Part 3.7: Calm Before the Storm
Sakura stared idly up at the ceiling above her. She was lying on her bed, still dressed in her training garb from the day earlier. The window beside her shined the last bits of moonlight through the window before it was enveloped by billowing storm clouds that blackened the city back into the great shadow it was accustomed to. The only light that permeated her room came from under the door into the hallway. She couldn't sleep, far too much was on her mind, of the exams, her training, and...Sasuke.
She turned over on her side, away from the window. Ino was sleeping in the bed next to hers, seemingly resting peacefully, her usually tight, pony tailed hair draped down the back of her head. Chouji was snoring loudly in the bed in the room behind them. Sakura laughed, reminiscing how furious Ino had gotten at Chouji's considerable increase in size. She sighed deeply, her mind turning back to Sasuke. It seemed like that was all she thought about anymore; she longed to see him again. But...Sasuke was not a Leaf anymore; he was a sworn enemy. Sasuke had said that himself, 'but I can't just give up on him,' she thought. 'I do love him, and I can't let any obstacle get in the way of my goal, just like Lee said.'
'Lee,' she thought. She had been thinking about the bowlheaded genin quite a bit lately, ever since their conversation on the roofs only yesterday. She reminisced back to only earlier in the day when she had visited him in the hospital. 'He seemed so down,' she thought, a feeling of concern panging her chest. 'I wonder what could have brought him down so much, but he seems alright now, at least I hope he is.' She smiled, thinking about what a good friend Lee had been. But the feeling she held for Lee was odd somehow; it didn't feel like the feelings she had for Naruto, which were strictly platonic. As much as Naruto may have had a crush on her, she never felt anything but a close friendship with him at most. Lee was different somehow though; she still felt the feelings of friendship when she was around him; but she always felt very energized and invigorated whenever he was around. It was almost like he emitted some kind of energy that refreshed everyone around him. 'I guess it's just his attitude,' she thought, 'he's very cheery, and the determination he has is amazing.' The animated feeling she had was brought back to the surface again, but she repressed it back down, desperate to get to sleep.
'Very busy day tomorrow,' she thought, 'first, there's that 'good luck' speech planned by the Lord of Thunder, and then after that, the exams. So much swirling around us, I wonder what will happ-'
A loud crash from a floor below her brought her back to reality. She sat up on her bed, her teal eyes wide open. She looked to Ino; she was still sleeping soundly, and a loud snore from the room behind her implied that Chouji was in the same condition. She brought herself to her feet and slowly approached the door. She slowly turned the handle, attempting to muffle the squeak the door made as she opened it. She stepped out into the hallway and quietly closed the door behind her, listening still to the noise happening near the entrance. Another loud crash followed by a slurred, "Shorry dere."
'Is that Lee,' she thought. She walked quickly to the stairs, traveling down them a few steps at a time.
"Help him up," came another familiar voice she recognized as Kiba.
"I'm perfectly fine Mr. Dog man," came Lee's broken speech again.
Sakura rushed towards the entrance of the hotel to find both Shino and Kiba helping a very wobbly Lee to his feet. Lee was hiccupping very loudly; his cheeks were flushed very red, and his eyes were in an almost trance-like state, going from half-closed, to completely close, to wide open in a matter of seconds. Kiba and Shino seemed too preoccupied with helping Lee forward to notice Sakura coming down the main staircase.
"Is he alright," asked Sakura, a very perplexed expression on her face. Kiba and Shino both looked up in surprise, but quickly returned their efforts to help Lee move through the entrance hall.
"Well," whispered Kiba, "he's kind of...um..."
"Drunk," interrupted Shino.
"Drunk," exclaimed Sakura, only to be shushed by Kiba.
"Not so loud eh," he said softly, "I really don't think it's a good idea for anyone to see Lee like this; he could get into some major trouble."
"Agreed," said Shino in his usual monotone voice, "We're not sure where Hokage-sama is staying either. If she sees Lee in this state she might expel him from the exams."
Sakura's expression quickly changed to concern as she thought quickly for a way to get Lee to his room. "Where's Lee staying anyway," she asked.
"Oh, somewhere over in thar direction," replied Lee, waving his arm wildly in random places.
Kiba shot Sakura an indignant look, "I don't think you're getting much out of him," he said.
Sakura scratched her head, now desperate for some place to store Lee until he got out of this state. "Come on," she went up the stairs and motioned for Kiba and Shino to follow. It was quite a trial getting Lee up a flight of stairs as he had enough trouble walking on even ground, but they finally managed to get him up the first floor.
"Ah man," said Lee, "you guys...you guys are real pals," he placed an arm around the neck of both Kiba and Shino and pulled the both closely, crushing Akamaru under Kiba's shirt. "We really should be doin' this kind of thang more often...HEY, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKIN' AT!" Lee had turned his attention to a large statue of Izou Dao. "I don't like your tone," he yelled at the inanimate structure. He then reared back a gigantic kick and rammed his leg right into the statue's side. A gigantic crack was heard throughout the hall as the statue fell to pieces on the ground, shattering further.
"Dammit Lee," shouted Kiba, forgetting his own voice, Akamaru barking to match his master's volume.
"He shouldn't have mouthed off," slurred Lee, attempting to justify his actions. Suddenly, their attention all turned to a door at the end of the hall, from which a very tired looking Hokage was emerging. Kiba's eyes went wide as he desperately eyed the area for somewhere to stash Lee, his eyes resting upon Sakura.
"You have a room on this floor," he whispered quickly. Sakura nodded; "Then take him until we get this sorted out." Sakura was taken aback by Kiba's order.
"What the hell's going on," came Tsunade's voice from the end of the hall. She was draped in a thick robe, and still had her eyes mostly closed as she desperately rubbed the sleep out of them.
"Just go," he said, pushing Lee into Sakura's arms. Lee was close to being unconscious now, his eyelids half-closed with only a soft groan escaping his lips. Sakura struggled a bit to pick up the now dead-weight of Lee, but managed to drag him backwards into her room while Kiba and Shino rushed to block him from Tsunade's view.
Sakura rushed blindly back to her room, still tripping backwards over the weight of a prone Lee. She clattered through the door, Lee landing awkwardly on top of her. She struggled under him and eventually pulled herself off, scrambling to close the door, awaiting for Kiba to tell her when it was safe. Lee was completely asleep now, drooling slightly on the room's carpeted floor.
'I can honestly say I never pictured you as a drunk Lee,' she thought, shaking her head slightly. She slowly began to walk to her bed, but paused for a moment. It didn't seem like Kiba was returning, as their voices slowly died away, not to be heard again. Sakura sighed and pulled off a sheet from her bed, careful not awake her still sleeping comrades. She took the sheet and draped it over Lee, turning his head so that he was no longer drooling. She then took a pillow and placed it under his head, staring slightly at a very unconscious Lee, chuckling to herself at the situation. She tiptoed to her bed again when Lee began to speak slightly.
"I..." he began, talking in his sleep, "I will become a stronger man...a stronger man...the next time..."
Sakura smiled slightly at Lee, feeling the same energized feeling from before, as she slowly made her way to bed.
