And here we are, onto chapter 17. Quite a lot of you had comments and questions concerning Kiseki and Mukei. Well at least some of those questions will be answered this chapter.
Also, in other words, I recently posted a new fanfic in a new fandom: a Beast Wars fanfic. If you're interested or a fan of Beast Wars, please check it out. *nods*
Next, got a challenge message for everyone! The author lovinaelita has a Naruto challenge for anyone who's interested! The premise is this: following the Mizuki incident, Naruto realizes the dangers of the shinobi world, and his own limitations. So, he disappears, reappearing months later during the Wave Mission as a stronger, smarter Naruto. It's a NaruHina fanfic idea, so if anyone is interested in taking up the challenge, pm lovinaelita for the details!
Now a lot of people have been talking about the last pair of chapters of the Naruto manga that finally came out. All I have to say is 'meh'. I'm happy that NaruHina became canon, but really, the rest of the end I was mostly neutral to, or angry with.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Okay, speaking of NaruHina, I've got a bone to pick with some of my fellow NaruHina fans. I don't have names, but I do know they support the pairing. But some of them out there are being real a-holes to people who like pairing Naruto with other girls, especially Sakura. I have a friend who is a NaruSaku fan, and he's getting all kinds of crap from NaruHina fans. So much so that it's really bringing him down, and making him question staying on FF.
Look guys, just because the pairing we like became canon doesn't give us a right to be jerks to people who still like other pairings. This is fanfiction, where we're supposed to be able to write what we want. As such, we should respect that there will be people out there who write or read other pairings because they enjoy it. Don't be jerks just because someone likes NaruSaku or something. If Naruto had ended up with another girl, would we want people who like that pairing to be jerks to us? No we wouldn't. So please, be courteous to others out there, unless they're jerks first.
Well I guess I've rambled enough here. On with the show!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Assassin's Creed. They are the properties of Masashi Kishimoto and Ubisoft respectively.
Chapter 17
A New Era Approaches
Yugito took a deep breath, calmly waiting outside the Hokage's office while silently flexing the ring finger on her left hand. She could still feel the raw flesh from the burn, signifying her ascension to the rank of a full assassin. She smiled softly at the thought, feeling good about it. She felt like she belonged to a group, a family, not because of what she held, but because of who she was. In Kumo, everyone only cared about her because of Matabi. Not because they cared about her.
In her mind, she felt some sorrow come from her tenant. "I'm sorry, little kitten. I never wanted to cause you such pain and loneliness."
Yugito just smiled. 'Don't worry Matatabi. Everything has worked out in the end,' she thought, making the biju purr in contentment.
She was pulled from her thoughts as the door opened and Iruka stepped out of the Hokage's office. The scarred chuunin smiled at her as he saw her. "Ahhh, Yugito-san! Here to see Hokage-sama?"
Yugito nodded as she stood. "Yeah, he sent for me. How's Academy life treating you?" She asked.
"It's going well. Though the kids can be stressful at times," he said with a rueful chuckle.
Yugito just giggled softly in agreement. "That they can be. Well good luck with your classes," she said, as she went to move past him.
Iruka suddenly became nervous, before blurting out, "Would you like to have dinner?"
Yugito stopped and blinked at him, eyes widening. "W-What?"
"W-Would you like to have dinner with me?" He asked more slowly this time, blushing and looking down a bit.
Yugito just blinked, before stepping closer to whisper to him. "Even though I'm a jinchuuriki?" She whispered quietly.
Iruka looked up at her, his face become more serious. "I'll admit…when I first learned about you, I was nervous. I saw the Kyuubi attack the village here. I saw the destruction. And…I…lost my parents that night," he said softly, Yugito slowly put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, as he smiled at her. "But then when we were on that patrol together, and got to talking, I realized how wrong it was to judge you because of the biju inside you. You were funny, sweet, supportive of my dream, and well…I'm really making this awkward, aren't I?" He asked, blushing as he realized what he had said.
Yugito was blushing as well, and turned away, before smiling to herself. "Tonight, seven o'clock. Pick me up at my apartment," she said, before heading into the Hokage's office.
Iruka just stared, before grinning and jumping. "YES!" He shouted, before rushing off excitedly.
As Yugito closed the door to the Hokage's office, Sarutobi smiled a bit. "Iruka-san sounded quite excited about something," he said, noticing the blush still on Yugito's face.
"O-Oh it's nothing, Hokage-sama," Yugito said. "You called for me?"
"Yes, I did," the aged Hokage said, standing up. "Tell me Yugito-san, what do you know about the Kyuubi attack nine years ago?" He asked.
"I know the rumors that circulated to Kumo about it. And what the people here have said. That the Kyuubi attacked unexpectedly nine years ago, and the Yondaime Hokage sacrificed his life to kill it. However, I think we both know that's not the truth, is it?" She said, tilting her head.
Sarutobi nodded, as he turned, facing out the window with his hands behind his back. "Indeed. What I'm about to tell you is known to shinobi of Chuunin rank or higher. The only reason you haven't been told yet is-."
"Is because you weren't sure about my loyalty. Understandable," Yugito interrupted him. "I could have been a sleeper agent this entire time. I still could be, couldn't I?" She suggested.
"I think by now we both know that is highly unlikely, don't we?" Sarutobi asked, turning to her. "No, in truth the Yondaime Hokage died sealing the Kyuubi into a new host."
"And that host is Naruto, isn't it?" She asked, causing his eyes to widen in surprise. "To be fair Hokage-sama, it is not hard to figure out if one finds a few facts. Official records show that the Kyuubi attacked on October 10th, nine years ago. Naruto Uzumaki has a birth certificate dated October 10th, nine years ago, though his parents are not listed. The majority of the village ignores him or treats him coldly, which is sadly a rather common treatment for the majority of jinchuuriki throughout the hidden villages. Kumo and Kiri are the exceptions, considering Kiri's jinchuuriki became Mizukage, and Kumo respects the power of their jinchuuriki. Not to mention that Naruto has those rather distinctive whisker marks on his face, something that have never been seen before in the entire Elemental Nations."
