A/N - Okay, I was working on a new chapter for Destiny, but I've had soooooo many people begging me to update this fic for quite some time now. So many people wanted Yakumo to survive, and this chapter should hopefully please you. The title of this chapter should give a small hint at what I mean. Still, I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Anyways, it took freaking forever to finish writing this dang chapter. I'm planning to get back to work on chapter 3 of Destiny next, but we'll see how that goes. *shrugs* Hopefully I can get some more work done on it, at the very least.
Okay, just so you all know, this chapter is BIG. A LOT of things happen and you are going to be surprised and shocked and so on. I highly doubt any of you saw this stuff coming, so read on and enjoy the surprises!
Chapter 6 – Cementing Her Place
Naruto quickly flew backwards, away from the blasted clone he was fighting. Despite being a paltry imitation of the man with a fraction of his true abilities, this blasted clone was proving to be a rather annoying distraction.
Grumbling irritably to himself, he decided on a new tactic and went with a feint. He made it seem as if he was going to move in one direction, only to be 'surprised' when the clone took full advantage of the opening left to it. Smirking when the idiot took his bait, Naruto put his finger underneath the clone's chin and fired a concentrated beam of ki straight through its head. When it fell apart, mud staining the ground at his feet, the half-Saiyan hoped that would be the end of it. However…
"Hmm. What a shame. I had hoped the clone would have distracted you for a while longer. You are a clever one, aren't you, Uzumaki? Then again, you've always had a shrewd mind, despite being held back by those around you. I can assure you that that same tactic won't work on me." The real Orochimaru said as he stepped out from the darkness. "But, before we clash wits and brawn, I should inform you that your dear friend, that Yakumo girl, has perished. Such a shame. I suppose that means you are unable to pass into the final stage of these exams. You failed, Uzumaki."
Naruto's eyes narrowed into a fierce glare and he snarled out, "I'll believe it when I see it. For all I know, you're just trying to throw me off guard. Trying to make me angry enough that I'll do something stupid and give you the upper hand. I'm not about to underestimate you, Orochimaru. Now, are you going to shut up and fight? Or do you want to tell me who the hell your spies are in the village? Might as well get something useful out of you before this fight of ours gets interrupted somehow."
A sinister smirk crept its way upon the Snake Sannin's face. "Oh, my dear Naruto-kun, you truly are a clever one. You knew I had more spies in the village this entire time. You may have killed Kabuto, but, as you deduced, he was not my only spy. I suppose I'll confirm your suspicions for you. That boy you so hate, Neji Hyuga? He's one of them. Can you guess the other?"
Naruto smirked at Orochimaru and said, "You're trying to trick me. In total, excluding Kabuto's teammates, you have four spies in the village. One of whom I honestly thought died back in the Land of Waves. It took some time for me to figure it out, but she faked her death so well I honestly didn't see through it until recently. She had served her purpose in the village well enough, I suppose. But, on your orders, I'd assume, she faked her death when she 'saved' Sasuke's life. If I hadn't been so furious at the time, I'd probably have seen right through her ruse." Looking past Orochimaru, Naruto said, "Come out where I can see you, Sakura Haruno."
The sound of a single person applauding was heard moments before a familiar pink-haired girl stepped into the light of the clearing. "I knew there was a reason I liked you, Naruto. Sasuke's a prick. Never did like that annoying shit. Still, feigning interest in him worked out pretty well for me. Pretending to be a fangirl for that worthless asshole afforded me the freedom needed to do my job. All for Orochimaru-sama, after all. But you? Oh, Naruto-kun, I really love you. All that raw power at your disposal. Your intelligence. Your looks. Everything about you, I want. But, Orochimaru-sama has different plans in store for you, so I'm afraid you're the forbidden fruit in this scenario. So sorry."
Naruto blinked a couple of times and said, "Um…wow. I guess I'm flattered? Kind of?" Shrugging it off, he looked into Orochimaru's eyes again and said, "Let me guess. You want me to be your new body, don't you? I'm the 'prize', after all."
Smirking at his young prey, Orochimaru waved his hand as if he were brushing away an insect. "As Sakura said, there's a reason I like you, Naruto Uzumaki. But, enough of that. You deduced that I have four spies. So far, you know about Kabuto, Neji, and Sakura. But who's the last one? Do share with the class."
Naruto smirked at Orochimaru and said, "You wanted someone that could get close to me; someone I wouldn't suspect. Thing is, you realized as well as I do that anyone associating with me would immediately fall under suspicion. I'm the village's 'weapon', after all. Best to keep me isolated and alone. Still, one of them did strike me as a bit odd. So, you had her pretend to be another of Sasuke's fangirls. Problem with that is the fact that, despite being your spy, she really wasn't as skilled as Sakura or Kabuto. Then there's the fact that she 'failed' the Genin Exam given by each team's chosen sensei. She's been living as a civilian, and she's been trying to 'covertly' find opportunities to be near me whenever possible. It was weird, noticing her being my stalker instead of Sasuke's. Might want to teach future spies a bit better than you've trained her. Still, though, to think Ami was your spy all along. At first, I thought she was working for Danzo. Socially awkward and all that. But when I really got to thinking about it, being your spy made far more sense. Weird how that works, isn't it?"
Orochimaru cackled gleefully as he clapped his hands. "Wonderful! That marvelous brain of yours! And to think, these people thought they were hampering you, keeping you stupid and weak. We are of like minds, Naruto-kun. We possess intellect beyond those mindless simpletons. We are far more than they could ever imagine. You are PERFECT! Hmmm…" Glancing at Sakura, the snake said, "I might have to rethink my plans a bit. Factoring in the Kyuubi and how uncooperative such a beast can be, inhabiting your body might prove…dangerous. I suppose, in the end, that dear Sakura-chan might get what she wants, after all. How delightful for you both."
Sakura grinned excitedly and said, "Ooooh. That sounds wonderful, Orochimaru-sama! Thank you. I'll be sure to treat him juuuust right. We're going to have such a wonderful time together, Naruto-kun."
Naruto sweatdropped and said, "Ummm, again, flattered. Not interested, though. Besides, I'm quite happy with things as they are."
Before Naruto could say anything more, Orochimaru closed the distance between them and gripped Naruto's throat tight, cutting his speech off within mere moments. "Oh, I know about your little tryst with Caulifla and Kale. I know enough about them, and neither of them interests me nearly as much as you do, Naruto-kun. I can either take you with me willingly…or by force. I'm honestly fine with either. How about you?"
