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Nimacu: Thank you, and don't worry. I have big plans for that triangle. Whether you'll like them or not is really up to you.
Xoni Newcomer: I appreciate your review and the tip, but I had already written all three chapters and couldn't resist the blitz. The rest of them will be one by one.
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Time Shifter: I'll take your request under advisement, but I promise nothing. Take a look at my other fics and you'll see that I am a staunch Kiba fan. Thanks for reviewing; it means a lot to me, and feel free to make any other suggestions you like. Nothing is set in stone, so I'll consider just about anything.
Alex: Always glad to see you, crumpet. All those questions will be answered in the next few chapters. Don't worry, I have plenty of time to clear these things up.
AkaVs.Aoi: Thanks for the review, and yes, it does get better. You can decide for yourself whether it gets better this very chapter, but I know for a fact the action will pick up more and more as we go on. I hope nobody minds a little gore. Viva Link and Luigi!
Freeze: I intend to. That's why I'm here.
Keitaro: You flatter me! Yes, Kabuto was a sad loss. I'll give him a brief mention in this chapter, and include his legacy a bit more later on. How's that?
Martial Horror: Thank you very much. I wasn't aware that people actually read that one! AND PLEASE, DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR FANFICTION! I know I haven't reviewed it, but I just discovered it and it was very good! Keep up the good work yourself, good sir/ma'am!
Legacy
Chapter Four: The Proof
"Courage is not the absence of despair; it is, rather, the capacity to move ahead in spite of despair ."
Rollo May
Tenten shivered with the cold the dewy morning had brought. It was almost dawn and she didn't see herself getting any more sleep, but she was too cold to really move. Lying on her side, the kunoichi could simply open her eyes and see Lee sleeping restlessly beside her. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, as though he were subconsciously trying to keep himself insulated in the frigid weather. Tenten smiled and shivered again, and as she did her thoughts slowly began to drift. Lee-san would be nice and warm…
This line of thought was interrupted by Shino, who stood just then to restart the fire. Shikamaru usually thought up some excuse so as to not send ANBU immediately after a raid, giving the freshly-burdened Resistance shinobi ample time to store their bounty. Starting a fire in the morning was therefore not the security risk it would appear to be, and seemed quite necessary that particular morning.
Kiba rose next, not burdened by Hinata clinging to his coat. She had placed her sleeping mat rather far away from him that night, but notably closer to Naruto. Kiba insisted to himself that this was a relief of responsibility rather than a disappointment and went about helping Shino prepare a nice, hot breakfast. The sound of Hinata's chattering teeth, though, dangled in his ears like a loose rope from a construction site, nagging at him. Before too long he gave in and draped his long, warm coat over the poor girl's shoulders. She smiled in her sleep and pulled the fur up to her chin, reveling in its softness and warmth.
Tenten got up not long after that, sitting with her back to the cozy fire and listening to Shino and Kiba talk about expenses, fire-sealing, and new zori sandals. Once their little tripod grill had warmed up nicely, Shino plopped on some bacon and toast from the convoy. The sound and smell of cooking bacon immediately drew both Naruto and Lee from their blissful slumber, sharing in the common desire for a decent meal.
Naruto yawned loudly as he sat up and stretched, waking Hinata. "Ah, that smells great! We should hit a convoy every day, Shino!"
"The convoys are expensive and slow, Naruto-san. Sasuke only brings one in every four weeks." Shino spoke softly as he ate. Well, it was as close to eating as Shino actually got. Kikai bugs swarmed wooden plate, carrying tiny pieces of the food back into the young man's sleeve. Naruto was barely put-off by this, hungry as he was, and the others were used to it.
Kiba dutifully handed Naruto his portion of the meal on one of the thin segments of log the vagabond shinobi used as plates before sitting down to devour his own. Tenten and Lee were rather off to the side, going about their disgusting habit of trying bits and pieces of their own breakfast and then feeding the remainder to the other. It was, as they insisted, perfectly innocent, of course, but Kiba's sensitive ears were too easily picking up their little slurps and giggles.
Hinata, barely awake, ate her breakfast slowly and calmly, trying her best not to stare at Naruto. She could see Kiba farther off, simply adorable as he tried his best not to make it quite so obvious that he was frowning at Naruto. She was just beginning to think how similar the two were when, silently and unexpectedly, Kiba threw a kunai at her head.
Still groggy and entirely off-guard, Hinata had no time to move. The knife slid by her head, narrowly missing her left ear. Hinata didn't have time to be surprised as a loud, metallic snap sounded directly behind her, followed by the sound of the kunai hitting the dirt. She leapt forward in trepidation, whirling around to see what all the others seemed to be staring at.