Sarutobi just stared at her, before groaning. "I see then," he said, rubbing his forehead as he felt a headache coming on. "Well…now that you know, I can get down to why I called you here. Naruto recently learned of the Kyuubi residing inside of him. I had planned to inform him on his graduation to genin, but like many things, my hand has been forced. Now that he knows, I was hoping you could help him handle his biju."
Yugito blinked at that. "What do you mean exactly by handle?" She asked.
"Help him to understand how to communicate or handle his biju, and its chakra. I doubt you can teach him to utilize it in battle, but if it leaks out unconsciously, perhaps you can teach him how to suppress it or use it. Just basically…how to survive and live with his biju inside him," Sarutobi said.
Yugito closed her eyes, as she reached into her mind. 'Matatabi…what do you think?'
"It won't be easy, kitten. Out of all us Ku-Kyuubi was one of the two most prideful of our group later in life, along with Yonbi," the Nibi said. "But I think with time, we can help them perhaps. We'll have to tread carefully though."
Yugito opened her eyes and nodded to the Hokage. "I think we can do that, though we can't guarantee anything. A lot of it will depend on Kyuubi itself."
Sarutobi nodded as he sat down. "Whatever you can do to help him would be appreciated. Thank you," he said. "I also understand congratulations are in order," he said, nodding to her outfit.
Yugito shifted a bit, glancing down at her assassin uniform. "Thank you Hokage-sama," she said. "Will that be all?"
"Yes, thank you. You're dismissed," he said, as Yugito bowed and left. As the door closed behind her, the aged Hokage sighed. "Eavesdropping on the Hokage could be considered treason," he said.
At that moment, Jiraiya entered through one of the windows. "Awww, and I was just curious Hokage-sama," he said.
"Curious about what exactly?" He asked, turning to Jiraiya. "Curious about what I was planning for Naruto?"
"Well…yes," he said. "You know Naruto isn't ready to start training in using the Kyuubi's chakra. I'm the only one who can train him in it."
"I'm not asking her to train him in using the Kyuubi's chakra. I'm asking her to help him handle the residual chakra that will leak out," Sarutobi responded. "Besides, what makes you think only you can train Naruto, considering you haven't even bothered trying to raise him or get to know him?"
Jiraiya looked away. "Sensei, you know if I get involved in his life now, it'll put him in danger. Forces outside Konoha will target him as a threat."
"Oh that might be the official reason. But I'm not some star struck genin or paid geisha who believes every word you say," Sarutobi said, lighting his pipe and starting to smoke it. "I trained you Jiraiya. I know you. You're avoiding Naruto because of Minato, aren't you?"
Jiraiya kept his face down. "Fine. Yes, I'm avoiding Naruto because I don't want to be reminded of Minato. Happy?" He said.
"Hardly," Sarutobi said. "I'd be happy if you actually tried and raised the boy. He spent six years of his life alone and hated. And it is only in the past couple of years he finally had people who cared about him," he said.
"I want to talk to you about that. These Assassins, are you sure you can trust them?" Jiraiya asked.
Sarutobi just stared at them. "Jiraiya…you've told me about your mistrust of Raphael ever since you first met him. Yet he has done more to help Naruto in three years then you've done in the nine years Naruto has been alive. Why do you mistrust him?" He demanded.
Jiraiya clenched his hands, before standing up. "I don't want him teaching my godson to be a killer!" He finally said. "I don't want him near my godson!"
Sarutobi raised an eyebrow, seeing the pair of ANBU who had appeared when Jiraiya started yelling. Both of them stood at the ready, hands on their swords sheathed on their backs. He raised a hand, and the ANBU disappeared, as he looked at Jiraiya. "I must say Jiraiya…I'm disappointed in you. You're unwilling to give Naruto the love and affection he needs growing up, yet you're now trying to take away the first person who helped him and taught him anything of worth. I'm wondering if Minato and Kushina made a poor choice when they named you godfather."
Jiraiya growled at him. "How dare you-."
"I dare Jiraiya," Sarutobi said, cutting him off. "I dare because you have done a poor job being the boy's godfather. I dare because someone needs to tell you the truth. If you are so concerned about Naruto, go and take custody of him right now," he said.
Jiraiya glared at him, before deflating, sitting down and sagging into his seat. "I…I can't…I'd just make him miserable…and I'd make myself miserable."
Sarutobi looked at Jiraiya with disappointment in his eyes. "If that's your decision, then fine, Jiraiya. But do not be surprised if when you decide you're ready to take care of the point, he has no interest in ever meeting you," he said. "Now unless you have any information for me, I suggest you leave."
Jiraiya just nodded tiredly, before getting up and exiting through the door. Sarutobi sighed, leaning forward and rubbing his forehead tiredly.
Meanwhile, at the Academy, Hinata spun around a sloppy punch thrown at her by a girl named Ami, before striking at her side with a couple of jabs. Ami winced, stumbling back and holding her side, only for Hinata to get close and deliver more jabs to her shoulders and chest, before ducking low and sweeping Ami's legs out from under her.
On the sidelines, Naruto grinned as he watched. He wasn't sure what had happened but Hinata seemed to have a new fire in her today. And that new fire was showing, as Hinata had basically been controlling this spar from the beginning. Now, as Ami lay on the ground, Hinata stood ready to continue the fight, until Ryu-sensei moved forward. "That's enough. Round goes to Hinata," he said, as Naruto cheered excitedly as she came over to him.
"You did awesome Hinata!" He said, hugging her. She blushed but grinned as she hugged him back.
Nearby, Sasuke watched them. He was intrigued by the former Hyuuga heiress, as she was the strongest girl of their year group. And that strength had increased quite a bit recently, since her association with the Uzumaki boy. He wondered if there was a connection to that. He immediately pushed those thoughts from his mind though. In the end, he needed to focus on his training. He needed to become strong, so that he could protect the clan and make it greater. And to one day bring his brother to justice. That was all that mattered.
He looked up as Ryu-sensei was about to call the next match, only for one of the newer chuunin teachers, Mizuki, to tap him on the shoulders and whisper something into his ear. Ryu glanced at him, before sighing. "Alright students, I need to go handle something. Mizuki-san here will be supervising the next match," he said, as he headed off, while Mizuki took his place.
"Yes, well time for the next match," he said with a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "And I think we should change things up. So for the next match…it'll be Sasuke Uchiha versus Naruto Uzumaki versus Kiba Inuzuka," he said.
