Ripples to Waves
Every great decision creates ripples, like a huge boulder dropped in a lake. The ripples merge and rebound off the banks in unforeseeable ways. The heavier the decision, the larger the waves, the more uncertain the consequences.
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Naruto.
Chapter Three: Monkey D. Luffy
Hayate Gekko pushed himself through the underbrush, approaching the Eastern gate of Konoha. A cough escaped his lips as usual, a side-effect of the chronic disease that he carried within him. Quite frankly, Hayate was aware his life could end at any moment, the unpredictable, uncatalogued disease having been with him from birth. And yet, there he was, currently basking in Konoha's moonlight and more alive than anyone who resided in the city.
Hayate had learnt a key life lesson due to his condition. If one could die at any moment, then life should be lived to its best and fullest. And though he could be criticised for living a slightly hedonistic lifestyle, pursuing the simple pleasures of a summer night, and watching sunsets to the point that it got in the way of his normal day-to-day work, he stood by his manner of living. Hayate also believed himself to be someone who lived beyond politics and assumptions, assessing each person for their morals and experiences, as opposed to their affiliation and past actions.
Such a line of thought brought him to the reason he was even out of Konoha in the first place at such a time. You see, Hayate had made a discovery, one which deserved countless nights of observation and nurturing. He hadn't meant to discover such a thing, he thought as he crossed the threshold into Konoha, a nod from the two Chūnin thrown his way as he eyed the orphanage up ahead. Once again, his thoughts cast to the origin of his midnight escapades. Hayate had been on a simple C-rank mission like any other, in the village of Horohaba near Konoha.
Horohaba was a small and humble place, not of much military or political significance, mostly being a farming village that produced a large number of crops for itself and Konoha. Such a food resource often meant Konoha invested ninja to both look after the town and fulfil their mission requests at a priority-level. Hayate had been dispatched about a year ago to solve a vital farming dispute between two of the main village farmers, and he eventually found an equitable solution for both of them. However, that was not the event that brought him out of Konoha during the late hours.
For Hayate had discovered something. Something incredible and almost awe inspiring to the seventeen-year-old Tokubetsu Jōnin. He had met someone with incredible potential and drive, a boy who lived within the village of Horohaba, training away like there was no tomorrow. Upon talking to him, Hayate had discovered the two had gotten along swimmingly, the thought of his charge bringing a smile to his face. They meshed in every single way, and Hayate left for the village every night to train him, the strength of the boy's character and will giving Hayate his own goal. To make the rank of Jōnin, and eventually train him to be a genin when the time came.
Hayate smiled at the thought, another cough escaping his lips as he headed in the direction of his home, moving past the orphanage. Yūgao was likely waiting for him, the fresh ANBU often struggling with sleepless nights as of late. The thought made Hayate sigh, but given he was going on midnight escapades himself; he couldn't exactly criticise her.
He was looking forward to seeing her regardless.
The boy grinned as his fist impacted the attacker, a grunt emerging from their injured body as his rubber fist slammed into their face. Evidently, they had not been expecting such an attack, though Luffy did wonder if he could get away with such a surprise strategy again. His thoughts blanked for a moment as his sandals slapped onto the ground, as Luffy glared at the attacker who was clearly up to no good. Who had the audacity to attack someone's friends like that?
Then again, Luffy had met a lot of bastards in his time who attempted to do the same things to his friends. The Emperor couldn't help but let a massive smile cross his face, as he gazed at the shuriken and kunai on their belt, their face hidden by that of a mask. To say he was in awe would be a clear and vast understatement, with the captain wanting to ask all sorts of questions about how these ninjas operated and if they could show him some cool ninjutsu!
Though he didn't quite like this one's attitude, much preferring the likes of Raizo in terms of personality. Memories of said ninja flooded Luffy's mind and the pirate briefly thought on how cool the man had been. A light cackle escaped his lips, as the ninja struggled to get up on shaky legs, clearly whoever had been here prior had really roughed this guy up; though Luffy couldn't exactly say they didn't deserve it.
Luffy briefly looked around, observing that they were closer to the centre of Konoha than the orphanage was. Quite frankly, Luffy didn't know what to make of this place, or why he was trapped in the body of a child. Not that he particularly minded, he was growing again after all, and it seemed it was just another obstacle to becoming the Pirate King. This island of Fire or whatever was an odd place, and Luffy had wandered about the village of Konoha trying to find the Sunny as soon as he could walk. His mother had abandoned him shortly before that, and the thought was quite alien to the rubber boy.
He couldn't remember much about her. To be honest, he hadn't really been paying attention for those first couple of years; an endless struggle to move, speak, and eat had taken his attention. It was only until the time that she left that Luffy managed to actually grasp details about her and pay attention to his surroundings. At this point, Luffy had forgotten her name, though did remember that she had an awesome smile and was really fun to be around. Ru- something.
Honestly, he couldn't remember. Not that he lost sleep over it.
He had wound up in the orphanage after trying to leave this strange city too many times, the ninjas at the gates eventually caught on to the fact he was an unattended child, and promptly dropped him off in Shinaby-obasan's care. The old woman was strange, though her countenance sometimes reminded Luffy of Dadan, something he had pointed out several times; though it seemed they didn't understand his references. It was only recently Luffy realised that the occupants of the orphanage didn't even know about the One Piece, and the boy had thus summarised that they were pretty stupid to not know about it.
Hence why he stopped bringing up Dadan. After all, if they didn't know about the One Piece, they were likely too stupid to know about the occupants of Dawn Island.