Naruto was about to say something, only for something to catch his eye momentarily. Quickly averting his gaze, so as not to bring attention to whatever it was he had noticed, the violet-eyed Saiyan looked into Orochimaru's eyes and grinned. "'Fraid I'll have to vote for neither option. I choose the third option: me kicking your ass and chasing you scumbags out of this village!"
Orochimaru quirked a brow in curiosity before shrugging his shoulders uncaringly. "Oh, very well. Such a shame you chose the hard way." Extending his neck, he went to bite Naruto and put his curse seal on him, only to recoil in shock as the Naruto he bit into faded into nothingness. Blinking confusedly, he looked around and asked, "What the hell? What's going on now?!"
Sakura shook her head and said, "I don't know, Orochimaru-sama. Something's not right. It's as if we've been caught in some kind of powerful genjut—" Both of their eyes widened in stunned realization. "It can't be!"
Orochimaru scowled distastefully and said, "Yakumo! But Neji killed her! How?!"
While their enemies were trapped in a wide area-of-effect genjutsu, Naruto and his teammates grinned at one another and quickly took off while they had the chance. They wouldn't put it past their enemies to break free eventually, and they wanted to be far away from them before that could happen. Once they were far enough away, Naruto looked at his teammates and said, "I knew you couldn't be dead. You're too damn smart to let yourself get killed by the likes of them."
Yakumo smirked at him and said, "And you're way smarter than you let people believe. We heard and saw everything. You knew who the spies were all along, didn't you? Why didn't you tell anyone? Why hide like this?"
Lightly poking her nose, he said, "Tell me how you survived and I'll give you the answers. Sound fair?"
"Sure, Naruto. Well, as you know, Anko-sensei had me training REALLY hard for these exams. She made sure I was prepared for anything and everything that might come at us during these exams. Sooo…"
Earlier
Caulifla's rage towards Neji looked as if it would be unabated until she got her hands on that rotten traitor. Kale, meanwhile, was in tears as she held Yakumo's body against her. "I didn't think she'd go out like this. Did all of our training mean nothing?! All of our planning. All of our training. All for NOTHING!"
Kale gently laid Yakumo's body back on the ground before turning her attention to her sister figure. "Maybe…we just weren't good enough? Naruto's probably under attack, too. We should hurry. For Yakumo's sake, too. We can't let Orochimaru and Neji hurt anyone else, especially not Naruto!"
Before they could leave the area, they heard Yakumo's voice shout out, "Stop! Hold on just a second!"
Eyes widening, they looked back towards Yakumo's body, only to see it warping and distorting until finally it and the area immediately around them faded from view. When everything cleared up, they watched as the real Yakumo stepped out from behind a tree. "Y-You're alive! B-But…how?!" Caulifla questioned, completely taken aback at everything that had just happened.
Before Yakumo could even begin to explain anything, Kale glomped her friend to the ground and hugged her tight. "I thought you were d-dead!"
Yakumo frowned slightly and hugged her teammate back. When they were both standing again, she smiled apologetically at them and said, "When I came to after hitting my head, I was in this place. No idea where I was or what the heck was going on. I heard voices and, despite my instincts warning me of the danger, I approached them anyways. However, just in case, I prepared about a dozen different pictures and began drawing new ones as rapidly as I could."
"Turns out, it was Neji and Orochimaru talking about Naruto. When they caught me spying on them, I knew I had to make my move. I ensnared them in my genjutsu and allowed them to believe I had died. To be honest, I was kind of scared, so I kept the genjutsu in effect all this time, just in case they might realize I wasn't actually dead. Then you two showed up and, at first, I thought it might have been a trick or something. I'm so glad it was the real you!" Yakumo finished explaining.
Caulifla smirked at her friend and said, "Damn. Go you! Fooling the likes of some rotten snake bastard and the 'almighty eyes' of the Hyuga like that is no joke. Remind me not to piss you off."
Yakumo giggled a bit before realization suddenly dawned on her. "Umm, where's Naruto? I figured he'd be with you two."
Kale's and Caulifla's eyes widened and the shorter Saiyan said, "Shit. If they thought you were dead, chances are the real Orochimaru has gone after Naruto. We need to hurry!"
Yakumo and Kale both nodded in agreement before the three of them took off as fast as they could. Caulifla and Kale were sensing for Naruto's ki to help pinpoint his location, and because his ki kept spiking, it wasn't hard to find him. When they finally found him, Caulifla wanted to dive right into the fight taking place, only for Kale and Yakumo to grab her arms and tug her behind a large tree. Before she could even ask them what they were doing, Yakumo held a finger up to her lips and pointed towards their teammate. "Wait. We have the element of surprise on our side. Naruto is fine for the time being. Just wait. I promise nothing bad will happen to him."
Caulifla frowned at this, but nodded her head and watched as Naruto killed the clone he had been fighting. Good job, Naruto. Don't worry, nothing bad is going to happen to you.
Present Time
Naruto smirked at Yakumo and reached up, patting her atop the head lightly. "Color me impressed, Yakumo-chan. All your training is certainly paying off. Kinda making us look bad in comparison. And if anyone had any doubts before about you being able to keep up with us? I say fuck 'em. You've more than proven yourself in my book."
Yakumo giggled a bit before poking him in the nose. "All right, Mr. Saiyan. It's your turn. We knew you were smart, but that stuff back there? You're way smarter than you ever let on. If you knew who the spies were all along, why didn't you tell anybody?"
The half-Saiyan frowned and said, "I had to be sure I was right. I couldn't just go making accusations until I could determine the truth for myself. You girls were right: Ino and Tenten were suspicious and could have turned out to be traitors as well. However, seeing the way they behaved and remembering my past with Tenten, I realized that they were innocent. Then Kabuto happened, and I started to become sure that I was right. It was only when Orochimaru appeared before me that I knew for certain that my suspicions were correct. That's why I didn't tell anyone about it. I didn't have any proof, and my gut instinct wouldn't be enough to persuade anyone to take me seriously. I'm sorry I hid the truth from you girls. I should've confided in you girls, at the very least. Anko-sensei, as well. So, I'm sorry."
"As for why I haven't shown my intellect before now? Well, as Anko let slip in our team introductions on day 1, I preferred to hide behind a mask. I couldn't, and wouldn't, let people know how smart I am. They wanted me to be some dumb idiot, so I donned that mask and allowed people to believe they had gotten their way. But, as I said that very same day, I'm trying to put that crap behind me now. Not even the Hokage is aware of how smart I really am. And, even though he's improved and started acting like the Professor again, I have no intention of showing him my true intelligence." Naruto said, frowning at the end. "Still don't really trust the guy, after all. Besides, with war looming on the horizon, he's going to have no other choice but to make use of me as the village's primary weapon. I'll be expected to tap into the Kyuubi's massive wells of power and unleash hell upon our enemies. He might try to deny it, and he might even want to protect me from such a fate, but he, and myself, will just have to face the facts. I'm going to be sent on some truly dangerous missions that are going to push me to my limit. Hokage-sama might try to limit the extent of what I'll be forced to do, but…"
Kale frowned deeply and said, "The council. You think they're going to push for something more, don't you?"
