Part 2: The Shining Summit

"Do you know why you're here?" asked Iruka-sensei who, with shovel draped over his shoulder, gestured at the grove around them.

He had already dismissed the two-dozen or so workmen who were there when they arrived. The last of them, surprised and delighted at being relieved of their tasks but still with an assurance of being paid, thanked him gregariously and waved their grateful farewells.

"Yes, Sensei," Tomoki moaned gloomily, a distracted, far-way expression on his face.

They stood a little ways from the wooded outskirts of the village in the Grove of Martial Virtues where clusters of trees towered along a serpentine, gravel path. Up above the early morning's bright yellow sunlight danced through veils of deep green, occasionally striking through portals in the leafy canopies to touch the ground in solid-looking shafts. Off to one side sat three broad piles of flat stones that had been culled by size, a mound of sand, several shovels and a variety of other tools.

Already the twelve-year old had a bad feeling where this was going.

"Needless to say, I'm disappointed," Iruka continued brusquely. "When you vanished like that, I hardly knew what to think. I searched everywhere for you and I risked an awful lot keeping it to myself; you have no idea!" The chunin frowned and gathered his thoughts, paced away, then returned and pointed his finger squarely at the boy's forehead. "That headband you wear, that you earned, says that you're a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. It carries meaning and responsibilities. You can't just go off whenever you want."

"I understand that, Sensei," offered Tomoki, "and I'm sorry." His apology sounded faint and half-hearted only because he'd voiced it so often and in so many tones that he doubted one more would make a difference.

"Well…," began Iruka paternally with his stern manner seeming to yield just slightly, "I suppose it's mostly that you surprised me. I can't even remember having to raise my voice at you since you came here; I never needed to."

The boy bit his lip contritely. "I've…tried to be a good student, Iruka-sensei."

The chunin's frown held but his eyes softened as he said, "I know." But before Tomoki's expression could brighten too much, Iruka added: "Still…it remains, and so you still have to take one more test before I'm satisfied."

"A test?" Tomoki protested mildly then hesitated to point out: "But, sensei, I've already graduated."

The man grinned then leaned toward him. "I don't know what kind of academy you think it is but around here you're never too old or too smart for a test."

Tomoki relented, grimaced then asked, doubting he'd like the answer: "What kind of test?"

Iruka looked skyward and smiled cleverly. "Listen carefully; the first rule of this test is that you cannot stop until you are finished…"

By later that morning Tomoki had finished scribing broad circles around each of the five clusters of trees in red chalk and had then began to dig a shallow trench along the lines he'd laid.

A soft rustling approached through the trees. "Hey, Tomoki!" cried Naruto who squatted frog-like in a high branch with the broadest grin on his face. "Hee-hee, you got in troub-le!" he sang down at him.

Tomoki stared for a moment unsure of what to say to the genin who, only a few days ago, had risked everything to save his life…and who at the same time had revealed a terrible truth.

"Hi, Naruto," Tomoki greeted then turned back to his work. "Yeah, I guess I did."

The yellow-haired ninja cocked his head. "Don't let Sensei get to you," Naruto advised with an air of certainty. "Sure he's pissed-off now but he'll get over it. He always does."

"I'm not so sure," ventured Tomoki who wiped his brow. "I never made any trouble before so I think maybe he thought I never would."

"Awww, come on Tom-tom, of course he's going to be all tough on you and stuff."

Tomoki frowned, struck another shovel full of earth and turned it aside. "He seemed to take it…I don't know, personally."

Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "That's just because you don't have any experience getting in trouble like me!"

Well, that's true, the genin recalled. Sure I took off for a while but that's nothing compared to some of the things Naruto's none – like what he did to the faces of the four Hokages! He looked up at Naruto who perched over him with elbows draped over his knees and a wide, careless smile on his face. And that's just the beginning!

Despite his doubts, a smile worked its way over Tomoki's face. "Maybe you're right," he acknowledged. "I hope so."

"You worry too much!" Naruto chided then asked, "Um, so what's he got you doing anyway? It looks pretty stupid to me."

Tomoki blew out a breath. "Iruka-sensei said I have to build these stacked-stone planter walls, knee-high, around every cluster of trees in the Grove of Martial Virtues; and I can't stop until I'm done."

"That should be easy!" the genin gusted. "I remember from class that there's only five martial virtues: charity, righteousness, um…forbearance, um…," his voice trailed off in frustration as he shut his eyes in furious thought. "Forbearance…grrr!"

Tomoki made a face. "You left out humility and propriety," he announced, then added under his breath, "Imagine that." He looked up again at Naruto. "Anyway, as you can see, each virtue is represented by a cluster of eight trees, so that's –."

"A lot of trees and a lot of walls," the ninja interrupted. "I get it; I get it. Well, forget it! I'll help you out and between the two of us we'll be done in no time!"

"No, Naruto!" insisted Tomoki who held up his hands, alarmed. "I'm in enough trouble already. I've got to do this myself."

Naruto gave him a brief, sour look then shrugged absently. "Suit yourself!" he quipped, leaped off into the trees and was gone.

Tomoki's shovel bit again into the earth, cutting easily through the topsoil but not so easily through the clay and gravel that lay beneath.

Alone again, he mused as he dug, careful to follow the radius he'd laid out. Seems like my natural state. It served me well, I suppose – all that planning, training and waiting for the day when I could finally set things right. I never really thought I could kill Xiaomei but now that it's done…what do I do now?

Morning dragged into afternoon when the full realization of how much work his task would entail set in. He'd worked furiously, digging trenches, laying sand beds and stacking stones but for all of that he'd only completed one which left four clusters of trees to go! Already his limbs and back ached and he sweated like a pack animal in the summer heat.

His hours of labor had been interrupted only once by Chouji and Shikamaru, two more of his fellow genin, who stopped to illustrate how they were going to enjoy the day while he was stuck here. Tomoki had only grinned at their teasing. Having been deliberately anonymous for so long, their attention would almost have been welcome if there wasn't so much more work to be done.

