Hello everybody!
I have a beta-reader now (I'm lucky-lucky-lucky…making some awful dance). So I again say thank you a lot for really quick work, Phillipa Engels. I hope all the readers will join me in these thanks because of her (and me a little) we have the next chapter without grammar errors and so soon. Oh, and she corrected the previous two chapters, I reposted them too so enjoy reading them!
Thank you, all reviewers. That's great you're not forgetting about me and write about your impressions and that they are positive ones – that only thing makes me really happy! I really hope it'll continue this way.
AzureStrike, that's ok if 'Blondaime' appears in your story I'll be glad!
Fan of Great Works – "Where on the Map is Hidden Moon anyway?" – Well (blush), you caught me off guard with your question… (Examining Naruto's world map). But you are right if I write it I must think about the details too, am I? So I think it's somewhere at the north-west part of the fire country. As they divided from the hidden leaf they have their own peace of space which doesn't belong to some country officially but unofficially it's under protection of the fire country.
MasterFranny, about Yondaime and they way he should act… It really scares me sometimes…What if in Kakashi-gaiden anime-arc he would be shown completely different from the way I imagine? How I would be able to finish this story then (sigh).
Btw, have anybody seen the latest episode of Naruto in db-subs? What's up with this fillers anyway, are there really more 26 weeks, there were only 3 of them the last time I've checked…I just don't get it…can somebody explain? Or they were just joking (I hope).
Oh, I'm talking much again and even not about the story :) Here's the next chapter, the final of this part becomes closer and closer…Read it, I hope, enjoy it… as for me…I'm waiting for your reviews!
Chapter 8. Revelations in the dim light
"We are getting closer," Arashi's voice snapped Naruto out of his thoughts. They had been walking for about an hour. "Be prepared."
Naruto nodded and concentrated chakra to be ready for attack.
"Kage bunshin no jutsu," Arashi muttered making a move.
Naruto opened his mouth to speak but Yondaime gestured for him to be silent. His move wasn't finished yet. Then he transformed his clone into a mouse and it ran to the room.
"Five, six," he counted in a small voice. "7 shinobies."
"Using a transformed clone as a spy? Interesting move," Naruto thought.
"There is also a cell there," Arashi said not loosing concentration. "Sakura's there I'm pretty sure."
"What shall we do?" Naruto asked.
"We attack," came an instant reply. "We are limited with our weapons though. We can't use powerful jutsus without the risk of destroying anything."
"Yes," Naruto agreed. "But again, what shall we do?"
Arashi looked at him attentively.
"They use this forbidden jutsu to increase their speed so to stop them we must use our maximum speed too. Otherwise we can't guarantee Sakura'll be alright. Can you," he hesitated. "Can you use Kyuubi's chakra to move faster?"
Naruto was silent for a little. He remembered several times when he had used it he could move really fast but could he control it?
"I'll try," he agreed.
"That's alright," Arashi nodded. "Just…be careful, ok?"
"What?" Naruto didn't understand his phrase first moment. Yondaime had just asked him to be careful, as if he was afraid of him being hurt?
"No," he shook his head thinking. "Obviously he's just afraid that I'll lose control and do something awful. Well…stop thinking about it now," he thought concentrating. "Give me chakra, damned fox!"
For a moment Arashi was stunned with the feeling of THIS chakra again. Memories about THAT fight came to him once again bringing pain. He turned around trying not to look at Naruto. He just couldn't stand it, just the feeling of this chakra made him shake again.
"Come on," he said making his own move. "Shunshin no jutsu."
"Shunshin no jutsu. Body flicker," Naruto repeated to himself. "So that's what this technique is called. How does he do it anyway?"
"Don't daydream," Yondaime whispered feeling his hesitation. "Now we have to do it really fast."
"Just watch me," Naruto exhaled and moved ahead. Arashi cursed in a small voice and ran after him.
For the ninjas guarding the cell at first moment everything looked like two yellow flashes appeared in the cave.
Arashi's mind calculated seconds while he was moving. Throwing kunai – one down, six to go. The second one moved at enormous speed toward Arashi but Yondaime sidestepped him, blocking the blow. So they really were using this jutsu. Their speed wasn't normal – now he was sure. The only advantage he had was the years of experience of using this speed while these shinobies were just beginners in this field. With a corner of eye he saw Naruto handling two shinobies and smiled.
"Nice work, son."
Arashi's opponent lost rather quickly – Yondaime's taijutsu was obviously better than his. It left only three of them. The first one moved to the cell.
"Not so fast," Arashi muttered blocking his way.
"Tsuki no he…" his enemy began but was stopped in the middle by small spiral ball.
Arashi sighed with relief. He was lucky – using rasengan in such a small cave was really dangerous. He turned back to Naruto seeing he had a problem – two big shinobies surrounded the boy. But their speed wasn't beyond human senses.
"So they have strength as their power," Arashi understood seeing how one of them took a big stone to use it to fight. "Oh, no!" he flash-moved again stopping him and letting Naruto handle the other one.
