Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto
Co-author and Beta: Etheral-23
Reference: "To anyone still wondering. We are NOT following the canon anymore. A few filler episodes or one of the movies might pop up but they will be altered to fit our narrative."
Chapter 40: Setting the stage
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
For once it seemed to be a relatively quiet day on the Uzumaki household. Karin sat in the couch reading a rather interesting book on botany by the First Hokage, while her uncle Saito sat next to her reading his own book; 'On the care of swords' by Tobirama Senju. Soujiro was meditating... somewhere (he did a scarily good job at hiding his presence from her). While the rest of the adults were all entertained with their own game on the table.
Kushina smiled smugly as she laid out her hand of cards on the table. "Flush. I win~"
Her opponents, Lyn and Samenosuke, exchanged a rather confused look. "We were playing Poker?" The lecherous man questioned.
"I thought this was Hearts" The demon hunter added, scratching her wild mane of hair.
Samenosuke looked down at some of the items in the table. "Then why did I bring these spoons?"
It took Kushina a few seconds to process it. "So, we each thought we were playing something else?" She received two rather embarrassed nods. "Aaaaand nobody won then. Great, this was a waste of time"
"Wanna play Shogi?" The roguish Uzumaki asked, fingering one of his earrings.
"Hate it" Lyn droned. "How about one of those board games where you go winning money?"
"You wanna break up this family?" Kushina demanded with severe tone. "Because that is how you break up families!"
Seriously, she how does a supposed fun child's game turn people into hateful assholes. Fighting family members over 'fake' money for a board game... Maybe people are just wound up too tight, or take those games way too serious.
A knock on the door garnered everyone's attention save Karin who kept reading; "It's Naruto and Kya." The young teen remarked as she read her book.
Samenosuke dryly glanced; "And when did you feel them?" Jump scare pranks were virtually impossible with this girl and he had TRIED a lot.
"Hard to miss Naruto's chakra since it comes off like a star." She could sense him all the way outside the freaking village. It was a mix of him and the Bijuu inside him she felt. And both were literal night and day in how they felt. Went without saying she preferred feeling Naruto's chakra, his being so warm and bright. The Kyuubi's was so full of hate and rage she could feel overwhelmed if not careful.
The door soon opened as both blonds came in. The state of their attire put everyone on alarm as both looked like hell ran them over. But their expressions, (Kya's which got the most attention) were jovial and bright. The older blond was smiling... Actually smiling! Lyn felt her heart stop as she thought she was in a genjutsu.
Naruto waved at them; "We're home!"
"What the hell happened to you two?!" Kushina all but screeched as she dashed over to her son when zeroing in the holes in his clothes. "Why are these here?!" She glared over to Kya who actually froze from the intense glare from the redhead. Kushina could actually be a little scary now that Kya thought about it.
"Mom, we're fine!"
"You say that, yet we clearly can see the gaping holes in your clothes with what's obviously dried blood." Samenosuke addressed dryly now having Karin's attention as she gawked.
"We ran into some trouble." Naruto spoke up fast to get his mother's attention; "But we handled it."
"Trouble?" Saito questioned with a cocked brow.
"The Namikaze shrine turned out to be an ancient jubboko sealed away" Saito's eyes widened slightly, while Samenosuke let out a hissing sound and a wince. "It proved... difficult to deal with"
"Hmm, I bet" Everyone pretty much froze the moment Lyn spoke. She was giving Kya an unreadable look, one the Namikaze steeled herself to meet despite all the shame she was feeling. "The old ones are tricky"
Nobody dared make a sound, the situation between the two was... tense was a kinder word for it. That tension hung over them like a dark cloud, making the Uzumakis rather uncomfortable.
Kya's lips pursed as she tried to find the right words, to say all the things Lyn deserved to hear. Though she was no longer afraid of opening up her heart that did not mean she knew how to properly do so for someone so important to her to understand what she truly felt.
Still, Kya took a leap of faith. "Lyn, I-"
"No" The demon hunter shook her head, raising an index finger to stop her right there. "I am going to do the talking" She walked towards the messy blonde haired woman, who stared back in surprise as Lyn took her hand and guided her out of the house. "And you're going to listen"
Kya sent one last look at the people of the house, especially at Naruto, who merely waved her away and mouthed a simple 'good luck' with his smiling lips. The older Namikaze gave him a grateful node and a soft smile in turn, letting herself be taken away as the door closed behind them.
For a moment, the room was silent.
"Eventful trip I take it" Karin quipped, to which Naruto replied merely by letting out a long groan and letting himself fall over the couch.
"Can someone explain how a simple visit to a shrine ends up facing down and ogre in a small village, a small group of Ame missing Nin, and a bloodsucking demon tree?" He bemoaned, leaning his head back on the couch. He froze as he felt a presence above him. Opening his eyes gulped as his mother glared down at him.
He weakly chuckled as she spoke; "We're going to have a talk young man."
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
The wind was a constant breeze at the top of the Hokage monument. Kya figured Lyn wanted to speak in private, well up here was as private as you could get.
Said buxom redhead had her back to her as the demon huntress stared at the village. "Remember when we first met?" She asked not turning; "There were supposed sightings of a Tengu around Tonika Village."
Kya said nothing as the redhead continued; "Was total bullshit being some drunken idiot dressing up at night. But saw you at the beach there, doing your meditation stuff. thought you were sleeping;" She snorted.
"I almost cut your hand off by accident when you touched me." That was a dreadfully awkward first meeting for them.
"I thought you were born without the facial muscles needed to make a smile" Lyn found it in herself to laugh good humoredly at the thought. "Always so serious, like that frown of yours was your natural state"
"I certainly did not make a good impression. And I made no attempt at hiding that I just wasn't the sort of person you'd like to hang around with" The mocha skinned woman's lips pursed, "And yet you came back..."
The demon hunter turned to face her, "But that's the thing, Kya, you're exactly my kind of person" At her confused expression, Lyn elaborated with a flashy grin. "The kind I know have a beautiful smile, hiding behind all that pain" Her smiled dimmed, but it did not disappear completely. "Even then I could see it, all the pain you carried with you. The pain of losing everything..."
Lyn understood what it was like to go through so much hardship, to have such precious things taken away from you.
"I couldn't stand it!" She muttered fiercely. "To see you like that, I hate it, I hate it when people are in pain"
Kya's gaze softened, such a noble heart, these Uzumaki in her life had...
"Maybe it was understanding at first, that I saw myself in you at first but... Then I got to meet you, the real you, the one you keep hidden behind that pain" Lyn smiled at her once more, it was such a beautiful sight. "The Kya that loves her clan so much, the one who desperately wanted to make her ancestors proud. The one who cares for other people, even if she says she'd rather be alone. The one who, when it comes down to it, would give up her own life to protect innocents"
The Namikaze's lips parted slightly, feeling her heart throb in her chest, filling up with the love Lyn gave her.
"And it wasn't just the big stuff; it was... it was all about you really!" She admitted rather embarrassed, scratching the back of her head, shuffling her wild mane of red hair as all her teeth flashed once more. "That face you make when something annoys you, how calm you look when you're meditating, the way you admire flowers and birds. And when you smile, Kya..." Lyn's blue eyes shimmered, staring at her with such adoration. "When you smile, I feel everything is just... right, you know?"
She did know; Kya too felt everything made sense when Lyn was smiling.
"And... And I don't want to miss any of that!" Lyn declared passionately, stepping closer to her. "Because without those things, without you there, everything feels wrong. Because you're that much important in my life" She stood barely half a food away from her, "I want to see you smile, I want to hear you laugh, to know you're happy... And you can go on about 'this is my path' all you like, but I decided I'm not leaving your side" Her words were filled with determination, a promise she would break. "I love you, and I'm willing to endure a thousand hardships, just for the sake of seeing you smile"
To her shock Kya smiled back; "I'm staying Lyn."
The redhead blinked rapidly a couple of times, "Huh..."
"I had a lot to think about. Plus we have a very stubborn little cousin who does not know the meaning of the words 'mind your own business'." Kya chuckled as she shook her head. Lyn only looked on dumbfounded; "I feel exactly the same way. You're crazy, silly, blunt, and stubborn. But also loving and passionate, there is no one else I rather share my life with."
