A/N: Chapter 22 has arrived! I hope you enjoy this small break in all the heavy action lately.
Nope, I don't own Naruto.
Chapter XXII: Kindred Spirits
The journey back to Kumo wasn't uneventful, but it wasn't exciting, either. The retrieval of Samehada was a success, but it sprang to life and tried to attack Naruto, forcing Yamato to create a wooden box to contain it. Sasuke was quieter than usual. He didn't say a word to Itachi, and only spoke when spoken to. Out of curiosity, Naruto asked Haku about Samehada and subsequently Kiri's Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Zabuza sated Haku's own curiosity when he was younger, so the medic's knowledge of the Swordsmen and their weapons was more extensive than Naruto expected.
The group passed through the main gate and headed straight for the Raikage's Office. Having recovered from the drain on his chakra by way of Chibaku Tensei, Naruto was back to being his normal energetic self. Samehada was quiet in its box, but every now and again it would try and break out, likely being drawn to Naruto. Stairs were their worst enemy for the moment. Their legs ached, and the countless flights of stairs needed to even begin to navigate Kumo were less than agreeable for the fatigued shinobi.
Mabui ushered the group into the office, where Ay, Bee, and Yugito were waiting. The Raikage raised an eyebrow upon seeing their captive. Yamato's box was also growing restless, making more noise than it had been previously.
"I trust you have an explanation for why one is still alive?" Ay prompted.
Kakashi went to answer, but Sasuke beat him to the punch. "With all due respect, Lord Raikage, he's a missing nin of Konohagakure, which means he's our responsibility. He's also my brother, and as Uchiha clan heir, I would like to keep all matters involving Itachi Uchiha internal within Konohagakure."
"And who approved this course of action?" The Raikage probed.
This time Kakashi stepped forward. "I did, Lord Raikage. Sasuke is correct and within his rights to declare this an internal affair for Konoha, especially considering it involves one of his clan members."
Ay snorted. "Yes, yes, yes, I'm aware of all that clan-specific nonsense. I assume the other Akatsuki member has been elimin—"
Samehada suddenly burst out of the box that contained it, reducing it to splinters. Kakashi narrowly avoided having his mask torn to tatters as the sword flew towards Bee. With a loud thud and a grunt, Bee was on the ground, Samehada writhing all over him.
"What the hell! What is that thing? Get it off of Bee!" Yugito cried.
"Hang on a mo', Yugito! This thing ain't attacking me, it's not even cutting! It's licking me like a dog licking some pudding!"
Everyone peered down at the spectacle. Bee was right: Samehada's mouth had returned, and it was licking Bee, much like an excited dog.
"I…I think it's drawn to him," Haku offered. "It did the same thing with Naruto, but not nearly with as much enthusiasm as…well, now."
Naruto deflated slightly. "Great, I'm not even good enough for a stupid sword."
"Doesn't that thing sort of feed on chakra?" Sakura wondered aloud.
"Well, yes. Samehada can be a bit fickle. If it doesn't like your chakra, you can't wield it. At least, that's what Zabuza told me. I think it's safe to say Samehada likes your chakra very much, Mr. Bee," Haku observed.
"Ha! Ya see?! Not even a sentient sword can resist me, the rappin' Killer Bee! Whee!"
Yugito and Ay groaned. Haku offered a commiserating smile as Kakashi cleared his throat. "Well, at any rate, yes, the mission was successful, and the attack was prevented. Should anything else happen, please don't hesitate to contact Konoha. I'm sure the Hokage would be more than glad to lend some assistance."
"I appreciate the offer, and I appreciate you all going out on a limb and risking yourselves for the sake of Bee and Yugito." The latter bowed, while the former simply held up a peace sign as he was turned into a lollipop by Samehada.
"Er, Mr. Raikage, sir?" Naruto interrupted. The mustachioed man in question turned and cocked an eyebrow.
"Would it be okay with you if I got to talk to Mr. Bee and Ms. Yugito?"
Ay hummed. "I'll allow it, so long as they're alright with it."
Bee had finally gotten Samehada under control and strapped it to his back as rose to his feet. "Yeah! I'm down to go hang with Naruto, fa sho! What about you, Yugito?"
The blond kunoichi winced at being subjected to more of Bee's rapping, but she nodded. "Where should we go?"
"Use one of the training grounds within the village, that way we can keep an eye on you in case anything happens," Ay instructed. The three jinchūriki nodded, though Bee added a thumbs up.
