Naruto stood at the window, looking out upon the dark.
Here and there, a number of house lights went on, indication of early risers. Somehow, he didn't feel so alone.
True, Jiraiya lay snoring on his futon in the other room. But, Naruto felt a distance from his master, given the fact that he had not told him of the message from Akatsuki. Could the Nine have some way to spy on him, even in a place like this?
"If I said, 'Hey, Ero-sennin. I have something to tell you', would they kill her?" Naruto cursed. Damned if he did and damned if he didn't. He doubted that his sensei would keep that kind of revelation to himself. But, that wasn't the crucial point, since he would probably get word from the Hokage before dawn. No, the real problem was that the Legendary Sannin would keep him from going. "But, they might not know about Mount Monado. What should I do?"
YOU NEED SLEEP. REST IS GOOD FOR GROWING BODIES. RESCUE A DIFFERENT GIRL SOME OTHER DAY
Naruto spat. Kyubi was growing more and more anxious. That in itself was very worrisome.
Did Kyuubi have some knowledge of what Akatsuki might be capable of accomplishing with a great youma in its clutches? If the bastard fox did, he certainly hadn't dropped any clues during his bothersome commentary,
"It's not that damn fox that I'm worried about." Naruto rubbed his eyes and yawned.
Despite that fact, he found that couldn't keep his mind entirely off of Hinata. That nightmare had been horrible. He still felt a general uneasiness after waking up from that shocker. Now, however, he was thinking of something more pleasant.
"Hinata?" Naruto did a double take. "Is that really you, Hinata?" It was, but not as he remembered her. She was taller. Her face had grown much less plain. In fact, Naruto had reason enough to stand with his jaw frozen open. She was cute. Really cute. Really really cute.
"Hinata, what should I do?" Waking Jiraiya and telling him everything would be the right decision for a ninja who puts Konoha above everything else. It would be the responsible thing to do. He couldn't tell himself otherwise after hearing his teacher's lecture the day before. "How could I possibly do this on my own?"
Naruto had to be honest with himself. Even with his new skills, he might have a difficult defeating the least of the Nine, if that was even possible for him. He frowned, thinking that he hadn't even passed the chuunin exam yet. But, a stupid test was not the measure of Uzumaki Naruto. The trouble was, there was no way of knowing just what he could do without trying. If he made an attempt and failed, the enemy would have Kuubi, and Hinata might still be killed. After that terrible dream, he wondered if it was crazy, thinking that anyone could out-think nine of the strongest ninjas at large in the world.
Looking over at Hinata's rock, Naruto froze. She wasn't there. Itachi was. Slowly turning, he was paralyzed with shock when he saw the body in front of him. In disbelief, he pulled his arm out of Hinata's chest, catching her limp and lifeless body before it feel to the dirt.
"No. Hinata! No. Oh No." Trembling with denial, Naruto fell to his knees. He was stroking Hinata's hair with his blood-coated hand when a huge net was thrown over him.
What did that dream mean? Was he getting cold feet? Could it be that he was afraid to run to a situation that might mean certain death? Might he be doubting his past success after hearing the Frog hermit's lecture? It was one thing to be brave, reckless, and lucky in finding ways to win or fight to a draw against the likes of Haku, Kiba, Neji, Shukaku, Kabuto, and Orochimaru.
Haku had essentially allowed himself to be defeated and killed. Kiba should have one there match, if not for that timely burst of flatulence. Kyuubi's chakra had helped him defeat Hinata's cousin, but that had been a close bout just the same. In the fight against Manda, Orochimaru, and Kabuto, he had been joined by Gama-Bunta, Katsuyu, and the other two Legendary Sannin. As it was, Tsuande had started off in a funk, and Jiraiya had been drugged, while Orochimaru had been severely limited by the Third's dying act. Akatsuki would be healthy, in their prime, with an overwhelming territorial advantage, not to mention an insurmountable numerical superiority.
Could it be that he was doubting how much Hinata meant to him? Would he have contemplated going to that mountain for Sakura and Sasuke, had they been faced with the Nine instead of Gaara and Shukaku? His thoughts drifted back to their reunion.
"Are you overheated or something? It is warm out. Why don't you take off that coat. It looks too small for you, any way."
"Oh. OK."
Naruto froze. A small bead of drool formed at the corner of one lip.
"Naruto-kun? Is something wrong?"
Naruto blinked rapidly, unable to speak or move any other muscle. Hinata had grown noticeably in more than just height. Suddenly, that fact was very important to him. Important, and strangely disabling.
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata clenched one fist and bit her lip for the briefest of moments.
Naruto tried to look up at a hawk circling overhead. His eyes wouldn't move. He tried to close his eyes. No such luck. Words echoed off the corners of his mind, as he told himself it was only Hinata. 'Now if it were Sakura...' That thought hung limp and useless as well.
Pink-haired girls were so yesterday.
Sakura and Sasuke had been his friends. He would have done almost anything for them. As rash as he once was, he probably would have run to Mount Monado the moment he read that note, if this had happened a couple of years ago. He had to admit to himself that he wouldn't do that now, not even for Sakura. Jiraiya had managed to beat some sense into his head, even though he made it a point never to admit that to the man.
