Title: Covenant
Author: bubblytokki
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimers: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in this story.
AU. Why stay in a village that loathed him?
Pairings: Probably none. I find that pairings or focusing on them hinder my stories… so gomen nasai. ^^
Chapter 5-Battle
Naruto was ill. He groaned as he twisted uncomfortably in his stifling blankets. He cursed his existence as sweat dripped from his feverish head. He never was sick. But it seemed that even never had its limits. It had been a few weeks since the 'intensive training session' and one morning, he couldn't get out of bed. His vision was too defined to a point where it exhausted his brain and his movements were clumsy. It felt as if someone placed his spirit in another vessel that was far too enhanced. The fever soon followed and he couldn't remember the last time he was coherent.
Something cool pressed against his forehead and he relaxed. Soon, it began to heat up and Naruto moaned. It was removed and replaced with another cool cloth. This process continued for a hazy amount of time and Naruto felt thankful to whoever was by his side as he slipped in and out of consciousness.
"Naruto."
It was a soft enticing whisper. A voice he had longed to hear more times than he could count. He mumbled words, desperate to communicate with the one person he had longed to see.
"Ita…ch…i," he murmured painstakingly as he blindly reached for the once familiar arms.
"Shh… silly child, becoming ill like this. It is unlike you Naruto," the voice chided softly, concern softening the reprimand.
A hand grasped his searching one. It was callused with the constant usage of kunais and advanced jutsus. Naruto relaxed. Itachi, his weary mind sighed in relief. Naruto blearily struggled to open his eyes. Even if this was a dream, he wanted to see his onii chan to get him through the last three months before the chuunin examination.
Blood-red Sharingan eyes met his as he struggled to focus. Those advanced eyes. It has to be…onii chan… A rough hand covered his eyes.
"Don't make the effort Naruto. Your body has not properly adjusted."
If he had the energy to cry, Naruto would have cried his out heart. His onii chan was here, taking care of him. He fell into a dreamless sleep, comforted by the presence of his most precious person.
~~
He opened his eyes and was startled to see how vibrant the normally drab colors of his apartment looked. If he tried hard enough, he could see through the walls to see the chakra colors of different people. He sat up abruptly, uncertainty marring his cheerful features.
I could have sworn that Itachi… was it all a dream?
He looked at his hands. They looked the same, and yet there was suppleness that wasn't there before. He flexed them experimentally, stunned to feel the raw power that flowed through them.
Naruto frowned. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his gut. It was something so terrible, his insides were twisting in agony.
KYUBI! Naruto wept bitterly as he realized what had happened. Kyubi… was gone. Kyubi had been fully absorbed, causing his body to change in response. His shoulders shook as loud, frame-wracking sobs echoed in the empty apartment. The fusion was complete and there would no longer be any soft intimate conversations with the creature he had cast as his father figure.
He drew his knees up to his chin and curled up on his bed, howling his pain to the unresponsive walls. He grieved for the Kyubi who had claimed to love him. The Kyubi who had been an ever constant presence for thirteen years of his short eventful life. If he could trade in the power he felt rushing through his body to return the Kyubi, he would not hesitate to do so.
He called for the Kyubi in his mind, longing for the answer he knew would not come.
Kyubi-! Kyubi... Otou san!! OTOU SAN--!
He ran in the labirynth of his mind, desperate to find the familiar blazing red chakra. The halls were empty and twisted into darkness.
Tears spilled over his cheek unheeded.
He screamed to fill the silence in his mind and was met...with nothing.
Kyubi otou san was… gone.
So he coped in the only way he knew how… he wept.
~~
He didn't know how long he sat on his bed, blindly staring out the window. It was a full moon, he noted unconsciously. Kyubi had loved full moons. He said that the moon brought out a softer side in all creation and caused the ocean waves to dance across the world. The stars shined dimly in comparison to the brightly shining light and Naruto was hard-pressed not to break the window that enclosed him in the tight confines of his room.