"You're a disgrace, do you know that?" came a feminine voice from the young ANBU that stood at point. None of the others could see her face, but her tone made it clear that she was smiling.
"M…me?" Hinata asked, shivering. She had tried to avoid knowing ANBU personally for some time now.
"Yes, you, Hyuuga Hinata. The Clan is ashamed of you. You were the proof of their inferiority. Once you were born, lesser clans began to question our supremacy. By the end it had gotten so bad that even the Akimichi got an equal say in decisions facing the Village."
"Uh…excuse me, Hyuuga-cho…" one of the two other ANBU mumbled from behind the girl that had been talking, who was obviously the leader. "We shouldn't be talking with the rebels."
"Matagaru-kun, if I want your advice, I'll just save myself the humiliation and commit suicide. Shut up and watch the others."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Hinata, we were assigned to bring you in, along with the others, that Sasuke-sama might make an example of you. We could have simply taken you in your sleep. However," the captain savored her words here, "I wanted to give you a chance to rest and, then, to fight back."
"Why?" Kiba asked frankly, as though she had just described the most ludicrous course of action he could imagine. The young woman glowered at the Inuzuka, but said nothing.
"Hinata, tell your pet to keep quiet while we're talking."
Kiba snapped. He stood and drew a kunai, only to receive a reaction only from the submissive ANBU that had spoken before. The enemy made a lunge for Kiba with surprising speed, and missed striking Kiba's neck by mere inches. His kunai, instead, delved into Kiba's shoulder, but to his surprise Kiba made no move to retract. He wrapped his arms around the man, effectively pinning him against his chest. Behind his opponent's chest, Kiba began a long and familiar string of seals.
Lee, knowing the sequence by heart despite his inability to use it, stood and shouted. "Kiba, no! If one of them survives and tells Sasuke, our advantage is gone!"
"Then we just won't let them survive," Kiba responded calmly, his eyes already glazing over. His opponent struggled, but could not escape the Inuzuka's crushing bearhug. When Kiba had completed the seals he lifted his opponent, now horrified, into the air and threw him into the nearby underbrush, following him seconds later.
The ANBU captain strained to see what was going on in the forest, what advantage these rogues could hold over Sasuke-sama, but could see nothing as she was. Cursing, she pulled her mask off of her face and began forming seals for the Byakugan. She was interrupted by a gasp, then a quiet voice.
"Ha…Hanabi-neechan?"
Hanabi knew that Hinata probably hadn't noticed, and that informing her that her opponent was in fact her little sister would be delicious, but she hadn't expected her to be quite this frightened. Hanabi put her hands down and smiled. "After Neji-danna exiled you and our clan fell into his hands, we've made more progress than we ever did following father's rule. He determined that it was not the impudence of other clans that held us back, as we once thought, but rather the poor leadership of our father."
Hinata was crying, though softly. "Father was…good…"
"Father was weak. Neji-danna knew the proper path. It was Sasuke-sama's wisdom that led him to grant our genius Neji-danna control." Hanabi smiled and walked closer to her kneeling sister. "He knows as well as I do that I'd never take you alive."
A violent scream was heard from the forest near where Kiba and Matagaru were last seen, followed by several loud cracking sounds. Hinata just hid her face in her hands and cried.
Hanabi, hateful and frustrated, glared at her. "How can you be sad at this? How can you defend father? Was he ever good to you?"
"…no…"
"No, he wasn't. He was foolish. He shunned both of his daughters and held back the one man worthy of leading our clan. Even you, Hinata, can see the error in that."
Hanabi ducked as a large foot, clad in a black zori sandal and the ends of an orange jumpsuit, swung gracefully for her head from behind. Naruto landed crouched, one hand in his equipment pouch and the other bracing itself against his knee. The second ANBU pulled a katana from its sheath on his hip and darted between Hanabi and Naruto, brandishing his weapon threateningly. Hanabi seemed unfazed.
"Uzumaki Naruto, eh? I remember you. You're that idiot dropout that kept Neji-danna from becoming a chuunin on his first attempt. He'll be happy to know that I've disposed of you."
"Shall I dispatch him for you, Hyuuga-cho?" the loyal ANBU asked energetically.
"Yes, Reito-kun. Try to keep it quiet, if you would."
"Of course, Hyuuga-cho."
