Disclaimer: - I, SSG-Goku3397, do not own Naruto and any related matter. It all belongs to Kishimoto, the original brain behind the character Naruto. The only thing that I do own is the plot of this story and any original jutsu, seals, concepts and OC's that are present within the story.
"Thoughts / Telepathic Speech"
"Speech"
Letters / Jutsu notes
Chapter 20 – Chances
"This Ketsueki Bunshin will be your trainer until I return from my errand in Oni no Kuni. Is that understood!" Naruto called out like a drill sergeant causing all of the ninshu students to call out in unison, "HAI!"
Nodding to himself, Naruto said, "Until the Chunnin exams, all nominated Genin will be training to perfect their ninshu enough to cause trouble for most Rookie Jōnin, if not outright defeat them. That's the level of skills I expect to be showcased by the Konoha Genin I am teaching!"
"HAI!" All the Genin of teams 7, 8, 9 and 10 called out, with his own and Sakura's replacements being Sai and Konohamaru.
"The Chunnin, Jōnin and Anbu, your job is to master as much as you can. Then specialize in the specialized bending disciplines that I, Sakura and Konohamaru have discovered. Any questions?" Seeing that no questions were forthcoming, Naruto continued, "After you have mastered your elements, your job will be to teach the ninshu classes at the academy on a part time basis. UNDERSTOOD!"
"HAI!"
"Good! Now an assessment of skills for the Genin. As I call your name, step forward! UCHIHA SASUKE!"
Sasuke stepped forward with a nervous frown causing Naruto to chuckle and say, "Your skills are satisfactory Sasuke at the moment, but I advise that you start practicing lightning generation and if possible, redirection. I would like you to see if you can develop skills in Combustion Bending, but that is not as important as Lightning Generation. Other than that, I would say that you practice mixing in Fire Bending with your taijutsu. SAI!"
Sasuke nodded and stepped back into line as Sai moved forward. "Your basic skills are top notch. Your ink based ninjutsu is unique and powerful, but I believe that combining it with your budding skills in Water Bending would be a strong asset. Please try it and get back to me. SARUTOBI KONOHAMARU!"
Konohamaru took Sai's place with a nervous smile. "You need more active experience. To remedy that, I assign you to regular spars with the Jōnin, Anbu and Chunnin present here. Other than that, I would advise that you keep practicing your newly discovered Combustion Bending, but only while under the supervision of an experience Shinobi or by clone. Other than that, keep up the good work! HYŪGA HINATA!"
Hinata stepped forward with a small smile as she waited for her review. "You have come a long way from the shy girl I started training. Your skills in that modified Jūken has skyrocketed along with your mastery of Water Bending. Your unique use of water bending as an extension of yourself is quite interesting and I would advise that you advance it more. Your fluidity in bending water into ice is lacking a bit, so you should practice a bit more. Other than that, keep up the good work! ABURAME SHINO!"
Shino stepped up with a slight buzzing emanating from his jacket. "You are good Shino. There is no doubt about it, but unfortunately, your element is the exact opposite of what would have augmented your kikaichu. Even then, you have found the time and place to develop a style of Fire Bending where you strengthen your physical capabilities with fire. An excellent style, but the lack of range will be debilitating in the long run. My advice is that you start learning to generate lightning. Other than that, keep thinking of other ways to compliment your clan jutsu. INUZUKA KIBA!"
Kiba and Akamaru jumped forward with a little whoop causing Naruto to smile and say, "What can I say Akamaru? Your master is pathetic at the moment. He has already adequately mastered both Air and Fire bending, yet he doesn't use them to augment his clan techniques. I am sure that you have told him such ideas, but he ignored you. For that, I am sorry. Make sure that he develops a style to increase the potency of his clan jutsu, will you buddy?"
Kiba gaped at Naruto, who was ignoring him in favour of scratching Akamaru under the chin. The little dog let out a small yip that cause Kiba to gape even farther before staring at the small white puppy with a look of betrayal. "Alright Akamaru. I will hold you to your word. HYŪGA NEJI!"
Neji walked forward with a stoic expression but if anyone looked carefully enough, they would notice the hint of unease Neji felt. "You are a prodigy. That's what everyone says… I deny it. You are a fool and a prideful one at that. You believe that your Jūken will be enough and are only learning Earth Bending since your Clan Head wishes you too. Pick up your act soon Neji, or I will have to cut you from the program. You have the offensive power. Now develop the defensive power that earth is associated with. NOW, GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! HIGURASHI TENTEN!"
Neji rushed to hide behind his Sensei Gai while Tenten walked up with a cheerful grin. "How is the metal bending coming along?"
"Well enough, though I find that you can't bend platinum. Other than that, I am now absolutely positive that Fūton isn't my worst enemy any longer." Tenten said with bright eyes.