"You're... staying?"
Kya nodded before being enveloped into a hug and passionate kiss from the wild haired Uzumaki woman. Kya mentally chuckled as she returned the kiss and held Lyn close. It was like lightning coursing through their bodies as they stayed like that till they lungs demanded oxygen. Finally their lips parted with both breathing heavily and their foreheads resting together.
"I love you Lyn." The buxom redhead felt tears rim her eyes as she not only heard those words but felt them. So much warmth to the words. She did not know what Naruto said to her but she will get him the best present ever!
As the two kissed again they froze as they felt an audience around them. Parting they saw at least four ANBU with both recognizing one with the purple hair and cat mask. Despite not seeing her face they could tell Yugao was apologetic for intruding; "The Hokage wished to speak with Kya Namikaze about the incident with the Shrine."
Oh... boy.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
"So." Tsunade spoke with exasperation as sat at her desk with Jiraiya and Shizune at her side. In front of her desk stood both Naruto and Kya as they told them what happened. Behind them was Kushina and Lyn who sat on the sofas; "I thought this was a normal visit the ancestral shrine of your clan. Not demon slaying and facing down some ragtag group of Ame Missing Nin."
"Were they on the bingo books?" Naruto absently asked out loud. And getting a few looks for it; "What? Legitimate question."
"Chump change thugs' kid," The toad sage crossed his arms with snort as the young blond groaned.
Tsunade stared at her grandson; "On. Topic. Naruto." The young blond stood straighter at the stern voice of his grandmother; "And what's this 'agreement' about with the Kyuubi?"
"Uhhhhhhhhhhh" He felt paralyzed before the very stern looks coming from his grandmother, his mother, and his mentor. Clearly they were not all too happy with this bit of news. "O-kaay I know how it sounds" He uncomfortable scratched his head, "But it's not like he can do any damage or anything, it's just something to benefit us both"
"Describe it" The air escaped between the Hokage's in an impatient hiss. "In detail"
"I let him manifest a bit, just a liiiiiiitle bit of chakra outside" He said, bringing his thumb and index as close as possible without them actually touching. "So he can manifest as a tiny clone"
"And do what, exactly?" Kushina pointedly asked; her arms crossed under her bust.
Naruto shrugged, "Just run around fields and forests, have a bit of freedom from time to time"
"And that's ALL he does?" Jiraiya asked him in concern, "Are you sure?"
"He hasn't done anything bad" The young jinchuuriki replied, "And he says that he's more likely to help when our lives are in danger"
Tsunade let out a long sigh, "Naruto, you should have come forward with this the moment the fox came with this proposition" Shaking her head, she looked at him in disapproval. "For all you know, it could have been part of an elaborate plan to trick you"
"What can he do with just a tiny bit of chakra? Little summons have more chakra than he does as that small clone"
Kya took that moment to intervene, "I am not entirely comfortable with their situation either. But the Nine Tails did in fact offer us advice when we were dealing with the jubboko. Even if he just acted to perverse his own life by making sure Naruto survived" The younger Namikaze took notice that Kya did not use Kurama's name, most likely because the fox had made it clear he did not like it to be shared lightly.
Tsunade frowned, taking a small breath as her fingers intertwined before her face. "Bring him here"
Shizune turned to her alarm, "Shishou..."
"Woah, you serious?" Jiraiya asked, his expression mirroring Shizune's.
"I want to hear it from the fox" She nodded to Naruto, "Go on, tell him to come here"
"I'm not sure he'll want to-"
Naruto's words died in his mouth the moment he felt Kurama's voice in his head. "Ohhh I have plenty of things to say to them"
They all tensed when a small burst of smoke appeared on Naruto's shoulder. Kushina was quickly on her feet, glaring daggers at the small fluffy fox with nine tails that perched on her son. To most, it would have looked like a cute critter, but they knew what he truly was.
While Kya remained passively looking at the Bijuu, Lyn's eyes were focused in concentration in case she needed to act at a moment's notice, even if the chakra she felt from the small clone was miniscule. She'd found kappa with more chakra than that thing.
Kurama's red eyes shifted over to Kushina, their gazes meeting with such intensity one could imagine the air between them just igniting into flames.
"Old rag" Kushina drone in a 'greeting'
"Fur-less bitch" The Nine Tailed fox replied with the same tone. "I can't say I've missed you"
She snorted, "Same here"
A clearing of the throat ceased the stare down as the fox looked back to Tsunade. "So what does Hashirama's drunkard little granddaughter wish to ask me?" The barely civil tone chiding in his words made Tsunade's eye twitch but held in her temper. Jiraiya stood tense along with Shizune who was ready for anything.
"The deal you made with Naruto-"
"Is exactly like the brat explained. He can learn my power with less hassle from me. And all I want is as you see." Kurama interrupted in a bored tone. "From Mito, the bitch behind me, and brat here I've spent nearly a hundred years in confinement. You'd be surprised what just feeling the air once more can do for your mood."
"Bullshit it's that simple." Kushina raised her voice.
Kurama rolled his eyes; "It's as simple as you are simple minded and insane, woman. I asked for a small measure of freedom in this form and Naruto gets to harnesses true power. Doesn't that help your little village, having your secret weapon being less antagonistic?"
Shizune leaned in to mutter into Tsunade's ear. "It does benefit us greatly; particularly when you take into account one our potential threats are Kumo. And you know who their Jinchuuriki is"
Killer Bee or Kirabi as he was known. Beyond some offhand information about the man's eccentric personality, one thing all the nations knew and feared was the undeniable fact that he was the perfect Jinchuuriki. The man had absolute control over his Bijuu, to the point he could fully morph into the beast itself and unleash devastating power. He was the reason Kumo was considered to be impregnable, as his Bijudama could eradicate any invading force.
If they deployed him against them...
Gods she hated how pragmatic she had to be about this, particularly when it came to her grandson... but she was the Hokage now.
"The moment, the second I find out you plotted against us, or even dared harm Naruto-"
"Save your threats" The Nine-Tailed fox boringly replied. "My survival depends on his, much to my annoyance. So I can assure you, making sure he stays alive falls well within my interests"
"But death doesn't mean much to you now does it?" Jiraiya pointed out, "You're a giant mass of chakra that acquired physical form. You can eventually reform if you die"
Kurama was silent for a moment; "Imagine yourself being torn apart and fully conscious while it happens. Your body, mind, and soul shredded. Ripped to a thousand pieces. You want to scream but you have no mouth, the experience tears your consciousness until you can barely remember who you are. That is the death of a Bijuu endures before reforming. And even that is beyond painful; we can be driven to madness and insanity. Shukaku is a prime example since he has died twice. And that was enough to turn him into the raging lunatic he is now."
Wait... that oversized walking sand Tanuki used to be different before dying?
"I never experienced dying myself. Unless your account for the other half of me seal into the Shinigami's stomach. I can only imagine what he is enduring in that hellscape. But I have heard a few stories of the other Bijuu who had died. Matatabi was one of them." Naruto's eyes went wide at that; "So yes, dying terrifies me as much as it does you. For I might end up like Shukaku, and I refuse to become a senseless bloodthirsty beast like him."
The room was silent as many of them were pale at the revelation of what happens to a Bijuu upon death and reforming. Regardless of her feeling towards the fox, Kushina wouldn't wish such a horror on her worst enemy.
It took a moment for Tsunade to collect herself before she spoke again; "One last thing. Do you have any idea who ripped you out of Kushina and put you under that Genjutsu with the Sharingan twelve years ago?"
"I know as much as you do. Next to nothing, save one detail. His scent was that of an Uchiha." Kurama sneered with hate in his tone. "I would never forget one of their wretched kind, nor their cursed eyes."
"So it was an Uchiha..." Tsunade leaned back on her chair, massaging the bridge of her nose. At least they had confirmation now, but the question still remained, who was he?
From the sheer loathing in Kushina's eyes, it was clear her daughter did not care for his identity; she just wanted to see that man pay for all the pain he had brought them.
"Now, if that is all" The fox spoke with finality, clearly no longer caring to continue this conversation. "Then I'll take my leave" Though not before folding his tails in what looked to be a clenching fist, one finger rising in Kushina's direction.
