Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto
Co-author and Beta: Etheral-23
Friendly reminder to readers: This story will have OC's and will barely follow the cannon after the Tsunade Arc. This will be a vast world expanding story with numerous chapters. Hope you enjoy!
Tribute: For Joachim...
Chapter 28: Uzumaki family bonding
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
It was a quiet morning in Konoha.
"What do you mean you can't tell us?!"
Scratch that, it was never a quiet anything in Konoha, not when there were Uzumaki around.
Currently all four adults of the clan of red heads were sitting around the breakfast table, the events of last night had left a rather strong impression.
That woman, Tomoe Gozen, appearing out of nowhere and telling them she was Tsukiko's apprentice and not even staying to tell them all in detail what kind of history she had with her or the dragons in general did not sit well with them. And apparently she now had some sort of connection with Jiraiya, but the toad sage was keeping his lips shut about the whole matter.
But the Uzumaki would not settle for it, they demanded answers even if the Sannin refused to give them.
Jiraiya shook his head and he leant back on his chair, "Exactly what I meant"
"You're being very unreasonable here" Kushina crossed her arms in exasperation, sitting on the opposite end of the table. At her right was Saito, who as always managed to remain calm and composed. Samenosuke at her left was leaning with an arm slugged behind the chair, his high ponytail dangling as he balanced himself on just two legs of the chair. Lyn was next to him, arms folded in front of her resting over the table, looking just as annoyed as Kushina did. "Why aren't you telling us anything?"
"She said she didn't want to overwhelm you, not when you just found each other again. She'll come clean once she feels you're ready"
"What kind of stuff did she tell you?" Lyn asked with a shrug of her shoulders, finding it very difficult to believe they wouldn't be able to grasp whatever it is this Tomoe woman told the white haired man. Tomoe said she knew Tsukiko-baachan; they had the right to know more about her.
"You said she's a sage like you" Saito remarked, "So was Tsukiko-baachan, does it have anything to do with it?"
Jiraiya's gaze became a thousand yard stare, taking the others aback. Kushina had seen it before, in people who had seen too much, or knew things they weren't prepared to know. The smarmy perverted sage just looked so... shaken, which disturbed the Red Death. As though Jiraiya himself was still trying to come to terms with whatever it was Tomoe said.
"No" He muttered before clearing his throat. "I can't tell you. Not right now, not with the exams are going on and you have to train with the kids"
Kushina looked rather disgruntled by those words along with Lyn; "Fine, after the exam we're having a talk. We have a right to know who the hell she is and her connection to Tsukiko-Baachan."
The old perv gave a nod; "You got it Red."
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Naruto wasn't fully sure if he was actually awake this morning. Mainly due to the fact he had suggested a training session of just him, Sakura, and Sasuke at their team's grounds. And it was Sasuke; yes Sasuke who thought it was actually a good idea!? Honestly both Naruto and Sakura half wondered if the sky would be falling next.
Still, as the sun shined in the skies above the genin of team 7 as they sparred together. With an extra hand from both Karin and Soujiro. Currently the last loyal Uchiha was sparring against perhaps the quietest Uzumaki he had ever met while Karin and Sakura were taking on Naruto and a few of his shadow clones.
Without his Sharingan active, his opponent was rather hard to read. Soujiro's style seemed to be a reflection of his attitude. Leave no openings and don't let anyone know what you're thinking. His attire consisted of dark hakama pants and sandals, along with a beige shirt tucked into his pants. The Uchiha's sharp gaze followed Soujiro's movement; his arms blocked and parried away the swift punches coming from the shaggy haired boy.
With each step he pushed Sasuke back, his right leg shot up in a high kick which force the Uchiha to cover his face with both arms, leaving his midsection open for Soujiro to deliver a second kick which knocked Sasuke back further.
The Uchiha grunted, gaze hardening as his black eyes flashed red, two tomoe spinning in each eye. He dashed forward with a dash of speed, delivering a flurry of punches that took the quiet boy by surprise, eliciting a soft gasp. Switching on the defensive he managed to keep up with Sasuke's attack, but this one was seeing through his movements. Quite literally as Sasuke's Sharingan allowed him to spot an opening.
A swift kick to Soujiro's left leg broke his balance. Allowing Sasuke to seize the opportunity by hooking his own leg with his and pushing him down to the ground, his forearm pressing against his neck.
"I win" The Uchiha said confidently.
No sooner than Sasuke was having declared his victory, Soujiro's left hand shot up, delivering a strong chop to Sasuke's side. The Uchiha grunted in pain as he felt the spread through his midsection, momentarily weakening his hold on his opponent. Soujiro took advantage of this kicked Sasuke away.
The Uzumaki lad massaged his neck as he slowly stood up. While Sasuke sat up, holding his stomach. Their gazes met, Soujiro's soft gaze held a touch of respect, while acknowledgement shined in Sasuke's eyes.
"...Good match" The Uchiha finally said. "Next we'll use jutsu as well"
"Agreed" The redheaded boy curtly replied.
Hmm, Sasuke was actually finding himself tolerating and, dare he say it, appreciating the presence of this Uzumaki. He just... spoke so little. After days in the presence of that maniac of a woman that was Naruto's mother, it was simply such a relief.
Both froze as the ground beneath them quaked. Glancing to their side they saw Sakura had slammed the back off her heel into the ground cracking and uplifting sections of earth in the area she was facing some shadow clones.
"Yeesh Sakura-chan, you trying to kill us?!" A clone yelled out which made the others hide behind him.
At that the rosette deadpanned; "You're chakra constructs who vanish at one hit."
Another clone pressed his hand to his chest; "Sakura-chan is so cold and heartless this morning."
Sakura only rolled her eyes at the Shadow clones antics. Not far from them Karin paled as she was sparring against the actual Naruto who shivered at his teammate's display of strength. "She is literally a mini-Tsunade Senju," the glasses wearing Uzumaki muttered with slight terror.
"Try taking one of her punches..." Naruto muttered, "She's like a human wrecking ball"
Sakura's eye twitched. "Naruto, order your clones to stop being wusses" She ignored their indignant cries. "And actually fight me"
"Sorry, can't force them to do stuff I myself wouldn't do"
She raised an unimpressed eyebrow, "You're saying you wouldn't fight me?"
"Well" One of the clones sheepishly says, "You're pretty terrifying lately"
Sakura let out a frustrated growl, "Okay, if that's how you guys wanna be" She cracked her neck, "Then I'm not wasting my time anymore" She took a stance, and the clones took a collective gulp.
