Daze
Chapter Ten: Revival
A/N: Ice here, here's chapter ten I'll try to keep up the momentum but I have serious depression and writing is a lot of work;
Also I know most of the jinchuriki were captured by this point but in my story most of them haven't been so it's a bit of an AU in that regard.
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Karasu sat up cracking his back and pulled his long blond hair out of his face, his cerulean eyes glinting in the dark room.
He tied his hair up in a ponytail and parted the bangs to either side of his face.
He stared at the sleeping form of his brother figure.
Standing up he did his morning stretches and pulled on a grey tank top.
Walking to the nearby well spring he splashed his face with water.
In the last six months he had continued to grow his hair out and it was getting close to Itachi's length.
He had grown taller and his muscles were lean and firm.
He had grown proficient with his futon nature, and suiton nature, and was learning raiton from Kakuzu.
He had also learned kenjutsu from Kisame, and puppetry from Sasori.
Now he had two puppets of his own which he had acquired during a mission, Sasori hadn't revealed all the gory details, but Karasu was aware they were crafted using some bandits they had killed.
Nīna which specialized in ocular genjutsu, and Mika who was loaded with various surprises.
Sasori had given him immunity through exposure to several poisons and he had learned to use paper shuriken, and explosives from Konan, and Deidara.
Hidan had tried to convert him to Jashinism but Itachi had shut that down promptly.
After four months and several missions Karasu had finally been allowed to meet Pain, the man felt... familiar.
Karasu was growing impatient.
He had grown in power, wisdom, and physically but he was still a teenager.
He desperately wanted to become a full member and prove himself there was an opening with Orochimaru gone but Pain said he wasn't ready.
Two months later after recommendation from Itachi, Sasori, and Deidara Pain agreed to give him a test.
He would accompany Itachi, and Kisame to capture Yagura the three tails jinchuriki.
If he survived and the mission was successful they would make him a full member and Konan would be his partner.
Karasu agreed, eager to prove his worth.
But that was still a month away.
He wanted to stretch his wings and he knew Itachi wouldn't approve so he watched the man for a week memorizing his schedule.
He also snuck into the HQ and made copies of the maps memorizing the location of the base so he could find his way back.
That led to this day Itachi was soundly asleep and Karasu managed to unlock the seal to the base.
Sneaking out he decided to head towards Kumo and spend a week in the bordering villages.
First was Chōwa Une, a rural town at the border of Kusa and Kumo.
It took him a little under half a day to travel through Kusa and arrive at the village since he left before dawn and made it there midday.
All he could remember prior to his awakening in the HQ was his very early childhood living in a rundown apartment in Konoha and vague blurry memories of the village.
So his frame of reference was all wilderness, caves, and compounds.
This was the first village he had been to and it was refreshing to see people and restaurants.
He counted his Ryo which he had earned from his work for the Akatsuki.
He wasn't sure how much he had as he had no frame of reference so he went to the nearest Takoyaki stand and grabbed the attention of the old man who was running it.
"Excuse me, oji-san how much can I get for 50,000,000 Ryo?"
The man's eyes widened and he looked at the boy in shock.
"Kid I think you miscounted are you sure you don't mean 50,000 Ryo?"
Karasu shook his head unfurling a scroll he summoned a silver suitcase, opening it and showing the man several stacks of neatly folded bills.
His eyes turned comically wide as he did a double take.
"Gaki please buy my restaurant I'll give it to you right now!"
Karasu shook his head.
"Sorry Oji-San I can't."
Karasu looked at the menu drooling slightly.
"I will have five orders of your largest dish however."
The man nodded, grumbling and getting over his money lust.
Tayuya sighed.
She had been searching for Naruto for six months now and had only caught the faintest ghosts of hints.
She wasn't ready to call it quits but she needed a break.
With that in mind she headed to a village near Kumo to relax for a week.
On her way in she smelled something delightful and headed to a takoyaki stand.
Itachi awoke and noticed an absence.
"Karasu, Karasu?"
He stood up and walked into the central room pinned to a pillar was a note.
'Aniki I got tired of waiting for the mission, I need a break so I'm leaving for a week don't bother looking for me I'll be back you have my word.'
It was signed with a chibi of Naruto with his fox ears sprouting from his long blond hair.
"Damn it Naruto."
Itachi sighed.
'You've done it now…'
Anko yawned, stretching her back.
Kakashi was still sound asleep in the bedroll next to her.
She crept out careful not to wake the grey-haired man and looked around.
They were back in the land of fire having finished Sasuke's kenjutsu term.
The rest he would learn from scrolls and experience.
Anko was growing weary of the trip though spending her nights with Kakashi were great, she missed the village.
She was more of a guest at this point as she had already taught Sasuke everything she knew.
She sighed and left to do her morning exercises.
It had been six months since the compound attack and Hotaru now sported a clockwork arm and leg.
Along with a crude leather mask to cover his badly damaged face.
The thing that had kept him alive was pure rage; he desired revenge for his men and himself.
He stood up shakily walking over to the paper door.
Opening it with his metallic hand he stepped out into his garden.
It was colorless and dead, since his wife left there was no-one to tend to it.
She said she couldn't bear to see him like this and had taken their young daughter with her.
With no family to turn to he travelled to the land of iron back to his master Mifune.
But he received no mercy instead he was shunned for his rage and his hubris which had led to his defeat.
He was stripped of his name and banished from the halls of iron.
