I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
Next Task
Ryuu groaned quietly, shifting weakly as he forced his eyes open. Everything hurt. His entire body felt like he'd been Kakuzu's punching bag, which he would have preferred, his eyes burned like they were on fire, and he felt exhausted. His eyes slowly drifted around the room. Fu was asleep in a chair beside him, her upper body lying on the bed, Tayuya and Yugao were in a pair of chairs off to the left, also asleep, and when Ryuu began to raise his left arm, he felt the prick of an IV. He had a feeling he had been asleep for a while again, though, since he didn't have a feeding tube, he suspected it wasn't too long. He reached over, gently dragging his fingers through Fu's hair and she stirred, sighing softly before looking up at him, eyes widening before she smiled.
"Hey," she said softly. "How do you feel?"
"Like I got run over by a train," Ryuu said. "How long have I been out?"
"A couple days," Fu said. "You missed Sora leaving."
"I missed Naruto saving him too," Ryuu said. "What happened?"
"So much," Fu said. "Where to start. Well, firstly, Sora was what's called a Pseudo-Jinchuriki. After the Nine-tails attacked the Hidden Leaf Village before being sealed into Naruto, some of the chakra it released that hadn't dissipated yet was collected into Sora, making him a Jinchuriki of a sort of copy of Kurama. While we were fighting Max and Lena, Sora lost control of his Tailed Beast Chakra. One of the four ninjas you restrained broke free, apparently Sora's father, who was supposed to be dead, and manipulated Sora into losing control of his anger. Then when Naruto tried to stop Sora, Naruto almost lost control too. Everyone showed up and tried to help, but in the end, Naruto was the one to get through to Sora. You know how Naruto is."
"Yeah," Ryuu nodded. "And his father?"
"Asuma took him out," Fu said.
"Well, at least that all worked out well," Sado sighed. "I kinda wish I could have shown Sora that I learned his jutsu."
"I'm sure he'll be back," Fu said, smirking. "I think he got a crush on me after he found out I'm a Jinchuriki."
"On second thought, maybe he should just stay away," Ryuu grumbled.
Fu giggled and kissed his cheek. "Jealous?"
"Are you kidding?" Ryuu asked. "He can use a type of chakra that would give me enough of a power boost to blow the entire Akatsuki away in a single jutsu. Yeah, I'm jealous as fuck."
"He also can't control it, and if he uses it, his hand mutates into a monster's, and he goes on a rampage," Fu pointed out.
Ryuu raised his right hand. "I'm halfway there already. Speaking of non-human entities, where the hell's Tobi?"
"Tobi's here," Tobi said, extending from the ceiling, upside down.
"There you are," Ryuu said. "Any Zetsu problems? Or Akatsuki?"
"Nope," Zetsu said cheerfully. "All clear."
"Good," Ryuu sighed.
"Are you okay?" Fu asked. "I mean...Max and Lena..."
"You know," Ryuu paused, thinking about what he wanted to say. "I blamed myself for their deaths. Even after I had accepted they were gone, I was still carrying their deaths around with me. But facing them again, hearing them both forgive me, and their wish for me to let them rest..." He smiled as a tear slid down his cheek. "It's funny. I had to fight two of the people who mattered the most to me in this world, and yet...I'm good. I don't blame myself anymore. By fighting my friends, I got closure."
"That's good," Fu smiled. "You know, Tsunade wants to give you a reward for defending the village singlehandedly."
Ryuu chuckled. "I think the one request I'd make is probably just to have some time off without the Akatsuki, or Mhao, or Orochimaru, or anyone else interfering."
"Maybe we can have that," Fu smiled.
Ryuu snorted. "Yeah, just as soon as I put them all in the ground." He sighed. "How's Naruto's training going?"
"Yamato has him trying to split a waterfall with Wind Style chakra," Fu said.
Ryuu grimaced. "Tall order for Naruto. However, that should keep him busy for a while. Out of curiosity, how'd everyone react to finding out what Naruto is?"
"I don't think any of them cared," Fu said. "Hinata definitely didn't."
Ryuu nodded, then sighed heavily, sitting up and pulling his IV out, then his heart monitor's sensors. A soon as the flatline tone began, Tayuya and Yugao jerked awake, eyes wide, only to sigh in relief and smile as they saw he was awake.
"Good morning," Yugao smiled. "You gave us all a scare."
"Sorry," Ryuu smiled. "Come on. Let's head home."
"We have to wait for you to be discharged," Tayuya said.
Ryuu snorted in amusement, Fu and Yugao both chuckling.
"What?" Tayuya asked.
"You were never here back when I used to be in here all the time, were you?" Ryuu asked. "I forget that sometimes."
He stood, stretching for a moment before accepting the scrub shirt Fu held out to match the scrub pants he was wearing. Then, he, Fu, and Yugao walked out fo the room, Tayuya following, confused. As they were passing the receptionist desk where Kabuto and Kaori were talking about something, both turned and smiled at them.
"Take care Ryuu," Kaori smiled. "See you again soon."
"More than likely," Ryuu chuckled. "Let me know if anything comes up Kabuto."
"Will do," Kabuto nodded.
As they got outside and started to leave the hospital, Tayuya stared at Ryuu in confusion.
"Before we met, I was in an out of the hospital about every month," Ryuu said. "Broken ribs, near-death, chakra depletion, broken ribs again, full-body cast. It was bad."
Tayuya stared at him before shaking her head. "Jeez. You're accident prone."