He couldn't recall how long he had been ill. He briefly noticed that his teachers had stopped by from the food on his bedside table, and the notes they had left. His teammates had visited him too, leaving scattered blossoms that were now wilted in despair.
He frankly could care less. He was alone, more so than ever, until he was reunited with Itachi. If he had been looking into a mirror, Naruto would have been surprised to see the cold, distant look in his own eyes.
Feeling the physical urge to use his bathroom facilities, he clumsily climbed out of bed to walk to the bathroom. His unnaturally fast reflexes stopped him from bumping into the furniture in his path. After using the toilet, he stumbled back into his bedroom, gazing morosely at the window. His eyes came to rest on a small kunai that hung loosely on a branch just outside his window. Morbidly curious and eager to distract his thoughts, he opened the window and grasped the kunai.
It was a scroll.
Hesitantly, he opened the scroll. He knew that Itachi was aware that Kyubi played an active role in Naruto's life and Naruto wondered what Itachi had written. Besides, if the scroll was here, it meant that Itachi taking care of him wasn't a delusion.
Onii chan…
Carefully, painfully aware of his newfound strength, he opened the scroll.
Naruto,
I am watching you. Recover.
Be strong, the Kyubi is always with you in your strength.
Until the chuunin examinations... be patient.
He gently closed the scroll and turned to survey the mess that had become his room. Food littered the room. Obviously the people attending him had been focused on feeding him. A cynical wry smile made it's way onto his mouth. Be patient. What kind of words were those? How could he be patient when he was so alone?
Footsteps turned his attention to his door. Someone was coming. He tried to use his eyes to see through the door, but his vision swam. It seemed there were certain time limitations on using the ability to see through solid objects.
Swiftly moving to his doorway, he slipped kunais onto his finger, prepared to kill. The door creaked open and Iruki sensei appeared holding a basket of fruits and vegetables.
Sighing softly in relief, Naruto dropped the kunai into his pockets.
"Iruki sensei," he weakly greeted his academy sensei. Even his voice sounded strange to him. It would take a lot of adjusting to get used to his evolved body.
"Naruto?! You shouldn't be out of bed," Iruka scolded gently as he pushed Naruto back into bed. Naruto complied and lied down. Sounds of things being carefully rearranged pervaded the apartment and he struggled to keep his eyes open.
He wanted to forget, but Kyubi would not approve of such cowardly behavior.
"Here Naruto. Please drink this," Iruka said gently as he pulled Naruto up to a sitting position. Iruka gave him a cup containing murky vegetable juice. Automatically complying, Naruto drank the juice only to spit it out in disgust.
"Yuck! Iruka sensei are you trying to poison me?!" Naruto exclaimed angrily.
Iruka grabbed towels that were near his bed and wiped down the blankets. "Naruto, it is a highly concentrated vegetable juice that will heal you quickly. Be more thankful, it docked at least 30% of my meager teacher's pay!"
"Oh..." Naruto replied sheepishly. A part of him always forgot the finer things in life such as bills and food. He supposed he should be more thankful toward the Hokage who provided practically everything for him.
Iruka looked at him seriously, then pointedly gazed at the cup. Naruto gulped uncertainly. What was the point in having power if you couldn't win in a psychological battle? Pinching his nose with one hand, Naruto reluctantly swallowed the vile concoction.
Iruka smiled in relief. "That should make up for all the nutrients you lost while you were ill."
"How long was I sick?"
"A week. Kakashi sensei said in passing that you didn't arrive for training one day. I was worried and stopped by to find you with a blazing fever. I'm glad you're all right, Naruto," Iruka explained kindly, concern deepening the soft brown of Iruka's eyes.
Tears pricked at Naruto's eyes as his respect for the chuunin teacher rose up several notches.
"Thank you sensei!" he cried out as he fell to embrace the soft-hearted teacher.
"Naruto, if you have.. uh.. any problems, don't hesitate to come to me all right? I remember the loneliness of being an orphan.. so.."
Naruto nodded mutely, he was too choked up to speak.
Kyubi otou san. I'll try my best to live for the both of us.
