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January 1. Konohagakure's Sakura Park. 2:40. Reign of the 3rd Hokage (2nd Term)
Jiraiya sat with a wide grin across from Naruto and Hinata in the center of a clearing amidst the rustling trees. A cool breeze shook the rays of the sun giving way to a chill. Hinata was rather hesitant to get to know Jiraiya. Naruto wasn't as cautious.
"I see that you snagged a pretty little lass there Naruto! She sure is pretty" Jiraiya spoke loudly. His grin constantly showed his white teeth.
Hinata was also too shy to show her sudden dislike for the man. She just blushed at his seemingly perverted remark and turned away. Naruto decided to smack Jiraiya.
"What was that for?" Jiraiya asked.
"Don't talk to anyone like that. It's disrespectful. I can't believe you don't know that." Naruto growled. "Her name is Hinata."
The old man squinted, looking her over. "A Hyuga I see," he speculated. "Wait a minute! That's right you're Hyuga Hinata! Neji's cousin! He's a great shinobi. You should be proud!"
Hinata was anything but proud. She envied him. Her failure was his success. Where she was weak, he was strong. Where she was strong, he was stronger. Being related to a genius was anything but nice.
"Being a Hyuga still doesn't change her bust…" Jiraiya smirked. "Is that a D cup? I could have sw-"
Naruto smacked him again. "Pervert!" he tried to contain a smile. "You'll never understand what you call love. You only appreciate sex. God damn pervert."
There was a silence… all that could be heard was the trees and a solitary bird. "Naruto-kun, I appreciate you standing up for me but you didn't really have to hit him. It was a rather rash action."
Jiraiya was on top of Naruto in a second. He had Naruto's arm pinned to his back. Jiraiya's foot forced Naruto into a kneeling position. With his free hand, Jiraiya placed the crook of his elbow against Naruto's throat.
"Never underestimate a pervert, eh?" Naruto grinned despite the grim situation. Hinata did not share that carelessness. She had worry written all over her face.
"Let him go."
"Hinata was it? Yes." Jiraiya sighed, acting sincere. "Hinata, you must not fret in this situation it just may happen for real. You cannot let love hinder you into submission. Now I shall tell you why I came to talk with you Naruto."
"Land-ho!" the sentry's voice rang out from the top of the crow's nest. Shintaro's normally lame face was now beaming with anticipation. It was a misty morning. Cold bit at his unclothed arms yet he didn't falter. Yinagi joined him at the bow. Anxiety reigned supreme.
Takarashi slowly emerged from his quarters below deck. He never let his odachi stray too far from his sword hand. Even the Shogun managed to summon himself up on the deck for a sight of land.
"Two degrees Southwest of our current bearing sire!" the sentry bellowed from his perch. The Shogun was also sharing the happiness that hovered in the air as well as the anticipation.
"Excellent! Redirect the ship to the new bearing and alert the ships behind us of the grand news!" his orders set about a new wave of hope and cause to the surrounding soldiers. Most of them were smiling but obviously trying to hide it.
Slowly making their way away from the jubilant crowd, Yinagi, Shintaro, Takarashi and the Shogun conversed their following plans.
"Yinagi, you will be first ashore."
She nodded smartly.
"You two will go next with a squad apiece." He pointed at Shintaro and Takarashi. "Your jobs will be to scout the surrounding forest. Forage for anything edible. We have sufficient supplies but we will never know. Also, you will need to be on your guard. Kill any resistance in your path. Let no one know that we are here."
"War is coming Naruto." Jiraiya announced in a terminal sense. "I can feel it in my skin. In the air I breathe. In the water I drink. Change is coming."
"What does this pertain to me?" Naruto was lost.
"This will not come easy Naruto." He sounded hesitant.
"You can tell me, I don't care!"
"You are the cause of this war. To be more precise, you are a jumpstart to this war. The war itself is from a hate of ninja." The San-nin paused; his chin rested upon his hands.
"What? None of this makes sense! It's an honor to be shinobi here! Why would anybody hate us?! And how am I a jumpstart to this war?" Naruto had a million questions.
Hinata remained silent, observing the concern strewn upon Naruto's face. It was a concern she had not seen him use before. This situation must be particularly dire. And what was this war?
"Naruto, all of these events have had a purpose. The fire in the restaurant. Your pains. Those burns. Everything is connected by a very fine web. Do you know Uchiha Itachi?"
Naruto nodded, obviously intrigued in this news.
"Itachi has a ninjutsu attack called black fire. It can burn through anything."
"This was the cause of the restaurant burning?"
"Yes."
"Then why was the fire there normal looking?" Naruto couldn't see.
"Genjutsu." Jiraiya summed it up in one word. "It is only due to your Kyubi's regeneration that you didn't die from the fire. That is also why those burns won't go away. They are unique; they will keep burning until you die. Since the Kyubi constantly regenerates, that day will never come. It is an even battle, half winning, half losing."
"That's what my dreams meant!" Naruto remembered the black and red dreams he had. "But it ended in nothingness. The red and black fought. Then they were both annihilated. What does that mean?"
Jiraiya didn't want to tell him just yet. "It means nothing" he lied.
"But what about my pains? My chest?"
"That was a deception. Itachi used his chakra and focused it on the fire remaining in you. He sent lances of pain when he would 'read your mind.' Much like Neji. He came close to revealing his secret that night at the bar." Jiraiya was almost finished.
Naruto slowly connected the dots. "I don't believe it. It was so real. I could have sworn…" he paused "That bastard!" his fists clenched with rage. "I'm going to rip that bastard apart!"
Hinata grew scared. "Naruto?"
"What?!" his hatred carried over to his separate conversation. He couldn't contain it.
"Stop it. This isn't you."
"What am I?!" he hollered. "A demon? A boy? I'm a freak! I am nothing! I am as good as dead! The Kyubi doesn't need a host! It can die with me!" In a flash, Naruto dived into his kunai pouch, and removed the knife.
Hinata and Jiraiya made a joined effort to thwart Naruto from killing himself. "Naruto stop!" Jiraiya pleaded. "Stop it!"
Jiraiya had no choice. He struck out at Naruto's unprotected neck with his elbow. Immediately, Naruto went slack and into unconsciousness.
"There. Hinata, watch over him. Make sure he is away from any weapon for at least an hour. Try coaxing him into talking or something to occupy his mind. It's the best for him."
Hinata nodded in obedience.
With that, Jiraiya shuffled away from the scene.
When he was a good fifty meters away, Jiraiya hollered to the treetops, "I've done what you've asked me! Now show yourself!"
In a black blur, the figure came to the ground with a thud. Itachi was a scary sight to see. "Very good Jiraiya. I congratulate you. Do you think that what you said is true?" He asked him in an airy mood.
"I know it is true."
"Good." Itachi smirked and walked off. The pieces were set, the players were ready, and none of them had a clue what was going on. Itachi was pulling a double deception and Konoha would be his.