Naruto nodded, "Keep up the good work Tenten. If only all my students were like you. ROCK LEE!"
Tenten stepped back with a pleased expression on her face while Lee rushed forward with an excited one. "Rock Lee. A Shinobi with no aptitude for ninjutsu but a monstrous aptitude for Taijutsu. A Goken master in the making and a master of the Drunken Fist. For someone so young, you are very well polished. Like your aptitude for taijutsu, you have a similar affinity with your bending element, Air. To tell you the truth, I have very little left to teach you about the Air element. The rest comes with self-enlightenment and understanding of the very existence of Air. Achieve that, and I will give you the rank of Grand Master Air Bender. The same rank I am in Air Bending. Keep up the good work Lee. AKIMICHI CHŌJI!"
Chōji lumbered forward while munching on a pack of chips and waited for Naruto to speak. "You have a great deal more to learn about the Earth element, but you have adequate skills in bending the element to your will that it allows you to easily compliment your clan taijutsu style and jutsu. I advise spending more time in mastering basic earth bending before trying to master either Metal, Lava or Crystal Bending. Keep up the good work Chōji. NARA SHIKAMARU!"
Shikamaru lazily walked forward only jump back in shock as a pillar of earth tried to strike out at him. "Oi! What's the big idea?"
"Simple. I wanted to see if you could be motivated more. Now that I see it is possible, I have a new training regime for you. Since you were too lazy to master water bending to an appreciable degree, I have decided to personally tutor you. Isn't that a great thing Shika. We are going to have so much fun together!" Naruto said with a sweet smile that caused a shiver to run down Shikamaru's spine while Anko just grinned in glee. "Anyway, YAMANAKA INO!"
Ino walked forward with her head held high. Her dress had changed a lot under the influence of Anko and now consisted of a purple mini skirt that revealed her milky smooth legs, a skin fit purple crop top that accentuated her developing curves and visible fishnet blouse and short shorts underneath her top and skirt. Fishnet armour around her elbows and knees and a purple trench coat with fishnet armour weaved into it. Naruto looked over Ino's new wardrobe before giving an approving nod and commenting, "You have been spending too much time with Anko. Anyway, your skills with Air Bending is at the same level Lee's are, but you have the more esoteric Astral Projection and Telekinesis under your belt. Something that most don't have the mental disposition to have. Lee, in time will reach the disposition to use Astral Projection and I hope that it will be soon. On the other hand, he will never be able to develop Telekinesis as his mind isn't of the right disposition. Anyway, keep up your training and please try not to deconstruct Konoha with your Telekinesis, Ino. Your Spirit Illusions are quite frightening as well. Keep up the good work."
Ino nodded with a satisfied smile as she stepped back into line. Naruto turned to the gathered Shinobi and Kunoichi and said, "I am proud of you all, especially the Genin. You have all come a long way in a very short time. For the Chunnin, keep practicing. You have nearly mastered the intermediate techniques. The Jōnin and Anbu, you are near mastering the advanced ones. Keep up the good work and try not to showcase your skills to the foreigners yet. DISMISSED!" With a chorus of acknowledgement, the group dispersed into thin air with Naruto not far behind.
A middle aged woman wearing expensive silk robes of a Miko was sitting in her private zen garden, meditating. A small smile was gracing the woman's face as she meditated. Suddenly the eyes opened and the woman rose with near supernatural grace, as she turned to the shoji door and walked into the castle. A soon as she entered the castle proper, she ran into his advisor.
"Miroku-sama, good morning! Shall I have your tea delivered to your private dining room? Also, Shion-hime should be up soon."
Miroku nodded in greeting before commenting, "That would be lovely. Also, an important messenger will soon arrive. Make sure that he isn't delayed. His reputation precedes him, but I must meet with him immediately. If any of the samurai protest, tell them that their service is no longer required. I shall not accept any insult towards our guest or his master!"
The advisor, an old man looked startled but nodded in understanding while thinking who is this messenger and his master that Miroku-sama would be so interested in their arrival. Bowing low, the advisor rushed to let the samurai captain know about Miroku's orders as Miroku simply walked towards her private dining room.
"Wow. That's one grand palace!" Zabuza exclaimed to himself as he approached the gates to the veritable fortress, though for a ninja of his calibre, it would be easy to infiltrate it.
"Halt! Who goes there?" A guard called out causing Zabuza to come to a stop in front of the gates where two Samurai were standing. One of them was the speaker.
"I am here on behalf of my Daimyō bearing an important message for Miroku-sama!" Zabuza said handing over the small missive bearing the Seal of the Uzu Daimyō.