"You're dead, blond!" giant shouted throwing stone at Arashi.
"Taihen kyoujaku no jutsu!" the Hokage repeated Sora's move catching the stone like it was a little ball. With the other hand he activated rasengan destroying it completely.
The giant just kept running at him shouting random things so all Arashi had to do was to turn around and give him the final blow.
At the same time Naruto roared and the last opponent landed on the floor unconscious. The Uzumakis stopped, looking at one another in a dim light of the cave's lanterns.
Arashi breathed out in shock. His son's hands had claws and his face was suited more to an animal, not a human now. Teeth had grown longer and he looked really scary. But the eyes were the main thing Arashi stared at. Usually blue like his own, now they were shining with red flame. For a moment he had the feeling he was looking at Kyuubi's eyes again like that day, 13 years ago.
Arashi closed his eyes in pain. He just couldn't look at what he had done to his own son.
"When I did this jutsu I didn't know about this effect, Naruto," he thought. "I made the seal so that chakra could mix with your own to make you stronger but I didn't think Kyuubi would override the seal that much. What I have done," he bit his lips. "To my only son. Naruto…I get it now. How difficult it was for you to feel it. How you had to look in the eyes of the villagers and see them scared of you. But I won't let it happen now. Do you hear, Naruto? You are not fighting alone anymore! I promised to Umi, promised to myself I'll protect you with all I have. 'Til death and beyond."
Naruto blinked and his eyes began to turn back to normal.
"What are you staring at?" he said in a rude voice.
Was it just a shadow or his imagination but for a moment did it really look like Yondaime was about to cry?
"Uh, nothing," the blond Hokage shook his head turning into his normal irritating self. "Let's go get Sakura out of the cell."
"Naruto, Arashi-sama!" they heard a cry of joy from somewhere behind the prison's door.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted. "Are you alright?"
"Yes!" she shouted back. "We are all alright!"
"All?" Arashi asked opening the door with one of his handy jutsus. "Oh, my!"
In the cell were sitting twenty more people – obviously they were the ones who had disappeared during the band's raids.
Sakura left the cell meeting Naruto and Arashi. The first one was looking at her with overwhelming joy and the second – with relief.
"You found the entrance here so they captured you, didn't they?" he asked.
"Yes," Sakura nodded. "You know, they use some strange jutsu. They came here with kunai, stabbed people and it looked like they took their chakra with it!"
"Yes, we already know," Arashi nodded and told others. "Come out, we are heading home."
"They left the cave here," one of the people gestured to a small door at the opposite side of the cave.
Arashi came over, examining it. Finally he opened the door and exclaimed.
"There is another cave. I don't know this way so I just suggest returning the same way we entered here."
"Ok," the group of the men and women nodded agreeing. "Lead us, Konoha's shinobi."
"You won't go anywhere," someone's voice told them. The dark figure appeared near the hidden door. He - it was definitely the man – was holding a kunai.
Arashi stepped ahead in his direction.
"I have known Sora for eternity," he began in a small voice. "When I saw you the first time I thought – oh my! Like father like son, this boy will become a great village chief one day. I thought his son will protect his village with his life. But what have you done, Shinjiru?"
The villagers behind Arashi's back exhaled in surprise.
"Shut up!" the shinobi shouted taking off his mask. Yes, it definitely was Shinjiru in a dark scaring suit. Looking at him Naruto thought he would never understand how a joyful friendly chuunin, Sora's son, had become one of these monsters who stole people's chakra.
"How could you do it?" Naruto whispered and then shouted louder. "Why did you do it, Shinjiru? Your father trusted you! You were happy living in the village, weren't you?"
"Naruto," Arashi stepped ahead trying to interfere before the conversation went too far.
"Shut up!" Naruto shouted. "I…I can't understand…don't understand why he did it! But if the bastard tries to destroy the village his father put all his energy into then it's my battle to take!
"It's my battle!" these words painfully reflected in Arashi's mind. Just how many times had he heard them. He remembered it… like it was yesterday.
Bunches of raven hair, the most beautiful he had seen in his life and the piercing sight of ice blue eyes looking attentively at him and the steady voice of the one and only love in his life.
"It's my battle, Arashi! Don't even try to interfere. You will only get in the way!"
He always knew when she told him that that he really shouldn't interfere. Because she did something he couldn't do. She found words that changed the world around them, changed people's hearts. Even if everything was about to collapse she would continue to stand and she would win her battle for people's hearts no matter what, changing them, making them better.
Now, for the first time in his after-after life he really understood how much his son resembles her. For several days while they were together he looked at Naruto trying to find something of his mother there but the only features he saw were his own and now, when he already gave up looking, Naruto surprised him once again.
So Arashi did what he always had done when Umi asked for it – he stepped back leaving his son to handle the situation on his own.
"Tell me, Shinjiru!" Naruto shouted stepping forward. "You had everything you wanted. You had friends, family, your native village! Why did you become a traitor?"
"Why should you care?" Shinjiru shouted back stepping forward too. "It's my life! I just wanted to act this way! I wanted to be strong!"