Hours more passed before he saw the end of his next trench in site, and the boy set himself toward finishing it. He dug furiously and plowed ahead, extending his chakra into the blade of his shovel the same way he did with his swords, but then slowly realized that he was not alone and perhaps had not been for some while. Tomoki sighed tiredly then raised his shovel and stuck it into the ground beside him.

Shaking his head, he muttered: "My zanshin skills really need some work, letting someone sneak up on me like that," then announced tensely with exaggerated cordiality: "but I'm glad that you find me so entertaining!" The ninja straightened his stiffening back and frowned then shut his eyes to concentrate on the newcomer's energy. "Well, come on, what can I do for you, brother -," his face lifted uncertainly, "excuse me, sister…Hinata?" He turned around slowly, doubting himself, but when he did the genin found that it was indeed Hinata Hyuga who awaited him.

"Oh! Excuse me, Tomoki," she greeted softly. "I didn't want to interrupt, so I thought I'd just wait for you to take a rest."

"I…I see," he muttered apologetically. The boy was nonplussed by her consideration and bowed slightly to her. Hinata, a pretty, dark-haired girl with eyes of pale lavender, waited patiently with hands clasped near the fleeced hem of her hooded, light grey jacket. "Well…what brings you out here?" asked Tomoki. "There're so many better ways to spend a summer day as Chouji and Shikamaru, so clearly and kindly pointed out to me earlier."

Hinata fidgeted then inquired gently, "Ah, well, I saw you and Iruka-sensei head this way earlier this morning…so I was curious…"

Tomoki thought about it for a moment and smiled. "Oh, you mean because he carried a shovel?" he said with a chuckle. "And maybe he killed and buried me out here? That really would've been a hard punishment!" His laughter faded as a quick glance around informed him again of the work that remained for him to do and he rubbed his cheek in dismay. "I guess the joke's on me. At least that would've been quick and painless."

He looked at her and smiled nervously. He'd rarely ever found himself alone with a girl and, until this moment, had never given Hinata much thought…her, anyone or anything else, so consumed had he been in thoughts of revenge. Now that he did, he realized that her soft-spoken nature and gentle personality was a refreshing change from the attitude and bluster of most of the other genin; that and she was indeed quite pretty.

"I wanted to ask you, and I hope you don't mind," she inquired, "are you and Naruto friends?"

The question took him from his reverie. "Huh?" he replied. "Well, sure, I suppose so."

Hinata turned her head. "I didn't realize," she continued with a nervous tremor in her voice. "How long have you been friends?"

The genin stared for a moment. The truth was on the tip of his tongue. Well, you see, Hinata, just a few days ago Naruto helped me kill this evil witch with terrible powers along with her army of monsters. If he hadn't shown up, I'd definitely be dead - torn to shreds out there in the forest somewhere. He tested out how it sounded in his head then dismissed it as TMI. "I don't know," he answered with forced nonchalance. "Who knows how stuff like that happens anyway, right?"

Hinata nodded obligingly while Tomoki took up his shovel to give his hands something to occupy them. "I'm surprised, that's all," she offered. "It didn't seem like you ever thought very well of him."

The boy's gaze fell. "Uh…well, yeah, that's true, Hinata, I didn't," he admitted then scooped another shovel full of earth. "Actually, for a long while I thought he was…well, kinda loud." He paused in thought for a moment then expounded: "not to mention dumb, abrasive, obnoxious and often deliberately unpleasant."

"Oh," the girl remarked with a trace of stung disappointment before continuing hopefully, "but…you've changed your mind?"

Tomoki's brow furrowed and he shook his head. "Mmm…no, not really, aside from the 'dumb' part, but," he gestured vaguely, "there's more to him than just that." He set the blade of his shovel into the ground and leaned on the handle then his eyes flicked up and saw that Hinata was waiting for him to continue. "I mean, he doesn't scare easy, you know. He always tries hard, he's not selfish…and he's – he's kind." The boy considered what he'd related and added quietly: "That last one was probably the biggest surprise."

"Ah, I see," she sang, genuinely buoyed by his report.

Tomoki smiled but then, unaccustomed to saying so explicitly what he thought, suddenly felt foolish. "Of course, I don't mean to make it sound like I'm any big deal, and really I have no right judging him or anyone else because I have my faults too…so I'm told," he explained hastily then joked: "And that's why I'm out here…sentenced to hard labor!"

Hinata laughed as the boy draped his arm over his eyes in a melodramatic expression of woe. "Oh, I didn't take it like that," she hurried to explain, "I just wondered, that's all."

Tomoki gave her a relieved smile. "Yeah, it's funny how you can know someone like that for years and not really know them at all," he observed, but his casual voice gradually lowered until he added hollowly: "You just get used to seeing past them, or through them; like they're just part of the background." His eyes rose toward Hinata's, then looked away. "It's a kind of contempt, you know, and I hate to think about how much he didn't deserve that…or you either, Hinata."

"I…," she started then fell silent. "I never took it as that, and you shouldn't be so hard on yourself."

An awkward silence ensued before Tomoki, sweating and disconcerted, was able to speak again. "Um, well, I should be getting back to it. I've got kind of a lot more work to do before I'm done. It looks like I'll be here all night and maybe the day and night after."

Hinata looked up. "Oh, yes, I can see that," she replied charitably and turned slightly to go. "Good luck, Tomoki. I really enjoyed talking with you and, I guess…I'll see you around." The boy nodded his farewell and had almost turned back to his digging when, unexpectedly, Hinata turned back. "I can help you," she offered, "if you want, but I can't stay too long."

Tomoki's joints and the practical side of his nature demanded he accept, and then too wouldn't it be nice to have company, especially her company? "No," he managed to say at last, though the word tasted like gravel. "I'm grateful for the offer but this is my sentence…and I'll have to serve it."

