Kani: I sincerely apologize for not updating sooner. I'm just plain lazy and finished with my Naruto craze (okay, so maybe I do still love Sasuke and Inari), so updates will probably be few and far between. =P
This chapter sucks, I firmly believe. If you find any mistakes, it's because I wrote it in a hurry. (Well, not really; I haven't updated for ages...!!!!)
Next chapter contains graphic yaoi, just to let you know.
Anyway:
HAPPY NEW YEAR, PEEPS!!!!!!
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"You got a cool house, Kyote," Naruto said as he entered the older shinobi's bedroom. "Oy, and you also got a cool room!"
The young jounin nodded. "So you like?"
"Hai." Naruto pointed at the wolf and fox painting on the wall opposite the door. "Did you...paint that?"
Kyote nodded. "Three years ago, when I was eleven."
"Sugoi!" Naruto looked at it more closely. The wolf was shining silver, and the fox was auburn...and it reminded Naruto of the fox he had seen in the forest (see Chapter 2 for details). Both were locked in fierce combat. "Why these two animals?"
Like the clouds obscuring the sun, Kyote's expression darkened. "The wolf symbolizes my family." He moved to the wall and gently traced the two figures etched on it. "The fox was...something else."
"What?" Naruto prodded.
"Something else," was all the teenager would say.
Seeing that the conversation was going nowhere, Naruto moved away from the painted wall. It was then that he saw the picture of the man he recalled seeing in Kyote's apartment back in Konohagakure (see Chap 3). "Hey, Kyote?"
"Yeah?" The teenager's head snapped up, as if he was waking from a trance.
Naruto indicated the picture. "What's...I mean, who's this?"
Kyote came over to where his friend stood. "That's Shiretsu," he muttered softly. "My father. He died when Shinzuko and I were nine."
Naruto frowned. "Then who was that man we met outside?" he asked hesitantly. "You called him your tousan." Somehow the boy knew he was treading on dangerous ground. "The guy in the picture doesn't look like him."
"Exactly. I just told you." The black haired ninja picked up the small picture, staring expressionlessly at it. "My real father is dead. That was my stepfather Takahiro you met...the one who doesn't care that Shinzuko and I exist."
For some reason, Naruto felt a stab of empathy for his junior teacher. He opened his mouth to speak, but swiftly changed his mind as Kyote replaced the picture on his dresser.
"Let's finish training with the others, Naruto," he said, quietly but commandingly. "I...don't want to talk about this anymore. Besides," the teenager added as the two left the room, "I don't think the Cobra Family's cell will be so easy to beat. It is the semifinals, after all..."
****
To advance to the finals, the two teams—Team Seven and Team Kobura—had to play a more difficult version of Capture the Flag.
"The game is simple," the referee explained. "Each team possesses a hill, or 'land'. Team Seven has Kaji Hill, and Team Kobura has Getsui Hill. Between these territories is the no-man's-land of Shinrin Valley. There is a flag atop each hill. The object of the game is to capture your opponents' flag and safely return it to your hill, and the first team to do so wins."
Naruto smirked. "Ha! Piece of cake!"
"Be quiet, Naruto," Sakura snapped.
The referee continued as if he hadn't heard. "But remember. While going after your opponents' flag, you shouldn't forget to protect your own."
One of the boys of Team Kobura, a quiet-looking red haired kid named Jadoku spoke up. "Are there any rules about what weapons we're allowed to use?"
Frowning, the referee consulted a small scroll from the pouch around his waist. "Iie," he replied after a moment. "Anything goes."
For some reason, the smirk on Jadoku's face made Naruto uncomfortable.
****
Three blurred shapes flitted from tree to tree as they made their way through the valley. Suddenly, the black haired boy shot out a hand. The other two instantly stopped.
"Why're we stopping, Sasuke?" Sakura asked quietly.
"Quiet." Sasuke drew a knife shuriken from its holster. "Someone's coming this way." He dropped to the ground. "Get down." Sakura and Naruto did as he said, and then they heard it—the faint crackle of leaves as someone rustled from tree to tree. Within a few minutes, Jadoku swung into view. He was leisurely making his way across the valley, not seeming to care that he was acting carelessly.
"I can take care of this one," Sakura offered softly as Jadoku boisterously went by.
"All right." Sasuke whispered back. "I'll try for the flag." He moved into a crouch. "And Naruto...I think you should stay here."
Before Naruto could object, the black haired genin was gone.
****
"You all right, Kyote?"
The black haired jounin was sitting with his back against Team Seven's flagpole. He twirled a star shuriken around one finger as he replied. "Of course," Kyote replied, sounding slightly puzzled. "Why not, Shinzu-san?"
"You don't seem yourself." Shinzuko came to stand beside his brother. "What is it?"
Kyote flicked the shuriken against a nearby tree, thoughtfully watching as the blade buried itself in the trunk. "It's nothing." The teenager stood to retrieve his shuriken, but his twin stepped before him.