"I'll go with you, Naruto, just in case anything, well, 'unexpected' happens," Yamato stated. Naruto chewed his lower lip before shrugging and nodding.
"Lord Raikage, if I could make one more request?" Kakashi began. Ay grunted and gestured for him to continue. "I only ask for some assistance in placing a seal over our captive's eyes. With your permission, we'll be staying tonight and leaving tomorrow morning for our return journey to Konoha."
"I'll make the arrangements," the Raikage began. "Mabui! Get the sealing experts!" He bellowed. Muffled clicks of Mabui's shoes could be heard through the door as she skittered about.
Kakashi bowed and the others followed suit, though Naruto had to be coerced by way of Sakura's hand on his head once again. "Thank you, Lord Raikage. We'll take our leave," the masked jōnin stated. With that, Kakashi went to meet with Mabui and the sealing team, Itachi and Sasuke in tow. Sakura and Haku made their way back to the inn for some much-needed rest.
The training ground was little more than a wide, shallow crater, but it would do. The three jinchūriki found a spot that they deemed acceptable and sat in a triangle. Yamato sat nearby, keeping an eye on Naruto.
"So, what did you want to talk to us about, Naruto?" Yugito asked. Normally, she'd be a bit apprehensive around other people, especially with a foreign ninja who also happened to be a jinchūriki. But the latter fact had put her at ease some; it was a common ground between the three of them.
Naruto scratched his head. "Well, I was just wondering what it's like being a jinchūriki here in Kumo. I was thinking we could share our stories, maybe?"
"Check it out! Tell us what you're all about; what's your story, what's your creed? Then we'll tell ya two tales, the stories of Nii and Bee!"
Even Naruto couldn't help but grimace at Bee's rapping, if he could even call it that. He scratched his whisker-marked cheek. "Well, you already know my name, where I'm from, and which Tailed Beast is sealed in me. So, uh…well. I've been a jinchūriki since I was a baby. The Fourth Hokage sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox in me. Since I was little, people have kind of avoided me. They would kick me out of shops, restaurants, ignore me, call me names, stuff like that. Some kids would pick on me, but I didn't get beat up a whole lot. But I had some friends, and even had a best friend: Sasuke. And uh…my creed, I guess?" His face set into a determined expression. "I never go back on my word. That's my ninja way. I want to protect everyone that's precious to me. My friends, my comrades, and my village."
"You don't hold any resentment for the village, despite how they treated you in the past?" Yugito wondered.
The younger blond shook his head. "The way I see it, they didn't know I wasn't the Nine-Tails, just its jinchūriki. I mean, sure, it sucked being ignored and all that stuff. But I have my teammates and my sensei." Naruto flashed one of his signature smiles. "What about you guys? What're your stories and all that?"
Bee was about to break into another rap before Yugito silenced him with a raised hand and pursed lips. He reluctantly swallowed his words as she spoke. "I haven't been a jinchūriki as long as you, but I've had the Two-Tails sealed in me since I was two. I wouldn't say I was ignored, but I was a bit isolated."
Naruto cocked his head. "Whaddaya mean by that?"
"Well, I was immediately put into training—training in how to control the Two-Tails. It was…terrible, in a word. All I wanted was to be a kunoichi, or be a semi-normal child, but instead I was put through that damnable training. But I used that resentment to my advantage. If the training was difficult, I would show them that I could do it, so I'd never need to go through it again. Once I was able to get on track to becoming a shinobi, I poured my all into it. I had the same attitude: show them I was capable beyond doubt. I always try to keep my teammates safe and be the best that I can."
Naruto couldn't help but smile. "That's great! That sounds a lot like what I wanna do." He turned his attention to the other sunglasses-wearing jinchūriki. "And what about you, Mr. Bee?"
"C'mon man, don't cramp my style with that whole 'Mister' crap, ya fool. Now check it out. Killer Bee wasn't always a jinchūriki. I was a youngin when I got Eight-O from my cousin, ya feel? Your story and mine ain't far off, folks would see me and scoff, ya see. I'd be in a store and get the rug pulled from under my feet, next thing I'm in the street. But it takes more than that to bother me, Killer Bee! Me and my Tailed Beast, we get along—our bond is tight. So we're strong, and he's handy in a fight. Now, I'm a shinobi, as you can see, but the dream is to become the greatest rapper in the world! Whee!"