Without a moment's hesitation and forgoing introduction, Reito leapt at Naruto and tactlessly plunged his katana into his chest. Naruto promptly vanished in a cloud of purple smoke, leaving a large rock where he once was. Angered, Reito forced his blade from the stone and looked around, distracted only slightly by the sound of gurgling from the woods near Kiba and Matagaru. Surprisingly, Naruto walked calmly out of the underbrush several meters away, beckoning Reito to him. With rather unforeseen speed, Reito dashed to the spot and swung for Naruto's head. His katana stopped short, however, caught my Naruto's unarmored hand.
"…How?" he mumbled, looking at Naruto's palm, which should have been severed with the blow.
Naruto pushed the blade away and held his hand open to Reito. A small shield of blue chakra covered his palm. Reito only examined the odd technique for a moment, his attention immediately diverted by a small clicking sound followed immediately by shockwave of energy colliding with his ribcage. He was sent back several feet, landing without form on the grass. He looked angrily at Naruto. Both were frowning.
"What the hell was that?" he asked, displeased with the execution of two rather exotic techniques in a few seconds' time.
"Snapping Finger Explosion," Naruto informed them all, snapping his fingers once again to demonstrate. As soon as he did, a visible ring of sound-like energy emanated from his fingertips.
Feeling outgunned, Reito stood and performed a long series of hand seals. Naruto, quite calmly, watched. At the end of the string of seals, Reito pointed his sword at Naruto and growled. The blade grew almost instantly, firing like an arrow while still attached to its hilt. In an instant, the misfired weapon retracted to its hilt and fired again, grazing Naruto's leg. Naruto, now a bit more startled, dodged as best he could, suffering a few notable slices as Reito's effortless attack threatened to skewer him several times with each passing second. Cautiously, Naruto began making his way closer to Reito, where he determined his advantage to be at its best. He reached deftly into his shuriken pouch and pulled out the first thing he felt. He placed the object on his left hand and made one grand lunge for Reito.
Reito predicted this movement from his opponent, so he quite calmly retracted his sword and prepared to run him through straightaway. Before he could administer the final blow, however, Naruto's left hand appeared mere centimeters in front of his face. On it was an explosion tag, resting neatly on a small blue shield of chakra.
Only Shino saw fit to watch as the expanding blast of fire blew Reito's body to ashes. His weapons were propelled into the ground, his sword fired backward with considerable energy. Hinata, having closed her eyes to the carnage, neither saw nor reacted to the weapon as it sped past her, opening a large portion of her arm to the hot steel.
It took her a moment to take notice of the pain in her arm, and when she finally did she rivaled the sound of the explosion with her scream. Naruto, who had been reveling in his victory, heard her cry and quickly ran to her side. This was utterly futile, of course, since he had no medicinal knowledge whatsoever, but Hinata was calmed from hysterics by the gesture. Kiba, too, came running from the woods, falling to his knees beside Hinata and glaring angrily at Hanabi.
The young ANBU captain quickly determined that the situation had lost its advantage, regardless of her skills. She quickly retreated, without so much as a word to Hinata.
"What did you do?" Kiba growled at Naruto, pulling bandages from Hinata's pack and cutting them to size.
"Nothing! All I did was beat that sword guy, and she…what the hell happened to your clothes?"
Naruto's short attention span had just found its way clear to notice that Kiba was, indeed, a bit less fully-clad than before. His shirt was completely gone, his vast fur coat was nowhere to be seen, and the bottom half of his trousers was frayed beyond repair. His sandals remained, but only by luck. A large, red pawprint tattoo was exposed on his right shoulder.
"I'll explain later," Kiba said hastily, trying to get Hinata's biceps to stop bleeding. "How did this happen to Hinata?"
"Naruto used an explosive tag to get rid of the other ANBU. His sword was thrown at Hinata by the explosion," Lee explained, holding Tenten by the shoulders. She was shivering.
"Wait, was he fighting him alone?"
"I can handle one guy, Kiba," Naruto assured in a typically cocky way.
"NOT WITHOUT HURTING SOMEBODY YOU CAN'T! Dammit, why didn't you guys help him?"
"He hadn't been carrying his weight," Shino explained coldly. "I felt that he needed to finish what he started this time. This is the only combat he's seen thus far. Besides, anybody trying to help with that kind of explosive fighting style is only going to get in the way."
"That's right!" Naruto proclaimed, as though he ought to be proud of the fact. "And what about you? You hauled that guy into the woods on your own, why can't I fight one of them alone?"
"I hauled him into the woods so that nothing…"
"Ki…Kiba-kun…don't argue, please. I'm okay. Thank you." Hinata's voice was weak, weaker than usual. She sat up and felt her arm, a little displeased at the warm wetness of the blood-soaked bandages but reassured that the bleeding had stopped. Kiba was instantly docile at the sound of her voice, and even smiled a bit.