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The sky became ridiculously dark overhead, blocking any light from view as Naruto still concentrated on Jiraiya's new rasengan. He breathed heavily, exhausted from many failed attempts. He was not sure where the perverted hermit had gone off to, but had left him alone again in the dark forest. The air had grown very cold; he could feel the icy touch of the wind on any exposed skin, chilling his body to the core. He closed his eyes, concentrating, feeling the chakra flow through his body, faster, and faster. He held his right hand outward, as if expecting to have something given to him. He brought his left out to his right and began performing a circular, pumping motion over his right. He furrowed his brow in concentration, the sweat beading down his forehead, chilling him further. He took a deep breath and then allowed the chakra to flow out of his hand, his left forcing it to swirl randomly. It was difficult without the clone's help, but the perverted hermit said this was how it was to be learned. He pumped further power into his hand, a small, blue ball slowly forming there. It grew larger, until it encompassed his palm, the chakra swirling wildly in all directions. He opened his eyes for a moment, the bright cerulean color of his chakra lighting the area like a beacon. He closed his eyes again and began adding more power to it, attempting to form the disk shape he had seen earlier. The humming of the Rasengan grew louder and louder with each progressive second. Naruto opened his eyes again only to see a larger and much more unstable Rasengan in his hand. He kept his eyes open, squinting them, feeling the pain now coursing through his circulatory system, gritting his teeth as the rasengan ate more of his chakra. He raised his left hand and attempted to push the rasengan into the disk he had seen with more chakra. He pushed harder, trying to force the rasengan to form shape. He felt the Rasengan getting progressively weaker as he only succeeded in pushing the ball smaller. He demanded more energy forced into the ball to compensate, hoping the vicious tug of war with himself would result in the completed effect. A smile slowly twitched across his lips as he saw the Rasengan very slowly begin to take shape.
Suddenly, the Rasengan became unwieldy, he was losing control. He scrunched his face in concentration, trying desperately to maintain the stability, but it was too much now, the rasengan was beginning to deform. Naruto watched in horror as a loud woosh resulted from his hand as the energy from the Rasengan expelled itself. Snow, leaves, and debris were thrown everywhere as Naruto was flung through the air from the force of his own jutsu, hitting hard against a nearby tree. The impact on his spine made him grit his teeth as he slowly fell to his knees, coughing loudly. He looked back at the spot he had been. A large crater was there now, revealing the grass and dirt underneath a half-oval of exposed ground. "Dammit," said Naruto, "I can't even get it to form. How am I supposed to use this thing if I can't even get past the first step. Where is that perveted hermit anyway; he could be giving me a few pointers on how to do this thing." He slowly got to his feet when he heard a creaking in the branches behind him. He pushed his back to thetree again, his senses alert. He slowly pulled a kunai from his belt; he was panting heavily now, the exercise draining him. He heard the rustling again, this time to his right. He turned away from the tree and stared up. His eyes went wide as he stared off into the distance, feeling the rage swell in his heart again.
"I thought I felt you here," came a cool voice from above him, "I could hear your griping from ways away."
Naruto watched Sasuke hang from a thick branch, his feet seemed to stick to the underside of it as he watched Naruto with a bored expression, his hair spiking as it was pulled towards the ground. His feet suddenly became loose, and he fell towards the earth, bending his back quickly to land steadily on his feet, bending his knees slightly.
"What do you want," said Naruto, his voice raging again.
Sasuke eyed with idle curiosity, "I'm surprised you've not charged at me like a bull yet," he said, his tone mocking Naruto, "I guess you've learned some restraint since last we met. Oh course, I did see the aftermath of your temper tantrum in the hotel. Things like this, only prove how inferior you are to me."
Naruto's eyes widened, his heart raging, his pulse circulating the red chakra through his system again. He could feel the transformation taking place; everything Gai and Jiraiya said was trying to permeate back into his brain, fighting amongst his own raging emotions.
"What are you waiting for? You've been handed an opportunity to destroy him once and for all. Take it."
"Is that what I want? To kill him? After all we've been through. I can't just turn my back on him can I.
"I'm getting tired of having this little debate with you. Right now, my Chakra is flowing through you, making you powerful, more powerful than he could ever hope to be. Compared to him, you are a god. Make him feel your wrath, your fury, your power. Make him see the truth of his mistake in the only way he knows how, sheer and absolute power. Then, and only then will you have truly fulfilled your duties as a friend."
"...what? I don't understand."
"You are his friend, and as a friend it is your duty to bring him back to your side, to regain what you have lost by any means necessary. You're correct, it is not too late, but if you show him that your rage, your hatred, can surpass his own, you can show him that his path is flawed. Give into your anger...give into me."
"You really shouldn't take your eyes off your opponent," said Sasuke. Reality came flooding back to Naruto, as he heard Sasuke from behind him, on the ground now. He quickly turned around and prepared a defensive stance, ready for battle.
Sasuke chuckled underneath his breath. "You're so predictable Naruto," he said, "always ready to fight. I'm curious though, what was that thing you were working on; it sort of looked like the move that could not surpass my Chidori."
"What do you care," snarled Naruto.
"I was just-"
"Shut up!" roared Naruto, his anger coming forth to the surface. "Don't you care anything about the pain and suffering you've caused of those close to you? Do you know what your loss has caused for-"
"Don't you talk to me about 'loss' Naruto!" roared back Sasuke. Naruto was visibly taken aback by his sudden anger. "You have never lost as much as I have. You have no idea what it's like to have everything ripped away from your grasp so quickly! You were lucky Naruto, no parents, sibling, friends. You may think you're so lost without them, but what's worse is to have them for a short while only for them to be violently pulled from you grasp, never to have them again. My whole family, my CLAN was taken from me, and now my whole purpose revolves around his destruction. That is all I want and need Naruto, nothing else."
Naruto and Sasuke stared in cold silence, fury burning beneath the other's eyes. Naruto tensed his body, the cold air seeming to bounce off him in a warm steam as he bore his fanged teeth, ready to attack. Sasuke looked much the same, his eyes slowly revealing the circular, red pupil that his clan was trademarked for. The tension was mounting as both prepared to charge forward, ready to kill the other.
Naruto's emotions quickly changed as a third presence was felt to the right of them, in the dark forest. Naruto recognized this one and scowled as his eyes drifted off into the trees, searching them for the assailant.
Sasuke seemed to have felt something as well, he was looking near the same spot as Naruto, trying to pinpoint the feeling. "It seems this will have to wait," said Sasuke maliciously, "but you have no idea what true loss is Naruto, and you will never understand my pain." He then jumped off into the dark forest, Naruto's slitted eyes trailing him as he went.
Naruto's attention then diverted elsewhere, as he felt the other presence slowly begin to leave as well. It wasn't until he could not feel either one that he began to train again. 'Set,' he thought, scowling openly, 'what the hell does he want with me?' He returned to training the jutsu, forcing his body to deliver more chakra to his system, repressing the Kyuubi's unstable chakra for now. He focused further, forcing his body past it's limits. 'I'll get it this time,' he thought, 'I'll...' His body could take no more, and he felt himself collapse on the soft, cold snow, darkness consuming him yet again.
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Sasuke leapt higher amongst the trees, escaping his confrontation with Naruto, his blood still boiling from the events earlier. 'They don't understand,' he thought, 'neither of them. They're just going about their happy lives with the people they love and cherish, not realizing how easily it can be ripped away.' He continued on, but the odd presence he had felt earlier was still close by. 'Is it following me?' He passed by a particularly large tree and drove himself higher in the forest, seeing the bright lights of the city once again. He went farther until he heard a loud clapping sound coming from behind him. He stopped on a wide branch, shaking it slightly so that the snow fell down in a thin powder towards the ground. The clapping sound grew faster and more rhythmic until a strange Nin dressed completely in red emerged from the shadows. His suit seemed more like a scaly skin, and he was quite tall, but his eyes bothered Sasuke horribly. They seemed to create their own light in the darkness, and reflected a red pupil with a black, criss-crossing slash in the middle of it. It appeared as though he was applauding Sasuke.
"Bravo," came the Nin's malicious and mocking voice, still clapping, "well done indeed. You play the tragic hero even better than my brother."
"Who the hell are you," demanded Sasuke, eyeing the stranger, his muscles tensing in bunches as if preparing for an assault.
"A spectator for now," the nin said, "A second stage actor to the true drama that has unfolded before me today. You may call me Set or god, whichever you prefer," chuckling slightly at his own remark.
"I'll call you dead fool," replied Sasuke, "you obviously don't know who you're mocking."
Set scratched his chin, studying Sasuke through squinting eyes, "Yes, there's the difference," he said, his voice almost like he was studying a statue or inanimate work, "he's not nearly as arrogant as you are, but then again I don't know how strong you are."