But, Hinata was not just one of his friends now. She was more than just a shinobi of the Leaf. Something kept drawing his thoughts back to her. Maybe Kurenai had been right to give him that damn talk. Maybe Kakashi and Jiraiya were right about distractions. Tsunade and the others had been correct, saying that his relationship with Hinata had placed her in harm's way. Boy had they been right! But, it made no sense feeling guilty about that. No doubt spies had already noticed the two of them together before Ero-sennin gave his little speech.
"I can't save everyone," Naruto said, sadly. "I have to learn to accept loss." It was true. But, he had lost so much as a child. Did that same theme have to play throughout his entire life? Was that a certainty for a ninja?
The Third had given his life for Konoha. The Fourth had done so, too. Naruto had no doubt that he would sacrifice himself for the good of others, if he were to be put in the same situations that those great men had faced. But he felt so tortured emotionally. Everything was so mixed up. Could he sit back and do nothing, when a friend was in danger? That would be a sacrifice of an entirely different kind.
If Hinata died, he would get over it in time, as best he could. But, if he followed his head instead of his heart, Hinata would never be given a chance to get over anything again. His mind playing Devil's Advocate, he thought about one past mission in particular. Wondering about dichotomy and double standards. Tsunade had sent the group of genin out after Sasuke. That bastard. That selfish piece of shit! Was he worth more than Hinata?
"Yes," Naruto said in a whisper. He had to admit the truth. In a strategic sense, Sasuke had been very important. While Shikamaru and the others were set on doing their duty as shin obi of the Leaf, he had been driven by a need to save his friend, and to keep his promise to Sakura, the main idea had been to keep the Uchiha powers out of the hands of Orochimaru's hands. To the Hokage and the elders, keeping Kyuubi out of Akatsuki's grasp would take precedent over one girl, no matter what family she belonged to.
THAT IS WHY THEY ARE LEADERS. YOU SHOULD LEARN BY EXAMPLE
It truly sucked when Kyuubi made sense, regardless of the demon's motives. Naruto sighed, looking out his window again, watching the baker wheel his bread car up the street, stopping to talk with his oldest and earliest customers.
The Hyuuga powers were not the issue here. Naruto doubted that Akatsuki cared a fig for them. While the Hyuuga clan might send out ninjas to look for the kidnapped girl, Tsunade probably would not. The Nine were up to something more than simply capturing Naruto and Kyuubi. It would be foolish for the Leaf to move ill-informed and unprepared.
"But, what if those bastards expect that?" Naruto placed his forehead against the cold glass pane. Was Akatsuki counting on Konoha's caution or inaction? If he struck with everything he had, could he catch them with their pants down, disrupting those plans in some crucial way? After all, he had skills that no spy would know about. Someone may have observed his use of Kyuubi powers, but that wasn't what he was getting at. The Half Seals. The Null Seal combo. Shikifuujin. Even if he couldn't free Hinata, could those bastards get Kyyubi? And if he could free her, would they ignore a useless pawn if they had him in their sights? He closed his eyes, thinking about Hinata again.
"Naruto-kun, please be careful." Hinata blushed prettily, nibbling on a fingernail. "We don't want anything to ruin our date."
Naruto stiffened immediately. (Cough cough). "What?" (Cough cough swallow). "Huh?" (Sweat, wipe brow, scowl). "This is not a date. Isn't. Ain't. Won't be. Ever. Hmmppff!" Naruto folded his arms across his chest.
"Weren't we going to get some food? Together?" There was an unmistakable emphasis on that last word.
"Ummm. Yeh. Food. Together. Not a date." Naruto started marching at a quick rate, his arms swinging emphatically. When he heard Hinata giggling behind him, he picked up the pace.
"And after that, we were going to walk in the botanical preserve. Together." Hinata twiddled her fingers as she strode quickly along. "With each other."
"OK. Yes. I know. Flower stuff. Trees. Plants. Together." Naruto nearly spat. "But... it's... not... a..."
"Date. I know." Hinata grinned. "You also promised to take me to watch the traditional dancers."
"I know." Naruto tried to bring himself under control. "I know that. Women in long skirts. Men in longer skirts. Drums. Flutes. Strange noises and hopping around. Yea! Hurrah! Wo-o-o-o-o-o. Can't wait." Naruto slyly stole a small sweet roll off of a passing tray. Popping it in his mouth, he immediately felt guilty. Forming a clone of himself, he sent it to grab another one. He gave it to an appreciative Hinata.
"Together." Hinata put her word in, between bites of the small confectionary treat.
Naruto just clenched his fists. He blushed when Hinata started to laugh. Since when did Hinata laugh? And, she was laughing at him! But, he would do what he had to do. It was his Ninja way. However, he made certain to keep one thing in mind. It might seem like he was having fun. It might even feel like he was enjoying himself. But, it was just an illusion. Most definitely. "It's…" He never had a chance to get his words out.
