Key
"words"= talking
Italics= thoughts or simply italics
(words)= authors notes/my thoughts
words= sounds/actions (e.g. cough, gasp, huff, puff)
= look at the bottom
[December 31. Konohagakure 7:42. Reign of the 3rd Hokage (2nd term)]
There was no mistaking it. It was real. How could that happen Naruto thought to himself, en route to Team 7's training grounds. With each step he took the problem seemed to get more and more complicated. He bumped into dozens of hurried people getting ready for New Year's Eve. He ignored all of them.
Alright, the Kyubi has powers of regeneration. That means that no cuts, bruises or burns should stay on me for more than an hour or so. Naruto felt idiotic talking to himself.... but it served a purpose. Then how come this burn mark is still on me? It doesn't make any sense! Naruto rubbed his eyes to help clear his mind.
About six minutes later, Naruto came through the woods into the training grounds. Sakura and Sasuke were already there, talking in low voices. Obviously, Kakashi wasn't. Naruto strode to the center, and stood there. Just then, Sakura and Sasuke stopped conversing.
There was a long silence. "What?" Naruto asked.
"Nothing." Sakura said, blushing. She pulled her hair over her ear.
Naruto spied a smile on Sakura's face. He knew something was going on. "Come on tell me."
"It's nothing." Sakura replied, still blushing.
"We're going on a date." Sasuke said impatiently.
"My god. Are you really?" Naruto asked in disbelief.
Sakura nodded with a growing smile. She quickly embraced Sasuke and Naruto in a gigantic hug. "I'm so happy! Nothing can darken my day. Happy New Year!"
"Hello Team 7!" Kakashi called from the far side of the grounds.
"Is that really Kakashi-sensei? I wasn't expecting him for another hour or two!" Naruto yelled.
"I decided to show up early today. It's New Year's Eve!"
"I think that Kurenai knocked some sense into him." Sasuke whispered.
"Hey Kakashi-sensei, I have a problem." Naruto pulled him over to one side.
"You know the Kyubi's power of regeneration?"
"Yes."
"Is there anything that prevents it from working?" Naruto inquired in a low voice.
"Not to my knowledge. No. Naruto what are you getting at?" Kakashi grew impatient.
"Well," Naruto pulled of his shirt to show the burns to his sensei. "These haven't healed."
Kakashi's eyes grew wide and his pupils shrank in fear. He's back. If he channels through Naruto, who knows what could happen?!
Sasuke glanced over at the two accomplices and saw the burns as well. Those burns aren't ordinary burns. Where have I seen them before? Sasuke cocked his head.
Then, the answer hit Sasuke like a hit in the stomach. His mind triggered a phrase he shuttered at. Never forget, I am always watching. His knees weakened and he shivered.
Kakashi tried to lighten up. It's irreversible at this point. "It's probably nothing Naruto. Just ignore it."
"Sasuke-kun? What are you doing? What's wrong?" Sakura asked.
"Nothing. I'm alright." Sasuke responded just as Kakashi and Naruto came back. "So can we start now?" Sasuke requested as though nothing happened.
"Now don't get ahead of yourself Sasuke. We still have lots of training to do in order to be ready for the Chunin Exam."
"Sir, the demon child is stronger than anticipated.... and.... we weren't able to retrieve the manuscript." Yabura knew the penalty of a failed mission.
"What?!" the man on the throne said. He slowly shook his head. "At least tell me that our inside man has good news."
"He does my liege. He says that his plan it working perfectly. Konoha will soon be vulnerable." Yabura claimed with a tone of hope.
"I cannot ignore your failure. You know what you must do now."
"Y-Yes, sir." Yabura shuttered. "Shintaro, you will assist Yabura with the crossing."
"Yes, sir" The man on the throne had a guard positioned on his right. This man unsheathed his Katana and stood above a kneeling Yabura. The ashamed soldier removed his Tanto from its sheath and plunged it into his stomach. Shintaro's quick slice across the neck ended Yabura's life.
[December 31. Konohagakure 15:03. Reign of the 3rd Hokage (2nd term)]
Still, people were bustling assembling fireworks and such. Children were running around with smiles at least a mile wide on their faces. Happy- go-lucky teens lined the streets with assorted masks on.
It was no where near midnight and it seemed like the party already started. Naruto had no idea what to do for New Years. Of course he could always hang with Kakashi, but he probably had a date with Kurenai.
Sasuke was pre-occupied with Sakura. It seemed like he was the only one with no date. Naruto didn't really care at the moment. The only thing he could do is train for the Chunin Exams, and with that, Naruto started to a remote hilltop in the distance with plenty of practicing room.
"If Yabura was correct then our little informant is ready for the attack on Konoha." The enthroned man muttered to himself. "Shintaro," he said, turning his head.
"Yes my lord?"
"We shall commence our little operation...."
Naruto pulled off his shirt to cool his body off from its own heat. He breathed sharply at the sudden temperature change. He discarded his clothing against a tree trunk and untied his hitae-ate and tied it back on his bicep.
He stopped to think why he was doing this. Phrases shot through his mind.
Flashback
"I murdered Iruka's family!"
"I killed over a hundred shinobi right here"
"I was responsible for the death or the Fourth Hokage."
"I am the founder and destroyer of Konohagakure as it is now! I can never be forgiven."
End Flashback
I will be forgiven! One way or another. Even if I have to train like hell to do so.