Naruto shook his head and said, "I don't think, Kale-chan. I know that's what they'll do. They don't trust me. My father was an outsider, someone that didn't really hold any loyalty towards the village, only his wife. His power was likely something they had never felt before, either. They know I can't be controlled, so they don't trust me. To them, I'm a weapon to be used until I break. Knowing them, they've probably been trying to convince the old man to make me breed with willing women so they'll have more potential vessels to house the Kyuubi, should I become too much for them to handle. I'm sure Hokage-sama turned them down and will continue to turn them down, but they're not going to stop. So, they'll try to make use of you girls. My teammates. Wait for us to mate and birth some lovely young children…and then swoop in and take them from us so they can raise them to be perfect little weapons. Things that they can assert some measure of control over. Our happiness isn't important to them. They will try to take our children from us."
At first, Kale, Caulifla, and Yakumo blushed at the idea of bearing Naruto's children. But their faces soon morphed into looks of disgust. "How cruel can they be?! The more I learn about these people, the more I want to burn this damn village to the ground." Caulifla said angrily. She would've shouted this out, but she recognized their current situation and knew better than to bring attention to themselves.
Yakumo scowled as she said, "Believe it. I may not have had it as bad as Naruto, but I've experienced hell in this village, all the same. I'm still pissed at Kurenai and the Hokage for what they tried to do to me. Hell, Kurenai was teaching me in the art of genjutsu…and then insisted I just wasn't cut out for this line of work. Too weak. Then there's the thing inside of me. It's not a bijuu, but it's not exactly great, either. They originally intended to place some kind of seal on me, but somebody intervened and they backed off. Not sure who it was, as I never saw their face. I'm just glad nothing happened. Still, I can't forgive them. I worked hard as hell to get to this level and I'm not about to let you guys down."
Caulifla threw an arm around Yakumo's shoulders and hugged her close. "Heh, you haven't let us down even once so far, Yakumo. Believe it or not, I'm actually kinda envious of you. You can do things Kale and I never could. But, more than that, you're family in my book. A sister I know I can count on to have my back no matter what."
Yakumo was stunned at her friend's declaration. Turning, she hugged Caulifla tight and said, "Thank you. I'm really happy to hear you say that. I really love you guys."
Naruto chuckled softly and said, "As wonderful as all this is, we should get a move on. Let's talk while we hunt for other teams. Need to get that Heaven scroll, after all." Seeing the girls nod in agreement, Naruto leapt into the trees up above and went on the hunt with the girls, once they joined him.
Once they had set a comfortable pace, they kept scanning the area as they went. Keeping their senses open, Naruto glanced back at the girls and began to speak again. "First, I'm glad you're okay, Yakumo-chan. And, um…sorry, if what I said back there bothered you. Not sure how you feel about me, but if you aren't interested in me in that way, it's fine. Still, they would try to 'coerce' you into being with me regardless of your personal feelings on the matter. They know we've grown to care about each other. Doesn't matter in what way to them, so long as they can get what they want."
Shrugging, Naruto looked forward again and said, "I'm not sure if they'll try to break up our team or not, once the war starts. Most likely, to ensure our relationship can continue to bear fruit, they'll keep us together, even for the tougher missions. If we were to be, erm…intimate, they'd most likely wait for confirmation to see if one of you was pregnant before doing anything. You would likely be removed from the front lines and be held back in the village to ensure our offspring don't perish before they can even be born."
"Are you sure we can't just take Yakumo and Anko and leave the village to their damn fate? I don't like ANY of this." Caulifla asked. She was feeling rather irritated by all this upsetting news.
Naruto shrugged and said, "I'd love to do just that. However, I couldn't just abandon the few friends I've made. If things get too much worse, however, that's definitely an option to look into. Though we should probably bring Zabuza, Haku, and Yugito with us if we leave. Wouldn't feel right to leave them behind."
Kale smiled and said, "Right. Umm, we might want to stop here. I think I hear a team up ahead. Maybe we should investigate?"
Caulifla grinned and said, "Definitely. This'll be fun."
When they reached the source of the voices, they made sure to keep hidden up above them, watching and waiting for the right moment to act. It turned out that they had come across the sole team from Otogakure, Orochimaru's village. It seemed that they were having an argument of some kind.
"Dammit, Kin! Why the hell are you questioning the boss' orders? We're to hunt down that Uzumaki kid and kill the punk!" Zaku shouted at his female teammate.
"Would you shut up already, Zaku?" Dosu asked grumpily. "You'll attract the wrong kind of attention to us."
Zaku scowled at Dosu and said, "You know I'm right, though, Dosu. When the boss gives us an order, we're supposed to follow through with it or we're pretty much fucked. Not in the good way, either."
Kin shook her head and said, "Orochimaru-sama went after Uzumaki himself, remember? That's what he told us, at least. Naruto and his teammates managed to get away. We don't know where they are now. I'm not saying we can't go after them eventually, but it might be best to wait for now. We should focus on getting an Earth scroll so we can move on to the next stage of the exams. The time to kill him will come eventually."
Zaku directed his scowl towards her and said, "You're just afraid of Uzumaki and his team. That's why you're suggesting such a stupid thing. I say we hunt that bastard down and kill him, just like we were ordered."
Dosu shook his head exasperatedly. He was fed up with the both of them by this point. "You two are giving me a damn headache. We'll search for Uzumaki and his team, but if we can get an Earth scroll before we find him, we'll head for the tower. Our chance to kill him will come, just as Kin said. Whether you like it or not, Zaku, we need to play this smart. I'm sure Orochimaru-sama would agree with us."
"I still say you're both being cowards, but fine. I can see that I'm outnumbered here. But I'd better be able to kill that son-of-a-bitch in the next stage." Zaku said.
It was at this point that Dosu's eye widened moments before he fell to the ground in a heap. At first, Kin and Zaku were confused, only to see a kunai embedded in the back of their leader's head. "Ah shit." Zaku said moments before he felt something shoot clean through his chest, disintegrating his heart upon contact. "Fu—"
When she was the only one left, Kin turned to make a run for it, only to suddenly fall into a pit of spikes that she could have sworn wasn't there before. When the genjutsu faded, her body was riddled with holes and she had one final thought before the light left her eyes. It's…them…
Looking at the bodies of the Oto genin, Naruto shook his head sadly and said, "More lives needlessly wasted. They served the wrong man and paid the price for it. Just a damn shame."