"It's not a date. We know already!" A pair of women carrying large baskets of laundry stepped out from behind the two genin and hurried towards the communal Laundromat.
Naruto actually smiled for a moment, thinking how foolish he had been acting, in retrospect. He had gone from not thinking about Hinata… reluctantly walking about with her… wanting to spend time with her… to missing her terribly. And that had been before the kidnapping. Now, measuring his feelings, he wondered just how much she might have come to mean to him. What if she was the one person for him? He remembered what Jiraiya had told him. 'If you care for something, let it go. If it's yours, it will return.' How could Hinata do that now?
"Damn it!" Naruto felt like punching a hole in the wall. He watched out the window while a young woman ran over and gave a young man a kiss, before picking up a mop and bucket and heading off to work. "It's not fair!" He banged his hand on the wall next to the window frame.
SHOUT LOUDER. THE CATHARSIS WILL BE BENEFICIAL
Stupid freaking fox. The damn thing was only worried only about its own welfare.
Naruto began to realize just what kind of weight a Hokage truly bears. It was one thing to sacrifice yourself for a village, like the Third and Fourth Hokages had done. It was something altogether different to make life and death decisions for other people, and then live with the consequences. He would try to be kinder to Old Lady Tsunade next time.
"Shit! Why did the Fourth choose me?"
Naruto shook his head. He wouldn't wish this on anyone else. For a few moments, he mourned his fate. Things had been so much simpler before he knew anything about that damn demon. But, that didn't mean he was any safer. There were plenty of people who had known about him. Ignorance may be bliss sometimes, but it wasn't a shield of any sort.
SNIFF SNIFF
Narutocame close to saying something rather obscene. He didn't That would only please Nine Tails more. He clenched a fist, and then opened that hand, staring at it. He took a deep breath, held it, and then let it out. He had to be honest with himself. There were some exciting things that he was able to do, thanks to the beast sealed in his belly. He never could have beat Neji, stood toe to toe with a Curse-enhanced Sasuke, or held back Shukaku. He had also gotten a bit of a swelled head, using his Kyuubi powers.
Feeling a bit mischievous, he sniffed and rubbed at one eye. "I love you, man." That was directed inward. He expected the demon to quiet down for a while, or come back with some kind of nasty remark.
IF YOU CARE FOR SOMETHING, LET IT GO. IF IT'S YOURS, IT WILL RETURN
Naruto frowned. It looks like Kyuubi had the last laugh on that one. He knew all too well what would happen if the youma got free and then returned. A certain ninja would end up stuck between his teeth.
Well, there was nothing he could do to put the sand back up in the hourglass. The Fourth used him. The Fourth died, and he was still alive. That choice had been entirely out of his hands. In contrast, he had chosen to care for Hinata. That choice should have led to something wonderful. Now, he had set her up for death, and opened himself up for more pain.
Should he have known better, before Jiraiya mentioned anything? Everything had caught him by surprise. His feelings had changed so quickly. Aside from his crush on Sakura, when had he ever given girls much attention? If Someone had told him that it would be Hyuuga Hinata who put a hook in his heart, he would have laughed at them. Sure, he remembered rooting for her. Because of him, Hinata had fought Neji. Before that, she was just a shy dark weirdo.
So, what was most amazing, the fact that he had begun caring about a girl? The fact that the girl turned out to be Hinata? Or, the fact that a girl had actually shown any interest in Uzumaki Naruto?
"Naruto-kun, please step behind me." Hinata placed her hand on his shoulder briefly, and then took another step forward.
"Hinata... but..." Naruto stood as if struck in the head by a pole axe. Just what did Hinata think she was doing.
"Go take care of the rabbit. The poor thing must be frightened by all the people. I will take care of this." Hinata's voice had a ring that Naruto had never heard before.
"But..." Naruto wasn't about to let Hinata do anything while he stood in the background babysitting a bunny!
"There is no time for arguing. I need to concentrate, or people will get hurt more than they need to." Hinata began walking forward. She directed her next words to the growing crowd. "I do not wish to injure anyone. But, I will not let you harm him. Anyone who remains will be responsible for what happens next."
Naruto felt an urge to run out the door at that very moment.
It would be all too easy to ride the crest emotion, running out into the dark, telling himself that he was not a quitter, as if that made his actions acceptable. He was forced to remind himself that there were different ways to quit. Some were more costly than others. Sasuke had quit the Leaf. He had quit his friends. He had quit everything that they had all stood for.
"I'm not Sasuke," he said, showing his teeth. It was strange how strongly his emotions wavered regarding his old friend. For a while, pretty boy Sasuke the 'Genius' had been everything he hated, and everything he secretly coveted. Then he had become a teammate, and a friend. When Sasuke left the Leaf, he risked his life to bring him back. Now, at any given moment he might hope that his friend come to his senses and return. The next moment, he might be filled with anger and something akin to hatred. Sasuke had not been the only one to lose family one way or another.
YOU ALL LOOK ALIKE
'I thought you would say something like we all taste alike. Stupid fox.'