"Oh you little-" The fox vanished before the redhead could carry out her retaliation. "Next time he's out, be a dear and tell me, Naruto" She spoke oh so sweetly, "I'm going to punt him to the other side of the world" The occupants of the room sweatdropped.
"You need anything else?" The young blonde asked Tsunade. "I'd like to get some rest after all that crap with the shrine."
Tsunade inclined her head, "You can go"
As the young Jinchuuriki made for the door, Jiraiya called out to him, "Don't forget we have elemental training tomorrow!"
"I know!" He replied before closing the door.
"Least he will have a day's rest" Shizune spoke in sympathy. "But isn't elemental training too early for him?"
"The brat's been at it since discovering his Shoton. Sensei felt it best he learn those." Jiraiya reasoned glancing to the young Medic-Nin.
"His Shoton is strong, as I witnessed" Kya spoke up, "But he relies on it too much"
"Which is what I intend to fix" The older sage said, giving a measuring look to the newly minted one. "Now, let's talk about your sage status. There is something we need to share with you..."
XxX ~ the next day ~ XxX
"Why does it feel like every time you leave the village something always happens?" Droned Tenten as she and her team sat with Naruto along with the rest of the Rookie 9 at an Akamichi restaurant by Sakura's invitation. Karin sadly couldn't join them having something to do with the Godaime. Soujiro was somewhere training with his father. "Mission or not, it's like you can't help but get into a fight with thugs or demons."
"It's not that bad Ten-Chan." Naruto weakly remarked back.
Sakura dryly stared at him; "Remember the 'simple' escort mission we had a month before the Chunin exams?"
"Ambushed by twenty bandits with three being former Ninja. You messed up your clothes 'again' duking it out with the leader with Shadow Clones." Sasuke continued in a monotone drawl.
Ino sighed in exasperation; "Yeesh Naruto, and a few days ago you fought a vampire tree, some Ame thugs, and an ogre! Whatever bad luck you have please don't rub it off on us."
The blond Uzumaki dully stared back; "You're all heart Ino..."
"I must say, it is rather strange how these sorts of circumstances often follow you" Neji, from his place on the other side of the table, commented. "Not too long ago, I would have called it fate... But you make it hard not to believe in it sometimes, coincidences only go so far"
"'Coincidence', 'fate', call it whatever you want. I call it bad luck" Kiba said as he gave Akamaru a bit of her roasted meat under the table. "Seriously guys, this sort of thing happens too often to you. Something is always going wrong around you. Your missions, the Forest of Death, this jubboko thing. Weirdness seems to like you"
The jinchuuriki grunted, resting his chin on his hand. "Well it's a one sided relationship then. I'm too starting to think a lot of weird crap happens around me, too much for my liking..."
"Admit it" Sakura said with a coy grin, "Part of you does like it"
"...I do" Naruto shamefully admitted, "So maybe I like having adventures, even if they get a biiiiiit weird"
"You mean dangerous" Shikamaru said after chewing some fries. "How many people can say they fought a Bijuu? Or multiple demons for that matter now"
"What is up with the demons anyway?" Chōji momentarily stopped eating his hamburger, uncaring that the corners of his mouth were stained with the condiments. "From what I know, they haven't been that much of a problem before"
"Indeed" Lee said, who despite enjoying his dinner was also training by using a hand squeezer under the table, never waste any moment as Gai-sensei said. "Their numbers seemed to have dwindled greatly since before even the time of the Clan Wars, at least, that's what the record keepers say"
"Not dwindled" Shino, who had yet to even touch his food, corrected him. "Hidden"
Shikamaru casted a look over to Naruto; "More work for that Aunt of yours?"
"Yup," Naruto gave a nod as he ate; "Kya mentioned aunt Lyn told her about the rise in more aggressive demons roaming about. No idea why though."
Hinata fidgeted on her seat; "Y-You sure you're alright from the other day Naruto-Kun?"
"Yup, I'm well rested now!" The blond gave a thumbs up with a grin before deadpanning; "Though I got elemental chakra training with Ero-Sennin today too." It wasn't like hated the training, far from it. But he knew the old perv would have him do both wind and earth natures. And gods he hated earth nature training... "Least the wind training will be fun."
"I swear you and Lee love training." Ino snorted before stopping; "Wait you have wind chakra?" Her fellow blond nodded; "Asuma-Sensei also has wind chakra."
"Jiji told me, just never gotten around to talk to Asuma-sensei yet about any pointers."
"Why not your own sensei?" Tenten curiously asked, "I mean, isn't he known as the man who knows a thousand jutsu?"
"Kakashi-sensei says it's more like six hundred seventy four" The pinkette replied, "But a thousand sounds cooler"
Somehow that did not surprise Tenten, were there that many jutsu in existence in the first place?
"Besides" Naruto took over, "Sensei says most jutsu he knows he can't really teach, they're outright copied by his Sharingan, and they're kind of... burned into his mind without the whole learning process. He can't teach techniques he himself didn't learn because he doesn't know how to teach them, he can understand them but thanks to his Sharingan he just automatically does them"
"Ah, I see" Neji said, intrigued by the whole prospect. "And I assume he knows few wind techniques of his own then."
"Basically. I mean yeah he could teach me the essentials how to use the element, but..." Naruto's tone suddenly became a touch uncomfortable. "Well, he's also very busy lately. He's been helping deal with the clean-up left by Danzo"
At the mention of the traitor's name, the faces of their peers soured.
Sakura's expression became one of pure disgust, "Have you guys heard about the children?"
"C-Children?" Hinata repeated alarmed. Anything involving that warmongering former elder and 'children' did not bode well.
"I did" The Yamanaka heiress muttered, "It's horrible, he's been turning kids, from our age or even YOUNGER, into mindless tools for his Root operations for years"
Kiba let out an angry snarl, his anger shared by his fellow rookies.
"When Danzo's plots were discovered, he just... abandoned them" Ino shook her head, "My dad and my clan have been doing an extensive damage control on them. A lot of them... gods, it's like they're machines"
She was there for one case with a boy their age known as Sai. His eyes were just so lifeless; no joy, anger, sadness, nothing. It really unnerved her when he attempted to smile. Ino shook away the chill; "Daddy said he thinks they can help those around our age and younger. But it will take time."
"We can hope for the best." Neji commented as he sipped his tea.
Naruto nodded before brightening as a thought occurred to him; "I just remembered something I wanted to do for you guys." Everyone peered his way as he put his hands together. All saw a faint glow as the blond puts his hands on the table and several rings and bracelets plopped down. "Wanted to give you guys something."
Stars gleamed in Ino's eyes; "Jewelry!" Instantly a ring and bracelet vanished and adorned one of the heiress's finger and wrist. "You are such a sweetie Naru!"
'...Naru...' The young Uzumaki mentally droned. Kurama only chuckled in amusement but said nothing. Naruto shook his head; "Thanks... You guys can take one."
"Does it look like I wear this kind of stuff dobe?"
"Oh shut up teme and take one!"
"I'm more of a necklace guy" Kiba offhandedly said, awkwardly coughing into his hand when he noticed the several glances sent his way.
Sasuke ignored the antics as he stared at the pieces of crystal on the table. "Give me one reason I should wear them"
"They're extremely useful for storing chakra" The blonde informed him along with the others. "It can be a lifesaver if you're running low on energy. Just store chakra into it, it can even hold two days' worth of your chakra"
Okay, that sounded like it could be useful one day.
Sakura adjusted bracelet on her wrist. "This can really make a difference on drawn out fights. Unlike some other people" She said a teasing glare at Naruto, "I wasn't born with an abnormal chakra capacity" She sent another look at Sasuke, "I don't think the Sharingan would be of much use if you hit chakra exhaustion"
"Hmph, fine" The Uchiha grunted, grabbing one piece that could be made into a necklace and pocked it into his shorts.
"When did you learn your crystal could store chakra?" Tenten asked, absently remembering the crystal shuriken she kept stored in her possessions.
Naruto cheerfully replied, "The other day when my mom was teaching my chakra storage seals. Found out by accident even!"
A thought occurred to the young weapon mistress, "Can do you one customized?"
"Sure"
She quickly grabbed a paper napkin an with a senbon hiding in her buns, proceeded to write a name. "If it's not much issue, can you do a necklace that looks like this?"
