Ironically, it's the quiet days that Tsunade dreads the most. Most people look forward to them and actively seek them out because, obviously, that means you get a break from work, but she's proven to be very unlucky. The Legendary Sucker. Somehow it's always when she gets in the zone and begins to enjoy herself that something happens that just ruins her whole day. Someone's cursed her, she's pretty sure.
As a slow day, she's taken to sitting atop the Hokage's Tower, enjoying the view she has of the village and taking in some fresh air. It's not a place most people can get to and while it's still technically at work, the scenery more than makes up for it.
She reaches for the bottle of sake by her side and sips some of it in a cup. After all, what better way to enjoy the day than a nice drink? Seeing the peace and quiet often reassures her that things are finally better and that the world actually has a chance to change.
She likes to observe the people passing through the streets on their way to work, Academy kids chasing each other over the rooftops, on and off-duty shinobi making their rounds, a small toad hopping toward the Tower.
She shakes her head and blinks, doing a double take at the toad. She raises a brow at her drink. "Surely I didn't drink that much. Unless…"
Her initial suspicions are proven true when the small toad suddenly bloats up to become the size of the Tower. The people around the streets scatter at the sudden appearance but are quickly reassured when they see it's a toad, and some are knowledgeable enough to know that toads like this have a connection to Naruto.
The toad locks eyes with Tsunade and croaks. "I have a delivery from Naruto."
Tsunade sighs. "Of course you do. What is it?"
The toad opens his massive maw and extends his large tongue out. He unwraps it and drops two suspiciously human-shaped bandage-wrapped forms on the rooftop beside Tsunade. Without so much as an explanation, he summons himself back to Mt Myoboku.
Tsunade can only sigh in exasperation and look at the two bandaged figures. Just looking. As if she stares at them long enough, they'll just disappear.
After a moment, an out-of-breath Shizune slams the door open and runs out onto the rooftop. "Lady Tsunade, there was-"
"I know, Shizune." Tsunade interrupts her. "I know."
Shizune takes a deep breath to regain her composure and walks over to her teacher. She somehow only then notices the bandaged figures on the ground.
She stops in her tracks and raises a brow. "Are those what I think they are?"
"They certainly seem to be."
Shizune tentatively steps forward and notices a scroll tucked into one of the… "packages". She takes it out and unfurls it to a report in immaculate handwriting.
Tsunade peaks over her shoulder. "Well that's written by Hinata."
"Let's see." Shizune goes over the report. "Forests leading to Tsuji Town, patrol, Reisaku… Jashinists?!" She exclaims and looks down to the two wrapped corpses. "That's… not good at all."
"What else does it say?" Tsunade asks.
"Naruto and Hinata engaged in combat but the two Jashinists ended their own lives to avoid capture." Shizune looks through the report for any more vital information.
"So those are the kinds of minds we're dealing with." Tsunade sighs. "But this does present a golden opportunity."
"How so?" Shizune asks.
"Our investigation into Hidan bore no fruit as to what these people are about, but now we have two sources of information."
"Oh, I see!"
"Get me Ino Yamanaka and Ibiki Morino. Tell them to prepare for a long day."
"Yes, ma'am!" Shizune bows and leaves right away to summon the two team leaders.
After being publicly shown up by Kawako in front of everyone, the two Jashinists stomp back to their base in a fit of rage. It's an isolated location in the mountainside that sits just next to Tsuji Town.
To get to here, one must first walk through the ruined part of town. Following the Fourth Great Ninja War, when deadly roots rose from the ground, practically every single town and village in the lands was destroyed. Rebuilding has been good since the end of it, but many places are still not back to what they once were. In Tsuji Town, there still remains an entire part of town that's still in rubble and that's the part that leads up the neighbouring mountains.
It proved useful for the Jashinists as that meant they could traverse through those ruins to reach their hideout and no one would see them as no one lives there.
They walk up the rocky terrain to a space that seems to not have anything there at all. No clearings where a base could be set up, no cave to hunker down in, nothing. Instead, they walk directly into a wall and pass through the rocks as if they were water. The stone ripples a bit where they pass but otherwise remains undisturbed.
And inside is where the Jashinists are hiding from the public eye. Looking back from where they just entered, the outside is in plain view. There's a certain mudiness to the image that comes from the semi-transparent illusion set in place. You can't see inside, but you can see outside.
Along the walls of the cave's entrance are numerous tags and jutsu formulae that prevent any form of detection or breaching, layers upon layers of jutsu placed to keep them hidden from prying eyes.
The insides are not cosy, per se, but as comfortable as a cave could be. It's furnished with basic amenities and things one would need, and each separate cavern serves its own purpose as a base would need.
The two men walk into a wider common area and continue to air their frustrations.
"Why do we even keep that bastard around?!"
"I keep telling Lord Reisaku we shouldn't trust the new guy. He keeps giving me bad vibes."
"Has anyone even seen his face?"
"I sure haven't. Yet we're supposed to trust him."
"You two…" A cold, gruff voice interjects into the conversation. "Is complaining all you know how to do?"
The men freeze in their tracks. Their hands begin to shake as their eyes dart around the room, seeking a very specific person. The last person they needed to see right now.
From a darker corner of a room, a man uncorsses his legs and leans forward on his chair. A marred face reveals itself into the light, multiple scars running across his face and up his temple where hair can no longer grow due to tissue damage. His hair is wild and unkept, running down to his shoulders.
The man expectantly looks at them with wide hollow eyes. "Well?" He cocks his head sideways. "I'm waiting."
"L-Lord Reisaku. We didn't mean-"
"Spare me the difference between what you meant and what you said." Reisaku rises from his chair and saunters over to them. They both avoid eye contact as if their lives depend on it. "What happened?" Reisaku leans into one of them and speaks in normal volume into his ear.
"I-it was that Kawako guy. We were… teaching this woman a lesson and he, um, stopped us."
Reisaku walks in front of him and forces eye contact. "That's it? We have important business to do and this is what you're complaining about? Not being able to bully some woman?"
The man takes several deep breath and swallows. He straightens his back and looks Reisaku bravely in the eyes. "T-this is all in accordance with Lord Jashin's will! To do as we please whenever we please, not to hide in a cave like a bunch of rats-"
His rant is cut off rather quickly when a blade strikes his throat. The man falls backward, clutching his throat in a desperate attempt to stop the blood from gushing out but he soon doesn't have the strength to even do that as his arms fall limp.