"Kiba," Shino called in his typical, commanding voice. "I'd like a word with you. Lee, Tenten, get this place cleaned up and get ready to move. Naruto, see to Hinata."
The Hyuuga medic blushed harshly at Shino's last command, trying to offer thanks to Kiba as he went to speak with their leader but far too modest to actually say anything.
"Sorry about this, Hinata-chan," Naruto relented daftly.
"It's okay, Naruto-kun," she said softly, staring at her folded hands.
Naruto smiled a chipper, naïve smile. "You're blushing," he pointed out, only worsening the situation.
"Neji-danna!" an exhausted voice called out from several stories down the spiral staircase. Hurried footsteps brought Hyuuga Hanabi before the Chief of Security, whose stony expression softened for the first time in days. Neji caught Hanabi by the arms, she being clearly exhausted, and helped her up the stairs.
"Hanabi, what's wrong?" he said, concerned. She looked weak, despite her lack of wounds.
"The others were killed, Neji-danna, they were killed. Matagaru was killed by that Inuzuka escapee, the Chieftain. Reito was killed by Uzumaki Naruto. I don't know when he got back or why he's with them instead of back here, but he is."
Neji froze. Uzumaki Naruto was a fearful name. He had heard rumors of Jiraiya training him in the Country of Water, a student that began to surpass the master. Sasuke, even at his best, would be hard-pressed to beat a man like Naruto.
"How did he do it?" Neji asked, taking Hanabi into a nearby, unoccupied room and setting her in a chair.
"He used some foreign techniques, ones I hadn't seen before. He finished him off by setting off an explosion tg on his own hand, shielding himself with some chakra technique. Reito never really stood a chance."
"What about Matagaru? He was a taijutsu specialist, he shouldn't have been vulnerable to the Inuzuka's tactics."
"I didn't see much of that fight. I couldn't activate my Byakugan with the Aburame there. You remember what happened last time you attempted that?"
"Yes. I nearly passed out from the amount of chakra sucked from my temples by those bugs."
"Exactly. The Inuzuka dragged Matagaru into the underbrush, and I only caught fleeting images of the fight. Apparently, he didn't want to reveal some advantage over us or over Sasuke-sama."
"Did you see anything of value?"
"All I know is that he used some variation of a normal henge transformation. Pretty typical of the clan. I didn't see any techniques. I'm sorry, Neji-danna, I really am…"
"That's enough, Hanabi. You've done well," Neji hugged his cousin, planting a soft kiss on her pouting lips. "I'll handle things from here, my love." He let go of her and marched out of the room for Sasuke's chambers, restoring his customary cold shell seamlessly. It was second nature for him now.
"Kiba, the last thing we need is dissent. I recognize that you and Uzumaki-san have mutual interests and that you're prone to defend that which you consider yours, but for now I'd like you to do your best to get along with him."
Kiba looked at Shino, only half-comprehending what he just said. "What do you mean, 'mutual interests'?"
"Hinata-san," Shino clarified coldly. He knew such insinuations would not be welcome to Kiba, but that was not his primary concern.
"Sh-Shino! What are you talking about?" Kiba blushed, looking around to check for eavesdroppers even though he knew quite well that nobody was there.
Shino sighed. He had hoped to avoid this conversation, but as long as Kiba was busy denying his feelings for Hinata he was completely vulnerable to them. "Kiba, listen to me. We've all watched you bend over backwards to protect Hinata-san. You're only ever in a good mood around her. You don't let me send her into battle for fear that she might be injured. You know as well as I do what protective behavior means to an Inuzuka."
Kiba looked at his feet and cursed softly. He pursed his lips, trying to hold back a growl.
"I'm sorry, Kiba, but for now you just have to accept Uzumaki-san, even if Hinata-san begins to show favor to him."
Kiba said nothing. He just frowned and nodded. From far behind him he could hear Naruto, laughing at something or another, and it seemed the patronizing laugh of a circus clown. He wasn't fit to be there, among the rebels, near Hinata. Kiba had worked hard, as long as he could remember, to keep Hinata safe. Now, with the biggest threat sitting and joking with her right in plain sight, he could do nothing to protect her.
For the first time in his life, Kiba was without purpose.
Sasuke strolled calmly into Shikamaru's office and, before either of the two men could speak, took a seat. He looked at Shikamaru very intently, narrowing his eyes.
"Uzumaki Naruto has returned, Shikamaru. Scrap everything you're working on and start from scratch. Our newest primary objective is to capture him and bring him here."