Nine Tails chuckled. He didn't need to answer that one. Naruto thought back to his first battle with Sasuke, the one that Kakashi had stopped. The two of them each had their reason for wanting that fight. For him, he had wanted Sasuke to see him as an equal, or at least as a worthy opponent. He no longer had that need. He didn't give a rat's ass whether or not he could stand up to a single S-class criminal. He wanted to save Hinata.
"But if I leave, people will probably look at me as if I'm another Sasuke." That might not be unfair. Even if Naruto went out on his own for the purest of motives, he would be putting his own desires ahead of the welfare of countless people, some of whom trusted him, and others who already had reason to doubt or fear him. In some real sense, he would be quitting the Leaf.
How many men and women had given their lives when the Sound and Sand had attacked? They had given everything for their village, for the greater good of the community.
He thought about the Third in particular. The Hokage had done more for Konoha than sacrifice his life through the Shikifuujin. Years before, he had lost his son, a fine ninja in his own right. The boy had gone on a mission, much as Tsunade's brother had. Sandaime, not yet Hokage, had been on a mission as well, not too far from the other group. Word had reached him that his son's group was trapped. It was within his power as group leader to abort his mission and rescue the other team. He didn't. The mission he was on was crucial. The future of Konoha lay in his hands. Sarutobi had lead his team to victory. He had lost his son. How could Hinata to be as important to him as the Third's son had been to that great man?
"I mean, who would think that I really wanted to kiss you?" Naruto chuckled, missing sudden look of anger in Hinata's eyes. Before he knew it, he found himself falling. Hinata had shoved him roughly from behind. The muddy patch of water he fell into was no illusion. When he pried himself out of the muck, it looked as if he were wearing a lumpy brown beard. Large bits of dirt plopped down on his boot tops.
Naruto couldn't stop himself from reliving moments with Hinata. That memory smoothly transitioned into another.
"Uhhh… Naruto-kun? Have you ever kissed a girl?"
Naruto froze. Swallowing hard, he saw Hinata shuffle her feet, moving a little bit closer to him. He wanted to say 'Of course! Plenty!' He couldn't get the words out. It wasn't because he was unwilling to lie. He was, big time.
"I d-don't want to p-pry into y-your secrets," Hinata had begun to stutter some. She took another step in Naruto's direction.
"Well... you see... a gentleman shouldn't..." Naruto had to clear his throat to continue. That, and prick himself with a kunai. He was sweating rather profusely now. His heart was beating wildly. Hinata had moved a tiny bit closer.
Naruto-kun... I…" Hinata clenched her fists tightly. "I have never…" Her voice had gotten quiet. She shivered briefly.
"That's… uhhh… nothing to be ashamed of. You see..." Hinata was even closer!
"Thank you," Hinata said, her body trembling. "Everyone thinks you are loud and brash. But, y-you are r-really so k-kind." Lifting her chin, she walked a few steps closer. "With you… I wouldn't be… I wouldn't be scared…"
"Hah hah hah. I'm not really so kind, Hinata." Naruto felt a strange sense of anticipation. He also felt a strong sense of anxiety. "Hah hah. It's getting kind of late, you know... and you..." He stood transfixed. His Kyuubi senses were taking over. He could hear Hinata's breathing. Slow and deep. He could make out the beat of her heart. Rapid, just like his own. He could see her face now, bathed in light from the voyeur moon. Her eyes were half-closed. She began leaning forward.
"D-D-Don't you like me, Naruto-kun?" Hinata's voice was barely audible. "Don't you want to..." She leaned forward even more, worried that she might lose her balance and end up face first in the road.
"Hinata... I..." Naruto began to lean forwards as well. They were a foot apart. Six inches. Three inches. Closer. Closer. Closer. He could feel her breath on his face.
"So close, and yet so far…" Naruto looked out the window again. There were more people out and about their duties now. "I guess I could say that about a lot of things, huh?" A number of times he had been close to grabbing his travel pack, leaving a note, and sneaking out a window or something. But, his conscience and common sense kept holding him back.
He thought about Jiraya's lecture. 'Moral Law causes the shinobi to be in complete accord with their leaders, so that they will follow them regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger'. Yes. Naruto saw the necessity in that. But, as of yet, no one had ordered him not to go out after Hinata, right? Maybe it was just a technicality, but he would put that one in to the 'Go' column. The again, he remembered something that the hairy old pervert had said.
"I've told you that you're not a kid any more, and that you needed to start thinking things through on your own. You're not like other boys. You can never afford to be off guard, now more than ever." Jiraiya's voice snapped like a flag in a brisk wind. "You should not open yourself up to distraction. It's bad enough that I allow you to wander off on your own at times, but I figure you can fend for yourself pretty well within city limits."
"But..." Naruto began to get angry.
"But nothing. If you tried to protect someone else instead of yourself… or in addition to yourself… you know what might happen." Jiraiya slammed one fist onto the rock, breaking off sharp splinters of stone. "And can you imagine how terrible you might feel if you had to end up doing the right thing?"
"Huh?" Naruto looked baffled.