Reisaku cleans his tantō off his cloak and turns to the remaining man who can only stare in disbelief.
"Do you also have a complaint about our current conditions?" Reisaku asks.
The man shakes his head. "No, sir."
"Good." Reisaku nods. "Because we have better things to do." He pulls out two broken vaguely-humanoid clay figures from his pocket and shows them to the man. "Kinaga and Kogeru are dead. Find out what happened." He throws the figures on the table.
"That's- Kawako asked about them earlier. Said they hadn't returned." He says. "Do you think he could've…"
It's at this point that Kawako himself enters the hideout, as well, and takes note of the scene in front of him. Of the dead cultist on the ground, the scared cultist by the table, and their leader Reisaku standing over the corpse. He, however, makes no movements to indicate shock or surprise. Merely a curious glance.
The cultist immediately points at Kawako. "It was probably him! Why else would he ask about them unless he knew they were dead?!"
Kawako tilts his head in confusion. "I appear to have missed something."
Reisaku lifts the two broken figures. "Kinaga and Kogeru are dead."
"I see." Kawako says. "So that's why they're late. They were meant to report back hours ago."
Reisaku throws the figures on the table. "And whoever killed them is probably on their way. I want them to suffer."
"I'll… uh, I'll head out and find what happened." The cultist says.
"Don't bother." Reisaku says. "I already got the others on it. You two help me with this one." He motions to the body on the ground.
Under Reisaku's orders, the two take the corpse of his fallen fellow and carry him all on his own to a different room. Blood trails behind him as they struggle to carry the literal dead weight, while Reisaku doesn't seem the least bit concerned as he walks forward to prepare the room for what they're about to do.
The entire time, the cultist is staring daggers in Kawako but doesn't say or do anything out of fear he'll be the next one being dragged to the altar room. Kawako clearly notices but doesn't react in any way, which only further pisses the cultist off.
It takes them a while but they manage to get the body into the room. It stands mostly vacant, safe for some tables and shelves. The most prominent feature is in the centre- a circular stone slab that stands surrounded by jutsu formulae and stags that run out from it, along the floor, up the walls, and into a point on the ceiling directly above the slab. They drag the body to the slab and place it at the centre.
Reisaku then stands on the opposite end and the two begin the ritual. They stand in a triangular formation at even spaces from each other and begin the necessary hand signs.
As they perform the dozens of hand signs, whatever blood has remained in the body is absorbed into the altar. When they perform the last sigh, the ritual begins. The man's chakra is pulled out of his body and held aloft in the air, between the body and the seals above. It swirls and becomes a darker less transparent colour as more and more is added.
The process takes a couple of hours in total to complete as there are only three of them present but they do complete it. At the end of it, the body is barely recognizable- fully drained of blood, of chakra, and of life, it appears to have been dead for months rather than mere hours. The skin is already a dark grey colouration and so dry it feels as if touching it would crumble it to dust.
Exhausted and drained of chakra, Reisaku wipes the sweat off his brow and leans on the slab.
"We're still not there yet. We need more potent chakra!"
"We only keep finding canon fodder in these parts." The cultist asks, barely holding himself up on his feet. "I don't know if anyone good enough will show up."
"Oh, they will eventually. The Hidden Villages will send better and better shinobi for us to use as fuel." Reisaku gently runs his hand across the altar. "And as they do, we'll get closer to unlocking the secrets of immortality. Now bury this one." He commands and walks out of the room.
Kawako and the other cultist are left to drag the body to the nearby wall, where they open up a hole using Earth Style. They place the body inside and put his hands over his chest before they drive a metal stake right through both hands and into his heart. They place an amulet of Jashin on his chest before they close up the grave. They finally carve the symbol of Jashin into the spot.
The wall is lined with dozens of such symbols carved into mounds of earth.
The cultist turns to Kawako and growls. "Don't think you'll always get away doing what you want."
"I do as Lord Reisaku dictates, as his word is Lord Jashin's." Kawako says without so much as bothering to turn his head to look at the cultist, and walks out.
~X~
Once things have cooled down, Kawako finds a secluded space in the mountains around their hideout. Somewhere quiet and away from the prying eyes of Reisaku and the others. Somewhere where he can tend to the real mission he's on.
Once he's ensured that the others are far away from his location, he begins.
He takes out a scroll and unfurls it in front of him. He then takes out an inwell and places it by the scroll, then a writing brush that he dips into the ink and begins writing.
The Jashinists have made little progress and have begun to grow impatient.
Kawako sets the writing brush by the scroll and waits. After several seconds, a new set of writing appears entirely on its own.
Do you believe there's any worth to their research?
Kawako takes the brush again and writes. Little. Since they'd lost all records, all they've done so far is guesswork. It's possible Reisaku may stumble on something but it's difficult to say how usable it will be.
You still have a day before a joint operation comes to Tsuji Town to investigate the disappearances. If you feel it to truly be pointless, then leave now. We don't need to waste any more resources on these Jashinists.
As you command.
With a single hand sign, all of the writing disappears and Kawako puts his equipment back into pouches. He looks out into Tsuji Town and sighs, feeling tired from his current assignment.
'I suppose we expected far too much from a bunch of fanatics.'
With that, he heads toward the hideout to resume his mission.
As Naruto and Hinata reach Tsuji Town, their first act is to scan the area. With both [Sage Mode] and [Byakugan] active, they can guarantee they'll spot anyone they're looking for if they're anywhere nearby. After a swift scan, they confirm that no one who matches these descriptions is in town.
"Lady Tsunade said that all disappearances have happened in the vicinity of Tsuji Town." Hinata recaps the mission assignment.
"So they're somewhere nearby or in the city." Naruto says.
"Correct. As we don't sense even one person, I believe it's safe to say they're not based out of here."
"So then what do we do? Go look through the woods?"
"That may take too long. We can simply ask the people if they've seen anything. Gather information from the people most likely to see something."
"Gotcha. Then let's go."
The two dash over the rooftops, doing one final scan of the town just to be sure. When they feel more at ease that they've nothing and no one to currently worry about, they drop down to street level.
They look around at the townsfolk who are obviously surprised to see someone come down from seemingly nowhere. There's a sense of guardedness from the two strangers and whispered murmuring among them as they wonder who they are.
"Um, excuse me, may we ask some questions?" Hinata turns to ask a nearby man.
Once the people get a better look at them, mostly at their uniform and their forehead protectors, their expressions of confusion turn to ones of fear. The people of Tsuji Town immediately turn around and run for their lives.
