AN: Yeah, sorry bout that inuyasha-girl, but chances are I wont be updated SoDToT at all. I wrote it down on paper and the story just kinda stagnated and died, that and because I was in such a rush t write it the online version jumps all over the dman place and has become a jumbled mess, which I've gotten a few complaints about lol.
Anyway, due to my OmfghowdidIgetsomany reviews (2) :D, I'm going to continue this story...because it's my favorite .
Any questions or comments can be asked in reviews and ill get back to you next chapter, long, detailed reviews are welcome, though everybody has to love the "joo roxxor!" reviews too :P.
Anyway, On with the fic.
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Tracing the Clouds
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Chapter 2: So these two guys walk into a bar...
Iro ambled boredly about town. Having nowhere in particular to be this day, he decided on sight-seeing, and perhaps finding a nice place to go and eat. "It's about time I found myself a haunt." He mumbled to himself, nodding to his comment in agreement. He did his best to pretend he didn't notice all the looks he was getting from the townsfolk, but it wasnt easy, there was such a large variety of facial expressions, and the all amused him to no end. The common folk of the village immediately plastered themselves against the nearest wall whenever he came by, faces gaunt with unabashed terror as their eyes graced over the scarred Sound hitai-ita, their reaction so comical it tempted him on several occasions to do a double-take of their street just to see it again. The Ninja, however, reacted entirely differently. Many of them stiffened, their hands subconsciously slipping to their kunai holsters. To these, Iro dipped his head in greeting, smiling slightly, and cracking up inwardly as he watched their face go from stony composure to deep puzzlement. Others, gennin and chuunin mostly, did their level best to pretend they didn't give a damn. Some of them tried so hard Iro could almost feel them clenching their buttocks, it was hilarious. They reaked with indifferance, but when he met their eyes, he could see the fear.
"Honestly." He mumbled aloud, not caring who heard. "It's been two months since they dragged me in here, you'd figure folks would realize I wasn't gonna blow anybody up by now..." He grinned inwardly in a mix of amusement and resign. It was indeed rather funny to watch everyone scurry, but it'd be nice to just strike up a friendly conversation with someone for once. He started as a voice behind him replied to his comment. "Pfft. Sixteen years and people still think I'm a demon fox here to eat their children...go figure." Iro turned around to find the source of the sarcasm-laiden comment, and almost immediately ran into a tall, grinning blonde-haired boy. "Naruto..." he murmured, voice only hinting at the disdain he felt for this ninja. It was he and his team who had dragged him into this village after all. His mind clouded temporarily in the mist of remensicing.
It was bright, sunny day, much like the one that glimmered about him now. He had just got out of bed, and having finally awakened from the zombie-mode that generally made up his morning, he had hopped downstairs to greet the surly old man who was his landlord, before strolling off to find something to do. Then they showed up... He fought well, severely injuring two, almost killing another -This one- he reminded himself, but in the end he had run out of chakra, and passed out from the bloodloss his trump technique induced... "Oh comon!" Naruto exclaimed, the annoyingly loud nin snapping Iro once again from his brooding. "Don't tell me you've still got hard feelings against me? I was only doing what I was told, and it's not like you were the one with the knife in your gut!" Naruto prodded him in the stomach to emphasize his point, and while Iro made a point of giving him the 'don't touch me unless you want another' eye, he admitted the guy had a point. Ah well, it wasn't like him to hold grudges anyway, and besides, this was the first person who had actually talked to him of their own will since he was detained. He suddenly grinned. "Ah well," he replied wistfully, "I guess if you can't hold a grudge for getting a blade rammed through your inner workings, then I can't hold one for being dragged in to this shithole." The grin grew larger as a blonde eyebrow twitched at the "shithole" statement, but the big dopey smile the boy wore only widened, and he slapped Iro hard on the back, rounding him about to face down an unfamiliar street. "THAT'S THE SPIRIT! Now come with me! I know a great place to eat, best food on the planet!!"