At the sound of a coughing ninja in front of him, Luffy finally paid attention to the strange, masked man who seemed to be attacking children on the street. They pulled out a scroll from their back, and Luffy couldn't help but bounce on his toes in excitement. He wondered what they were going to do. Ninjustu? Kage Bunshin no Justu? Luffy's mind blanked there, considering those were the only two things he knew. A grin spread across his face again. No matter, he was excited to see what they had up their sleeve!
The ninja bit into their thumb and Luffy took a deep breath. This guy, Luffy thought with excitement and some confusion, he knew Third Gear?
Luffy was shocked, letting out an 'ehhhhhhhh!' with bug-eyes as the ninja drew blood from his thumb, before streaking it across the paper. Two other ninjas appeared, clearly combat ready, wearing similar masks to that of the first ninja. Luffy thought he heard a laugh from somewhere else on the road but ignored it as soon as the original ninja directed the other two to charge.
He had to deal with these guys first.
The first approached him, shifting through hand signs, and Luffy leapt back. He did not quite know what to expect, especially since he seemed to have lost the ability to use Observation Haki a while ago, though he was training to try get it back as hard as he could. Regardless, the first ninja seemed to be finished shifting through various hand signs, and Luffy noted the second one had disappeared. The combat brain of Monkey D. Luffy took over, one that was a genius at what it did and specialised in kicking ass of course.
"Doton: Sajinarashi" The ninja slammed their hands into the ground, causing a massive wave of dirt to emerge from their location, shooting towards Luffy with immaculate speed. The rubber boy grinned, arm stretching to the side as it wrapped around the lamppost that resided on the edge of the street. The ninja did react to seeing his arm stretch this time, given the way their shoulders tensed, and the slight noise that escaped their lips. Luffy allowed himself to retract towards the post before he began to spin around it, like the unwinding of a spring.
"As if a crappy attack like that is gonna work on me!" Luffy goaded his opponent in typical Luffy fashion, which was just him being entirely honest. After he had finished spinning around the lamppost, Luffy let go, flying towards the first ninja was a massive smile on his face. "Gum Gum Spring!"
The ninja disappeared, being replaced by a log that Luffy impacted with his head, utterly shattering it into a massive amount of bark shards. Luffy skid across the ground, making eye contact with the second ninja who was attempting to jam a kunai in his back. Luffy grinned, enjoying himself despite the boy from earlier alongside their emotional plight. Crying children had always earned Luffy's help, unless they were being brats of course.
Regardless, these ninjas were just so cool! Luffy had to admit, that their powers were slightly cooler than those belonging to Raizo and other ninja in Wano.
Luffy quickly shifted his body to the side, and though the kunai cut slightly into his side, the boy grinned, his teeth laid bare as the ninja was evidently shocked by his dodging capabilities. Luffy did admit that he was not at his best; he was trapped in the body of a six-year-old child after all. And yet, he found himself still able to track the movement of these ninja. It seems his sight had not left him like his Haki had.
Luffy gripped the wrist of the ninja, given the fact they had overextended themselves to jam a kunai in his back. The sheer force of Luffy's grip was evidently causing them pain, that much he could tell. Luffy let his other hand grip his opponent's other arm before they could react, before he let out a laugh, leaping backwards and spinning his arms in order to twist them like a screw. As soon as the two limbs were taut, Luffy grit his teeth and lifted the ninja up, allowing them to fly above him as he let his arms untwist themselves, also providing a spinning effect.
"Now Gum Gum Mallet!"
The sheer explosive force created when the ninja hit the ground caused the ground to shake. Luffy noted that when they did not have use of their arms, they could not perform their awesome techniques.
Once the dust cleared, Luffy let his arms retract, observing that the downed ninja was getting back up, though clearly shaken. Evidently they had not expected the sheer physical force to be so great, and thus their bones had paid the price. Luffy couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the pain the other ninja was in. These losers wouldn't last a day in the Grand Line.
The first ninja was approaching him from behind, and Luffy saw him running through hand signs. A laugh escaped Luffy's lips, as the ninja seemed to be rushing through them, as if he wanted to put Luffy down at all costs. Luffy's finger swiped across the hem of his Straw Hat briefly, ready for anything that the ninja would throw his way, an almost arrogant smile crossing the rubber boy's expression.
"Doton: Tōjinbō" Luffy noticed the ground rumbling beneath him and was slightly taken aback when nine rock columns emerged from beneath him, casting him upwards. The attack was blunt force based, and thus Luffy was aware he did not take any damage, but this did not change the fact he was now exposed in the air. The injured ninja from before moved to make hand signs, blurring through them as he intended on using the range to their advantage. Luffy saw a small amount of water burst from their mouth beforehand, the loss of control likely from the sheer injury he had caused earlier, but that did not change the fact he was about to be hit by what he knew to be his main weakness.
Crap.
That was the only word Luffy could think as the ninja finished running through their hand signs.
"Suiton: Ha-"
"Thunder Lance Tempo!"
Nami watched the ANBU agent go down, the lightning piercing his heart and instantly stopping it. Nami had long since lost remorse for her enemies, perhaps around the time of Enies Lobby, and watched the ninja fall dead to the ground with a soft thump. His insides were likely charred and smoked, wasted away by the sheer force of her Clima Takt. Nami stood up with a shaky leg, the appendage having recovered enough for her to move about.
But none of these things were on her mind. Quite frankly, she could be half dead and not give a single damn.
He was right in front of her. And had finally noticed her, eyes wide as he seemed to be trapped in a state of disbelief. The world disappeared around Nami, fading away until it was just the two of them. Captain and Navigator.