"No, don't come any closer!"
"We're dead. We're all dead."
"Please don't let them find out."
People make a mad dash to safety, businesses immediately close and lock their doors, homeowners slam their windows shut. It only takes moment for the street to be clear of people that even Naruto and Hinata with their eyes trained to fight fast opponents are left bewildered.
"W-what just happened?!" Naruto looks around the now empty street. "Why's everyone afraid of us?"
"I- I don't know. We're still technically in the Land of Fire, they shouldn't fear Hidden Leaf shinobi."
Naruto walks over to a nearby store that abruptly closed and bangs on the door. "Hey, what gives? Why'd you all hide?"
"Go away!" A voice comes from inside. "We don't need you getting us all killed! Just leave us be."
"What're you talking about, why would we get you killed?"
Hinata steps forward and places a hand on Naruto's shoulder. With a calmer voice, she asks, "Is it the ones in black robes? Are they here in town?"
"... Please, just leave." The shop owner says in a quieter voice, desperate and pleading.
Hinata lowers his head in dejection and steps back. "So they are here."
"Then how come we didn't sense any?"
She shakes her head. "I don't know, but judging from everyone's reaction that must be the case."
"Let's find someone who wants to talk."
The two take to the rooftops once and it doesn't take long for Naruto's attention to be drawn to two people in particular.
~X~
Shiina and Kotori walk through the streets once more, with the hope that this time it'll be more peaceful than before. Shiina now wears bandages on her head where she sustained injuries and after a short stay in the hospital, she's back to her usual schedule.
Kotori walks with her, carrying several bags of groceries which was the original purpose of their outing in the first place. They're clearly too heavy for her but she pulls them behind her with all the strength she can muster. The book she bought earlier can be seen poking out from one of them.
Shiina looks down to the clearly struggling girl. "If it's too heavy, I can-"
"No." Kotori immediately rejects the idea. "The doctor said you need to rest, so you'll rest. You shouldn't even be out of the hospital yet! You're so stubborn."
Shiina chuckles. "How did you become such a busybody?"
Kotori looks up to her and grins. "You taught me."
Shiina smiles and pats her on the head. "I'm sorry, because you spent all this time worrying about me, you didn't get to read your shinobi handbook."
Kotori shrugs. "That's fine, I have a lot of time to read it."
'I really hope we do…' Shiina decides to keep those lines of thought to herself.
Kotori does her best to put on a brave face in front of the injured Shiina, but her mind is running wild right now. Worry that what happened before will happen again, that those thugs will come to the orphanage and scare the kids, that things will never get better and that Tsuji Town will always be under these guys' thumb. She keeps on praying that someone come in and beat them up but so far every prayer has gone unanswered. So far.
It's during these musings that the two of them hear and see some people running away, seemingly fearful of their lives. Kotori clutches the bag's handles, worried that they'll get in trouble once again.
Shiina grabs her arm and squeezes it lightly. "It's okay. Let's hurry, through this street." She begins leading them into a side alley, away from where the people are running.
As she drags the much heavier than she can handle bags, one of them that's too long so it drags on the ground snags on a piece of uneven earth. Kotori is whipped back and knocked off balance so that she drops the bags and some of the items scatter on the ground. Kotori falls on her butt with a thud.
Shiina stops and helps her back up. She looks at the scattered produce and then to where the people were running from. Whatever has happened, she knows for a fact that she wants no part of it. "Leave it. We can buy new ones."
"Ow." Kotori gets to her feet and rubs her butt. "Wait, my book!" She turns back to grab the book that fell along with everything.
She stops, however, when a figure appears from seemingly nowhere, kneeling by the book. A young man dressed in dark clothes that almost makes her heart rise to her throat but then notices other things that clearly differentiate this man from the others. The green vest, the metal plate on his forehead, but most importantly the gentleness in his eyes and the soft smile he looks at her with.
Naruto holds the book up to Kotori. "Hey, is this yours? Y'know, I had this same one when I was a kid!"
"Um, yes, I bought it myself." Kotori slowly takes the book and holds it up to her chest.
"Really? That's great!" Naruto grins. "My name's Naruto, by the way."
"Oh, I'm-"
Shiina steps forward and wraps her hands around Kotori to pull her back. "You shouldn't be here." She says in an unnerved tone. "Please don't involve us."
Hinata lands beside Naruto and raises her hands to show they mean no harm. "Please, we don't want to cause any trouble, we simply want answers."
"If you don't want to cause trouble, then leave. Now. Before they see you talking to us." Shiina pulls Kotori for both of them to leave.
"But, Ms Shiina, maybe they can help us. Maybe they can make those guys go away."
Kotori looks back to Naruto and Hinata with eyes of admiration, as they're the first real shinobi she's actually met up close, but also with sadness, as she knows how those thugs feel about shinobi and the stories she's heard them boast about- how they've ended shinobi's lives.
She wants to beg them to help but she knows she'd be putting them in danger. Those people are rough on the townsfolk but they've managed so far and can keep managing. Probably. It might indeed be better if these shinobi leave.
Naruto and Hinata share a concerned glance but leave it at that, for now.
Out in the ruined half of Tsuji Town are many hidey holes, ideal for clandestine meetings. Amongst the rubble, there are several places that the Jashinist designated for the townsfolk to come and wait, should they have anything to report. As they don't have access to the hideout itself, this is their only means of communication.
What the ordinary people don't know is that these spots have several tags hidden to alert the cultists of their presence. To the townsfolk, it appears as if they simply are aware of any nearby presence. This seemingly supernatural alertness only makes others even more frightened of them. Setting up this kind of situation isn't just good for communication, but as a fear tactic.
Within the hideout itself, there are matching tags that let them know that someone is standing beside the one outside. Kawako notices the tag alerting them and goes out to investigate.
As he's trained to do, he skulks through the shadows to be absolutely sure that all is in order, and when he confirms it's just a normal man from town, he appears behind him.
"What is it?" Kawako asks without alerting the man of his presence.
The man jumps in fright and turns around. "Oh, uh, I have- There's-"
"Just speak." Kawako grows impatient.
"Shinobi. There're 2 shinobi in town, I saw them with my own eyes."
At moments like this, Kawako is glad to wear a mask as to not show his emotions. 'Shinobi somehow managed to slip through? Because we were too preoccupied trying to find who killed Kinaga and Kogeru, the culprits slipped right through.' "Describe them."