The guard checked the authenticity of the seal before handing it back to Zabuza with a smile and said, "Miroku-sama has been expecting you Zabuza-san. Please follow Yamabuki-san. She will lead you to Miroku-sama!"
With a nod, Zabuza took the scroll back and walked through the gates only to be met by a courtesan in an expensive kimono. With a nod of greeting, the woman turned and head back to the castle proper with Zabuza following. They walked in silence for a few minutes before they reached the entrance to a massive chamber. At the doors, the Advisor was waiting with an expectant expression. On seeing Zabuza and the Uzu Hitai-ate on his head, the man's eyes nearly popped out as he bowed and greeted, "Welcome to Oni no Kuni, Zabuza-san. I am Komamura and I am the personal advisor to Miroku-sama. Please follow me. Yamabuki, you may return to your duties!"
Miroku placed the scroll on the small table beside her and nodded in appreciation to Zabuza. "I thank you for bringing this to my attention. Until recently, I had thought that Naruto-dono was not interested in discussing the contract further. I will be having a room prepared for you, Naruto-sama and the two girls he will be bringing with him. Please enjoy your time here Zabuza-san, but before you leave with Yamabuki-san, I wish to have a few things clarified."
"I am here to serve Miroku-sama!" Zabuza said with a smile that was hidden behind the bandages.
Miroku looked pleased as she asked, "There are many rumours about Naruto-dono. I wish to know your honest opinion. What do you think of him? I promise that your thoughts will be held in confidence."
Zabuza straightened up and with his head held up in pride, said, "It is my greatest honour to serve Naruto-sama. He is a shinobi who hasn't fallen to the age old truth of take everything you hear with a grain of salt. He easily deduced my reasons for betraying Yagura and then offered me the chance to help Kiri. In return he asked me to help him bring Uzu back to prominence. Which, I am glad to do. He is an honourable man, but powerful and strong willed. None can make him change his mind if it is the right thing to do. He prefers peace and is working towards it. His greatest hope is the facilitate complete understanding between every country and every man, woman and child. A goal I wholeheartedly throw myself behind. He is the kindest person I have met, but he is also the greatest nightmare of those who are his enemies. He is not as arrogant as people in his shoes become. He is confident in his skills and judgement but isn't against taking advise from everyone around him. A better leader one can't hope to serve in a million lifetimes. He is a beacon of hope, a role model to all shinobi, kunoichi and even the heirs to many of the nations. To summarise, Uzumaki Naruto-sama is a god amongst men. A perfect being. A mortal who has ascended to the realm of the gods!"
Miroku coughed stopping Zabuza in his speech of praise. "That will be enough Zabuza-san. I have got enough from your speech to understand Naruto-dono better. Please follow Yamabuki-san now." Miroku said with a smile as Zabuza nodded before walking out of the chamber to meet up with the imposing woman who lead him in from the gates.
After Zabuza left, Miroku chuckled and said to herself, "That's interesting. It seems that young Naruto has a way of earing the loyalty of his retainers without even trying. I am sure that you would be proud of him Minato-dono." Miroku sat in silence contemplation for a couple of hours before calling out, "Guards! Send a message to Shion-chan that I will meet with her immediately. Have her come to my personal bedchamber!"
Shion was a beautiful young lady with long platinum blonde hair and pale pink-violet eyes. Unfortunately, for all her beauty and grace, she was also a bit hot tempered and a with an air of arrogance. While she would never demean a servant or those of lower rank than her, but she did have a habit of scolding them if they did something she didn't like. Her future adviser and bodyguard Taruho was one of the ones who was particularly targeted.
It had been three days since her mother had shown her the missive and the old documents from the negotiation she was going through with the Yondaime Hokage. Ever since she learned of her possible betrothal in the near future, she had been in a foul mood.
"Shion-sama! We really should be back inside the Castle! Miroku-sama will be angry at you again!" Taruho pleaded only for Shion to again ignore him. Most of the time, Shino was quite agreeable with all the rules her mother placed on her, but at this moment she wasn't being very compromising.
She had snuck out of the castle, against Taruho's protests and without her guards as well. Taruho had been complaining and tiring to get her to change her mind for nearly an hour now and it was annoying the young priestess beyond her tolerance point.
"Shut up Taruho! Why should I return back to the castle only to get another lecture from my mother? Here she expects me to just accept my being married off to some unknown middle-aged Daimyō and I am not even fourteen yet! How can you expect me to stay near her at this moment?"
Seeing the anger and sadness in Shion's eyes, Taruho decided to keep quiet for the moment. He could understand her a bit. He didn't want to train to become the next head bodyguard and advisor for the next Priestess, but here he was following Shion about, trying to form some kind of friendship that would make the situation better, but he wasn't about to say it and direct the young priestess's wrath on him.