Naruto, along with the other people at the table, squinted at the words Tenten had written down. "What type of kanji is that?" Ino muttered in confusion.
"It's not kanji" Tenten almost rolled her eyes, "It's hànzì, the written language of Jiāyuán. It says 'Xiang'" She explained, "It's my mother's name"
All eyes shot toward her, etched in shock; "Your mother is from Jiāyuán?!" Hinata spoke in surprise.
"Holy shit... I thought we were on bad terms with those guys." Kiba muttered with a bark from Akamaru as the Inuzuka took a crystal necklace from Naruto.
"Presently we have a writ of neutrality between us and Jiāyuán. There hasn't been any open conflict in seventy years." Shino addressed while adjusting his glasses. "But I imagine its more complicated than that."
Chouji leaned over to Naruto; "It so weird hearing him talk so much."
"I know..." None saw the faint eye twitch from the Aburame but did not retort from their comments.
"Mom never cared for any of that. She was a smith like dad. They ran into each other across one of the border towns. 'Love at first sight' dad always said." A snort came from the young teen
Sakura leaned in; "How was she treated here?"
"People were suspicious, but mom said she earned the village's respect. Took her years though."
"No shit" Kiba said, "I heard from my grandfather that back in the old days, Jiāyuán and Gogyou-koku fought as much as..." He stopped, trying to find a good comparison.
"Like the Hidden Villages do now?" Shikamaru drawled.
"Yeah, basically"
"You never noticed my name isn't really regional?" Tenten asked with a raised brow, though her expression quickly morphed to one of joy as Naruto handed her a necklace with her mother's name. She gratefully took it in her hands and gave him a cheery 'thank you'.
"Depends on the region really" Rock Lee, a bearer of such a non-standard name, pointed out, having somehow finished eating twenty fries in just a few seconds. Which Chouji seemed to take as a challenge. "The further you travel through the nations the more you can notice cultural differences"
"It's not like our continent is entirely the same" Sakura shrugged, "I mean yeah, our culture is pretty similar but differences do pop up in other Elemental countries"
"Jiāyuán has their own culture yes" Tenten explained, "But even then you can find similarities between our own"
"Kinda weird innit?" Naruto said after taking a bit from his burger. "I thought there'd be people with, like, WAY different cultures than ours"
"Oh, oh!" Kiba seemed to jump on his seat. "Reminds me of a story my clan passes down, it's pretty awesome!" The rookies shared an intrigued look as a few gestured him to go on. "Right, so this was backing WAY before the founding of the villages. Back then my clan was a bit rowdier than they are now"
'Rowdier' was being kind. They were stories regarding the Inuzuka clan of old, they were absolute beasts on the battlefield, displaying such brutality and savagery that very few people even wanted to deal with them. It was only due to them mellowing out through the generations that they were even considered to join Konoha in the first place after its founding.
"My ancestors were on the northern coast of the continent one time" The Inuzuka heir began, a wide grin showing his pointy fangs. "They saw a group of boats closing in on the shore, they were very weird, long and didn't look very big. But there were a LOT of people there. They all dressed very differently, they wore pelts and armor, but not the kind you see around here. Not even the old classic samurai gear. These people were HUGE, like, really tall and all muscle. And they spoke a tongue nobody could understand. They just landed there and began raiding everything in sight" His grin became a touch feral, "But my clan, badass that they were, fought them off"
"Was it a swift victory?" Neji asked in curiosity.
"Pfft! Hell no, one thing my clan makes sure to remember right was how damn tough those outsiders were"
Huh, the world really was a big place then. Who knew what else waited out there?
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Tsunade had to admit Karin's test scores were nothing to sneeze at. Sitting in her office at the hospital she went over the young Uzumaki's academic tests with said young redhead sitting on a chair in front of her. "And what did Orochimaru have you work on?" The Senju asked as she leaned on her chair.
"Medical and various types of scientific research."
"I noticed he didn't put a curse mark on you."
Karin adjusted her glasses; "Because my mind was more important than my body. Kabuto was the same along the other few scientists who work for Orochimaru." She rubbed her arms; "Didn't stop him from experimenting on me though."
Tsunade bit back the anger on what those experiments could have been. But seems that old traitorous partner of hers was right to have her in those fields. Next to her immense empathic sensory skills, the girl had an IQ to rival a Nara. 'I can set her up for part-time partnering with that Shiho girl.' Besides Cryptanalysis, that girl worked in quite a few of science branches of the village. 'Also help with her hectic work load.' Even for a hyper fifteen year old all the work she does could leave anyone exhausted.
The older blond put down the papers; "Are you okay with me wanting to test this healing ability of yours?"
"I don't mind. At least here I know it will do more good." Karin grinned as Tsunade rose from her chair and came over.
She knelt down beside the girl; "So how does this work again?"
"You bite my arm and my chakra restores and heals you."
"Hmm" The Hokage frowned, "Does it need to be so cannibalistic?"
"It's the best way that it works. You need to directly come into contact with my life-force, you are in fact 'consuming' my chakra" The glasses wearing girl explained, pulling up her sleeve. The Hokage did not like how there were still noticeable bite marks in her upper arm.
"We could do something about those scars"
Karin pursed her lips; "I would appreciate it" She said gratefully.
"What about blood consumption? Still a bit much but no need to go around harming you that way"
"Tried that before I'm afraid" She replied, "There's not enough concentrated chakra running in blood that's already out of my body"
The Hokage let out a soft sigh, pulling out a kunai to make a deep gash in her hand without even flinching. A far cry from the time she would just freeze upon the sight of blood. Gently taking Karin's hand, she bit into the skin, not as harshly as some other times Karin had healed someone, but enough to draw an uncomfortable groan from the young girl.
Tsunade felt herself invigorated by a sudden rush of energy entering her body. She quickly removed herself from the girl's arms and stared at her hand, watching with surprise as the wound was healing rapidly on its own, without any assistance from her own healing techniques at all.
"Impressive"
Karin rubbed the spot that had been bitten. "It can even save a person in critical condition, that's how strong my healing is"
"You're still letting people absorb a lot of your chakra this way" Tsunade pointed out, "You may be Uzumaki, but your reserves are not that big. It could kill you from chakra exhaustion"
"It's because I'm an Uzumaki that I can do this in the first place, my life-force is very potent. I reckon a regular person would pass out after one bite. But I know my limits, that's why I take the precautions of just doing this once a day"
'Smart, but I still prefer she use it sparingly.' "Only use your healing factor when it is absolutely needed. Understood" Karin gave a nod which made the Godaime smile; "Very good. I'll have a mission for you along with Naruto's team tomorrow. Tell them for me would you?"
"Yes Godaime-Sama."
Tsunade deadpanned; "You don't have to be so formal with me here. And didn't Kushina adopt you?" Honestly the last Senju wasn't surprised when her daughter came with adoption papers for young redhead a few days ago. Karin was so shocked all she did was gawk before crying.
"I'm... still getting use to that." Having a new mother plus a brother now, adoptive or otherwise... It will take a bit to adjust to, especially it being Kushina and Naruto. But it felt good. The bifocal wearing teen smiled; "But I'm happy." She paused; "I am glad you came back."
"Same here kiddo."
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
"I want some result today brat!"
"You're not the one cutting a fucking waterfall with your chakra Ero-Sennin!"
Just outside the village Jiraiya sat on a boulder near an enormous lake/river connected to waterfall. Standing in the waterfall and getting thoroughly drenched were several shirtless Naruto clones. Not far from them were other shadow clones with their hands to the ground. Both groups were focusing their chakra to properly tune it to the chakra natures of wind and earth.
Meanwhile the original Naruto was with the clones in the waterfall.
"Wind moves freely and cuts, you need to make your chakra thin and edgy!" The sage shouted his advice from his place on the boulder. "Rock is steady and firm, totally the opposite of wind, the chakra needs to be constant and solid!"
The main Naruto shouted back, "It's gonna take me forever to learn two completely different things!"
"And yet, you combine them into Shoton, you dumbass!"
Several of the Narutos cried back in indignation, "It's instinctual! We didn't even know we were combining elements when we first did it!" The original said.
Jiraiya grinned in a smarmy manner, "What was that old spiel you said about 'I was born with disadvantages like Lee' the other time?"
