Chapter 28

Bonds Forged

"Ya know…" Fuu stares at the ceiling of Naruto's room from the cot they set up for her. "I really think I'm gonna love it here. Your friends are pretty great people, Naruto."

"Well, most of them." He slowly grins. "Kiba's kind of an asshole."

Yoko yawns. "I believe Sasuke trumps him by far. Though I do wonder why Akamaru puts up with his antics."

Naruto shrugs. "They were raised together. They may not be the same species, but they're siblings regardless."

She hums. "Well, that's certainly a concept I can grasp, Naruto-nii. I suppose I deal with equal levels of idiocy from you."

"Oy."

Fuu giggles a bit. "So this is what it's like to have a family, huh?"

Naruto's smile slowly fades. "Hmm… I guess it's common practice for jinchuuriki to be orphans, huh?"

She nods solemnly. "From what Chomei's told me, yeah. It's pretty well-known among those familiar with them that the life of a jinchuuriki tends to suck, and be alienated. So it's better to pick someone who has no attachments to lose."

Naruto grumbles. "Makes sense, but doesn't mean it isn't horseshit."

"Yeah... but hey." She peeks up to him with a smile. "I've got you, you've got a family now, and great friends… We're breaking that trend."

Naruto slowly smiles and nods as he peeks out the window to the glow of the crescent moon, thin and sharp in the night sky. "Yeah… let's be sure to help others if we meet them."

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Deep beneath the earth, among the decay of the earliest foundations of the village, lies the roots and burrowing snakes. A great white snake approaches the mightiest of roots with a gleeful chuckle. "Danzo, my dear old friend. I hear things are getting quite interesting in your neck of the woods."

Danzo hums as he turns to face Orochimaru. "Interesting is certainly a word for it. At risk of sounding like the damnable Naras, I'd say troublesome is more accurate."

"Oh, certainly." His grin widens. "I hear the latest generation is quite something. Changing the world already! A new jinchuuruki among your ranks, talented youngsters who can conquer Jonin like none since Itachi, including his own little brother, and some remarkable political plays employed by your old rival." He hums. "As much as I despise my old sensei, I must admit I haven't seen him be so bold in many decades. It's inspiring!"

"And that boldness risks drawing enemies straight through our gates in the guise of a peace treaty that will never work. Bold is something I can respect, the means do not produce a functional end." Danzo growls. "He must be dealt with, and I believe with the right sequence of actions, we may be able to crush the opposition in the same move as weeding out the weakest and most detrimental of Konoha's people."

"Ah, I see…" Orochimaru slowly pulls a kunai from his sleeve and traces the edge. "A truce to assist me in removing the greatest thorn from your side so you may conquer in his place. Information and safe passage into the village to do your dirty work I already planned to do, in return for free passage out and into safety."

Danzo nods. "Precisely. But that is not to say you will not be one of my largest targets in the aftermath, when I have secured my position."

"Oh, I would never presume otherwise. But I believe we should seal the deal to ensure that ends are met, hm?" He performs a small set of handsigns and bites his hand before reaching out. "I believe an assassination professional like yourself is familiar with the Sōjasōsai no Jutsu? I've created a variation that ensures that it's fatal effects are placed within a seal that only triggers upon failing to meet the deal made at the moment of sealing. If either of us breaks our end, we'll promptly die. For as precarious a situation as this is, and the penchant for backstabbimg we're both so infamous for, I believe such a jutsu is the only logical course of action." He hums. "Simply perform the same set of seals I had, and our blood must meet in a handshake as we think of the conditions of the deal. So long as we are both thinking of the same conditions, the jutsu will complete, and seals will be placed. If our thoughts differ, we'll both be shocked, and have to try again. Or just fight to the death here and now, if you prefer…" He chuckles.

"Hmm.. a reasonable offer. Anyone less experienced in killswitch seals would be too wary to take it." He performs the jutsu and slices his hand before taking Orochimaru's. "The deal is struck. That blind monkey will be dead in just over a month and a half." Their blood melds together and splits between their two forearms, forming a seal of two coiled snakes biting one another's necks, before fading from view.