"Gentlemen, it has been an honor" Of the clones said, resigned to his fate.
A powerful kick sundered the earth further, so strong it made a chunk of rock fly upward directly in front of her. "Shannaro!" Her fist collided with the rock, obliterating it into hundreds of smaller pieces that flew at great speed in the direction of the clones.
The clones were destroyed, annihilated under the barrage of stone and dirt, they could barely cried out as they puffed out of existence... some of the stones even going THROUGH them. A lot of them continued flying beyond the tree line.
The real Naruto and Karin gulped once more; Sasuke stared on impressed while Soujiro pointed out the obvious. "She's strong"
Sakura smirked to herself; lately her punches had been getting even more powerful. It made her chest swell with pride...
THWACK!
"AH!"
...and then it deflated when they heard the sound of a rock hitting someone, followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground.
For a moment, the young ninjas stood still.
"Crap" Sakura muttered in growing horror.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
When princess Maiyuri went to the training grounds for a bit a training, she was half expecting anyone to actually stop her, seeing as they were reserved for the shinobi corps, and it could be dangerous to just wander in. Not to look a gifted horse in the mouse, she continued her trek and soon was distracted by the sounds of sparring, there amongst the trees she the newest generation of shinobi training. Team 7, a peculiar team composed of the village Jinchuuriki, who happened to be of Uzumaki and Namikaze descent, the sole Uchiha left in Konoha, and a civilian born pinkette (whose shade of hair was much stronger than her own) who actually showed a lot of promise and talent.
Again there was this nagging feeling on the back of her neck, how part of her thought it was wrong for children to be made into soldiers, such was the cruel world they lived in, and gods did Maiyuri hate it…
But seeing them act so open with each other, she could see these youths were good friends. It warmed her heart to see the Konoha sense of kinship and camaraderie was more than just words.
She knew what it was to form a bond of trust and caring with others, as her eyes closed she thought back on the days of her childhood, when she trained under the fire monks. There had been another girl her age, pretty much her polar opposite, loud, energetic, without a care in the world, she would shout and laugh so much, making the days brighter just by being there.
Heh, even if Yuma could be a pain sometimes and got her into so much trouble, there was no other person she could trust more than her. She was always the one Maiyuri could trust with her fears, her ideals, her dreams, and Yuma would support her without question…
So lost in her memories she was, her closed eyes failed to notice a piece of rock flying at her at high velocity.
She fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
The five ran in the direction of where they heard the yelp and body landing in the forest area. They found a young woman who groaned as she held her hooded head. "Oh gosh are you alright?" Sakura said quickly as she knelt down with Karin and helped the woman sat up.
"I will be fine, I think." The woman rubbed her face with her one hand as she put down her hood. The pre-teens saw a young woman in her early twenties with short rosette hair like Sakura's but of a lighter tone of pink. Flawless pale skin saves the mark from Sakura's rock on her forehead (which made the Haruno wince). Opening her eyes they saw they were also a lighter jade than Sakura's as well. "Good display of strength by the way."
Standing beside the girls, Naruto squinted beside Sasuke and Soujiro; "Lucky it didn't take your head off." The blond winced from the sharp glare his teammate was giving.
"Are you a civilian," Sasuke asked with a cocked brow; "Or are you a spy?"
Well this wasn't how Maiyuri ever thought she meet some of the shinobi of this village. The outright suspicion and potential hostility took her back. "What makes you think I'm a spy?" She questioned.
"Civilians don't venture into the training grounds on their own, they are afraid of getting caught in the crossfire of a stray jutsu or a weapon" He explained, and it was then that Maiyuri noticed his eyes had activated into his Sharingan momentarily. "Plus, your chakra reserves are far too large to be a civilian"
The young woman did not look threatened, in fact, she looked bemused if anything. "Well, I see ninjas are paranoid even at a young age"
"Paranoia is healthy" Sasuke quoted, he'd heard that from older shinobi plenty of times. "It keeps you alive"
"I bet" She laughed, "My name's Maiyuri. Don't worry; I'm not a spy or anything. I'm just visiting for the exams. Should have known better than to just come here for a quick workout" She hissed as she tenderly rubbed the sore spot on her forehead.
"Sorry..." Sakura mumbled, sounding like a sad puppy.
"It's alright" She smiled, "You got a strong fist, miss..."
"Oh! Sakura" The younger pinkette introduced herself. "Sakura Haruno"
She gestured to the others; "This are my teammates Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. And these are our friends Karin and Soujiro Uzumaki."
Maiyuri paid attention to the two Uzumakis. She had heard like everyone else about actual surviving members of the Uzumaki clan had come to the village. That and saw Kushina rampage through the village, who was chasing down that red-haired scoundrel that grabbed her backside while running away…
Besides that little event, it warmed her heart knowing there were more members of the ancient Uzu still very much alive.
"It's nice to meet you," the princess spoke politely as Karin and Sakura helped her to her feet. "Sorry for snooping on you all."
Naruto waved it off with a grin; "It's cool,"
"You never said if you were a ninja or not" Sasuke pointed.
To which the young woman laughed, "No, I'm more a warrior myself. I trained with the fire monks since childhood. Ninja aren't the only types of fighters in the world after all" She said with humor in her voice.
"You wanna spar with us?!" The blonde asked excitedly.
Sakura felt the urge to bonk him in the head, "Who asks that out of nowhere?! She was just hit on the head, have some tact!"
"Why are you so mad at me? You're the one who hit her on the head" He backed away as a threatening growl came from her throat.
Maiyuri couldn't help but giggle at their antics, they were honestly so very cute and-
A surge of killing intent flooded the area, putting them all on edge. Sand emerged from the trees and coalesced into one place.
While the kids sharply turned their heads, Maiyuri looked up with a surprised expression seeing the Suna Jinchurriki appearing via a sand shunshin. The air around them soon felt cold, murderous as his blank emotionless sea-foam green eyes stared at them all.
'Why is he here?' Sasuke mentally mused before speaking; "Need something Suna?"
Gaara wasn't paying him attention as he looked directly at Naruto. The blond felt a chill down his spine as he looked into his fellow Jinchuuriki's eyes. The Suna Genin soon lifted a finger hand and pointed his finger at the blond. "Why do you feel like me?" His voice so devoid of feeling it made everyone unnerved. The others looked to Naruto who soon walked to the front of the group, almost protectively.