Deep in thought, Taruho followed Shion into the forests to the east of the Castle, towards a small clearing that had a waterfall. He was so distracted by his thoughts that he missed the shadows moving about around them. A scream drew his attention back to the world and saw that they were surrounded by a group of scruffy bandits. One of them had caught hold of Shion's arms and was dragging her away while the others had unsheathed their myriad of weapons and was pointing them at him.
"Shion-sama!" Taruho screamed as he unsheathed his sword just as a sword pierced through his chest.
As Shion was walking through the forest with Taruho cowardly following her, she was suddenly overcome with a vision.
She saw a katana bearing down on her, her face and arms splattered with blood, when an unknown boy with spiky golden hair and cerulean eyes suddenly appeared and was cut down by the offending blade. Just as the vision ended, Shion found herself being pulled by the strong arms deeper into the forest.
"HELP!" Shion screamed as she was being pulled away and turned her head towards Taruho.
"Shion-sama!"
Shion watched as Taruho drew his spatha only to for an O-katana blade to emerge from his chest. The large bandit behind him grinning as he leered at Shion and said, "Hime-sama, you really shouldn't be wandering out here all alone. What if something happened to you like what happened to this poor boy? Please let us escort you to some place safe!"
Shion stood there with her arms still in the other bandit's arms in shock before it turned to anger. A burst of rainbow coloured chakra burst out of her completely shredding the arms of the bandit holding her.
"AHHHHH!" The bandit screamed as he fell to the ground cradling the stumps of his arms to his chest. Seeing the state of their fellow bandit, the other bandits charged towards Shion, with the one, who had attacked Taruho being the first to reach her.
Shion watched in horror and shock, with blood splattering her face, as the sword swung down towards her. Just like in her vision, the spiky blonde haired boy appeared and took the strike and was cut down, right before the same boy appeared with two girls. One with hair of a vibrant sapphire blue and the other had hair of a deep scarlet red shade.
"Karin, take care of the boy. Suiren, end these pathetic lowlifes!" The blonde haired boy commanded as he easily dispatched the closest bandits. With just a look, the bandits fell to the ground clutching their hearts.
The red haired girl, who Shion realized was Karin, nodded and moved over to Taruho. Cutting her palm, Karin placed the bleeding palm on Taruho's chest and closed her eyes. A deep golden glow surrounded Taruho and the palm before fading as the girl pulled back the palm with a slight stumble.
At the same time, the girl who Shion knew to be Suiren stomp on the ground causing pillars of sapphire crystal to emerge from the ground and with a snap of her fingers, all of them shattered into glittering sapphire dust that she then controlled with motions of her arms, hands, fingers and legs to flow around and kill all the remaining bandits within a span of a few seconds.
Shion watched in amazement as the girl, barely as old as herself was easily able to destroy all of these bandits while another was able to heal Taruho from what looked to be a completely mortal wound within seconds. The most astonishing fact was that the boy seemed to be even more powerful if he was able to take down the closest bandits with just a look.
"What do you think Naruto-sama?" Suiren asked with a bashful expression.
Naruto nodded with a smile as Karin looked at the massacre of glittering bodies. All of them killed by the crystal dust they breathed in. Karin commented, "Did you have to rip their innards to shreds Suiren?"
Naruto, as Shion now identified him from what Suiren called him looked at the bodies and then Taruho before staring into Naruto's cerulean eyes. A small blush appeared on her face right before she collapsed into Naruto's arms in a dead faint.
"Wow! She lasted much longer than I expected from a prissy princess. She went down from as sudden absence of adrenalin guys. No need to worry, but I would like it if we can get this boy to someplace safe."
Everyone nodded to Karin's suggestion as a yellow chakra cloak formed around Naruto before two chakra arms reached out of his body and gently clasped the unconscious duo. Without any overt signal, the two girls with him suddenly gained a bubbling red cloak of chakra before all three shinobi and kunoichi suddenly vanished into thin air.
An orange haired man was standing on a tall tower overlooking the village that was his domain. The whole village consisted of large metallic towers with hordes of pipes running down their sides. A heavy downpour was a constant in this village causing most citizens to wear heavy cloaks, large kasa hats and carry umbrellas. Not even the shinobi were spared as most used a combination of the above stated clothing combined with rebreathers as a uniform.
The orange haired man had rippling purple eyes and piercings of some kind of black metal all over his face. He was wearing a black cloak with red clouds on it and his spiky hair was swaying in the slight breeze. The man was serenely watching over the village when he sensed a disturbance at the edges of his domain.
At the same time, a blue haired woman wearing a similar cloak appeared beside him with a concerned look. Before the woman could make a comment, the man spoke up, "Get ready Konan. The Kyūbi is here!"
