"A Void Filled"
by Coded
Chapter 2: Naruto's Announcement
' ' Thoughts, " " Speech
Kimimaro struggled upright as he reached the scene of the final battle between Sound and Leaf. Staring in disbelief at the unmoving body of Tayuya sprawl on the ground in an unnatural position, Kimimaro swore. 'I don't have much time left before my body ceases to function..I must get back to Orochimaru-sama and report the failure to retrieve the new container...Konoha must have sent many jounin out to retrieve the boy...amazing they care that much about one shinobi.'
With a shake of his head, Kimimaro set off painfully the way he had come. Back to the Hidden Village of the Sound and Orochimaru's compound.
Shikamaru grumbled to himself as he trudged through the forest terrain of the Fire Country, a rather large barrel on his back. 'Jeez..how troublesome, I'm the only chuunin here, how did I end up being the one doing this troublesome task? I don't even like Sasuke.'
Shikamaru continued his muttering as he looked back at the other two shinobi with him.
Naruto and Tayuya walked side by side, Naruto was currently talking excitedly, almost as much with his hands as with his mouth. Expressive, large gestures were followed by that idiotic grin of his.
'Hnh, probably telling her all about how he beat up so-and-so. What a bragger.' Shikamaru adjusted the barrel on his back. 'I swear this is worse then getting beat up by her in the first place. This barrel is killing me.'
Shikamaru stopped and set the barrel down, turning around to face Naruto and Tayuya. "Ok," started Shikamaru, "We've been walking for awhile now, and all you two have been doing is talking. Now it's my turn. We need to get Sasuke here back to the village. However, we're going to retrace our steps and pick up Neji and Chouji first...I don't like not being able to make sure Kiba is alright, but nothing can be done about it. So that's the plan. Naruto, it's your turn to carry the barrel."
When Shikamaru began speaking, Naruto had stopped his story of telling Tayuya how he had single-handedly defeated Gaara of the Sand, and in the process essentially thwarted the assault on Konoha. Tayuya had gone quiet when Naruto started telling the tale of the attack on Konoha.She had played a major role in the assassination of the Third Hokage. 'Should I tell him?' Tayuya worried to herself. The former Sound-nin wanted to be truthful to her newfound friend he had, after all, saved her from the darkness, but she was afraid that if Naruto found out what she had done in the attack, he wouldn't want her to come back to Konoha with him anymore.
As Shikamaru turned and began walking again, Tayuya opened her mouth to tell Naruto about her role in sealing Orochimaru and the Third inside the barrier. Before she had a chance to speak, Naruto nodded, "Hai, Shikamaru, I'll carry Sasuke for awhile, I got so involved with talking to Tayuya-chan here that I lost track of time. Getting Neji and Chouji sounds like a good idea, too." Naruto stepped forth and positioned the barrel into a somewhat comfortable position on his back and began walking again after tossing Tayuya a foxy grin.
Tayuya felt the timing was wrong to tell Naruto, and closed her mouth, returning to listening to Naruto talk about the 2,000 Kage Bunshins he had made to beat up Gaara.
As Naruto spoke, he watched Tayuya out of the corner of his eye. 'Y'know, she's actually really pretty when you take the time to notice.' Naruto thought to himself, 'She's pretty in a different way from Sakura, though..' Naruto tried to put an explaination to it. 'Hm..I think she's afew years older than me, that must be it. She's more mature than Sakura!'
Satisfied with his conclusion, Naruto nodded to himself and continued his sideways examination. The red haired girl had doffed the rope tied behind her back into a bow shortly after they set off from the site of the battle, shedding everything that had assosciated her with the Hidden Village of Sound, minus her clothing. She couldn't very well take those off! Naruto blushed slightly at the thought, and he turned his attention back to the forest around them as he rambled on about all the dangerous missions and tough battles he'd been through.
The three young shinobi had finally reached the place where they had left Neji to fight the freak with the extra arms. There had most definatly been a battle here, the destruction of the forest in the general area was intense. However, to the trio's distraught, there was no sign of Neji or the Sound-nin.