This caused everyone to gasp in surprise and look at each other. Before anyone could protest, Mizuki spoke up. "Please remember that in the real shinobi world, the unexpected will happen. You cannot expect everything to be the exact same."
The students looked at each other, before the three boys headed to the sparring ring. They faced each other, as Mizuki watched them. "Now the rules are the same. Except in order to win, you must be the last student standing. Are you ready?" He asked.
Kiba glared at Naruto, cracking his knuckles. He was still smarting over their first sparring match, and the fact that ever since then, Naruto had continually been able to hold his own against him. With this match, he was sure he'd show he was the top dog, by taking out both Naruto and the best student in class, Sasuke Uchiha.
Sasuke meanwhile watched both boys. He knew of Kiba's animosity towards Naruto, and he planned to exploit it. He'd hang back, letting the two of them wear each other out, before finishing both of them off. That way he'd conserve energy and easily win. He smirked, settling into his stance.
Naruto warily glanced at both boys. He knew of Kiba's capabilities, as he had fought him several times in the past. Sasuke however, he had never fought before. Somehow they had managed to never be in the sparring ring together. But he had studied Sasuke's matches against other students, and studied his taijutsu style. It was a somewhat acrobatic and flexible style, meaning Naruto would have to incorporate dodges to help keep up.
Mizuki smirked, as he raised a hand. This would be his chance to hurt the Kyuubi brat, as he had no doubt that Kiba and Sasuke would focus on taking him down. No matter what, Naruto would lose. "Begin!" He shouted.
Almost immediately, Kiba lunged forward, trying to punch Naruto before he could get his defense up. Naruto side stepped, trying to keep both Sasuke and Kiba in view as he raised his arms into position. Kiba whirled, trying to back hand Naruto, only for Naruto to grab his arm and punch Kiba in the side before side kicking him away, making Kiba stumble and hold his bruised right side. Naruto quickly backed up, only to blink as he saw Sasuke was standing back. 'So that's your game,' he thought, realizing what Sasuke was doing. Sasuke was going to wait, and let Naruto and Kiba tire each other out.
Kiba growled, getting ready. "You're not going to win this time loser!" he shouted, rushing Naruto again. Naruto raised his hands, blocking Kiba's punch, only to get a blow to his stomach. He hunched over, glancing up as Kiba punched down at him. He rolled forward, avoiding Kiba's blow, before taking a leaf out of Hinata's book and sweeping Kiba's legs out from under him. He rolled over onto Kiba, pinning him and starting to punch Kiba in the face.
Kiba growled, trying to grab Naruto's arms. When he succeeded, he tried head butting Naruto, but the young blond leaned back, yanking Kiba up as he fell onto his back. As he did so, he got his legs under Kiba's chest and flipped him over his head, making Kiba slam onto his back as Naruto got up.
As Kiba gasped for air, groaning, Naruto turned only to barely duck a punch from Sasuke, who followed up with a knee that took Naruto in the chin, knocking him on his butt. Sasuke spun, kicking at Naruto, who barely blocked it and rolled backwards onto his feet.
Sasuke smirked as he settled into his stance, while Naruto winced and shook his arms out from blocking Sasuke's kick, settling into his own. The pair carefully watched each other, slowly circling.
From the sideline, Mizuki smirked as he watched. He knew the demon brat would get what was coming to him. And he was going to enjoy watching it. His smirk widened as he saw Kiba standing up.
Naruto mentally groaned as he saw Kiba back on his feet out of the corner of his eye. The feral boy was a bit dazed, but growled as he shook his head, and readied himself to come after Naruto again. Sasuke meanwhile kept his stance up, grinning as he watched Kiba lung at Naruto.
Naruto ducked under a vicious swipe from Kiba, and back stepped from right cross, before blocking a left cross and countering with a left jab to Kiba's face. As Kiba stumbled back, Naruto stepped in, punching Kiba twice in the stomach, causing him to bend over in pain, gripping his stomach. Naruto, remembering a trick Anko had taught him, then clapped his hands on either side of Kiba's heads, causing his head to ring and disorienting the dog boy. Kiba stumbled back, as Naruto lashed out with a front kick, sending Kiba flying out of the ring, causing several students to cheer and for Mizuki to scowl a little.
Naruto immediately turned, just in time to check Sasuke rushing at him to take advantage of the momentary distraction. The pair began to circle again, watching each other. Naruto stayed defensive, knowing he was better reacting to his enemy.
Unfortunately for him, Uchiha fighting styles generally revolved a similar style as the Assassins. They tended to be defense oriented, using their Sharingan to predict their enemies movements and counter their attacks. Sasuke however, due to not having his Sharingan, tended to be a bit more offensive in his style. Something he showed when he lunged forward, striking at Naruto with a straight right.
Naruto tilted his head to the right, grabbing Sasuke's arm and punching Sasuke in his right shoulder. Sasuke yanked his arm backed, spinning to try and back hand Naruto, who ducked under, only for Sasuke to kick him in the face. Naruto fell back, lip bleeding from where it was cut due to the kick. Naruto then stumbled back to his feet as Sasuke smirked at him.
Naruto growled a bit in anger, struggling to keep calm. He remembered Ryu-sensei's words in his first spar with Kiba, and Raphael, Anko, and Yugito's lessons following that. Each of them had told him to keep calm in a fight, and had even gone through the trouble of taunting him, trying to teach him patience. The lessons were working…sort of, as he managed to reign in his anger at Sasuke's smirk, and resettled into his stance.
Sasuke just grinned, moving forward to attack Naruto again. This time he led with a side kick, but Naruto was ready. He caught it and quickly drove an elbow into Sasuke's knee, making him yell in pain and back up, limping a bit. Naruto didn't let up, following him and delivering a quick pair of punches to his stomach, before delivering an uppercut. As Sasuke was knocked up by the uppercut, Naruto drove a kick into his stomach, sending him flying back, almost to the edge of the ring.
Mizuki scowled at seeing Sasuke get knocked around. This wasn't supposed to happen. He growled in annoyance, only to smirk as he saw something.
Naruto was slowly moving towards Sasuke, who was getting to his feet, only to be grabbed from behind, spun around, and Kiba punched Naruto, making him gasp out as he doubled over. Kiba growled angrily, punching him in the back and knocking him to the ground.