~~
It only took a couple of days to be back in commission. Kakashi's eyes lit up in relief when Naruto strolled into the training grounds. Training was difficult because had to suppress his speed and strength. Especially since during the mock battles with Sasuke, he didn't want to kill Itachi's younger brother accidentally.
The missions were tedious and boring. Rarely did Naruto actually participate in them. Who would want to weed out a garden and search for missing cats? He personally wanted to help the cat escape when he saw the hideous owner, but as a shinobi, his opinion didn't matter.
Like any other day, they were before the committee that handed out missions. Glaring at the Hokage, Naruto demanded a mission that was not a D class mission. After a minute of focused staring, the Hokage nodded.
"Here is your mission then. You will escort a gentleman to the Country of the Wave."
Naruto smiled in response and paused when the Hokage continued to speak.
"Be careful Naruto..."
He blinked in surprise. Since when did so many people care for him? A part of his consciousness felt guilty since he did not reciprocate their concern. Only one person held his loyalty and that was Itachi.
"Hai..." he responded quietly as he left the room, ignoring the questioning glances of his teammates. His teammates were liabilities. Still, it was his duty since he was on the team in the interim to insure their survival, especially Uchiha Sasuke.
The moment was ruined by a drunken yell. The man they had to escort was big-boned and tall. A loose work shirt cut off at the shoulders covered his well-muscled frame and a big straw hat barely concealed grayed hair.
"So these brats are going to escort me? Are they good enough?" the client drawled.
"There is a jounin among them, so it should be fine Tazuna san," one of the shinobi on the committee answered calmly.
"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, we'll meet up at the western gate in one hour," interjected Kakashi.
Naruto walked home without verbally acknowledging the orders. Once he was there, he searched in his closet for the cloak he had set aside almost seven months ago.
It's been seven months... he smiled bitterly. Who would've thought so much would change?
Finding the cloak, he tugged it out and inhaled the fabric. Scents from his previous travels still clung stubbornly to the cloth. The cloth itself was nothing spectacular. It was simply a well-made black cloth designed to hang loosely about his body and serve as a ward against the nippy nights. Naruto reached back into the closet to pull out his traveling outfit which consisted of loose black pants with pockets that were so finely stitched the pants looked as if it didn't have any. Here, Naruto proceeded to fill the pockets with kunais and little shurikens. As an afterthought, he added thirty medicinal needles. Finally, he retrieved his black shirt. It was more of a tank top, but it served its purpose. The fabric retained heat better than the most expensive of cashmere and was durable. These also had well-placed hidden pockets where he placed several scrolls. Quickly changing into the clothes, Naruto briefly glanced at the mirror and dashed to the meeting place. He was early, but it didn't matter, he had nothing better to do.
~~
It had happened very quickly. One moment they had been alone and the next moment, there was a huge sword flying toward them. Reacting instinctually, Naruto pushed the client and Sakura down, relying on Sasuke to be smart enough to duck.
He did and Naruto was relieved. There was some merit to the rumor that Sasuke was a genius rookie.
The air around them thickened, creating a mist. Naruto saw a shadow moving quickly toward their client and swiftly blocked the huge sword with a kunai. It wouldn't do for the drunken man to die. The opponent kicked at his side, and he effortlessly dodged it. Becoming a blur, Naruto punched the clone, disintegrating it.
The enemy was well-built and tall. He mentally grumbled about his own height. Why did he have to be so short anyway? Tiny eyebrows graced beady eyes and he was shirtless. From the aura of the enemy, it was apparent to Naruto that the shinobi was well-versed in death.
He's probably a jounin level enemy, Naruto thought coolly. An idea sparked in his head as he speculatively turned to look at Kakashi. It would be entertaining to watch a jounin level battle.
He glanced over at Sakura. Her arms were trembling, but she bravely moved to stand in front of Tazuna san.
Not a bad response for her first battle. Now then, let's see how Sasuke is doing.