"words"= talking
Italics= thoughts or simply italics
(words)= authors notes/my thoughts
words= sounds/actions (e.g. cough, gasp, huff, puff)
= look at the bottom
[December 31. Konohagakure 7:42. Reign of the 3rd Hokage (2nd term)]
There was no mistaking it. It was real. How could that happen Naruto thought to himself, en route to Team 7's training grounds. With each step he took the problem seemed to get more and more complicated. He bumped into dozens of hurried people getting ready for New Year's Eve. He ignored all of them.
Alright, the Kyubi has powers of regeneration. That means that no cuts, bruises or burns should stay on me for more than an hour or so. Naruto felt idiotic talking to himself.... but it served a purpose. Then how come this burn mark is still on me? It doesn't make any sense! Naruto rubbed his eyes to help clear his mind.
About six minutes later, Naruto came through the woods into the training grounds. Sakura and Sasuke were already there, talking in low voices. Obviously, Kakashi wasn't. Naruto strode to the center, and stood there. Just then, Sakura and Sasuke stopped conversing.
There was a long silence. "What?" Naruto asked.
"Nothing." Sakura said, blushing. She pulled her hair over her ear.
Naruto spied a smile on Sakura's face. He knew something was going on. "Come on tell me."
"It's nothing." Sakura replied, still blushing.
"We're going on a date." Sasuke said impatiently.
"My god. Are you really?" Naruto asked in disbelief.
Sakura nodded with a growing smile. She quickly embraced Sasuke and Naruto in a gigantic hug. "I'm so happy! Nothing can darken my day. Happy New Year!"
"Hello Team 7!" Kakashi called from the far side of the grounds.
"Is that really Kakashi-sensei? I wasn't expecting him for another hour or two!" Naruto yelled.
"I decided to show up early today. It's New Year's Eve!"
"I think that Kurenai knocked some sense into him." Sasuke whispered.
"Hey Kakashi-sensei, I have a problem." Naruto pulled him over to one side.
"You know the Kyubi's power of regeneration?"
"Yes."
"Is there anything that prevents it from working?" Naruto inquired in a low voice.
"Not to my knowledge. No. Naruto what are you getting at?" Kakashi grew impatient.
"Well," Naruto pulled of his shirt to show the burns to his sensei. "These haven't healed."
Kakashi's eyes grew wide and his pupils shrank in fear. He's back. If he channels through Naruto, who knows what could happen?!
Sasuke glanced over at the two accomplices and saw the burns as well. Those burns aren't ordinary burns. Where have I seen them before? Sasuke cocked his head.
Then, the answer hit Sasuke like a hit in the stomach. His mind triggered a phrase he shuttered at. Never forget, I am always watching. His knees weakened and he shivered.
Kakashi tried to lighten up. It's irreversible at this point. "It's probably nothing Naruto. Just ignore it."
"Sasuke-kun? What are you doing? What's wrong?" Sakura asked.
"Nothing. I'm alright." Sasuke responded just as Kakashi and Naruto came back. "So can we start now?" Sasuke requested as though nothing happened.
"Now don't get ahead of yourself Sasuke. We still have lots of training to do in order to be ready for the Chunin Exam."
"Sir, the demon child is stronger than anticipated.... and.... we weren't able to retrieve the manuscript." Yabura knew the penalty of a failed mission.
"What?!" the man on the throne said. He slowly shook his head. "At least tell me that our inside man has good news."
"He does my liege. He says that his plan it working perfectly. Konoha will soon be vulnerable." Yabura claimed with a tone of hope.
"I cannot ignore your failure. You know what you must do now."
"Y-Yes, sir." Yabura shuttered. "Shintaro, you will assist Yabura with the crossing."
"Yes, sir" The man on the throne had a guard positioned on his right. This man unsheathed his Katana and stood above a kneeling Yabura. The ashamed soldier removed his Tanto from its sheath and plunged it into his stomach. Shintaro's quick slice across the neck ended Yabura's life.
[December 31. Konohagakure 15:03. Reign of the 3rd Hokage (2nd term)]
Still, people were bustling assembling fireworks and such. Children were running around with smiles at least a mile wide on their faces. Happy- go-lucky teens lined the streets with assorted masks on.
It was no where near midnight and it seemed like the party already started. Naruto had no idea what to do for New Years. Of course he could always hang with Kakashi, but he probably had a date with Kurenai.
Sasuke was pre-occupied with Sakura. It seemed like he was the only one with no date. Naruto didn't really care at the moment. The only thing he could do is train for the Chunin Exams, and with that, Naruto started to a remote hilltop in the distance with plenty of practicing room.
"If Yabura was correct then our little informant is ready for the attack on Konoha." The enthroned man muttered to himself. "Shintaro," he said, turning his head.
"Yes my lord?"
"We shall commence our little operation...."
Naruto pulled off his shirt to cool his body off from its own heat. He breathed sharply at the sudden temperature change. He discarded his clothing against a tree trunk and untied his hitae-ate and tied it back on his bicep.
He stopped to think why he was doing this. Phrases shot through his mind.
Flashback
"I murdered Iruka's family!"
"I killed over a hundred shinobi right here"
"I was responsible for the death or the Fourth Hokage."
"I am the founder and destroyer of Konohagakure as it is now! I can never be forgiven."
End Flashback
I will be forgiven! One way or another. Even if I have to train like hell to do so.