"Are you sure Pein? The amount of chakra I am sensing isn't enough to be that of the Kyūbi."
"No I am sure of it. Uzumaki Naruto is more dangerous than I believed, if he can easily supress this much of his chakra. You felt the disturbance. We should have felt him entering Ame far earlier than we did. He was able to do something that I doubt even Sensei would have been able to do. Am I wrong in my assumption Uzumaki Naruto?"
Konan jumped at the sudden exclamation as she finally sensed the presence of the infamous Jinchūriki right behind her. Subtly pulling out a piece of paper, Konan prepared to fight lamenting that a fight of such a magnitude would occur right in the middle of her beloved village. The potential of collateral was immense.
Naruto chuckled, "I am not here to fight. Just to talk. I am not even really here. My friends and family wouldn't take kindly to me placing into a possibly hostile situation, no matter how powerful I am, without proper notice."
"So you aren't here. That means that the rumours of you having perfected the Ketsueki Bunshin are true!" Konan asked in awe.
Naruto nodded causing both Konan and Pein to share a look. A look that conveyed their thoughts to each other. A simple though, "Why would he reveal his hand? Unless he was confident that we aren't a threat to his person."
Pein coughed drawing Naruto's attention. "What is it you wish to speak of?"
Pein narrowed his eyes as Naruto grinned as he casually leaned on the pipe behind him, his arms where both Konan and himself could see. The whole unconcerned air about Naruto put Pein on edge. It reminded him of the Tobi. Even if he was loath to agree, he had to accept that Tobi was someone out of his league.
"You know Nagato, even though you are talking through Yahiko's body like a creepy puppet master, you have a good dream. Peace is something that I also strive for. As for Tobi, or Obito as is his real name, is a coward who hides behind a mask, both figuratively and literally. If you have even an inkling of your heritage, outside those fancy eyes of yours, you would know that with proper preparation, Tobi is as dangerous as a limbless Hidan."
"How do you know those names?" Pein asked with a cold tone causing Naruto to chuckle.
"I must tell you, you have done a good job hiding much, but there is no absolute certainty that what you have hidden would remain as such. Time is a great teacher. All is revealed in due time." Pein growled as Konan was now doubting their chances at taking on even this clone of Naruto, not to mention that he knew too much information.
"You still haven't answered Uzumaki. What is it you are here for?"
"No need to be so grouchy. Does prolonged sitting on a stone throne with metal spikes merged with your spine causes you to get a pole up your ass? This isn't how an Uzumaki acts. You aren't acting much like the Uzumaki you are."
Pein and Konan were alarmed at the sudden comment. It hit too close to home for Konan causing the woman to throw the pieces of paper at Naruto only to find the very rains around Ame to come to the yellow haired Jinchūriki's aid. The paper was encased in sphere of ice which crumbled into snow. At the same time, Konan and Pein found their bodies no longer obeying them.
"That's not very nice you know. I am here to just talk. If I was a threat, you wouldn't have even realized I was here until I had already slit your throats. Anyway, as to why I am here… Oh right – I am here to warn you Uzumaki Nagato. As kin, I am here to warn you that your journey will not end well. Your dream will not be fulfilled if you keep on the path you are following."
"And how would you know that?" Pein growled out in anger.
"Because I am one of the few people in the world who has been privileged to get a glimpse into the future. The path you are on will only lead to war Nagato. If you wish for more information, come seek me out. In six months, an official invitation will arrive in Ame for my marriage. I hope you accept it. You are welcome as well Konan. I am sure Jiraiya would love to see you both alive. Come with your real body Nagato. I am sure that our cousin, Karin, my best friend Sakura and Tsunade of the Sannin will be able to help you with your physical situation."
"How do you know that we won't use the invitation to attack?" Konan asked with a frown.
Naruto gave a mirthless chuckle and said, "I don't, but I have faith that there is still a bit of the real Uzumaki Nagato within the shell that is Pein. We Uzumaki don't break our word. We Uzumaki don't let harm befall family and friends if we are able to prevent it. And most of all, we Uzumaki have always followed our hearts, not the whispers of others. The price of betrayal by family is not something we talk about, but the price is greater than Death himself. Eternal pain is what awaits a traitor to the Uzumaki."
Konan and Pein felt the metaphysical grips on their body release them as they stumbled, but before they could recover, both felt a tap on their foreheads before a massive pain erupted within the core of their minds as images flashed through them. Both crumbled onto the roof, clutching their heads.