"Naruto? Capture? Here?" Shikamaru echoed, visibly shocked. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"Is that a problem, Shikamaru?"
"NO! I mean, uh, no sir, Sasuke-sama. It won't be a problem at all. Who brought in this information?"
"Hyuuga Hanabi. I sent her to go kill the group informally, but she was driven back. That's what I get for letting an ANBU go out without having you instruct them."
"You honor me, Sasuke-sama."
"Anyhow, Reito and Matagaru were killed. Hanabi retreated. They were forty-one miles west by southwest, and they were moving north before going to sleep."
"They drove her back when she caught them sleeping? That doesn't seem likely, Hokage-sama." Shikamaru uttered this quietly and tactfully, scribbling something on a blank map. Sasuke thought this through, and leaned back.
"Hanabi may be the best ANBU we have. You doubt her capability? You doubt her loyalty?"
"Of course not, Sasuke-sama. I doubt her objectivity."
Sasuke raised his other eyebrow. "Explain."
"Well, I have to wonder if Hanabi is capable of attacking the rebels. When did she arrive back here?"
"Nine thirty this morning. Why?"
"You see? She must have waited to confront them until after they woke up, trying to give her sister a little help. I recommend that I be allowed to change her assigned routes to avoid the rebels, since it may be costly for both her and our administration if they were to encounter her."
Sasuke nodded along, standing when his tactician had finished. "You're a good man, Shikamaru. Go ahead and alter her assigned patrols. I'll break the news to her myself. You stay here and work out a method of capturing Naruto."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
Sasuke left, deep in silent thought, barely noticing the hefty figure bowing deeply as he exited the office. Once he was out of sight, Chouji walked merrily into Shikamaru's room and took the same seat Sasuke had been in only seconds before. It groaned a bit as he sat.
"Hey, Shikamaru," he said informally.
"Hey, Chouji. We may have an easier time of things from here on," the Nara commented, leaning a bit to make sure there weren't any Hyuuga guards snooping around.
"Why's that?"
"Naruto's back," Shikamru whispered, "and he's already fighting along with Shino."
"Does Kigeki know yet?" Chouji whispered in kind, but much more excited and curious than his counterpart.
"No, it's just come from Hanabi. I doubt anybody knows but her, Neji, Sasuke, you and I. I'm going to see Kigeki tonight for a new batch of poisons to help slow down Ino and Sakura. I'm sure he'll be interested."
Shino thought very deeply about what to do. Shikamaru would never have sent Hanabi, or anyone else for that matter, after them immediately following a raid. Even if he had, he would make sure that their approach was obvious. This was clearly not Shikamaru's doing, which made Shino question whether or not his friend was in command any longer. The resistance would have to take up true covert tactics from then on.
Six silent figures could be seen from nearby, trudging along the shallow ravine carved by a long-dry river. Shino led, as he always did, with Kiba reluctantly accepting his assignment to walk between Lee and Tenten. The two knew of his conversation with Shino and, helpfully, were willing to help him learn to separate himself from Hinata. Tenten kept her concentration as she walked behind him, bordering on tears at seeing the eternally optimistic shinobi so pathetically and helplessly depressed that he could scarcely lift his foot to continue his mournful march. Kiba, no longer denying his feelings to himself, simply could not be coaxed to speak.
Naruto walked behind Tenten, with Hinata very near behind him. He thought long about Sasuke, about Sakura, and about the Fourth Hokage. So lost in thought was he that the rather obvious root sticking out at eye level did not catch his attention. He said nothing as he ran into it, but Hinata let out a quiet gasp as he began to fall backward onto her. She slammed her eyes shut and braced for the impact, but looked up quickly when it didn't happen. Naruto, though leaning back dangerously above her, was supported by the firm grip of Kiba's large hand around his neck. She quickly stepped aside to remove the possible hazard.
For a brief moment before Kiba let go, he felt his fingers tighten. Naruto's face became a shade or two redder. He stifled his breathing as best he could, but he hadn't felt that satisfied in a long time. The back of his mind played out the extreme of this unbridled instinct, letting Naruto's body fall into the dusty sand after only a moment or two of violent struggle. He could do it, too; no exotic techniques would save him from something so simple. He could kill him right there.
Kiba brought Naruto upright, dusted him off, and returned to his place in front of Tenten. Every step he took dragged a thick line in the ground. His arms hung loosely at his sides. Tenten and Lee both kept their distance. Kiba was bottling again, and it wouldn't take much to make him blow.