Tayuya frowned and turned away from Naruto and Shikamaru. "Your friend was most likely killed. Kidoumaru is weak compared to me, but you all are only genins."
Naruto shook his head and put his hand on Tayuya's shoulder. "No, I know Neji. I've fought him. He's a genius, I'm sure he's ok. He probably beat up Kidou-whatever and went back to Konoha."
Sighing to themselves the three set off on their way again. Shortly after they arrived at the scene of Chouji's battle. The same scene surveyed them, no signs of the two combatants but the destruction caused by the fight.
Tayuya again felt torn over the thought of her new companions being killed by her old, however Naruto continued to have a positive outlook on things, helped out with Shikamaru's belief in Chouji, and the blond haired genin had soon infected Tayuya with his confidence and they began again towards Konoha.
Finally within sight of the village, Naruto sighed happily. "Ahhh, Konoha. It's good to be home, I'm sure everyone will be back in the village and fine by now. Tsunade would have healed everyone that came back."
Shikamaru, who currently had the barrel on his back turned to examine the confident genin. Tayuya stood closely next to Naruto. Indeed, the two had become very close on the trek back to the village, talking almost non-stop. Shikamaru still didn't trust the ex-Sound ninja 100, but if Naruto was trusting her so much, Shikamaru figured he should atleast give it a shot.
Naruto turned to Tayuya and pointed at the village. "Look, Tayuya-chan, Konoha! Your new home! I'm sure you'll love it here! I'll take you to Ichiraku sometime! They have the best ramen in town!"
Tayuya smiled tentatively at the brash Leaf-nin. "That sounds nice, Naruto-kun, I can't remember the last time I had good ramen."
As the three began again, several Konoha jounins suddenly burst from the trees and bushes, surrounding the three teenagers.
Naruto immediately noticed the grim look on the faces of the jounin, and the weapons they had drawn. Naruto's eyes widened as the jounins directly in front of the group threw their kunai at Tayuya. Naruto closed his eyes and lunged in front of Tayuya, hoping to make it before the kunai hit his new found friend. The impacts of five kunai and several shuriken told Naruto that he had safely protected Tayuya-chan, and he lowered his arms and slumped to the ground.
Tayuya stood rooted as the jounin had burst out and thrown their weapons. Dodging them wouldn't have been a problem, it would have been rather easy for her, but she glaced at Naruto and realized that any actions of fighting back might lower her standing in his eyes. Naruto had been the only one that had every understood or even tried to understand her, and she didn't want to lose his respect. So she stood watching as the throwing weapons approached her when suddenly everything flashed orange and she was staring at Naruto's back as he used his body to shield her from the attacks.
Naruto gritted his teeth as he slowly pulled out the weapons imbedded across his torso, as the Konoha jounins stared wide-eyed. Why had Naruto protected this enemy? This Sound Ninja?
As the last kunai dropped from Naruto's hand to clang against the compacted dirt of the trail, the boy raised his head to lock eyes with the jounin standing in front of all the others, obviously the leader of this group.
"I won't let you hurt Tayuya-chan!" He growled out, as red, primal chakra suddenly exploded out from his body.
Tayuya's pupils dialated as she observed the change in Naruto. 'What...incredible, terrible power. I can't believe Naruto-kun is this strong..its inhuman! Maybe he wasn't boasting when he was telling me about his fight with Gaara.'
Up until that point, Tayuya had thought of Naruto as a genin with mediocre skill, and alot of heart. She respected him immensely, for he had saved her. But never in a million years did she dream he would be this strong as a shinobi. Her eyes suddenly looked at Naruto in a new light.
The jounins stepped back as one, shying away from the awesome power that was the Kyuubi's chakra. The group leader had experienced the invasion of Konoha first hand and knew full well what Naruto was capable of when he drew on the chakra of the Nine Tails. Shaking his head the leader asked, "Naruto! Don't you realize who that is? She works for Orochimaru! She personally assisted him in the assassination of the Third!"