"OH PISS OFF!" Every single Naruto shouted angrily at the same time.
The Toad Sage slapped his knee, throwing his head back laughing. "HAHAHA! You're exactly like your mom when she was learning to use her affinities!"
The blond paused at a thought; "Mom's a wind type like me and Asuma-Sensei. Why am I not learning from them?"
"Cause both are needed for all the back-log of missions we have. And as a Sage and Spymaster I have a lot more leeway to do the things I want or deem necessary."
"Kya told me a bit about how people become sages. But what do they actually do?"
Jiraiya paused as he rubbed his chin; "The overview is basically we preserve the balance of the world. Not exactly easy given the state of things, and there is the fact becoming a sage is not simple." And if he was remotely honest he had to admit he was barely a tier 1 given he still needed Ma and Pa to not turn into a Toad. "Being a sage is just as hard as being a ninja, maybe even more so given the training. But we are recognized throughout the nations and respected. Well in theory anyways." Heading to either Iwa or Kumo wouldn't be smart even if you were a sage.
Naruto, deciding he could use a break, dispelling his clones jumped down the waterfall. Picking up a towel amongst the rest of his clothes to dry himself a bit. Jiraiya threw a treat his way, a simple cereal bar, not what he would have liked to have right now but he wasn't going to complain.
Naruto sat before the Sannin, the towel draping over his shoulders as he took a bite from the bar. "So, you guys protect innocent people and stuff?"
"It's a very important part of the job yes" Jiraiya replied, crossing his arms. "And we fight those who threaten the safety of this world. You know very well by now that there are evil individuals, people who by greed or just a sick sense of fun spread chaos and pain wherever they go"
There was a great sense of pride in Jiraiya's words, he truly believed in his role as a sage.
"How many of you are there?"
"Of human sages? Hmph, in this day and age there aren't many. I can count the ones I personally know in one hand, and that is including that cousin of yours now"
Naruto put his cereal bar down, "Damn, that sucks"
"The animal clans do what they can, but there was a time that they could count with larger numbers of us sages to help them" Jiraiya reached into his clothes, pulling out a single piece that looked like it belonged to a board game. It had the symbol of a lotus. "Once upon a time, there was an order of people like us, who dedicated themselves to the protection of the world. They were known as the 'White Lotus'."
That sounded pretty cool honesty. But something caught his attention; "Were?"
Oh no way was he going to fully explain to the kid about the Age of Chaos and the Sundering Event. Even if he knew Naruto could probably get most of it, it would be too much for him right now anyways. But he can least summarize over it. "Something bad happened, long, long ago. The gods... they can't interfere directly in the mortal realm, not anymore. So in a time of great chaos, the sages and their allies banded together, and formed a sacred brotherhood to protect the world"
A particular part about it caught Naruto's attention as he sat ramrod straight; "Are... Are you saying the gods are real?"
"Ask Genryu, he was alive back then. Along with some elders of the animal clans" He said much to Naruto's shock before sighing tiredly; "But the order failed."
He sounded defeated. "What happened?"
"War" The word carried immense weight in his voice. "There was a war, one that makes the Great Shinobi Wars pale in comparison. Such that it torn the world apart and made the heavens tremble"
Jiraiya wasn't one to waste time with flowery poetry or allegory, which made Naruto realize with a growing sense of trepidation that he meant those words literally.
"There are forces in this world, Naruto" The sage gravely spoke. "Old, powerful... malevolent. That seek to drown this world in raw chaos. My task, as a sage, and as a man who believes in peace, is to stand up against them. To ensure good, simple folk can have a future" He let out a weary sigh. "This goes beyond the politics of the nations, far beyond the perpetual power struggle the shinobi villages have locked themselves into"
It all sounded so daunting to Naruto, Jiraiya's task was on a scale that he could barely comprehend. As a ninja, the village was meant to be his life, his duty, everything. He... never considered what existed beyond it. He looked at his mentor, whom he knew as a very strong and wise man (not that he'd admit it to his face), burdened by the weight of the world on his shoulders...
"But you said there aren't many sages left..."
"Hah!" To his surprise, a hopeful smile appeared on Jiraiya's face. "That doesn't mean there aren't people who believe as we do. We have allies, Naruto. Even if those people they don't know it yet. People who would give their lives to protect those in need. I know for a fact we're living on an age where new heroes will rise up to protect this world."
He stared at the lotus piece on his hand with renewed vigor.
"The lady who gave him this reminded me I'm not alone in this task. And the great toad sage gave me the hope of knowing there are people in this world... who inherited a great will"
"A will?" Naruto cocked his head. "Like the Will of Fire"
"This, is the Will of Rama." The blond never heard such reverence and respect come from the old perv since meeting him. "That would take all day to explain him. But to summarize; Rama was a legendary warrior king who faced down demons, evil gods, and men alike. Respected, loved, and deeply feared by all evil. Think of the Shodai but WAY more badass."
At that the young Uzumaki only looked wide eyed; "Whoa..."
"Rama saved the world once, in a bygone age. And laid down a legacy that carries on to this day. We sages follow the example he set" He held the lotus piece tightly in his hand. "The gods entrusted us to protect this world, so you bet your ass I'll give my all to live up to that legacy"
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
The moon hung over the night sky with the star shone over a large forest. Nocturnal animals roamed peacefully keeping to themselves as three shadows moved liked ghosts through the foliage. "Who is this damn woman Hidan?" A deep aged masculine voice questioned with mild urgency.
"How the fuck should I know Kakuzu?!" Another man's younger voice hollered back with anger.
"Because she has been chasing us the moment she zeroed in on you idiot."
Both men wore Akatsuki cloaks dashing through the forest. Kakuzu being a very tall muscular man with tan skin, a sweatband covering his forehead, and a black mask covering his lower face. His green irises with red sclerae glared at his partner Hidan. A man of average height man medium length slicked back silver hair with fair skin, and unique purple eyes. He wore a pendant with a triangle and held a tri-bladed scythe in his hands.
The two Akatsuki partners were like oil and water, constantly driving each other insane with insults born from their low opinion of the other. The only reason they were paired up by their leader's orders most likely being they couldn't kill each other, and he had grown wearing of the Taki missing-nin constantly killing his partners.
Kakuzu wouldn't be wrong to consider Hidan's presence a punishment for him.
But when the two fought together, there was no one that could bring down the duo. Even if for different reasons, killing them was extremely difficult, if not nigh impossible in Hidan's case.
So what drove such a strong duo to run in the first place rather than confront their enemy?
Well, just about the most powerful chakra Kakuzu had felt in his life since the Shodai Hokage.
The woman... there was something odd about her. And that said a lot considering his own nature and the things he'd seen in his life. The moment she run into them he had felt an overwhelming level of power, she had not be afraid to let her chakra explode like a wildfire the moment she saw Hidan.
That fiery red gaze...
It was the first time in years that Kakuzu could feel killing intent actually affect him.
He just knew his idiotic partner would get them into trouble one day. He did not know what she wanted with him, but he'd rather be able to report back to the rest of Akatsuki in one piece.
The duo's gaze went up to the sky the moment they saw three sources of light illuminating the forest. Giant fireballs that fell like meteors to the earth multiple meters before them, exploding upwards violently in pillars of flame that began spreading through the forest.
They stopped in their tracks, landing on the ground. Before Kakuzu could use his hardening skin technique or even a water jutsu to douse the flames and create an opening, he felt it once more. That enormous chakra closing in behind them.
"I didn't want to set this forest on fire to stop you, but you left me no choice. It's just something I'll have to fix later"
They turned back sharply, and there she stood. Dressing in white and blue robes with red linings, white hair swaying with the wind. And those fierce red eyes that seemed to shine in the darkness, even as the forest kept getting brighter by the growing flames, they still managed to stand out in contrast to her pale skin.
"Who the fuck are you?" Hidan demanded, shifting the grip on his scythe.
Red eyes narrowed, "Sworn defender of this world, sage of the flame, Tomoe Gozen"
Frightened recognition shone in his eyes, drawing a sharp gasp as his mouth opened and closed. It honestly disturbed Kakuzu that there was something, anything that could inspire fear in the so called immortal. Somehow, the name meant something to him, while to the Taki-nin it did not ring any bells. And as someone who kept a zealous track of every name in the Bingo book, the fact there was someone HIDAN of all people knew about, and not him, managed to irk him slightly.