"They were from the Hidden Leaf Village, I'm sure of it. Saw their headbands and everything. One, uh, was a woman! Pretty, young thing. Hair as dark as the night sky and glistening like the stars, skin as smooth as paper-"
Kawako smacks him over the head. "Just get to it."
The man reels back from the attack. "She also has pale eyes. Kinda freaky looking, not a fan. But the man- blond hair, blue eyes. Oh, and I heard his name! Called himself Naruto."
Kawako freezes in place. 'Shit. Shit, shit, shit.' Kawako pats the man on the shoulder and nods. "You've done well. Lord Jashin will recognize your support. Now go."
The man bows deeply. "Thank you. Thank you." He wastes no time in getting the hell away from this place and the masked man.
Kawako turns around and begins speed-walking back to the hideout. 'This is bad. Naruto? The Naruto Uzumaki, here? Only a few Leaf shinobi have disappeared, why did they send the strongest man in all the damn lands for something like this?! And a Hyūga's with him, to boot. If they're not already on us, then we must be just out of their sensory range. Dammit all. This might be the time to cut my losses and leave these zealots to their doom.'
His mind races through all the possibilities and frankly, none of them look good. Never would he have thought the Hidden Leaf would send someone this strong. Anyone else and he's pretty sure he'd stand a chance, but Naruto Uzumaki? Hero of the War? That's pushing it. Still… all might not be lost just yet.
He makes his way back inside the hideout and straight to a meeting room toward the back. There, most of the Jashinists have already gathered and a couple more appear from a tunnel to the side of the room.
Thankfully for them, this cave has a vast system of underground tunnels which connect this cave to various parts outside of town. It's why it was chosen as a hideout, because it has such a good network. If they hadn't gone through those tunnels, they'd have gone through town and undoubtedly run into Naruto. That would've been the end of them.
"Lord Reisaku." Kawako speaks up. "I just received word from town. Two Hidden Leaf shinobi have made their way here. A woman of the Hyūga clan and a man I'm certain is the Nine-Tailed Fox's jinchūriki, Naruto Uzumaki."
Reisaku turns around with a wicked grin. "Really, now? A jinchūriki, you say?" He burst into laughter. "What a glorious day it is! Just as we need more chakra to complete our jutsu, an endless chakra battery comes to us!"
The others join Reisaku in his laughter, the vile sound echoing through the chambers.
"I've heard tale he's powerful. Incredibly so." Kawako tries to warn them.
The cultist he'd apparently made an enemy of looks at him and growls. "Are you saying we should be afraid, new guy? When we have Lord Jashin on our side?"
"That traitor Hidan was able to kill jinchūriki so it's only natural we can, as well!" Reisaku riles up his fellow Jashinists. "We are not below him. This is where we prove what we're capable of. It is a sign from Lord Jashin, a reward, even!"
They all cheer.
Kawako takes a deep breath. 'Trying to advise caution with this lot is useless, but maybe I can steer them to give them a fighting chance.' "We can face the jinchūriki, but why limit ourselves? Let us show him what despair looks like. I've heard this jinchūriki cares about people and goes out of his way to help. So how would he react when he sees that we hold this entire town hostage? What expression will he have before he's sacrificed to Lord Jashin, knowing that so many are in the palm of our hand?"
Reisaku looks at Kawako for several awkward moments before standing up and walking right beside him. He raises a hand and plants it on the masked man's shoulder with a wicked laugh. "I knew there's a reason I like you, Kawako. You're right- we don't need to face him head on when there's a much sweeter alternative. Come on, you lot, let's visit the hospital. There's a blood donation with our names on it."
The group, invigorated and motivated to face and ruin a powerful foe, make their way out. Kawako appears to go with them and prepare for a time but he does not actually go into town.
Once he's ensured everyone else has left, he goes back to an empty room in the hideout and takes out the same scroll and writing equipment as before. As before, he writes,
Naruto Uzumaki has arrived in Tsuji Town. I don't believe he has information on the Jashinists, but they've gone out to confront him already.
After a while, writing appears on the scroll all on its own.
Do you believe they stand a chance?
Kawako immediately answers. Not at all.
And do you believe our special weapon stands a chance?
Kawako takes pause. He'd been dreading precisely this question. He hoped to simply leave this place and not look back but it seems that's not in his schedule. Should orders be given, he has to follow them.
I'm not as knowledgeable about that as you are; I cannot say. I believe it to be early to try.
Stay and see how the Jashinists perform. If the opportunity arises to use it, then do so. If not, retreat.
'You say that but it's clear you want me to do it.' Kawako sighs and rolls up the scroll. 'Suppose I'm doing it then.'
"And what exactly are you doing here?" A growling voice calls out to Kawako.
He looks up to see the same cultist from earlier, visibly angry and aggressive.
"What were you writing just now?" The man demands.
Kawako takes a moment to look at him and then down to see his scroll. 'Is there a chance he saw? No, unlikely.'
"Answer me, dammit!" The cultist stomps forward. "Why'd you come back, Kawako?!"
Kawako decides there's no reason to really play any further games. He shifts his mask just enough for his mouth to be visible, and before the confused cultist can even question him further, he spits out a stream of water. The cultist tries to dodge, but the water swirls around to encompass him fully.
[Water Style: Water Prison]
Kawako stands up to be in contact with the bubble of water that now surrounds and crushes the cultist. He twists his hand to force the water to compress even more and keep his target in place. The cultist tries to fight it but the pressure is far greater than he can manage and he finds himself curling up in place and unable to hold his breath any further.
"Don't worry, the rest of your lot are doomed, as well, you're merely going first."
As Kawako balls his hand into a fist, the [Water Prison] completely crushed the man inside; he drops the jutsu and allows his body to fall to the ground.
"Now let's hope I don't meet the same fate." He says as he goes through the rooms to steal whatever few things the cultists have that's useful. Just because they haven't found anything worthwhile doesn't mean their research was for naught. It can still prove useful in the right hands.
Shiina and Kotori enter the orphanage at a panicked pace, barely addressing or acknowledging the other caretakers as Shiina looks around to make certain the kids are present and well.
"Welcome back… Shiina." One caretaker takes pause when she sees the bandages around Shiina's head. "What happened to you, why did you come back so late? And where are the groceries?"
"I'll explain later. There are… shinobi in town."
The caretaker gasps. "Oh no. If they find out…"
"Precisely. Is everyone here? Has anyone gone out for anything?" Shiina asks.
"No, ma'am, we're all here."
"Good." Shiina nods. "Kotori, I want you to go to your room."