Hours more passed. Sweat seeped through Tomoki's already soaked headband, then continued through it to pour down his flushed face as he set stone after stone into place, making sure the joints were interlocked and level. He dared not look up. If he did, he knew he'd see the twenty-four remaining trees – three more clusters that awaited his attention.

As he'd done so many times already, the genin plodded again back to the pile and, with a gust of breath and a grunt of exertion, hoisted a stone the size of a loaf of bread. He trudged back and heaved it into place. The effort took all his strength and it seemed impossible to him that this stone wasn't somehow heavier by far than those he'd started with. Exhausted, muscles burning from strain, he fell to his knees and rested his head against the knee-high wall.

Naruto's teasing voice reached him through his bone-weariness, "Hey, Tomoki."

Tomoki wet his dry lips. "Hi again, Naruto," he answered faintly.

"Still at it, huh? It sure looks like you've got a loooong way to go," said the ninja with an astute air.

Tomoki just nodded. He couldn't spare the energy to look but felt Naruto's cool, supportive hand come to rest on his shoulder.

"So what do you say?" asked the newcomer. "Do you want my help now?"

Tomoki winced and his expression betrayed defeat as he nodded again.

Naruto snickered and bent to look closely at his face. "What's that?" he asked, feigning confusion. "I'm not sure I understand you right."

Tomoki scowled. "Yes, Naruto," he began dryly then went right for the overkill, "…oh great number-one ninja and future greatest-of-all-Hokages, please help me build the rest of these stupid walls!"

"Ha!" Naruto pealed victoriously. "I knew you'd come around! Now, stand back and be amazed!" His fingers came together to make the hand signs as he cried: "Shadow-Clone Jutsu!"

Immediately there appeared around them an entire crew of Narutos. Tomoki's eyes widened as he turned toward his friend and pushed himself to his feet. Though he'd seen this jutsu before it never failed to astound, especially now when its usefulness was so obvious. "That's great, Naruto," he remarked but his relief turned to alarm as this army of Narutos all took up shovels and stones and charged the grove like cavalry. "Whoa!" Tomoki shouted, waved his arms and moved to head them off, putting both outstretched palms into the lead Naruto's chest. "Wait! Stop!"

The clones behind the first stopped short, bumped into each other and jostled themselves back before they gathered around Tomoki, piqued with disbelief. "What's the problem?" barked one. "Yeah, what gives?" demanded another as complaints rippled through the orange-clad crowd.

Tomoki panted, collected his breath then asked their leader: "Do you know what you're doing?" The Narutos straightened and looked around at each other. "Well? Do any of you?" the genin continued then gave them all a sweeping, pointed glance. At length, when their puzzled, guilty silence affirmed that they didn't, Tomoki went on to explain: "Ok…well here's what you guys need to do…and I mean carefully…"

Tomoki's eyes slid open with the morning light that drove away dream and remembrance. The first thing that lit his vision was a bright vista of mountain peaks - tooth-like profiles of white, brown and green set against a pale, cloud-smeared sky. What am I doing here? he asked himself and rubbed his dull, brown eyes as the realization settled over him like a cold fog: Naruto can't be way out here…it's impossible. I'm SUCH an idiot.

A wind blew, whistling as it coursed over the rocks and through the hearty shrubs that clung to them. High above, a pair of condors circled. Where am I anyway…is this even the same continent; the same planet? He stood for awhile, shivering in the morning chill, and wondered what to do. Should he go back or go on; if he went on, which direction? The boy turned then and, finally out of sheer frustration, looked up at the great, carved Buddha.

"Ok, you decide," the ninja suggested as he took out one of his double-edged kunai knives then tossed it into the air with a spin. When it landed Tomoki looked out toward where it pointed – down the trail, an ancient caravan route worn by men's footsteps, cart wheels and mule, horse and lama hooves since perhaps the beginning of civilization.

The boy sighed as he accepted the verdict then removed his hitai-ate and threw on a worn, caped, travelers coat to conceal his weapons and uniform. From his albeit limited experience 'Hi, I'm a heavily-armed ninja!' was not something that everyone responded well to, so he decided to keep his vocation concealed for now.

Fairly certain that this was a wasted effort even before he began he frowned, shook his head then started to walk.

When the sun had reached its zenith, Tomoki came to a crossroads where two caravan trains, one from the north and one from the west, joined to go south. Mules brayed and horses whinnied as they labored with their loads; their drivers flicked whips, cursed and shouted as they went. Tomoki watched for awhile as cart after cart passed, loaded with cut stone, planks and dimensional lumber, barrels full of nails, quicklime, and tar. More wagons came, bearing upon them gracefully carved friezes and statues of heroes, mythological creatures and animals.

Moved by curiosity, and seeing no better alternative, Tomoki joined in behind.

It wasn't more than an hour's travel afterward that the genin spied their destination. There on a broad stretch of land saddled between peaks sprawled a village, above which loomed a grand monastery under construction. High, scaffold-covered walls of white and red painted, plastered masonry rose up from the mountain face, and from each of its many corners towered a magnificent, tiered pagoda.

Tomoki's eyes followed along the network of scaffolds and the workmen who climbed and scurried along them like ants. Atop one of the pagodas, a team of men laid metal-faced pan-tiles. One and sometimes two at a time, workers on the lower scaffolds tossed the tiles up while those on the high roofs caught them then stooped to anchor them in place. Towering over all was a pair of massive tower cranes, whose long, trussed and triangular-profiled, steel arms swung over the buildings below, lifting huge loads from place to place as if they were no more than feathers.

Tomoki grinned, entranced by the spectacle, and stopped periodically to watch as he walked. The wind blew just then and the sun's light which had been hindered by clouds now shone through. The genin's eyes swam suddenly as he was gripped by a powerful sense of having been here before. Light gleamed and danced off the pagodas' shining, tiled roofs, shimmering like water.