Hinata gasped, and tried to rush forward. "S-Stop this, he was already knocked out of the ring!" She shouted.
Mizuki just smirked. "Life lesson. There are no rules in the real world," he said simply.
Hinata growled, and prepared to rush forward, only to stop as a figure materialized behind Kiba, grabbing his arm.
Ryu was glaring, not at Kiba, but at Mizuki. "What is going on here?" He demanded, as Mizuki stepped back slightly. "These students were not supposed to begin multiple opponent matches for a year or so now. And unless I'm mistaken, Kiba was already disqualified."
"I…l-like I told the girl, this was a life lesson," he stammered out. Ryu just kept glaring at him.
"Get out of my sight, Mizuki. Hinata, please take Naruto to the Nurse. Sasuke, I suggest you go as well. You, Kiba, are coming with me. Everyone else, head to your next class," he said.
Hinata slowly helped Naruto up, who grinned weakly at her. "I'm okay Hinata," he said softly.
"Y-You'll be fine when the nurse sees you," she said softly, helping him to the Infirmary.
Behind them, Sasuke watched them a bit, as he limped after them. He had not expected the Uzumaki boy to catch him off guard. If it hadn't been for Kiba, he could have lost that match. And yet…how could the boy be so good as to beat him? He trained hard every day, to be the best. To know that this boy could beat him was unnerving and aggravating. He just growled, silently promising he would train even harder.
Marketplace
Kiseki Uchiha quietly glanced around, sitting down on a bench in the marketplace. She glanced at a nearby clock, which was striking the hour at ten, before glancing back down again.
Following her fight with Anko and Raphael, she had gone to the Hokage, to discuss with him her future as a shinobi of Konoha. She had mentioned the offer form Raphael and Anko, and had been surprised at his reaction
Flashback
Sarutobi chuckled softly as he looked at Kiseki. "I wonder if I should worry about our friend Rpahael-san recruiting so many women into his little group," he said, before sighing. "I must say though, I'm not pleased that you engaged in a spar so soon after getting out of the hospital. Or that you attempted to kill Raphael-san."
"I-I understand Hokage-sama," she said, head bowed. Sarutobi just waved his hand.
"So long as this doesn't happen again, it is in the past. Now though, to discuss the offer before you…I think you should take it," he said, causing her to blink in surprise.
"H-Hokage-sama? Y-You think I should meet with them?" She asked.
The old Hokage simply nodded, as she sat back in his chair. "I do, for differing reasons. You do hold information about them that both they, and myself, would rather not have fall into people's hands. By talking to them, and joining them, that solves that problem. However…I also feel that perhaps they can help you deal with your emotional problems. Each member of the group has bonded well with each other, and it has helped them deal with their own personal problems. I believe they can do the same for you. And…I'll admit I've taken an interest in their group. So far, Raphael-san has done a fair amount to help Konoha. I feel that helping him in return is only fair."
Kiseki blinked in surprise. "I-I see then Hokage-sama," she said softly. "But…can I be part of their group, and still a shinobi of Konoha?"
"So far, Anko has found no such problems, nor has another member of their group. I see no issue there, unless you feel it will create a conflict for you. In the end…this is your choice Kiseki. But may I assume then that you wish to remain a shinobi of Konoha?" He asked.
Kiseki bit her lip, remaining silent for a few moments. "…Itachi did what he did…to protect the clan and the village...I do not know if I can fully trust you and the leadership of Konoha…but I do know I will not negate his sacrifice. I will remain a shinobi, if for no other reason than to protect my clan, and to protect the citizens of Konoha," she said.
Sarutobi nodded in response. "I understand Kiseki-san, and I can respect that decision. You will be on light duty until such time as your mental and physical stability is confirmed. Welcome back to the shinobi ranks, Special Jounin Kiseki Uchiha," he said with a smile.
Flashback Ends
Kiseki was drawn from her thoughts as Anko sat down next to her. "So you came," she said with a smile, wearing her assassin dress/robe, but with the hood lowered. She was currently snacking on a skewer of dango. "I take it you wish to meet with Raphael-san then?"
Kiseki slowly nodded to her, and she grinned, finishing her dango. "Alright. Stand up," she said, pulling out a long cloth. As Kiseki stood up, she held it up. "Unfortunately, I'll need to blindfold you. For safety," she said.
When Kiseki nodded again, Anko tied the blindfold on securely, before shunshing away with Kiseki. They arrived behind the Assassin's hideout, and she led her through a secret door in the back, and into the ceremonial hall, where Raphael was sitting. With a simple pull, the blindfold came easily off, and Kiseki blinked, her eyes adjusting to the light in the Ceremonial Hall.
"Welcome, Kiseki-san," Raphael said, standing up with a smile. "I'm glad you decided to hear us out. Though I apologize for the blindfold," he said. "We wish to keep our location secret."
Kiseki nodded in understanding, as Raphael continued. "Now I'm sure you have questions, but I ask that you wait until I've explained everything," he said.
When she nodded again, he began to tell her all about the Assassins. He started with their history, as he was told by Ezio. He told her of their purpose, their beliefs, the Assassin's Creed and tenets. He told her about his arrival in Konoha, and what they had done so far, both for the good of Konoha and the common people across the Elemental Nations, by targeting bandit groups and black market arms dealers (1).
When he finished, over an hour later, Kiseki was just sitting there, staring at him. "That is…quite a lot to take in," she said softly.
Anko just grinned. "Tell me about it. I got the information spread out over several weeks, and I still had trouble accepting it all. You got it all in one sitting."
"Do you have any questions?" Raphael asked her.
The female Uchiha slowly stood, pacing a bit. "I'm…not sure to be honest. I…I just am not sure if I can understand what this Creed means exactly. I mean…what does it mean, 'Nothing is True, and Everything is Permitted'?"
Raphael smiled at her. "Tell me…what color is the sky?" He asked.
Kiseki blinked in confusion, before answering. "It's blue," she said, only for Raphael to shake his head.
"No, it's green," he said. "That is what I believe. Does that make what I say true?" He asked.
"No, because the sky is obviously blue," she said, now feeling annoyed.