"But… why can't they help us? They're ninja, that's what they do."
Shiina takes a deep breath and kneels down in front of her, brushing her hair past her ear. "Honey, I know this may feel overwhelming, but sometimes the best a person can do to help others is let them be and resolve an issue themselves."
Kotori lowers her head. "Then… is there a point in me becoming a ninja? If I can't even help, if I'm supposed to stay back…"
Shiina's heart breaks watching Kotori lose her spirit, and she hates that she played a part in it. However, right now she has to protect her kids and keep them out of harm's way. As long as these cultists are in town, she'll lower her head as much as she needs to.
"You can help in so many ways." Shiina pulls her into a hug. "I promise you things will get better and you'll be able to help, but just for now, this is what we need to do. We need to pick our battles."
"Right…" Kotori says even though her voice doesn't sound as certain.
Shiina breaks the hug and brushes Kotori's hair. "For now, please go and rest. You've been through enough for today. We can talk later, okay?"
"Okay." Kotori nods and somberly walks back to the common rooms.
Shiina sighs and heads off herself. "I'll be in my office for now."
"I'll call you if something comes up." The caretaker responds.
Of course, none of this sits well with Shiina. She knows their town being taken over by a bunch of thugs mustn't stand, but no help has arrived all this time so she's lost hope at this point. Of course, what she doesn't know is that help had arrived several times, they just didn't manage to make their presence known before the Jashinists took their lives in the name of their patron deity.
She knows that these people are only using their town as a hideout, so they just need to lay low. Keep their heads down and not anger them. So far they don't seem all that concerned with the town itself or its people, so maybe they'll soon finish whatever it is they're doing and leave for greener pastures. She can only hope and pray for the best.
As she opens the door to her office, she prepares to sit down and actually unwind for a bit. Possibly get her head to stop throbbing in pain. Take the medicine the doctor gave her, maybe take a nap. All of those dreams disappear when she sees two figures in her office.
The two shinobi they just encountered are sitting on the couch as if they're waiting for an appointment, and the bags of groceries sit at the table in the middle of the room.
Shiina's eyes widen in surprise but she quickly composes herself and closes the door shut behind her.
"You're terrible at listening to others." She says as she walks into the room.
Naruto chuckles. "Funny, that's what my matron used to say to me, too."
Shiina glances at him from the corner of her eye. "Well, I'm glad you find it amusing."
Hinata stands up from the sofa and straightens her pants to look more presentable. "I apologise for breaking into your office and we promise to be out of your hair as soon as possible."
Shiina sighs and leans on her table. "But you want answers."
"Exactly." Naruto says. "Why's the whole town acting like we're the bad guys here?"
"They're not. They're merely afraid of what the bad guys will do to them if they're seen speaking to you."
"The Jashinists." Hinata says.
"So you are aware of them."
Hinata nods. "We received a report that shinobi have been disappearing in this general area. When we neared Tsuji Town, we encountered two of the cultists. That's how we learned of their identity."
Shiina looks up in surprise. "You… encountered two? And you survived?"
"Yeah." Naruto interjects. "And we plan on encountering all of 'em and surviving all of 'em. If someone'll actually tell us what's going on."
"That may be easier said than done. There are at least a dozen of them and they're ruthless. They barely even see us as people."
"So they truly do operate from this town?" Hinata asks. "How much do you know?"
Shiina shakes her head. "Not much. Just that they have a secret hideout somewhere nearby. We know nothing of their intentions or goals, just that they came here a couple of weeks ago and took over by brute force."
"How come you never sent a plea for help?" Naruto asks.
"Do you think we didn't try?" Shiina grips the edge of the desk a bit harder than she intended, unpleasant memories rushing to her. She takes a deep breath to calm herself. "Every single message we tried to send was intercepted and someone was made an example of."
"That's horrible." Hinata gasps.
"It is apparently how they operate."
"But we didn't sense any of them in town when we entered." Naruto says. "You sure they're nearby?"
"Maybe you just got lucky; came at a time they were all away. Either way, I promise you they'll soon find out you're here and they won't take kindly to your presence."
"If we didn't sense any of them coming in, then I doubt they sensed us." Naruto shrugs.
"You don't understand. Many of us are terrified of them, but many try to curry favour with them. Someone's already ran off to a meeting spot somewhere to warn them. They know you're here."
Hinata looks back to Naruto with a concerned look. "I don't know if we'll have enough time to wait for back-up."
"There are more coming?" Shiina asks.
Naruto nods. "Yeah, from the Hidden Cloud and Land of Hot Waters. Whatever was happening here attracted attention."
"Then… might we have a chance of freedom?" Shiina sounds hopeful for the first time in this conversation.
"It's more than a chance." Naruto smiles.
It's at this point that Naruto finally addresses a presence, one he felt a while ago because it's a fairly noticeable presence even when not using any sensory abilities. From his seat near the door, he simply leans a bit to the side to open the door and reveal a young girl kneeling outside with her ear to the door.
Kotori freezes in place, realising she's been caught. "Um, hi?"
"Hey." Naruto laughs.
Shiina facepalms. "Why does no one listen to me today."
"I'm sorry, Ms Shiina, I just wanted to ask you something and then I heard talking and I didn't want to interrupt." Kotori tries to explain herself.
Naruto chuckles. "Hey, you wanna be a shionbi, right? Gathering intel's important shinobi work. Need to hide a little bit better, though." He gives a playful wink.
"Please don't encourage her." Shiina says. "Come inside, before anyone else sees." She beckons the girl inside.
"I don't think I got your name before." Naruto says.
"I'm, uh, Kotori."
"It's nice to meet you." Naruto grins.
Hinata walks over and kneels down not far from the girl. "Hello, Kotori, I'm Hinata. I know this is a lot to ask but do you think you could keep all of this between us? It's important that as few people know about us as possible."
Kotori nods. "I promise I won't tell."
"Good." Hinata smiles. "Then we should probably be out of your hair soon." She turns to look back at Shiina. "If these people are as dangerous as you say and as we believe, then it's best for us to operate from outside of town."
"Don't worry, lady, we don't give up easy. We'll kick these out before you know it and you can live your days in peace." Naruto reassures them with his usual confidence.
Naruto and Hinata move to the window, choosing that as the best exit as it was already a good entrance. Before they can get past the desk, however, Kotori runs up and grabs Naruto by the flak jacket. He turns around with a confused look.
Kotori looks up to him with an odd mixture of determination and worry. "Um, do you- do you think I can be a ninja, too?"