Fire danced all around as Tomoe kept her gaze on Hidan; "You know why I'm here priest of Jashin. I want answers."
Kakuzu cocked a brow to his partner who still looked like a frightened child. "Care to fill me in on what I'm missing?" The former Taki Nin grumped at the silver haired lunatic.
Hidan ignored him, instead holding his medallion tightly. "High Priest, it's her, the half-blooded sage, what do I do?!"
Was he… talking to someone through the medallion?
The Jashin priest only looked like a scared animal, "Understood…" Before screaming wildly and charged at the woman. He ignored his partner's order to stand down as he lifted his scythe at Tomoe, ready to strike. Hidan might as well not even have tried as his head left his neck. It happened in a blink for Kakuzu, less than microsecond ago this Tomoe woman stood in front of Hidan, now she was behind him holding a beautiful ornate katana, the blade being completely red in color. Her red eyes stony as they rested on Kakuzu while Hidan's body fell to the ground along with his head.
"Seem you ruined your chance for answers." Kakuzu remarked with a small edge in his tone.
"We both know that's not the case" She looked up at him analytically. "Kakuzu, formally of village Takigakure. While renowned for your bad temper and greed, few know about the attempted assassination of Hashirama Senju."
"Someone is well-informed."
"I had to do extra research. I missed out on a lot" She merely replied as Hidan, who could only stare around widely, desperately sought a way out. Going as far as to propel his head with nothing but his jaw, moving just inches across the ground, leaving a trail of blood from his severed neck. "You can go on your way, I only need him"
"While I'd love for nothing more than to finally be rid of that walking living headache, I'd be in deep trouble if I come back with him gone" His head tilted slightly, "You clearly don't want him for information on Akatsuki, or else you'd try to apprehend me as well"
Her silence indicated he had been right on his remark.
"I don't know what you want with him, be it his so called immortality, or whatever he has been hiding from us" The Taki Nin began walking forward, the flames behind him casting a light over his back that shrouded his front in darkness. "Taking you down and bringing you to my superiors might prove useful"
"Jashin's spite, Kakuzu!" Hidan's head hollowed. "Just get me away from this bitch, don't fight her you moron!"
Kakuzu ignored him and kept walking towards the white haired young woman.
She let out a sigh, "I really do not have time for this"
Her entire body was shrouded in flames, and as they vanished her attire had changed. She now wore ornate red and white armor, a large kusazuri piece with plates of white, red and blue covering her lower body, with only her long loose pads and sandal-clad feet remaining visible, at the front of the skirt-like armor was the symbol of a lotus flower. By contrast her upper body was less armored, opting for white tabard over a black undersuit, her shoulders were bare, but along her forearms were gaudy pieces of plate, the first segment being blue in color, becoming red with segmented pieces of armor covering her fingers. The finally piece of her ensemble was a headband with two demonic horns; something often wore by young samurai.
There it was again, the enormous chakra...
But Kakuzu learnt long ago that large reserves of chakra did not make the ninja. He was old, experienced, and had ways of surviving that no regular man possessed, not to mention a great array of abilities that would give him the edge on this fight.
The missing-nin dashed forward, through a fast handsign he turned the skin of his arms to darken, and earth-chakra flowed through limbs as they became empowered and hard as diamonds. As his opponent was a heavy fire user, he knew her attacks would not be able to pierce him.
He attacked with speed and aggression, but the shorter woman dodged his strikes with great dexterity, ducking under his blows, redirecting his punches and evading his kicks. He leapt at her and delivered a downwards punch, to which she avoided, and the fist connected with earth.
His chakra enhanced limb caused the ground to shutter, raising up a cloud of dust that casted a larger shadow when blocking the flames. Yet from the dust Kakuzu saw another source of flames, her red katana became alit with hungry flames, she saw her figure dashing towards him at great speed. Unable to dodge, Kakuzu brought up his arms to block, confident they would endure the strike without issue.
The blade cut through both his arms.
Kakuzu let out a cry of pain as the searing hot blade slashed at his skin, he jumped away until he gained a safe distance. He shakily raised his limbs, and past the torn and burning cloth of his cloak, he saw his dark forearms, bleeding from deep gashes.
How? That had been fire element, nothing but lightning could pierce his earth-chakra enhanced limbs. Could it have been the sword? What material was it made out of to be able to pierce his greatest defense? Was it some kind of seal in them perhaps?
He pushed away those thoughts, growling as he removed his cloak. Tomoe was greeted to the sight of his body looking like it was literally sewn together. Many, many lines of stitches covered an alarming amount of skin, almost like the man had been torn apart in the past and quite literally put together again.
"Your body, those do not look like wounds" She pondered, "No, they appear to be the result of a gruesome modification"
"Perceptive" He replied, anger still creeping to his words. "I'll show just how I've lived this long"
He groaned and growled as his body begun to convulse. Tomoe stood ready, her eyes narrowed as she saw something move from his back. "You won't stop this whore Kakuzu!"
"Shut up," the former Taki Nin growled; "I don't know what you have been hiding from us. But once I'm done with her you're going to answer some questions to leader."
The masked man soon roared as four masks came out of his back. Grotesque, monstrous creatures made from living black wires stood at his side. All four bearing the mask of a different animal.
"Are you even human anymore?" Tomoe questioned out of pity; "Does death frighten you so much you made yourself into this creature?"
Kakuzu scoffed as more threads moved about his body; "I won't discuss morality with you, woman. Let's get this over with."
"As you wish."
The beaked biped water mask fired a stream of high pressure water. Such was its intensity that it cut a path through the ground as it went up, but the warrior woman held her sword firm before the stream. The water sprawled everywhere around her while being vaporized into steam from the contact with red blade.
The lightning mask took its chance while Tomoe was busy, Kakuzu directed it to corner the woman, with a series of handsigns, and he commanded it to attack. "Lightning Style; False Darkness!"
A highly focused beam of lightning fired from its mouth, attacking Tomoe from the side. As she defended herself from the water beam, she'd be unable to counter attack while the water mark kept her busy. But to his surprise, she let one hand go of her sword, staying firm enough that the water attack wasn't pushing her back in the least, and with a swath of fire she manifest a red bladed naginata. With a swing from the polearm, she sent a wave of wave that disrupted the lightning strike, reaching the mask and sending it flying back against a tree. Thankfully she had not destroyed it.
She was not done however, shifting her position, she hefted the naginata over her shoulder and threw it with such force it caused a small shockwave, it surfaced over the water stream, cutting through cleanly, the attack never once slowing its momentum as it finally buried itself into the water mask, piercing the stole heart behind it.
Kakuzu let out a grunt as he felt his connection to the water heart sever. She had thrown her weapon with such strength even he had trouble following it. The missing-nin weighted his options as he commanded the lightning mask to rise again. Using his wind and fire masks with their elemental attacks against her would be a moot point. Wind would strengthen her flames, and fire, well the outcome with that was obvious. The woman's mastery of fire would just render his own flames useless.
Though she proved herself capable of meeting him head on in melee, he found that option to be the most viable as attacking at range did not work. And he doubted the odds of that working this time now that his water mask was broken. He commanded his masks to attack, with unnatural movements they dashed towards the warrior woman, Kakuzu himself trailing closely behind.
Tomoe ran towards her naginata, buried between that now formless mass of threads and cables, and picked it up with a swift movement. With sword and polearm in hand, she met the former Taki-nin and his puppets directly. The wind mask leapt at her, slashing with its claws, the red sword parried the strike as the naginata cut the construct in half, missing its heart which allowed it to reform soon after.
Tomoe crouched, avoiding the sweeping strike from the lightning mask, before delivering a strong counter with the blunt end of her polearm, sending the mask back. Kakuzu and his fire mask struck at once, extending his arm with his threads to maintain some distance. With a kick she swatted the hand away, her naginata spinning in her hand the tiger-like fire mask jumped towards her, its blade buried into the construct's belly as she moved it out of the way.
The missing-nin growled in growing frustration, his mask fell from his face as hundreds of small threads escaped from his mouth, his back opening up to reveal writhing mass of that same material. With a war cry, he launched a wave of cables that threated to fall down open the woman like a deadly rain.