Yakumo shrugged uncaringly before she began to dig through their pockets and bags in search of the scroll they needed. "It was going to happen sooner or later. At least we were merciful and gave the three of them quick deaths. It saves them from a worse fate later on."
"I know. Still sucks." Naruto said as he watched his friend hold up the Heaven scroll they needed. "Good. We've got what we needed. Let's get the hell out of this forest and into that damn tower. I don't want to be out here any longer than we need to be."
"What? Don't like our team's favorite training ground anymore?" Caulifla teased.
Naruto chuckled softly and shook his head. "It's not that. I just want to be able to relax for a few days. Maybe get some training in, if possible. I don't want to deal with any other teams right now, and I really don't want to have another encounter with Orochimaru or psycho Sakura."
Caulifla frowned as she folded her arms across her chest. "There's still something about that that's been bugging me. How the heck did she survive? She wasn't breathing, wasn't moving, etc. She was dead as dead can possibly be."
Naruto shook his head and said, "I can only speculate on that, I'm afraid. My best guess is that she's been working for Orochimaru longer than we'd like to think. He likely created a clone of her somehow and had that take her place so she could work in secret. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she was able to get him some really sensitive information that really shouldn't get out. Such as information on us, the only Saiyans on this planet. It would certainly explain why Orochimaru is so interested in me, especially."
As Naruto shrugged his shoulders, Kale frowned and said, "That's information we really didn't want someone like him to have. Then there's that Danzo creep that the Hokage warned us about. Do you think he and Orochimaru are working together?"
Naruto scowled and nodded his head. "Oh, most definitely. Danzo desires the mantle of Hokage so much that he'd willingly work with a traitor like Orochimaru if it meant he could attain what he wants so badly. Danzo claims to be a patriot of Konoha and everything he does is for Konoha, but that's a load of bull crap. He's a true monster, if ever there was one. I honestly believe he's doing everything he can to make enemies of everyone out there. He wants to prove Konoha's superiority by any means necessary. If that means our people die, then so be it. So long as Konoha is standing on top by the end."
Kale palmed her face and said, "Things just keep getting worse and worse. If only we could have killed him before. Now he's who knows where and is probably working AGAINST Konoha, all in a vain effort to get what he wants."
"Unfortunately, Danzo seems like the slippery sort. And, unfortunately…" Yakumo said, getting their attention. "Danzo has too much political sway. The council mostly listened to him and his ideas. They would gladly work with that man to usurp control from the Hokage. Hokage-sama has to be careful about how he deals with the current situation. Somebody else would likely have to act where he cannot. Danzo has already escaped once, after all. And if he is working with Orochimaru, then chances are good that he's done some interesting modifications to his own body. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he's turned into the very definition of the term 'monster' by this point. As if the Sharingan and that arm thing weren't enough of a problem before."
"Well, this just keeps getting better and better." Caulifla grumbled out. Turning towards the tower, she began walking towards it. "We should get a move on before something else happens. We can talk more about all of this crap later. I'm exhausted and I haven't even done much fighting."
Kale giggled a bit as she walked by her sister's side. "That's called mental fatigue, Sis. Too much stress can have adverse effects on a person's brain. So right now, you feel exhausted. I feel it, too."
Caulifla grumbled a little more before shrugging. "Whatever. I'm just looking forward to a nice bed. Feels like we've been out here for days already and one day hasn't even passed yet."
Naruto nodded in agreement as he and Yakumo hurried up to walk by her side. "I'm feeling it, too. Then again, I did have to deal with Orochimaru, Sakura, and that damn clone. I think that's enough for one day." He said with a chuckle.
Caulifla lightly punched her boyfriend's arm. "Yeah, yeah. At least you got to do some serious fighting. I barely got to do anything. Just way too much thinking. This sucks."
As they walked towards the tower, Team 11 found themselves giggling as they delved deeper into conversation with one another. Despite everything that had happened and the unexpected revelations, they were in a pretty good mood. So long as they were together, they knew they'd be just fine.
Later
Iruka blinked a couple of times as he tried to process what the members of Team 11 had just said to him. "You…need to speak with the Hokage? Right now? But…"
Caulifla frowned at him and said, "Listen, we wouldn't be asking this if it wasn't important. If you tell him that it has to do with Orochimaru and spies, he'll understand. Trust me when I say we have some BIG news. Naruto here got all the information we needed on Orochimaru and his spies. I think that warrants a meeting with the Hokage, don't you?"
Iruka nodded and said, "You're right. Okay, go ahead and enter. You'll find rooms on the second floor on up. Go ahead and pick one and relax for a while. Hokage-sama will be here as soon as possible. And team?" Seeing he had their attention, he smiled at them and said, "Excellent job. You're one of the first teams here. Only two teams beat you here."
Caulifla frowned and asked, "Really? Which teams managed to get here before we did?"
The scarred Chunin glanced towards the door leading into the tower proper. "One team from Sunagakure was the first to arrive. Then you have Team 8 of Konoha. Kiba's kind of letting it go to his head a little, but he also seems a bit shaken up by whatever he saw out there in the forest. Oh well. Not any of my concern, I suppose."
"Damn. So the mutt beat us here, did he? Juuust great. Watch him try to lord that over our heads." Caulifla said, her arms folding across her chest again.
Kale patted Caulifla's back and said, "If he bothers us, we'll just have to ignore him. Maybe he'll get the message and go away."
Naruto shook his head and said, "Maybe. I wouldn't count on it, though." Looking towards Iruka, he nodded at the man before watching as his old sensei disappeared to go and speak with the Hokage. Walking over to the door, he pushed it open and glanced back at the girls. "I'm honestly more concerned about Hinata. With her crush on me, there's no doubt she's jealous of you two. I don't know what she'll do now that she knows we're together. I'd be careful if I were you two."
Caulifla scoffed and said, "Let her try something. I'll make her regret it. Now come on. Let's get in there, pick out a room, and then chill. Maybe they have some food here, too. Might be worth a look."
Naruto chuckled and said, "Sounds good to me. I just hope the old man isn't too busy. I'd like to get that conversation over with so we can get some rest."
"You and me both, Naruto-kun." Kale said, smiling at him. "I wonder what the Hokage will do when he learns who the spies are?"