Uncertainty faded to dust, as she gazed upon her best friend, the man who had lifted her entire world on his shoulders, and the person she pledged her life to in response. He was real, he was there, so tangible and amazing that Nami could have seen the most beautiful sunset and it would have utterly been lacking in comparison of any emotion or aesthetic countenance. Any doubt she once had as to her former life faded away, as doubts always did in the face of the man who would become the Pirate King. At the sight of that Straw Hat, Nami would be willing to deny the most proven of facts from sheer experience of knowing that the Hat always pulled through in the end.
She could tell her breath was shaky at this point, face likely in complete ruin with ugly tears streaming down her face. Not that she cared, he had seen her at her lowest. Memories of Arlong Park and self-inflicted wounds danced in her mind at such a thought, before her vision properly cleared and she was properly able to focus on him. Around him, she could just be herself. Cat Burglar, The Navigator, Nami. All blended into one, her sense of identity returning to her in full force, in the sight of Monkey D. Luffy. The idea of dreams once again solidified, returning to her in full force. It was like stepping out of smoke into clean air, or watching the sun rise after an endless night. The clouds of her psyche parted, leaving only him and the ocean he promised to explore in absolute freedom.
"Luffy…" Nami was hardly able to speak, and she was aware it was not down to any injury she had sustained over the course of the day. Before today, she had been dead, a husk walking across the earth trying to find a purpose.
And now, she was alive.
Her speech seemed to have broken him from his stupor, as he now turned to face her properly. Her eyes landed on the scar on his chest, and it broke her heart despite her happiness. It seemed even in another life, Luffy could not escape the death of Ace. It was as if he was marked by that burden no matter where he went, and old guilts returned to Nami in full force, as well as upstanding promises. To make sure that scar never ached again. The entire crew had made such a promise, even if they never disclosed such a fact, of this Nami knew.
"Nami" To hear her name tumble from his lips as he now ran towards her choked another sob from her. He was here, which also implied the rest of the crew was out there as well.
She wasn't alone, they had come for her...
They were there for each other and could once again chase the sunset on the endless ocean. The words that had emerged from his lips were soft-spoken, and Nami could say with assurance that any other member of the crew would have found it out-of-character.
But she knew better, given she and he had always had an emotional understanding that went beyond perhaps any other in the crew. When alone, both were balanced, able to show true colours and expressions without the veil of having to live life a certain way.
And yet, Nami knew she would never get to see the full scope of Monkey D. Luffy. He had a range of many colours and forms, and the people who knew him understood that he was a highly complex individual. Other parts of him were reserved for other members of the crew, though only one she could think of had equal significance to what she knew and shared with her captain. If she could narrow the part of Luffy she knew the man saw, she knew for certain Zoro had hold of Luffy's mind. Zoro knew the way their Captain ticked, knew how his will and ambitions worked and how they fuelled him, better than anyone.
Zoro knew what Luffy would say before anyone, would understand what he wanted to do without words needing to be spoken. The orange-haired girl could never be able to predict her rubber captain to the degree that Zoro could. But Nami was the one who knew why he was saying it.
For Nami held Luffy's heart. Nami knew the way he felt about things, the way he treated and saw the world and why he acted the way he did. She and he were in-tune on an emotional level that went beyond any other member of the crew. She knew what to say to get his heart to listen to her logical explanations.
And Nami also knew he held such understanding of her as well. The two existed in a pure, emotional tandem. And such a bond meant more to her than her dream itself. Innately a greedy person, Nami coveted such a bond she held with her Captain that went above nearly every other member of the crew, though she would not state such things out loud.
So, when the captain spoke softly, Nami knew the signs on the wall as clear as day. And it made her heart ache, for she knew such a thing was a sign of his emotional vulnerability. Nami knew Luffy was an unstoppable force against the tides of the ocean, but she knew at his core, he held doubts. Doubts that she could hear tumble from his lips with the utterance of her name, doubts that had been similar to her own but that he had been able to crush with the force of will and personality.
His arms snaked around her, pulling her in tight as she smiled and laughed, a similar response emerging from him. She took in his scent as she buried herself in his shoulder, the two surprisingly at a similar height despite Nami being taller by the time they were 17 and 18. Somehow, despite being landlocked, he still smelt of the sea. He smelt of the Sunny and dreams and Nami refused to let go, basking in the sheer beauty of it.
Nami and Luffy could likely remain like that for the rest of the day, but of course, the world of miracles had to be grounded in reality sometimes. The two instantly separated, turning to face the now approaching attacker, Nami noting that Luffy had picked up on it far before she did. It seemed some things never changed…
"Doton: Daichi Ganshō" Nami knew the Doton class of techniques were earth-based, and given his combat aptitude, the navigator knew that Luffy had likely picked up on such as well, considering how his body angled to expect an attack from the ground. Two walls shot out from the ground on either side of them and moved to crush them at frightening speeds. Nami and Luffy didn't have to exchange words, easily falling into teamwork and trust that had never been lost, only dormant.
Watching her captain charge forward towards the ninja as fast as he could, Nami knew she was in no position to do the same. Angling her Clima Takt horizontally, she squeezed on the handle, the weapon extending and stopping both walls in their tracks. Again, Nami could not get a read on the ANBU at all, as Luffy reeled his fist back, to the point it flew past Nami's head, the gust of wind it created shifting her orange locks from side-to-side. The ANBU reacted quickly, switching between hand signs rapidly as Nami could hear the grin emerge on Luffy's face.
"Doton: Doro Ōkami"
"Gum Gum Bullet!"
The fist careened forward and Nami could tell the ANBU barely dodged, shifting to the side to avoid the fist that slung forward. Not that she thought it would do any good. And she was quickly proven right, as Luffy allowed the momentum from his fist missing to push him forward, flying past the ANBU before he turned around in the air, leg stretching to the side.
"Now Gum Gum Whip!"