Like waves! Tomoki realized, gasped and stopped dead. His hand reached through his coat, inside his vest and tore out the sketch he'd drawn in Ichi's parlor. A chill fell over him. His brown eyes raced between the drawing and the vista, to this monastery's pagodas and their curved, hipped roofs which, abstracted, looked very much like waves with the mountain peak that rose behind it an island!

He rubbed his hand down his face, caught between hope and disbelief. "But…," he sputtered and looked back, "it can't be. It's not really possible! Is it?" Acutely, the genin remembered that this was not the first time he'd doubted old-man Ichi's council OR the first time he'd been left humbled by his wisdom.

With renewed purpose, Tomoki followed the caravan through town to the grand, gold and coral-red gates of the monastery where guards stood – men in blue and plum dyed robes and pointed caps who admitted wagons and workers but shooed away beggars and gawkers. With barely a break in his stride, Tomoki stole a shovel from the side of one of the wagons, put it over his shoulder then walked through the gates unimpeded.

This was no jutsu or any other sort of ninja art. He simply didn't stand out and never had. Unlike Naruto with his colorful attire, bright yellow hair and blazing eyes, or Sasuke's dark, brooding and smolderingly-handsome countenance, Tomoki's features were more-or-less ordinary, instantly forgettable and so the boy could walk through a crowded room without drawing a single glance. Even those who did see him would be hard pressed to recall what he looked like if asked afterwards.

Beyond a pair of impressive, painted lions that waited just inside the main gates, the courtyard within was in a state of barely-controlled chaos. Workmen representing dozens of different building trades roamed and rushed in all directions: carpenters, stone masons, plasterers and painters, roofers, glaziers and smiths. Voices shouted and rang amidst stacks of material. Hammers clanged, motors roared, saws ripped, and billows of dust and diesel smoke drifted in thick clouds. Although he was familiar with these sorts of activities, the sheer scope of it surpassed anything Tomoki had ever seen before and he looked and wandered around with mouth agape.

"Are you lost, young master?" a pleasant-enough voice greeted him through the din.

The genin turned toward the source, a strong and mellow tenor. It was a woman, dressed in robes of grey and brown, only a bit taller than Tomoki was but still with a regal bearing, long, ashen hair and skin the color of burnished wood.

Tomoki bowed at once. "No, ma'am," the genin answered humbly, knowing he'd been busted. "I'm just…having a look around."

"Hmm," she snorted direly, "it seems the vigilance of our custodians leaves something to be desired." The woman winced once with annoyance but then smiled understandingly. "It is quite exciting, isn't it," she admitted warmly, "all this bustle?"

"Yes, ma'am."

A stern look crossed the grey-haired matron's brow as she scolded him, "You must understand that it is quite dangerous here."

"Oh?" Tomoki cocked an eyebrow, suddenly alert. "How's that?"

She frowned incredulously at the boy's remark, clearly having taken it as cluelessness. "Just look around you!" she admonished. "Think about it - you could get hit in the head with a stone or a dropped tool, or run over by a cart. Not everyone pays attention the way they should."

"Ah," said Tomoki, who relaxed. "I'll try to be careful, ma'am."

"See that you do," she instructed maternally. "I'd hate for you to be hurt."

"Oh, well, me too," the boy concurred while she scrutinized him.

"You're a curious child. Are you from the village? I don't recall having seen you there?"

"No ma'am, I'm from…uh, very far away," Tomoki offered vaguely.

"Oh, I see, a wanderer or a pilgrim, maybe," ventured the woman. "Well, if you'd like to see the place, I'd be happy to show you. After all, you've come all this way. My name is Anura Pakri and I welcome you to the Shining Summit Monastery."

Tomoki's expression brightened. "Thank you, Ms. Pakri. My name is Tomoki."

Anura led the visitor to quieter precincts where the tumult of construction was softer. Together they passed through verdant courtyards where ornamental gardens bloomed, fountains flowed and bubbled, musicians played instruments, and students pursued their studies.

"Huh…," remarked Tomoki, quite impressed. He asked some conversational questions here and there but was otherwise silent. Anura, though guiding him, did not find it necessary to talk very much either and was content to let what was there speak for itself.

Eventually they proceeded into a courtyard where the monastery's disciples practiced martial arts. His professional curiosity peaked, Tomoki studied their movements. They were only beginners, rank amateurs by his standards, and were learning basic postures, attacks and defenses.

"Ms. Pakri?" inquired Tomoki after awhile. "What is it you all do here?"

"That is a very basic and important question, young man," Anura commented. "As you've seen, we do a great deal of things. We farm and raise livestock, cook and clean like all men and women do. We also exercise, study medicine, philosophy and the physical sciences but mostly we pray and meditate."

Tomoki's brow rose. "Oh?"

"Indeed," the woman replied with a smile. "Meditation promotes overall well-being and a restful spirit; through prayer we seek communion with and connection to the guiding force of the universe." She cast her guest a glance as a concerned look passed over his face. "You don't seem satisfied by my answer. Do you not think that enough? Our aim is to encourage the world's progression towards a more harmonious state, free of strife and tyranny. Self-cultivation is our starting point."

"I meant no disrespect, Ms. Pakri; it's just that…it's just -," Tomoki hastened to clarify then blurted, "I should have told you this before: I'm not a pilgrim or wanderer."

Anura accepted his news in stride. "It was just starting to dawn on me that that could be the case. So what is it that's brought you here then, Tomoki? Is it just curiosity?" the woman asked and looked at him sagely. "It's all right with me if it is. Personally, I consider it highest among the virtues."

Tomoki smiled then snickered at her assertion. "Only in part, Ms. Pakri," he told her. "The truth is that I'm looking for someone. And I've really, really got to find him."