"More than likely, he's bound to question how I figured it all out. He'll have questions and I don't know how I'll answer them. Heck, Neji and Kabuto were easy to figure out. Anyone could have done so, given the right opportunities. But Sakura? She was 'dead'. It just wasn't possible for her to be a spy." Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto looked at Kale and said, "As much as I'd like to keep my true intellect a secret from him, I might have to be honest for a change. We'll just have to wait and see."
Yakumo frowned sadly at him and said, "You really don't trust him all that much, do you, Naruto?"
Naruto shook his head and said, "I trust him…to an extent. The truth is, he did lie to me about my burden and about my parents. And he wasn't exactly 'helpful' for most of my life. He only changed recently, so he still has some work to do if he wants me to trust him again. Yeah, he's proving himself to be a capable leader these days, but I just can't bring myself to trust in him completely."
"Can't say I blame you any." Caulifla said. "I still don't like that he can use that crystal ball of his to spy on you at any time he wants."
"Nothing we can really do about it." Yakumo said. "It's best to just let it go. For now, we need to choose a room. I guess any of these will do. Which one do you guys want to use?"
Caulifla looked around and went to open one of the doors, only to hear someone speaking to them from down the hall. "The hell? How'd you losers get here so fast?"
Naruto facepalmed and dragged his hand down his face. "Ugh. Kiba, can you just please NOT right now? We're tired and we just want to relax for a while. Is that really too much to ask for right now?"
Ignoring him, Kiba decided to open his big mouth again. "I'm amazed this moron didn't get you girls killed out there. Hell, it's a miracle he didn't get any of you killed on your missions! Still don't see what you girls see in this idiot. Once a failure, always a failure."
Yakumo frowned at him and said, "You insulted his intelligence in every one of those sentences. Is it really so hard for you to accept that Naruto might actually be a LOT smarter than you seem to think he is? Meanwhile, you're just…so you, Kiba. Bottom of the pack, worthless, and not even a tiny bit book smart. I get it, your talents lie elsewhere. Decent taijutsu, good tracking capabilities, but you're a bit too stupid for my tastes. Heck, I doubt any girl will want someone like you for a boyfriend. Now Naruto, on the other hand…"
As Yakumo smirked at him, Kiba clenched his hands into fists and snarled at her. "I'm NOT stupid! And I'm not some loser like Naruto! He couldn't even pass with the rest of us! He had to pass some stupid makeup exam or something to earn his headband! I passed with decent grades and good skills. Meanwhile, he couldn't do a simple fucking clone jutsu! So how dare you compare my intelligence to his?! If you girls can't see me for the stud I am, then I'll find girls that will. I don't need to take this shit from any of you!"
Before anyone could say anything further, Shino and Hinata walked up and frowned at their teammate. Looking from him over to Naruto, Hinata offered him a smile and said, "I'm glad you got through the forest okay, Naruto-kun. I was worried about you."
Yakumo leaned in closer to Caulifla and Kale and whispered to them quietly, "Notice how she didn't say anything about the three of us."
Caulifla giggled a bit and decided to just stay quiet for the time being. She wanted to see how her chosen mate would deal with this situation. This should be good.
Naruto looked directly into Hinata's eyes and said, "Thank you for your concern, Hinata, but we're fine. We encountered some unexpected problems in the forest, but nothing we couldn't handle. Remind me to 'thank' your cousin later, though. After all, he tried to kill one of us. Kinda pissed me off and I'd really like to pay him back for it. Then again, Neji is a Grade A Asshole, isn't he? Tell me something, Hinata." Narrowing his eyes at her, Naruto asked, "If you have to fight him in the next stage, will you make use of everything you can to beat him? Or will you hold back, even if it means forfeiting your life? I'm sure you know what I mean."
Hinata's eyes widened in horror and she began to shake. Before she could say anything in response, Shino placed a hand upon her shoulder and looked straight into Naruto's eyes. "There's no guarantee she will have to fight her cousin in the next stage of these exams, Naruto. How does asking such a question of her serve any kind of purpose?"
Naruto glanced into Shino's eyes for a mere moment before he returned his gaze onto Hinata. "I wasn't talking to you, Shino. I wouldn't be asking if I didn't expect an answer. Because I can guarantee that, if I get to fight him, I will kill him. However, Hinata has a specific opportunity available to her to disable and kill him, if only she would take advantage of the situation and DO IT. And, just to be clear to you, I DO mean that seal on his head. If you refuse to make use of it and fry his fucking brain, Hinata Hyuga, then he WILL kill you. You do understand that, don't you?"
Kiba glared at him and went to snap at him, only for Yakumo to glare into his eyes and say, "Quiet. Let her answer the question." When he ignored her and went to yell something at Naruto, she flashed a picture in front of him and activated a genjutsu, ensnaring him in one of her tamer genjutsu. It would be enough to shut him up for a time so that they could get an actual answer from Hinata.
Shino frowned at this, but remained quiet. Instead, he continued to look Naruto in the eyes. Just what the hell are you after, Naruto?
Hinata could feel tears welling up in her eyes as she thought over the question her crush had asked her. Shaking her head, she clenched her eyes shut tight and let the tears flow. "I…I can't! I HATE that wretched seal! I promised myself that I would NEVER use that seal for any reason! Even…even if Neji tries to kill me, I just can't bring myself to do it. Okay?!"
Naruto frowned at her and said coldly, "And that is why a relationship would never have worked between us, Hinata. I need strong girls to stand at my side. You lack that strength. You would choose to throw your life away instead of doing whatever it took to protect yourself! You just accept the blame for what happened back then and allow Neji to mistreat you! You let your sister bully you when she's younger than you! And don't even get me started on your father! I need a girl that will stand up for herself instead of rolling over and taking it all like a whipped dog! As you are now, you just don't measure up to Caulifla and Kale. You. Are. Weak. You can change, Hinata, and better yourself. But right now, you lack the will to do what needs to be done. So I suggest that, if you have to fight Neji, you surrender before the fight even begins. At least then you'd be protecting yourself instead of giving Neji what he wants by dying. But, if one of us has to fight him, I want you to watch very carefully, Hinata. I want you to watch us KILL your cousin. Because we are NOT afraid of him. He will try to kill us, and we will be more than glad to crush him and tear out his fucking eyes before snuffing his life out! And you know what? I'll do it all with a big ol' grin on my face. Just so you can see what it means to be truly strong. Now take your teammates and go. When you've grown a spine, maybe then we can talk. Until then, buzz off."
When Hinata ran off, sobbing as she went, Shino glared at Naruto and went to say something, only to restrain himself. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he grabbed Kiba and dragged him away. I understand what you were trying to do, Naruto, but you were far too cruel. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you enjoyed that.
