for wear, threads of blood across their faces, their cloths torn and stained in the same fluid. Kankuro leaning heavily on Gaara's shoulders while Temari stood in front of them protectively ready for battle. Her fan out showing all three purple dots, a resolute look on her face. Across from them stood five men, an aura of death radiating off them like heat from the afternoon sun, their forehead protectors glinting in the light showing the hourglass of the Sand, they were unmistakably Jounins.
It looked like a very bad situation, so Naruto did what he did best. He escalated the situation.
"Gaara!? What the hell's going on!?"
The deathly blank look on Gaara's face fell away to be replaced with an expression of pure amazement "Naruto!?"
Deep within the blond haired Genin the Kyubi grinned, her red grin returned by a golden one…..
Author Notes:
First of all thanks David for betaing the chapter and doing a great job at that!
Well that took an age and a half to write. I had real trouble writing Noriko's scene writers block struck and it took me like a week to actually get it done. I'm still not too happy with it and I feel a rushed the Ayame's interaction with the poor sod she got into the forest. I will be explaining more of her background and abilities in further chapters. The whole scene was written to introduced a few more Akutsuki members.
Mizuki's scene was completely re written, he was going to leave the story in a matter of chapters but after reading some Japanese mythology about the Youkai, Oni and Shinto religion (the whole nature thing) I decided to drastically change the plot of the story and keep him for a while longer.
Go here for demon info/ Japanese folk lore
I'm going to try and release a chapter every two weeks, since I've got back from my hols I've got a job and I'm going to try and spend as much time with my friends before they all run off to uni. I'm sorry if that's too long but I gotta do what I gotta do!
Reviewers:
Deepest thanks to all my reviewers;
Wormkaizer, Anon, Xoni Newcomer, kadashi the wandering reviewer, Gopu, Drekko, EmeraldBlossom, Cookie6, EfrainMan, oOoshortayoOo, Devinj2000, Copy-Nin-Kakashi, The Dark Necromancer, Judiann, Emotwo, Licht Sieger, Gemin16, Crutches, The Prime Minister, Daniel of Lorien, trutenor, Edha Ohn, Mikeh, Ahyanah, Rune-Rune, SacredGoggles, Falcon-Rider, Kuwabaras pupil and I.P.Freely, David, Valkun, hikariko, DarkFusion, xero-ghost, Toruxxx, Sirus183, kai013, animEvivvErz, ookami-kun, leftcenter, DeathWorks, CanalVorfeed1, minimerc, madpostman, wayfarer-redemption, skunktrain, chibified kistunes, smatdesa, Overlord of DARKNESS, Takai, Blade-Zero, and Alexires.
Well as everyone now knows Hinata has in fact gone with Naruto and Jiraiya, who knows what she will be able to accomplish in four years! I've got it all planned out and hopefully you'll like the development as much as I do.
Xero-ghost in reply to the whole Ganasku matter, well the guy was aiming for the eventual domination of the Uchiha clan not just a ruckus between Hiashi and Hinata which does little to disrupt the Leaf as a whole but totally shoots his plan to pieces.
Skunktrain you're right, I shouldn't have ended the chapter that way, I was going for a dramatic finish, but as you've seen in this chapter (if you've read it!) I didn't jump ahead four years and the end of chapter eight does give the impression that I will. I'll find some time and fix it.
Overlord of DARKNESS well there is a little bit of Gaara in the chapter, originally I was going to write more but decided against it, I wanted to get this chapter out because it's been long enough already. But there will be plenty more Gaara and the other two (as unimportant as they are. Jk!)
Anon thank you for your kind words, I'm glad you've stuck with the story and I hope you enjoy this chapter too.
Thanks also to the Kitsune no Hana crew. Xero-ghost, Crutches, Hikariko, and Chibified Kitsunes, we all hang about at this NaruHina shrine, I would recommended it for all fans of the pairing. All credit from this great site is due to our resident Hokage Lillikira.
I've only gotten this far thanks to everyone's encouragement and support, I couldn't have done it without you guys, and girls!! Thanks everyone, keep reading and keep those reviews coming. Wormkaizer deserves a special mention here having reviewed every single chapter. Thanks mate!