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DX Sorry everyone! Been trying to get this chapter out for a while, but life has kept me super busy. I even started feeling like Naruto did at one point in this story. In particular, when he said, "Why is there always something?!" I would be planning to write, and then, lo and behold, something else to do would pop up. T_T In any case, it's out now, so I hope you all enjoy lol. I know a lot of people have been waiting so I'm sorry for the longer than usual wait. I did release a parody in between though so hopefully that helped hold you all over.
Once again, thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows! And do remember to review if you enjoyed this chapter! If you don't, I have a very particular set of skills at my disposal, and I will find you. :)
Dead or Alive
A gentle breeze swept through the sky, silent as a whisper, occasionally curling past the upper branches of a tree, or wrapping around the soaring body of a bird. It carried with it faint traces of all the places it had been – through a roaring waterfall, between a band of swaying pines, in the sweet open sky. At last, it tickled Kurama's face and his eyes fluttered open, the drowsy orbs a lighter shade of red than last night.
After setting his plan into motion, he had decided to get some rest as well. At least, as much rest as he could while keeping an eye on Naruto. They were sure to have a long day ahead of them so getting some rest was a non-negotiable, especially with him having to get used to Naruto's body.
Stretching both arms over his head, he let out an animal-like yawn, smacking his lips and turning his head to look out over the horizon. The first thing he noticed was that the forest wasn't cast in dim greyscale anymore. Now that it was green, it actually looked a lot more appealing. The sun cast everything in a yellow hue that made it seem more alluring, like nature was calling out to you, calling you to explore.
The smell of dew rose from the earth as well, whiffs of green shrubbery and grass ascending to his nose in steady waves. His nostrils flared as he took it all in, and then he exhaled, letting it all go.
As he continued looking out over the horizon, he couldn't deny something building in him, something akin to a sense of longing. Exactly what it was, he did not know, but he could feel it. It called out to him, offering him peace as his solemn gaze took in the horizon. At one corner of the landscape, was a small lake, the ripples glistening a brilliant yellow as they reflected the sun. At the other corner sat the cliff he'd seen last night, jagged beige rocks giving it a ragged but somehow majestic look in the sunlight.
At last, he turned his face towards the sun, the bright star causing one side of his face to glow dimly. It looked familiar from up here, how it stretched from one side of the horizon to the other, coloring the sky around it in a deep orange. The heat radiating from it could be felt from where he was sitting, and the heat could even be seen as the faraway lands danced in the rays. In the end, he sighed; a sad smile resting on his face as he remembered a time when he was free to enjoy it on his own.
"So, that's east." he thought. "Noted..."
Sitting up straighter, he detached Naruto's pouch from his waist and started digging through it lazily. As far as he could tell, there were some kunai, some shuriken, those stupid mushrooms, and the storage scrolls (one of which was missing...great). Gama-chan was there too, but it looked like those Sound-nin had emptied him. A quick turn upside down revealed that was indeed the case, the only exception being a few coins they didn't care enough to take. Well, Naruto wouldn't be too happy about that...
A closer look revealed that the missing storage scroll was, of course, the most important one. Namely, the one with all their toiletries, their underwear, their clothes their sleeping bag, and BASICALLY EVERYTHING THEY NEEDED TO SURVIVE. Kurama sighed then facepalmed. Even Naruto's ramen was gone. The scroll must've got lost in the chaos when they got caught or when they were trying to escape. Heck, it could have just been the Sound nin going through their things and not putting it back. Either way, their problems had just multiplied tenfold. Brilliant.
As he stuffed Gama-chan back into the pouch, he paused momentarily, spotting the folded picture that had been so neatly tucked away. He already knew what was on it, but he pulled it out anyway, curious to see it again; curious to see if maybe he was missing something. He squinted, trying his hardest, but no matter how long he looked at it, he still couldn't see it...whatever it was that Naruto saw at least. All he could see was a stupid team. Why didn't this get lost or taken instead?
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a tired yawn resonating from the inner chamber he and Naruto shared. Blinking a few times, he cast a final glance at the picture, then tucked it away. "Well," he sighed. "No use dwelling on what I can't change." A wicked smile came to rest on his lips as he finished, "At least I'm in charge now." His grin widened. "Showtime."
...
Naruto smacked his lips a few times before sitting up to examine his surroundings. Much to his surprise, he wasn't greeted with the sights, smells, and sounds of the forest, there was only darkness. It felt familiar though, like he had been here before. As the haze started lifting from his eyes, he could see some form of light coming into view, reddish in nature, almost orange. Slowly, more of the light illuminated his vision, revealing bubbly red chakra in a cagelike structure. What the heck was going on?
"Morning, sunshine."