"You need to remain free at all costs. If you and a girl were confronted, the right thing would be for you to escape immediately... alone."
"W-H-A-T!" Naruto's hands twitched uncontrollably.
"You know that I'm right, like it or not."
Well, there were other things he should consider. It didn't men that he was going to leave or anything. He would just be thinking things through. That way, no matter what he chose to do, he could be certain that he gave it appropriate consideration. What else had Ero-sennin tried to teach him? 'Distances must be considered, both great and small. Certain things are important to keep in mind. One should assess possible dangers and the level of security. One should pay particular attention to possible cover, and to the threat posed by narrow passes and similar terrain. All decisions should take into consideration the likelihood of success, failure, life and death. If you don't feel like you want to be bothered with such obvious things, be certain that a clever enemy will'.
"Damn." That certainly raised an ugly spectre. He had to put that one under the 'Stay' column. No doubt Akatsuki would have terrain favorable to their cause, just as they did in his dream. They would know the area. He would not. They would know where Hinata was held. He wouldn't have a clue. It would be difficult, finding some way to overcome that disadvantage. That wasn't the only troublesome that his sensei had said. 'Failure can have devastating effects---not just for a captured or killed ninja, but for his entire clan or community. For some, that might mean giving up the possibility of independent action, if the secrets they contain are too valuable to get out'. Another reason to stay. 'Word that I hear is that a certain young shinobi was once in the habit of attacking everything head on.' Naruto couldn't help but smile. "A couple of years ago, I was terribly reckless. Now, I'm only especially reckless."
'Fools rush in, where angels fear to tread'. Naruto couldn't remember where he had read that. Jiraiya would like that one. But, he had been a fool in the past, and had succeded where others would have failed. He remembered another quote by the same man. 'Good God! how often are we to die before we go quite off this stage? In every friend we lose a part of ourselves, and the best part'. Yes. That much was true, too. When everyone else had been laughing at him of fast to find fault, Hinata had secretly been admiring him. That alone was something he couldn't comprehend losing. 'It is with narrow-souled people as with narrow-necked bottles: the less they have in them the more noise they make in pouring it out'. No, that wasn't him. He had always loved his precious people. It had driven him to success, foolish or not. 'The same ambition can destroy or save, and make a patriot as it makes a knave.' Yes. Yes indeed. Even if he succeeded, he might be considered a knave. But, if Hinata survived, he wouldn't care.
Naruto knew what he wanted now. He wanted to go. He needed to find a convincing argument. But, his mind kept dredging up things to convince him otherwise. 'Perhaps the highest forms of strategy is to balk the enemy's plans; the next best is to prevent the effective coordination and joining of the enemy's forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege a well-defended foe.'
Anything he did would not high strategy. Far from it. He might be good with tricks, but had to admit that he wouldn't know high strategy if it bit him in the ass. The only way to balk Akatsuki's one plan would be to stay out of their clutches. That meant staying in town. And that meant no more Hinata. Plain and simple. There would also be no way to interrupt the enemy forces, as they were the ones prepared and laying in wait. And, if he were to attack their forces in the field, it would only be a prelude to his walking into their arena, whether it was a cave, a forest, a mountain top, or a pleasant little picnic site. It would be stupid to walk into a trap, right?
Hinata walked over to Naruto, and wrapped her arms around him. The sobs came then, shaking both their bodies with their intensity. "N-N-Naruto-kun..." Her voice was muffled in his robes. "I don't want to lose you."
Naruto was shocked. Hinata's anguish felt more real than Sakura's had, when she had pleaded for him to bring back their wayward teammate. The girl hanging onto him now was not upset because of the things he had done. She didn't want that perverted old sennin's words become a reality. Incredible. Even more miraculous, he realized that he felt the same way. Did it make any sense? He hadn't really taken that kind of notice of Hinata until today. How could he be feeling strong emotions about her? The answer didn't matter right then. Hinata mattered.
"But I shouldn't go. I… should… not… go…"
Naruto realized that he was sweating now. He was really working himself into a tizzy. Everything that Jiraiya had counseled yesterday cried out against his leaving. 'The best shinobi of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.' He wasn't the best. He could live with that! 'To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.' Fine, I don't care if I actually defeat those sons of bitches. If I can grab a stalemate of sorts, maybe I can get Hinata free. 'The victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.' Shit! Shitshitshitshitshit. 'Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.' I can do that!
"What would Hinata want?" No doubt she would tell him to follow the rules. She would probably want to die before he did. But, what do girls know!
Naruto walked over to the door between rooms. He looked over at his teacher. The old galoot had one leg up over the top of his futon, one arm around an empty bottle, and his mouth wide open. His snores must have drowned out any of Naruto's earlier cursing.
To many, the older ninja was legend, one of the three Sannin. He was a man worthy of being Hokage in his own right, but was also the person who wanted that position less than anyone else.
"Being Hokage would cramp his style as a pervert." At one time, Naruto had thought that he was destined to be a lot like the sleeping man, if not like one of his prior pupils, Yondaime. The symmetry was pretty startling. Frog… Snake…Slug. Jiraiya… Tsunade…Orochimaru. Naruto… Sasuke… Sakura. It had been an amusing conceit once upon a time.