Perhaps if he was a rookie, his eyes would reflect the same fear that Sakura and Sasuke expressed. Maybe he would have been stifled by the killing intent heavy in the atmosphere that seemed to frighten his teammates. These thoughts did nothing to hide his disappointment in Itachi's younger brother. Fear emanated from his shaking form and Sasuke seemed intent on putting himself out of his own misery.
"Oy... Sasuke," Naruto said quietly, his voice laced with disapproval.
Sasuke jerked in response, staring at the intense jounin battle that was just beginning.
His voice was cold and perhaps a bit cruel as Naruto remarked, "You can't be serious. You're scared of Mr. No Eye Brows? What kind of avenger are you?"
Sasuke came out of his reverie, lifting his eyes to glare at Naruto. Naruto grinned to piss Sasuke off. Now that reaction was much better.
A part of him thought to reveal his own killing intent, but Naruto had a feeling it would scare off his teammates and the enemy. He sighed and turned to watch the escalating battle.
Each of the enemy's attacks were well thought out and he moved excellently. That shinobi would have been a fun opponent had Naruto felt like fighting, but this battle was Kakashi's. Kakashi was also very fluid in his moves. The battle was similar to a well-choreographed ballet full of leaps and spins that would make the normal eye dizzy and was a pleasure to watch.
Naruto's eyes narrowed as he saw the enemy perform a jutsu. He hoped Kakashi would be prepared to evade this weird technique and was disappointed to see him become trapped in a ball of water.
Aw..now I have to show off, Naruto thought dejectedly. He really didn't like to reveal his own cards.
The enemy created another water bunshin and stalked over to them. Silently, Naruto went through the seals in his mind to create a Kage bunshin. All he had to do was free Kakashi so the jounins could resume their fight. A part of him didn't understand why the enemy didn't kill Kakashi by slicing through the water prison. It would be less messier that way, but since Naruto was given an opportunity to save his clumsy teacher, he wasn't one to waste it.
Naruto sent the Kage bunshin to play with the mizu bunshin and moved as quickly as he could toward the real opponent using the shadows as his cover. Due to his immeasurable speed, it took less than half a second.
"Ano…" Naruto said mischievously as he tapped the shoulder of the mist shinobi. "Do you mind releasing Kakashi sensei and finishing your battle? It's kind of boring the way it is now."
He evaded the sword as Naruto put his hands in front of him placating manner and laughed sheepishly. "Please don't misunderstand, I don't want to fight you. You're too weak for my tastes. Just finish the battle," he goaded as he easily dodged the angry attacks from the enemy. Pretending to be clumsy, he fell against the arm that was holding the prison and twisted it just a little so that it would reflexively pull away.
Smiling in victory as the prison collapsed, he jumped away and nodded at Kakashi. Now they would finish the battle and they could complete their mission.
"Naruto," Kakashi said sternly. "Stop fooling around and protect your teammates."
He shrugged, pointedly gesturing to his kage bunshin that was playing with the water bunshin.
"Just listen to me on this one," Kakashi requested solemnly. Nodding, he zipped back to stand next to Sakura and their client. From Kakashi's request, it was obvious he planned on using some humongous jutsu. Perhaps he would see the famed mist technique of the water dragon?
Kakashi stood deceptively still across from the enemy. They rushed at each and dodged the subsequent attacks.
Sharingan eh? Hypnotism at its finest, Naruto sat down on a leaf branch, keeping a careful eye on his teammates.
"Water Dragon no jutsu" Kakashi exclaimed and the dragon devoured the enemy. Seeing the wave of water coming toward them, Naruto sighed and pulled the client and Sakura up onto the tree.
He stood up abruptly. There was someone nearby with a powerful bloodline ability. He slowly turned to look around himself.
Where? Close by… the enemy!
Naruto sprinted toward the enemy drawing out his medicinal needles. He threw them at the oncoming person and wasn't surprised when they were deflected easily. His eyes narrowed as ice needles were thrown at him. Naruto thought that bloodline limit had been wiped out.
"You… you're of that mist bloodline aren't you?" Naruto addressed the masked figure who was taller than him by a few inches.