The images were seen from Naruto's perspective. Images of a devastated Konoha. Image of Naruto fighting and defeating Pein and his six paths by himself. Images of the talk Nagato and Naruto had which finally led to the use of the Gedo – Rinne Tensei no Jutsu by Pein to revive the dead citizens and shinobi of Konoha. The attack at the Gokage Summit by Tobi. The beginnings of the Fourth Great Shinobi War. The arrival of Madara and Tobi on the battle field with the Gedo Mazo that transformed into the Jūbi. The arrival of the past Hokage's and the devastation that followed. Finally, the image of Naruto trying some kind of jutsu just as the gigantic Bijūdama struck the allied shinobi forces and all was engulfed in white light as someone tackled him.
As the images faded along with the migraine, Pein and Konan opened their eyes to see that they had been lying on the roof for a few hours now as the over cast sky was now becoming reddish signifying that twilight was approaching. Looking around and focusing their attention to the sensory jutsu connected to the falling rains, they realized that Naruto's presence wasn't there anymore.
"He is gone, right Nagato?" Konan asked with a shaky tone.
Pein was staring at the ground in thought when Konan asked her question causing him to start, "Huh, did you say something Konan?"
Konan sighed before saying, "Don't let his words get to you. I doubt the images we saw were real. They must have been a genjutsu of some kind!"
Pein sighed as he shook his head. "No it wasn't Konan. If I am not mistaken, the pain is a signature of the Uzumaki memory transcription seal. It is one of my Clan's ways to quickly transfer knowledge of events to others. There are rumours that Naruto has the ability to glimpse into the future. But then again, the jutsu Naruto was trying to use, I don't know why, but for some reason the only thought popping into my mind is the Ninpō: Kako no yūrei. It must be a technique that is deigned to send the memories of the present to the past self. I believe that since I recognized it, it must be a technique created by the Rikudō Sennin. It uses the outer path. At least that much I can recognize. Other than that, I don't understand anything about it, but I would recommend not using it as the thought of only a single try is pervading my mind."
"Are you saying that he is from the future?" Konan asked with incredulity.
"I don't know. It may have been a vision of his that he shared. A possibility, but I must think more on this development. We must talk with him to get the whole picture, but I believe that his warning is sound, not to mention the qualities of the Uzumaki he mentioned. I had forgotten all what my parents had taught in my bid to gain peace. Don't let this information leak Konan. We can't let the others know about the opportunity. He has offered a hand of trust. I won't be a traitor to my kin!"
"If you think that it is worthy Nagato, I will follow you. About the offer to heal you, do you think it was genuine?"
Pein chuckled and said, "I remember my mother saying once that we Uzumaki have been known to break the rules of impossibility more times that we care to count. I am sure that it will be so again."
"What about Akatsuki, Nagato? Tobi won't let us walk away, you know this!"
Pein narrowed his eyes before saying, "I didn't say that we give up our plans Konan. I will postpone them until we go and meet with Naruto and discussed the prospective probability of the visions coming to pass. Until then, we lie low. Not that difficult with the sudden change in the political climate of the nations and the amount of power Uzumaki Naruto is holding now."
Konan nodded before she dissipated into thin sheets of paper and vanished with Pein turning around and staring out into the horizon. A single thought floating about, "What do you wish to gain from this Uzumaki Naruto-sama?"
The last thing she remembered was seeing a pair of cerulean eyes looking at her with concern and recognition. Sitting up, she looked around to see that she was in her bed chamber in the palace. With confusion, Shion closed her eyes and tried to think of how she ended up here, when she was just moments ago walking at the edge of the forest with Taruho, or was it all just a dream.
As she sat there in silence trying, to remember, the only thing flashing in her mind were two girls with vibrant sapphire blue and deep scarlet red hair and a blonde haired boy with the most gorgeous cerulean eyes. The thought of those eyes caused a faint blush to appear on the young Miko's face.
As the girl sat there in thought, trying to piece together the set of events that led to her meeting the owner of those cerulean eyes, one of her handmaidens walked into the chamber with a tray containing a bowl of water and a cloth. Seeing Shion sitting and awake, the woman set the tray on a small table resting beside the doors as she rushed forward with an exclamation of, "Shion-sama! You are awake. Miroku-sama will be so pleased! How are you feeling now?"
Shion scrunched up her face in confusion before asking, "How do I find myself here Mako? The only thing I can remember is Taruho being killed and then three shinobi appearing and killing the bandits that had us surrounded."
Mako nodded with a reassuring smile and said, "It's a good thing Naruto-sama was passing by on his journey here. He, his cousin and his retainer found you and Taruho-kun. As you remember, they took care of the bandits before escorting you back here. Unfortunately, you had passed out due to a sudden receding of the adrenaline running within your body, or that's what Uzumaki Karin-sama told us."
"The red haired girl?" Shion asked as the name flashed in her mind. Mako nodded with a smile.