Both blonds fought to keep a pained expression off their faces, though Naruto had a more difficult time than Yugito. After recovering from what he'd been subjected to, he glanced between the two Kumo shinobi.
"So, both of you have a lot of control over your tailed beast?"
"I do," Yugito answered. "Bee says he's befriended his."
Naruto snapped his attention back to the rapping shinobi. "You? And your tailed beast? Are friends?!"
Bee struck a pose and opened his mouth, fully prepared to let loose another freestyled verse when Yugito turned and scowled at him. "If you start rapping, so help me…"
Her threat hung in the air as Bee shut his mouth and pouted. "Yeah, Eight-O and I are friends. We get along, ya feel?"
Naruto nodded, turning to Yugito with an expectant look on his face.
"The Two-Tails and I get along well enough. We have a mutual understanding, I suppose," she explained.
The younger blond blew a raspberry. "Man, how did you guys manage that? The Nine-Tails and I don't get along at all. Every time I tried to talk to him all he would do was tell me how stupid I am and how 'he'll be free one day.'" He ended with a funny voice and exaggerated gestures.
"See here, I got an idea. You want the scoop? How about you talk to Eight-O for yourself, get him outta the coop?" Bee pointed at Yugito, striking a pose. "Whaddaya say, Yugito? How 'bout letting Two-Tails hang a bit with Naruto?"
The kunoichi in question pondered the request for a moment before nodding. "Alright. But only talking—no need to transform right now."
"Wait, did you say transform?" Naruto blurted.
Naruto's question went unanswered as the two Kumo jinchūriki closed their eyes and sat still, as though they were meditating. It wasn't evident when Bee opened his, but when Yugito opened her eyes, they had changed color. Her left eye was a vibrant green, while the right was a bright yellow. Her eyeliner appeared thicker as well, the wings sharper and more prominent. Naruto could have sworn her nails had also gotten longer, while her teeth appeared sharper, her canines in particular.
Killer Bee, however, didn't seem to show any noticeable changes. Naruto thought his teeth might have looked a bit more squared off, since his mouth now was partially opened, likely out of unconscious habit. The evidence came when Bee spoke, but a different voice sounded.
"So, Bee tells me you wanna ask us some questions, huh?" The voice was certainly deeper than Bee's, and much to Naruto's relief, he wasn't rapping. "Name's Gyūki. I'm the Eight-Tailed Ox. You're Naruto, correct?"
Naruto blinked behind his sunglasses, processing the fact that a Tailed Beast was talking to him directly through its jinchūriki. "Uh, yeah. Naruto Uzumaki. Good to meet you. Say, you're an ox? How the heck does an ox have eight tails?"
"I'm not a regular old ox, ya know. My bottom half looks like an octopus. I've got tentacles with suction cups and everything. You can't tell right now since I'm not transformed, but it's true."
Realization hit Naruto like one of Sakura's punches. An octopus: that's what Gamamaru told him. Gyūki is an ox with octopus legs.
"So, you're the poor sod who has the Nine-Tails, huh?"
The younger blond nodded. "Yup, that's me. Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox."
Gyūki hummed. "My condolences. The Nine-Tails can be a bit…much."
"Wait, you know each other or something?"
Naruto's question hung in the air for a moment before Gyūki answered. "The answer to that is a bit more complicated than just yes or no. So, I'll explain that another time."
With a pout, Naruto turned to the kunoichi sitting across from him. "My name is Matatabi, I'm the Two-Tailed Cat. It's nice to meet you, Naruto Uzumaki." He nodded with a smile. Though, hearing the slow and smooth voice coming from Yugito was a bit jarring. "I understand you want to ask us some things," she added.
Naruto scratched his cheek. "Yeah, actually. First off, how did you and your jinchūriki get to where you get along? I'm pretty sure the Nine-Tails hates me."
"Well, Yugito and I reached an agreement. She's polite, and I admire her dedication to her teammates and becoming strong. It's as though she has her own fire burning within her besides just me," Matatabi explained, ending on a slightly mirthful note. "Gyūki will never admit it out loud, but he warmed up to Bee after being def—"
"Hey, hey, hey, watch it. I was off my game that day," Gyūki refuted before turning to Naruto. "See, Bee bet he could kick my ass. So, we fought, he won after a few lucky hits, and afterwards I started to like the idiot. His rapping is okay sometimes, but man, it gets old quick." The younger blond couldn't help but snicker, which brought a harrumph from the bovine cephalopod.
"You said you aren't on good terms with the Nine-Tails?" Matatabi asked.