Tomoe's blazing red eyes narrowed, and with a swing of her sword she fired a swath of flames that incinerated the incoming attack. Though his strike had been halted, Kakuzu meanwhile commanded his masks to form up around her, leaving her no direction to escape, as he and his hearts dashed towards her at great speed, intending to strike from all directions at once with no opening.
As they were but a feet away from her, claws and cables poised to strike her down, Tomoe slammed the end of her naginata on the ground, creating a shockwave of flames that sent Kakuzu and his masks soaring backwards. Not wasting any time, Tomoe let her weapons vanish in flames, jumping high in the air as in her hands manifested a large ornate longbow, arrows materializing in her fingers from flames alone. Three shots, each one hit their mark, falling like flaming meteors they struck Kakuzu's masks, shrouding their bodies in flames and immolating them, rending the hearts inside them to ash.
Kakuzu, regaining his footing, cried out in both rage and anger. "Why you...!" A flaming arrow struck his knee, forcing him down. "Ugh!" His cables quickly formed a domed defense around him, yet as the arrows kept raining down, they pierced through them cleanly while also burning them away with hungry flames, burying themselves into multiple parts of his limbs.
Kakuzu's body was agony, his arms and limbs riddled with arrows, fire searing away at cables and what remained of his true flesh. He couldn't even stand up; his legs had long since given out.
"C-Can't be!" He growled in growing desperation. The only time he had found himself so thoroughly beaten was against the Shodai... "Who- What are you?!"
The warrior woman gracefully landed on the ground, those hellish eyes of her bearing down on him as she approached.
His dark eyes soon widened in realization. "Ahhh, those flames, that chakra of yours, I see..." He coughed, "I'm old enough... to have met some of your kind before. Usually many were killed at birth... demon spawn"
"I may be of demon blood" She softly replied, walking ever closer to him. "But my heart and soul are completely human" She stood before him, and he didn't even have the strength to muster one last attack. "And the duty I uphold commands me to take down people like you, those who have hurt the innocent"
Kakuzu glared at her, "I refuse to die to someone so naive... to someone who believes there is anything of worth in this world"
Tomoe did not reply; she merely grabbed a hold of the cables still connected to his body. And with a show of superhuman strength, she threw him high into the air, beyond even the tree line.
The warrior woman took aim, her arrow shrouding in flames, emanating such heat it looked like her entire form was covered in fire. "By the radiance of Amaterasu!"
She let the arrow loose, the ground around her cracking with the sheer force.
In the air, Kakuzu's eyes widened as he saw the projectile coming towards him, he could only stare as his doom, powerless to do anything to stop it.
"Burn, devour, anything and everything!"
The missile impacted him, and then there was light everywhere.
It shone like a representation of the sun, a symbol once found in the banners of an old country, in a forgotten age. The night became day for a moment, as Kakuzu's body was reduced to nothing but cinders in the wind.
The sun ceased to shine, and darkness returned once more.
Tomoe let out a sigh, she stared at the flames around her, still consuming the forest, and winced. Discarding her bow, she closed her eyes and raised her hands, letting out a long controlled breath; the flames began to die down as she lowered her arms.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!" She turned as Hidan bellowed in a slew of curses; "Kakuzu you stupid fuck!" He continued ranting as Tomoe approached him. He only growled like a feral beast as the sage of flame stood over him; "Go fuck yourself you fucking bitch!"
Tomoe did not rise from his words as she knelt down; "Where are they hiding priest?" His response was spitting blood on her feet. "Your ally is dead and you're a severed head. Admit defeat and tell me what I want to know."
At that Hidan laughed with a sneer; "And what's that? The fact your little flower group lost like pussies to our lord the first time!" He cried out as Tomoe grabbed him by the hair and lifted him up; "Your Gods lost! You sages lost! Our lord shattered the world in judgement! WE WON!" He roared in growing insane manner.
The sage of flames only glared back; this man was too loyal and insane to ever give up any information. "The fight is far from lost. As long as one of us draws breathe."
"Spoken like goodie two-shoes pansy." Hidan spat before smiling in malicious glee; "Master Bai Shen will revel in slaughtering you."
Her red eyes narrowed at the mention of that name; "So he yet lives..." She mused in thought.
"That sunny boy's flames didn't end him" The priest replied smugly. "Oh they scarred him, but he FEEDS on the pain they left. Hunt us down as much as you like, this world will be ours in the end..."
"You carry too much faith for a hopeless cause" She sternly replied. "You say we lost, that we failed this world that your god won" She leaned closer to the severed head. "But your god is dead"
"Then why are you looking for us so desperately?" Hidan rhetorically asked, when she didn't answer, he did it for her. "Because you know gods don't remain dead forever" He started chuckling, which soon evolved into a full maddened cackle. "Soon the Bloody One shall arise and baptize this world in a sea of blood! With a sword in hand the heavens shall be cleaved, the oceans shall part before the Great One's majesty! And the faithful shall be rewarded with paradise!"
Tomoe made a sound of disgust, deciding that chasing this mad zealot had been a waste of time. Letting go of the lunatic's head she turned and left him to his fate, knowing eventually his immortality would give up due to a lack of nutrients for the brain. She had other pressing matters to attend to.
As he watched her leave, Hidan continued his ravings, almost like he was quoting passages from a sacred text. "Praised be the true master of mankind! Praised be the heir of the sky! Lord of war and blood! Who gave us the gift of carnage to purify the Earth!"
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Ancient ruins glowed underneath the moonlight as two figures sat on fallen pillars. "Brother Hidan has failed..." A deep ancient, and partially distorted voice spoke from a man with a red hooded cloak over armor. Leaning against his shoulder was a larger sinister looking scythe made of pure black metal. His face shadowed from his hood, he held a pendant with an upside down triangle in his hand. Neither anger of disappointment came from him as he spoke; "It seems the sages are on the move."
"Despite his madness, Hidan did prove a useful tool." A smooth masculine voice remarked back.
The hooded figure turned to his 'comrade' who wore a refined, ornate black and gold changshan with no sleeves. The man had a strong muscular build with a defined chiseled face and long slicked back hair. His almond eyes he bore shone with mocking amusement.
"Jest however you like Zu Zhang. At least Hidan was loyal."
"I am loyal Bai Shen. To the powerful. Of course, no one is more powerful than our master, hmm?"
"Hmph" The hooded Bai Shen huffed in irritation. The sorcerer had never been quite enlightened by their god as the rest of the loyal followers were. Were it up to him, he'd have gotten rid of Zu Zhang a long time ago, a man who craved power above all else was liable to betray them at any opportunity.
But it wasn't his place, and in the end they all were useful tools for their master.
"So, the events we have placed are into motion at long last" Almond shaped eyes turned to the hooded one. "Shall we proceed?"
The scythe wielder could not keep the grin from forming on his lips. "Yes... it's about time. Though while most of the order must remain in the shadows, it'll be quite a pleasant change to act more directly now"
"Just make sure not to blow your cover" The sorcerer's smooth voice said in a reprimanding tone. "Your ability to lie will be paramount for success. Do not let your zealotry blind you"
"Bah, you worry too much" Bai Shen scoffed. "All you need to do to earn a false god's trust is to stroke his ego"
Zu Zhang stood up, adjusting his robes and cleaning them from any dust, regally crossing his arms behind his back. "I will go find the snake then. His kind is easy to persuade after all" He began walking away without giving his companion a last look.
Bai Zhen smiled widely, "You would know, after all, you two are cut from the same cloth"
The sorcerer stopped momentarily, green mist emanating from his fingertips, as if briefly pondering about striking down the hooded one. With a huff, Zu Zhang decided he had better things to do, and vanished from sight.
Now alone, the hooded one began laughing to himself, growing into a full cackled. "At last, the time has come! To usher the coming of our god and set the stage for the greatest war of this age!" He howled into the night.
And no one would stop them this time. No gods, no sages, no 'heroes' that would rise up to fight them. Not even the Heirs of Rama's will.
"Let it begin!"
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Tsunade leaned back on her new chair as she looked at Team 7 with their new member Karin who looked over the scroll for their next mission. "Cha no Kuni?" Naruto questioned with a cocked brow.