His cerulean eyes stared back fiercely "Because I am like you" His words came out strong. "I... am a Jinchuuriki too" He didn't care that the young woman heard him; this was a long time coming.
Gaara's eyes widened just a fraction, understanding dawning on him. "I see... and yet I don't" He sounded genuinely confused. "You above all others should understand what we are... and yet I find you here, mingling with weaklings and prey"
"These are my friends" Naruto snapped. "And my family"
"A meaningless word to people like us" Gaara replied uncaringly. "We are weapons you and I, there is the battlefield, the blood of our enemies, and nothing more. No friends, no family. We are all we have" He gazed at the blonde's companions with disdain. "These people you call friends, your family? Nonsense, there can never be such a thing for us. Love, companionship, kinship, they are nothing but lies"
He sounded so certain, the others thoughts disturbed. His world view was just so... twisted, broken. Gaara himself was broken.
"I don't know what happened to you" Compassion laced his voice. "But that's not true" Naruto couldn't help but feel sympathy for the Suna ninja. He just knew there was pain in him, one he understood very well. Loneliness, the thought that nobody would care for him. "You just need to give it a chance and you'll see it too"
"...You ask what happened to me" Small traces of anger began to creep out in his guttural voice. "My father sealed the One Tail in me, my village casted me out" He took a step forward, making the others take a stance in case they needed to act. Only Naruto stayed still. "Alone. My own 'family' denied me. I was born drenched in blood, as my mother died giving birth to me"
Closer and closer he moved towards the blonde.
"She never loved me"
To them, that couldn't be true. A mother was meant to love their child, always.
"There was nothing to my existence, but it was in the constant attempts on my life that I found the answer, such that I experienced joy for the first time"
A psychotic smile graced his lips.
"Death... Killing was all they made me for and so killing justified my reason to exist" He stood a foot away from Naruto. "I need the blood of others, only then do I truly live"
The blond felt a chill down his spine as Gaara leaned forward; "And I saw a glimpse of the real you during the prelims. When you killed that weakling human. I felt the hate and rage if only for moment, the real you. The monster that's like me."
'This is how they make Jinchurriki,' a shuddering thought came to Maiyuri's mind. Never in her life has she felt so disturbed by seeing this poor child twisted into this!
Naruto's gaze softened, "No, I don't believe that" And glared back defiantly at the redhead from Suna. "Just like I don't believe things has to be like this, for you, for me, for anybody"
His words confused Gaara; he just couldn't understand why this fool was so blind. He spoke as though there was a choice, when that choice had been made for them a long time ago.
He spoke of friends and family with such a disgusting fondness that it made his blood boil. Gaara decided that if couldn't make him see, then at least he'd take his blood. Yes, that would please Mother...
"...I'm tired of your idiocy" Sand slowly crept out from his gourd.
Naruto jumped back, taking a stance as crystal emerged from his hands, forming into kunai. His teammates and relatives prepared themselves, trying to shield Maiyuri. But the young woman did not let herself be intimated, and so too steeled herself to fight.
That was when out of the trees dropped multiple blurs, all geared in grey vests and wearing animal masks, much to everyone's surprise. The ANBU had arrived in a moment's notice, and they honestly couldn't be happier for their presence.
With the exception of Maiyuri, realization dawning on her face as to why they had ANBU appeared so quickly.
"Gaara of the Sand" One of the ANBU, a man whose mask resembled a cat, spoke with authority. "If you do not desist now, your actions will be seen as a violation of the Chūnin Exams' truce, as well as the Konoha-Suna Treaty. Stand down or we'll be forced detain you and inform the Hokage you started this conflict"
The Sand Shinobi glared at the ANBU who spoke before directing his attention back to Naruto; "I will wake you from this lie you believe so strongly in. We are monsters..." In a blink he vanished via shunshin.
Everyone let out a long collective sigh with Sakura giving the ANBU a grateful smile; "Thank you."
The man in the cat mask glanced at them; "We were on patrol and saw the situation. Be careful around that Suna Genin." Soon as those words left the man's lips all the ANBU were gone.
Naruto gazed to the ground as he clinched his fists. "...I could have been like him," He whispered though all heard him.
"Oh no" Sakura was all too quick to reply, a heavy frown on her eyes while her tone left no room for arguments. "None of that, you hear me? None of that 'if' nonsense. You didn't turn out like him, and you're never going to be like him" Said with utmost certainty.
"Idiot" Sasuke agreed, in his own way. "Don't start moping now. You're not that psychopath"
It moved him that his teammates were so fast to comfort him and wash away his fears. "Thank you, guys" He said with gratitude, "But I just... I can't help but feel bad for Gaara. I mean you all saw how messed up he is, what his own village and his family did to him. Makes what I went through look like a walk in the park..."
Maiyuri grunted to herself uncomfortably at the thought of her fellow people of the Land of Fire treating one of their own like that when he carried such a heavy burden.
"It's hard to explain" Naruto continued, "But it's like... Like I know him. I know it sounds weird, but I really feel I understand him. Far better than I ever understood anyone..."
"What you feel is empathy" Surprisingly, it was Soujiro who spoke. His voice carried its usual collected and soft tone, "Born of a burden only you can understand. You both share a terrible responsibility entrusted upon you at a time you didn't even have a choice in the matter, and by proxy became the target of resentment and anger. I believe you see in Gaara something akin to a kindred spirit"
Team 7 plus Karin all stared at Soujiro with squinting gazes, completely taken aback that the usually so quiet and reserved boy had just spoke such insightful words.
"Yeeeeeeah" Naruto slowly replied, more than a little weirded out. "Like that"
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
After bidding her farewells to Team 7 and the two Uzumakis the princess knew exactly where she needed to go. And she had been so certain she kept herself well-hidden that no one would notice. Well, least not till much later. Then again she should have known better since this place is a 'ninja village'...
Those ANBU that conveniently showed up have likely been following her since she arrived.
Standing outside the Hokage's office Maiyuri sighed before knocking; "Enter." Hiruzen's stern voice came. Opening and entering the room the princess saw the Sandaime smoking from his pipe as he dryly glared in her direction. Beside him was the ANBU man in the cat mask. "Have you been enjoying the village Maiyuri-Hime? Tenzō has kept me informed of your activities since you try to 'sneak' into a village full of ninja." His voice being a dry as sand paper.
The soft pinkette dropped her head in defeat with a heavy sigh, closing the door behind her. "Alright, alright I get" She grumbled in exasperation, proceeding to list off with her fingers, "'It was very irresponsible'. 'I should have known better'. 'I need to think of the consequences'. 'It's not the best time I could have done this'. 'My father will hear of this'" She finished by slumping into a nearby couch. "Am I missing one?" She droned.
