Here it is, Chapter 8. Enter the vaguely self-based character.
I thank everyone for their comments. Smeagol will give huggses to: TimeShifter, Xoni Newcomer, AnimeFan-Angel, anemEvivvErz, Donut-nin, Akemi, MichSchonken, Dragon Man 180, Mari, mrasdfghj, HisuiKaze, TVO, and whiterose03. Hell, hugs for everyone!
gollum
In short, I'm a new writer. This is probably the first time I've ever gotten around to doing serious writing. Stands to reason that some stuff might seem off. Feel free to email me with suggestions as to how to improve my narrative style.
Xoni Newcomer: I know Hiashi seemed a bit laid-back, I just edited Ch. 6, he's less friendly, more frowny. If he gets friendlier, it will be more of a gradual thing.
Chapter 8 : Tourney Hopefuls, Wanderers and the Dawn.
"I still say you should be wearing your mask," Nazo admonished his companion.
"I can't eat curry with my mask on," came the answer. "What's the matter?"
"That, Edo, is the problem," said Nazo, pointing at the other's face. "Suppose someone sees that glyph, eh?"
On Edo's left temple there was a black, tattoolike mark. It most closely resembled the kanji for 'mystery' surrounded by several small lines.
Edo rubbed the spot. "Relax. It's way to dark in here for anybody to see the mark." Edo noted Nazo's continued look of disapproval. He stroked his goatee briefly, than smacked his palm with his fist. "Of course!" He reached into one of the pockets of his long black overcoat and withdrew a feline mask, similar to those worn by ANBU or hunter-nin, though this mask was green and black. He arranged it, tilting it jauntily on his head so that the mask covered up the symbol on his face.
He took another bite of his green chicken curry. "Problem solved."
Nazo shook his head, but grinned anyway. He couldn't help it. Nekoarashi Edo had had a very strange sense of humor for as long as Nazo had known him. Edo was just strange in general. He was tall and quite stout, at least six feet tall. His oddly-colored hair went down well below his shoulders. No one really knew the truth about his hair. Some said it was black with blond streaks, others said it was blond with black streaks. Edo himself said that the coloration was completely natural. On his chin he had a dark blond goatee. His glittering hazel eyes were surprisingly ordinary (Edo always insisted they were green).
His personality was just as odd. He was easygoing most of the time. Lately, however, his behavior had become more and more erratic. He was more of a risk-taker now, acting without considering all possible outcomes.
Nazo sobered, then looked back at his friend.
"Edo, I want to know what we're doing in this village. This is hardly low profile."
"You know I've been searching for evidence of Torikushi and the others. Every lead that we've discovered has pointed to them being here."
"That's not the only reason, Edo. Why are we entering the tournament? If Torikushi's here, then Maiyuu and I are all for finding her, but why draw attention to ourselves?"
"Speaking of which, where is Maiyuu?"
"She's out walking, and don't change the subject."
"Gods, you're lecturing me as if you were my mother, Nazo."
"Don't talk like that. I've only got five years on you," the thinner man responded. "Funny you should mention your mother."
Edo narrowed his eyes. "Why is that?" he asked quietly.
Nazo pointed at Edo's temple. "I'm looking out for your best interest, my friend. Your mother gave you the Kaiin (Mystery Seal) to hide your presence from those who killed her."
Edo started to angrily respond. Nazo raised his hand to silence him.
"I'm not finished. Your seal is already half broken. The result of your little adventure on Aeril."
"That was an event over which I had no control," Edo sighed, closing his eyes.
"It's a miracle you survived that. We found you unconcious on the beach." Nazo took a sip of tea. "The village was a gutted ruin, and as for the Neko Shrine..."
"I know," said Edo. "The Shrine was abandoned, but untouched."
"He has a strange sense of humor when he wakes up."
Edo reached across and grabbed Nazo by the shoulder. His eyes were slits now.
"I'll tell you once. Don't talk about him. Hyousai is my problem." Edo was practically hissing.
"My apologies," Nazo shrugged off Edo's hand, wincing. "Anyway, as I was saying before we got sidetracked. You'll need to keep your temper during this exam. If you lose it again, the Kaiin and its protection will vanish."
Nazo drained his teacup.
"And even the Kaiin will not hide you from your former countrymen."
"If Hidden Cloud wants to come for me, let them. I consider it an oppurtunity to catch up with old friends."