Caulifla chuckled and threw an arm around her boyfriend. "You sure you didn't enjoy that? 'Cause from where I was standing, it looked like you actually LIKED tearing into her like that."
Naruto shook his head before opening the nearby door and motioning for the girls to enter the room first. "I'm hoping that what I just did will save her life one day. If she doesn't get stronger, Kumo…they'll take her and make her wish she could die. She needs to be ready for what's coming, and I refuse to let Neji kill her because she was too weak to do what needs to be done. I don't hate her, and I honestly don't mean her any ill will. But she's too damn timid and frightened by everything that she can't even protect herself. Her family has torn her confidence to shreds and made her believe that she's truly worthless in the world. Hopefully she'll come to see that for herself. Hell, maybe she'll even thank me someday for it. Hell if I know."
Before the girls could reply, they heard Anko say, "Damn, Naruto. You really don't pull your punches, do you?"
Turning around, they saw Anko standing there with Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Tsunade. When the Hokage motioned for them to sit, they sat themselves on a couple of beds and watched as Hiruzen took a seat across from them while Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Anko stood off to the side. "You were watching all of that, weren't you?"
Hiruzen nodded and said, "Iruka informed me that you needed to speak with me. I brought those I knew I could trust to hear the truth straight from you, Naruto-kun. I didn't expect us to find you berating Hinata. We didn't interfere, simply because you were right. She needs to toughen up and this will hopefully give her the kick in the rear that she needs. Still, you really let her have it. That can't have been the easiest thing you've ever done."
Naruto shook his head and said, "It's fine. Besides, you're here for something far more important. We've uncovered the identities of Orochimaru's spies."
Hiruzen nodded and said, "I guessed as much. But, I get the feeling there's more to the story that you need to share with me. Kabuto was an obvious spy, and you dealt with him appropriately. However, you uncovered the identities of more than just a single spy, didn't you?"
The half-Saiyan nodded and looked hard into Hiruzen's eyes. When Hiruzen got a good look at him, he swore he could see the same eyes, the same gaze that Orochimaru once had. Eyes widening, he said, "It can't be…"
Tsunade frowned and looked at her sensei. "What's wrong, Sensei?"
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes for a moment before saying, "Naruto, be honest with me. Have you been hiding your true intelligence all this time? That look you just gave me was the same one Orochimaru once used to look at me with."
Hiruzen's entourage's eyes widened and Anko looked at her student with an astonished look on her face. "Naruto-kun? Is that true?"
Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and released a soft breath. When he opened them again, he looked into the adults' eyes, one by one. "Indeed. I figured out who the spies were almost immediately when the problem first arose. However, I couldn't be sure without any solid proof. That's why I didn't say anything. Without solid proof to back up my claims, who the heck would rightfully believe me?"
Pinning them each with a simple stare, Naruto continued. "Kabuto was easy to spot. He foolishly gave himself away before the first stage could even begin. Neji was easy to guess, as well. However, Sakura Haruno and Ami were a bit trickier to place. So, let's start with Ami, shall we?"
"At first, I figured Ami to be one of Danzo's Root agents. Oh, she had obvious feelings of admiration and desire for Sasuke Uchiha, but she was…awkward, let's say. She tried to mimic the other fangirls, and while everyone else bought it, I could see how uncomfortable she really was with all of it. Then there's the fact that she continuously followed me everywhere to keep a close eye on me and everything I did. It was all very awkward." Naruto explained. "It honestly sounds like how one of Danzo's Root would behave as they tried to mimic the way a regular person behaves."
Hiruzen massaged his forehead and said, "And you never confronted her or told me about any of this…why, exactly?"
Naruto shrugged. "I didn't see a need to. She was harmless, and I knew she'd likely fail the true Genin test, so I figured she'd just stop after a while. Once she became a regular civilian, though, she really started to get creepy with her stalking. It's like she absolutely had to keep an eye on me for someone. I just wasn't entirely sure what the hell she wanted or who she might actually be working for. And you had enough on your plate to worry about as it was. Heck, Danzo's still on the loose and I'm pretty damn certain he's working with Orochimaru to bring down Konoha. If he can't have what he wants, then he's more than glad to watch everyone die before he works to rebuild the village and any people that remain in his image."
Sighing frustratedly, Hiruzen nodded and said, "You have a point, Naruto-kun. If I knew where that bastard was hiding, I'd personally storm his hideout and kill him before he could cause anymore harm to the village and its people. And yet, Orochimaru has no doubt been in contact with him. As if they weren't dangerous enough on their own." Taking a deep breath to try and steady his nerves, he looked straight at Naruto again and asked, "What about Sakura? Didn't she die in the Land of Waves?"
Caulifla frowned and shook her head. "Yeah, that's what we thought, too. Naruto figured out the truth of things, though. No idea how, though."
Naruto looked at Tsunade at this point and said, "I think your old teammate is delving into some forms of science that ought not to be meddled with. I'm not 100% sure how he did it, but I believe he made a clone of Sakura somehow. Sakura feigned interest in Sasuke. It was all just a ruse. Hell, even I fell for it. I honestly believed her to have died in the Land of Waves that day. But…" Frowning to himself, Naruto looked into the Hokage's eyes again and said, "When we returned to the village, something just didn't feel right to me. Something was just 'off' about the whole ordeal. That's when I started to realize the truth. Sakura Haruno WASN'T dead. The real Sakura was free to sneak around in the shadows and collect any and all information she wanted for her dear master. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Orochimaru knows Caulifla and Kale aren't even from this planet."
Jiraiya's eyes widened for a time before he held up a hand and said, "Wait. How the hell do you know all of this? Not even my best spies could find out that kind of information!"
Naruto quirked a brow as he locked eyes with Jiraiya. "Not really sure how to explain it to you, Jiraiya. My mind just works in a different way than most people's do. I tend to look at all the possibilities. I keep my mind open and I always look for the hidden truths of the world. What's the saying that's so popular amongst our Jonin? "Look underneath the underneath"? I just do that naturally. Always have, ever since I was a little kid."
Tsunade frowned at this and asked, "Then why hide it until now? What's changed?"
Naruto quirked a brow at her this time before pointing at Jiraiya's face. "Ask him. His spies in the village kept him up to date on the shit I've had to go through in this village. He could probably give you a pretty accurate record of everything the people of this village have done to me or tried to do to me before. Hiding behind a mask was a far better option than giving them even more of a reason to try and kill me." He said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Ah. I forgot, you're the Kyuubi jinchuriki. You make a good point." Tsunade said, sounding genuinely apologetic.