Nami was able to tell that the sheer lack of knowledge on how Luffy's body worked was giving him the advantage, considering the ANBU made no move to dodge, though Nami had no idea as to why given he was in any easy position to do so. The leg slammed into the ninja's back, and Nami could almost hear the bones strain against the force of Luffy's attack from her position, as the ANBU slammed into the ground with a grunt. He got up quickly, and Nami noted he was now regarding Luffy differently, as if making some new discovery.
Nami's heard froze as a shadow passed over her, as her guard was immediately raised while she spun around. The original ANBU seemed to have recovered some, considering he had just emerged from nowhere to appear behind Nami. The girl gasped and could almost hear Luffy yell in rage as a kunai dashed towards her neck, with Naruto's somewhat distant wails echoing through the air. Unable to retract her Clima Takt in time, Nami knew she could at least catch the kunai through her palm in time and moved her hand upwards to do so.
Such plans were dashed away when a blade ripped through the ANBU's back, a breathless gasp escaping the ninja's lips upon it doing so.
To say Hayate was confused was an understatement, though he couldn't deny that such things had no effect on his ability to grasp the situation enough to react and save the orange-haired girl. Noting she looked awfully like Sagishi Kisho, a jōnin he greatly admired considering they were once a peer to the Fourth Hokage before his ascension to such a position, Hayate knew which side of this struggle he was on almost immediately.
Removing his blade, and watching the ANBU fall dead to the ground in front of the girl, Hayate briefly felt bad for causing such a sight in front of the girl. But given the current situation, he would have to make do with any opening he could utilise. He eyed his surroundings carefully, once again assessing the current conflict.
Any idiot would recognise Naruto Uzumaki, and Hayate knew this situation was now one that threatened the entire village. Not only was his Uzumaki blood extremely valuable, but he was also the village's sole Jinchūriki, meaning that as an asset he could not be harmed or taken under any circumstances. But more than that, he was the son of the Fourth Hokage, and a citizen of Konoha. At such thoughts, Hayate's grip on his sword tightened. Though he was slightly tired from the training session he had just come back from, he would have to make do. No way in hell he was letting the blonde kid, or any of these kids for that matter, be harmed in any way.
He now rested his eyes on the rest of the individuals present. The girl seemed to be injured, through a variety of elemental jutsu, which did make him curious to an extreme degree. She appeared to be extremely durable, considering she was still standing and had been moving to react to the kunai. His eyes moved to the dead ANBU, body battered and charred. The fact he was killed by two kids below the age of eight set off red lights in his head and made the situation all the more complicated.
Hayate observed the boy in the Straw Hat, who seemed to be looking at him with a grateful expression, likely due to his intervention. But there was something about him, something the observant Hayate couldn't help but be drawn to. His presence, it was like standing in front of Hokage-sama, or the likes of the Sannin. People of power radiated such a thing in droves, and this kid seemed to be doing just that, something reinforced by the fact the other ANBU still had his body facing the kid as opposed to the jōnin who had just arrived.
"You two, take Naruto and run. I'll deal with this guy" Instantly, he saw the defiance on the boy's face, both at being told what to do and the idea of running away. Such expressive emotion was instantly removed from the boy as the girl finally succumbed to her injuries, falling to her knees with a gasp as she clutched the wound on her leg. The boy didn't even pay the ANBU any mind, running past him quickly to pick the girl from the ground. Hayate noted how easily the boy picked the girl up, as if he had done so countless times before, and he gave the Straw Hat kid a nod. The boy looked up at him in turn, and Hayate almost seemed to be communicating with him now, the two gazing into the other's intentions through eye contact. Hayate got the message clearly.
Kick his ass.
The boy ran off, dragging Naruto with him, who seemed to be fussing over the orange-haired girl with tears in his eyes. Hayate noted this with a soft expression. Seemed the kid had found something to care about.
And at long last, Hayate finally turned his attention to the ANBU, if that was what he even was. No, he knew what he was. Yūgao could sometimes get talkative without realising, and he knew what was happening here.
"This is awfully bold, even for ROOT." Hayate drawled the sentence, trying to stay calm as he pieced together the final pieces of what was happening. Evidently, something had changed about Naruto's situation, and now they were aiming to capture him for whatever purpose. While the Hokage needed to know about this, Hayate couldn't exactly do so as a corpse. So, this ROOT agent would have to go first.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Hayate conjured two clones on either side, as the ROOT member seemed to prepare themselves as well, popping a Soldier Pill in their mouth. Clearly, the brats had done a number on him. Hayate sighed to himself, letting out a cough that seemed to emerge from his annoyance. Why couldn't this asshole have just succumbed to his injuries?
Already, Hayate's clones moved to flank, closing in on either side as he moved towards the front. The Dance of the Crescent Moon was something he perfected with each day, especially with his sparring partner/student, but it still had some kinks. Hayate was still working on figuring out exactly where the blind spots were, so it was very much a work in progress. His two shadow clones moved in tandem with him, rushing to cut the ROOT bastard into ribbons, who seemed to be rushing through hand signs.
Hayate's foot landed on the mud present on the road, and several wolves leapt from the sludge like summons, charging towards him. Hayate remained calm, observing the new development as his clones quickly redirected, cutting both wolves down while Hayate dealt with the third. Upon theblades cutting through, the wolves quickly reformed, and ripped through his shadow clones easily. Hayate let out a 'tch', leaping backwards as the ROOT agent finally finished preparing his jutsu.