"Friends with orders to kill or capture you."
"If I take this exam, the Raikage will figure that the best way to get to me will be to send in a team of his own." Edo stared dreamily into space. "Maybe he'll send Raina."
"Have I ever told you that you're an idiot?" Nazo smiled. "Reckless, you're flirting with disaster again." He called the waitress over and ordered another tea.
"However, I guess I'll just have to trust you," Nazo yawned. "I mean, what are friends for?"
"Nazo-chan! Edo-kun!" came a spine-chillingly genki voice.
The two men looked at each other. "Oh, no," they groaned.
"Hello, Maiyuu-chan. Enjoy your walk?"
"Uh-huh."
Nazo scooted over, making room for the girl. Ke Maiyuu was an incredibly energetic woman. She was dressed in an orange and red leaf-patterned kimono with voluminous sleeves that completely obscured her slender arms. Her white hair was tied up in a neat bun, though she allowed one black-dyed streak to fall in front of her face. Her gentile appearance was contrasted by the various weapon pouches affixed to her sash, and by the bouken that she bounced on her shoulder.
"Maiyuu-chan, you're not supposed to brandish that thing around in here," Nazo gestured to the bouken. "Didn't they tell you that?"
Maiyuu stuck her tongue out at him. "Someone tried to take it, but I hit him over the head with it instead...hehe." she giggled. "Bam, bam!"
SMASH! CRACK!
With each 'Bam!', Maiyuu smacked one of her teammates on the head.
"Itai..."
Edo blinked. "Well, if that's the case, we'd better go." He dug in another pocket. "I'll pay," he announced, withdrawing a handful of coins, counting them, and placing the proper amount on the table. He rummaged under the table.
Maiyuu leapt up almost immediately, bouncing on her heels. Nazo pulled himself to his feet a little bit slower. Reaching over to the opposite wall, he picked up his metal staff. He smiled at the design of the top of the staff, which was in the shape of a silver monkey. From under the table, Edo grunted and strained he tried to pull something out from underneath their table.
"Got it!"
Edo straightened up, hefting his new burden. It was an idol, nearly as tall as he was. Carved in the shape of a cat out of what seemed to be black stone, the statue clearly was quite heavy. Despite this, Edo stood straight. He adjusted the strap that held it on his back.
"You still carrying that silly thing?" Maiyuu cocked her head to one side.
"Call it sentiment,"
"Call it silly," Maiyuu made a face at him.
Edo rolled his eyes. "Smartmouthed kid." He readusted his mask. "Ready to go?"
At the base of a rock spire less than three miles from the village of Stone, a small group of figures waited. Two women and one man. The man was leaning against the spire itself, eyes closed and arms crossed. He was of average size, wrapped in a black, cloud-patterned coat. On his head was a large peaked cap, with a fringe that obscured most of his head. Hearing something, he tilted back his head and removed the hat, revealing a slashed Konoha headband, black hair tied back in a ponytail, and a pair of strange red eyes.
Uchiha Itachi held out his arm to the approaching bat, which quickly accepted his arm as a perch. Removing the note from its leg, he scanned its contents quickly. The corner of Itachi's mouth curled slightly in a smile.
"Uzumaki Naruto is moving, and dear Moro is impatient," he informed his companions.
"She has reason to be," came a a hoarse female voice from twenty feet above.
"Kumonosu, you too?" Itachi blinked up at the woman.
"We haven't done anything interesting since the raid in Mist," complained Kumonosu. "And I doubt that this little mission will hold any interest either."
Kumonosu glared at Itachi. She had never liked the Uchiha boy. Hataori Kumonsu had been with Akatsuki for nearly as long as that brat had been alive. And yet, the boy had quickly become the master's favorite and right-hand man. Kumonosu scratched her chin witth one of her long arms, then released a stream of webbing from her fingers, lowering herself down the spire to the ground.
Itachi withdrew another letter from his robe. Unfurling it, he showed it to Kumonosu.
Siren, Geyser,
Go to the palace of snow and retrieve the Yasakani.
, Sunset.
Kumonosu frowned.
"Well that's all well and good for Moro and Kisame," Kumonosu rasped. "But what of us?"
"You may be pleasantly surprised, Kumonosu. The master is quite interested in this tournament. There will two vessels in attendance."