Naruto quickly spun around, bottom lip dangling as he squinted through the darkness. "Kurama?" he pouted. The overgrown orange fox sat comfortably outside the cage, a faint grin on his lips as his tails wagged back and forth in the background.
"What's going on?" Naruto asked.
Kurama sat still, one finger scratching the side of his face as he looked up at nothing in particular. "Nothing much. Just a new day..."
"Well, what am I doing in here?" Naruto asked, looking around at the chakra-formed bars.
"Oh… Well, uh, see, uh…" He cleared his throat. "Well, uh, that, uhhh…"
Naruto squinted through the darkness, waiting for a reply.
Kurama seemed to think about something for a little bit, but after a while he simply shrugged and grinned from ear to ear, smiling a sort of cheesy, eye-closed smile.
"Well," he began. "Since you were so monumentally stupid as to almost get us captured, and I had to save you from those Sound nin, I've decided I'm gonna take over for a while."
"WHAT?!" Naruto screamed, eyes wider than Rock Lee's.
"See, I knew you'd understand. Kthanksbye."
"HEY! THAT WASN'T PART OF THE AGREEMENT!"
Kurama tilted his head up as if he were thinking about it. "Yeah," he mused. "You're right... Don't really care though," he finished, a fox-like chuckle escaping his blackened lips.
"You turd!"
"Ah," he waved. "You would have just gotten us killed anyway."
"GIVE ME BACK MY BODY!"
"Hmmm, let me think about it… NOPE! Sorry!"
"HEEeeEeeEYYyyYY!" he yelled, trying to force the chakra bars open. Unfortunately, Kurama was already gone and he was left yelling at an open expanse of black water. "Get back here you turd!"
In the real world, Kurama rose to his feet, balancing on the branch he had been sleeping on. With a groan, he stretched his arms over his head, yawning loudly as he prepared to vault down the tree.
"Yeesh," he said. "Wouldn't want to be that guy." And with that, he jumped down to the nearest branch beginning his descent. "First stop, outlying village." he grinned. "Feels good to be in charge…"
Jiraiya removed the small piece of paper from the hawk's backpack and then violently shook his arm, shooing the hawk away. With a few violent flaps of its wings, it took to the sky, the powerful wings beating loudly until it was high enough to fall into a graceful soar.
Jiraiya turned his attention to the note he had received and started reading it, eyes narrowing ever so slightly at the new information.
Jiraiya,
I was right about Danzo, although I can't deny Homura and Koharu having a part to play as well. I'm sure you won't be surprised when I tell you they didn't take me keeping Naruto's desertion from them too well. Long story short, they've sent for Ryoshi Kasegi. I'm sure he needs no further introduction. I'll try to stall him when he gets here, but I can only do so much. At the time I'm writing this, I have no way of knowing when he'll arrive. You could be a few days ahead of him at most or barely a day at the least. Whatever the case, I'm sure I don't need to be the one to tell you that you have to get to Naruto first. I can't imagine what he may look like if Ryoshi is the one to bring him in. I hope you're close to capturing him by the time this hawk finds you, or that you've already caught him. Knowing our luck, that's unlikely, but I can hope. Anyway, I suggest you speed up your efforts even more than you already have. I don't even think it's a matter of will we catch Naruto or not anymore, it's about will we catch him first. Stay safe old friend.
- Tsunade S.
Jiraiya inhaled deeply, then exhaled as he folded the note and stashed it away in his pouch. He wasted no time hopping back up to the trees and continuing his task.
It didn't surprise him to hear that problems were presenting themselves more and more. That was the usual order of business around Konoha. It was a wonder they were even still around. Maybe that had to do with their will of fire...but would it be enough to save them this time? They were still in the middle of recovering from a full-scale attack on the village and now they had to deal with a rogue jinchuriki and a rogue Uchiha. It was a thought he never wanted to cross his mind, but it did, nonetheless. Maybe the will of fire would finally be extinguished...
With a quick shake of his head, he shifted his focus back to Naruto. That was all that mattered now. Getting to him first. Fortunately, that wouldn't be too difficult. He wasn't right on top of him, but he was close enough to sense him every now and then, and if that failed, he still had the toads. From what he could tell, Naruto was probably a few hours away – at least if he kept moving at that same pace and didn't break into a blazing run again. He had been stationary for a while but started moving again a few moments ago. The best-case scenario would be if he had another outburst of chakra again. That would help narrow down his location in an instant.
Whatever the case, it didn't matter much now. The distance between them was closing so catching up to him was an eventuality. It would probably be a good idea to mask his chakra though. The last thing he needed was for Naruto to sense him and start running away at that blazing speed again. And the element of surprise would also be useful if this encounter somehow turned violent. Jiraiya prayed that wouldn't be the case, but if it came down to that, he'd do what needed to be done. The kid needed to be saved. Not only from the dangers of the outside world, but from himself. And deep down, Jiraiya knew there was another reason he had to bring Naruto back. It was personal. Maybe something even more than that. Long story short, he didn't do what he said he was going to do and now he had to deal with the consequences, but he would make things right. He would make things right...