"Go on then," she said and nodded agreeably. "Tell me who it is. I know almost everyone in Shijun, Ma Shan, Ying and all the little inns and caravansaries in between."

The boy's expression flushed with gratitude at finding in Anura Pakri a helpful and knowledgeable soul then turned serious as he began. "You'd remember him! About so tall," Tomoki described and raised his fingers level, "bright, bushy, yellow hair, funny marks on his cheeks, orange clothes and a very…um, peculiar sort of personality."

The old woman looked at him doubtfully and raised her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, child. I never saw anyone like that; I'm quite sure I'd remember."

Tomoki's shoulders slumped. "I guess…it was a long shot."

The pair continued their way through the monastery's expansive grounds then turned into a courtyard enclosed by high, scaffold-covered walls which were still under construction. High above swept the mighty arms of the tower cranes. Though hundreds of feet over their heads, their size still made Tomoki want to duck whenever their huge, blurry shadows passed by.

Lumber, brick and stone lay everywhere in piles, palettes and stacks, along with pyramids of barrels and sacks full of mortar and concrete. But none of that is what made Tomoki's eyes widen as he slowed to stop; for atop a stepped plinth at the center of the courtyard stood a massive, black bell. Over two stories it rose from a broad oval base to where it curved slightly in toward the flattened top then ended in a ring.

"You should find this interesting," remarked Anura. "This is the Courtyard of the Great Bell."

Almost hypnotized by its presence Tomoki paced toward the bell until he stood before it. He craned his head to take in its ponderous dimensions then looked closer at the curious runes and glyphs stamped into its iron surface.

"Wow," remarked the boy obtusely but in earnest, "that's a big bell."

"Indeed," his guide agreed as she joined him. "It is impressive," she said admiringly. "I'm still not quite used to it."

Tomoki rapped his fingers against the monolith to judge its thickness and found it nearly solid as far as he could tell. "It's amazing," the young ninja muttered as he ran his hands over the bell's iron flank then turned toward Anura as the thought struck him. "How on earth did you get it here?"

"To be sure, I don't know," the older woman admitted. "Only the Abbot knows that. If you like, I'll take you to see him and you can ask him yourself."

"What? Oh!" answered Tomoki who started to laugh.

Anura tilted her head. "What's funny?"

"Oh, well, it's just that…I kind of took you for the abbot, uh, abbotess….," he hedged then paused for a moment seeking help, "mother superior?"

"I know what you mean," she rescued him then laughed lightly. "But just because someone's old doesn't mean they're wise."

"I didn't mean it like that," said the genin, somewhat embarrassed. "It's just that you're very, um, respectable-looking."

She raised an eyebrow. "Young man, take some advice from an old woman," she began with a professorial air, "you must learn how to flatter much better than that. It is an underrated skill that will serve you well for all your days."

Tomoki returned a bashful smile. "Seriously, Ms. Pakri, if you're ever put in charge here you certainly look the part."

"Mmm," she considered, and a corner of her lips turned up. "Yes, that's some better."

The boy grinned. "Thanks, and I'd really like to meet your Abbot," he began then proposed hopefully, "maybe he'll know where I can find Naruto." A chill fell over him just then as he felt a malevolent energy with an even more malevolent intention hover close to the edges of his senses. His eyes darted toward the gate then scanned along the high walkways that connected the courtyard's four corner pagodas.

"Goodness," Anura startled. "Are you feeling alright?"

The genin forced himself to relax and let his hands fall from where he normally wore swords. "It's nothing, Ms. Pakri," he replied then smiled to put her at ease. "I guess I'm just jittery."

At length, the old woman took Tomoki up a long stairway that wound back and forth up to a promontory that afforded a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains and down into the twisting valleys below. They navigated though a crowd of brightly painted statues, all heroic men and women with arms and armor, which were in the process of being cleaned by some of the Shining Summit's disciples.

"I know Abbot Lin comes up here often to direct matters and oversee the construction," Anura explained then put her hand on Tomoki's shoulder as they approached a small group of people who looked out at the works below. "Oh, there he is. Let me tell him you're here."

The Abbot was easy to spot amidst the engineers and tradespeople. The man was quite tall and slender, and wore a tunic of brilliant white and robes trimmed with red and gold. A cascade of long, white hair, not grey like Anura's, but perfect white flowed from his head and the boy surmised that the Abbot must be quite old. The leaf-ninja brushed himself off and prepared to be at his most gracious and humble, as he would be in the presence of the Hokage himself.

Anura Pakri greeted the Abbot then gestured in his direction. She said a few words to the man then departed somewhat to Tomoki's surprise, having expected that she'd remain with him. The Abbot turned and looked toward the newcomer, revealing a carefree, exuberant face possibly as young as Tomoki's own.

He…he's only a kid! the ninja thought. No older than I am, IF that! His brow rose as he took in his host – his translucent eyes, pale and blue, his sharp-featured face, pointed chin, slender frame, long, broomstick limbs, and that mane of white hair that draped clear down his back. It was all Tomoki could do to keep from laughing!

The child abbot smiled gently and came toward him. All the while Tomoki bit down hard on his giggling then quickly composed himself and remembered that people were often not as they appeared. With that in mind Tomoki lowered himself to his knees - right leg first, then left, put his hands together to form a triangle and bowed his head to the ground.

"Revered Abbot," he greeted in a humble, steady voice. "I'm honored to meet you."

"Please rise," said Abbot Lin with amicable urgency and helped him back to his feet. "There's no need for such formality although I deeply appreciate your respects."

Tomoki was taken for a moment by the boy's…by the Abbot's reassuring manner and the calm in his eyes. "Th…thank you for receiving me, Revered Abbot."

"Please," he laughed, "Abbot Lin is more than enough. I hope I may call you Tomoki since Anura speaks so well of you."

"Of course," the boy agreed.