Suddenly the red chakra died out. Naruto turned and looked at Tayuya with wide eyes. "Is...is this true, Tayuya-chan? You helped kill the Old Man?"
As soon as the question was out, Naruto regretted it. Looking in her eyes gave Naruto all the answer he needed. They had the look of lonliness again, she was afraid he was going to toss her aside now that he found out that she was apart of the attack on Konoha.
Naruto turned back to the jounins and snorted. "That doesn't matter now. She was being used by Orochimaru, but no longer. I've brought her back to live with us, to help us fight Orochimaru. Now, we're going to see the Hokage and get this sorted out."
Naruto shoved Shikamaru forward, past the ninjas and grabbed Tayuya by the hand, making a show of it to the jounins as he walked by. The group turned as one and several readied more weapons, still unwilling to let this seeming enemy through their gates. Naruto turned his head slightly, just enough to see the group in his peripheral vision.
"If you try to stop us...I'll pound you all into the ground."
Memories of the kyuubi's chakra caused the jounin to raise his hand, stalling the rest of his group. "You realize this has got to be some kind of trick, right Naruto? You're going to go to the Hokage and you know whats going to happen. She's going to be thrown out of our village, and thats IF she isnt put on trial and killed!"
Naruto turned and looked Tayuya in the eyes, smiling slightly. "I...trust her. None of that matters." Tayuya's eyes watered with happiness as she wondered at how she got lucky enough to me someone as special as Uzumaki Naruto. Nodding and mouthing a silent thanks to Naruto, the three set off once again.
A knock sounded on the door to Tsunade's office. 'God I hope thats not Shizune with more paper work. After all the healing I've been having to do lately, I'm exhausted..'
Lifting her face off her desk and quickly wiping away any traces of drool, the Fifth Hokage spoke up to whoever was asking permission into her office. "Yes, come in."
As the door began to open, Tsunade decided it might be better if it looked like she was working, she quickly grabbed a bottle of ink and a quill and began doodling on a scrap of parchment. When she looked up she was surprised to fight Shikamaru, Naruto, a large sealed barrel, and a girl of whom she had never seen before.
"Naruto...you're back! Where's Sasuke?" Tsunade asked anxiously. 'With the village in its current condition, we can't afford to lose someone like Sasuke to Orochimaru and his goon squad...even if I have to kill him myself to keep him from going to Orochimaru..'
Naruto nodded slightly and motioned to the barrel. "Sasuke is in this barrel...its sealed, and it has to stay that way. Sasuke has to come out on his own...any tampering with the barrel's seals and Sasuke will die."
Tsunade frowned and nodded. "I see...and who is your friend here? I don't believe you took her on your mission, Shikamaru? I've never seen her in Konoha before."
Shikamaru nodded his affirmative that he indeed did not take her along, looking to Naruto and gestering for him to explain. It was far too troublesome for Shikamaru to do himself.
Naruto nodded and motioned Tayuya forward. Taking a hold of her hand, he smiled reassuringly at her and turned back to Tsunade.
"This is Tayuya-chan, and she's a Sound-nin."
Author's Notes
Alright! Well theres chapter two..I think I kinda rushed it abit again, so I apologize for the lack of detail. I'm also saving up more info on Tayuya and all that jazz for some of the upcoming chapters, expect the chapters to increase in size quite abit here very shortly, but hopefully I'll be able to get down everything I need to.
I have pretty big plans for this fic, so stay tuned, I hope it'll turn out as well as it plays out in my head. )
Also thanks to Samurai Demon-God Sekikage for his suggestion in his review, I hadn't thought of that, but now that the idea is in my head I have a pretty good idea of where to go with it, so thanks! The chapter where I go into all that will be dedicated to you!
Anyways I think thats all for now, I'll be working on this more so I can try to pump out the chapters for you all to read, hopefully I'll have atleast one, maybe two more done by the end of the weekend. Finally, thank you to all the reviewers. I can't say enough how much I appreciate all your feedback, I hope I can start shaping this story up into something worth reading for you all.
As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, look for more coming soon ;)