"You're about to find out idiot." Sasuke charged forward, kunai held out in front of him, his Sharingan deactivated, not wanting to waste Chakra on such a fool. Set watched him idly and then quickly jumped backwards to a branch a few meters away. Sasuke smiled, "Oh, realizing our mistake are we coward?"
Sasuke was genuinely surprised whenever a gigantic laugh erupted from Set, echoing across the entire city. "You are just as bit as conceited as that man keeps telling us," chuckled Set. "The pale face thinks very highly of you, a bit much so in my opinion, Uchiha Sasuke."
"You know me," asked Sasuke, his voice staying determinedly stoic.
"Oh, there's not much I don't know about you Sasuke," replied Set, "apart from your true strength. He talks about you as if you were a divine gift, descended from the heavens themselves, to grace us mere mortals with your presence. He's banking quite a lot on you to succeed here," Set began to idly walk up the trunk of the tree, into the darkness of the sky. Sasuke followed him until he disappeared in the darkness above; he kept his Kunai close to his body, still following his senses to Set's exact location.
"I on the other hand," continued Set, his voice turning into more of a lecture than any actual threat, "only see you as the exact reason why I hate humanity."
"Oh, do tell," mocked Sasuke, still searching for Set's presence in the darkness.
"You would give up something as precious as 'free will,' in order to fulfill some petty grudge you have?" he asked rhetorically, "Such base human emotions, they really are disgusting. People like you have turned humanity into the dregs it is now. Worthless people, going about their worthless existences, only waiting for death to release them, such a pathetic life. I'd pity them if I didn't hate them so much. And you, willing to give up thought, emotion, life, just to kill someone, to satisfy a need for revenge!? It's simply amazing to me that a reason to destroy, kill, eradicate, is to repeat the process upon that which has done so to you without some higher purpose to it. Or at least some creativity to it."
"So what are you," chuckled Sasuke, "you seem awfully craven for a god. Why don't you come down and show me what you're really made of you gutless coward!?"
Suddenly, a rustling was heard from behind him, Sasuke quickly turned around to see Set hanging upside down from a branch, his face only centimeters from his own. Sasuke reflexively jumped back, keeping the kunai to his body. 'I missed him,' he thought, 'how the hell.'
Set's face erupted into a huge, Cheshire grin, revealing very jagged teeth and a long tongue that was pulled towards the ground from the side of his mouth. He quickly pulled it back in, making a loud, slurping noise as he did. "Because Sasuke," he said softly, flipping into the air and landing on the branch below him, "I don't kill simply because of rage. My anger, the rage that is within me, always serves a higher purpose. As the world turns, attempting to crush my existence, it builds. I am an ar-tist, showing the world the greatest masterpieces ever devised. Blood, death, gore, viscera, it's all part of a grand work!" He was raving now, his voice growing higher, "An amazing symphony of the screams of victims past, resounding across the world in a brilliant cacophony. And now, I am to achieve one of my greatest works, of two men, whom society has shunned and shackled, trying to keep our anger, our rage within human limits. This Uzumaki Naruto, will be part of one of my greatest epics, theater at its finest. His rage, his fiery passion, his fury, is so beautiful, it excites me so. That is why I would like for you to 'remove' yourself from him so that he may concentrate on a much worthier task than simply revenge."
Sasuke chuckled to himself, "You talk too much," replied Sasuke, "and I don't think you're going to have to worry about any works of art, you lunatic, because you're not going to leave this place alive." Sasuke reared back to his belt, pulling several more kunai from his holster. He activated the Sharingan and watched as an image formed around Set, predicting every movement he made beforehand. Sasuke smiled to himself as he watched the image raise a peculiar eyebrow, only for Set to follow suit.
Sasuke quickly threw the kunai from his fingertips towards Set, he himself already in the air, predicting Set to jump backwards. Set followed suit, jumping back to the trunk of the tree, attaching to it, for Sasuke to have already thrown a kunai in the direction. Set looked forward and jumped further up the trunk, only for another kunai to be sailing straight towards him. He narrowly avoided the last, missing his face by only centimeters. Sasuke smiled to himself as he played with the madman. Sasuke watched as the image motioned itself to jump off the branch, its muscles contorting under the scaly suit, only for Set to follow it like some kind of otherworldly guide. Sasuke landed on a branch beneath him and raced up the trunk of the tree, his footsteps reverberating off the trunk as he made his way up. He watched as the image landed silently on the trunk opposite, as Set followed suit again, landing with a loud thud and sticking to it, his eyes following Sasuke. 'Got you,' thought Sasuke, his hands blurring in front of him, making seals so quickly his fingers seemed blurred.
"Fire Element," he yelled, watching the image eye him oddly and then jump from the tree, "Great Fire Ball," he watched the image land on a tree opposite again as Sasuke smiled, breathing out red hot flames that illuminated the area like a miniature sun. He continued following the image, when suddenly, it became distorted and vanished from his sight. Sasuke's fire engulfed the area, blackening the forest and leaving trails of embers within the trunks of trees, the fire having melted large chunks out of them. Sasuke watched as Set's image came in and out of reality, Set jumping quickly now from tree to tree. "That's not possible," said Sasuke softly, "I should be able to predict all his movements."
Set moved out of sight, back into the darkness. "That's quite the ability you have Uchiha Sasuke," he said, his voice seemingly impressed, "Granted, I know nothing about the Sharingan you possess. Still, as gratifying as ripping your skinny body limb from limb might be, I made a promise that I would not touch you."
"Who," yelled Sasuke in the distance, "your master?"
"No," chuckled Set, "My brother. He wants you Uchiha Sasuke; you and the rest of the Leaf Eye Bloodlines. And as a promise, I said I would not touch you. In return, my brother will not touch Naruto. I would advise you to do the same Uchiha Sasuke; after all, you have enough enemies in this country." Sasuke watched in the distance as he felt Set get farther and farther away until he could not feel him anymore.
Sasuke released a held breath back out into the cold air, his now dark eyes wide with shock. 'How did he do that,' he thought, 'the image seemed to be distorted, like it was only temporary. Still, I would have killed him.' He looked on towards the city, wondering what exactly awaited him the day after in the Chuunin exams.
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Orochimaru sat alone in the compound he had chosen. The area was dark, and the damp smell of wood permeated through, reminding him of his primary base of operations. He sat on his knees, the cold stone underneath him sending a refreshing chill through his body. His yellow eyes were closed in the darkness; his mind contemplating the events that were coming around him. 'It's so strange,' he thought, 'to be feeling it now. Why here of all places and of all times? Why with those two? Hiketsu...'
"Scalpel," came Hiketsu's cold voice. He held out his hand towards Orochimaru, silently demanding the necessary tool. Orochimaru stared at him with disdain, hating being treated like some second-rate nurse. He stared at the young man strapped to the wooden table. He was still alive, his eyes wide with shock and fear, tied spread-eagle across the table itself. His mouth was covered with a gag, but he was trying his hardest to scream, to receive some sort of help. He was some bum he had found earlier in the day; no one would miss him. It was always better to do things that way as to not arouse suspicion, 'better to erase the dregs of humanity anyway,' he thought to himself. Orochimaru had always wondered what went on through their minds; it must be terrifying to know that one was going to be eviscerated while wide awake, their mind totally aware of everything going on around them. He struggled violently against his bonds, rocking the table against the hard, stone floor; his eyes were drifting to past victims still shackled to the wall, their heads drooping downwards in a last, silent expression of fear and agony.