Sakura headed towards the village gates at a mild pace, one foot lazily lifting in front of the other. One step. Two-step. Three-step. It was amazing how much litter there was when you finally took the time to look. She had taken to kicking them out of the way randomly in her silent stroll.
The sun was rising now, but only the slightest bit over the horizon. The all-encompassing glow once again cast the village in a soft yellowish-orange hue, giving it a peaceful quality that was hard to see otherwise. The village was also quieter now. No constant commotion, no bustling streets, no vendors trying to get your attention; just calm.
The handful of people she saw during her morning stroll were nice enough. Most of them kept to themselves, but there was one kid who had offered her a small smile. It was only a few moments after they had passed each other that she realized she forgot to smile back. Casting a glance behind her, she let her eyes roam the landscape, hoping to catch another glimpse of him. Unfortunately, she didn't. He was gone, possibly around a corner or into a building. Slowly, she turned away, mourning the loss.
Shifting her thoughts, she refocused on the village, taking in the peaceful surroundings anew. You would never think it was in a state of turmoil, but that was indeed the case. Recent assaults by enemy-nin, rogue genin, hunter-nin being called in; you name it. The village presented itself as a picture of beauty – majestic buildings standing tall in the sun and lofty monuments firmly established over it all. Almost like it was trying to convince you that everything was ok, that things had been ok for a long time, and that they would continue to be ok for even longer, but Sakura knew the truth. It was all a mess, and right now, Konoha's physical appeal was all it had to offer. If she was honest, she didn't even want to leave her bed this morning and she would've been very content sleeping the day away. But despite her urges, she forced herself to get up. Not because she wanted to, but because Ryoshi had something she needed – desperately needed. Something she had to know.
...
As she reached the village gates, she looked around to see if Ryoshi was anywhere to be found, but the only sign of his presence were his dogs. Jento was once again unchained while the other two sat tied to a pole. To their credit, they didn't seem as crazy as they did last night. The overly energetic one seemed to be asleep and the aggressive one had started chanting some weird song. From where she was, she could faintly hear him mumbling the lyrics as he bobbed his head to the beat.
"You're out buying bread, I'll bite you.
Don't turn your head, I'll bite you.
Even if you're dead, I'll bite you.
I'll bite you, I'll bite you, I'll bite you..."
"Great," she thought. "No Ryoshi. Just his stupid dogs..."
"Don't be so hard on him."
The low voice cut into her thoughts like a well-sharpened kunai and she turned to see Ryoshi walking towards her, hands in his coat pockets. He seemed to emerge from nowhere in particular.
"He couldn't always talk." Ryoshi continued. "His mania is a side effect."
"A side effect?" she asked. "Of what?"
"Chakra boosting," he replied simply. "I'm sure you know that chakra can be used in a variety of ways. Hageshī here," - he nodded to the singing dog - "Had chakra used to boost his intelligence, among other things of course."
"You can do that?" Sakura asked, eyebrow raised.
"Anyone can if they have good enough chakra control. Most people don't though. They usually just end up giving the animal a few disturbing defects or killing it if the process is a total failure. I have some of the best chakra control and I didn't perfect the method until Jento."
Sakura's eyes widened slightly as she looked towards Jento and took in his calm form. Well, that explained a lot...
"Why are you here, Ms. Haruno?"
Sakura paused, remembering her initial reason for coming. For a moment, she thought about phrasing things in a way that wouldn't show her insatiable curiosity, but she eventually decided to just be direct. Knowing Ryoshi, he'd probably see through anything she tried to pull anyway.
"You have to give me something," she said, eyes pleading. "No one else will..."
A moment passed by, but Ryoshi said nothing, instead remaining where he was with his arms crossed. In the silence, he just stared, his pale blue eyes fixed on her. After that, came another moment of silence. And then another after that. It didn't take Sakura long to realize that he had no intention of saying anything...
At that realization, she dropped her head, eyes seeming to lose their light once again."So you're just like everyone else..."
"No, I'm not."
Sakura lifted her head once more, faint jade meeting ice blue in a hopeful exchange.
"But I do like trades." he finished.
Sakura stood attentive, eyes waiting.
"I'll help you," he continued. "But I want to know the truth about that picture frame."
Sakura paused, considering the proposition. A few seconds later, she nodded in agreement. "Fine." she agreed. "But you have to promise to give me something."
Ryoshi nodded, waving a hand in agreement.