Now all he had was his memories and the rage which poisoned him.
He reached down grabbing a red rusted stone holding it in his palm.
He remembered the blond boy who had done this to him, his smirk and his eyes which mocked him.
"Before my time is done I will see you feel the same pain that I feel... on my honored ancestors this I swear."
He clenched his fist crushing it as the red powder ran through his fake fingertips.
Tayuya arrived at the restaurant just as a blond boy finished paying the shopkeeper.
He turned when he heard her sandals touching the dirt.
He looked at her confused as a sense of familiarity took him over.
"Have we met somewhere?"
She stared at the boy he was wearing short blue sandals, long black pants, an ash tank top, blue and orange wristbands, and his long blond hair was tied in a ponytail.
In his pocket he had an orange hitai-ate tucked but she couldn't make out the symbol.
She stared at his face confused for a few moments.
He looked familiar but she couldn't place it until she saw the whisker marks on his face faint but there.
"Naruto!"
She tackle-hugged him, drawing the attention of the patrons.
"I think you're confused, miss I'm Karasu."
She shook her head.
"No it's you plain as day dickless only you have those marks."
She pointed matter of factly at his whiskers and he nodded.
"I remember you vaguely but I can't place it Takako, no Tashiya, Tayuki?"
She looked at him annoyed.
"It's me, Tayuya!"
The name struck a chord and he remembered her telling him about her childhood, and several other memories, though the circumstances were vague.
"I'm sorry Tayuya-san I remember you but I don't,"
He clutched his temple.
For months a faint pulsing had been growing stronger, like something was chipping away in his mind, and just behind were memories he'd forgotten.
"-I was in a battle with The Konoha ANBU and fell down a cliff, I struck my head and was in a coma for months."
Tayuya chuckled.
"Is that what you were told."
He looked at her confused.
"What do you mean?"
She looked at him irritated at his amnesiac state.
"The Konoha ANBU wouldn't have a reason to fight you, they think you're dead."
He nodded.
"Because I fell from the cliff, I'm a rogue-nin from Konoha."
She shook her head.
"No because, we kidnapped you dickless, you aren't a rogue ninja."
He looked at her shocked.
Pulling his headband from his pocket he showed her.
"Yes I am, this was my headband."
She smirked.
"Then what's this?"
She pulled a blue Konoha headband complete with blond strands of his hair still stuck to it.
He felt a sense of familiarity and remembered a brown haired man giving it to him.
"B-but…"
He felt confused as vague memories began to overload his mind.
"I'm Karasu Otsutsuki."
She put a hand on his shoulder smirking.
"No you're an annoying, dickless, dumbass and your name is Naruto Uzumaki."
That was the final nail in the coffin as the seal snapped and his memories came flooding back.
He fell to his hands and knees grabbing his head as she held him for support.
"Kami…"
She helped him to his feet and he looked morosely to the distance.
"All that time lost, a year, they all think I'm dead."
He shook his head, that was for later for now he knew what he had to do.
"Thank you Tayuya-chan."
He grabbed the side of her face kissing her lips, much to her shock.
Then he turned to run off.
"Naruto wait!"
He turned back to her still running ahead.
"Head to Konoha, ask for Jiraiya, tell him I'm alive and have infiltrated the Akatsuki."
She went to protest but he was gone.
Naruto paled, remembering the masked man and the seal placed on him no doubt he would activate it and melt Naruto's brain.
"I need an excuse for my absence so he doesn't suspect my memories have returned."
Naruto continued running to the outskirts of the village.
"If Kakuzu's book was correct there's a target near here."
Sure enough Naruto saw a man in fancy red robes and a square pontiff hat with two guards.
Drawing his tanto Naruto flashed forward with the skill only a man facing death could muster.
He quickly sliced the guards arms off severing their knees then decapitated the man sealing his head and body in a scroll.
Shunshining to a nearby outpost he channeled chakra and contacted Kakuzu.
"Karasu, what is it?"
"Kakuzu tell Pain-Sama I've completed the Cardinal contract and am returning to HQ, move now and the entire bounty is yours."
That was all he needed to hear and the chakra line went dead as Kakuzu rushed to deliver the message.
Karasu then began to rush back to HQ at top speed.
He arrived just as dusk began to fall and entered the base seeing the holograms atop the statue.
Pain looked at him annoyed.
"Karasu, Kakuzu told me you completed the Cardinal contract."
Naruto nodded.
"Hai Pain-Sama I wanted to further prove my worth."
Pain looked at him in understanding his ringed eyes flickering in thought.
"Well done but that was not your mission don't let it happen again."
Naruto bowed.
"Hai Pain-Sama."
Itachi stepped in motioning Naruto to follow him.
Naruto obliged, leaving the statue room and heading to the residencey.
Itachi looked at him with worry evident on his face as he sweated.
"Karasu, what you did was foolish, promise me you won't ever leave again."
Naruto knew why he was worried but wanted to gage his response.
"Why?"
Itachi looked sternly.
"Just promise me."
"I promise."
Itachi sighed sitting in a stone alcove.
"Get ready for bed, Karasu your training's been postponed."
Naruto nodded.
"Hai Itachi-san."
Itachi flinched at the formality.
X END X
A/N: Naruto's back though he'll never be "Naruto" again, Karasu is a part of him so he's closer to post waterfall of truth Naruto, mature and intelligent but not edgy or dark.
2/2/21: Chapter ten revised.