"That she is. The other girl is the head of the Noble Makesshō Clan of Uzu, Makesshō Suiren-sama." Shion nodded and motioned for the woman to continue as the woman hesitated.
Seeing the hesitation, Shion asked, "And the handsome young shinobi with those beautiful cerulean eyes?"
Shion didn't realize her slip but Mako picked up on the small crush that the young Miko was developing, so with a knowing smile, said, "Shinobi-san is the Present Daimyō of Uzu no Kuni and your possible future husband, Uzumaki Naruto-sama!"
Shion's eyes widened in shock at the revelation. The boy who save her was probably going to become her future husband. The same person she had decided to hate for forcing her into such a difficult position. A position that she was not willing to accept. A decision that she was now in conflict with, especially since she knew that her husband-to-be wasn't that much older than her, probably even younger than her.
Seeing Shion sitting there in silence with her inner conflict clearly visible, Mako sighed and said, "If I may Shion-sama, don't judge someone before you get to know them. Take this as an advice from someone who has lived on this cruel world longer than you, not everything is as it seems at first light."
Shion nodded, and slowly the conflict vanished as Shion came to a decision. Mako smiled and said, "I will have a bath drawn up for you and then have your finest ceremonial kimono ready. Now that that's out of the way, what were you thinking? Going out into the forest with only Taruho. That was very irresponsible of you. Miroku-sama and I didn't raise you like that. You are usually such an obedient child. What caused you to put yourself in danger like that?"
"Sorry about that Mako. I was not thinking straight. I just wanted to get as far away from Haha-ue. She hasn't been taking my passive resistance to the thought of my marriage well."
"She just wishes the best for you. Besides, I know for a fact that the Treaty Contract has a clause that would keep the treaty active and also let you and Naruto-sama not having to marry, if either of you didn't like each other." Seeing the confused look on Shion's eyes, Mako said, "Miroku-sama had asked my opinion on the marriage part of the treaty. It was my idea. An idea that Naruto-sama's Haha-ue and Chichi-ue had completely agreed with."
"I see. Anyway, I have decided not to fight Haha-ue on this issue any longer, but I will still not accept the marriage unless I am sure that it is in my best intentions."
"Prefect. I will let Miroku-sama know. She will be very proud of you, just as I am. You are growing up into a beautiful and wise young lady. I would have scolded you if you had accepted without thinking of the consequences. Besides from what I heard from Karin-sama and Suiren-sama, Naruto-sama is a fine young man. He would be a fitting husband for our beautiful and precious young princess! Not to mention pleasant on the eyes as well." Mako teased causing Shion to blush harder. With a chuckle, Mako stood up and walked out of the room calling out, "I will have the bath ready in five minutes. And don't worry about Taruho-kun. He will be just fine. Karin-sama made sure that he will live to a ripe age, unless he does something stupid and gets killed in the process."
Hearing that Taruho was fine, Shion breathed a sigh of relief and prayed to the gods for the good fortune that was shining upon her. As she stood up to head to her private Onsen, a thought occurred to her. Until then, all of her visions had come true. Until then, she believed that she had been cursed to see the death of all those around her. For the first time, her vision was proved false. A small seed of doubt was planted. A seed that would sprout into a mighty tree in time.
Miroku sat at the balcony looking over the large training ground her guards normally used for training. Instead of the samurai, a different kind of soldiers were training in it. Two girls, one with deep scarlet hair and the other with vibrant sapphire hair were battling each other. The scarlet haired girl had conjured yellow glowing chains and were manipulating them to attack the other girl, while the other girl was attacking with the floating sapphire crystals, the glittering crystal dust and the very earth itself.
From time to time, the red haired girl was launching some kind of technique that Miroku could only call magic as the girl was pointing her fingers or palms and releasing devastating waves of energy or beams of light that either caused harm or from what she understood, were sealing techniques. But, the question was, how can someone use Fūinjutsu without proper shiki?
"Those are sealing techniques I developed with my understanding of the elements and the nature of chakra itself. As an accomplished fūinjutsu user, I am sure that you can understand that with the proper formula or shiki to be precise, we can do well-nigh anything that takes our fancy." Naruto commented from her side causing Miroku to nod in agreement.
"But I question why would you develop such techniques? Such Jutsu could be very dangerous in the wrong hands."
"I agree with you, but only those of my Clan and those approved my both the Clan Head and the Majority of Elders of the Clan will be allowed access to these techniques. Even amongst my Clan, only those showing the potential to be a Battle Fūinjutsu Master will be allowed to study them, and that's after studying the old Battle Fūinjutsu Uzumaki Senju Mito was known for."
