I own nothing.
Jiraiya's POV
"If that's all Naruto, I'll leave you to working on the jutsu. I have some more research to do," I walked away from Naruto, his angry complaints fading into the sounds of the town. I wandered around the market, looking for some more supplies. It has been six months since we left Konoha. I still report to Tsunade about Naruto's progress. It started out very well; he absorbed the techniques I taught him faster than I could believe, even faster than the Fourth. However, recently he has been slowing down, talking less, and almost losing hope. I tried to confront him about it but he just put his mask on saying everything is fine. I just sent off a report to Tsunade about it. Naruto's getting depressed and won't talk to me about it. Maybe he's not telling me because of my age or that I'm his teacher. If this keeps up, I'll need to find someone to help him with this. I find the local red-light district and grin. Well, at least today will be productive.
It was dark when I returned to the clearing I left Naruto in. I was a little tipsy but not to much. I emerged from the forest seeing Naruto on the ground, holding onto a body. I shook my head for a moment to clear the cobwebs and inspect the scene. Reevaluating it, the clearing looked like a war had taken place here. Bodies and disemboweled limbs littered the ground. There were several piles of ashes around as well. I looked back at Naruto. He had noticed my presence and was staring at me. His eyes were glowing red with slits; his whisker-marks were enlarged and covered with dry tears. His jacket was ripped, torn, and cut to the point where it was almost falling off of him.
"Ero-sennin we need to leave now," he demanded. He stood up caring the body in his arms. It was a young boy a few years younger than himself. He was wearing barely more than a loincloth and had wounds and scars covering his body. But what drew my attention was his hair. At the roots it was bright yellow and the color gradually turned to a deep fire red at the tips. I walked over to Naruto and took the boy from his arms. He was very light but he was breathing if barely.
"What happened here?"
"I was here training and this boy emerged from the forest to the north. He begged me to help him. Then fifty of these guys emerged behind him. They demanded that I give them the boy. He cowered behind me ready to take off again. I noticed the new wounds he has and just flipped. No child should be treated like than. So I drew chakra from the Kyuubi and started defending him. He helped out. Those ash piles are from some fire-jutsu he has. When they were all dead he looked me in the eyes and I was confused and scared. His right eye is white and pupils like a Hyuuga but his left looked like some kind of Sharingan I've never seen before. There were three saw-blade like points around his eye and a small, red dot in the middle. Then he thanked me and fell unconscious. Five more men have come by after he collapsed and I had to take care of them."
I was stunned from Naruto's story. I looked at the child in my arms. What is he? He has an eye with the Mangekyou Sharingan and one with the Byakugan. His flaming hair was a trademark of an extinct bloodline and the strange fire-jutsu almost proves it.
"Hey, Naruto, what kind of jutsus did these people use?" I looked up at my student.
"I don't know but it felt as intense as when I was fighting Haku, Neji, Kimimaro and Sasuke. But those fights were also more intense. The abilities they used were similar in style, just weaker. I thought they could all be bloodline users but they all seemed to have two or three of them and that's not possible…is it?"
"Maybe, but whatever, we need to go. The boy should be stable enough to travel a few days and the Village of Hidden Mist is a few days south of here. They should be able to treat him much more effectively than I can."
Naruto's POV
We approached the gates of Hidden Mist, or Mufun as the entrance sign identified the village, with a battalion of Mist ANBU. I couldn't tell if they were here to guard us or guide us. The fog was so intense I could barely see Ero-sennin in front of me. There were two ANBU carrying the kid in a conjured stretcher to the left of us. I watched as Ero-sennin and the leader of the ANBU talking to the guards at the gate. I go over to the kid. He hasn't woken up since he fell unconscious three days ago and I'm getting worried. If they won't let us in and get him to the hospital I don't know what we're going to do.
The gates open and I follow the ANBU through them. The fog was surprisingly vacant when I past between the gates. As we walked through the streets I was shocked on how different this city was from Konoha. There was water everywhere. I guess it's because lots of their jutsus are water based and because its hard to summon water from air, they need a good supply on hand incase of invasion. I looked at the people who stared at me and Jiraiya as we walked down the streets to what I guess is the Mizukage's place. The ANBU took the kid to the hospital.