Naruto raises a brow and kneels down. "Of course you can. Anyone can be a ninja if they wanna be."
"I just… don't know how to. Everyone's so nice and supportive and expects me to do it but I don't know how. I'm just an orphan, I don't have anyone to teach me."
"Hey, I didn't have anyone to teach me, either. When I was at the orphanage and when I was living on my own, I had to figure out a lotta things but I eventually did it."
"You're an orphan, too, mister?" Kotori's eyes widen with hope, that even someone like her can succeed.
"I am." Naruto. "I didn't really have anyone until I was older than you and didn't know who my parents were until even later."
"So, how did you do it? How'd you become a ninja?"
"I trained in any way I could. That little book you bought? That's your first step to figuring it out. You just gotta take the second and third steps and keep going. Don't stop learning and training. But it sounds like you already got a headstart. Something I didn't really have at your age."
"What's that?" Kotori asks, fully engrossed.
Naruto looks back to the matron Shiina. "Loved ones who stand by you and support you." He looks back to Kotori and pats her on the head. "Never forget who and what you're fighting for, okay? That's the most important thing for a shinobi."
Kotori's smile beams with joy, only enhanced by her cheeks growing rosy. "I will!" She declares.
"Good."
With that, Naruto and Hinata head out the window and drop down to the gardens below Shiina's window. They look around to be sure they're unseen and make their way to the fence.
From the window, Shiina and Kotori look on with a different set of expectations. Kotori is hopeful and her desire to be a ninja has only been further ignited. She's more certain of herself now than ever before. Shiina, meanwhile, dares not be too optimistic. She tries to keep her composure as her first thought must always be the safety of the kids.
Before Naruto and Hinata get too far, they come to a sudden stop. From a distance, they can hear a voice calling out, shouting.
"Do you hear that?" Hinata says.
"Yeah, I do." Naruto says. "Someone shouting."
Shiina looks confused. "What is it? I don't hear anything."
It's natural for Shiina to not hear anything. Shinobi train themselves to notice the most minor details that a regular person would miss and that extends to sounds, as well. Shinobi train themselves to hear the slightest shift of the wind, the out of place cracking of branches or leaves. They hear at a much greater distance than a civilian.
And what they hear now is troubling.
"Not just shouting. They're… calling for you." Hinata looks at Naruto with worry.
"Damnit." Naruto grits his teeth. "Do they seriously already know? This fast?"
"Oh no." Shiina holds her hands over her mouth. "Is it already too late?"
"Not if we have anything to say about it." Naruto reassures her. "You all stay here. We'll see to it."
Knowing that they have to act fast to find out what the situation is, Naruto and Hinata disappear from sight in the blink of an eye, leaving Shiina behind to worry.
"Kotori, you must-" When Shiina looks down to talk to Kotori, she finds the girl nowhere in sight. "Kotori?" She frantically looks around the room and notices the open door. "Kotori!"
~X~
Naruto and Hinata take a slow approach to the voice calling out to Naruto. It takes them only a few seconds to reach the source. Taken to hiding in the alleyways, they peek out to see who's calling out.
What they find is not anyone from the cult but rather, an older portly man dressed in a white lab coat. Most likely a scientist or a doctor. The cause for unease are the explosive tags strapped to the man's coat.
"N-Naruto Uzumaki!" The doctor says in a shaky voice. "They- they know you're here. If you don't show yourself, people will be hurt. If- if you try anything, people will be hurt. Surrender and come with me."
Naruto hits a wall in frustration. "They dragged innocent people in this?!"
"They organised themselves incredibly quickly. We barely just arrived, we've only spoken with Shiina at the orphanage. What do we do?"
"Do we have a choice? We can't put people in any more risk than we already have."
Hinata lowers her head. "Yes, I suppose you're right."
Naruto jumps down to the street first, followed shortly by Hinata. They stop just in front of the terrified doctor who jumps back when they suddenly appear from nowhere.
"Are you the shinobi?" The doctor asks. "Please, I don't want to die. They have the nurses captive, as well."
"It's okay." Naruto interjects. "We'll figure it out, just take us to them."
"Yes, they're this way."
As soon as they begin walking, Hinata acts. Just because they're willingly walking into a situation doesn't mean they have to be ignorant of what they're dealing with. She activates her [Byakugan] to scout the area in front of them and sees just how much the Jashinists have prepared in such a short amount of time.
In the town square is a group of five Jashinists- four of them standing besides captive nurses while another one sits further ahead within a circle on the ground drawn in red.
His appearance sends a shiver down Hinata's spine, not only because it's eerie but because she recognizes it. His skin turned pitch black with certain parts coloured white to give him a very skeletal appearance.
Surrounding the square, high up on rooftops are five other Jashinists who have the same appearance as the one sitting on the ground.
She recognizes this appearance from reports she read from Shikamaru.
"That's…" Hinata gasps. "Oh no…"
"What is it?" Naruto asks.
"Naruto, these people… They've activated a Curse jutsu, the same one that killed Asuma-sensei."
Naeruto clicks his tongue in frustration. "What do you know about it?"
"Just what I read from Shikamaru's reports." Hinata tries to give a brief but concise description, before they reach their location. "Once they drink someone's blood, they become linked to that person. Any damage they sustain, the other person sustains it, as well. However, it only works while they stand inside the circle they've drawn."
Naruto takes a moment to process the information. "How many of them are there?"
"Five on the ground with hostages, five scattered among rooftops."
"So if we try anything funny on the ground…"
"The ones on the roof will see and act. I don't- I can't think of what to do."
"Hey, it's fine." Naruto takes her hand. "We'll figure it out. For now, we just play along with whatever they say. Until we can be sure the people are safe."
The doctor leads them to where he was instructed, the main square. There, Naruto sees a situation just as Hinata described. He looks at the heavily scarred man sitting in front of everyone else and stares him down.
Reisaku cackles as soon as they appear in view. "Well, well, it actually worked! The goody-two-shoes actually delivered himself! Incredible, absolutely incredible."
"Are you the leader? Are you Reisaku?" Naruto demands.
"Oh, it sounds like we're familiar with each other. That does save us the trouble."
"What do you want?"
"You." Reisaku points at Naruto. "Surrender to me and no one has to die."
Naruto crosses his arms. "You sure do get to the point, huh? And what if I refuse?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Naruto Uzumaki!" Reisaku growls. "You Hidden Leaf fought Hidan, you know precisely what our jutsu does." He grabs his tantō and presses it against his own neck. "I have this city hostage."