Two hours later, Iro and Naruto sat at the counter of the Ichikaru, a rather large pile of empty bowls stacked precariously in front of them. Seven were his, about twenty-three Naruto's. Iro had to admire the voraciousness with which this kid ate. If he put as much effort into his fighting, he'd be a force to be reckoned with. Iro had never really liked Ramen, but it had been so long since he'd had anything other than take-out and chicken katsu bentos that the change had been most welcome, and he had devoured six bowls before he began to feel any urge to stop. Over their meals, the two young men had shared a mouth-filled discussion, both learning a bit about one another. Iro had been rather suprised to learn that this blonde-headed boy was the keeper of the Kyuubi, the most feared of the four Youma. Evidently the guy had more of a cross to bear than just being an idiot.
Iro was impressed, and somewhat inspired that through all of the young man's trials and tribulations he still managed to walk through life with a smile. He considered for a moment that perhaps ignorance was indeed bliss, but as the afternoon faded to dusk, he began to sense something special about the nin who sat before him. He was simple, that was obvious, but he had a good-naturedness about him that Iro hadn't seen before. The kind of simple purity that was just so odd in it's existance that the very concept baffled Iro. He seemed to function on the concept that everyone was basically good, and then worked his impression of them from there. It was a point of view that the ex sound-nin found quite refreshing, having served so long under various sensei's that had hated their own existence, not to mention that of any other human being's. No, it wasn't ignorance. It was an undying devotion to those he loved that kept this boy going, and Iro admired this.
Naruto had learned of the darkness of Iro's early existance and began to feel that no matter how much the other young man tried to convey the opposite, Iro was in fact extremely grateful that he had been brought into the village. It was true that everyone tried to keep him at arm's distance and the tension could be felt anywhere he went, but at least they weren't asking anything of him that would destroy his life, or leave unhealing mental scars. That, apparently, was what Sound Village was all about. The unruly brown hair of the young sound missing-nin was ruffled time and again by bandaged hands as he gave Naruto a brief summary of his life, ommiting a few details...such as tayuya...that were perhaps best kept to himself. He explained the long history of his clan, who were mostly dispersed now, their blood being mingled to uselessness among the various countries, most having lost the ability to cut into the rift generations ago. When Naruto questioned him on this, Iro at once realized his mistake, and backpedaled, but as he continued to prod, the young man gave in. After all, hadnt Naruto shared his secret? He supposed it was only right that an eye be for an eye, and began to explain the rather complicated ability that was a blood inheritance of his clan.
"You see," he started, "the Karu family is one of the oldest in the Sound village. We existed centuries before Orochimaru founded his Hidden Village, and until just recently sent our strongest away to other countries to learn and become strong...thats largely the reason our bloodline has become so weak, and is dying out." Naruto nodded, urging him to continue. "We have a special ability that cannot be learned outside the family, because it requires a special kind of tenketsu (chakra hole) configuration only passed down in our bloodline, and only to those with relatively pure blood...I'm one of the last with this pure blood. Anything below 25 percent is pretty much useless." He returned to chowing down, but stopped as he noticed Naruto still staring at him.
"Wurt?" (mouth full)
"You still haven't explained what any of your special abilities are."
Iro sighed. He knew he wouldn't get away with that one. "Well...it's pretty complicated..." He shot Naruto a glance to see if he was buying it. He wasn't. Another sigh. "You see my clan crest? The three triangles forming a sortof diamond with the small triangle hovering over and pointing down at the middle one?" A nod. "Well, each one of those triangles stands for something. The one farthest to the left, the white one is heaven, the first plain. The second one in the middle, the largest, the grey one, is Earth, the second plain, which we all live on. The third is Hell, the third plain, and not a pleasant place. But the fourth..." at this he gestured to the smallest triangle on the tattoo that marked the left side of his face, right under his left eye. "The smallest triangle is the Fourth plain...it's kindof a divider between the other three, and..." he paused for effect, "It's the one my clan can use to their advantage."