"Yes… forgive me, but we will go now," the mysterious opponent replied as he slung the enemy over his shoulders and disappeared. Kakashi cursed and began to fall forward, weakened by his continuous use of the Sharingan.
Naruto summoned a few bunshins to hold him up.
"Oy old man. We need a place to rest," Naruto said demandingly.
"Ah, yes," the client replied. "We're almost to my house anyway, you guys can rest there."
Shimmering red eyes observed the scene contemplatively and vanished, as if he had never been there at all.
~~
AN: Hmm.. I actually don't like the flow of this chapter… but oh well. Hopefully it wasn't too disappointing.
Response to reviewers:
drownin' in my tears: Here's another chapter. Thanks for reviewing.
Moonfairy: Thanks for updating.. and yes there will be some Naruto-Haku interaction.. nothing romantic.
Emeraldblossom: Thanks.. I'll try to.. depends on my muse…
Rubymoon17: Thanks for reviewing. I'll try to update soon..
Insanechildfanfic: Thanks. I'm glad you like it.
Ccs_lover: Couples are hard to work with for me. You have to deal with messy emotions and another thing is, they become very predictable after a while… I'm glad you appreciate the fact that I don't like to write about couples… ^^:; I think that's why I enjoy writing this fic more than the other ones I am working one.
Satorabonai: Naruto is the strongest character in this fic. Especially after being fully integrated with the kyubi. But he doesn't like to show it since he still grieving internally.
Pale pilsen: So far Naruto is a good guy in that he hasn't really killed anyone after arriving at Konoha. Traveling with Itachi desensitized Naruto to killing so he could easily kill, he just prefers to keep the killing intent to himself because his teammates are so sheltered.
Angel_from_hell: Sorry.. he had to go…
Sorry for being your troubles: thanks for faithfully reading my chapters.. I'm glad that I have a dedicated reader.. it makes me feel better.. J
Tjal: Maybe he will.. in regards to Jiraiya.. but.. that's uncertain. I'm still trying to work out the kinks in my storyline and which ending (when I get to it) I will set my heart on. Sasuke was cool to a certain point.. and then he just went downhill. He became irritating.
Thu6666: Thanks for being concerned for me. I'll try not to.
Shadow eclipse: Well.. at first they will fight… that's somewhat of a given since Itachi wants Naruto to fight with Gaara.. anything else after that.. we'll have to see.
Eaglesage21: Teeehee.. glad that you like my portrayal of Naruto.
Cookie6: Thanks… I will
Pyr00tje: Thanks… I suppose it's a moment of inspiration.. and my work is slow right now.. so for the interim I have a lot of time..
Ramensquirrel: I hope you like it..
Canalvorfeed1: Thanks. I hope it continues to be an enjoyable read.
Zsych: First of all.. no pairings… he's powerful and isn't really interested in anyone right now… especially since he is still recovering from the loss of kyubi. Another thing is, he's blindly loyal to Itachi and instinctually knows that liking someone else will become a conflict of interest later on. About the Orochimaru thing.. I'll really have to think about it. Thanks for your suggestions..
EvilP: Hopefully this chapter met your expectations..
Oven roast COW: ^^;; well.. gomen.. but kyubi is gone now… _
Cerillion: It does!!! Sasuke should get over it. I mean… Itachi is his only family member now.
Silverknight7: You sound like me! Putting off course work so I could do more enjoyable things.. like writing this.. ^^;;
Kkoganei: Hmm… I thought I gave SOC puppet credit when I used Itachi as a spy in my other work. I guess I'll have to check that… btw.. the SOC puppet's stories are my absolute fav.. I wish I could write like that person.. *dreams*
Dalphin crage: Teeheehee... I think Naruto is capable of being tough. He had to go through so much emotionally, so it makes him stronger and able to deal with things most people cannot. About Itachi, I suppose I just wanted to humanize him. J
Greg: me myself and I: Thanks for reviewing.. Hopefully this chapter was bearable.. ^^;;;;;
~~
Preview:
"You're just like me, a tool…"