"The Land of Tea is a minor country near our border." The Senju explained; "Degarashi Port is a major place of commerce for them, but have had two families feuding over it for years."
"They don't have a shinobi village to handle the matters so have brought missions to us a lot of the times." Shizune grinned holding Tonton who oinked.
Sakura gazed to the Godaime; "Kakashi-Sensei isn't joining us?"
"He is busy on a mission, same with Kushina, otherwise I would have sent either with you. We're full-up with missions thanks to the invasion and what happened to sensei. But I have faith in you four. You will be meeting Jirōchō Wasabi, head of the Wasabi family. He is a good man."
Sasuke crossed his arms; "And he wants a guard. Wouldn't his family have their own?"
The Godaime nodded; "They would, but having ninja is an extra; 'better safe than sorry' measure for the coming festival."
"Are we expecting any trouble?" Sakura asked.
"The mission is B-Rank, so yes" Tsunade's lips quirked the moment Naruto got all excited. "It's no secret their rivals, the Wagarashi family, will most likely hire their own ninja as well. So go prepared for a fight"
"Are guard duties our only responsibility?" The Uchiha asked.
"You must do whatever Jirōchō requires of you during the festival. Apparently it's of great importance because it involves a competition that will determine which family shall receive the administration rights over the town"
"Wait, they're leaving something so important to a festival?" It didn't sound right to Naruto, "What does their Daimyo say about that?"
"It was their daimyo who proposed it in the first place" The Godaime replied. "Having grown tired of the families' feud, he arranged for the town's ownership to go to the victor, to prevent further bloodshed between the clans and any civilian casualty caught in the middle"
Karin adjusted her glasses; "And the Land of Fire would prefer the Wasabi family ruling the port. More goods, money, and commerce for us." Her analytical side spoke, taking stock.
"You are correct. While officially we're neutral. Unofficially it would be in our interest to have the right family claiming the port." Tsunade interlocked her fingers as she rested her elbows on the desk. "So, are you up for it Team 7?"
"Yes Godaime-Sama/Baachan." The older blond felt her eye twitch at her grandson's lack of formality. Shizune only giggled while Naruto was grilled by Sakura and Karin who reprimanded him.
'By all the gods above let this not turn into a mess.' Tsunade mentally prayed.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
From Arch-Daishou00 and Etheral-23
This is just a stats list for the characters in Shoton of Konoha. Mostly doing it 'cause we thought it be fun and helpful to those who like the fic and wanna know more about characters' skills and capabilities, as well as traits and all. Some bio as well perhaps, as well as concepts and events we'll explain in further detail once they are uncovered in the story.
The Naruto official stat system confuses us sometimes, so we decided to instead of using numbers we'll use a letter system. Like in Type-Moon for its Fate franchise.
It'll receive updates as we reveal new things about characters and they develop through the story
You can find the Shoton of Konoha Codex in ethereal-23's profile
As a special guest, here's Kushina providing commentary and details:
"You should have put me in the War Arc, Kishimoto! It was the perfect chance!"
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Kushina Uzumaki (Lady of all that is Badass!)
Basic stats:
Strength: B+ (Can't hit as strong as Tsunade, but you will fear my fist all the same!)
Intelligence: B
Speed: B
Stamina: A
Chakra level: A+
Taijutsu: A
Genjutsu: D (Illusions suck anyway)
Ninjutsu: B+ (I used to suck BALLS at this)
Personal attributes:
Kenjutsu: A
Trained from a young age in the art of the blade, Kushina boasts a great prowess with a sword.
(Always wanted to fight the samurais from the Land of Steel, hell I would have settled for the samurai at the capital)
Uzumaki bloodline:
Being a pure born member of the Uzumaki clan, Kushina possesses an exceptionally strong lifeforce, chakra and stamina.
She is one of the rare few individuals of the clan born with the power to bring forth the Adamantine Chains. These chains made out of solid chakra can restrain and bind opponents, particularly effective when used in conjunction with sealing. Kushina has shown she is capable of even using them as focal points to erect barriers.
These golden chains are highly effective against beings made out of solid energy, as well as unholy or impure existences such as demons. Effectiveness is highly reduced against ordinary mortal beings.
While possessing great reach, the chains are not very fast, and so she uses them more against larger and slower opponents that are in close proximity.
(Basically, we redheads are a pure win. Deal with it)
Fūinjutsu: S
Like those of her clan, Kushina is a born adept of the sealing arts. She can create complex arrays, such as individual seals, barrier and field arrays, with a simple press of her palm in only a few seconds, as well as re-write seals done by other people.
A favorite tactics of hers is applying elemental effects to her weapons, namely fire. While her skill with fire techniques is C+ at best, her use of seals and chakra control raise that proficiency close to A Rank.
She can also temporary increase her strength and overall physical abilities for a short period of time through seals. But overuse will put severe strain on the body.
(Who do you think taught the Yondaime all he knew? But I'm still far from being as good as Tsukiko-baachan. I hope she's still proud of how far I've come)
Wind Element: A
Possessing wind affinity, Kushina has mastered the use of wind elemental techniques. She can do B and A Rank techniques with a reduced number hand signs and reduced cost in chakra.
(Can't come up with good technique names to save my life. It's like the opposite problem of Minato's, 'ttebane…)
Water Element: A
Possessing water affinity, Kushina has mastered the use of water elemental techniques. She can do B and A Rank techniques with a reduced number hand signs and reduced cost in chakra.
(My mom used to take me to the beach in Uzu all the time… I wish Naruto could have met her)
Summoning; Dragon Contract
The Uzumaki are longtime allies and friends of the Eastern Sea clan, to the point they are considered family. Legends say the Uzumaki clan started by a sage taking a dragon for a wife.
(Don't ask me, apparently true shapeshifting makes having kids with a completely different species possible…)
Kushina has signed the dragon contract, allowing her to summon a good number of the heavenly serpents. She is well liked amongst the dragon clan, so many will answer her calling, particularly the current Dragon Chief, Genryu.
(I did say shapeshifting to have kids was a thing right? Well get this. My grandma Tsukiko is the daughter of a freaking dragon and a human. Crazy right? And get this; Genryu is her half-brother… the fact that Genryu is my grand-uncle sometimes slips my mind. I mean, not a lot of family resemblance there with the scales and all…)
Bio:
Kind yet fierce. Driven yet kind. Kushina boosts an unending love for life and energy. Along with a disposition many consider 'childish' in the excessive. She is also very infamous for her hair trigger temper.
(Who the hell called me 'childish'!? Gimme their names, I'll fuck them up!)
Orphaned at a young age but was adopted by Tsunade Senju. Her homeland and Uzumaki family destroyed. Friends and comrades who died in the battlefield as she grew older. Kushina's life could be summed up as one tragedy after the other.
(It wasn't all that bad. A lot of really awesome people became my family)
But Uzumaki are anything if not stubborn. Where many would have crumbled, she fought on and kept moving forward. Under the tutelage of the legendary White Fang, Kushina rose through the ranks and joined the elite of the ANBU.
But even the hardest stones can whether with time. Faced with many difficult decisions, carrying on the dark deeds necessary for village's prosperity, she began to develop a ruthless side to her, particularly if her targets had anything to do with the fall of Uzu.
At the behest of then Captain Fox, now Commander Fox of the ANBU core, Kushina retired after a particularly difficult mission where she had proposed unnecessary collateral to take out their target.
(I'm not proud of what I became during those days… I never got over what happened to my clan. So I took every chance at revenge I could with extreme prejudice. So much death, on all sides and for what? Money, power, prestige? Baa-chan was right, this system is broken. Minato may have been too naïve at times, but he saw it too. But I'm no pacifist; I don't know what it takes for this world to improve. I'm a fighter; I will fight to remove monsters from who threaten this world. That's what I know)
Kushina will show great care and devotion to those she loves, and will show a terrifying side of herself if anyone dares harming her family.
(Naruto… I never thought these bloodied hands of mine could ever make something so beautiful. But I did, Minato and me both did… Konoha is not my land of birth, but it is my home all the same. Anyone ever dares harming them, I will tear them apart)
…
…
…
(Yeeeesh, when did this get so mopey 'ttebane? I thought my job here was to make funny quips! Shuddap, I'm not crying, you're crying!)