I was in awe. The Mizukage's mansion was on a single spire of rock from a lake of mist. There were numerous rivers and streams pouring into the mist. I couldn't hear the water hitting the ground though. There were seven rope suspension bridges connecting the mansion to the city. I looked up at the guard of the bridge. She was wearing a long kimono that looked like it flowed off her shoulders in waves. Her hair was a dark blue coming to her mid back. Hanging from her waist was a long, thin blade.
"Excuse me," she looked down at me with a quiet smile. "Are you one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist?"
"Why yes, I am. Why do you ask?" She bent down to get even with my face.
"Well, it's just that, after encountering Zabuza and Kisame I was wondering who the rest of the swordsmen were," her smile faded into a look of shock.
"You encountered those two and survived? How, I've never met any more bloodthirsty ninjas."
"I have…Orochimaru…" her face degraded into one of pure horror.
"Who are you, kid?" She stared at me intently.
"Me, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage of Hidden Leaf!" I replied while being dragged over the bridge away from her.
"I'm Akimoto Kumiko, last loyal member of the Seven Swordsmen of Hidden Mist," she said, waving at me smiling.
I was kneeling quietly in the audience chamber of the Mizukage. It was simple, and undecorated. I sat to the right and behind Jiraiya showing that I'm his student. He had told me not to speak unless spoken too. The Mizukage was very traditional. Soon, a door on the platform opened and I dropped my gaze to the floor in front of me as instructed. I hear the steps of someone walking on the platform. After a few moments I hear a quiet chuckling from the front of the room.
"Well, Jiraiya, that was defiantly a neat trick. For a moment, I thought I'd gone back in time to my initiation," the voice was deep and slightly grainy.
"I thought you'd enjoy this," I saw out of the corner of my eye Jiraiya stand up and move forward. "You don't look a day over 40 you know."
"Stop it, old friend. Oh, finished the next book yet?" I fumed as both men laughed. If all old men are this perverted, I don't want to be one. "So, I see you've finally gotten another student. It was a real sad thing what happened to the last one though. He had such potential, which was probably why he was able to defeat the Kyuubi. Is this…"
"It is," Jiraiya's reply caused my blood to boil. I stood up and looked at the two angrily.
"So? Does everyone know? If that's what you're asking, I am the container of the Kyuubi. So what about it! I'm only here so that a friend of mine can get some necessary medical treatment and then I'll be gone. I'll never come back if that's what you want!" The two old men took a step back in shock. Then I got my first good look at the Mizukage. He wasn't as old as Jiraiya but he had more weight on his shoulders. His hair was black with a few gray streaks. He was wearing robes similar to what the Third always wore and a similar hat. The Mizukage looked at me for a few minutes before he started laughing loudly.
"He certainly has the same spunk as your last apprentice had, doesn't he?" Jiraiya nodded, smiling. "Anyways I wasn't talking about the Kyuubi. In fact, out of everyone in this village who you haven't told, only I know about it. I was in formed by the Sarutobi about it twelve years ago. I decided that it wasn't important enough to tell my village about it so I didn't. What I was asking about is if you were the son of the Fourth Hokage and according to Jiraiya, you are," I was stunned. My jaw dropped. The Fourth was my father? No, it's not…
"Naruto, don't think too much about it now. When I have time, I'll talk to you about it later. Could we get someone to escort Naruto to a training area? I think it would be best for him at the moment. Besides, we have other things we need to talk about."
"Ah yes, right you are, Jiraiya," the Mizukage snapped his fingers and a chuunin showed up. After receiving his orders he vanished again. Jiraiya escorted Naruto outside the complex to one of the rope bridges and returned inside after telling him when he was done he would come and bring him to their accommodations.
"I don't understand," I said to myself. "Why did he have to…"
"Why who did what, Naruto-kun?" I looked up at the speaker.
"Kumiko-san?" I cocked my head, curiously.
"Yep, I was asked to escort you around. There are some people in the village who are angry and upset at Leaf and wouldn't be adverted to taking it out on an unsuspecting genin. But, with me escorting you, it shouldn't be a problem. So, would you like to go to the training area now or do you want to get something to eat?" She smiled down at him. I was confused. No one had ever looked me like that before. It stirred something inside but done understand what it is.
"Actually, I think I want to visit my friend in the hospital first before getting something to eat if you don't mind. His problem makes my new one seem less important." I frowned and looking at the ground. A gentle hand reached below my chin and lifted it up until I was looking in Kumiko's eyes.