"But that's not what I believe. So to me, what you're saying isn't true," Raphael responded. When she just looked at him in confusion and annoyance, he sighed. "Let's try something that might be easier for you to understand…Minato Namikaze was a monster and mass murderer."
Kiseki glared at him, rising to her feet. "He was a hero to Konoha, who sacrificed his life to save us from the Kyuubi!" She practically shouted.
"But that's not what Iwa or Kumo would believe, is it?" Anko asked her, making Kiseki pause. "He slaughtered hundreds of their troops with the Hiraishin. So tell me…who is telling the truth, you or them?"
Kiseki opened her mouth, before blinking and closing it. She thought for a few moments. "I guess…both?" She asked.
"Or neither," Raphael said to her, standing. "That is what the first part of the Creed is teaching us. Things that one person accepts at truths, another person will claim are falsehoods. Rules and laws in one town or country may not exist in another. Religious beliefs, political beliefs, social beliefs, all these things are not facts or truths, but simply constructs that some people create and put their faith in, and that others deny in favor of other beliefs or truths," Raphael said. "The Creed teaches us that we must open our eyes to this, and realize that this is the only truth in the world."
"But…how can it be true if nothing is true?" Kiseki asked, blinking in confusion.
Raphael chuckled, nodding in approval. "I'm glad you asked that. It fits into the ironies of the Assassins. Yes, how can this statement be true, if our very creed states that nothing is true? Because there are those who disagree with it, and thus, it cannot be true. By its own definition, it is merely an opinion that we Assassins hold onto. And yet…it is an opinion with evidence to support it, is it not?" He asked.
Kiseki slowly nodded. "I guess it is. So…what about the second part? Everything is permitted? What does that mean?"
"It means exactly what it means," Anko said. "If you wanted to, you could walk out of here now and steal money from a store, and who or what would stop you?"
"But those things are illegal," Kiseki said in response, as Raphael and Anko nodded.
"Yes they are. Made illegal by laws that we've already established are not universally true, and while acceptable here, are not acceptable elsewhere," Raphael said. "But it is merely words on a piece of paper. They do not stop you from committing the crimes. Only you are stopping yourself from committing them. Why?"
"Because I would be arrested and thrown into jail," she said.
"Exactly. Because your choices have consequences. That is the point of the second part of the Creed. It is teaching you not to do whatever you like, but to understand that every choice you make will have consequences, and that you must be ready to accept the consequences of those actions. The Creed, in its entirety, is not teaching us to be free and act rashly…it is teaching us to be wise. It teaches us to not to give into the illusions of control and society enforced by men in power, and it teaches us to consider the consequences of our choices before we make them, and to be ready to accept those consequences when we do make them. The Creed is a philosophy that is the beginning of wisdom."
The young Uchiha woman slowly nodded. "I think I understand now. At least…I get the Creed. But….what about these …Templars was it? Didn't you say they had a similar goal to the Assassins?"
The young Assassin mentor chuckled softly. "Well, yes and no," he said. "Like the Assassins, the Templar Order wanted peace, for all mankind. In that aspect, our goals were similar. The difference though, was in what kind of peace. The Assassins sought to achieve peace through people finally setting aside their fears, prejudice, and hatred, and getting to know their neighbors, so that they might live together in peace, a naïve idea perhaps, given the very natures of humans. But the Templars…they felt that peace could only be obtained at the point of a sword, and by brainwashing all mankind. They sought to find a way to strip mankind of their freedom, their will, even their very souls, and that they would ensure peace through subjugation. What's worse is they could not even see the hypocrisy of their goal and methods. Where we Assassins embrace the ironies and even the hypocrisy of our beliefs, the Templars ignore them. They sought to overthrow the monarchies and governments, believing them to be corrupt and ineffectual, only to replace it another monarchy, with themselves in power. They claim that is what's best for humanity, yet they only seek power for themselves. That is where the hypocrisy lies."
Kiseki slowly nodded in understanding. "I think I understand," she said softly.
"So the question now is…what do you think?" Raphael asked her. "Do you think you could be an Assassin?"
Kiseki let out a breath, as she stood and paced. "I…am not sure," she said. "You're asking me to commit myself to a group that kills people, and could make me have to choose between Konoha and this Brotherhood. And yet…the work you do sounds like it's helping a lot of people. I…would like time to think on this, if you don't mind," she said.
"I understand, Kiseki-san," Raphael said. "But to clarify…we would never ask you to choose between us and Konoha. Every member of the Brotherhood can choose to leave us, so long as they swear to never betray us. It would be your choice," Raphael said, before handing her a piece of paper. "When you make your decision, come find me here. Anko, please escort her back to the market."
Anko nodded to him, as she held up the blindfold again. "Sorry," she said, as she tied it around Kiseki's head and led her out of the building. Anko soon had teleported them back to the market, where she removed the blindfold. "I do hope you'll join us," she said. "We could use the help…and I think you can too."
Kiseki nodded softly. "I understand…and I'll consider it. I promise," she said, before she turned and headed off.
Anko smiled as she turned and headed off back towards the warehouse on foot. As she did, she couldn't help but think about Raphael, which caused her to pause and blush slightly.
She didn't know why, but recently, she had begun to see Raphael differently. She would admit that he was attractive, in a weird, sort of exotic way. He didn't exactly look, or sound, like the men of the village, which wasn't really that weird considering he came from another world entirely, or reality, or whatever. But there was more to it than that. He was witty, he was sweet and charming, but also, he was…well, dangerous. During some of their missions together when she was still an assassin trainee, she had watched him fight bandits. He went from the charming, witty, friendly man she usually saw, and became a cold, efficient killer.
And a part of her…well a part of her liked that. She liked seeing that he was both a charming individual, and a deadly warrior. A part of her found it attractive.
And yet…another part of her feared these feelings. She had opened her heart once, to her mentor. She had adored Orochimaru, had seen him as a father figure. She would have killed or died for him. And he had used her, betrayed her, and tossed her aside like she was nothing. And so a part of her was afraid of opening herself up to anyone like that again.
She shook her head, clearing these thoughts. It didn't matter anyways. Raphael had shown no signs of attraction towards her, only friendship. And she was happy with that. She started to head off, mentally reminding herself that she was supposed to take Hinata to Ganzo's later that day to see if he had weapons she might feel comfortable learning how to use. She hummed happily as she headed off, feeling cheerful for some reason, and unconsciously skipping a bit.