Naruto waved it off and said, "It's fine. Anyways, I got the truth straight from Orochimaru's mouth. And I found out that Sakura's a psycho lady. She wants me. In a way that pretty much gives new meaning to the term 'trophy husband'. It's really kind of creepy."
Anko's eyes were wide and she shouted, "You encountered Orochimaru?! Where?! Are you all okay?!"
Yakumo flinched and found it VERY hard to look Anko in the eyes. "Umm…maybe? I kind of overheard him and Neji talking. They caught me and kiiinda tried to kill me. I got lucky."
Anko turned her gaze onto Yakumo and asked, "What exactly happened? Are you sure you're okay now?"
Kale shook her head and said, "When we found her, we honestly thought she was dead. It was obvious that the damage had been done by a Hyuga, so naturally we first thought of Neji. When we were about to go and find Naruto-kun…"
Caulifla pointed her thumb at Yakumo and said, "You should be proud, Sensei. Yakumo's a perfect fit for this team. She fooled everyone, even Neji's 'mighty' Byakugan eyes. I can safely say that fucking with Yakumo is just begging to get your ass kicked at this point."
Hiruzen looked at Yakumo for a time before he began to laugh. When he finally calmed down minutes later, he shook his head and said, "And to think I was worried she wouldn't be able to keep up with you three. Very, VERY well done, Yakumo-chan. Neji is going to be in for one hell of a surprise when he and his teammates make it here. If that doesn't put the fear of the Shinigami into him, I don't know what would. I'd love to be here to see the look on his face when it happens."
Everyone shared a laugh at that before Jiraiya said, "Orochimaru's probably pretty pissed by now. He has to know that she's alive by now. Getting fooled like that can't be sitting well with him."
Anko nodded in agreement and said, "Knowing Orochimaru, he'll want to deal with Yakumo somehow. Get her out of the way, as it were." Looking at her student, she said, "Yakumo-chan, I want you to be VERY careful. Don't let yourself get caught alone. Always make sure that somebody you can trust is around. Preferably one of us or your teammates. Okay?"
Yakumo nodded, but before she could say anything, Hiruzen spoke up. "I'll assign a squad of Anbu to patrol the tower and the Forest of Death. They'll keep everyone safe. It'll give me peace of mind to know that they're here, watching over everyone."
Jiraiya frowned for a time before he said, "I'll be staying here, in the tower, as well. I refuse to take any chances, especially with their safety. Besides, I doubt Orochimaru and his people will try anything as long as I'm here."
Anko smiled thankfully at the Sannin before she turned and hugged her Genin tight, one at a time. "I'm so proud of all of you. And I'm so, so glad that you're all alright. If I had known…"
Naruto shook his head and smiled at Anko. "You couldn't have known, Anko-sensei. And even if you had, you'd have just been putting yourself in danger, as well. We care and worry about you just as much as you do us."
Anko giggled a bit and said, "You have a point. Thank you. All of you."
Naruto smirked at her and poked her on the nose. "When you get out of here, go and tell Kurenai how you feel about her, okay? I think you've got a real chance with her. So give it a try!"
The Snake Mistress blinked and asked, "Where's this coming from? And, um…are you sure I should? I mean, I don't like the idea of Asuma winning her over, but…"
The half-Saiyan smiled supportively at her and said, "Considering how lucky you are, to have all of us survive an encounter with Orochimaru of all people, I think you've got a real chance. You should be more confident in yourself. And I dunno where this is coming from. I just want to see you happy, Anko-sensei. You deserve to have something huge go right for you, after everything we've all been through, yourself included."
Anko smiled at her team of Genin and said, "I really lucked out with you guys, huh?"
Caulifla grinned at her and said, "Damn right, you did. Your life just wouldn't be the same without us. You can admit it, you love us."
Giggling a bit, Anko said, "I do. You're my family. I think I'll do what you suggested and talk to Kurenai. Who knows? I might just get lucky and she'll confess her feelings for me, too. Wouldn't that be great?"
Kale smiled supportively at her sensei and said, "You've got this, Anko-sensei. We're behind you all the way."
Hiruzen chuckled softly and said, "As touching as all of this is, I'm afraid I have to interrupt you. Naruto-kun." Seeing he had the teen's attention again, Hiruzen said, "Thank you, m'boy. You've uncovered far more information on our enemies than I could have dreamed of. Thanks to you, we know more about what they're capable of and what to expect from them. Tell me, have you seen the team from Suna, yet?"
Naruto raised a brow and asked, "No. Why? Weren't you able to convince Rasa to turn on Orochimaru? You secured the alliance between our villages, so why would I need to worry about them?"
Hiruzen chuckled softly and said, "Indeed I did, Naruto-kun. However, young Gaia-chan is still…problematic, let's say. The seal used when sealing the Ichibi into her is shoddy at best. With your expertise in fuinjutsu, alongside Jiraiya's here, I'm sure you two could make the necessary alterations to the seal to allow her to sleep. I'm sure she'd really appreciate that. Maybe you could even offer her your friendship? It would be much better to have her fighting alongside us instead of acting as a wild card. Wouldn't you agree?"
Naruto chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. "It almost sounds like you're trying to push us together. Fine, old man, I'll try talking to them. Gaia seemed reasonable enough when I met her, so hopefully things don't get dicey."
Kale frowned for a time before looking into the Hokage's eyes. "Wait, when we were first told about the Ichibi jinchuriki, by Anko-sensei, no less, she said 'he', not 'she'. I'm confused."
Hiruzen chuckled and said, "It's not her fault. The identity of Suna's jinchuriki wasn't common knowledge. Anko-chan made her best guess at the time she made mention of their jinchuriki. There were simply rumors and nothing concrete to tell people about their jinchuriki's gender, name, or anything else that might have helped. So don't blame her for an easy mistake."
Caulifla nodded in understanding. "Makes sense. No village wants that kind of information getting out so easily, after all."
"Precisely." Hiruzen said. "Now, is there anything else you'd like to tell us, Naruto-kun? Or was the identity of the spies all of it?"
Naruto frowned in thought for a time before saying, "We killed the team from Otogakure. Theirs is the scroll we used to gain entrance into the tower. Apparently they had been given orders to hunt us down and kill us. Once he finds out they failed, I'm not sure how he'll react."
"I see. Is that all?" Hiruzen asked again.
Naruto started to nod, but stopped himself. Looking into the Hokage's eyes again, he said, "Don't let the council push you around, Hokage-sama. I know that, after what happened a few weeks ago, they've likely said that the three of us are out of control. I also know that they've probably suggested using us to breed veritable super soldiers for the village. If you have to, please get the daimyo involved. Unless you've already contacted him, of course?"