"That's not a way the future Hokage should act. Think of this new difficulty in your life as the challenge of learning a new jutsu. I bet you've learned a jutsu that seemed impossible at the time but you mastered it, right?" My sadness faded away quickly.
"Yeah, I did! I learned Kage Bunshin and I suck at normal bunshins but I can make tons of Kage Bunshins now."
"Well there you go. Now come on, let's go see your friend then get some food, I'm starving." Kumiko smiled widely at me as she led me towards the hospital, crowds parting before us.
Jiraiya's POV
"Are you sure you should have had Kumiko escort Naruto around, Shimizu-san?" I asked as I looked at the Mizukage. "What if one of them slips?"
"I have perfect faith that Kumiko-chan won't slip. She hasn't even mentioned it after it happened. I can tell it is still affecting her but that is why I haven't sent her on any missions to take out the other rogue members of the Seven Swordsmen. But that's not why you are here even though I am grateful to Leaf for taking care of Zabuza. Give my regards to Tsunade next time you see her and tell her that I would like to attend the next chuunin exam. We have some excellent genin this time and I'm feeling that we could give leaf a run for its money for the first time in five years." I laughed at that. Tsunade had told me that the Sand Trio made chuunin during the last exam, along with Neji and Shino. That is one thing Naruto is going to be upset at. He won't be able to participate in a Chuunin Exam till we return to Leaf and it is quite likely that the rest of his friends would be chuunin or higher by the time he returned.
"It would be a sight to see. Pity I won't be able to attend another exam for a few years. I believe Sarutobi-sensei informed you of the Akatsuki are after sealed demons, right?" I watched Shimizu's face grow hard.
"I remember hearing as such. I didn't have a chance to tell him before his death, but we do have a child containing a demon in this village. I was surprised myself when I found her." I looked up at this. "Her mother came here with her as refugees from a village just outside our borders. Until 13 years ago, they were a small village outside town. I was surprised when they came into the town. The child couldn't have been more than a few days old. Before the mother died she gave me a scroll from her husband. Until recently, I had thought it wasn't important but then Sarutobi's message made me remember it. It took a month to find it but when I did I read it again," he handed me a scroll. I unrolled it and quickly scanned it.
"This story is very similar to Naruto's. Tsunade had me read Sarutobi-sensei's successor notes because of it. He again mentioned this wandering kurounin and apprentice. That's where they both learned the Dead Demon Imprisonment seal and how to adapt it to seal the Kyuubi into a newborn. He called himself fuuinjutsu user and that he had no home village but helps them all. And it says the demon inside her is the Five-Tails but not the base animal."
"That is interesting. I wish we could find this man; his knowledge would be of great help against the Akatsuki. But enough of that, tell me about the other boy you brought with you."
"He appears to be a Bloodliner. I had thought they were extinct but here one is." I rolled up the scroll and returned it. "His body shows evidence of three different Bloodlines within him but he could have more. He has the Mangekyou Sharingan. He has the Byakugan even though no evidence of knowledge how to use it. And he is a Moeagaru even though they have been extinct for one hundred years. I haven't been able to talk to him myself yet but Naruto was defiantly impressed with him."
Naruto's POV
"So there we were, standing on two trees separated only by Gamabuta's sword. All my chakra was gone but so was his. The fight had come down to the last punch. The giant sword vanished in a huge puff of smoke and we jumped. We both pulled back our fists and…oh, we're here." I look up at the hospital in front of us.
"Hey," Kumiko says pulling my gaze. "Don't stop the story. You don't just build up to that and…oh no, Miharu…" Kumiko ran over to a young girl about my age sitting on the steps by the hospital. Her eyes were red and puffy. Kumiko sat down next to her and wrapped her arms around the girl.
"My…mission…" Tears started rolling from her eyes again and she started sobbing into Kumiko's shoulder.
"Umm, I'm going inside to check on my friend, I guess." I went inside unnoticed by the two women. I make my way up to the front desk. "Excuse me; I'm here to see the boy who came with Jiraiya today." The nurse looked at a book and gave me a room number and directions. I thanked her and followed her directions. I entered the room to see the kid sitting up, quietly chatting with a doctor.