"You're thinking about Father, aren't you?"
Damn... "No!" Kyote scowled. "Why the hell would I be thinking about that...that bastard?"
Shinzuko clenched his fists, something he often inadvertently did while arguing. "I know you don't think of him that way," he rasped quietly but sharply. "You and I loved Father...in the same way you love Naruto." At Kyote's stunned glance, the elder twin triumphantly continued. "I've seen the way you look at him, Kyote, I've seen the way you interact with him. It's the same way Father used to look at us before he—"
"Be quiet!" Kyote turned away in disgust. He began rubbing his forehead. "It's not that. I just...have a headache..."
"Really?" Shinzuko twirled a star shuriken around one finger. "How long has it been since Father died? Four years? Five? And how long have you hankered after that yaro Naruto? Ever since we first met him! No, I won't deny that he seems to like you too, but he killed Father, for Kami's sake!"
"How many times have I told you that Naruto is not the demon fox?" Kyote grit his teeth, trying to ignore the tears that filled his eyes. "How many?"
"Too many times." There was a heated pause in which Kyote fought to keep from weeping. Shinzuko took a deep breath, not wanting to agitate the younger one further since he hated seeing Kyote cry. He placed his hands on his twin's shoulders, clutching gently. "Listen to me, Kyo-chan. I'm your older sibling...remember when I promised to protect you?" The red and black haired teen nodded. "What did I say?"
"You said that you'd never do anything to hurt me, and that you'd never let me do anything to hurt myself," the younger shinobi muttered sullenly.
Shinzuko frowned. "Exactly," he said softly. "I know I'm sounding like Kaasama now, but Naruto is going to hurt you...no matter how much you may love each other."
Kyote clenched his teeth. "I don't believe you, Shinzu-san," he muttered stubbornly.
The elder Ryuuchi twin straightened, a look of consternation crossing his face. "You leave me no choice, then."
Glancing questioningly at his brother, Kyote arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he demanded warily.
"Naruto—or, as you say, the demon fox—took away my chance to become great. He ruined Father, and he ruined me." Shinzuko's voice tightened audibly. "If you don't stop trying to make him love you...I'm going to ruin him."
The shorter jounin absentmindedly reached for his shuriken. "Do that and I will kill you."
Another tense silence.
For some reason, Shinzuko began to laugh, a piercing yet husky sound.
"I'd like to see you try, Kyo-chan," he snarled, all amicability long gone. "I'd really like to see you try."
****
This is ridiculous, Naruto mentally fumed. I wanted to be the one to bring back the flag! Why does Sasuke always have to play hero and do the best stuff?
Why am I listening to him, anyway?
"Naruto!" Sakura hissed over her shoulder. "Where do you think you're going?"
The blond haired genin sat back on his heels. "Whaddya think?" he snapped back. "I'm going to get the flag!"
"But Sasuke already said he'd get it!"
"And I'm supposed to believe that he will?" Naruto straightened. "See ya in a little bit."
"But-" Sakura rolled her eyes as the orange-clad shinobi disappeared from view. Why am I even trying to change his mind? Shaking her head and muttering under her breath about how stubborn boys were, the rose haired girl continued in the direction Jadoku had gone.
The red haired boy had left an easy-to-follow trail; Sakura had no problem tracking him. She was slightly uneasy about this since it made her suspect that Jadoku had meant for her to follow him, but Sasuke had told her what to do, and Sakura wasn't about to disobey.
She found him standing in a small clearing, staring in the direction of Team Seven's flag.
Well, now's as good a time as any... Drawing two star-shaped shuriken, Sakura leaped from her hiding place as high as she could, throwing the blades at the peak of her jump. To her surprise, Jadoku not only caught the shuriken, but also sent them spinning back at Sakura and forced her to jump back further.
"No way!" Sakura muttered as she landed. "He's just as fast as Master Kakashi!"
Jadoku smirked. "I'm glad to hear that." His fingers executed a complicated set of signs, and before Sakura had time to react, she couldn't move.
"Pretty cool, ne?" With one hand still making the sign of the Snake, the red haired boy sauntered up to her and tapped on the invisible barrier surrounding Sakura. "A prison of chakra." He smirked again. "Don't worry. When I leave, the chakra will disperse since I won't have any control over it, but by that time it won't matter, anyway."
"What are you talking about?" the rose haired girl couldn't help demanding as she frantically racked her brain for a way to escape.
"My two teammates have probably already found Sasuke and Naruto." Jadoku turned to go. "It wasn't smart for Naruto to leave you to fight me alone." Suddenly, he spun, letting loose a huge barrage of knife-shuriken. Sakura managed to wrench her body to one side as the weapons hurtled towards her, but the chakra prison effectively held her in place.
Jadoku leaped away, ignoring Sakura's cries as the girl was stabbed in several places with the shuriken. She went limp and clenched her teeth, the pain worsening as she did so.