"Scalpel," came Hiketsu's voice again, harder this time. Orochimaru scowled at him, but handed him the tool he sought. Hiketsu did not turn his head, but moved his left hand across the man's shirt, grabbing it by the collar. With a flick of his wrist, he ripped the man's already tattered shirt off his body, revealing his bare chest. The man arched his back, attempting to break free of his bonds. Hiketsu raised his left hand again, and placed one finger in the center of the man's chest, driving him back down to the table with a large amount of force. "Watch Orochimaru," said Hiketsu cooly, "I can sustain this body for an hour or two at most, so we must observe what we can in that time. The upper body contains all chakra producing organs so an incision from the upper chest down to the midriff should be sufficient." Orochimaru said nothing but watched Hiketsu move forwards with the scalpel. The man's breathing quickened considerably, and Orochimaru could almost hear his heartbeat it pounded so fast against his chest.
Hiketsu drove the scalpel into the upper sternum of the man, eliciting a muffled scream from him. He methodically made his way down past his chest and ribcage down to the very end of his stomach, a fine trail of blood showing where he had sliced through. Orochimaru watched stoically as the man thrashed harder and harder against his bonds, the pain becoming unbearable, perhaps enough so to make him grow unconscious. Hiketsu's head did not move as he finished the first incision, and Orochimaru could not tell if his white eyes ever moved. He placed the scapel delicately on the table, every one of his movements purposeful and slow.
"Observe Orochimaru," said Hiketsu, "at the true workings of man." He dug his fingers from both hands into the incision, into the rib cage, sending a shockwave of pain to which the man screamed a high pitched note that was muffled silently under his gag. Hiketsu's eyes remained open as he dug deeper, the knuckles of either of his hands touching now. He snapped his arms back, viciously pulling apart the entire rib cage so that the organs were now exposed to the air, blood thrown everywhere. Orochimaru shielded himself as the blood hit his face, closing his eyes slightly at the unexpected warm sensation it created on his skin. The man began convulsing, blood forming from his nose and mouth. Hiketsu's removed his hands from the person and began to perform an eight seal jutsu in almost a second. He placed his left hand on the victims head and the body went rigid and stiff, unmoving. The patient's eyes were still wide open though. Orochimaru watched the heart's beat begin to rhythmically slow down until it almost appeared at a relaxed state. Hiketsu's fingers crossed the table, searching for something. He rapped his knuckles against the table and quickly found the scalpel, holding it between two fingers towards Orochimaru.
"Take it," said Hiketsu. Orochimaru reached out and plucked the now bloody scalpel from Hiketsu's hand. Orochimaru looked at his hand; despite the fact that he had reached into the body itself, there was no visible blood on his body. His fingers, arms, face all still bore the same sickly pale look without a speck of red on them. "You know where to start," he said. Orochimaru approached the now prone body and began to probe the chakra producing organs.
Orochimaru had just wiped the blood from his body, changing his clothes and preparing to burn the evidence. The body was completely devoid of life, a lasting expression of fear and death forever plastered on his face.
"I need better than this," said Hiketsu. He was leaning against a far wall now, in between two of the corpses from a few weeks ago. "I need ninjas, and on a more regular basis. You can't just bring in a stray genin or chuunin every once in a while; I need ninjas of particularly strong chakra center in order to see if the seal reacts or not. I can't use this jutsu on people of weak chakra systems; they simply can't handle it. ANBU would be particularly nice, but I guess I can't expect anything of Jounin level."
"People are going to notice if ninjas are missing," snapped Orochimaru, "I can't just grab Genin, Chuunin, and ANBU off the street and bring them here; they'll be even more suspicious of me than usual."
"I fail to see where that's my problem," replied Hiketsu coolly.
Orochimaru shook with fury, enraged at this man's arrogance. "I've got a better idea, how about you-"
"Do you want to learn the immortality jutsu?" asked Hiketsu, his voice still quite stoic.
Orochimaru was silent for a moment. "We've been at this for nearly two months," he said, his voice rising, "and yet I am not any closer than I was to achieving the immortality jutsu. As for this 'research' you're doing, I don't see the point in creating an enhancement seal like this."
"It's not so much an enhancement seal," lectured Hiketsu, "as it is a means through which to mutate chakra and turn it into a viable weapon."
"Chakra is a viable weapon idiot," replied Orochimaru snidely.
"Chakra when it is concentrated and formed into a jutsu is a weapon. However, my seal increases its potency by a great amount. It is still in its developmental stages, but when it is completed, a particularly strong Nin will be able to increase their strength exponentially."
"Why though? Why do you want to do this so badly?"
"That is not your concern. Just do as I say, and all you want and need will be yours."
Orochimaru stared at Hiketsu, murder burning in his yellow eyes, staring at the white globes in Hiketsu's head. "There's something I've been wondering about for some time. Your eyes, I've never seen anything like them before. They contain no visible pupil, iris, or blood vessels for that matter. And the way you act, needing to tap and hit certain things before picking up a still object...you're blind aren't you?"
Hiketsu did not answer but continued to stare unmoving at the floor in front of him. Orochimaru chuckled slightly but then erupted in laughter, echoing across the stone room. "I'm right aren't I," he laughed, "You can't see anything at all. Your senses are very refined though, as you can sense vibrations and sound waves to act as a second sight. Still, how pathetic to be taught by a blind man."
"I may be blind Orochimaru," admitted Hiketsu, "but there are many things I still see that you do not."
"Like what," replied Orochimaru indignantly. He was smiling ear to ear now having forced Hiketsu to reveal himself.
"Have you procured an apprentice," said Hiketsu, changing the subject quickly.
Orochimaru laughed again, "Yes," he said, still smiling, "a particularly strong academy student known as Mitarashi Anko. Still, I wonder why you trust me with all of this. Surely you must have realized I could kill you at any moment?"
"Could you?" replied Hiketsu. Orochimaru hated it whenever he answered a question with another question. Hiketsu walked towards the exit of the room. "We will meet here again tomorrow. Then, I begin your training in immortality." Orochimaru watched Hiketsu as he swooped out of the room, his long cape billowing behind him...
Orochimaru was shaken from thought by a loud knock on his door. "What," he said loudly, thoroughly annoyed. The door opened, revealing Zeumon, carrying what looked like half of Ninia in a large sack that was dripping of blood. Orochimaru rose a single eyebrow, and Zeumon began to go into a very angered rant.
"Some Leaf bastards...ambushed us, and we found Ninia like this. We found their forehead protector at the scene." He threw a metal band with the Leaf insignia on it at Orochimaru who barely caught it. Zeumon bowed deeply, realizing his mistake.
"You are sure of this?" asked Orochimaru, his raspy voice emotionless.
"Yeah," said Zeumon, his voice shaking with fury, "we should make them pay for this insult!"
"No," replied Orochimaru, "I don't want you causing any more incidents until the exams start."
"But-"
"Did I not make myself clear," said Orochimaru coolly.
Zeumon was silent, his eyes refusing to meet Orochimaru's. He bowed deeply and left the room, carrying what was left of Ninia with him. "Worthless," Orochimaru spat.
"They're not nearly as good as the ones you had before," came a voice from behind Orochimaru.
Kabuto slowly walked towards Orochimaru. "They're merely temporary until I find real warriors to call my elite. They can't even control those seals properly, and not one of them had potential for level two" replied Orochimaru, the malice rising in his voice, "Still, I can use this as a point against Tsunade for the Raikage."
"Do you think the Leaf did this," asked Kabuto.
Orochimaru shook his head, "The Leaf aren't that stupid," he said, "besides, from the looks of how she was killed, a Leaf nin would be out of the question. Ninia looked like she was split end from end; Leaf Nins are not trained to kill like that."
"Who then," asked Kabuto again.
Orochimaru did not answer. He continued to look at the trail of blood that Ninia's deranged mess had left. The feeling of nostalgia was washing over him again as he remembered Hiketsu. "That's irrelevant," he finally replied, "What's done is done, and I plan to use it for my advantage. Now leave me be Kabuto." Kabuto shuffled out of the room out of the door, the light outside reflecting off his thick glasses. Orochimaru watched him pass through and went back to his meditation.