"Doton: Doryūsō" Recognising the technique, Hayate pushed chakra into his legs to the point of explosion, leaping into the air as he barely avoided the spikes that emerged from the ground. Hoping those kids would reach the gate guards soon and get backup, the swordsman watched as the wolves leapt off the spikes that had emerged, intent on ripping into him while the ROOT agent seemed to cast some fire technique on his deceased comrades, utterly disintegrating them. Hayate rushed through hand signs himself, annoyed that a large amount of evidence had just vanished into nothing.
Recognising that the wolves would keep reforming from the mud, unless he displaced the mud to a point the trap would be ineffective, Hayate took a deep breath; chakra having gathered in his stomach.
"Fūton: Daitoppa!"
The massive gust of air slammed into the wolves, spreading the mud to a point that it was removed from the battlefield, unable to reform due to its spread. Hayate landed on the ground with a grunt, his reserves having taken a hit from using such a technique. Dust surrounded the battlefield after Hayate had used such a technique, and both opponents had lost visibility. The swordsman considered his options, before being hit by an idea.
It was time to fight dirty…
Quite frankly, the ROOT agent had lost the plot of the mission at this point. His target seemed to have escaped, two other ROOT agents were down, and he was facing an unexpected Konoha shinobi. Furthermore, he had to get back to base soon, given his report had become far more pertinent given the events that had occurred. That girl had a strange weapon, and that boy even stranger techniques. The latter of whom garnered even more interest. To think he had such a condition. He had only heard of it once, in the reports of war and strife. The last Great Ninja War had been costly, and Konoha had nearly been pushed back, all thanks to a similar condition. To think one now resided in their city.
Danzō-sama had to know at once…
His thoughts were cut off, as his opponent dashed through the dust cloud towards him, two shadow clones emerging from the flanks as they had done before. Jōnin, how predictable…
The ROOT agent rushed through the necessary hand signs in order to dispatch this obstacle once and for all, mind rushing through a library of jutsu at his disposal.
"Doton: Doryū Taiga"
The two shadow clones sank into the mud quite quickly, as the ROOT agent flicked a kunai from his belt, rushing towards the true form of the jōnin. If he had been on the flanks with his true body, he would be carried away from the battlefield in time for the ROOT agent to pursue Uzumaki. And if he was the one in front of him, he would die for his repetitive techniques.
The jōnin slashed at him with his sword, cutting at his cheek with speed that the ROOT agent would take note of in the post-mortem report. But he was faster, and while his chakra had somewhat dwindled, he was aware his opponent was in a worse state. Having dodged to the left to avoid the main swing of the sword, the ROOT agent moved to perform a static lunge, kunai rushing towards the chest of the opposing swordsman.
And it met its target with ease that was to be expected of a tool of Danzo-sama.
But all that he was met with was a cloud of smoke, the shadow clone having dispelled, as the sword it was holding revealed itself to be a transformation. The real jōnin twisted in the air above him, the ROOT agent noting he was too firmly planted in the ground to dodge the incoming attack.
His eyes closed in acceptance.
'A pity' That was the only thought to run through the emotionless head of the ROOT agent, before the kunai was jammed into the top of his head, instantly killing him.
Hayate panted, extracting his kunai from the head of ROOT agent with a horrid squelching noise, before landing on the ground next to the dead body he had just created. He was basically out of chakra, given that little stunt he had just pulled required a lot of concentration and energy.
Still, he had won, and that was all that mattered in the end. From the distance, he could hear the Chūnin from the gates approaching. Hayate was grateful, for it meant that the children were okay, and the evidence would be successfully taken to the Hokage.
Hopes dashed away with the sound of a Shunshin, another ROOT agent appearing in front of him. This one seemed to be different, the cell's handler perhaps?
Hayate sighed to himself, looking up at the agent in defiance as his body twitched in exhaustion. He was a careful man, he had made plans and contingencies in the event of his death, but still…
Kind of sucked that it was happening.
'Yūgao. Kid…'
The blade rushed for his neck, and Hayate closed his eyes in acceptance. He had lived life best and to the fullest, and though saddened by those he left behind, he had no regrets.
Not a single damn one.
'See ya on the other side…'
Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered a great deal while painting his next piece of art on the canvas he had been graced with by his secretary. It had been a long night, so much so that the old Hokage could deem it to be "one of those nights". It had been relatively fine to start off with, until they received reports that there was something wrong with the archives, that the intruder sensors had gone off and basically signalled half of Konoha's ANBU to apprehend anyone foolish enough to even steal from the city of Konohagakure.
Of course, after the ANBU had conducted a thorough investigation, they had determined it had been a false alarm. At least, that was what it had looked like, until a report had come in that there had been an altercation by the orphanage. Which again, would have been an isolated incident had it not involved Naruto Uzumaki.
Hiruzen gripped his pipe tighter, clenching the wood as he thought of the boy who could have been captured or kill on this very night. The archive had been an elaborate distraction, something to cause everyone to look in one particular area while those responsible had gone after their true prize. That being an asset to the village, and someone Hiruzen held close to his heart dearly. His paint brush moved a touch hard against the canvas, his anger showing in the most miniscule of movements. With a sigh, Hiruzen opted to put the brush away, knowing he could not create a meaningful art piece in his current state.
He gazed out the window, recognising he needed to tend to the man sitting in the room.
Naruto was safe, thank the gods, but the situation was odd. He was accompanied by a girl, who Hiruzen knew to be the daughter of Minato's old teammate, Sagishi Kisho. And a boy from the orphanage, Luffy D. Monkey, though it seemed reports indicated he put his last name before his first. Sarutobi pondered such semantics briefly, only knowing of a few countries who structured names in such a manner. While potentially considering it something to look in to, both the boy and girl seemed mostly inconsequential, if not for their somewhat mute responses. Hiruzen postulated that the boy must have had fright upon seeing him, considering he barely spoke a word while the girl seemed to answer most of the questions.