"You have no idea," Ryuu chuckled. "I just heal a lot faster now or I'd still be going to the hospital all the time."
Fu nodded in agreement. "Pretty much every fight we get in."
"Hey, it's not my fault we keep running into Hidan and Kakuzu," Ryuu said. "They just love to pester me."
"True," Fu nodded. "And there are so many scores to settle."
Ryuu sighed. "I'd be fine with it staying as it is if they'd just leave you alone."
Fu slipped her hand into his. "They will some day."
Ryuu nodded as they reached the house and headed upstairs to change. Once finished, he walked back down and began to look through the cabinets and fridge, eventually deciding on steak and beginning to get everything ready. However, just as he walked outside and set the steaks on the grill, Kabuto landed beside him. He sighed.
"Alright," Ryuu said. "Let's hear it."
"Kakuzu and Hidan have entered the Land of Fire," Kabuto said. "They destroyed the Fire Temple and killed everyone except one Shinobi Monk who was out on patrol. They took Chiriku's corpse for its bounty."
"Who?" Ryuu asked.
"A friend of Asuma," Kabuto said. "the Fire Temple is where Sora was from, although Sora was on his way to a different temple at the time, and the temple reported he arrived safely."
Ryuu nodded, adding some seasoning to the steaks. "How long ago?"
"About a day," Kabuto said.
"Any nearby collection offices?" Ryuu asked.
"A few legitimate ones," Kabuto said. "A few black market ones."
Ryuu nodded. "Closest one?"
"Assuming they're walking, and not resting at night, probably about three days," Kabuto said.
Ryuu nodded as the others stepped out.
"What's up?" Fu asked.
"Break time's over, as usual," Ryuu said, flipping the steaks over. "After lunch."
"Is it the usual culprits?" Fu asked.
"Isn't it always?" Ryuu asked. "They destroyed the Fire Temple and killed Asuma's friend, and now they're heading for a collection office, though which one is up in the air."
"Asuma's going to want payback," Fu said.
"He's too smart to go looking for a fight with the Akatsuki," Ryuu said, poking at the steaks with the two-pronged grilling tool in his hand, juice leaking out, mixed with a little blood. "He's also got Shikamaru in his team, so they're definitely going to find them. Yugao, can you see if we can get attached?"
"Sure," Yugao nodded. "Save me a steak."
"I will," Ryuu nodded, adding some more seasoning as she left. "So, who wants their steaks well done, and who wants them rare?"
"Medium rare," Tayuya said.
"Rare," Fu said.
"And Yugao loves hers burned to a crisp," Ryuu said. "I swear she has no sense for taste. Kabuto, how do you want yours?"
"Mine?" Kabuto asked, counting the steaks quickly, realizing there was an extra.
"I figured someone would be stopping by," Ryuu said. "Someone always does."
Kabuto smiled, shaking his head. "I'll take mine medium."
Ryuu nodded. "Fu, yours is done."
He put it on a plate and handed it to her, then put his own on a plate, beginning to flicker as a second Ryuu stepped out of the first, cutting up the steak before disappearing, leaving Ryuu at the grill still. As Ryuu continued to grill the steaks, he held out his free hand and focused, thinking back to the first fight with Hidan and Kakuzu after receiving his prosthetics. After a moment, a long, thin root spike extended from his palm and he stabbed a piece of his steak with it, raising it to his mouth and eating it, smiling.
"So I really can do it," Ryuu smiled. "Tayuya, yours is done."
He passed it to her on a plate and she joined Fu. A few minutes later, Yugao returned as Kabuto received his steak. She announced that they'd been attached to Asuma but would have to catch up, so Ryuu began to flicker again as a second one walked inside and let Yomo out of his cage, sending him to find Asuma and his team. Then, Ryuu stopped flickering again and ate another piece of steak before handing Yugao her steak. He shut the grill off and sat down with the rest of them, beginning to use normal silverware to eat. After a few more minutes, they were done eating and Ryuu and Fu took off, bringing Tayuya with them. They flew quickly, Ryuu following a trail of chakra-laced feathers Yomo had left until they landed in front of Shikamaru, Yomo sitting on his shoulder with bald patches.
"Sorry Yomo," Ryuu said, taking his bird back. "Don't worry. I'll make it up to you."
Yomo squawked and Ryuu turned to Asuma.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Ryuu asked.
Asuma nodded and they walked away from the others. "What's up?"
"I know how badly you want to take down Hidan and Kakuzu for killing your friend," Ryuu said.
"They're mine," Asuma said.
"No," Ryuu said. "They're not. You won't win this fight. Our best chance is for me to fight them myself."
"I assume you have a plan," Asuma said.
"Do you have any jutsus only you can use?" Ryuu asked.
"I have one, yeah," Asuma said.
"Kekkei Genkai?" Ryuu asked.
"Not exactly," Asuma said.
"Show me," Ryuu said, activating his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Asuma nodded, standing with one hand the Seal of Confrontation, and the other at his waist, hand horizontal to the ground. Behind him, a massive, glowing silhouette formed, looking like a goddess. Then, Asuma's face contorted with rage and the silhouette changed, becoming a glowing red demon as hundreds of fists materialized in the air between them, punching at Ryuu, only to pass through him as Ryuu flickered.
"Okay," Ryuu nodded. "I can see how do use it. Except, that's not normal chakra you're using."
"No," Asuma agreed. "It's something different."
"Alright," Ryuu nodded. "Here's what we're going to do."
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