Orochimaru grins ear to ear, and Danzo almost suspects his jaw is about to dislocate like a real snake. "I do love a good business partner. I missed our meetings."

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Now having her new ambassadorship headband, Fuu wanders the village with a soft smile and a cheerful gait. It's an odd headband, having the Konoha symbol aimed down between the twin arrows of Taki, making a striking image that's managed to turn a few heads. Thankfully, Anbu have all been informed on the matter, so her safety is assured- not that Konoha citizens ever had a problem with visiting Taki nin anyway.

But just getting to explore a town without orders, without glares and fear, is liberating in ways she can't put to words. She can barely contain herself enough to not take flight! She was warned against doing that for now, anyway. In civilian spaces, at least. So for now, she explores the streets from the ground, slowly familiarizing herself with her new home.

It's a lot more colorful than she expected. Taki was always muted with green, and the constant shade of the canopy. Most brighter colors were beneath the water, but still darkened and muted. Here though, buildings tower above with roofs and paint jobs of every color she can name and them some.

The variety of smells wafting through the streets makes her hungrier than she can stand, and she almost makes a bee line for Ichiraku's, before she spots a familiar face headed into a nearby barbecue joint with her team. "Hey, Hinata!"

Hinata turns and waves back, all the misplaced rage from yesterday long-gone. "Fuu! What brings you out here alone?"

Fuu almost skips up to her. "Well, I got my new headband, so I'm trying to get used to the town without Naruto dragging me around. Find a few places of my own, ya know?"

"Of course! Well, let me introduce you to my team." She gestures to each of them in order. "This would be Inuzuka Kiba, and his ninken, Akamaru-"

"Yo! Thought I smelled a Taki nin nearby." Akamaru yaps in agreement. "But I didn't expect such a looker."

Fuu sighs internally, one brow quirked with a tilted half-smile.

"Shino Aburame-"

He bows his head. "A pleasure, miss. My kikaichu have been quite excited by your approach." He waves his hand a bit, and some of the bugs are on it and quite jittery at the moment.

"And our sensei, Yuuhi Kurenai."

"It's great to see you, Fuu." She smiles softly. "I believe we met when I last came to Taki, last year. Even then, I was quite envious of your flight."

"Oh!" Fuu giggles. "Yes, I remember you! Always loved your fashion sense. You're gonna have to give me a few pointers! Honestly can't decide whose I like more, you or Anko."

She rolls her eyes a bit. "Well, try not to be too much like her. So, would you like to join us for lunch? We just got done with an early mission, and jonin sensei get discounts for anyone at their table."

Her eyes widen. "That's amazing. Ok, I'm in!" She jumps to join them. "I was hoping to get to know Naruto-nii's friends better, anyway."

Kurenai raises an eyebrow as she leads the way in. "Naruto-nii?"

She freezes up. "O-Oh, um… right… he and I, uh… we have a few pretty critical things in common, so it's kind of hard not to see him as a brother…"

Hinata sighs, patting her shoulder. "It's fine, you don't need to say. I sort of already know, about Naruto too, so…"

Kiba cuts in. "Oh, this about the giant furry bastard?" Everyone stops in their tracks and stares at him. "... What? I'm not that stupid. He's smelled like fox to me all my life, long before Yoko, and I'm close enough to the guy to remember his birthday. We all know what happened then." He points at Shino. "And with his kikaichu, he probably figured it out a few days after we all met."

Shino clears his throat and adjusts his glasses. "I suppose I should adjust my assessments of your attentiveness. You're most certainly correct, Kiba. Although you're being quite careless about speaking of it."

He shrugs. "Eh, we're all friends, and hey." He smirks at Shino. "You've been struggling to keep your kikaichu in check since she got here yesterday, and that hasn't happened since you met Naruto and they kept trying to drink from him."