Hanabi had gone back to her quarters to sulk. Sasuke had been extremely blunt in breaking the news of her reassignment to her, and Neji's professional attitude, saved for Sasuke's presence, was no help. Sasuke stood, as he often did, facing the large balcony that looked out over his city. Neji, after ensuring that Hanabi would survive without his presence, joined him.
"You seem upset today, Sasuke-sama," he observed as politely as possible. Sasuke had very few people to confide in, her knew, and prompting the conversation was helpful.
"I've been thinking much the past month or so. There is growing talk of what to do with the derelict Uchiha district. None are willing to populate it." Sasuke's eyes drifted the left side of the city, where no lights gleamed in the night.
"I see. You're reluctant to remove it."
"Oh, that's not it. I was just thinking, why is nobody willing to populate it?"
"The Uchiha were a mighty people, Sasuke-sama. None feel they can live up to their status, and they believe it would be disrespectful to live in their area." Neji was skilled in this kind of flattery.
"Exactly. That's why I've made a decision. The Uchiha clan must not die."
Neji was silent, but stared quite blatantly at his master.
"I need an heir," Sasuke continued, narrowing his eyes at the city. "A male heir that can carry my bloodline. Orochimaru had a technique to perpetuate the life of a single body, but I don't want immortality. That is the wish of fools and madmen.
"But…" Neji paused, making sure his question was prudent, "who will you find to mother the child?"
"I've already worked that out. In fact, your timing is perfect." Sasuke turned to meet Neji's stunned look. "Neji, would you fetch Sakura for me? She should be finishing her work for today."
"No lust for travel or foreign ways,
No desire to see what my life is for,
I'd rather just live out my days,
And leave my homeland nevermore…"
If he didn't fear for Kiba's dragging morale, Shino would have told him to stop singing quickly. Tenten was forcing herself to listen to Naruto and Hinata as they chatted about the past few years, bringing their newest member up to speed. Lee had left a few minutes earlier, taking a stick from the fire with him. Nobody really cared where he had gone. The others could have used his company right then, but luckily Kiba's voice was unusually soft, and it was possible not to hear his lyrics over the roaring fire.
"So, is Ichiraku still there?" Naruto asked deftly, somehow convinced of the pivotal nature of this issue.
"I…uh…I don't know, really…I never went there on my own," Hinata replied, trying her best to hide her red cheeks with her hands.
"What do you mean? I saw you there all the time," Naruto commented, recalling what little memory he had of Hinata before his return to the region.
"I…uh…" Hinata's cheeks were practically glowing.
"She only went because of you," Tenten interjected, putting her hand on Hinata's shoulder and offering a smile. Kiba stopped singing just then, rolling over to sleep. The others looked in his direction for a brief moment, but then returned to their conversation.
"Tenten-san, please…" Hinata whispered, waving her hands deftly.
"Hmm? What do you mean, because of me?"
"KIBA!" an energetic voice boomed from the edges of the firelight. Everyone looked to the figure that had supplied it, including the despondent Inuzuka. "I CHALLENGE YOU!"
'Well done, Lee," Shino thought silently, though his gaze only betrayed annoyance.
"Challenge me to what?" Kiba groaned, sitting up. He was clearly not as amused as the others, who bordered on laughter with the humorous entrance.
"A pitch-dark footrace!" Lee clarified, pointing to a small orange light far behind him. Apparently, he had been busy placing it while the others had been talking. Kiba perked up a bit.
"That won't be easy for you," Kiba said, walking to his rival's side, "and we're tied right now in the count. This could put you behind."
"What's the score?" Naruto asked, knowing this system from his days around Kakashi and Gai.
"We're tied at one hundred twelve," Lee said matter-of-factly, "but right now I'm going to take the lead!"
"HA!" Kiba said, in a miraculous good mood. "I'll accept that challenge, if I can use my techniques."
Lee thought this over. "It really wouldn't be fair if I didn't allow that. Your abilities are part of your strength. Go ahead!"
Kiba smiled, turned toward the light, and began the same series of seals he had done that morning. Naruto watched them, wondering what they were.
"If I fail here, I will…no. Kiba, you decide on my manly promise for this round!"
Kiba finished his seals, leaned over to Lee's ear and whispered. "You must confess your love to Tenten. Tonight."
Lee gasped, but kept his composure. He hadn't expected that kind of cheap shot. Kiba usually assigned him normal promises, like pushups or log-kicks. This was below the belt. He turned to speak in Kiba's ear. "Okay, but if you lose, you must do the same for Hinata-san."
Kiba thought. He'd been accepting of Naruto, but Shino never said anything about his behavior toward Hinata. It was a revelation; he had a friendly rivalry with Lee, so why shouldn't he have the same with Naruto? Well, a non-abusive rivalry would be enough for him, so long as he could still be around Hinata.