"Hmm, no you pretty much covered them all" Hiruzen quipped, "But you got one wrong. Your father won't be hearing of this"
The princess had to do a double take at that, "What?"
Hiruzen's smile was far too cheerful for her liking. "He already knows"
Her shoulders slumped as her expression morphed to despair.
"Why do you think Akiha-sama let you go in the first place" The Hokage said as he shuffled some papers on his desk.
Now she was back to confusion, "Wait what?"
"Akiha-sama felt this may calm that rebellious fire within you by seeing the world outside the capital. Although I was told your two personal guards are rather cross with you."
Maiyuri winced; Namika and Miharu were likely going to yell at her when she got home. Never mind what her father would have in-store for her. "If I going to rule the nation shouldn't I see the nation?" she still had her stubbornness showing.
"I don't disagree," Hiruzen sighed exhaling out a plume of smoke; "But there are dangers not even your training from the fire monks could ever have prepared you for outside the capital. Especially if someone recognizes you."
At that Maiyuri gazed down to the floor. The price of being nobility was a heavy one. "I grow wary of living inside the castle all day, every day" She tiredly said. "I understand Father just wants to keep me safe but... it's smothering. I barely interact with my own people, much less people from my own age" She said the last part a touch bitterly. Maiyuri then set her gaze on the aged Hokage, "I think you better than anyone understands, Hiruzen-dono. The way you as Hokage take time to be with your people, even with such a busy duty"
"I believe a true leader understands and connects with their people" At that, Hiruzen agreed wholeheartedly. "But I do not question the Daimyo. Had your father not told us otherwise, we would have already sent you back to the capital escorted"
Maiyuri stared back at him defiantly.
The Sarutobi sighed, gods that girl had the same fire as her mother. "Look, you can stay until the exams end. But afterwards you'll be returning directly to the capital"
"You can't order me, Hokage" She said, putting emphasis into his tile.
"You're not the daimyo yet" He reminded her, "And this my village"
"...Fine" She grunted out dissatisfied, but it looked like she wouldn't argue anymore.
The Hokage gave a small shake of his head, tapping over his pipe to clear some blockage. "Now, I must ask; what made you decide to come here during the Exams?"
"For being such a big part of how our society works" Maiyuri spoke, "I know very little of how shinobi culture works beyond the common knowledge. I was curious and the exams hosted in here Konoha presented the perfect opportunity for me to learn" She pursed her lips, "I will not lie and say that seeing children no older than twelve being on active duty disturbs me somewhat"
"Such are our traditions" The Hokage merely said, though not uncaringly. "It was much worse during the Clan Wars era"
"Doesn't make it any more right now" The princess argued.
"And if the age requirement for our shinobi were to be raised, we'd quickly find ourselves outpaced by the other villages and left weakened as a result"
"Do you personally believe that? Throwing children into life or death situations where they could die or worse? It does not matter how well one is trained, they are still children." Maiyuri spoke with fire in her voice.
Tenzō glanced to his Kage whose face remained unreadable but his mind was another matter. Of course he did not want children into the Shinobi corps. He never told anyone but he was terrified that Konohamaru even started training! He remembered the horrors of all three Shinobi wars and the toll it took on the Genin who fought in each one. Yet the tradition was laid out in stone for all the hidden villages.
Maiyuri soon clinched her fists; "And then there is the subject of the Jinchurriki." Her knuckles turned white.
The wizened Kage tiredly ran a hand over his face. "Yes, I know you were there when the boy Gaara made his... proclamations"
"I know Naruto-san's case was bad, but what was done to that Suna boy" Her voice was full of disbelief; she just couldn't understand how someone could psychologically torment a person until they snapped like that. The boy barely felt human, he was turning into the monster everyone claimed. There was only violence and disdain for life in him. Maiyuri shook her head, "The Jinchuuriki system is a sham, Hiruzen-dono. It was meant to act as a deterrence to prevent aggression between villages. And what was the result? Three ninja wars and dozens of smaller conflicts between villages, both great and minor"
The Hokage remained silent for a moment, his expression so guarded she couldn't even tell what he was feeling.
"I know"
His simple reply surprised not only her, but also the cat masked ANBU at his side, if the momentary shift in his posture indicated.
"We both know this system doesn't work, there is no point in lying. Hashirama-Sama, for all his virtues, did not foresee things escalating like this"
The princess released a soft sigh; "I know he meant well and wanted to end the wars. But what it has come to now, it must change."
At that the old Kage was silent; "Such a change will not come easy. I hope you fully understand the ramifications of what you will face if you decide to choose this path, it will be exceedingly treacherous."
"But it will be the right one," Maiyuri just had to think and see more of this village to grasp the plan she wanted. And see if it was truly the right course of action.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Sitting in the training room of his house, Naruto and his teammates along with Kakashi, Kushina, and Jiraiya had decided to put their heads together and discuss a much needed strategy against their respected opponents in the 3rd exam.
They first told them about their encounter with Gaara in the training fields, Kushina of course was appalled at what the boy had gone through as a Jinchuuriki. Her own history as Konoha's Jinchuuriki made her have a soft spot for those like her, dealing with a Tailed Beast had been a heavy burden but was helped by the fact she had caring people at her side and her status was unknown to the general population and shinobi force.
Gaara on the other hand...
"If I had my way" Kushina grunted from her place in the couch, "I'd make a proper seal for the boy"
"But you don't" Jiraiya reminded her, leaning on the seat next to her, "Trust me, I'm not happy about it either, but our hands are tied. That is a matter pertaining solely to Suna"
The redhead clearly wasn't pleased with it, her reaction made it evident. Kakashi gently palmed her shoulder, offering a bit of support.
"I really wished there was something we could do" Naruto spoke, "I refuse to believe Gaara is beyond hope" If he ever began to think like that then he'd be doing the same thing the very people who shunned him did...
'He has sensei's optimism,' Kakashi mentally mused.
Sakura also had explained how she had accidentally hit a woman with rose colored hair much like hers, named Maiyuri. The young Genin saw the three adults in the room turn white as ghosts. Their sensei looked like a dead man walking which made the kids look at each other in confusion but shrug it off.
They finally got down to business and Naruto started off about Lee; "I've seen Lee train and spared with him when hanging out with Ten-chan."