Miroku nodded but before she could comment, Naruto jumped off the balcony and landed right in between the two girls and with a grin said, "Great job you two. Karin, you need to focus more on developing your control of Kagura Shingan. It would be extremely valuable during battles. Suiren, clear your mind more. Wait and react. If you do so, the very earth will become your ally. It will bring the vibrations of those touching it to you and alert you to potential hostiles. Other than that, both of you have gained great control of your individual abilities. Soon we shall start your training in ninshu Karin. Prepare as fire is an element that shouldn't be underestimated and disrespected. It is the element of life, creation and destruction. Misusing it would only lead to destruction. And Suiren, you are allowing your cloud of crystal dust to become too thinned out over time. Replace the lost dust as you attack and defend. Learn to split your mind to do both."
"HAI NARUTO-SAMA!" Suiren screamed from an attention position while Karin just chuckled and said, "As you wish Naruto. So, are we done for the day?"
"Yes you are done. Take a rest and watch the show. I am sure that both of you would love it, especially since you have trained under Zabuza before."
A vein throbbed on Karin and Suiren's forehead at the reference to the hell Zabuza called training before a pleased smile graced their lips at the ass kicking Naruto was about to inflict on the present strongest Jōnin of Uzu.
Shion had finished bathing and was now clad in an ornate ceremonial kimono with red hakama and white kosode. Her hair was pulled up in a bun with ornate jade chopsticks running through it, holding the hair in place. Finally, a pin with a crystal bell was pinned to the bun. A tabi and zori were adorning her feet.
Thus attired, the young miko walked onto the balcony overlooking the training grounds with a curious expression on her face. As she walked reached her mother, without a word, she sat down on the empty seat beside her and turned her face to the battle field. What she saw, caught her by surprise.
"Is that all you got Zabuza? As the Jōnin Commander of Uzu, I find you lacking!" Naruto taunted as he easily parried Zabuza's overhead slash and buried the end of his staff in the former Nukenin's stomach.
Jumping back, Zabuza growled and channelled his chakra into the blade of his katana causing a faint blue glow to engulf the blade as Zabuza sheathed the sword in its saya and took a standard Iai position. Taking a calming breath, Zabuza unsheathed the katana in a graceful arc causing the gathered chakra to fly off in a destructive wave.
"Now that's more like it!" Naruto said as he spurns his bo staff before slamming it into the ground causing a wall of shadows to erupt and absorb the flying blade of chakra. With a grin, Naruto used the staff as makeshift pole vault and jumped over the wall towards Zabuza, causing the kenjutsu specialist to chuckle and rush forward to intercept only to have to jump back when the shadow behind Naruto to erupt in a wave of shadow spikes.
With the rush of adrenalin and grace born out of years of practice and experience, Zabuza easily dodged, spurn and parried the spikes as he approached Naruto with his katana taking on a faint blue glow. At the same time, Naruto's staff took on a pale black glow as he charged forward to meet Zabuza head on.
"So?"
Hearing her mother's sudden question startled Shion causing Miroku to chuckle and ask again, "So? What do you think. Is he to your liking?"
"That waits to be seen yet, but I will agree that I was too hasty in judging him without even getting to know him or even who my prospective husband would be. I will allow him the chance to win my affections." Shion said with a haughty attitude.
"That's good, because I am sure that he will succeed. Now let us keep watching. I will officially introduce you two at lunch, which should be in a couple of hours." Shion nodded as she returned her attention back to the intense spar occurring on the training field.
By the time lunch came by, Shion and Miroku were shocked to see that both were still fighting with just as much vigour as they started with. The only difference was the slow increase in their skills in using their individual weapons. Never before had they seen such quick development of skills from the samurai pledged to their family, or even the ninja that they had, had the privilege of watching train.
A/N:
Japanese Translations
Kikaichu = Distruction Beetles
Miko = Priestess
Oni no Kuni = Land of Demons
Hime = Princess
Kasa = Reed hats worn in Ancient Japan
Gedo Mazo = Demonic Statue of the Outer Path
Sannin = Three Ninja
Rikudō Sennin = Six-Paths Sage
Uzu no Kuni = Land of Whirlpools
Haha-ue = Honorable Mother
Chichi-ue = Honorable Father
Shiki = Formula
Kagura Shingan = Mind Eye of Kagura
Japanese Jutsu, Style and Weapon Name Translations
Ketsueki Bunshin = Blood Clone
Jūken = Gentle Fist
Goken = Strong Fist
Gedo – Rinne Tensei no Jutsu = Outer Path – Samasara of Heavenly Life Technique
Bijūdama = Tailed Beast Bomb
Ninpō: Kako no yūrei = Ninja Art: Ghosts of the Past
A/N: OH LOOK! An early Update. I hope all of you enjoy it! And make sure to leave a comment.
SSG.