Naruto's eyes widened, and he was about to ask just what advantage this was, when both boys turned to notice a tall silver-haired jounin and a sullen looking pink-haired kunoichi heading in their direction. He noticed a smile flit briefly across her pink lips at the sight of his blonde companion, but it dissappeared just a quickly as it came and was replaced with a sort of pinched expression he couldn't really read as she noticed him. She turned on her heel and was about to initiate in a hasty retreat, but it was already to late, as the loud obnoxious voice of the foxy blond nin sitting at the counter reverberated through the lamplit street. "SAKURA-CHAN! KAKASHI-SENSEI!! Come! sit and eat with me and my new pal!!" At this he slapped a rather agitated-looking Iro on the shoulder, who shot him a venemous glare and began to crack his knuckles. Naruto, of course, took no notice. Reluctantly Sakura turned back, allowing Kakashi to lead her up to the bar. "One shrimp ramen please." "Commin' right up, lil missy!" was the response from somewhere behind the counter. "One beef for me, please." Said Kakashi smoothly, fiddling boredly with a loose string on his Jounin shirt. "Right away sir!"
"So Sakura-chan, how was your day? Learn anything new?" Naruto beamed at her, and Iro saw the tell-tale signs of a crush run over the boy's face. He grinned faintly, noting that the girl was another of the squad that had apprehended him. She was pretty, but he didn't like how she always seemed so delicate. Iro grudgingly admitted he had a thing for women who stood up for themselves.
"I...I'd rather not, Naruto..." She leaned over, murmuring quietly to him. "Not in front of him." Naruto sat back with a puzzled expression. "Um, okay..." Iro stood, leaving a rather excessive bill on the counter, almost three times what the meal actually cost. "Why does everybody always assume I'm deaf." Sakura's face burned red. "I-I'm sorry, it's just--" "No you're not." Iro cut her off, turning to face her, the chill in his eyes creeping up her spine like an icy vine. "You're mad because I beat you. I can understand that, hell, I'd be fuming if someone nailed me like that, without so much as breaking a sweat." The pink Kunoichi was stunned, her face flashing between rage and shock and remourse. Naruto's glance shifted between the two frantically, and with no small amount of urgency in his voice he pleaded "come on now Iro, that ain't nice. You too Sakura, how's about we all just have a seat and talk it out?"
"That's alright Naruto, I need to head home anyway, last day at the academy tomorrow, gotta get some sleep so i can come up with some real zingers for Iruka-sensei." With that he ran a hand through his disheveled-looking hair and walked off. Naruto looked slightly crestfallen, and turning to Sakura, he gave the pink-haired young woman a quizzical, slightly hurt look. "What'd you do that for, Sakura-chan? He's a nice guy you know--" "Shut up." She snapped, Naruto visibly wincing at her outburst. "I don't care how nice he is, he's from that village, and always will be. No good has ever come out of that village. Kakashi sat quietly between the two, pondering the young man who had just left. He had felt very little of anything until a minute ago, and deemed the boy average at most, probably a little below. Then Sakura had said something, and the enourmous chakra eminating from him had seemed to almost pulse through the air. "Hiding his chakra that well..." Kakashi murmured, looking up into the night sky. "This one...might be something after all."
Iro walked on, the cool night air soothing his nerves. "Sometimes there are folks you just can't get along with..." he spoke aloud to noone in particular. "I'd better just avoid her, no use getting worked up over a weakling with a grudge." He began to feel better as he marched up the steps to his third-floor apartment, and was having fun imagining what kindof a reaction he'd get out of her when he strolled past wearing his Leaf Hitai-ita. His grin grew larger, and more insideous. 'Oh yes...' he thought to himself, rubbing his hands together deviously. Tommorow would be fun.
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I hope you like this, and I hope for more reviews!! GOGO my minions! REVIEW MEH! BWAHAHA--Er, anyway.. :P
I know the long paragraphs probably have some of you scratching your eyes out, and i sincerely apologize. I had to use wordpad for this one, but I promise to use Word and double-space next time. scout's honor!
-Grum