"Got your ass handed to you didn't ya?" Jiraiya commented as his part-time student slumped his head; "If you think of fighting Lee with taijutsu you're done even before you began. Gai might be the weirdest person in the entire village, but he is the greatest hand to hand combat expert ever produced."
"Heh, don't had to tell me that" The bruises he got were still fresh in his mind. "Think I got something planned with the seals I learnt with mom-"
"I'm a great teacher!" Kushina humbly said.
"-I'll have to get close first, but that's what my crystal armor is for. I'll take some hits for sure, but I can make it work" If all fails, clone rush. Gods he loved that jutsu.
"Well, sounds like you got it figured it" Kakashi proudly complimented him.
"To be honest, I'm actually eager for the fight" He couldn't stop smirking at the anticipation. "Lee's like me, so this will mean a lot for the two of us"
The adults and his teammate's shared a confused look, "What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.
"Well, we're both hard workers" The blonde Uzumaki explained, "We had to work a lot to get where we are, all we had was guts and nothing else to go by"
"Yes" Sakura said slowly, "At the academy you had a lot of problems getting the hang of techniques, but clearly not anymore. You made a lot of progress"
"Well, yeah" Naruto admitted, "Because I had great teachers"
"And when you think about it" The pinkette continued, "You were actually born with lots of advantages. You awoke your Shoton; your Uzumaki lineage gives you plenty of chakra and a strong constitution, plus a natural talent for mastering seals"
Naruto frowned, not liking where this conversation was going. Though a part of him couldn't help but feel deeply affected by her words, it pretty much threw his arguments out the window...
"Sorry to tell you kid" Jiraiya spoke, arms crossing over his chest. "You're not an underdog; you were just a late bloomer like me. And you're certainly not like Lee, he's had to fight his handicap from the start, you on the other hand were born with the deck stacked in your favor"
A frowned formed on the blond's lips; "But I-"
"You really haven't noticed it have you?" The blond turned to his Uchiha teammate; "Guess you are still bit of a knucklehead."
"Gee, thanks..."
"The point we're making is you have changed." Sasuke picked up one of Naruto's crystal kunai; "When this manifested is when it started, and ever since you have become different day by day. When we first sparred back in the academy you could never beat me. Now, we've been even ever since Nami."
The realization hit Naruto right where it hurt him the most, in his beliefs. "Great, now I feel like a giant hypocrite"
"Bah you're making a big deal out of nothing" Kushina waved it off. "You were born with advantages, so what? Does it suddenly make you a different person; are you going to turn into a smug prick now?"
"Hell no!" Naruto fiercely replied.
"Well there's your answer" His mother simply said. "Some people are slow learners, some are average, some are naturals, some are geniuses, and some are hard workers. And even if you can't believe it there are naturals who also work hard. My seals always came easy to me, and I practiced them daily. But my ninjutsu and genjutsu were always subpar; I had to supplement the first one with my seals until I became decent enough"
Naruto leaned back in his seat with a hum, musing over her words.
"Naruto" His pink haired teammate said, "Isn't the type of person you are and how you use your skills more important than how you got there?"
"...No" He finally admitted, "I guess not" He let out a long dragged out sigh. "It's just, now it feels wrong. When I fight Lee I wanted it to be the two of us giving our all because we're so similar... or so I thought"
"Weeeell look how much I care" Jiraiya droned. "You're a ninja, deal with it. If Lee isn't smart enough to strategize instead of fighting head on, then that's his problem"
"Lee's lack of skill for ninjutsu and genjutsu can be compensated by a heavy use of tools with the right tactics" Kakashi threw in his two cents, "Considering his teammate is Tenten, I would have expected him to possess a large array of items and use them in fights. So far, I've yet to see him use something other than kunai and shuriken. He is too much focused on what he believes is the only thing that can make him a great ninja"
The blond thought for moment; "Yeah, Lee only ever sparred using taijutsu and nothing else."
At hearing that Kushina groaned rubbing the bridge of her nose; "Gai still hyper-focuses doesn't he?" Kakashi awkwardly chuckled which gave her answer.
"That gives you an edge brat," Jiraiya mused; "Ninjutsu and seals should do the trick. But if you're thinking of piling a hundred or so clones on him to wear him out it won't work. Remember this guy nearly has as much stamina as you do. You're going to have to be clever."
Naruto nodded in acknowledgement, so Jiraiya turned to Sakura, "Well, pinkie, how goes your preparation?"
"Got all the stock I need" Sakura replied, "Just need to get used to the other part. Oh which reminds me" She searched into her pouch and pulled out a tiny bottle and unscrewed the cork; she grimaced as the contents entered her mouth. "Blah!" The taste did not get any better no matter how many times she did this.
"Heh, you'll be thankful later" Kakashi said with humor in his voice. "Neji is taijutsu powerhouse like Lee, but vastly different due to his clan's style. If he gets near you and closes enough chakra points then it's game over"
"You'll kick his ass for me right?" Naruto asked with a large smile on his face.
"As if you even need to ask" Sakura grinned right back. "I'll make him regret doing that to Hinata"
"Hopefully when you win" It warmed Sakura's heart the way Kushina said 'when', and not 'if', the Uzu redhead already believed she would emerge victorious. "You'll knock some sense into him" She sighed sadly, "He has a very fatalistic view of things from what I hear..."
It put a knot in Kushina's heart thinking about Hizashi's son acting like this. But she still hoped Neji could turn himself around before the worst ever happened.
Jiraiya turned his attention to the Uchiha; "And you brat? You know your opponent is a Jinchurriki, and an unstable one at that. Anything can happen facing this kid."
The old Sannin did not have to remind Sasuke of that. His opponent was extremely dangerous and it would take all he has learned thus far if he even thought he could win. If that sand of his grabbed him, it was over. "Will my dojutsu is any help against this guy?" He didn't know how effective ocular genjutsu would be on him, and Gaara seldom moved, all he would be able to follow would be his sand. And that was another challenge in and of itself.
"The harder part will be to pierce his defenses" His sensei spoke, "Which is why I've been teaching you the Chidori. That will be your ace. Use when you think you have a clear shot"
Sasuke nodded in return, his sensei's lightning technique was specially designed to pierce through any target. Given how Gaara's sand was technically earth element, the Chidori should be able to pierce through his protections.
"You need to rely on your instincts more than your eyes," Kushina stated; "Mi-chan for one rarely used her Sharingan unless she absolutely had to."
"That sounds... odd for an Uchiha" The dark haired boy remarked.