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Naruto awoke slowly, his eyes adjusting underneath a bright light. All the images were blurry, and he his memory was fuzzy. Black lines and streaks were still in front of his face as his eyes were barely open underneath a bright light. The ground felt souft underneath him, and the air was warm, and smelled of a slight potpourri. He rubbed his eyes, causing stars to appear before them, gently rubbing the sleep from them. The room came into focus, as did his memory. 'I was training,' he thought, 'and then Sasuke was there, and Set too. But now, where am I.' He sat straight up and realized he was lying on the floor of the hotel room that his team was staying at. Two of the beds looked made, while a third laid slightly dishelved.
"Ah, I see the morning has brought color back to your youthful eyes," came a familiar voice from behind him. Naruto turned his head to see Gai behind him, doing sit-ups. Naruto looked aimlessly out the window; the billowing storm clouds had returned, delivering their precious energy to the city below, blocking out the sun again.
"How did I get here," he said aloud.
"Your most talented and caring sensei found you lying in the cold next to a hot spring in the forests on the outskirts of this place. You would have caught a most untimely death of cold had I not found you. I would suggest you return to the room by a curfew from now on, lest your sensei worry."
Naruto slowly got to his feet. TenTen was nowhere to be found as was Lee. "Where is everyone," he said.
"TenTen is out training in the early morning on the roof of this building where we will be joining her shortly. Lee was found in Asuma's students' room last night, but I imagine he will be around before long. You two seemed to have quite a wild night, but I hope your efforts will be concentrated more towards the Chuunin exam from now on. We only have today left, and we have much to do. Your sensei has prepared a special training regiment for each of you, especially you Naruto."
Naruto was slightly taken aback by Gai's tone, but a sudden pang of guilt shot through him. He hadn't seen Lee since yesterday. 'I wonder if he's alright,' he thought, 'I bet he hates me for what I did.' Naruto stared down at the floor, catching his sensei doing completely vertical push-ups now.
"You shouldn't let your face sag like that Naruto," said Gai, "you will blemish and wrinkle your most youthful looks." He shot Naruto a smile that sparkled brightly. "Cheer up. I'm sure Lee harbors no grudge against you."
Naruto's eyes widened again in shock. "How did you-" but Gai merely waved a hand in front of him.
"I am Maito Gai," he said, getting to his feet and striking a double bicep pose, "the strength that flows through these arms also flows through here," pointing to his head. Naruto chuckled at his sensei's antics. "There you go. Now, let's find your comrades shall we?" Naruto shot him a smile and went out the door, Gai following close behind.
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Lee slowly opened his eyes. The room was dark, in fact everything around him was still dark. He slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes, hoping his eyes would adjust to his surroundings. His deep breathing pounded inside his head, reverberating inside it. Lee groaned slightly and held his hand to his forehead. He slowly pushed himself up, feeling like his brain was being pulled through a schism in his head.
"Owww," he groaned, "my head. Where am I? What happened?" He slowly approached a sliver of light that had come from underneath a large door. He turned the knob and threw himself into the light, squinting as whiteness surrounded him.
"Hey Lee," shouted Naruto. Lee promptly covered his ears as Naruto's voice bounced hard around his skull like a ping-pong ball.
"You don't have to shout Naruto I'm right here," replied Lee, focusing his eyes on an orange and blonde blur in front of him. The pounding in his head seemed to have amplified now. 'What's wrong with me? I can't remember anything. Wait...I remember that place, and then I drank that energy drink...and now I'm here? Nothing makes sense.'
"Lee," came another familiar voice. Lee saluted a greenish, black blur in front of him.
"Yes Gai-sensei," he said, his own words causing his skull to seemingly crack.
"Where were you last night? And why do you reek of...Oh no," Gai's image came into focus, revealing his teacher's hand on his forehead, shaking his head back and forth. "Lee," he continued, his voice very stern, "I think that today we shall have a most important talk about the dangers of alcohol."
"Yes Gai-sensei," replied Lee, his voice slightly perplexed. 'What's Gai-sensei talking about,' thought Lee, 'Dangers of alcohol?'
"Anyway," continued Gai, his voice going back to the excited, fiery teacher Lee had come to know, "today is the last day we will be able to train fervently for the exams. Therefore, the Brilliant Beast has prepared amazing training regiments for each of you, specially designed to help you achieve outstanding results in the Chuunin exams." He began to shake with excitement, smiling widely and pumping his fist into the air, "How proud and amazed everyone will be whenever the students of the Great Azure Beast become Chuunins," tears suddenly began to stream down his face. "I guess it's time for the birds to fly away from their sensei's nest," he sobbed, "and become amazing beasts on their own!" He placed one arm around both Naruto and Lee in a tight embrace, bringing them close in a tight hug, still crying madly.
Lee was overcome with emotion for his sensei's compassion. "Gai-sensei," he sobbed, tears streaming down his face as well, his emotions blocking out any pain his head felt. He cried into Gai-sensei's shirt while Naruto merely stared wide-eyed in amazement, struggling to be released from Gai's grip.
Finally, Gai relinquished his tight embrace on his students, wiping his face with his sleeve, sniffling slightly. "Alright," he said, regaining his composure, "let's get ready." He placed a reassuring hand on both of their heads, mussing their hair slightly. "Follow me my students." He bounded off towards the stairs leading to the roof of the building, Lee following quickly. He suddenly stopped; Naruto was standing still, his brow furrowed, as if there was something amiss with the situation.
"Naruto, we mustn't miss Gai-sensei's most excellent training session," said Lee. Naruto snapped back into reality, smiling slightly at Lee.
Naruto looked up and shot Lee a smile, following quickly after Gai.
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Julius walked through the abandoned industrial district. Set had been missing since late last night, and they had agreed to go through the usual training session in the early morning. Julius continued to walk past the bums, hobos, and other riffraff that populated the alley ways in this district, making their homes in the abandoned buildings, the underside of the trash of this world. His stark appearance made him stand out considerably, dressed in his lose, white robe and pants that billowed in the wind, his boots crunching the snow beneath him. Everyone he passed needed a second glance at the mysterious figure that had intruded upon their territory. Julius continued farther in, the buildings becoming more and more dilapidated as he moved on. Debris and broken glass became common sight, as did the occasional drunk or beggar asking for spare change or alcohol.
Julius continued forward, ignoring all distractions, following the usual path through the snow. It was dark today, and the apparatus would be a good distance away, no one would hear. His heart beat faster as he approached a particularly defunct stone building that looked very ancient, the wall crumbling before his very eyes. He walked towards it, pulled a long, wooden door out slightly as it almost came off its hinges. He walked into a room that stank of rotting wood, rats, and a veritable mixture of different decomposing and disgusting elements. Julius walked steadily, his boots kicking up dust on the ancient floor. He suddenly stopped, looking down at a particular floorboard. His eyes scanned the area, looking for any signs of human life. He found none. He slowly pulled back on a crack in the boards, revealing a stone staircase leading downwards.
He eyed the area curiously; it had been some time since they had been given the opportunity to do this, but the Raikage insisted they train their skills. He walked down the steps, replacing the boards back on the hole. A thud was heard with each step as he walked on hard, grey stone, finally coming to a large, bolted door. He slid his palm against it, searching. Finally, his hand caught something, pulling it out, the door sliding open with a whoosh. Julius stepped forward only for the door to be closed behind him, a single candle illuminating a plain, stone room. A small control panel lay to the side, and hundreds of enraged and confused voices could be heard on the other side of a gigantic steel door. Some were clattering on it with various objects, attempting to break it down. Julius strode calmly over to the panel, pulling a microphone from the box.
"Attention," he said, his voice cold, "you are to arm yourselves with the array that will appear before you." He depressed a single button, and a loud whirring sound cloud be heard on the other side of the door, eliciting excited and perplexed expressions from the voices. "Prepare yourselves for battle. It will begin in a few minutes."