Sagishi had been informed, and had taken her daughter home, though the orange-haired girl seemed to refuse to part from the boy who resided in the orphanage. Given the nature of the day, Hiruzen had given her permission to take him as well, given the Luffy boy was a resident of the orphanage and Sagishi couldn't just take him without any sort of official process. Naruto, of course, had been escorted home; though Hiruzen noted that the boy gave a tearful goodbye to Kisho. After all, he had been observing through his crystal ball. The two had become fast friends, something which had warmed his heart greatly. Interestingly enough, the boy also seemed to give another goodbye to the boy wearing the Straw Hat, who seemed even more receptive in their enthusiasm. More questions than answers, Hiruzen was at least glad Naruto had discovered friends to improve his life. His mind shifted back to the issue at hand.
What had been reported was that the three had been attacked by ANBU, but had been saved by Hayate Gekkō, whose body had been found on site alongside a ground ripped to shreds by Doton techniques and seemingly strong physical impacts. There were no other bodies, and yet the children reported that Hayate had managed to eliminate all three. Not only did this imply there were more, but they also cleaned up after themselves.
Which left Hiruzen where he was currently, the silent Danzō Shimura staring at him across his desk. His old teammate seemed to know why he was called here, given he had ears throughout the village. Sarutobi however, did not have time for his arrogant attitude.
"If this was you, old friend, I will mount your head on a spike." Hiruzen let the warning float in the air, which Danzō himself let sit there for a moment. The Hokage could not tell if the man was simply controlling the exchange, or genuinely thinking of a response to deign him with his bandaged face.
"I will, of course, deny all allegations; especially given a lack of evidence." His old teammate had responded calmly, and Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. That was all but a confession, but one that was put forward in a way that reminded Sarutobi he could not act without consequences; especially with the Uchiha Affair going on within their own walls. They were a suspect Danzō had attempted to push forward, and Hiruzen did genuinely consider it, but quickly dismissed such thoughts. After all, the Uchiha were not ready to tip their hand, and such actions would basically unearth any plans they may have had for revolt. Sarutobi could feel another headache coming along, the thought of a revolting Uchiha Clan giving him more than he wanted to deal with.
Hiruzen could only wonder what had changed for Danzō to act in such a way, especially considering the man's often tactile approach. This was an emergency manoeuvre, one that had tipped his hand, given it had failed. At least Sarutobi could find silver lining on that front. Hiruzen had always known of his old teammate's interest in securing Naruto's loyalty through his own methods, but this had all but confirmed his desire to do so. Not that the Hokage would ever let the snake get his hands on Minato's son.
"If that is all old friend, I am going to investigate such matters myself. After all, the situation is a troubling one." Danzō stood up, chair scraping against the floor as he did so, Hiruzen pausing with narrowed eyes. His tone had been dismissive, and yet truthful. Clearly, the mission's failure was something the man wanted to look into, especially if it shed light on a lack of capability within ROOT.
But Danzō often forgot who was in charge, and Sarutobi knew he needed to be reminded.
A dense killing intent flared towards Danzō Shimura, and the man visibly stumbled as he grasped at the door handle, both to leave and stabilise his somewhat weak knees. Hiruzen's eyes, shadowed by anger and the rage he felt stewing inside, glared at the back of his old teammate. A line was being drawn, clear as day, and Hiruzen would enforce it until the day he died.
"Understand this Danzō. If you go near Naruto again, I will end your miserable life." Hiruzen sat back at his desk, leaning in his chair as he sensed a new arrival, one to be expected given the events of the day. Upon seeing the man recover, and open the door, Hiruzen felt that his old teammate had decided to back off, at least for the time being.
"Understood Hokage-sama…"
And with that, his old teammate was gone, as quiet as he had arrived. A migraine emerged in the Hokage's head, frustrated by the current state of Konoha as the next arrival emerged in the room. All Hiruzen could think was of the loss of Minato, and how these matters should have been his to deal with, instead of some old man who was out of their time to properly handle them to the best of capabilities.
Sarutobi eyed the ANBU in the centre of the room, mask already in her hand. Eyes red, raw with emotion; Hiruzen let out a discontented and mournful sigh. The loss of Hayate Gekkō had been a rough one and would likely be felt amongst the ranks of the Konoha Shinobi force. He was an amazing ninja after all, one Sarutobi would miss for his level head and skill. But he was aware no one would miss him more than the woman in the centre of his office.
"Do we know who it was?" Yūgao Uzuki's voice was like steel, something Hiruzen had to commend her for, but he knew it was all for show. He could hear the stutter in her voice as she spoke, the emotion that was pouring off her in waves. She had lost the love of her life. Something which Hiruzen could relate to. Ever since his wife had died, his house had seemed emptier, and the Elemental Nations had no light left to shine on them. It was all just work from that day, with occasional sparks of joy lightning his life as opposed to a consistent sunshine. The Hokage pushed such thoughts aside, knowing Yūgao's entire world had been uprooted, and thus delivering his way of helping her in a way she was likely to initially oppose.
"As of now, no, we do not. But regardless of this, you are going to take a leave of absence Yūgao." Hiruzen could see the protests bubbling in her throat, but the look he shot her way left no room to argue. "Take time to mourn. When the time comes, and you will know it, you may return here to resume your service."
The silence sat in the air for a moment, before the woman gave a curt nod in thanks, leaving silently through the door as Danzō had. Hiruzen eyed her gait, and the energy that had once been there seemed to have died, ghost-like steps now treading in her wake. Hiruzen sighed, stewing in his office over another tragedy that had fallen over Konoha.