"She didn't want to become reliant on it. The Sharingan is a great boon, yes, but eventually you run the risk of going too low on chakra. When this happens your body can't react fast enough to the movements of your opponent which you could previously see clearly" It was sometimes hard to remember that this very energetic woman could also be a proper teacher when necessary, as shown by her insightful explanation. "Isn't that right Kakashi?"
"Well, in my case my Sharingan drains me faster because I'm not an Uchiha" He replied. "And it's not as omnipotent as you imagine. Remember Nami, I could see Zabuza's movements clearly, and that allowed me to keep up. But he was still very fast, it doesn't matter if you can't match your opponent's movements. If you let the battle drag on then the opponent will catch on and adapt as well, it's almost like the Sharingan doesn't make much of a difference with its base abilities."
"Which is why Mi-chan always concentrated on both honing her body and developing her techniques" Kushina continued, "By the time she used her Sharingan, it REALLY made a difference because of how sparsely she used it, the enemy didn't have the time to grow used to her adapting to their movements"
"Your mother played it smart," Jiraiya commented gaining the others attention; "Follow her example kid. Mikoto shared the number two spot with red here because they were dead even" The Toad sage thumbed to a smirking Kushina.
"And I would have been number one" She remarked, "Had I actually been able to use the Hiraishin proper like your father..." The redhead grumbled the last part.
"Woah" Naruto breathed out in awe. "You know the Hiraishin seal mom?"
"Know it? I helped your father improve it!" She took delight in the awed faces of the youths. "Tobirama's original seal only allowed for two people at the same time to be transported, but with your dad we managed to remove that limit, it opened a lot of doors for us regarding space-time seals. Hell before I found out I was pregnant I was working on a special area seal to nullify space-time techniques" She crossed her arms as her expression became one of dissatisfaction. "It kind of worked, could nullify summonings, substitutions and more, but the area of effect doesn't discriminate and everyone is affected"
Sakura leaned in with interest, "Does that mean you can use the Flying Thunder God like the Yondaime?"
"Pfft, I wish" Kushina grumbled, "Unfortunately, it takes more than knowing the seal, you need to have a good affinity with space-time techniques. That thing isn't just mere self-summoning; it literally rips apart at the dimensional barriers and crosses through a void. No sign that it's being used no need to use handseals, and the delay is a meager 0.2 seconds... if you have the affinity for it like I said. Which I don't, I need to prepare it beforehand, concentrate on which tag I'm targeting, takes enough time for it to very unsuitable for combat, unlike how it was for Minato and the Nidaime"
"The Hokage's personal guards" Kakashi took over, "Raidō, Genma and Iwashi were taught the technique by Minato-sensei, and they can only use it in conjunction, that's how difficult it is"
"What about you, sensei?" Naruto asked in curiously. "Do you know it?"
"Yes, but unfortunately my problem is the same as Kushina-sama's" He ignored the 'cut it out with the sama!' coming from the redhead next to him. "Not to mention it takes me a bit longer to even make one of those seals. I can't use it in combat"
"But there is something I sure as hell can do" Kushina grinned as she held up her palm, chakra gathered on a swirling motion, soon becoming a steady orb of pure energy.
The genin looked on fascinated, "You can use Rasengan? Awesome!" Naruto said with a thousand watt smile.
"Yep, the technique your father took years to develop, and Jiraiya months to learn it"
"How long did it take you?"
"A day"
The three genin fell to the ground in surprise. "What?!" Her son exclaimed.
"Hehehe" She giggled teasingly sending a look at the toad sage, "Yeah, when I first tried it I just put seals on my arm to force the chakra to rotate and take shape until it stabilized, afterwards I learnt how to do it without them, had all the time in world to do so because I could spam these things easily. Ohhh the look on your dad and Jiraiya's faces when they realized they could have used seals all along. Oh!" She point at the Sannin, "There, that's that face I'm talking about!"
It was that of a man who had the answer right in front of him all along but couldn't see the forest for the trees. In short, when one felt like a dumbass. And it was hilarious.
After recovering from the initial shock. The rosette looked to her Uzumaki teammate; "Maybe you can try and learn the Hiraishin?"
Naruto was beaming at the thought.
"But first you'd need to advance your sealing abilities a lot" Kushina spoke up, changing his smile into a frown. "This is a very complex seal. Right now we focus on what you need to beat your opponents." She glanced to Sasuke; "And pray you don't get killed so Mi-chan doesn't haunt me."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence..."
XxX ~ the following day ~ XxX
Naruto and Karin were waiting at the front of their house, they had been called by Lyn who (after a long phone spat with Kushina) asked if they knew a good blacksmith and weapons shop, as she was in need of resupplying and caring her for gear. Of course, Naruto had the perfect place in mind. And so they waited for the wild maned relative to arrive.
"I can feel at least two ANBU keeping watch on me" Karin mused out loud.
"You know how it is, just protocol"
"Well, I can't blame them. Former servant of Orochimaru, I wouldn't trust me"
"I trust you!" Naruto beamed, "You're family!"
Karin couldn't help but smile, feeling very touched. "That's a poor attitude for a ninja" She admonished, but her tone did not match her voice. Naruto just waved it off as he always did. The bespectacled girl perked up, "Oh here she comes, and..." She pauses as she turned to the stairs that went up to the upper level of the street.
Follow her gaze, Naruto saw Lyn dressed in a dark tank top and a skirt with an opening on the side, clearly dressing to show off her looks. He paused as he saw Kya standing next to her, wearing her usual one sleeved blue robes; the two were talking about something he couldn't make out.
He still felt a bit down that he wasn't getting as close to his Namikaze relative as he did with his Uzumaki side of the family, but Kya simply wasn't making it any easy.
Lyn laughed something out loud, while Kya remained her impassive edge. Though sharper eyes could not the blonde's gaze softened whenever she looked at the redhead. Lyn wrapped her arms around the Namikaze and planted a big sloppy kiss on her lips, which Kya slowly returned.
"Can't believe someone like Kya is with someone like Lyn..." Karin muttered in disbelief. They were like salt and sugar.
After finally letting go, Lyn waved her girlfriend goodbye and descended down the stairs. Kya took notice of the two young ninja and regarded them with vague interest. Naruto awkwardly waved his hand at her, and after a moment the messy haired Namikaze woman returned his greeting with a nod before leaving, likely to meditate somewhere.
"Things are still tense with you two huh?" The bespectacled girl asked.
"You have no idea..."