"Really, thank you…I thought I'd have those things my entire life," he said, grinning. He glanced over to look at me come in. "Oh, it's you. I want to thank you so much for helping me with those guys back there."
"Don't mention it." I smile at him. I looked into his eyes noticing the weird Sharingan was gone. "Hey, what happened to your eye?"
"Something is wrong with my eye? What do you mean?" he grabbed a small mirror from the side table and looks at his face. "Looks fine to me. What are you talking about?"
"Wait, you don't know what the Sharingan, do you?" He shook his head. "Alright, never mind then. So, why were you…?" The nurse's pager starts ringing.
"Shoot, there is an emergency in the ER. Listen, I got to go, stay out of trouble you to." She then ran out of the room. I looked at the kid and shrugged.
"So, why were you running from those guys? They were some pretty strong ninjas." He looks at me confused again.
"What's a ninja?" My jaw dropped in shock. "I take it I should know. Well I guess I don't know much then. All I know is that those people kept me locked up in a room for my entire life." He lowered his face towards his lap. Tears started to well up in my eyes. "They were taking me to get beaten again. I had just started making fire the previous day. I wanted them to stop so I burned the device. They were pleased with something. I…I didn't want to go through it again so I ran. Taiki-san…he tried to stop me…he tried…to kill me…so I burned him. He was…the only one who was nice to me. He brought me food, treated my beating wounds…why did he try to kill me?" I offered him a small towel which he accepted and wiped his eyes with it. "That's when my head started to hurt. The pain was worse than the beatings. Then He came. I looked up at him. He was shocked for a second then he was pleased about something. He wanted me to come with him. I said no. I said I wasn't coming back. I looked him in the eyes for the first time. I wish he could feel the pain I always went through. All of it. Again and again. Then I felt drained and he fell on the floor convulsing and screaming. Everyone was distracted so I ran. I made the doors before me burn down as I ran. I went up several flights of stairs then suddenly, I was outside. I've never been outside before. I stopped for a second. The air was so clean. I heard the clattering of feet behind me then I started running again. I kept running for who knows how long then there you were. You know the story from there." As his story ended I slowly released my fists. I looked down at them and saw that I had broken the skin with my currently elongated fingernails. I looked up at the boy who was staring at me curiously.
"No one will ever hurt you again," I told him, forcing the damn fox down. "I'll protect you from anyone who would try to do that to you again, you hear me?" His eyes looked at me with awe.
"I…I….don't know what to say…thank you…umm, what's your name?"
"I am Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage of the Hidden Leaf." The awe never left his eyes. "And your name?" His eyes suddenly went shy and he hung his head again.
"I…don't have a name…He never thought I deserved one." I barely held the fox in check again.
"That bastard. Alright, we'll come up with a name for you. I'm not good at them but I think Ero-sennin might be able to help us," I was stopped as I heard a knock on the door.
"Sorry for interrupting," Kumiko looked into the door. "Miharu-chan wants to go somewhere besides the hospital and I was wondering if you'd like to come with us to get lunch." My stomach and the kid's growled their agreement. Kumiko laughed. "It seems that both of you are in need of some food." She looked at the kid. "John Doe, the nurse at the front desk says that you can leave at any time." The kid's eyes lit up.
"My name is John Doe?" He asked eagerly. Kumiko shook her head.
"No, since they didn't know your name, they just put you down as John Doe. You can correct them at any time though." 'John' thought about it for a second.
"Well, I don't have a name so I guess until I pick one; John is a good enough name." Kumiko looked confused but nodded. I walked over and helped 'John' stand up as Kumiko stepped out to let him get dressed. The hospital had provided some simple garments for him but Jiraiya and I would have to take him shopping soon. We walked outside and met Kumiko and the girl from earlier. She was clinging to Kumiko as if her life depended on it.
"So, where do you guys want to eat? I'll pay," Kumiko asked. Miharu mumbled something incoherent and John just muttered anything and something about only eating gruel before now.
"R-A-M-E-N!" I sang loudly. I haven't had it in weeks. I hoped that a Hidden Village at least had one ramen stand. "And you're going to regret saying you'll pay, Kumiko-san." I flashed a friendly smile at her. John looked confused and Miharu giggled quietly.
"Alright, alright. I want something so let's get going." I followed, humming quietly to myself as I went to get stuffed on ramen for the first time in months without footing the bill myself.