Julius took the top portion of his robe off, exposing his bare upper body. He threw it against the wall, waiting patiently for Set to arrive. The Raikage had requested the go 'all out'. 'It's not necessary,' thought Julius, 'we can take care of this rabble just fine without that.'
"Been waiting long," came a delighted voice from behind him.
Julius sighed, "You're late."
"Even gods need sleep brother," he said smiling. "Why are you disrobed? Does he want us to use full force against them?"
Julius nodded, staring at the massive gate. "That's such a waste of energy," sighed Set, depressing a mechanism on his suit. A slight hiss was heard as the material let loose from Set's body, becoming very loose. He pulled of the top part of the scaly armor and threw it to the side. "Well," he said, his voice bored, "how many?"
"155."
"Is that fair?"
"Twice that many would be, but I don't think he wants to overexert us before the exams."
"We'd be fine. Alright, let's go."
Julius flicked a switch, and the door began to move up with a heavy clanking noise. It only rose enough for them to slide under before it came down once again, hitting the sandy floor with a dull thud. It was quite well illuminated in this area with electric lights circling the perimeter; it was a mock model of The Coliseum, where most of the Chuunin exam would be taking place. It consisted of a sand floor, with a raised platform that extended well beyond twenty feet in the air, circling the area. The arena itself was only about three hundred feet across in a circular shape. On the other side of the coliseum was about one hundred and fifty armed criminals, exempted from death for a training regiment. They had different physiques, but altogether fat or small, they consisted of the same worthless trash that was about to be burnt from the earth. They stared at Julius and Set for a time, a large array of knives, swords, clubs, etc. at their disposal.
"Gentlemen," said Set finally in a booming voice, "you've been granted a chance at life! This key," he pulled a small, triangular key from his belt, "controls the door from which we came. To leave this place and gain your freedom, all you have to do, is take it from me." He placed the key between two of his fingers and placed it in his mouth, swallowing it. "Simple concept no?"
An excited murmur mixed in with laughter wove its way through the crowd who was now bearing down upon them. Julius observed them for a moment and closed his eyes. He could feel it, circulating through him, beginning the process. It felt like boiling water was invading his veins, slowly turning into needles that pushed their way outward. It was easily the most painful process he ever had to go through, but it was necessary. It burned him everywhere now, stung him everywhere, slowly boring its way deeper into his being. His body demanded release, but it had been so many times he learned to ignore it. Set was laughing, he always laughed loudly when they did this. The ground beneath them shook, and an agitated and slightly fearful murmur went through the crowd before the rushed quickly forward. Julius opened his eyes and prepared for battle...
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Kakashi sat bolt upright in his bed, a cold sweat drenching his entire body. His Sharingan was exposed, and he was dressed only in his black undersuit. His eyes were wide, and his breathing heavy. He could feel it, but it was faint and well hidden. His eyes drifted out the window; he had been dreaming again, dreaming of that day.
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Gai felt the sensation wash over him. It was weak, but he could easily remember the power he felt. He wondered if Kakashi was feeling the same thing, but quickly shook the thought from his mind and returned to his cheery attitude.
"Alright my most youthful prodigies," said Gai, "I understand that the Chuunin exam is only one day away and that you are all no doubt feeling the exciting energy flowing through your bodies in anticipation. The fire burning in your eyes, the power circulating through you, YOUTH IS AMAZING!!" he said as an ocean welled up behind him. Lee seemed to be the only one impressed by this, as the other two were used to it by now. Gai chuckled to himself. "First off," he turned to the rightmost student, "TenTen, I have called in a favor from our Hokage Tsunade, whom you respect so much. She has agreed to oversee your training for a single day. I know that you no doubt will miss the teachings of the Beautiful Azure Beast, but even I don't know everything. Therefore, I will allow you to broaden your horizons a bit, just for today."
Gai thought he had never seen his student so happy. Her eyes were in very wide and a giant grin was on her face. She rushed up to Gai and hugged him tightly around the waist. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you," screamed TenTen, "Gai-sensei, you're the coolest!"
Gai smiled very widely, revealing his overly shiny teeth. "Yes," he exclaimed, "what you say is very true. The Amazing Azure Beast is known far and wide Now, Tsunade awaits your prompt arrival at the entrance of the hotel, but she may only be able to train you for a short while. She is after all Hokage, so make use of the time you have TenTen!" He shot her a thumbs-up pose as she bounded off to the hotel entrance. He watched her leave and then turned to still saluting Lee.
"Lee," continued Gai, "you will be training with Gaara of the Hidden Sand. He has requested you specifically as a training partner, and I have agreed. With any time left over, I expect you to return to your sensei for additional education as well. As for you Naruto, you will be staying with me as I have a very important private lesson I must teach you."
Gai observed his remaining students, but was puzzled whenever Lee's usually excited face seemed slightly downtrodden. "What is wrong Lee," asked Gai, sensing his student's apprehension, "I thought you would be thrilled to have a different training perspective."
"Well," stammered Lee, "It's...just that umm, why does Naruto get to spend all day with Gai-sensei?"
"You make it sound like a good thing," snapped Naruto, smiling slightly. Lee shot him a dirty look which elicited a loud laugh from Gai.
"Don't worry Lee," he reassured, patting Lee on the head, "Gai-sensei does not play favorites amongst his students. Now be off Lee; I'm sure your training session with Gaara-san will be most productive."
Lee saluted Gai one last time before sprinting down the stairs towards his destination.
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Naruto watched Lee sprint off down the stairwell, a trail of dust following his wake. His sensei was grinning like an idiot, chuckling slightly at himself. He suddenly brought himself completely straight up and took in a deep breath through his nose, his chest puffing outward. He paused making no sound, but he closed his eyes as if entranced by some beautiful music; he then exhaled slowly, as if savoring every moment the breath left his mouth. He opened his eyes and stared at Naruto with a very relaxed and jovial expression. "The air is wonderful here," he said, "even amongst the smokestacks and machines that interfere with it, you can still taste the original flavor of the mountain. Try it." He looked at Naruto, his hands on his sides, waiting patiently for Naruto to do something as simple as breathing.
Naruto stared perplexed at his sensei but followed his orders taking a deep breath in through his nostrils, whistling slightly. The air was pungent with the aroma of smog, a black, charcoal smell that sent a small twinge of electricity down his spine. He continued to inhale until his lungs were full and then held it, imitating his sensei. The mountain aroma suddenly permeated through, the smell of pine trees, lightly melting snow, and sweet, pure air sent a euphoric sensation through his brain, pulsing a relaxing wave across the rest of his body. He could feel the tenseness in his muscles droop as they relaxed heavily. It bore a faint reminder of Konoha in it. He felt a smile slowly cascade across his face, his beginning to close. However, he quickly snapped out of the sensation and came back to the present, confused at exactly what Gai-sensei was trying to accomplish. "What are you doing sensei," he asked, "what kind of training is this? We're just breathing; I'd figured we'd be sparring or you'd send me to the perverted hermit."
"Humor your sensei Naruto," replied Gai cheerfully. He turned to the mountains in the distance. Their peaks extended far into the black and grey sky, disappearing under a heavy sheet of darkness. "What do you think of this land Naruto?"
Naruto cocked his head in a confused expression, wondering exactly what Gai was getting at, but he decided to play along. "I think it's really drab," he said, "It's so dark and dingy, and the people here seem too busy with their daily affairs to even appreciate the sun."
Gai nodded his head at Naruto's statements, still staring at the mountains on the horizon. "So what do you think of Konoha then," he asked cheerfully, "is it precious to you?"
Naruto's mind flooded with images of Konoha. It must be sunny there; clouds seemed only to drift by aimlessly in pairs or singles rather than a huge, grey blob in the sky. The forests were always alive with life, even in the light snows Konoha had. From Spring, when the tree's leaves would be reborn, along with the colorful buds on the cherry blossoms. Life of different types and varieties would return, birds chirping in the sky, squirrels scurrying about the ground. In the Summer, the heat would warm the sparkling rivers flowing around and through Konoha, and the-
"People there, do you remember them?"