Inhaling deeply, she started, "The picture that used to be in that frame was the first picture we took together as a team. It had all four of us. Me, Sensei, Sasuke, and Naruto." A soft smile crossed her lips at the memory. "It was a stupid picture," she continued. "But it fit our team well. As usual, Naruto and Sasuke were angry at each other for some stupid reason so me and Sensei ended up being the only ones smiling."
"So it was important to him?" Ryoshi asked.
Sakura paused briefly, her head falling towards the ground. Her eyebrows furrowed deeply before she whispered in a voice softer than the wind, "I know it was…"
Ryoshi stood motionless, watching her with mild intrigue. After a brief pause, he spoke up. "Thank you, Ms. Haruno. That's nice to know." And with that, he turned away, heading towards the village gates.
"Well, wait!" she called out. "What about-"
"Jinchuriki, Ms. Haruno. Jinchuriki."
"Jinchuriki," she whispered to herself. "What does that even mean?..."
"Figure it out, Ms. Haruno," he said, still walking away from her. "I can't do all the work for you now can I? Where's the fun in that?"
Sakura frowned but said no more, instead remaining motionless as her thoughts wandered once more. They traveled down a dark path, a path only illuminated by scattered traces of light. The traces were faint, but they were all she had. Unfortunately, they never gave her enough to see the full picture. But now there was another trace of light shining on this mystery, and it came in the form of one word – Jinchuriki.
When she finally moved, it was only her head that fell towards the ground, her eyes showing the mental gymnastics she was going through. The word sounded familiar, but she couldn't remember its significance. Where had she heard it before? The lack of information nagged at her very core until that single word sat boldly at the forefront of her mind. Jinchuriki. Jinchuriki. Jinchuriki… Finally, she lifted her head and turned around. Her pace was brisk as she headed back into town. She had to find out what that word meant and how it fit into all of this. Fortunately, she had an idea about where to start looking.
As Ryoshi untied the leashes on the rest of his canine team, Jento rose to his feet, letting out a tired yawn. "So the real hunt begins now," he said.
"Sharp as ever," Ryoshi replied.
"Thanks."
"We've got more of a lead than usual this time." Ryoshi continued.
"What is it?"
"From what the girl said last night, I'm fairly sure I sensed the boy on my way into town. As a result, I've already got an idea of where he is currently...at least somewhat."
"How far away is he?"
"A day probably. Maybe a day and a half by now. Two max. Ehhh," he said, double guessing himself. "Maybe more if we lose his scent. I doubt he's been that careful though."
"You're probably right," Jento agreed. A short moment later, he added, "I assume now's the part where you call in Oritsu..."
Ryoshi smirked. "You could at least pretend to like him."
"I do like him," Jento replied. "I only pretend to hate his guts..."
"Ever the comedian," Ryoshi said, biting his thumb and slamming his open palm into the ground.
Black markings shot outwards and puffs of gray smoke mixed with the morning air, slowly fading away and revealing a birdlike contour. When the puffs of smoke had completely disappeared, there stood a very overgrown hawk, his height nearly eclipsing Ryoshi himself. The feathers coating his body were mainly a dark brown color, save a few white plumes lining his wingtips. His eyes were also decidedly round and much more colorful as they were a deep yellow. His very being exuded majesty.
A low sigh escaped his yellow beak as he looked around, the black slit in his eye thinning as his eyes adjusted to the new lighting situation. With an annoyed sigh, he shook the backpack that was resting on his back and tried to adjust its positioning. When he was satisfied, he gave a quick shiver and puffed out his feathers, looking close to twice his actual size. In an instant, they fell flush again.
"You know, I don't know how you all bear the heat down here," he said, voice prim and proper.
"Nice to see you too, Oritsu," Ryoshi replied.
"I mean, seriously. Up there, it's just so perfect. It's the right amount of cold, and right amount of sun, and it's all-"
"We get it, Oritsu." Jento drawled. "You're a bird."
"A haaawk, you cretin. A haaaaawk. I assume you're smart enough to know that much..."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Jento mumbled.
"Anyway," Oritsu continued, turning to Ryoshi and bowing his head slightly. "Will I be delivering any heads today sir?"
"Delivering heads?" Ryoshi chuckled. "Oritsu, we've barely begun."
"Aw," he groaned. "Pity."
"What?" Jento questioned. "They didn't teach patience at stuck-up academy?"
"I would call that joke unfunny, but I think that's evidenced by the fact that no one is laughing! Try a better joke next time you...you...earthbound creature!"
Ryoshi let out the slightest of chuckles and took off his coat, folding it raggedly. His dysfunctional team was always fun to deal with.
"Well, if I'm not here to deliver a head, why am I here?" Oritsu continued.