Kumo
A the Raikage growled softly, pumping iron as he sat at his desk in the Raikage's office at Kumo. He grunted as he kept it up, trying to distract himself.
It had been a little over two years since Yugito Nii had defected from Kumo. Two years since Kosui Atami had been assassinated, and his plans for acquiring the Byakugan had disappeared. And A still felt the sting of humiliation at what had happened.
It hadn't taken his shinobi long to discover who the traitor was. A had given an order for all shinobi to be fully mobilized, and when she didn't report in, a team had been sent to her apartment to investigate. They had returned with a note in which Yugito stated she could not stand to serve a village that had so willingly slaughtered her parents to try and control her and the Nibi within. She had stated her intent to defect, though she didn't reveal which village she was defecting to. However, it was rather obvious which one it was: Konoha.
A had a small amount of respect for Sarutobi, seeing the assassination as a clear strike back for the Hyuuga Incident, especially the timing of the assassination to coincide with the three year anniversary of the incident. That respect though was buried under the rage he had felt at not only losing Yugito and the Nibi to Konoha, but also losing a valuable strategist and his information. He had been more than ready to march to Konoha and burn the village to the ground. However, he had offered Konoha a chance to return her first, sending a message demanding her return and the head of the one who had killed Kosui.
Konoha's reply had returned swiftly, in which Sarutobi hinted at the knowledge of Kumo's operations regarding both Kiri and Iwa, which made A back down. If Konoha revealed that information, Kumo would find itself being attacked at least by Iwa, while Konoha probably sat back and watched or harassed them in the south as Iwa struck them in the west. A had bitterly backed down, though he swore he'd get his revenge on Konoha.
Now, he just growled in annoyance, placing his weights back onto their rack, making his desk groan in protest. As he did, his secretary Mabui entered. The white haired, dark skinned young woman set a file on his desk.
"Raikage-sama, a report just came in," she said softly. "Apparently, one of our civilian spies in Konoha has managed to send a report regarding the Hyuuga Heiress you attempted to kidnap six years ago. She has apparently been banished from her clan, and is now in the care of one Anko Mitarashi."
A blinked in surprise, opening the file. "I see then. But I take it she was sealed?" He asked.
"He didn't see her being banished, but he talked to a few people who did see her being thrown from the compound. They talked about her having a strange seal on her head. They described it as the Hyuuga Emblem on her forehead, with four lines coming off it diagonally and two more extending from the sides. It is somewhat different from the Cursed Seal in appearance, so it's possible it's different in functionality as well," she said. "Though we can't be sure without studying it."
"I see then…this could be quite useful," he said. "Have our spy monitor her. If we can, we'll snatch her up, and try to study this new seal, see if it's weaker than the Cursed Seal. And if all else fails, we could try to convince her to serve us, considering her own clan threw her out," he said.
Mabui nodded, bowing. "At once Raikage-sama," she said, before heading off. A just smiled a bit, feeling better. It seemed an opportunity for revenge had just appeared. And it would be an excellent one indeed.
Konoha, that afternoon
Ganzo grinned as he sat at his counter, polishing up a somewhat strange looking weapon. It was about two and a half feet long, consisting of a curved blade that was about a foot in length, with a metal hilt that was also a foot and a half long, and was rather thick looking, with a flat cap where the pommel would be. The weapon also had a circular cross guard, similar to the tsuba found on most katana and such.
He glanced up, hearing the bell on the door ring. He grinned as he saw Anko and Hinata enter. "Ahhh, just the two people I wanted to see," he said, setting the strange weapon down. "Here to pick up your order?" He asked Anko, who nodded.
"Yep. Though I also brought Hinata along to see if she found any weapons she liked or felt comfortable with," she said, as Hinata was slowly looking around.
"Ahhh, perfect, actually! I have a couple weapons I'd like to offer," he said, heading to the back. "Just one moment!"
Hinata blinked in surprise, glancing at the back as Ganzo soon came out, carrying a wrapped bundle and a case. "Here we are," he said, setting them both on the counter with the weapon he had been polishing. "First, for you Anko-san," he said, unwrapping the bundle. Anko grinned gleefully as she moved forward.
Laying on the counter were a pair of strange short blades. The weapons were curved one hundred and eighty degrees from their handles, making the blades parallel to the grips. Each blade had a cutting edge along one side, with serrated edges along the sharply curved portion of the blade. The handles were wrapped in brown cloth, with snake heads on the bottom of each grip, and the Assassin's emblem right above the handles on the blade. (2)
"I have to say, these were quite interesting to make," Ganzo said. "It was tough finding a way to curve the blade to such a degree without sacrificing the strength of the metal. The serrated edges there can be used to catch enemy's weapons, though I suggest you not try that on a katana or anything heavier, as they might shear right through the blade. And of course, can't forget this," he said, placing a pair of leather sheathes on the counter with them. "They fit right on your belt, so you can easily draw them from your sides."
Anko just nodded gleefully, handing over a wad of bills before taking the two sheathes and attaching them to her belt. She slowly picked up the blades and gripped them, slowly turning and examining them. "Hmmm…feels good," she said, testing the weight and movement.
Ganzo smiled as he turned his attention to Hinata. "Now you…well when Anko first brought you in, I have to say I was overjoyed. I've been waiting years to talk to a Hyuuga about some weapons I think would be perfect for them, but they're always so close minded, using only standard shinobi tools and nothing more. But you…you're not bound to their rules, are you?" He asked.
Hinata shook her head. "N-No sir," she said, feeling a bit nervous. Ganzo just clapped his hands.
"Excellent!" He said, gripping the case and opening it. Hinata blinked as she looked inside.
Inside were what appeared to be three bars of metal, two of them folded over onto a third one which had a leather grip around the center of it. Next to them was what appeared to be a leather belt with a sheathe of some type attached to it. Ganzo pointed to the metal bars. "Grab it by the grip, and hold it so the other two bars are facing away from you," he said.
Hinata slowly did so, holding the strange contraption. As she did, she noticed a small button right above the leather grip. Ganzo grinned as he saw her eye it. "Press it," he said.