"That's putting it lightly," Naruto grumbled.
"Have you, ya know, tried talking to him?" Gyūki chimed in.
"Yeah, but he's kind of a dick. Only things he says are how he wants out, that I'm weak, and that I should let him out so he can use his full power. Sometimes he would insult me, but that hasn't happened since my seal was fixed." Yamato's ears perked up at the mention of Naruto's seal, but he relaxed after hearing the bit about it being fixed.
Gyūki heaved a sigh. "Well, that's just how the Nine-Tails is. He's kind of an ass, but when he means well, he means well. The only problem is, well, how much of an ass he is."
Matatabi rolled her heterochromatic eyes, letting out her own exasperated sigh. "Gyūki is right. The Nine-Tails can be disagreeable, but I think it's worth trying again. Something about you tells me that you'll find a way. Call it a hunch, or feline intuition."
"I'm with her. There's something about you, kid. Can't quite put my finger on it, but I think you'll figure something out." Gyūki offered a thumbs up, while Matatabi nodded. Despite having just had a full conversation with them, Naruto still couldn't quite get used to hearing different voices coming from his fellow jinchūriki.
He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Er, thanks guys. I hope I can find a way to actually sort of control his chakra. I've tried not using it, but after stuff that's happened, I think it's time I actually tried. I'm a jinchūriki, and I can't keep running away from that."
"Well said," Matatabi agreed.
Gyūki grunted in agreement. "I think we'd better get going. Bee and Yugito ain't too fond of having their bodies taken over for too long. I'm sure we'll be seeing you soon." With that, the two jinchūriki closed their eyes once more and sat still. When Yugito opened her eyes, they were back to their normal onyx color. Her nails and teeth had also gone back to their previous length. Bee seemed to be himself again as well.
"So, did you find out what you wanted to know?" Asked Yugito.
Naruto scratched his head. "Kind of, I think. Say, would it be okay if we did this again tomorrow? I'd really like to hear from you guys some more. I'd stay longer but I think my team is probably waiting for me."
"Count on Killer Bee!" The goateed man struck another pose.
Yugito let out an exasperated sigh. "That's alright with me. We'd better get back, too. It was nice talking with you, Naruto."
"Yeah, it was nice talking to both of you, too," Naruto answered, smiling warmly. The two Kumo shinobi turned and made their way back towards the Raikage Office to report back to Ay, while Naruto touched base with Yamato before heading back to the inn.
Naruto was greeted by his exhausted teammates when he opened the door. Haku was sitting up in bed, while Sakura was checking his arm. Sasuke was busy polishing and sharpening his ninjato, only offering a glance and a nod at the blond. The other two greeted him warmly.
"How's his arm, Sakura?" Naruto asked.
"Fine, for now. It just needs a little time to heal. The damage wasn't too bad. Like he said, it looked worse than what it actually was. That sword was pretty nasty," she remarked as she finished tying up the last bandage.
Naruto turned his attention to Sasuke, who was absently polishing his ninjato. "I know you're usually quiet, but you seem more…brooding than usual. You alright, dude?"
The Uchiha paused, choosing his next words before resuming his polishing. "I'm fine." His answer was more curt than usual, and his voice sounded almost hollow.
Sakura frowned. "You don't sound fine. Do you want to talk about it?"
Feeling the pairs of eyes trained on him, Sasuke sheathed his blade, letting out a quiet sigh. "I asked some questions, and I got some answers, but…"
"…they weren't the answers you were expecting, were they?" Naruto finished. Sasuke gave a small nod. "Well, what…did he say?"
Sasuke folded his hands in his lap. "I wanted to know why. Why he did what he did. I thought it was in some fit of mania or bloodlust or insanity. He said he was ordered to."
His words hung in the air. Sakura's stifled gasp broke the ensuing silence. Even Naruto's clenching fist could be heard.
"…ordered? By who?" Haku asked in a small voice.
Sasuke pressed his lips into a tight line, heaving a sigh through his nose. "He didn't say, and I didn't bother to ask." They could tell that it would be unwise to press further into the details of said orders. Haku decided to shift the focus.
"Sasuke, if it's alright with you, can I ask you something?" The Uchiha hummed in response before Haku continued. "I know we haven't talked very much, but is this in regard to…what happened to your cl—"
"Haku!" Sakura hissed.