This is all Naruto's fault! her inner voice grumbled.
I wonder if this is what it feels like to die...?
****
Naruto willed himself to go faster as he sped in the direction Sasuke had gone. Oh, shit... He caught his foot on a tree branch and fell all of ten feet to the ground, somehow managing to land upright. The blond haired boy immediately seized the opportunity to catch his breath.
"Jeez," he complained to the trees. "You'd think I would've found that show-off by now!"
Suddenly, the black haired genin himself sprang from the underbrush and yanked Naruto back down beside him. All sorts of dirty thoughts as to why Sasuke had done this were banished when he hissed in Naruto's ear, "I heard that. Now why didn't you go with Sakura?"
"Because you're not a jounin! I don't have to listen to you!" the blond haired boy retorted. "And why'd you jump me like that?"
"Shh!" Pressing a finger to his lips, the Uchiha boy tipped his head in the direction of a nearby path. Naruto followed his gaze.
Two of Team Kobura's three members were standing there, staring straight at Naruto and Sasuke. The black haired boy groaned.
"Thanks to you they know where we are..." He got to his feet. "Let's get these two."
Without thinking (as usual), Naruto brought two fingers to his face. Art of the Doppelganger!
A twin of himself appeared beside him. Yelling wildly, the two Narutos charged the Cobra cell members...and found themselves hitting empty air. Sasuke sighed.
I was going to tell him that they were only illusions, but no...
"Huh?" Naruto spun, his blue eyes searching the surrounding trees. "Where'd they go?"
"Right here!" The two leaped on Naruto from behind, wrestling him to the ground. Instantly, Sasuke acted.
Shinzuko taught me this technique... He drew a knife-shuriken and grit his teeth, willing nearly all of his chakra into the shuriken. Then he made two quick signs. Dragon! Wolf!
The knife began to glow and warm.
I hope this works... "Naruto!"
Naruto saw what was happening "Got it!" the blond haired boy shouted, concentrating his chakra inwards before releasing it in one blast. The Cobra cell boys were thrown back and knocked half-senseless, which gave Sasuke more time to finish his technique.
Come on... The shuriken was red-hot now, but the boys were quickly recovering. One of them saw what Sasuke was doing.
"Nonaka, you're stronger than me...stop him!" he shouted.
Immediately, Nonaka slipped several star shuriken from their holsters and threw them with deadly accuracy.
"Sasuke!" Weak from using most of his chakra, Naruto could barely raise his head, but when he saw the trouble his teammate was in, an unusual power surged through him. And a familiar voice spoke in his ear.
Do you need any help, Naruto?
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. The blond haired genin scowled. Go away, he mentally replied, obviously not in the mood to argue with the demon fox.
But you want to help your friend Sasuke, do you not?
I'm busy now...could you bother me later? Under any other circumstances, Naruto would have laughed as he thought this. And he's not my friend!
Ally, then. Perfect! Naruto could almost see the fox's grin. I'll make a deal with you. I'll lend you some of my power to beat Nonaka if you promise to release me later.
Naruto had already deflected Nonaka's shuriken with his own and was already on his feet, running to head the Cobra boy off before he reached Sasuke. He could feel his heart thrashing in his chest like a wild animal. Whatever you say, he muttered, too distracted to realize what he was saying as he and Nonaka clashed. Just give me enough power to stop these guys so Sasuke can finish his technique!
As you wish!
An abrupt rush of chakra to Naruto's body nearly threw him off his feet. "Sugoi!" With renewed energy, the young genin easily beat of each of Nonaka's attacks, laughing maniacally at the feel of his newfound chakra.
Meanwhile, Sasuke had collected nearly all of his chakra into his shuriken. He felt the heat beneath his palms and grinned.
It's time...
"Hawk Style!" the black haired boy shouted raising his knife shuriken straight up. "Art of the Searing Blades!"
Suddenly, it seemed to be raining glowing knives. Both Naruto and Sasuke had to take cover in a nearby tree to avoid being hit.
"All right!" Naruto straightened when he realized that the two boys were unconscious from the heat. "That was easy." He glanced at Sasuke. "I'm going to get the flag."
"No way!" The black haired boy nearly punched his teammate from the tree. "I was the one who first set out to get it, and get it I will do!"
But before either genin could say anything further, a recognizable voice called up to them. "Looking for this, guys?"
It was Sakura. She was holding Team Kobura's flag.
"Daaamn..." Naruto swung easily down from his perch and came to stand beside the girl, his eyes full of admiration. "How'd you get it, Saku-chan? And what happened to you?!"
Sakura moved slightly away from him. "Remember Jadoku, the one I was tracking?" She sighed. "Well, let's just say that he beat me first, but then I got him back."
"What did you do?" Sasuke asked, sounding slightly interested.
Sakura shook her head. "It's a long story." She grinned. "But thanks for distracting those guys long enough for me to capture the flag."