"Why're you even here, what're you trying to do?" Naruto asks.
Reisaku cocks his head sideways and leans forward. "I don't think you're aware how things work exactly. I tell you what to do and you do it. What part is difficult to understand?!" He presses the knife to his neck just enough to draw a bit of blood.
A pained yelp draws everyone's attention to a corner on the street further back. There, a visibly confused and scared Kotori stands with a slash mark on her neck. The same location that Reisaku just cut himself.
"Kotori?" Hinata calls out to her in surprise. "What are you doing here?!"
"I- I wanted to check, make sure everything's alright." Her eyes begin to well up in tears. "What just happened?"
"How convenient." Reisaku says. "You get to watch the consequences of your inaction! Thank you, little girl, for making this oh so easier."
"Did I- did I mess up? Did I help them?" Kotori's voice quivers as she asks.
"No, Kotori, it's okay." Hinata reassures her. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"You…" Naruto curls his hand into a fist and digs his fingers deep into his palm, a desperate attempt to calm his nerves. He turns to Reisaku and shouts. "You dragged kids into this?!"
"Not just any kids!" Reisaku laughs. "Orphans, apparently. Fresh batch of blood, just from this morning."
The doctor's trembling knees can no longer support him and he falls to the ground, weeping. "I'm sorry. I couldn't stop him."
"Don't think you'll get away with this." Naruto growls and takes one heavy step closer.
"Oi, Hyūga." Reisaku holds the knife to his stomach. "Shut off his chakra points before he gets even more on my nerves."
Hinata grabs Naruto's arm before he can take a second stop. As she does, she finds herself in an entirely different location. Where she was just standing in the middle of a street, she now finds herself in a foreign domain of golden and silver light.
Around her are nine torii gates positioned in a circle with her and Naruto in the middle. Behind them is a gate marked with 九, the number 9, and the giant Nine-Tailed Fox, Kurama sitting underneath.
"You need to calm down, observe your surroundings." Kurama warns him. "This is what Jōnin do."
"What am I supposed to do? Those guys are too spread out, even with our speed, I don't know if I can reach them in time. If I miss even one and they activate the Curse…" He hits the pillar of the torii gate. "I should've sent out [Shadow Clones]."
Hinata squeezes his hand and steps closer to him. "That could have backfired just as well. If you'd taken out the ones on the rooftops, the ones on the ground could have spotted it and acted."
"You have this Reisaku in a position where he thinks he's the victor. You've been here before. This is the part where you prove him wrong."
"If you can gather enough natural energy to give me a speed boost…" Naruto clicks his tongue. "But even then I'd need [Shadow Clones] to get them all and by the time I form the hand signs…" He shakes his head. "And I can't exactly use our full power in the middle of the town, that'd destroy the whole place. I'm not that dumb."
Unfortunately, the conversations that take place in this mindscape happen in real time, as well. While the three of them converse in his space, Reisaku grows impatient in the real world. Angry that they're just standing in one place and not doing as he asks. His irritated voice kicks their attention back to the outside.
"I SAID!" Reisaku screams. "Shut off his chakra points!"
"Naruto, do you trust me?" She asks through the mental link.
"With my life." Naruto responds immediately.
"On my mark, get ready to send [Shadow Clones] to all of them, at your top speed. Don't slow down for anything."
"But there's no way I can-"
"Leave that to me."
Kurama chuckles. 'Look at you, taking charge.'
"You keep making me wait!" Reisaku shouts.
So they don't make him wait any longer.
Hinata steps away from Naruto and activates her [Byakugan] before striking him twice.
The human body is comprised of a chakra network that's entwined with other vital networks like the blood vessels. It runs through a person's entire body and there are 361 needle-thin spots that regulate where chakra flows. Of them, 64 can be blocked to render someone incapable of moulding any chakra.
The Hyūga's eyes allow them to zoom in on those spots and close them, an act that requires immaculate precision.
However, that's not all that the Hyūga can do. It should go without saying that if they can close it, they can also move it. The chakra points can be manually controlled and chakra flow can be forced to move in certain ways, which normally require hand signs to do.
To the untrained eye, those things appear no different. To them, a Hyūga still appears to strike a person.
Right now, Hinata strikes Naruto's chakra points but not to stop them, to move them. To mould it for [Shadow Clones]. A jutsu she's seen him perform plenty of times, so she knows exactly how one's chakra needs to move in order to conjure the dopplegangers.
However, she knows that might not be enough. There's one other thing she can do that may prove risky, but she feels it necessary and worth it. Within those 361 chakra points are 8 limiters. Eight gates meant to regulate the flow of chakra and protect the body from imploding from raw force. The smaller points can easily be controlled given training, but those limiters require much more intense training as they can ultimately lead to ruin. Difficult and dangerous as they may be, they're still part of the chakra network and can be forced open if one knows where and how to strike.
"Naruto, Kurama, now!"
With her final strike, she hits the two limiters in Naruto's head- one in the left hemisphere and one in the right. A sudden surge of strength flows through Naruto's body as he almost feels himself lose focus from the rush but he knows he has something important to do.
[Second Gate: Gate of Healing: Release]
What happens next, happens in the blink of the eye. Possibly even faster. The air around Naruto vibrates, a swirling of raw force envelops the area around Naruto. Before Reisaku can even register what's happening, Naruto disappears in a blur of orange.
He doesn't even realise he's flying through the air until it's already too late, until the wind force has already whipped him off his feet and sent him spinning. He suddenly feels the pain catch up to him, what feels like a kick from a horse to the chest. He desperately tries to regain some semblance of balance but the whiplash is far too strong. He's out of control mid-air.
From the corner of his eyes, he can just barely make out an orange blur flying through and sending his compatriots flying, as well. He can see an orange flash through the air, where his minions should be on the rooftops.
The panicked yells come with a delay as the Jashinists all fall one by one before they can react. The ones who activated their curses are out of the circle of blood, making it no longer effective. They still have the exploding tags to rely on, but before they can even hit the ground from being whipped around, several explosions go off high in the skies.
In a fraction of a second, Naruto and his Clones knocked the Jashinists off their feet, grabbed the tags and threw them high in the air where they couldn't hurt anyone.
This entire fight is resolved before Reisaku can even fall to the ground.
When he does, he skids to the ground and hits his back against a wall. As he tries to get up to his feet, before he can even do or say anything, Naruto rushes at him with blinding speed and hits him square in the jaw. Reisaku's head whips backward against the wall and he falls unconscious.