Naruto's mind was suddenly flooded with images of the people of the town, shunning him, pretending like he didn't exist, like he was simply something to endure or tolerate until he died. Their eyes, all staring so far away, leaving him alone. Why did it have to be like this? Why did they hate him so much? The rage was consuming him again, feeling the red charkra flow through his veins, amplifying his emotions, brining his anger to the surface. His breathing was quickening in pace, and he could feel his body slowly trans-
"NARUTO," came a voice from in front of him. It had grasped him by the shoulders and was shaking him slightly brining him back to reality. He looked up to see Gai stooped down slightly, a very worried expression on his face, his eyes full of concern. Naruto shook his head slightly, coming back to reality slowly as the red chakra faded from his system. He turned his face away from Gai, ashamed slightly that he almost gave into such anger in front of his sensei. Gai stood back up straight, looking down on Naruto. He was smiling again, very warmly so.
"Well Naruto," he began, his voice still very friendly, "Your sensei has only a few more questions for you. First off, you have many people you wish to protect yes?"
Naruto turned back to Gai and nodded fervently, "Yes," he said, "I have many precious people that I would protect with my life!" He smiled up at Gai who returned the gesture.
"But Naruto," said Gai, his expression turning slightly solemn, "do you think you can protect such people with that kind of rage?"
Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but quickly closed it. As much as he hated to admit it, Gai had a good point. This rage that he was feeling constantly now was nothing like the one he had felt during his fight with Neji or Gaara a long time ago. It was different, almost foreign to him, but it consumed him constantly. He continued looking at the ground rather than Gai, still deep in thought.
"Well my student," said Gai, "I have prepared a most special exercise for you. It will no doubt help you in the trails of the exam to come."
Naruto looked back up, his eyes screwed in determination, staring at Gai. Gai reached slowly into his vest pocket to pull out a bundle of papers that were thrown at Naruto. He caught them to see that it was a pretty big lump sum, about a hundred dollars. He stared at the money in his hands, back at his sensei, and then back at the money. "What is this for?" he asked, very perplexed.
Gai smiled widely, "For you to train in the art of relaxation Naruto. Your mind has been heavily stressed ever since we arrived here, and your usual boisterous and excited demeanor has been replaced with one that could cause as much damage to yourself as your enemies. Jiraiya agrees with me on this point that you should take the last day before the exams to relax your mind before feeling the immense burden of the exams come full force. So spend some time enjoying what this city has to offer; I know it's not Konoha by any stretch of the imagination, but still, it does offer a wide variety of activities that a youthful man such as yourself could indulge in."
Naruto stared blankly at Gai, wondering if this was a joke or not. Then again, despite his usually eccentric behavior, Gai was very serious about these types of things. "But," said Naruto, "I should train as hard as possible so that I can do great in the Chuunin exam. You said that yourself Gai-sensei!"
Gai merely smiled again at Naruto, "I know that," he said, "but there are different types of training. This little reprieve I'm giving you will help to train your mind, and will reduce the stress placed on it. A ninja who's mind and spirit are in turmoil will not be a very productive one. Just trust your sensei on this Naruto. After all, your most generous sensei has given you a nice sum of money. Spend it how you want."
Naruto looked at the paper in his hand, and smiled at Gai. "Alright," he finally succumbed, "I'll trust you on this one, but I'm going to spend everything you've given me here, and I'm going to train myself if necessary." He looked at Gai, a sense of determination welling within him. Gai started laughing loudly, confusing Naruto.
"That's the kind of attitude I like to see," shouted Gai, "Determination, guts, trust, you've got them all Naruto. Don't worry, if you want, I'll train you later on in the day. In the meantime, just trust your sensei's words and relax a little bit. Don't worry, we'll make sure you're ready for anything tomorrow." He then shot Naruto the classic nice-guy pose, flashing his very shiny smile. Naruto smiled broadly at his sensei before leaving down the stairwell into the city streets.
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Gai watched Naruto leave, sighing slightly. "You're pretty good with the kid," came a gruff voice behind him. Gai turned his head slightly to see Jiraiya appear behind him.
"Well," said Gai, "I am pretty amazing, and that quality rubs off on my students to make them even more amazing than me."
Jiraiya chuckled slightly, but his expression turned quickly serious. "I wonder how he's going to do in this exam," he said, "I have some concerns."
"I know, but I think he'll be able to keep his anger in check. He's gone through a lot after all; it's no wonder he can be so temperamental sometimes."
"I'm beginning to think that's only half of it," said Jiraiya darkly. Gai's cheery expression quickly turned to one of curios concern.
"What do you mean," he asked.
"It's just that, even with Sasuke's departure, that kind of rage seems uncommon for him. It's something I've suspected for a while, and now he seems to be exemplifying it quite a bit. I'm thinking the Kyuubi's chakra is beginning to affect him adversely. Unfortunately I'm not sure on all the functions of my student's seal. True, the chakra is allowed to flow into his system, but what if the Kyuubi is able to manifest itself through Naruto."
"You mean manipulate him," asked Gai, his voice very anxious now.
Jiraiya shrugged, "Maybe," he said indifferently, "It's just that he's tapping into a will that may be stronger than his own. The brief instance that we knew the Kyuubi, it seemed to be nothing but hate, rage, malice, and violence given a corporeal form, taking pleasure in only death and destruction. If the Kyuubi is affecting him in some way, we may need to take extra precautions around him."
Gai said nothing, but a feeling of helplessness overwhelmed him. "What should we do?" he asked.
"There's not much we can do," replied Jiraiya, "this is one of those things that he may have to face alone. All we can do is support him in any way we can."
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Naruto walked along the sidewalk in a very large, commercial area of the city. He had become accustomed to the sight of a bustling city, people going about their daily business, buying, selling, talking about trivial matters. It all seemed normal anymore. Naruto stared at the sum of money in his hand, wondering what he would spend it on.
"Are you really going to allow yourself to be so easily manipulated? They're trying to keep you from getting stronger, and you only have one day left."
"I trust Gai-sensei. He has a good point actually; maybe I do need some time to myself. I haven't even checked to see if they sell any good ramen here."
"I can hardly believe what I'm hearing. Have you forgotten about Sasuke? Have you forgotten about the pain he has brought you? Can you forget all that so easily?
"...No, but still, I feel like my mind has been split in half. I can't bring Sasuke to his senses if I kill him, and if clearing my mind and relaxing helps me concentrate better, then I'll do just that."
"Imbecile! How many times do I have to tell you that your rage is what keeps you powerful and what will give you the edge in this-"
"Hey, a ramen stand."
The stand had caught Naruto's eye; it struck out compared to the tall buildings and upscale modeling of the city itself. It seemed very simple, very similar to the stand in Konoha. It seemed to have very light business, as only a few people sat on the stools, shrouded by white cloth that kept half of their bodies obscured. Naruto marveled at how similar it was to the Ramen stand in Konoha. Same white paint, same smell of delicious, hot ramen emanating from it. Same old man griping about some cheapskate customer...
'Wait a second,' thought Naruto, 'that's...That is the same old man!' He rushed straight up to the stand and came under the curtain, shocked to find that the same old man and his daughter were tending a ramen stand in Thunder Capitol. "What the hell are you doing here old man," yelled Naruto.
The old man looked up, counting a large amount of money in his hands. "Oh," he said with mock surprise, "I thought I'd run into you sooner or later."
Naruto sat on a stool in front of the man, leaning his body against the counter. "What are you doing here anyway," asked Naruto.
"We're a small franchise," he said, "I have stands in many villages. What, you thought I only catered to your gluttonous person. During huge festivals such as this one, I travel around. I just got in a day ago, and let me tell you, Spamen is a huge hit here." He grabbed a can of the gross stuff Naruto had tried earlier. "Spamen," he said, his voice akin to a commercial actor's, "for your young, on the go types, who don't have time to enjoy the refreshing taste of ramen, we have better than the real thing, Spamen. Just one taste and you'll know the difference."