Naruto thought about Janken. That 'scissors, paper, stone' game originated from China during the Eastern Han Dynasty, invented by the warlords of that period. Instead of paper, they used the open palm symbol to represent cloth, so would be 'Scissors, Stone, Cloth'. One variation of the game reaching Konoha was 'Slug, Snake, Frog.' "Stupid game," he mumbled, pissed off by the fact that the Frog was supposed to be afraid of the Snake, the Snake is afraid of the Slug and the Slug is afraid of the Frog. There was no way that he was afraid of Sasuke! Or that loser Orochimaru, for that matter.
Naruto thought about Sakura. He could only imagine what she might feel like when he left Sakura would be heartbroken. She had already lost the boy she cared about. Now, she would lose a friend. "If she had ever grown to feel about me the way I once wanted, I'd probably be thinking about rescuing her." True enough. Akatsuki would have stolen her as bait.
For a moment, Naruto shivered, hitting upon a shameful thought. Maybe he should put his hopes in Sakura instead of Hinata. Even if he saved Hinata, she would never be allowed to be his girlfriend again. There were any number of painful memories that he couldn't wipe clean from his memory.
"Escort him off of the premises. Now." Hinata's father signaled to the guards and a group of family retainers. They took hold of Naruto and began to usher him off the property.
"Naruto-kun..." Hinata had her hand at her mouth. She began walking towards him.
"If you take one step off of the estate, do not bother coming back." Hiyashi's words to Hinata caused the crowd to go dead quiet. "Furthermore, you are henceforth forbidden to associate with that young man. Heed my words. That decision is final!"
No. He wouldn't let Hinata die, simply because she would not be allowed to see him. That wouldn't change the way that he felt about her. If anything, with all the hardships that she had been forced to endure throughout her life, she didn't deserve the situation she was faced with now! Naruto Uzumaki did not change friends like most people changed clothes.
MATE WITH THE FIRST FEMALE AVAILABLE. IF IT IS KILLED, CHOOSE ANOTHER. SIMPLE.
Naruto clenched his fists. Kyuubi. Hyuuga Hiashi. The people who hated him when he was a small child. Memories of those tormentors had him ready to scream. The Nine were not the only people determined to keep him from being who and what he wanted to be.
"I need to settle down. This is going to be hard enough."
Naruto scratched his head, watching the snoring Jiraiya. Was his master truly asleep, or putting on some kind of act? No, he was asleep. The older man was not usually one for subterfuge. He had been out late carousing.
He thought about the ethics of the situation. There was something he felt compelled to try, but had never done before. It wasn't necessarily dangerous, but he couldn't assure himself it was safe either. He wanted to use some of his Kyuubi powers to implant some information in his teacher's mind, without waking him up or causing any harm.
Quietly, he walked into the other room. Kneeling quietly, Narutro tried to clear his head. He would need to concentrate. Imposing his will on the sleeping ninja was fraught with peril. One or both of them could be injured. He swallowed hard and clenched his fists. This wasn't exactly psychic rape, right? If might be the only way to get a message to Jiraiya without being overheard by Akatsuki spies or bugging devices. His master would understand, wouldn't he?
Slowly, Naruto reached into his reservoir of Kyuubi chakra. Then, delicately, he tapped into the demon's specific powers, taking the one he needed. Fashioning a mental web of energy, he struck. In a flash, he had access to Jiraiya's mind and control over his body. This would be a modification of the possession technique. He would be making things up as he went along.
The old pervert showed no sign of waking, and had not put up even the slightest by of unconscious resistance. One eyelid fluttered ever so briefly, and then stopped. That was all. For a moment, Naruto found himself swimming in thoughts and images, none of which belonged to him. Figuratively, he put a hand over his eyes, spreading the fingers apart only so much. He did not want to invade Jiraiya's privacy any more than he had to. He swallowed hard. There were things that he shouldn't see, and many things he did not want to witness. For a brief moment, he came close to understanding Jiraya's obsession with women.
Beads of sweat built up on Naruto's brow. He clenched his teeth and breathed in ragged gasps. He needed to maintain control. "Ero-sennin. I will be leaving. Naruto projected an image of the note into Jiraiya's thoughts. "The lessons and warnings you gave me made perfect sense. You were right. But, I'll never be like the Fourth. People may never allow me back in Konoha after this, much less ever consider me a candidate for Hokage." He gave a brief synopsis of his intended actions and the reasoning behind them
Naruto needed to suppress a cough. There was a strong tickling sensation in the back of his throat. Before he realized it, teardrops fell and moistened the floor in front of him. "I'm sorry. I guess I will always be 'That Naruto'. I have to do this, even though it means breaking your trust. I cannot let a precious one be killed without at least making an effort. I cannot let Hinata suffer because of me." He felt a sob welling up within him. He held it in. Memories of his time with Jiraiya flashed through his mind. He though back to their first meeting, and to their early training sessions. The feeling of guilt and sadness was strong.