"O-Okay," Hinata said, as she slowly did so. Almost immediately, the two folded metal bars shot out with a snapping sound as they clicked into place on either side of the metal bar she was gripping. As they did, they unfurled a thick string that became taut when the two bars snapped into place. Hinata suddenly found herself holding what appeared to be a bow that curved inwards at the grip she was holding, and then bulged out before curving back into the traditional bow shaped, though the tips at the ends were curved forward as well.
Ganzo nodded appreciatively. "That, my dear, is a recurve bow. It's a bow design that allows you to fire an arrow farther and harder than normal bows of the same size. Its small size also allows it to be used in cramped areas that you can't use a larger bow in. I also designed it to be collapsible, which makes it far easier to carry. All you need to do is press that button again and it'll collapse back into its previous form."
Hinata did so, and the bow collapsed again, as Ganzo smiled. "I always have been so disappointed the Hyuuga have never chosen to try their hands at weapons. I understand they have great dexterity that is necessary to use the Jyuuken, and their Byakugan gives them telescopic sight, which would make them natural marksmen with a bow. But that is why I'd like to offer you a chance to use it, to see if my belief is correct."
"I-I can't use this. I-It's too big," she said, looking it over. Indeed, the bow was four feet long when unfolded, and was almost as tall as Hinata was.
"Ahhh, thought of that too," Ganzo said, going back behind him and returning with a smaller bow, quiver, and a scroll. "This is a training bow, with training arrows and a training manual on using a bow. You can train with this bow until you grow tall and strong enough to use the recurve. Oh, before I forget, instead of there being a quiver for the bows arrows, they're located in the grip of the bow here," he said, showing her a storage seal. "Had to hire someone to inscribe that seal into the grip. All you do is channel chakra in, and a new arrow will pop out."
Hinata stared at it all, blinking. "I…I guess it wouldn't hurt to try," she said, as Ganzo beamed.
"Excellent! Now, I'd like to show you another weapon. This one I actually just finished, and I came up with it after you visited here last time," he said, setting all the bow equipment on the counter, and picking up the strange sword he had been polishing earlier. "Here we are. It looks like a simple short sword, yes? But in fact…it's much deadliest then that," he said, as he pressed another button on the hilt of the sword. And suddenly the hilt extended from either direction from where he was gripping it, transforming into roughly six foot polearm. Anko recognized it as a naginata, a staff weapon wielded by samurai warriors.
Ganzo smiled at her. "Now again, I realize this weapon is rather large for you in its current form. But if you like it, you'll grow into it. Both this and the short sword are very fast, agile weapons, and with its ability to shrink into a sword, you can use it in close quarters combat. All you need to do is press the button here near this grip, and it'll transform back again," he said, demonstrating. "Now I've got some manuals for kenjutsu and bojutsu here, so you can learn both arts as well, to handle both styles you can use with the weapon."
Anko just ginned as she came over. "Quite a lot here. You're being rather generous," she said, as Hinata slowly inspected the naginata, yelping a bit when she hit the button and caused it to retract into its sword form again.
"I'm always generous when it comes to my specialty weapons. Unique weapons like these should be shared with those who will get the most use out of them. And of course, the sword comes with a sheathe as well, for easy carrying," he said, adding another accessory to the small pile of items on the counter. "Besides, the act of making specialty weapons is enough of a reward to offset the lower earnings."
Hinata glanced up at Anko, unsure. "A-Anko nee-chan, what do you think?" she asked. "I…I'm not sure about all this."
"Well Hinata, I think you should take him up on the offer. If you do end up liking them, then you can train and grow into them. And if you don't, well we have a good place they can go," she said, referring to the armory at their warehouse hideout. It was mostly bare at the moment, but Raphael had plans to stock it with some generic weapons for future recruits and assassins to supply themselves with.
Hinata glanced at the sword in her hand, before nodding. "I'll take it," she said. "A-and the bow."
"Excellent! And since you're the first one trying these out, I'll even sell all this to you at a discount," she said, which made Anko happy since she was a bit leery at the cost of all this equipment. Ganzo meanwhile took the sword and placed it in its sheathe before wrapping it up, and then secured the bow back in its case as well. He ran up the price for it, and Anko paid for it all, handing the manuals to Hinata. "Now, if you do use them, please let me know how they are. I'd love to maybe make more, and improve on them if possible," he said.
Hinata just nodded, as Anko grinned. "Well this was an excellent visit. Thank you so much Ganzo!" she said.
Ganzo smiled. "Anytime! Please come back soon!" He said, waving as the two left, sighing happily. He enjoyed sharing his skill with others.
Across town, Kiseki was slowly walking towards the Uchiha Clan head's house. When she had awakened in the hospital, Mikoto had been informed of her status, and had come to visit her. She had always considered Kiseki to be like a daughter to her, and now she wanted to comfort the girl. She had told Kiseki she was free to come to talk to her at anytime.
Now, Kiseki felt that she needed to speak to Mikoto about this. She wouldn't reveal the Assassins, but she could still Mikoto's advice. She slowly stopped outside the door, and pressed chakra into the buzzer seal on the door frame, causing a buzzing noise to echo through the house.
Within a few moments, the door opened and a somewhat frazzled Mikoto blinked. "Oh Kiseki! Please, come in," she said, moving to one side.
Kiseki bit her lip, seeing Mikoto's harried appearance. "I can come back later, Mikoto-sama," she said softly, only for Mikoto to shake her head.
"No no, it's fine," she said with a smile, as Kiseki slowly removed her sandals before entering the house. Mikoto closed the door and turned to her. "So what can I do for you Kiseki?" She asked.
"I…I need your advice on something," she said, causing Mikoto to blink.
"Oh? What exactly?" She asked, as they moved to the living room.
As the pair of them sat down, Kiseki gathered her thoughts. Finally, she opened her mouth. "I...I've been offered a position in a group. I…if I join them…I could do a lot to help a lot of people. But…this group has to do some dark things. Things I find myself…questioning," she said.
Mikoto watched her quietly. "Kiseki…as a jounin, you know shinobi are often called upon to do things we all find ourselves questioning. Dark, sometimes immoral things. The question you should be asking yourself is this: does the help you can offer people perhaps outweigh the actions you might need to take?"