With the threat resolved, Naruto releases his chakra cloak and falls to one knee, dazed and out of breath. The five [Shadow Clones] that had appeared also disappear once they've taken out their targets.
Hinata uses this time to remove the tags from the doctor and the remaining nurses, rendering them inert, as well.
"Oh, thank you, thank you!" The doctor vigorously shakes Hinata's hand.
"We're saved." The nurses begin to cry.
"You actually did it." Another nurse exclaims.
Kotori takes a slow step out of her corner and looks over the fallen thugs, trying to take in what she just saw, or rather what she wasn't able to see. Everyone was taken out in such speed that she couldn't even begin to comprehend. This… is what a ninja looks like.
"Wow." Kotori can only exclaim in admiration.
Naruto takes deep breaths, taking a moment to recover from what he just experienced. "What was that?"
"I'm sorry, you said you weren't sure you'd be fast enough, so I opened the first two of the Eight Inner Gates."
"The Eight Gates? You mean that thing Lee does?"
Hinata nods. "You may feel dizzy for a bit, but the threats have been neutralised."
"Not all." Naruto shakes his head and stands up. "There's still one guy left way back. He doesn't have a curse active. I need to get to him now before he does anything."
"There was still someone outside of my range?" Hinata looks on with worry.
Without nary an explanation, Naruto speeds off, leaving only a trail of orange behind him.
~X~
Far away from the action, still in the ruined part of Tsuji Town, Kawako knows he has only seconds. He just witnessed everyone get taken out in an instant. He knows he has only one solution to this particular problem.
He cuts his thumb open and makes a line of blood on his palm, to then slam it on the ground.
[Ninja Art Summoning: Rashōmon]
A gigantic gate bursts up from the ground, crashing into nearby houses as it goes along.
The rooftop that appears first seems as a normal roof but as it goes further up, it reveals its sinister nature. The walls are lined with spikes that extends a great deal forward, a large metal bell tied to the top rings through the area as it sways back and forth. The demonic visage on the gate itself almost seems to sneer at anyone who would look upon it.
As the Rashōmon rises, Kawako runs to it and places a hand on the metal gate. As he does, jutsu formulae spread through the entirety of the structure.
[Uzumaki Seal: Release]
The metal gate bursts open.
What appears is a void of blackness that swirls in the frame, like a vertical pool of inky liquid. An unearthly howl fills the air, sending a chill down the spines of everyone in town. Not all see this sight but everyone feels it. A chill air rushes out of the void but whether it's the source of the howling or something else, it's difficult to say.
~X~
Naruto, who'd just barely gotten track to reach the final person he sensed, stops in his tracks. He has to guard his ears from the wailing that comes from it and brace himself once the winds hit. He falls down to ground level to hide behind a wall.
"What… is that?"
Kurama's eyes widen in shock. "No… this can't be. No one should know how to open the Rashōmon gates."
"You know what that is, Kurama?"
"I do and it's nothing good. You need to get away from it now!"
Once the wind dies down, Naruto takes a peek from behind the corner to take another look at the gate. After a moment of calm, another sound draws closer and closer- that of rushing weater.
On cue, water surges out from the portal and covers the surrounding area in no time at all. The ruined houses are broken even further and washed away, trees are uprooted, entire chunks of ground are lifted. The massive waves draw ever closer to the actual town and it does not look good at all.
Naruto can't be certain how far the water would reach and how much damage it would cause, he only knows that the town is in grave danger of a massive flooding.
"We have more important things to do than run! We gotta save the city."
He surrounds his body in his orange cloak and forms his signature hand sign.
[Multi Shadow Clones]
Hundreds upon hundreds of Narutos come into existence and immediately spring into action to race against the flood.
Naruto holds his head in pain, still feeling the effects of the Inner Gates being opened but she pushes through it. Right now there are far more important matters to tend to.
The [Shadow Clones] rush into the city and grab as many people as they possibly can to take them further away into safety. There's no time for any sort of explanation so everyone is afraid and confused as to what's happening. Those who saw the gate appear were already running for their lives only to be snatched by a Clone. Those who are inside and unaware of the danger are startled by a glowing man entering their house and essentially taking them against their wills.
However, many soon see the true scope of the situation and realise they're not being kidnapped but saved, taken away from a tsunami that has appeared from nowhere.
They watch with horror as their homes are engulfed and ruined.
At the town square, Hinata has taken Kotori up high and is keeping her close.
"Naruto!" She beckons one of the Clones. "What happened?"
"I don't know, but it's bad. This whole town's gonna be flooded soon."
"Can you get everyone out?" She asks.
Naruto nods. "Yeah. Are you two…"
"I'll keep Kotori safe, you get everyone else first."
"Why is…" Kotori's eyes well up. "Why is this happening? You defeated the bad guys, right?"
"And whatever this is, we'll defeat it, as well." Hinata hugs her close.
A muddled shrill screech emanates from within the gate. A massive webbed claw reaches out from the inky portal and grabs onto the frame, sharp claws digging into the metal and denting it as something gigantic pulls itself out. Spectral shackles surround its wrists; the chains clanking against the metal frame. A second hand comes out and grabs the other side. After a moment of visible struggling, the creature pulls itself out.
The first thing to appear is a scaly and beaked head with a head of wild patchy hair on a head that doesn't even have a crown. The top of the head is entirely cut off and dented downward, filled with sloshing water.
The creature fully emerges from the Rashōmon and as it does, a second wave rushes out after it. It does not seem at all bothered by the crushing force of the water as it stands strong and proud.
By this point, Naruto's [Shadow Clones] have evacuated the people closest to the damaged area so the destruction caused by the follow-up wave are purely material.
The being hunched its back, showing its turtle-like shell on its back. It reels back and screeches one more time, this time its voice loud and clear, in a voice that reeks of anger.
With no explanation, Kurama flows all of his chakra into Naruto again to achieve their avatar form. The Nine-Tailed Fox stomps on the ground in front of the turtle-like creature.
"What is this thing?" Naruto asks.
Kurama roars in anger. "This is one of the Great Beasts. The Kappa."
JUTSU NAMES
Uzumaki Seal: Release (うずまき封印・解 , Uzumaki Fūin: Kai , literally meaning: Uzumaki Sealing: Dissipation)
TRIVIA
"Wicked heart" is one of the possible translations of "Jashin". This first arc was initially going to be named "Wicked Heart" after the villains but it made more sense to name it after the main character, instead.