Hearing that as she descended down Lyn patted the blond Uzumaki on the head with a sad smile. "You have to go by Kya's pace kiddo." At that Naruto gave a nod as the buxom Uzumaki soon smirked; "Now no more sour faces! Please show your auntie Lyn this super-duper smith who can fix her awesome armor and weapons!"
Karin squinted much like her cousin; "Isn't that shirt a touch too small?"
Naruto said nothing though the blush from his cheeks said everything avoiding not staring at the woman's ample cleavage. Lyn snorted; "Oh honey it'd be a crime to hide these beauties."
Karin's eyes twitched.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Journeying through the village to the Higarashi weapon's shop was a small event with most men and some women staring at the figure of Lyn who was speaking casually with Naruto and Karin. Lyn was such a free spirited person it was easy for them to get along with her so fast like they did with Samenosuke.
Honestly, they could say that Lyn was a lot like Kushina, but they were certain hearing such a thing would piss her off. The two tended to fight a lot for some unfathomable reason.
They did not take long to reach the Higarashi's weapon shop; passing through the entrance they found Tenten in the counter. Naruto was half-expecting her to be training today, so it was a bit of a surprise to see her. "Yo, Ten-chan!"
"Well if it isn't most visible ninja in the world" Tenten grinned at him, before taking notice of Karin and Lyn. It was very surreal to hear that the Red Death was alive, and even more so find out more Uzumaki had arrived to the village seeking asylum. "You have a lot of nerve, coming here when you failed to introduce me to your mom"
Naruto scratched his neck, "Sorry, things were really hectic lately" He said as Lyn began to browse through the various weapons and items in the shop. "But, you could have visited me any day you know?"
At that, Tenten actually blushed in embarrassment and avoided his gaze.
"...Oh gods, you're nervous about meeting her" He said with a deadpanning voice. That was just... fangirly behavior.
"No I'm not!" Tenten snapped at him. "It's just that she's so, so, so cool!" A little bit more and there'd be stars in her eyes. "I'm just apprehensive, that's all"
Karin droned, "That's just another word for nervous"
Tenten mildly glared before sighing and looked back to her blond friend; "Can you please introduce me sometime?"
Naruto only squinted "Just come and visit Ten-chan, I guarantee it'll be a… experience." Seriously whatever she was imagining what his mother was like, it will not come close to reality. Or would it? Girls were always so hard to figure out.
Lyn rolled her eyes as she walked up to the counter; "If you want a badass Uzumaki to look up to then she's right in front of you, kiddo." She flashed a toothy grin; "Not only am I more badass, I am way more sexy that Kushi."
Naruto and Karin just deadpan; "What is the deal with you and mom anyways..." the blond grumbled.
"Hmph, we always fought as kids, she could never admit I was Tsukiko-baachan's favorite"
"I get the feeling mom would say the opposite if I were to ask her"
"Oh quiet you" The wild maned woman retorted before addressing the bun haired girl. "So, I'm looking to restock, plus I need someone to check my gear"
"Alright" Tenten opened a notebook and spun a pen in her hands, "What do you need"
"I'll need 30 smoke bombs, 30 oil bombs, 30 flash bombs" The young genin wrote it down, "Plus 60 empty bomb casings for custom make. A bag of a two hundred caltrops. A set 40 kunai and 80 shuriken" Tenten couldn't help but give the woman a look as she wrote the order down.
"Alright, we can have it made in two days" Tenten said. "Yeesh, this is a big order for just one person"
"I'll say" The strong male voice of Tenten's father spoke. The tower man entered the shop from the back door, wiping his dirty hands on his apron. "I usually fill orders like that but for whole teams who are assigned on long term deployment" Kaito said with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, I use a lot of tools in my line of work. Pays to be prepared considering the things I hunt"
"What do you hunt?" Tenten lifted a brow.
"The bad, the ugly and the worse"
"That tells us pretty much nothing" Karin pointed out.
"Oh you wanna see what I hunt?" Lyn had an all too predatory smirk on her face, "Here" She reached into her pockets and pulled out a miniaturized scroll. A touch of chakra and it returned to its regular size. She casually opened the scroll to reveal its sealing matrix. "Check this out" And formed a hand sign.
The scroll unleash its content in a blast of smoke, when it cleared away the others gawked at the sight of the severed of a giant chicken-like beast, its eyes were glazed otherwise the head was in remarkable condition, as though it hasn't decayed yet.
For a few seconds, there was only silence. Until Tenten's father broke it, "That better not stink my shop" He warned.
Lyn ignored him, "Isn't it cool? Killed this bad boy just a couple of days ago"
"What is it?" Naruto muttered as he looked the thing over.
"It's a basan! Well, the head of one. The rest is currently stored in my scrolls for food"
"Wait..." Tenten muttered as her brow furrowed. "Is this one of those giant fire-breathing birds? I heard of them but never saw one"
Lyn let out a grunt; "This charming fella was causing a little stir in a village." Why did they feel a 'little stir' meant all hell broke loose? "But this sexy badass took it down without a fuss." she finished with a smug grin as she crossed her arms under her bust.
"That's all well in good but can you put that back please," Kaito drawled with a mild glare.
Karin inspected the head before the buxom redhead sealed it back. "So a demon hunter."
"I do hunt regular bounties too; I have no problems tearing down bandits or slavers. But my main profession is slaying demons who are being meanies to villages."
Relieved that the severed monster's head was gone Kaito rubbed his eyes; "That's rather a dangerous life."
"So is being a ninja big guy," Lyn retorted with a cock of the head; "And your kiddo is one."
"Touché."
"Which reminds me" She took another scroll from her other pocket, this time unsealing a naginata. The shaft was black, with a golden flame shaped pommel at the end, on the other side was a coiling serpentine body that lead to the maw of a dragon from where its open maw came the blade, the back of the blade was shaped like fire while the edge shined with stainless steel. "Need you to take a look at it. See if anything needs fixing" She threw the weapon at the large man who caught it with one hand.
"Hmm" He mused as he inspected the weapon, feeling the weight and running a finger over the blade, Tenten gushed with stars on her eyes as she looked at it. "Very good craftsmanship. Did you make it?"
"If I did, I wouldn't be asking you to look it over" She droned, "Nah, found it years ago in some ruin. Looked Clan Wars era, probably even older"
"Does it have a name?" Tenten asked.