Sasuke raised a hand in a placating gesture. "It's fine, Sakura." He turned his attention back to the bandaged boy. "Yeah, it's about what happened to the Uchiha. It's not exactly the talk of the town anymore, so it's okay that you don't know. Long story short: Itachi is the reason it happened."
Haku nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "I see…I'm sorry. This whole situation can't be easy for you."
The Uchiha heir shrugged. "I'll manage. It's odd. When I was younger, I was hell-bent on killing him. But after a lot of thinking over the years, I decided I didn't want revenge, just answers. I could have killed him. He even asked me to kill him. But I didn't."
"Were you perhaps tempted?" Haku wondered.
"Honestly? I was. I felt so much anger and frustration that was all directed at him. But I knew that if I killed him, I'd be playing whatever fucked up game he's been playing. I wasn't about to let myself be his pawn."
The coal-haired medic hummed as Sasuke continued. "Actually, I have Naruto to thank for a lot of it. If he hadn't kicked my ass the first time, I'd probably still be obsessed with revenge, and Itachi would be dead right now instead of being monitored by Captain Yamato and Kakashi-sensei."
"What will you do once we get back to Konoha?" Haku asked.
Sasuke paused for a moment. "I think I'll just let him face justice. I want him to be interrogated and stand trial, if Lady Tsunade will allow it."
The trio nodded quietly, letting a moment of silence pass before Sakura decided to change topics. "Oh, Naruto. What was that thing that you did?"
"Huh? What thing?"
"The thing with the rocks. You said you'd explain it later."
"Oh. Yeah. That. Well, uh…" Naruto removed his sunglasses, itching one of his eyes as he tried to find the words. "It's a jutsu. A powerful one."
Haku chimed in. "What does it do? What's it called?"
Naruto scratched his cheek. "Well. It's one of my abilities that the Rinnegan gives me. It's called Chibaku Tensei. Konan explained it better, but basically, I can create a sphere that pulls everything towards it. Rocks, trees, even people. It can be like, the size of a small village, or even as big as the moon."
"So that's what that was. That's…unlike anything I've ever heard of." Sakura couldn't help but look at her teammate with subdued awe.
"Konan told me it was a last resort. Kakashi-sensei also told me not to use my Rinnegan abilities unless it was dire." A frown overtook his face. "But there was no way I was letting that guy get away after he nearly drowned us and hurt Haku. He could've killed you—could've killed all of us."
Sakura could tell he was trying to convince himself that he did the right thing by going all-out. "You did what you had to do. We were pretty far from any prying eyes, so I don't think anyone would've noticed," she reassured.
"Well, it is a bit hard to miss a ball of rock that large…" Haku added almost apologetically.
Sakura waved him off. "Regardless, you did what needed to be done. If he wasn't stopped, he might've gotten away and made things even worse."
"Sakura has a point, whiskers," Sasuke agreed. "That chakra spike scared Itachi, I think. Otherwise I don't think he would've surrendered as easily."
"Wait, you guys felt that?"
Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes. "How much chakra did you put into it?"
Naruto scratched his head. "I dunno. Enough to make the ball of rock as big as…uh…the Chūnin Exams arena, give or…take…" Realization crept in, making him shrink and rub the back of his neck.
Sakura and Haku's jaws dropped, while Sasuke let out a sigh. "Exactly."
Another silence passed over them. This time, Haku broke it. "Can I ask what you talked about with those Kumo shinobi? They're jinchūriki, too, right?"
"Oh, yeah! Well, we kinda just talked about our stories. Ya know, what life was like for them, how their Tailed Beasts get along with them. Y'know Jinchūriki stuff…I think," he said, not quite believing the last words that came out of his mouth. He'd gotten a handle on thinking before he spoke, but sometimes he surprised even himself with some of the things that would slip out. Truth be told, it was nigh on a miracle that he hadn't called Sakura's strength "monstrous" after the seventh time she sent him through a wall.
Haku offered a small smile and a nod. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Naruto's stomach growling. "So…should we get dinner?" They all nodded in agreement, their own stomachs feeling empty.
Dinner was pleasantly quiet. Naruto managed to down four bowls of ramen and two plates of tonkatsu. Haku cleaned two plates of grilled fish, and even Sasuke and Sakura had second helpings of shrimp tempura and miso soup, respectively. They would have made idle conversation after eating, but they instead sat in comfortable silence before turning in and surrendering themselves to a deep, restful sleep.
A/N: Not terribly plot-heavy but not terribly fluffy, either. Thanks so much for reading! Chapter 23 is in the works!