Kiseki looked up at her. "I…when they talked to me…it sounds like it did. And they've told me that I can leave at anytime, so long as I don't betray them. But I…I'm just not sure."
Mikoto gently leaned over, touching her shoulder. "I'm not sure I can give you what you really want Kiseki. You're looking for an answer to the choice before you. All I can give you is this advice: follow your heart and your instincts. They'll lead you to the correct choice."
Kiseki smiled a bit at that, nodding. "T-Thank you, Mikoto-sama," she said.
"Please Kiseki…just Mikoto will be fine," she said. "You were going to be my daughter-in-law, and…I…." she trailed off, looking down a bit, as tears started to form in her eyes.
Kiseki felt her heart ache, as she slowly moved next to Mikoto and hugged her. "I'm sorry, Mikoto," she whispered quietly, as the woman began to sob a bit.
"I-I just don't get…w-why did he do it? Why?" she sobbed out. "H-He seemed so happy…how could…how could he do this?"
Kiseki felt her heart ache at that. She wanted to tell Mikoto the truth, but she couldn't. Not now, not yet at least. All she could do was keep holding the sobbing woman, and letting her cry.
As she did, she couldn't help but think about what had happened. The Uchiha who had died, all of them were planning to plunge the village into a civil war, and take over the village. It would have cost hundreds if not thousands of lives, and more would have died when other villages attacked a severely weakened Konoha in the aftermath. The assassins…working with the Hokage, they had lessened the bloodshed to only the conspirators within the clan, and saved countless lives in the process. Perhaps…if they had moved sooner, Itachi wouldn't have needed to pose as a traitor.
Kiseki looked down at Mikoto, who was starting to calm down. And as she did, she felt like she had her answer. Nodding softly, she held Mikoto close, knowing her answer for Raphael.
That evening
Yugito nervously bit her lip, checking her appearance in the mirror for the umpteenth time. Her hair, rather than its usual low braid, was now put up in a high pony tail, and she had applied lights amount of makeup to her face. She glanced at her outfit, which consisted of a light purple off the shoulder top with long sleeves, and a knee length white skirt with heeled boots.
She adjusted her skirt again, only to hear a soft chuckle in her head. "You look perfect kitten. Stop fretting," Matatabi said, while Yugito hung her head.
"Uugghhh, I'm just so nervous. I've never done something like this before," she said, wringing her hands. The Nibi giggled a bit, seeing the usually calm Yugito so flustered and nervous.
Both were interrupted by a knock on the apartment door, which made Yugito tremble in excitement and anxiety. She took a deep breath, approaching the door, and opening it.
Iruka stood there, smiling nervously. He was wearing a pair of black slacks and jacket over a white button down shirt that had the top button unbutton, along with a pair of black dress shoes. His hair was in its usual pineapple style ponytail, though he was minus his headband.
He blinked, blushing when he saw her. "Wow, Yugito you…you look incredible," he said, causing her to blush, but smile.
"Thanks. S-so do you," she said with a smile. "So, shall we get going?" She asked.
Iruka smiled and offered her his arm, causing her to giggle a bit. "Such a gentleman," she said, taking it even as he blushed, and they started to walk off.
As they walked, Yugito glanced around. "You know…I've lived here for three years now…and I still can't believe how different Konoha and Kumo are," she said quietly.
He glanced over her at her, eyebrow raised. "Oh? How so?" He asked.
"Well there's the obvious, what with Kumo being built up within a mountain range. It's pretty hard to find the village unless you know where exactly to look for it. But I think the real difference is…how free this village feels," she said.
When she saw Iruka's look of confusion, Yugito decided to elaborate. "The village is very militaristic. Almost the entirety of the village is dedicated to training, arming, and servicing the shinobi of the village. There's a civilian population, but there are far fewer civilian based business in Kumo then here in Konoha. The rest of the village is geared towards supporting the shinobi of the village. Here though…if it wasn't for the massive wall and the shinobi everywhere, you'd think this was a civilian town almost," she said.
Iruka chuckled softly. "I suppose that's true. I think that was part of Shodai-sama's dream, that the village would be a place where shinobi and civilians could live and work together, rather then it be a fortress for shinobi to use to strike out at enemies. He originally founded the village in hopes of making it a peaceful place for shinobi to gather and train."
"If not for the other villages out there, I'd say he succeeded," she said with a smile. "But enough about that. This is a dinner date, so let's enjoy ourselves."
Iruka just nodded in agreement, blushing at her dinner date comment, as they headed towards the commercial district of Konoha.
Raphael meanwhile was quietly sitting in his apartment, reading a book called The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Ninja, which had been written by Jiraiya, the famous Toad Sage of the sannin, the students of Hiruzen Sarutobi. The man was a rather famous author for his hentai book series known as Icha Icha.
He smiled though, enjoying this book far more. It was his first written work, and his only non hentai piece of work. Probably why he enjoyed it so much.
He was torn from his reading by a knock on the door, making him look up. Sighing he placed a bookmark in the book to keep his place, and got up, going to the door. He opened the door, only to blink in surprise. "Kiseki-san, how can I help you?" He asked.
Kiseki looked at him, before nodding. "I accept your offer," she said.
Raphael grinned as he stepped to one side. "Then come inside. We have much to discuss," he said.
Kiseki nodded as she stepped inside, ready to start this new path in her life.
And chapter. Well I think this could be better, but I'm not sure how. Hopefully you all enjoyed it.
So, with this chapter done, I'm FINALLY ready to get my butt in gear and get this fanfic into the canon era. I tell you, I don't know what happened. I had planned to be in canon era like ten chapters ago, but somehow this fanfic got away from me. Oh well, you all have enjoyed it so far, so who am I to complain?
With that said, I'll see you all next chapter, and again, if you're interested please check out my newest fanfic, A Simple Mission.
And again, if you're interested in lovinaelita's challenge, please contact them about it.
Lastly, big thanks again to Bill Alain and Kyuubi123, my excellent beta's.
1. Relevant information to the Assassins, as told/interpreted by Raphael/myself can be found in chapters 5-8 of this fanfic. As well as this one.
2. Yes, these are similar to Riddick's ulaks, except with the changes in appearance I added.