And yet, one question burnt in the mind of The Professor. Something he knew Danzō had been thinking as well, given the nature of their double-edged conversations.
Hayate Gekkō was a fine ninja, a master of the blade and a respected ninja. But the truth was clear to anyone who knew of ROOT. Because the fact of the matter was, Hayate could not defeat three ROOT ANBU to the degree that had been reported.
He was good, but not that good…
Which left Hiruzen pondering just who had dispatched of the ANBU. He watched the smoke emerge from his pipe, floating to the ceiling only to disperse naturally due to the air currents in the room.
Monkey D. Luffy. Nami Kisho.
It seems a closer eye would have to be kept on the two from now on…
The door clicked behind her, Luffy already sitting on her bed, humming to himself. The medical ninja had seen to Nami quite quickly, and her wounds had already mostly healed, though she had limbs wrapped in bandages. Nami briefly thought of the medical care she received and knew Chopper would die to get his hands on such techniques. Thinking of the reindeer didn't hurt anymore, Nami noted, as she stared at her grinning captain on the bed.
It hadn't taken very long for Luffy to worm his way into Sagishi Kisho's heart, this Nami knew. Luffy had that effect on everyone, and it seemed her mother would not be the exception. Of course, the woman had questioned Nami's desire to keep Luffy around, but the orange-haired girl had explained it through explanations of the fact Luffy had looked after her and Naruto while they were running. Nami did concede she may have shed a few crocodile tears in relation to the "trauma" she went through, though her heart did speed up when thinking of how she had nearly lost her new blonde charge. Honestly, after the interrogation from the Hokage, Nami was sick of just thinking of the entire situation.
She had established with Luffy and Naruto quite quickly to let her do the talking, knowing the former could not lie to save his life. The latter had agreed on the basis of his devotion to his friends, something that spread a small grin across her face even now. Luffy had of course listened, he usually did, and for that Nami was grateful. They needed to keep a low profile, especially now that they knew it was likely the rest of the crew was out there somewhere. It would do no good if they were locked up in Torture & Interrogation, which would make everything needlessly complicated.
Nami moved forwards, sitting on the bed next to Luffy, watching the mattress crease down slightly from their combined weight. She stopped to properly consider the entire day. As birthdays went, this one had been remarkable, considering it had reunited her with Luffy. But it had been stressful nonetheless, the thought causing Nami to briefly slump her shoulders. But in the end, Naruto was safe, and even better, he was even more uplifted than before, trauma aside. Luffy had once again worked his magic, and the two seemed to get on like two peas in a pod, her captain making the boy feel remarkably happy and calm given the events.
Luffy was owlishly looking around her room, as Nami turned her gaze to him, his mere presence bringing a smile to her face. Nami felt her mouth opening before she could think of what to say, emotion gathering in her very being as she fully reflected now the clouds had passed. "I really missed you…"
Luffy's expression twisted to a neutral one as he turned to her, which Nami knew was not a negative thing. She knew him after all, having dubbed that his "thinking face", when he was processing something actually important that gave him pause. His eyes studied her, and Nami knew he could already tell just how hard these years had been for her, given the kind of person she was. She felt him bump his shoulder against hers, a reassuring action that filled her very being with comfort, as a loving yet tight grin creased across his face. "I missed you too."
The two sat there in content silence briefly, letting the trauma of the years fade away, the presence of the other scaring such emotions off. It wasn't long before Nami realised something else, twirling her Clima Takt in her hand in a particular way, a cloud emerging from the weapon.
Zeus looked down at Nami with a confused expression.
"Nami, what's up? Are you okay?" The Homie seemed tired, considering the flight technique the two had performed, Zeus having done the equivalent of passing out when retreating back into the Clima Takt. Nami just smiled, watching as Zeus finally became more aware of his environment. "L-LUFFY?!"
A noise of happy disbelief emerged from Luffy's throat, as he stood up on the bed with one quick movement, which shifted Nami's position on the structure briefly. The navigator couldn't help but smile, seeing the cloud's joy, and that of Luffy's as well. "ZEUS!"
Luffy let out a laugh, jumping onto the cloud and hugging him, grinning from ear-to-ear as he almost rolled about on the fluffy exterior. The Straw Hat captain eventually shimmied his way across Zeus's back like a caterpillar, staring down at the cloud from above their eyes with a massive grin. The Homie, having finally processed the situation, smiled brightly with tears building in their eyes. "It's so good to see you!"
The two instantly began chatting away, much to Nami's joy, before she went to lie down on her bed, head hitting the comfortable pillows with a satisfying 'flumpf'. She could almost sink into her bed and feel sleep beckon upon her instantly she realised, and knew it was just her young body trying to compensate for the demands of an adult fight. Nami had already figured out that it was a miracle they had survived. It seemed they did not expect such capabilities to emerge from her and Luffy, and given the lethality of Luffy's strength and her Clima Takt, that mistake cost them.
Nami closed her eyes briefly, and she found herself being shaken awake, Luffy sitting cross-legged at the end of her bed with one hand stretched to her shoulder. Nami blinked at the beams of sunlight that entered through her window, and it didn't take her long to deduce she had fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion. Getting up with a brief yawn, Nami noted the look in Luffy's eyes as he retracted his hand back. Nami could instantly decipher it, as his hands went to grasp around his feet.
Sheer disbelief.
Nami was sure that she had the same expression now her brain had fully woken up, considering she had emerged from her slumber, with the fact he was still here.
He was still here...
She almost leapt from her position on the bed, slamming into Luffy like a bullet as her arms wrapped around his neck, forcing his back to hit the end of her bed frame. He let out a laugh, as did she, before she felt the arms coil around her in their rubbery fashion. She nestled into his shoulder, both of their breathing falling in sync as they remained there. Locked in happiness and comfort that their dreams and crew were still out there to be grasped.