"I don't waste time with stuff like that. Pfft, if I did I'd probably follow the trend and call it something pretentious like a lot of people do" She chuckled, "How about Stabby-san? That's a good name"
"Naginata's don't stab" Naruto pointed out, even he knew that. "They're for slashing"
Lyn narrowed her eyes, "Don't sass me you brat" She handed the same scroll which had contained her weapon to Tenten. "My armor is here too, would like it all looked at along with my order"
"I'm a bit busy lately with the exams going on" Kaito shrugged his broad shoulders, "Will take me at least six days before I can finally look at your gear"
"Well, that won't do at all" The blue eyed woman said with disappointment. "I don't like not having my stuff for so long" She tapped her lip in thought, fingers snapping as a thought occurred to her. "Say, you ever used more... esoteric material in your work?"
Father and daughter exchanged a curious look, "What do you mean?" Tenten asked.
"Ever made poison with the venom sacks of a jorōgumo, a bokken with the bark of a jubboko?" A grin adorned her lips, "Or fire bombs with a basan's stomach acid?
Naruto and Karin gave Tenten a disturbing look as the girl was nearly salivating a thought of making weapons with such materials.
"...I'm listening" The blacksmith said with concealed interest.
"I get you rare materials like that" Lyn proposed, "And you look over my gear early, not to mention a discount here and there~"
As to show she knew what she was talking about, Lyn pulled out another scroll. Unfurling it on the cashier's table she went through quick hand seals and placed her hand on the scroll. In a quick burst of smoke soon appeared were several metal ores plus pieces of wood.
Kaito's eyes grew as wide as Tenten's with stars shining in both. "I-is that..." He stuttered. Picking up one of the ores as if it was a holy relic he looked at it in all with his daughter; "Where did you find this?!"
Lyn just smirked; "All you need to know is I can get you more~. What do you say big guy?"
"You got it!" Father and daughter chorused
Naruto dryly turned Karin; "What is that stuff anyways?" The glasses wearing redhead only shrugged back.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
The concept of home was a peculiar one; this Soujiro had come to learn as he listened to the tales of his father, uncle, and aunt.
Home went beyond the process of owning a house, a roof above your head where you could dwell. A home was a concept, intangible, but very much real and present.
Home was where you could feel safe, where you would feel both joy and sorrow and be able to share it with people important to you. The people who had a prominent presence within your life.
The house where he grew up, hidden, was his home, because his family was there. Any place that housed his father and relatives was a home to Soujiro. The rest were just commodities, he did not need neither walls nor roofs. Leaving it had been no issue for him, for he traveled alongside his family in search of more Uzumaki.
This village, this house, its training room he currently sat in reading a scroll, would be his home. For in here his family had shared the joy of reunion, as well as the shared pain and comfort of the memory of their lost homeland.
To Soujiro, Uzushio was a distant concept of which he himself could barely visualize. He had not lived through its fall; he did not feel as the rest of the adults of his family did.
That is when Soujiro learnt to associate the concept of a home with a physical place. To the Uzumaki, home had been the place where their ancestors labored and settled where the roots of their lineage had grown through the generations. The island had become part of themselves.
Though the clan lived, the scars had been carved upon their souls. For they had lost something that held a great meaning to them, a legacy.
Soujiro understood that the adults still tried to make a new home for themselves, to give up would bring dishonor to the clan. So they carried the memory of Uzushio with them, nurturing it, hoping that legacy they held dear in their hearts would carry them forward.
They would live on and endure, never forgetting their ancestral home.
Soujiro couldn't be prouder of being an Uzumaki. He may not show it openly, he thought it was unnecessary, his pride was his and his alone, privy to nobody's business but his. It was in the small things, how he kept the bangs of his shaggy hair visible enough in his field of vision, at the sides of his cheeks, at the edge of his nose, he liked seeing his red hair. How he cared for his blade. Or how every morning he would offer a prayer to his mother and his ancestors, contemplating on their life.
He liked staying quiet and observe, one would learn many fascinating things just by paying attention, analyzing every small detail. Though many times it was unnecessary, most of his family wore their hearts on their sleeves, never hiding how they feeling from the world, making everyone know without hesitation nor shame what they thought.
"Soujiro-kuuuun! Want aunty Kushina to make you something to eat?!" His newly acquainted aunt was proof of that as she yelled as she stuck her head down from the top of the stairs with a full bright toothy smile.
The young man raised his head and gave a polite nod; "Yes thank you."
Kushina had to admit that out of her son, and Karin, Soujiro was the most reserved. The boy hardly spoke a word unless directly spoken to by someone. She knew it was partly due to his father, but she wondered if it was also due to the isolation from hiding for all those years.
Maybe being around people his age could change that now. Well she hoped anyways.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
The Uchiha clan district, a place very much abandoned. Not even the shinobi of the village had a lot of reason to patrol through the area. After all, with no soul around their efforts were better put on other more populated areas of the village. Though once a while a ninja on patrol would pass by.
And Hayate thanked the gods he did, he could not miss a single word of the conversation happening not far from his position behind the roof.
"The situation has grown complicated" He recognized that voice, Baki from the Suna team. "Now more Uzumaki have entered the village. For they too have survived all these time, it means they are talented"
"Ahh, don't worry"
There was no way Hayate didn't recognize that voice, so shrill and raspy, sending shivers down his spine.
He willed himself not to cough, not right now, not when Orochimaru was so near.
"I've made more... preparations just for our Uzumaki friends"
Baki grunted as he folded his arms; "Even for the Red death?"
At that the snake sannin chuckled; "Oh leave Kushina-chan to me. But no worries Suna, the invasion will succeed and your village can show all you are not weak." Slowly Orochimaru sunk into the ground leaving the Suna Jounin alone.
"...Was it right to trust him?" Baki muttered as he shook his head.
In the shadows Hayate took a quiet deep breath; 'I must tell the Hokage.'
"It is not polite to eavesdrop. Did they ever teach you that, proctor?"
Hayate froze before slowly turning his head and saw Baki standing beside him. His unveiled eyes glared with pure murderous intent.
For a moment neither moves. Hayate knew he needed to be careful yet decisive, either him or the enemy before him will make the next move. Whoever strikes first will determine the fate of the village.
Hayate puts his faith in the Will of Fire, for sake of his village and his comrades, he cannot fail.
His sword is out in a flash, and his movements are a blur, almost an afterimage, as he dashes towards his opponent, the blade glints with the moonlight.
Baki's hand swipes the air, commands it to gather into a sharp edge, and sends it straight at the Konoha ninja.
Hayate's last thoughts are of Yugao.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
See ya for the following chapter!