"OKAY!" he shouted, crouching. A quick nod from Shino let him know that it was okay, and from there his attention was firmly on the goal in the distance. He spoke slowly, making sure Naruto understood the technique he was using for the race. It was a beautiful technique, art really, and Naruto should become familiar with it. On it, all their hopes rested. "Inuzuka Secret Beast Ninpou: Blind Wolf Technique."
What followed could only be described as living poetry. Kiba grew in every direction possible, seething and concentrating as the transformation took place. His spine seemed to bend forward, allowing him to support his weight with his arms. His ribcage widened, opening a long tear in the front of his shirt. His fur coat, left on the ground near his sleeping mat, no longer held a candle to the hair on Kiba's arms and legs, which suddenly became thicker and longer than that of any animal Naruto had ever heard of. The most dramatic change was in Kiba's face, which grew thin and long. His nose became exceedingly prominent, forcing his cheekbones so high as to completely block his eye sockets, with his ears coming to lengthy points behind his head. What was left was a grotesque medley of man and beast, a beautiful half-rabid abomination. Tenten didn't watch, as usual- she couldn't stand the sight of his transformation. Hinata, though, looked on with loving envy. Kiba only ever described this form as being perfect freedom.
"Hinata-san, would you please begin the race?" Lee said, dropping to the runner's starting position beside what was left of Kiba.
"Wait, Lee, what was your promise?" Tenten asked. She was the group's biggest fan of Lee's "manly promises", and secretly wished that he lost more competitions with Kiba so he would have to make more of them. It was the most endearing part of his personality.
"Uh…" Lee stumbled, flustered. "I'll tell you if I lose."
"Oh," Tenten muttered, a bit disappointed.
Hinata walked meekly behind the two figures, hulking and massive in the low light, played with her fingers a bit while Lee got into position, and forced herself to speak loudly enough for both to hear. "Ready…"
Lee tensed, staring at the orange speck in the distance. Kiba snarled, revealing a row of vicious teeth. He couldn't see the dot, but he could hear and smell the small fire on the end of the stick regardless of the distance.
"Go!"
There were no footfalls. There was merely an explosion of wind and earth being torn asunder by the force of each start, forming a small ravine of dust through which either runner could be seen. Lee, clearly the faster of the two now that he had shed his infamous weights, broke out into an early lead, nosing slowly ahead of Kiba. He couldn't see where he was going, but damned if he wasn't going to get there faster than his rival. Kiba, on the other hand, knew precisely where every chip of stone and blade of grass was before him, his overpowered senses more than compensating for his lack of sight in the perfect blackness of the forest night.
"Was there something you wanted, Sasuke-sama?" Sakura asked meekly from the door. She really didn't want to speak to Sasuke without having some kind of breakthrough, and she succinctly hoped that he wasn't expecting something of her research.
"There was, in fact," Sasuke responded with an uncharacteristically light tone. He was looking out his window, as he often did, and said nothing further. As if by some unspoken command from his silence, Sakura entered his chambers and sat down. She had better hopes with Sasuke's response. He somehow seemed to be in a bad mood before she disappointed him. Perhaps this had nothing to do with her research.
"Well, what can I do for you?"
Sasuke laughed. She'd probably accept then and there, if he asked her. "You are, of course, familiar with the history of my clan? Itachi's actions, specifically?"
Sakura was calmed by Sasuke's laughter, a rare sound, but was slightly unnerved that he could speak of such a grave matter with a chuckle. "Yes, of course."
"Well, I've been wanting for some time now to resurrect my murdered clan. The Uchiha sector of the city is barren because none can live up to the former glory of my clan. I have decided that this can only be rectified with the proliferation of the Uchiha blood. Don't you agree, Sakura?" He still didn't turn to look at her, but spoke quite casually.
"Yes, Sasuke-sama!" Sakura had been hoping for thoughts like this since her school days.
"The responsibility clearly falls to me, then, to produce an heir for my clan, and to do it with the most worthy woman available."
Sakura's mouth kept tightly shut. He hadn't asked a question, and there was no way she would spoil this by speaking out of turn.
"Sakura," Sasuke continued after a moment of terse silence, "this village is holding on by a thread. The most powerful clan, the Uchiha, is dead. The Hyuuga are spent with simply keeping the city safe. The Inuzuka are all in confinement, the Aburame are too unstable to trust, and though the Nara serve they can't be trusted with anything more strenuous than moving a pen. We need to have the Uchiha back…"
Finally, he turned to look at Sakura. Despite his calm, open tone of voice, his face was as cold and condescending as ever.