And the two knew in the bottom of their hearts that everything was going to be okay. They would find the crew and get back home.
No matter what…
Omake: The Ghost of Iwa
The Third Great War had been raging on for five years, the Konoha jōnin noted, while tailing an Iwa caravan that contained weapons needed for their forward outpost on the warfront. His team of Chūnin were placed throughout the surrounding wilderness, ready to spring upon this foolish convoy and take such goods for their forces. Or in the event things got out of hand, they would simply destroy the convoy and move on.
The plan was simple. The Yamanaka they had with them would reinforce communication of the team through a telepathic link, while they had various fire-affinity ninja ready to set alight the wooden shipment if necessary. And he was the sensor, ready to detect any threats that may occur. There were other elements to the plan of course, but for most part, it would go off without a synch. Everything had gone perfectly, as a matter of fact.
Stopping this shipment was key to winning a critical battle that could end the War earlier than predicted, and the Hokage's eyes were on the team performing this mission. On his team.
And all was going perfectly…
Until the link broke.
It had been abrupt, a scream having echoed as a final warning in their heads, and all the spread out ninja were on alert, kunai and justu at the ready. A bad situation, but salvageable. At least, it was…
A chuckle echoed behind him, and the man turned around to see a seven-year-old girl leaning against a tree, black locks, and black eyes. The coal-like orbs seemed to pierce his soul, cutting deep into his psyche as the truth lay itself before him. This girl, it wasn't that she was hiding her Chakra, it was as if she didn't have a network at all!
Before he could even get a word or attack off, his body broke, leaving him dead with a snapped neck. The rest of his squad would soon follow, the Iwa caravan making its way safely to its destination.
And so did legends of the Ghost of Iwa begin…
Doton: Sajinarashi (Earth Release: Dust Storm) - A jutsu where the user slams their palms down on the ground, the chakra churning and compressed the ground beneath it, generating a large amount of soil that can be launched and manipulated towards an opponent with crushing force. This technique was used against Monkey D. Luffy by ROOT agent Onamari.
Doton: Tōjinbō (Earth Release: Fighting Blade Rod) - Upon using this jutsu, several columns of rock emerge from the ground, which create a maze-like structure. Its size and complex patterns can disorient opponents, and by memorising its layout, the user can take advantage and attack from blind spots. If an opponent is in an open area, the user can also attack them directly with a column in a localised fashion. This technique was used to launch Monkey D. Luffy in the air during his fight against ROOT agent Onamari.
Doton: Daichi Ganshō (Earth Release: Ground Bedrock) - After forming the necessary hand seals, the user creates two walls of earth which trap the opponents in between them. These walls can be shifted towards the opponent from a distance if follow up hand seals are used, causing the two walls to come together. This technique was used against Monkey D. Luffy and Nami at the hands of ROOT agent Onamari.
Doton: Doro Ōkami (Earth Release: Mud Wolves) - A trap technique that is activated when one comes into contact with the user's chakra. Upon doing so, pre-existing mud will form into wolves and attack. Despite being damaged, the wolves will simply reform, keeping the enemy occupied while the user makes a getaway. The only drawback about this technique is that setting it up is time-consuming and could allow the opponent to catch up. The technique can be defeated by dispersing the mud to such a degree it cannot reform. This technique was set up and used by ROOT agent Onamari, and failed to work in their fight against Monkey D. Luffy, though it later succeeded against Hayate Gekkō.
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu) - A cloning technique of Konoha that allows the user to create one or more copies of themselves, each with an equal amount of chakra. This technique was utilised by Hayate Gekkō to perform his Dance of the Crescent Moon technique.
Doton: Doryūsō (Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears) - This technique lets the user condense mud or stone from the ground and shape it into spikes that protrude from the ground in order to skewer the target. The spikes cannot penetrate targets of greater density. This technique can also produce a single spike, allowing it to be used as a makeshift knife. It was used by ROOT agent Onamari in their fight against Hayate Gekkō.
Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough) - The user breathes wind from their mouth, blowing away whatever is in front of them. The technique itself is quite simple, but its power varies significantly depending on the user's skill and how strong they make the winds and if used to a powerful degree, can drain Chakra heavily. This technique was utilised by Hayate Gekkō in their fight against ROOT agent Onamari.
Doton: Doryū Taiga (Earth Release: Earth Flow River) - The user transforms the surface underneath their opponent into a muddy river that sweeps them off their feet and carries them down stream. This technique can also be used as a medium for the Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet technique. This technique was utilised by ROOT agent Onamari to remove Hayate Gekkō's shadow clones from the battlefield.
And that is the third chapter done, as we see the first of our Straw Hats unite in a miracle. Sad to see Hayate go though, given he's frickin awesome, but his legacy will resonate throughout the rest of this massive story I've got planned; and you might say his death will causes ripples that lead to waves!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and do let me know how you are finding the writing style and combat pieces, as I decided to switch it up from my previous stories!
I hope the combat was intriguing as well. I had a tough, but fun time writing it.
Next chapter will focus on where Luffy and Nami go from here, with Luffy dragging Nami along on another one of his stupid ideas.
I know this chapter didn't feature a lot from Naruto's perspective, but I wanted to focus on the dynamic between Luffy and Nami mostly. The two have the strongest emotional bond on the crew in my opinion (which I tried to emphasise in my writing) and both are the kind who suffer from being alone, though Luffy is better at hiding it. Hope you all enjoyed the characterisation regardless!
Be sure to leave a review if you are keen, as they do lighten my mood!
This is, TheHumulisScriptor, signing out!