"You're here," Ryoshi started. "Because we need you to scout out the villages in a certain area."
"Ah… Well, of course, someone with my talents would be perfect for that job," he said, chest puffed out.
Jento simply rolled his eyes.
"What's the matter?" Oritsu asked, a smirk on his beak as he leaned down ever so slightly. "Jealous?"
"Hardly," Jento replied. A moment later, he grinned from ear to ear. "Hey, Mōretsu!" he called.
"HEY!" Oritsu yelled, beak snapping angrily. "Don't you call him!"
"Moretsuuu," Jento grinned, smiling even more as the energetic dog started to rise from his slumber. "Your buddy is here." he finished plainly.
Moretsu's head popped up and upon seeing Oritsu, clouds of dust flew through the air, his chunky body darting over to the oversized bird. It wasn't long before he was rolling around near his feet playfully and randomly gnawing at whichever foot was nearest to him.
"Oh, this little fat-nosed furball again," Oritsu whined, lifting a leg from the floor. "Stop trying to bite my hand/toe you cretin!"
Meanwhile, Hageshī continued bobbing his head as he sang his made-up song to himself. He really seemed to be enjoying himself.
Ryoshi sealed away his coat and hat and stashed the storage scroll in his pouch, fully committed to ignoring the ramblings of his dysfunctional team in the background. It shouldn't be that hard, especially since he was so used to it by now. With a sigh, he strapped down his armor and readied his gear, checking his pouch for the miscellaneous weapons and scrolls he needed for his craft. Senbon – Check. Special weapons scroll – Check. Stupid team – Double check.
With a sigh, he lifted his hands to his head, slicking his blond hair back so that it ran nearly flush on his scalp and giving himself one final look over. The rugged armor surrounding his chest was sleeveless and had green and brown camouflage patterning with a few black spots here and there. It also had pockets on either side, making it convenient when it came to storing certain items on your person, much like the standard Jonin vest. Despite that fact, the armor was surprisingly light and had a few marks to show it was pretty durable as well. Durability was something that was beyond indispensable with the kind of life he lived. His pants were nothing extraordinary. They were the same type of pants you would see on any other ninja and were a simple black. He didn't like making things more complicated than they needed to be.
His attention was arrested by the sound of footsteps pit patting against the soft dirt. A quick glance in their direction revealed the Lady Tsunade, Kakashi, Homura, Koharu, and someone he never thought he'd see again - Danzo Shimura. Last he heard, he had left the village because of his involvement in the Uchiha massacre. Apparently, his information was outdated. What was he doing back anyway? Stirring up more trouble? Probably. With a sigh, he turned back to fastening his gear. Politics...
"That's a big bird," Kakashi said as the group arrived.
"I'm a hawk," Oritsu called, one leg still lifted as he tried to fend off Moretsu.
"And it can talk."
"Shouldn't surprise you," Ryoshi replied, eyes still focused on fastening his gear. "I assume you all are here to give me the particulars of this mission."
"Yes, actually," Tsunade said.
"Great," he replied. "Let's not make this any more complicated than it needs to be. I only need to know one thing." He looked up to her as he secured his pouch and gave it a quick pat. "Dead or alive?"
"Alive," Tsunade said.
Ryoshi was about to respond when he was interrupted by the scratchy sound of Homura clearing his throat.
Tsunade simply sighed, eyelids falling shut involuntarily. With a sigh, she asked, "Does someone have something to say?"
An awkward silence fell over the group as Homura struggled to find words.
"Well," Danzo began smoothly. "I think Homura may simply have some concerns."
"Then he should be the one to voice them."
Homura fidgeted for a bit longer then finally said, "Maybe in this case either would be more appropriate."
"Not happening," Tsunade replied.
"Why?" Danzo asked.
Tsunade glared at him. "Because I said so."
Danzo shrugged then said, "Hm." apparently dropping it.
"What is your point?" Ryoshi asked, turning to Homura.
"Well," he paused. "The jinchuriki is one of the most valuable possessions this village has, and-"
"He's a child," Tsunade interjected. "Not a piece of property."
"In any case," Danzo said. "What I think Homura is trying to point out is that if the jinchuriki were to escape because Ryoshi was holding back, it would spell disaster for the village. Eventually, word will get out that we've misplaced our jinchuriki, and when that happens there's no telling what will happen. I completely agree, and I think-"
Ryoshi stepped forward, cutting him off. "Look, let me solve this problem for everyone here. What you're speaking of is a valid concern, but it would only be a problem if you doubted my ability. And seeing as you guys are the ones who called me here, I'm sure that isn't the case...is it?"
Danzo paused, flinching slightly. "Well, it's not that-"
"Answer the question."