He truly liked Jiraiya, and there was no doubt that the older ninja was fond of him in return. In some ways the Legendary Sannin viewed him as a brother or son. In other ways, he noticed the similarities in both their nature and attitudes. None of the training had been particularly easy for Jiraiya. He was a hermit by nature, but had spent more than two years immersed in civilization again, this time with a young protégé. It had been exceedingly difficult for him to teach again, after the Fourth died, even though it had been a while since he had tutored hat great shinobi. Naruto's being the Fourth's legacy had made things more difficult in some ways, but also filled the older man with a unyielding sense of responsibility.
Responsibility. Doing the right thing. Self sacrifice. Jiraiya had done all of those things by choosing to strengthen the boy with the demon within him. Seeing that, Naruto felt torn. He had made his decision, but the choice was unbelievably painful at that moment. "I don't know how they watch, but they do. They probably have ways of listening to." The young genin thought about Akatsuki. "If you choose to follow and stop me, I hope you will pass along words of my actions to Granny Tsunade. She will want to be prepared. In my own way, I still serve the Leaf." Naruto sat still a moment, working on what he wanted to say next. "Thank you, old man. I know I've let you down. I suppose I let everybody down. But it's not your fault. You did great with someone like me. Maybe the things that you've taught me will make a difference. I promise I won't put the village at risk any more than I have to."
He thought about one particular plan he had. Before leaving this town, he would stop by the apothecary and purchase the ingredients for a powerful and fast-acting poison. He would need one that could be imbibed, or smeared on a ready knife. If need be, it might be one more way to keep himself out of Akatsuki's greedy hands.
Naruto shivered. He blinked repeatedly. His thoughts had wandered across something important: Jiraiya's limited knowledge about Akatsuki! Should he continue?If he purposely pilfered Jiraiya's memories, it would be a definite and deliberate act of intrusion and piracy. But, the information could prove crucial. The young ninja blocked out any knowledge of the identities of his master's sources. No doubt one or more of them worked in close conjunction with Akatsuki. If Naruto himself were captured and made to speak under duress, lives could be in danger.
Jiraiya's thoughts were murky, amorphous, and incomplete. There was a very good reason. Akatsuki was merely an offshoot of a larger even more nebulous organization, one about which very little definite knowledge is known. He couldn't zero in on any one concrete name. Numerous whispered monikers were just within reach of his mental fingertips. Alumbrados. Hesychasts, Guerinets. Concordists. Torch Bearers. Fraternitus Saturni. Custodians of the Plan. Argentium Astrum. The Brotherhood of the Light.
Rumor and speculation filled the sizeable gaps between the scanty pieces of evidence. There were fragments of myths and legends, and no one could be certain what was fact, and what was conjecture. He wasn't surprised that no one had told him any of these things before. The person passing along the information would have sounded like a lunatic, or someone suffering from paranoid delusions.
Naruto concentrated. With considerable effort, he sorted through the morass and began sifting the wheat out from the chaff. There were some common threads. Certain names and concepts seemed to hold true from one theory to the next.
Monad.
There was someone named Monad. No, not someone. Some thing. By all account, that name appeared to involve some great entity. There were other names for that same being. Samael… Saklas… Yaldabaoth.
Aeon.
The word Aeon figured strongly with Monad. Whatever they were, they worked in pairs, doing Monad's bidding. But, at some point in time, one Aeon was isolated. Frightened, she worked with powers that were beyond her, leading to the creation of something horrible, something unintended.
The Demiurge.
The name sent a feeling like an electric shock into Naruto. Kyuubi had given a mental yelp, and appeared to have retreated entirely from his awareness. That couldn't be a good sign.
So, where did the Nine come into play with all this? There was some vague reference to the Demiurge, while The Brotherhood of Light had some kind of relationship to Monad. While both groups seemed to be working towards some similar general end, there appeared to be no love lost between them.
More words flashed across Naruto's conscious mind. Hylics. People irrevocably obsessed with matter, things, rules, religion. They were apparently considered to be beyond redemption. Psychics. Individuals less into worldly matter than the others, but still bound to the concept of the soul and all it entailed. Pneumatics. Those who could one day return to the light and achieve gnosis. Huh? Gnosis? What the hell did that mean? None of that seemed to be of any value to him. Where there any specific points that might prove useful?
Head spinning, he got some sense that there was a group of acolytes who believed that the world was flawed by nature, as it had been created from chaos. In their belief, there were exalted beings who had tried to make the most of creation; but, civilization had slowly and surely slid away from anything that could be considered good or desirable.
Cleansing.
That word came to mind. Society as it existed needed to be cleansed and set right. The driving necessity was rationalistic, not occult. It was about enlightenment. There were secret societies within secret societies. The Order of Perfectibilists.That was one of the larger groups. But, there was no way to tell if that was related in any fashion to Akatsuki. Others names sprang into his mind as well. The scope of the vast international cabal was staggering.