"Sasuke-sama?"
"…I need a woman strong enough to bear my son."
Sakura sat, holding her own shoulders and crying. "I…I…"
"I don't need an answer now."
"I will marry you," Sakura uttered quickly, looking lovingly up at Sasuke. He seemed perplexed.
"Who mentioned marriage?" he clarified, not expecting an answer.
Sakura's mind hit the brakes. She hadn't quite understood, apparently.
"H…huh?"
"It's quite simple, Sakura, so please try to understand. I don't need a wife. That's just frivolity right now. What I need is an heir, and I can get that with or without a wife. If you don't understand that, then I'll call the academy sex-ed sensei and have him explain it to you." Sasuke looked down at Sakura, whose crying had gotten traumatically worse. "Like I said, I don't need an answer now. Take some time and think it over."
Lee sat, Kiba's bad mood finding a new host in the green-clad shinobi. Kiba, no longer the thaumaturge beast he was during the race, gnawed on a piece of biscuit with an air of triumph. He stared at Lee in pompous prompt, silently telling him to get a move on.
"Tenten," Lee said softly, not daring to look at her. Kiba watched in unsympathetic delight. "Um…could you hand me my backpack? It's right-"
"ARE YOU A MAN OR NOT!" Kiba shouted, cutting Lee off with voluntary rudeness. Nobody corrected him, though, most of them simply glad that he was no longer sulking. Lee stood up as in protest, but calmed himself quickly. He took a deep breath of smoke-stained air, looked down at Tenten and extended his hand.
"Tenten, would you come with me for a moment?"
Tenten, confused but rather eager to comply, took his hand and strode off into the forest behind him. Kiba sat back against a log, grinning widely with his hands behind his head. His shirt was still torn open, and he needed every opportunity to impress Hinata he could grasp. It appeared to be working, too; she pretended to be looking at Naruto as he spoke, but Kiba would catch her trying to look out the corner of her eye every now and then. Luckily, her field of vision wasn't as wide as Neji's.
"Kiba," a stolid voice spoke from a small stump seat beside the fire. Kiba looked to Shino briefly, still smiling, to see what was wrong. "Put a shirt on."
"Shikamaru-san, it's been a while. Don't tell me you've suddenly decided that you need my help," a young voice mocked from the darkness. Then again, everything was dark then. Night had fallen long ago, and it had been hours since Konoha's yellow light had faded in the distance. Shikamaru ignored the jab and walked right in, taking his usual seat near the door of the squalid shack.
"Don't test me, Kigeki, I've got good news. You'll be sorry if you put me in a bad mood and don't hear me out."
"Good news?" the voice said, sitting in its small chair opposite a round table from Shikamaru. The starlight gave his features a familiarly blurred distinction, and Shikamaru smiled.
"You look more the same than ever, Konohamaru-kun."
"Hurry up and tell me the news, Shikamaru, and don't use that name!"
"Well, you won't believe it, but Naruto's back. The first confirmed contact with him came in this morning."
Konohamaru sat back in his chair, barely able to contain himself. He held in a cry for joy for a moment, then saw fit to let it go. "YATTA! I knew he'd come back, I knew it! Shikamaru, did you get him to Shino-san?"
"No, actually, he found them on his own. I was impressed. He even killed one of our ANBU, and a good one at that."
"It really is Naruto, then! Where is he? I have to go see him!"
"No, not yet. Something's going on with Sakura and Sasuke, by the looks of things, and if it's some sort of breakthrough then I'll need you here to help me stop it. Is that clear?"
"Yeah, yeah," Konohamaru mumbled, slouching once more in his chair. He plucked a heavy bag from one of the nearby indistinguishable pieces of furniture, slid it across the table at Shikamaru and crossed his arms. "There's your next supply. Remember to thank Kabuto-san for his contribution."
"Thank him for me, I'm not in the mood to entertain ghosts."
"Whatever. As soon as you think it's safe for me to contact the Resistance, let me know."
"Of course, Kigeki-san."
Shikamaru sped to the southwest, toward Konoha. He never entered the ruins of Sound on his own, which made Konohamaru such a lucky find. He was weighed down a bit by the vials in his bag, but the effort was well worth it. Then again, the immense "laboratory test subjects" budget his actions prompted did cut into his salary. He had decided long ago that the benefits outweighed such things.
Don't forget to review, and feel free to give me any requests you'd like to see. That's not to say that I'll comply, mind you, I just want a better idea of what you'd like to see. Thanks. I hope you've enjoyed the chapter.