"And that miserable wretch Orochimaru. Why haven't we killed him yet?"
"He has an important part yet to play in the master's plans. The other part of our mission here is to move one step closer to the day we shall no longer need him." Itachi turned to the shadows. "You have the scroll Orochimaru seeks, Zeka?"
The third Akatsuki member revealed herself. Her short spiked blond hair peeked out above a cracked headband of the Cloud village. Zeka, though she was 25, had the appearance of a child of 14, and her two associates towered over her. She was very sensitive to this fact, and had killed dozens of people who had mistaken her for just another 'little kid'.
Zeka gave a cruel smile. "I got it. Snuck into Tsuchikage's office and nicked it. It was almost too easy."
"You didn't kill anyone, I trust?"
"No, not quite," she pouted.
"Surprising, new blood. You're learning," Kumonosu murmured.
Itachi reached into another pocket and withdrew a small piece of parchment. He tossed it to Zeka, who caught it easily. "Put that in the scroll."
She did so.
"Now go put that back where you found it. When you do that, bring Aira back to me."
"Four of us? Seems excessive," Zeka noted Itachi's frown. "Right, I'm going." Zeka placed the scroll in a hip pouch, then vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Mind explaining what that was about?" Kumonosu inquired.
"That scroll is a treatise on seals and demons. Orochimaru has been seeking it for months. Apparently, my brother has been having complications with his curse seal since his direct exposure to the chakra of the nine-tails." Itachi shrugged. "Orochimaru seeks an answer and a cure, both of which can be found in that scroll. What I added was a list of additional information. Hidden within, if Orochimaru can decipher it, is the means to use a certain technique."
Kumonosu stared. "You don't mean-"
"The very same."
"The master couldn't possibly be so reckless as to-"
"-Give Orochimaru access to a technique that could threaten us?" Itachi finished. "Oh, I assure you, he could."
"If Orochimaru uses that on his subordinates..."
"He won't. For then they would have enough power to threaten him. He will save that technique for himself. When he finally uses it, then the master will make his move."
"The master is far too reckless."
"Mind your tongue."
"If he is not reckless, then why does he allow the vessel of Kyuubi to still wander? If he had sent me instead of that fat oaf the boy would have been ours."
"Tatsuyoshi was never truly one of us. He was weak," Itachi shook his head with contempt. "He was...probationary. Our master simply had Tatsuyoshi around to test Uzumaki Naruto, his one purpose was to die facing him," he glanced at Kumonosu. "You are aware of the master's connection with Kyuubi?"
"I know only the basic details."
"Fair enough," he turned away.
"You mentioned probationary members, Itachi. What about your protege, Iboru?"
"Dead," Itachi said without emotion. "The fool. I wasted months grooming him for membership in Akatsuki and manages to get himself destroyed the day he was to join us."
"Destroyed by what?"
"I don't know, Kisame was the one who investigated when Iboru did not show himself. The house was a ruin. Parts of it were burned, others choked in black ice. The entire area looked as though a storm had struck."
"Ice?"
"I'm glad that you see the significance," Itachi nodded, though he did not sound glad. "Jutsus dealing with ice are very rare indeed. Most of them require the possession of a certain bloodline limit."
"Not possible, I thought I had finished that long ago."
"You killed only of few of them, the rest remained in Mist. Most of those left were killed during the bloodline cleansing. The last known survivor of that clan died about three years ago in the nation of Waves. I believe that our friend Uzumaki Naruto was involved in that incident."
"It would seem likely, therefore, that at least one member of that clan survived."
"There may be another explanation..."
"I doubt that. When the master heard the news, he did not seem to think as you did. Rather, he seemed almost excited."
"I see."
"Oh, and Kumonosu?" Itachi turned his head back and gave her a death glare. "Do not question the master's orders so much. If you do so again, I will kill you."
Kumonosu shuddered.
"Don't worry. If all goes well, you may well get your chance at fighting a demon child before long," Itachi said to her.
Kumonosu did not seem entirely pleased.
"Ne, Shikamaru," Naruto nudged the Chuunin.
"What?"
"What kind of people do ya think we'll meet in the Earth country?"
"I don't know. Probably just a bunch of freaks and weirdos."
Next Chapter : License and Registration
Well, there we go. Next time: Naruto and co. arrive in the village of Hidden Stone and meet their competition.