"She is an excellent judge of character, Tomoki, and I can only hope that I may call all she calls friends mine as well." Before the genin could answer, Lin went on, "I do apologize that you should arrive just now with my house in such a dreadful state of disarray."

"Not at all, Rev…Abbot Lin."

"But all this dust!" the white-haired boy exclaimed and waved his arm. "There's debris everywhere, and the noise…"

Tomoki chuckled. "Really, I don't mind."

The monastery's master returned a warm smile. "I'm glad you feel that way." Together, they stopped to watch a tower crane raise a huge, stone statue of the legendary hero, General Kuan up into the air as if by magic. "To be honest, although I despise the mess, it moves me to my very soul to see so many men and women engaged in a constructive, common purpose."

"Ahh," the young ninja began uncertainly, "yes, I can see that."

A sly grin crossed the Abbot's childlike face and Tomoki wondered if his deference was really necessary. This guy seemed more like a classmate, a novice like himself, than a spiritual leader. But the Abbot continued in a confident, assured manner that really did make him seem older than he appeared: "I've only been here a short while, so I'm anxious to see things improve. My predecessor, Abbot Cheong, was a fine man but, alas, not very ambitious. Our temple and all the nearby towns and camps suffered greatly under his complacency."

The genin blinked. "I'm sorry to hear that, Abbot Lin," said Tomoki agreeably as he followed him down a broad, spiral stairway. "I'm not from here so I didn't realize. This place seems peaceful enough."

"And so it is…for now," Lin reported somewhat gravely. "But the mountains and trails of Shijun have been scenes of great violence."

"What, really?" piped Tomoki with surprise.

The Abbot shot him a look of disbelief. "You must have traveled from far, far away not to know the story," he laughed and shook his head. "This whole region has been preyed upon for some time by a bandit army called the Dancing Stones. Believe me when I tell you – they are unsurpassed in viciousness and cruelty. Training fighting men and women to hold our borders and man garrisons on the trails and trade routes to counter them is one of my chief, ongoing concerns, one I hadn't counted on.

"Abbot Cheong was content to placate the bandits which only made them bolder. It wasn't until I, with my brother Hsien and sister Inakaya, encouraged the people to fight back that we were able to put a stop to their forays."

"That's good," Tomoki remarked seriously, nonplussed at being confided in so quickly and to such an extent. The spiral stair opened out into a wide balcony that overlooked most of the monastery. From here its architecture unfolded – clusters of irregular courts arranged around gardens, pools and statuary. Portions of it were quite old and there had been many subsequent additions over the ages but there was much more in progress. "It looks and sounds like you've done a lot of good here," the boy opined, not being above stooping to a little ingratiation so long there was a seam of honesty to it.

The Abbot shrugged. "I like to think so. But in truth," he hesitated as a sad, pensive look crossed his youthful, porcelain face, "I think it's the strength of all these good people that shines through despite my many shortcomings."

Moments passed in silence before Tomoki noted his host's stricken look. "What's wrong?" he asked tentatively.

The Abbot's brow furrowed with anger. "Despite all we've done they still come," he hissed with sudden intensity. "They take our children."

"You mean the bandits?" The leaf-ninja straightened. "So that's what's going on," he said and nodded seriously as he remembered. "I saw the votives and offerings left for the Buddha."

Lin continued to stare out over his domain as the wind blew fitfully through his long hair and robes. "I've studied great leaders," he began. "The aphorism is that 'with great power comes great responsibility'. I accept that as a divine truth and so it hurts me deeply and personally, Tomoki, every time it happens.

"We are remote and far from any jurisdiction out here. The nearest is the Land of Earth and they've shown no interest in this difficult country. As Abbot of this monastery, an outpost of civilization, my modest authority is all there is. It is unbearable to me that it is insufficient even to safeguard the precious lives of those my beliefs bind me to protect."

Tomoki stood by, entranced by the profundity of the Abbot's feelings, and felt bad at having nothing to offer in consolation.

The strange, taller boy spared the genin any further thought. Lin chuckled suddenly and a broad smile appeared on his face as he said: "Just listen to me lay my burden on the shoulders of a guest. Please forgive me. It is hardly the behavior of a spiritual man."

Tomoki matched his smile. "I've met a lot of people who called themselves spiritual," he recounted, not knowing yet what he was going to say, "…a few who others called spiritual but none I thought were. So you're doing just fine as far as I can tell."

His remark brought the Abbot up short. "Thank you, Tomoki," he replied in mild amazement. "That means a great deal to me."

The two roamed the monastery's grounds where Abbot Lin delighted in showing the visitor its mundane areas: training grounds, kitchens and classrooms as well as its many wonders: libraries, cisterns, apiary, and even an observatory. Everywhere they went, blue and plum robed disciples bowed to their master who always returned a nod in kind as was proper. Lin celebrated his accomplishments with Tomoki but lamented that, being rather young and inexperienced, many of his elders had difficulty trusting him and were actually quite put off by his exuberance.

Regarding the particulars of the Shining Summit's order the Abbot was vague, perhaps sensing Tomoki's reticence on religious matters. It was, apparently, rooted in ideas common to all religions but expressed though self-cultivation and a desire to perfect the world as their means of connecting with a higher power.

After a while the Abbot asked, "I realize the question may be indiscreet but please, I'd truly like to know – to what faith do you adhere?"

Tomoki gave him a glance and shook his head.

Lin studied his evasive expression. "Your belief must be highly priced indeed if no religion is worthy of it," he ventured teasingly.

"Faith is not something to be surrendered easily," replied the boy with a dismal shrug, not meaning to be clever or worse - churlish.

The Abbot shook his head and his pale brow narrowed reprovingly. "You are too young to be so cynical," he advised and wagged his finger, rising to the challenge. "Cynics are never fulfilled, young master Tomoki."

The genin smiled tightly then shrugged again and answered more bitterly than he intended, "But we're never disappointed either."