The group fell silent and Danzo stood motionless, his single eye meeting those of Ryoshi in a silent exchange. After a while, he shook his head slightly. "No, of course not."
"Good," Ryoshi replied. "I'll be bringing the boy back...alive." With that, he turned away, silence coating the atmosphere. "Have the rest of my payment ready by the time I get back," he called over his shoulder. "I shouldn't be too long."
Soon after, a sharp whistle left his lips. Jento walked over calmly, Hageshi left his chanting, and Moretsu darted over at his usual overly energetic pace. Oritsu also joined the gathering with a quick flap of his wings.
With the main order of business having been accomplished, Homura and Koharu turned away, walking back towards the village. Danzo lingered though, squinting in Ryoshi's direction. Eventually, he left as well, footsteps fading into the sounds of the village as he walked away. Tsunade and Kakashi stayed though, watching.
"The hunt begins," Ryoshi said, the tone of his voice changing ever so slightly. "Oritsu," he began.
"Yes, master."
"I sensed the boy on my way into town. And, as I said before, I need you to scout out the area I think he'll likely be in. See if you can spot him."
"And where is that?" Oritsu asked.
"Based on where he was last night, I assume he'll stop in the area of Kimyōna or Kisū. Restocking supplies will be a priority of his if he didn't prepare well enough for being on the run. Most don't think that far ahead so it's safe to assume he'll stop for a while."
"Anything I should be looking for?"
"He's a short blond kid. Blue eyes. Whiskered cheeks. Might be wearing orange. Seems to be his favorite color."
"Hm," Oritsu hummed. "I'll get on it."
"Good," Ryoshi said. "If you spot him, don't engage. Report back to me instead. We have no-kill orders. Sorry, but you won't be delivering any heads this time."
"Aw, bugger!" he complained.
Jento simply laughed lowly.
"Sadist," Oritsu mumbled.
"Says the bird who enjoys carrying people's heads back once they're dead."
"Hawk, you imbecile." With a disgruntled grunt, he turned away, readying his wings for take-off. "Enjoy your pathetic earthbound life you canine! No offense master..."
"None taken," Ryoshi replied.
Oritsu nodded. "I'll let you know what I find." And with one giant effort, he took off, wings creating a gust of wind that could knock someone over if they weren't ready for it.
"Moretsu," Ryoshi said, nodding towards the open forest. "Lead the way."
The energetic dog growled and wasted no time running towards the great expanse of greens and brown that was the forest, giant nostrils flaring as he reacquired the scent he had found last night.
Ryoshi turned towards the remaining two, eyes narrowing as he grew serious. "Let's go."
In an instant, the dogs took off at a blinding speed, flying into the forest on the tail of Moretsu. Ryoshi himself disappeared in a flicker.
Tsunade and Kakashi watched the spectacle in silence, both witnesses of Ryoshi and his team as they entered the forest.
Tsunade sighed. "You intend to go after Sasuke, correct?"
"Yes."
"Stop by my office before you leave. We have important things to discuss."
"Did you send the hawk to Jiraiya?"
"Yes."
"Good."
"BLAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Kurama stood hunched over a tree, face red, with one hand resting on the trunk as he puked out his insides for the umpteenth time. He couldn't even bear to look at the purplish, black gooey mess that had piled up on the floor, it was gross. And that wasn't all, he had already had two instances of explosive diarrhea. That was definitely not fun. Seeing as Naruto's body had been completely fine over the past couple of days, Kurama could only assume the current wave of sickness was due to something recent – namely those stupid mushrooms Naruto had so cheerfully eaten a day ago. The worst thing was that he had warned him. They obviously looked like they might be poisonous, but nooooo. The brat wouldn't listen and now he was paying for his indiscretion! Naruto, however, was having the time of his life.
"Sooooo," he cooed. "How you feeling?"
"Kid, if you don't shut up, I swear…"
"You'll do what?" Naruto giggled. "Take over my body? Whoops! You already did that!" he blurted out, rolling around in laughter from the inside of his cage.
"Leave me alone," Kurama grumbled.
"Nope!" Naruto chirped. "I hope you see turds for days. Looong turds. Purple turds. Chunk-"
"I GET THE PICTURE! NOW KEEP TALKING, AND I'LL MAKE YOUR CAGE SMALLER!"
"Hehehe," Naruto laughed. "I guess what you've been going through is punishment enough."
Kurama's response was a guttural grumble as he pushed himself off the tree, wiping his mouth. "Idiot…"
"Hey, don't get mad at me just cause you lost all your leverage."
"I can do whatever I please. I'm still in control, remember?"
"Yeah, of everything but your internal organs."
"Shut up," Kurama grumbled, turning away from the tree with one hand on his stomach. "Jerk."
"Alright, alright." Naruto soothed, still grinning like mad. "I'll leave you alone...for now."