"Yeah," snapped Naruto, "the difference is that stuff tastes like crap."
"That's the beauty of this country," said the owner, smiling widely, "they're moving too fast to even taste the stuff. They just swallow it and move on. It's selling like crazy! So anyway, what'll it be shrimp?"
Naruto was too hungry to bark back at the owner. "Some of the barbecue ramen," he said excitedly.
"Alright, that'll be five bucks."
"What," exclaimed Naruto, "I'm a Leaf nin, everything I want is free here!"
"Well you're in my world now," replied the owner, "and in my world we pay with cash, up front."
Naruto laughed heartily, "Yeah right old man," he said, "like I'd pay for food when I can get it free anywhere here."
"You're not going to find ramen anywhere here," replied the old man, "to them, that's a low class food that you'd never stop to eat. You can go check if you want, but I know you'll be back. You're addicted to that sweet, fresh, scent of ramen, I know it.
Naruto scowled at the old man, but knew he was right. He had searched with most of his free time for some place that served ramen but didn't find any. 'Dammit,' he thought, 'should I spend money on a delicious meal, or take my chances on something free. This old man can't make me do anything, but that ramen smells so good.' He began pulling on his hair in frustration, making quite a scene of cursing and fidgeting, none of which seemed to bother the old man, who merely stared at him with a long smile on his face.
Naruto sighed and finally handed over five dollars to the man, who took them beaming proudly. "One barbecue ramen coming up," he said, pocketing the money quickly and preparing to make the ramen. Naruto despised the old man, but was quite grateful for a least a flavor of Konoha. It made him feel at home. However, something was twinging on the back of his neck, almost like someone was watching him. His hairs stood on end, but he remained relaxed. He calmly looked out the curtain, looking to the left and right, attempting to notice anything suspicious. Nothing caught his eye.
'What's going on,' thought Naruto. He continued observing the passerby, none of whom seemed the slightest pit concerned with Naruto's presence. Suddenly, his eyes became affixed with a light post across the street. Something was odd about it, as parts just seemed out of place on it. He looked closer to realize that there was someone behind it. The person quickly stuck their head out, but replaced it fast whenever they found Naruto looking. Naruto smiled slightly, remembering Gai's words that food was always eaten better with comrades. After all, he did feel a little nostalgic here, and a little lonely.
"Hey Hinata," yelled Naruto, waving across the street, "what's up!? You want some ramen!? I can treat you!?" Hinata slowly came from her hiding place, a furious crimson coloring her face. 'What's up with her,' thought Naruto, 'Oh well, at least it's somebody I know.' Hinata slowly made her way across the bustling street, fidgeting slightly. She finally brushed away the curtain, and sat on a stool a few ones away from Naruto.
"H-H-Hello Naruto-kun," she stammered, "how are you." Her words came out very slow, like her mind was jumbling to find a place for them. Naruto raised an eyebrow, eyeing Hinata, who blushed even redder than before.
"So," he finally said, "what do you think of this place eh? It's big, but it's nothing like Konoha. But what's with all this weird stuff they've got here; I've never seen any buildings or spires like this back home. And where are they going to have the Chuunin exams anyway? I've haven't seen any buildings that seem suitable for that. What do you think Hinata?"
"Yes," replied Hinata quickly. Naruto shot her a perplexed expression before Hinata seemed to fully comprehend the question. "Well," she stammered again, "I think that it's a nice country. It's dark sometimes...well it's dark a lot of the time. Almost all the time, just dark." She was silent for a while, idly twiddling her fingers.
"Yeah," replied Naruto awkwardly. He finally had a bowl of ramen pushed in front of him which he began to devour fervently. "So Hinata," he said in between chewing, "what do you think of this Chuunin exam coming up?"
"It's interesting," she replied softly, "I hope that I'll make it to the end and become a Chuunin...what about you Naruto-kun?"
"Mfff," replied Naruto, a mouthful of ramen still in the process of being chewed. He finally slurped the remains up and answered the question. "It's going to be pretty interesting. There are a lot of strong guys here. Hey Hinata, aren't you going to order anything?"
"Oh," she said suddenly, fidgeting in her stool, "N-No thanks, I'm not hungry."
Naruto finished off his bowl, handing it back to the owner of the stand. "Well that's too bad," said Naruto, "ramen really is the best food in existence. It would be better if it weren't served by such a stingy man though," shooting a dirty look at the old man behind the counter.
Hinata laughed slightly at Naruto's comment. "Well," she finally said, "it was nice talking to you Naruto."
"Oh," said Naruto, "well, alright. I'll see you in the exams I guess." She waved to Hinata as she left, feeling quite at ease with himself. "I guess Gai-sensei was right," he said, "I did need some time to relax, but I'm relaxed enough now. Better find a suitable training spot."
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The Raikage watched aimlessly from a tall spire as the assembly of ninja began to appear in front of the gates of the Jade Palace. The Lord of Thunder would be giving them a welcoming speech in a few minutes, after all of the ninjas had been gathered together. The Raikage scowled deeply as he watched the Lord of Thunder arrive, watching as the decrepit, old man make his way across the stage. It was around midday now, and it was the last day before the Chuunin examination.
'Trying to upstage me old man,' thought the Raikage maliciously, 'that won't happen for much longer.' He was holding the Leaf forehead protector that he had planted at the scene the other day. Orochimaru had presented him with evidence for his dead nin earlier in the day. The Raikage smiled slightly, anticipating what Tsunade's reaction would be when he told her that the entire Leaf was now under investigation. How pissed she would be that her clan was being accused of plotting the murder of their enemies under a guise of peace. But this was just the first step, the initial spark to start the blaze. The Chuunin exam would be the real show, and everyone had to play their parts accordingly. He looked over the crowd of nin that had gathered now. Almost everyone was here, and despite the massive size of the audience he could still pick out Julius and Set amongst the many Hidden Cloud genin.
"You two had better do this flawlessly," said the Raikage aloud, "The success of this mission rests mainly on your shoulders. You had better not fail me."
There was a slight wind as a door opened behind him. The Raikage could feel him approaching; he always had the strangest aura about him. The dull thud of his boots could be heard behind him, but the Raikage kept his attention focused on the present. "What are you doing here," he finally asked when he felt him get close.
The figure merely came to the Raikage's side, still in the shadows, his figure obscured, saying nothing. "I hate that man," said the Raikage softly, his eyes staring daggers through the Lord of Thunder. "Ever since the war, we've had to rely on his funding because of those damn Leaf. He's had more say in our operations that he should have, and now he regards us as obsolete; like ninjas are a thing of the past to be replaced with his own armed forces. He shouldn't even be necessary; the Izou dynasty never had to put up with the likes of him, neither should we."
"I didn't come here to listen to your griping," came the cold voice beside him.
"So why are you here," replied the Raikage.
"You knew the price you would pay for my services. I expect it to be paid in full. Don't forget that."
The Raikage chuckled slightly. He watched as the Lord of Thunder made his way to the podium to begin his speech, a round of forced applause emanating from the audience of nin in front of him. "You've only been here a day, and you want to get straight to business. I always like that about you, but I'll have to postpone payment due until the end of this exam. You understand of course?"
"I suppose," replied the voice, "I can wait. I have been doing so for some time. Just don't forget our bargain."
The Lord of Thunder was moving towards a flourishing end to this speech in front of the nins; he was a notoriously bad speaker and his speeches never lasted too long. The Raikage turned around to face the stranger; staring down into the white globes he called eyes.
"I won't forget, Hiketsu."
A/N: Another long one. Had to wrap up a few things before I started with the Chuunin exam. Been trying to update faster, but with little success. I think I'll be able to get another chapter out before the end of this week though.
Next Chapter: The Chuunin Exam