Lin's shoulders slumped. "I may have had that coming," he confessed amiably enough then looked at his guest with heartbreaking concern. "Tomoki, please forgive my temerity but I really do wish to know what it was that turned you from the spiritual path? I don't sense that it was always so with you."

For a moment Tomoki's eyes narrowed into a glare then he turned away with thoughts conflicted. One objected – Who the hell is this guy: asking me something like that, Abbot or not! Another supported – He sure seems to mean it, like it really is personally important to him…not just part of the job. Only after some deliberation did Tomoki give in and explained, as he once had to Naruto, how the witch Xiaomei had destroyed his province with her magic and monsters, and rendered him an orphan.

"That's why I have no last name," he intoned. "I have no family, no clan, not even a village I can say I come from. The few who lived were all cast to the winds."

The Abbot sighed solemnly. "Ah, I had no idea. I had assumed that whatever had marred your life had been caused by one or more of the great ills that plague civilization: desire, greed, ignorance…," Abbot Lin said and nodded sympathetically. "I wouldn't have guessed that it would involve so many of them or the singularly dark evil to which some people aspire. And Xiaomei's name is not unfamiliar to me." Lin paused and steepled his hands under his chin. "Tell me: did no one stand up to oppose her?"

Tomoki closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Oh." The Abbot bit his lip. "Well, perhaps no one was strong enough. I heard her powers are truly fearful," he said and searched his guest's staring expression. "Surely, though, the forces of civilization came to your aid once Xiaomei and her armies had departed?"

Tomoki rendered him a look.

"No?" the white-haired boy gasped in disbelief then squawked, "Inexcusable! To allow such lawlessness to proceed. If barbarity afflicts one province or even one person, then it afflicts all!" The Abbot fell quiet and raised his palms. "I suppose ranting about her misdeeds now or the coldhearted treatment you received does little good."

Tomoki managed a sad smile. "I appreciate it anyway."

"I am truly sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"But it is!" Lin insisted then put his hands on Tomoki's shoulders, turned him around and looked him in the eyes. "I would like to apologize…on behalf of all civilized people for allowing her abuses to go unanswered and for abandoning you when you needed help."

The boy stared at him for a moment, taken aback by his sudden passion and all but certain of his madness, but a tremor went through him too. "T-thank you," he offered gratefully. "No one's ever…ever said anything like that to me."

Even the Abbot was speechless for a moment before he prophesized: "Perhaps one day when my, my brother's and my sister's martial and spiritual powers are greater, our paths will cross – ours and Xiaomei's."

"No," Tomoki reported. "They won't."

"Oh?" Lin raised a white eyebrow as he examined the genin's face. He straightened suddenly. "Ah! I see," he said and his voice crested. "You did not wait, hope or pray for the swords of heavenly justice to answer! You seized them yourself and put an end to her once and for all, how marvelous!" the lanky, white-haired boy exulted dramatically with his long arms opening wide.

Tomoki looked at Lin in shock, that he could discern so much from his brief answer. "Do you think so?" the fledgling ninja muttered, astonished by the Abbot's grandiose conclusion. "I wonder sometimes if it wasn't just revenge, and I think about everything else I could have done with my life if I hadn't been so focused on getting it."

"Nonsense!" Lin remonstrated, waving away Tomoki's concerns and taking him by the arm. "Celebrate your accomplishment!" he counseled eagerly. "Not everyone has it in them to do as you have done: to rid the world of a great evil. Tomoki, there can be no greater service to mankind. You have furthered the great cause of civilization! There should be statues of you towering tall over all lands where great deeds are celebrated!"

Mystified, the boy's jaw dropped. "I don't know about all that…," he mumbled skeptically.

"None of that!" the Abbot reaffirmed. "Even modesty must have its limits. You are a great warrior; I could tell from the very first moment we met. It cannot be chance, but providence that has carried you to my door. Please, Tomoki, would you stay here? Be a part of my order?"

Tomoki, surprised, looked back at his host as if in a daze. "You're very kind to invite me, Abbot Lin," he replied, "but I have…obligations." He looked up into Lin's face and smiled, trying to salve his host's obvious disappointment. "You're right, though, about it not being chance that brought me here."

The Abbot nodded. "Yes, Anura told me."

"And I should have asked long before now because, well, if you haven't seen my friend then I should be going." Tomoki described Naruto as he had for Anura earlier. The Abbot's thin lips parted and he said gravely: "I know this boy you're looking for."

"What?" Tomoki startled. "Have you really seen him? Where? When?" he piped urgently. "Was he alright?"

The taller boy backed away then quieted him with upraised palms and a sad expression came over his face. "He is not alright, Tomoki."

"What do you mean?" asked the genin anxiously.

Abbot Lin looked away. "I hate to be the one to tell you news like this," he began somberly, "but this friend you're looking for is afflicted and so, regrettably, has been condemned to incarceration…beneath the great bell."

The ninja stared at him blankly for a moment then chuckled. "Right…," he offered sarcastically and shook his head. "Yeah, sure…," Tomoki went on, searching his host's face for any trace of mirth but found none. In the end he swallowed hard and his whole face started to heat as he began to accept as the truth what the Abbot had said. "But…why?" the boy struggled to get the words out, "why would you do something like that?"

Abbot Lin, clearly disconcerted by Tomoki's growing alarm, explained, "This golden-haired boy you seek is the vessel for a terrible demon, a diabolical spirit born ages ago - none other than Kyuubi no Yoko, the nine-tailed fox!

"The elemental strength and powerful enchantments laid upon the great bell will insure that the beast will never again be free to wreak havoc upon the earth."

Lin's words rang in Tomoki's mind and his breath quickened frantically. At once, and without a word more, the ninja bolted. His strides carried him like the wind from courtyard to courtyard where he weaved through disciples and workmen until he arrived at last back in the Courtyard of the Great Bell.