Shino grumbles. "So many fools lost in attempts to drink a nectar far too potent for them."

Fuu sighs shakily. "Right… right, of course. You're all Naruto's friends, of course you're ok with it. I guess you should know, uh…" She giggles nervously. "I happen to hold Number 7, Choumei."

Kurenai hums thoughtfully. "Well, that explains a lot, then. Asuma told me things got pretty bad over there."

She nods and crosses her arms. "I… don't really mind, though. Most people we lost were assholes, and I get to stay here now, so…"

Hinata takes her hand. "I'm sure you'll be fine here."

Akamaru yaps , his tail causing Kiba's hood to shift constantly.

Shino nods, but flinches as a kikaichu flies off and lands on Fuu's arm. She hums and peeks down to it. "Oh! Hi, little guy. Wow, you really love my chakra, don't you?" She reaches down to it and lets it climb onto her finger.

"That is…" Shino steps a bit closer. "Peculiar. They've been practically worshipping your tenant since you arrived, and somehow, sampling it hasn't killed them." A few more buzz free to get a taste from her.

Fuu giggles as they crawl on her. "W-Well, Choumei likes them, and apparently considers them family! She had a little to do with the foundations of kikaichu's development, so her chakra is a lot more palatable to them than her siblings'."

"Hm." Shino recalls the ones who've had their fill. "That actually explains a lot. Do you think you may be willing to converse with my father about this later? As Clan Head, discovering more regarding the kikaichu's origins would be invaluable to him and the clan as a whole."

"Of course! Besides, thanks to Choumei, I've always had a thing for bugs, and it's so hard to find people to talk to about that!"

Shino smirks. "Well, I'm sure my clan will adore you."

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"Ok, this is a bit odd." Kakashi sits beside Naruto, having a meal at Ichuraku's, while Naruto has some striking additional features, including darkened lips, widened whiskers, and red eyes. "Wouldn't have thought you'd have much of an appetite for this."

"Ugh…" Kurama sighs and sets his bowl down. "I didn't think so either, but Naruto insisted I try eating while possessing him, and here we are. So many intricacies of the palate that aren't translating through the seal! Before, all I could taste was the salt, but the savory thickness of the broth, the tender pork, the flawless texture of the noodles! Now I see why the brat and his mother were so obsessed with this place!"

Teuchi hums thoughtfully, yet grimly as he watches Kurama scarf down a second bowl. "Well.. customer's a customer, and if the kid trusts ya…"

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Across the village, Sasuke sits on the outskirts of his clan's training yard, guzzling down a bottle of water. It runs out a bit quickly for his taste, but before he can get up for another, Asuma hands him one. He grumbles and takes it somewhat reluctantly. "Good work today, Sasuke. Your kenjutsu is improving fast." He hums. "As is your fire jutsu you're working on. Just try to keep more water on hand, you of all people should know fire jutsu practice dries you out fast."

Sasuke huffs. "Of course I know. I just had a lot on my mind when I came out here."

"Let me guess…" He takes a seat. "A lot to do with that fight back in Taki?"

He nods. "My lightning jutsu should have had a bigger effect on him."

"Yeah, literally hemorrhaging water, woulda made sense. But sadly, senjutsu pushes that logic aside. He was on such a high level that none of us stood a chance solo. Naruto only finished him because he was on his last legs. Autopsy made it pretty clear he was more clay than man before Naruto baked him."

He growls. "That wind and fire collaboration jutsu was intense. Guess he doesn't need me for that anymore."

"I wouldn't say that." Asuma shrugs. "Yoko's fire jutsu wasn't that strong. If it were your fireball instead, it would have been at least three times hotter."

Sasuke peeks up. "... Well, that's something. Just flashy, then." He huffs and stands. "So, about spreading Moeruken no Jutsu further up my arms and legs. I know my current clothes can't exactly handle that. Your gear's made more fireproof, right? Some old Sarutobi clan technique. I know my clan had it as well, but I'm no good at recreating it, and the clothes left with it applied aren't my size yet."