One thing was certain.There were groups of powerful men determined to abolish organized religion and the concept of the nation-state. They were anarchists or the worst sort. Life meant little to them. No method of coercion or control was considered too inhuman or inhumane. Monetary and sexual bribery. Control of people in power. Bondage to the cause by blackmail. Threats of financial or public ruin. Danger to family or loved ones. Like a great octopus, the seeking and grasping tentacles could be practically anywhere. There were those that worked for such men willingly, deluded into believing that their goals were just and good.
Naruto found that he was trembling. He forced himself to remain focused. There were some positive facts as well. There were those in Konoha, and elsewhere around the globe, who were dedicated to the exposure, disruption, and eventual destruction of the grand conspiracy. Men and women had been working in secret for generations.
"What?"
Naruto sat up straighter. Momentum had dragged him further into Jiraiya's thoughts. The man's heritage had not merely been a way to distance himself from other people. He had spent years gather research much different than the kind that required hot springs and telescopes. One fact caught his attention, explaining some things that he had wondered about over the years. Not all humans were the same stock any more, even though they had started off that way long ago.
Somewhere on the different planes, there was a different race, one that was wiser and more advanced than mankind. They were known by some as the Annuki, and to others as the Nefelim. Beyond that, little else was known. Learned researchers were convinced that they interbred with the early humans, creating a hybrid bloodline. In those ancient days, the resultant men took their rightful place as the rulers of planet. Their bloodline gave them the divine right of kings.
Naruto's eyes opened wide. Blood Limit. The special talents that were restricted to certain families. Sharingan. The Hyuuga traits. Haku's abilities. And so forth and so on. They must somehow be related to those ancient attempts at interbreeding. But, there were other theories. It may not actually have been inbreeding. That might merely have been a convenient explanation. Chances are, it could have been some kind of scientific achievement, possibly through the fusion of human genes and those of some unknown source.
The sound of street vendors could be heard echoing down the alley outside of Jiraiya's window. The time for thinking was over. That was just as well, since he really wasan't getting anywhere looking for information on his enemy. Leaving his master's room, he gathered up his things, and then headed out on his way. As he walked, something his master had lectured him on came to mind. 'How about holding out baits to entice the enemy. It may serve one well to feign disorder, then crush an overconfident or incautious enemy. I hope you realize that you should be looking at all this from both sides of the fence: what you can do to others, they may try to do to you.'
Bait. He could be bait. If Jiraiya could pass along his message to Tsunade quickly enough, perhaps Konoha and other principalities could put significant forces into the field. He might die. Hinata might die, too. But, it Akatsuki could be seriously weakened, or even destroyed, that would be one less danger facing his village and his friends. He nodded his head, remembering one particular fable:
"A bull was bitten by a Mouse and, angered by the wound, tried to capture him. But the Mouse reached his hole in safety. Though the Bull dug into the walls with his horns, he tired before he could rout out the Mouse, and crouching down, went to sleep outside the hole. The Mouse peeped out, crept furtively up his flank, and again biting him, retreated to his hole. The Bull rising up, and not knowing what to do, was sadly perplexed. At which the Mouse said, "The great do not always prevail. There are times when the small and lowly are the strongest to do mischief."
Yes. Maybe his mischief could be put to good use this time. He would do his best to bite the Nine in their collective ass. Passing out of the village, he headed in the direction he needed to travel. Smirking, he decided to rattle Kyuubi's cage. 'Hey, yellow belly! Are you still cowering in fear? Get a backbone, loser!' Anger came bubbling up, causing Naruto to feel momentarily tipsy with emotion.
IF I AM EVER FREE, I WILL NOT EAT YOU.
Naruto marched along with renewed vigor. It felt good to score a point for a change. He knew Kyuubi had more to say. The great demon was seething.
I WILL KILL YOU AND DEFECATE ON YOU.
'That's the spirit! I knew you wouldn't let me down!'
Good. Nine Tails was riled up, ready to tear everyone and everything to pieces.
He had done something right.
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Jiraiya lay still, looking at the ceiling.
He was awake, and in full control of his faculties. His mind had been awake when Naruto acted. He couldn't have predicted his student's precise move, but had expected him to do something. It had been painfully obvious that something terrible had been bothering Naruto.
The reason for the young shinobi's tortured feelings had been known to the older warrior. Tsunade had passed along word by passenger pigeon. There was no reason to prevent his departure, other than his personal feelings. The situation played into the hands of certain Konoha planners. Naruto was important. Protecting him, while preventing the capture of Kyuubi, was extremely high priority. But, there were more important things.
Akatsuki without the Nine Tails was dangerous. Few realized just how dangerous. That organization needed to be destroyed, no matter what the cost. Jiraiya, Tsunade, and other were willing to let Naruto go forth as a lamb to the slaughter, if it meant that sufficient numbers of Akaysuki constituents would be flushed into the open. This would not be limited to the Leaf, however. The area that Naruto was headed towards was bordered by the Land of Wind and the Land of Grass, not just the Land of Fire. All possibilities routes of escape must be covered. As many talented and experiences warriors that could be assembled in short notice would be needed
The dice had been thrown. Only time would show the results