The genin rushed up before the bell's monolithic form, froze then began to pace around it as he searched its adamantine face for any signs of an aperture or opening, anything that might hint of a way in. Finally, in frustration, he threw himself against its iron walls and tested his strength but to no avail. If anything, the metal monolith seemed even more ponderous and impenetrable than before. He pounded it with his fists.

"Naruto!" Tomoki shouted then circled the bell again in growing desperation.

"Tomoki…," Abbot Lin's voice called to him softly but with an underlying insistence. "Stop this. What's done is done. It's for the good of the whole world and so you must accept it."

Tomoki whirled angrily. "Accept what?" he railed and cast a sweeping, contemptuous gesture toward the bell. "That you've trapped my friend under this stupid bell to die of thirst, of hunger, alone in the dark…?" His eyes lifted suddenly with inspiration and he smiled when he observed, "Yes…it must be very dark in there." The genin ran around the bell until he reached the side of it that was deep in shadow. His fingers flew as he summoned his chakra. "Ninja art: Shadow Gate Jutsu!" he shouted, but the energies he summoned broke apart against those of the great bell like a wave crashing upon a rocky shore.

"Tomoki!" the monastery's master pleaded. "It's no use; there is no force, spell or technique that can penetrate this prison. Please, won't you see reason? I'm sorry that we've upset you but there's nothing more to be done."

The ninja's temper flared. "Listen to me, Abbot Lin," he hissed and scowled. "I will NOT leave without him!"

Another voice cried stridently, "How dare you say something like that to the Abbot?"

The voice was met with a grumble of murmurs and shouts of support and Tomoki realized suddenly that his argument had drawn quite a crowd. Some were only curious laborers but most were disciples in their blue and plum robes and hats. A pair of them came at him suddenly. The genin fired a heel into the first man's thigh – so hard that the bone almost broke and so fast that the disciple hadn't seen it coming. The second reached out to grab then dropped to the ground as Tomoki seized his offending hand and bent it back against the wrist at an excruciating angle.

The Abbot fumed, twitched and paced. "Enough, Tomoki!" he cried. "Don't you dare take your anger out on my followers. They have nothing to do with this!"

More men rushed at Tomoki. He caught a flailing arm, pivoted sharply and sent his attacker flying back into his comrades. Another ran at him, throwing punches but the ninja grabbed his sleeve, dropped down and swept his legs out with the other arm to send him sailing over his back.

One after the other, he sidestepped, deflected, struck, or threw the Abbot's fighters until he stood alone in a piled-up circle of those he'd defeated. They rubbed their arms, nursed wrists and ribs, and wiped blood from lips and noses.

"Call them off, Abbot," demanded Tomoki who flung off his traveler's cloak to reveal his uniform and swords. "Your followers are well-meaning and all-together they might even beat me but not without cost."

The white-haired boy's face twisted with consternation. "Get away," he shouted at his disciples. "Get back, all of you. Clear this courtyard at once, I order it!"

Tomoki almost relaxed at the Abbot's announcement but then: "Don't worry about us. We'll get him for you Abbot Lin!" one of his followers, a burly man with a shaved head, cried as he and a fair number of others took up shovels, picks, and boards.

"Yes!" another, a slender woman with a fierce expression, joined in. "We're not afraid of this kid!"

The genin prepared himself as they charged. They encircled the boy and attacked at once, swinging and clubbing, but as their improvised weapons struck they found only his coat as if it had just hovered there on its own, occupying his shape.

Just a little Substitution Jutsu…well-timed I think too, thought Tomoki with a grin from where he stood only a few paces away.

The big, bald man looked up and ran towards him, swinging his shovel for all he was worth. "You won't fool me this time!" he bellowed. Tomoki pivoted away from the shovel's deadly, descending arc, and its iron head clanged as it broke off against the stone pavement. Tomoki coiled himself to strike, with eyes focused on the vital point below the man's ear, but stopped when he heard a horrifying sound rush towards him. Rolling away, the boy came to his feet in a ready crouch.

The ninja's eyes widened. Upon his assailant's head had alighted a strange sort of metal basket, flared outward at the open end and ringed inside and out with curved, saw-toothed blades. A short rod anchored to a metal boss sat at the top and had at its end a metal ring from which a long length of chain started.

Stunned at first, Tomoki leaped to free the man but it was too late. The chain snapped taut, spinning the basket, and taking it and the man's severed head back to its source.

Throughout the courtyard, gasps and screams echoed and the Abbot's followers fled in blind panic as their comrade's decapitated body collapsed to the ground.

Tomoki whirled towards the devilish weapon's owner. He was not merely big, as the hapless bald disciple had been, but a true giant - almost double Tomoki's height, broad of shoulder and with a powerful, hunched back. The man took up his basket and sniffed disdainfully with flaring nostrils set over a wide, bristly jaw and toothy under-bite.

"Heaven and Earth!" gasped Tomoki.

The Abbot's face reddened and he balled his pale fists. "Brother!" he screeched with rage. "Hsien, what have you done?"

Hsien only snorted as he took the head from its grizzly carriage and tossed it aside. "You have no right to speak to me like that, brother," he replied coolly. "After all, if you can't keep order in your own house then I guess it's up to me."

Tomoki paced forward. "I'm kind of impressed," he admitted venomously. "I've heard of but have never actually seen anyone who'd mastered the flying guillotine." He glanced towards the Abbott who stood almost paralyzed with shock. "Although, I'm a little confused too - is this what you meant by 'civilization'?"

"That's enough out of you," Hsien threatened. "As you can see, my brother is a very…delicate creature and you've upset him."

"I don't suppose a simple apology will do?" the ninja inquired sardonically then observed: "you know, for brothers, you look nothing at all alike."

Hsien guffawed, not a merry sound but one cultivated over a lifetime spent enjoying the suffering of others. "Little fellow," he announced. "You must have given up all hope of living."