"I don't believe you," Naruto shook his head. "You didn't lie to me. You really liked your shinobi work, so why?"
Shinjiru tried not to look into those piercing eyes, those two little diamonds shining brightly in the dim light. He had a feeling this kid sees everything inside him.
"Shut up!" he shouted. "Just shut up and fight!"
He ran to land a blow to Naruto and villagers gasped in shock, Arashi's hand moved to his kunai and Sakura covered her face with her hands, but Naruto just didn't move.
Shinjiru stopped.
"Come on!" he shouted. "Kick me! Why are you just standing and looking at me!"
Naruto's look was full of sadness.
"I'm trying to understand," he answered. "Why such a good shinobi like you decided to join the band."
"You won't understand!" Shinjiru closed his eyes. Naruto was silent.
"You won't understand!" Shinjiru shouted loosing his temper. "You, raised in Konoha village among love and friends, can't understand what it feels like when you're hated everywhere. Where every way you go you face eyes of villagers who are afraid of you like hell."
Naruto's eyes flashed.
"Why?" he asked. "Why should they hate you? You are village chief's son after all! Why do you think somebody hates you?"
Shinjiru looked into his eyes trying to find fear but there was nothing like it. Only a wish to understand and sadness. Why?
"When I was born,' Sora's son began and his voice was emotionless and low. "Medics said I wouldn't survive. I was too weak. So father… did this jutsu with me."
"A forbidden jutsu to transfer powers into you?" Naruto asked to be sure.
Shinjiru nodded.
"Yes. But he was too white and shiny to kill someone to save me. So he found…" his voice cracked. "A monster. One of hidden moon's cave monsters, you saw one of them on your way here, didn't you?"
"Y..yes," Naruto answered in shocked voice.
"He killed this monster and transferred all its powers into me," tears appeared in Shinjiru's eyes and he quickly swept them away. "Of course, after that I wasn't completely human anymore. When I become angry…I lose control and become a monster myself. With this jutsu…I have a chance to become human again so people won't turn away in fear when looking at me. Do you understand now?"
The silence fell onto the cave. Nobody could say a word. Villagers lowered heir heads. Was it…a hint of guilt in their eyes?
Naruto closed his eyes for a moment. So…these frightened sights were for him, Shinjiru…that day…They were the same…completely the same…now he got it.
"Do you understand, Naruto?" Shinjiru asked in angrier voice. "If you were me would you do anything to become normal again?"
Naruto lowered his head. What a question. If there was a chance to remove Kyuubi would he do it at all costs? But the more he thought the clearer came an answer to him. He raised his head looking at Shinjiru attentively.
"No," he finally answered.
Shinjiru sighed. So he didn't understand him at all. The boy who he had wanted to be friends with, Naruto, couldn't understand his pain. Well, let it be. He prepared a kunai to land the mortal blow and began to move but Naruto's voice stopped him.
"I understand you so clearly that it brings me pain," blond-haired genin said. "But I would never do such a thing. Protecting your village, your friends, is the one thing that makes you human instead of a monster."
"You just don't understand," Shinjiru shook his head. "Your father didn't seal a monster into you."
Arashi's heart squeezed painfully at this phrase. He looked at Naruto attentively.
"What will you answer?" everything shouted inside him. "Naruto, don't be silent, please!"
Uzumaki didn't look at him. For that moment he wasn't sure if he remembers that the man who caused him all this pain is in the cave.
"I don't know," his voice was low and the expression on his face was unreadable. "I don't know who my father was. I never knew him. But do you know, Shinjiru? Your father gave anything to save you. He trusted you with his life. Yes, it was selfish but he wanted you to live. He wanted you to be strong so he gave you this power to protect the village. The village chief's job, he shared it with you."
Arashi gasped. Did he…did he really think this way?
"Naruto," he whispered. "Do you really…could you really forgive me one day? Could you really give me one more chance?"
His thoughts were stopped by the loud cry Shinjiru made. He fell on his knees crying.
"Father," he whispered. "What I have done!"
Naruto came silently to him and put the hand on his shoulder.
"You can correct everything you've done," he told him in a small voice. "Nobody was killed during the exam yet so I think your father will forgive you. You are very lucky because you have him. It would be worse if you had to face it on your own."
Shinjiru's look was filled with hope.
"Do you…really think so?" he asked.
"Of course," Naruto smiled. "Believe it!"
Arashi looked at him in awe. Now he saw it, saw with his own eyes.
"Umi," he thought. "You gave him the most precious gift you could. Your power to change people's hearts, it didn't die with you. It lives in your son…our son, Naruto. If you could only see him…He has grown just like we dreamt about. He's incredible. "
"Blondaime," familiar voice snapped Arashi from heaven back to earth again.
He looked at Naruto, a smile spreading all over his face.
"What's so funny?" genin looked at him attentively.
"I swear I'll live 'til the day you become the Hokage," Arashi made the oath raising his voice. "Just to call you Blondaime back," he added a second later with evil grin.