The only reply from Kurama was a low growl.
"How far away are we now anyway?" Naruto asked.
"Right now, I don't care," Kurama grumbled, one hand massaging his temple. His mushroom troubles had also resulted in him feeling like the world was spinning at times, no doubt a result of barfing out his insides over and over again. Brilliant... With a large exhale, he cracked his neck both ways, hoping to relieve some stress. Unfortunately, it would take more than a few neck cracks to get rid of his troubles.
Another growl escaped his lips as he turned away from the tree, taking a moment to regain his bearings. He had purposefully stopped by the lake he had seen earlier so it was only a few steps away. Water. Yeah, that sounded good... With a sigh, he walked over to the small lake and collapsed onto his knees. Cupping his hands, he splashed some of the water onto his face, sighing silently as the cool drops ran down his skin, refreshment slowly sinking into his pores. Hopefully, that was the last of the barfing sessions.
"Wow!" Naruto exclaimed. "And I thought I was bad when I got sick. You sure you're ok? You look like you're about to die!"
Kurama's growl only grew, body shaking as his teeth gritted against each other.
"You know, if you gave me my body back, I'd be feeling all these things instead of you right now. Just sayin'."
"In your dreams," Kurama retorted. "We're almost to the town anyway. If I haven't gotten all of the garbage you put into this body out by then, I'll find a medic."
"Who's gonna treat you with those scary red eyes?" Naruto pondered. "Or those crazy long fangs?"
"I'm sure I'll think of something."
"Suit yourself." Naruto chirped.
"I always do," Kurama replied, forcing himself onto his feet. "And besides...I'm feeling better already."
"Sure…"
With that, Kurama hopped back up to the trees, continuing his journey towards the town. It wasn't too far now so he hoped they would get there soon. And hopefully, his stomach troubles were gone by then. Hopefully...
Both were too distracted to notice the small band of ripples that had emanated from the middle of the lake and the tiny orange toad head that had caused them.
...
As they reached the outskirts of the town, Kurama hopped down from the trees and slowed to a walk. Not only was tree hopping no longer necessary, but the reduced body activity would also probably help stop the persistent throbbing he felt in his head. Contrary to what he expected, his head wasn't throbbing because of his previous mushroom sickness. Fortunately, that seemed to have passed. Not so fortunately, it seemed to have been replaced with Naruto's constant yammering. How many times did you have to ask 'Are we there yet?' before you got tired of asking? And how come the brat suddenly knew so many annoying songs and tunes? It was like having a constant stream of unwanted songs, themes, and questions bombarding you. All...the...time.
And it wasn't like the little brat didn't know what he was doing. Kurama had let him know how much of an annoyance he was being but that proved to be a mistake. The kid just talked more and hummed louder. Even now, he was humming some stupid tune over and over and over again.
Hm, hm, hm, hm,
Hm, hm, hm, hm,
Hm, hm, hmmmmm
Hm, hm, hmmmmm...
Infuriating...
As they reached the entrance of the village, Kurama decided to take the opportunity to throw in some taunts of his own. Seemed like the right thing to do given the circumstances. "Well, how about that, Mister 'We wouldn't get two miles.' Seems a lot farther than two miles to me."
"I wasn't being literal," Naruto replied, sitting up in his cage.
"I'm surprised you know what that means."
"Tch, of course I know what it means."
"Come on, kid. We all know you're not the brightest bulb in the bunch."
There was a noticeable pause, and then the sound of water sloshing around as Naruto returned to laying down. A moment later, his voice echoed from the chamber, a tinge of annoyance present in his tone. "You're just like everyone else."
"Wow," Kurama replied, stepping over a larger than normal branch. "I think that's a bit of a stretch."
"You sound like them," Naruto retorted.
"Aw, come on." Kurama drawled. "Why are you taking this so personally?"
"Because I'm not stupid." The curt response sat in the air for a short while before Naruto finished, "Even if everyone thinks I am..."
Kurama's eyes narrowed, lips set in a grim line as he realized what Naruto was getting at. Now his reaction made sense.
After mulling over the situation for a bit, he nodded and agreed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
At that, he heard water sloshing around again. "What?" Naruto asked, sitting up. "You don't think I'm stupid?"
"Well, you were smart enough to partner up with me."
"Yeah, and look where that got me."
As the statement sank in, Kurama started laughing, his raspy chuckles growing in sound and echoing through the forest. Soon after, Naruto joined in lightly, somehow finding himself able to join the fox in laughing at his current predicament. It was pretty funny now that he thought about it. Sad, but funny.
"Well, you're not wrong, kid."
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto said, returning to laying down in the murky puddle of water. "I know why you're doing this by the way."
"Doing what?"