Asuma hums and nods. "Yeah, should be easy. I'll need you to meet with one of our clan tailors. I'll cover it for ya."

"No, I can pay for it-"

"Look, if you're gonna insist on payment, how about a trade?" He sighs, knowing Sasuke's too stubborn to just accept kindness. "Let me take a look in your clan's armory. I know they've got some pretty unique stuff. Let me take something decent from there, and I'll cover the cost of any fireproofed clothes equal to the value of what I get from the armory. Deal?"

He pauses, but nods and pushes himself up to lead the way. "Sure. I've got no use for most of it, and we have some that I think were won off members of your clan before the village anyway."

Asuma watches Sasuke closely on the way. He seems less tense, just a little more open, but it's not much when his heart appears shut behind a few hundred locks. But it's something.

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"I must apologize for my teammate's forwardness earlier." Shino adjusts his glasses as he leads the way into the village's wooded outskirts, towards his clan's compound. "Kiba can be… a handful."

"So I noticed." Fuu sighs. "How long do you think it'll take him to realize he's barking up the wrong tree?"

"He'll likely keep barking until he sees you with someone else. I may know someone who can help you with that, but her methods can be… hectic, manipulative, and a tad too direct."

She slowly grins. "Oh, you mean Ino? Yeah, she's pretty great. But uh…" She bites her lip. "I'm not sure she's interested in…"

"Oh, she is. I think she's just having trouble coming to terms with it. She got caught up a bit too deeply in the fangirl community for some time."

Fuu cringes. "Oof, yeah, I can see that. Well, maybe I can help her break out of that shell?"

"Someone should help her with it, surely. Honestly, all the overthinking people do about their preferences just irks me. There are much more important things to put that mental capacity towards. Just accept you're not what your closed-minded ancestors agreed with, and move on." He shrugs. "But, I've apparently developed some kind of mental aberration and the average person doesn't follow logic."

"Eh, people are weird. Not exactly the strict logic type, but if ya ask me, it's better to just swing with what feels right and ignore the assholes who say otherwise."

"Despite the phrasing, I'd say there's more logic to that than you realize."

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Sakura lays beside Ino at the Yamanaka compound, staring at the ceiling. "You really think we've a chance in these exams coming up?"

Ino shrugs. "I dunno. I mean, we did just kinda save Taki from a coup. I'd say that's up there with what to expect from the exam at it's worst. And we've got time to train yet."

"... If I end up passing before you… can you promise you won't get mad at me?"

Ino rolls to face her. "Of course I won't! You deserve that spot, and if I don't win it, I either don't deserve it yet, or it was just bad luck. Even if we end up against each other in the tournament, I want you to promise me you'll give it your all."

Sakura slowly turns to her with a smile. "Yeah… I can do that. Just don't get mad if I beat you a bit too hard!"

"Bring it on!" Ino throws her arms up. "I'll destroy you! I've got the elemental advantage!"

"Yeah, but that means nothing if you don't have the skill to back it up."

"I'll beat your ass right now, Sakura!"

"Really?" She smirks. "I bet you mean that literally."

Ino's jaw drops and she turns crimson. "W… W-What the hell?! C-Come on, you gotta stop that shit!"

"Not until you finally ask someone out and stop hitting on me for practice."

"B-Bite me!"

"Not my type."

"AAAAAAGH!"

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A.N.: Well, here we are. A nice, cozy downtime chapter, introducing the latest cast member to a few people, and building to some pretty big interpersonal things I have planned. As for the exams, they're fast-approaching, and the new arrivals will make things so much more interesting this time…

Also, you can all find a new Speedpaint of Akiyama Hibiki, one of my two OCs from Kurotsuchi's tea, over on my youtube channel tomorrow! For FF net readers, you'll have to find it by manual search, sorry! For AO3 users, you can find the link in my profile!