"Holding my body hostage or whatever you want to call it. We're jumbled up in here, remember?"
"And?"
"And I can feel what you're feeling sometimes. That's why I don't hold it against you."
The statement lingered in the air for what seemed like an eternity but Kurama never replied. He just kept walking. Eventually, he took to looking up at the trees, watching them sway in the gentle breeze.
The lingering silence was only broken when they arrived at the entrance of the village.
"Kimyōna..." Kurama repeated. The tattered sign displayed the name of the village in faded red. First impressions indicated that it was a pretty poor village, but upon crossing the threshold he could see that it was somewhere just above that standing. The village was fairly large and the streets were decently packed. Nothing like Konoha, but enough for you to have to push through the crowds. It was safe to assume that a village of this size was probably at the very least decently taken care of. Security could probably be a little better though seeing as nobody checked him when he came in.
"Me and Pervy Sage have been here before," Naruto said. "You don't remember?"
"Kid, I'm asleep for half the stuff you do."
"Oh, yeah. You're right. This place wasn't too bad. It was a strange village though."
"Strange?"
"HI!"
Kurama nearly jumped out of his skin as he spun around to see a tiny orange-haired girl a few inches shorter than himself. She seemed to bounce uncontrollably for some reason, like she had some energy she hadn't worked off or something.
"Can I help you?" he asked tentatively.
"You're new here!" she exclaimed.
Kurama squinted in annoyance. "So what if I am? What's your job description? Newbie patrol?"
"No need to be so mean, Kurama," Naruto whined.
"Shut up."
"Oh, don't worry about me." she chirped. "I'm not some patrol ninja or anything. I just float around the village collecting trash for fun most days."
"And you enjoy that?" Kurama asked, squinting.
"Of course I do!" she chirped. "There are so many varieties. Cans, wrappers, bags, you name it! And you know what they say, one woman's trash-"
"So you go around," Kurama cut her off. "Collecting trash?"
"Yep!"
"Ok, kid-"
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
"What?!" Kurama yelled, looking up, down, left, and right. "What is it?!"
Pointing to the sky, she yelled, "I thought that bird was a giant eagle getting ready to swoop down and eat me!"
Kurama turned to the sky to see a tiny bird no bigger than your average rock quickly flitting through the blue backdrop. Turning back to her with a squint, he snapped, "Kid, what the heck are you on?!"
"Orange soldier pills," she replied calmly. "But we're still messing with the dosage."
"You know what," Kurama said, turning away. "You have a nice life."
"Bye!" she chirped, leaving as quickly as she came.
As Kurama walked away, he couldn't help feeling the slightest bit disturbed. What crazy variety of village was this?
Naruto responded with three simple words. "Told you so."
Jiraiya continued making his way through the forest, hopping from branch to branch in the building heat. Sweat had started leaking from his pores around half an hour ago and he could tell his clothes were already darkening in certain spots from sweat buildup, mainly the armpits and torso - another con of traveling through the forest continuously for such a long time. He sighed dramatically then scaled his way up to the top of the tree he was on, movements very similar to that of a monkey. Looking around, he spotted a fairly large expanse of water nearby. It looked to be a lake of some kind. That would work. The last thing he needed was to be fighting dehydration.
When he finally reached the lake he sighed and removed the large scroll from his back, dropping it to the ground with a silent thud. Kneeling down, he cupped his hands, splashing the water onto his face. A silent groan escaped his lips as the water sank in, refreshment seeping into his pores.
In the silence, he heard a faint croaking sound coming from his right. It grew in intensity until he saw its source, a tiny orange-headed toad hopping towards him.
Jiraiya rose to his feet, meeting the toad halfway. "I was just about to summon one of you."
"Yeah," he croaked in a high-pitched voice. "But we figured you'd stop here. The kid did too."
"How long ago?"
"Less than an hour. You should reach him by today for sure."
Jiraiya nodded. "That's good to hear. Where is he now?"
"Last report from boss said he's in Kimyona."
Jiraiya wiped his face in his clothes, then looked in the direction of the village. "Then we'll have to pay the strange town a visit."
Author's note:
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Took me way longer to get it out than I wanted, but I hope it was worth the wait. I liked how this chapter turned out and I think it did what I wanted it to do pretty well. I also found some of the characters interesting and liked their interactions. I might be a bit biased though since I'm the author lol, so don't forget to review! You can just give your thoughts on the chapter or if you had a favorite moment, let me know what it was. I personally enjoyed Oritsu's interactions and Kurama's stomach troubles, but that's just me XD. Also, if you want, you can take a guess at what Naruto was humming. I'd like to see if anyone can guess the tune just off the timing of the hums. I doubt it, but you never know lol. In any case, see you guys in the next one. Peace.