Hiruzen and the other adults blinked a couple of times before the aged Hokage shook his head in mild fascination. "You truly never cease to amaze me, Naruto-kun. Don't worry, Daimyo-sama is on his way. He has been apprised of the situation and will help to deal with those bastards."
Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad. I really don't want the council to have any say in when we decide to be intimate or what to do with our children or any of it. When we're ready for that, we'll deal with it then. And if we happen to have children together, I want them to grow up healthy, happy, and strong. I don't want them being used by those monsters and turned into weapons of war without emotions. Reminds me too much of what Danzo would have wanted."
Hiruzen nodded sadly and said, "Indeed. Don't worry, Naruto-kun. Daimyo-sama and I won't let those monsters have their way. We will take drastic measures, if need be. Nobody will take away your happiness. Not so long as we draw breath."
Tsunade clenched her fists tight and said, "After everything I've heard about these people, I can safely say that this just isn't the same place my grandfather envisioned it would be when he helped found this village. I'm ashamed of these people. How could they have fallen so far?"
Jiraiya shook his head and said, "I don't know. I still don't know what the heck Minato was thinking when he sealed the Kyuubi into Naruto. I'm damn sure Kushina and Carron didn't want that for their baby. And if they could see what this village has done in their absence? I think the three of them would unleash horrors on the people of this village far worse than anything the Kyuubi could ever have done."
"Indeed. Now, if that's all, we've got some work to do. Anko, as proctor for the second exam, I do expect you to get back to work soon. I'll give you the time you need to talk to Kurenai, but afterwards, I expect you to be back at your post and working diligently in your duties. Tsunade, you will come with me. I want you at my side when I discuss what we've learned with the council. Jiraiya, make sure nothing happens to any of the Genin. And, once Gaia has agreed to it, help repair that seal." The Hokage ordered before he turned and left the room with Tsunade right behind him.
Once they were gone, Anko bade her team goodbye before she hurried off to go and speak to Kurenai. Meanwhile, Jiraiya looked into Naruto's eyes and said, "I'm looking forward to working with you, Naruto. I'm eager to see just what you can do with fuinjutsu. So far, I've heard many good things about you from Sensei, and I have to say that I am NOT disappointed. You're a pretty impressive kid. I'll get out of your hair for now. You look like you could all use some rest. You're safe now, so rest easy and get some sleep." And with that, he stood up and left the room as well.
Once all the adults were gone, Naruto flopped backwards on the bed he and Yakumo were sitting on together. Letting out a groan, he said, "He's right. I'm exhausted. Let's get some sleep. Then, when we wake up, we can go get some food. Too damn tired to worry about food right now."
Yakumo giggled and said, "I know how you feel. Nearly dying has really sapped all my energy. Good night, you three." Walking over to one of the other beds, she put away her things before climbing into bed and going to sleep.
Watching their shared boyfriend slip under the covers, the more boisterous Saiyan smirked and climbed into bed with him. When Caulifla motioned for Kale to get on his other side, the timid Saiyan blushed deeply and initially went to shake her head. However, Naruto grabbed her hand and tugged her into bed with the two of them. "There we go. Let's get some sleep, girls."
Caulifla nodded before she rolled over and turned the lantern off. "Good night, Naruto. Kale." Yawning, she snuggled up close to her boyfriend and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Kale smiled somewhat bashfully at them before she leaned in and pressed her lips to Naruto's. Afterwards, she whispered, "I love you." to him before she, too, dozed off.
Naruto whispered it back and laid there, staring up at the ceiling for a moment. I'm glad we're all okay. I just hope the next stage isn't too crazy. Then again, knowing my luck, it's bound to be hellish. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. For now, we'll take it easy here in the tower. Maybe get some training in, but mostly, I'm looking forward to relaxing for a while. Heh. Now that I think on it, I wonder how Neji is going to react when he sees Yakumo? That should be fun to watch.
The Next Day
It was early in the morning by the time Team 9 entered the tower. As they walked, Tenten let out a loud yawn before looking at Neji. "We couldn't have taken a break to eat and sleep why, exactly? I'm beat."
The normally exuberant Lee wasn't quite feeling like himself either. Looking hard at Neji, he said, "You were pushing us even harder than usual. Just what has you so troubled, my youthful rival?"
Neji simply scowled and said, "I wanted out of that forest as soon as possible. We're here now, so let's just find a room and—"
Tenten and Lee blinked when they saw Neji freeze, mouth hanging open as he looked dead ahead. Looking forward, Tenten gained a megawatt smile and eagerly waved at her friend and the other members of Team 11 as they approached. However, Neji's strange behavior caused her to look back at him and ask, "What's wrong, Neji? You look like you've just seen a ghost or something."
Neji looked straight at Yakumo and pointed a shaky finger at her. "I…I killed you. How are you still alive?!"
Tenten's eyes widened and she shouted, "You did WHAT?!"
It was at this point that Neji realized he had well and truly fucked up. As the realization dawned on him that the Hokage and others in the know knew he was a spy now, he felt something warm trickling down the back of his right leg. Wait, what?
"Ugh! Neji, you just crapped your pants! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Tenten screamed at him. Then, she glared at him again and said, "Whatever. You tried to kill Naruto-kun's teammate?! The fuck's the matter with you?!" Yes, it was a very bad day to be Neji Hyuga.
A/N - And that's the chapter! What did you guys think? Didja like it?! I certainly hope so! lol. Was it worth the wait?
Anywho, you should understand the title of the chapter by now. It was all about Yakumo cementing her place on the team. She's part of the family and she's more than proven herself. And we also got to see Naruto's true intellect shine through finally! Yay!
Like I said, a LOT happened in this chapter. I'm sure some of you were pretty dang surprised by everything, but I hope you guys and gals liked it. I worked hard as hell on this chapter and I'd hate for it to just be a letdown for you folks.
Personally, I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I think it turned out exactly how I wanted it. Buuut, we shall see what you guys think in ze reviews.
Anyways, I'm still playing Pokemon Scarlet a lot. Having a ton of fun still and I'm actually getting ready to take on the last Titan Pokemon finally. Might be a while yet. I've been exploring a lot and taking time to grind EXP and level up a lot of different Pokemon. I'm kinda just taking my time with the game and doing a little bit here and there at a time. *shrugs*
Also, I'll try to finish up that new chapter of Destiny as soon as possible, but I make no guarantees. Hopefully you guys can wait a bit longer on that one. Unless you aren't interested in that story, in which case...oh well? lol. Up to you guys!
Nooooow, not much else to say. I haven't been sleeping too well these past three days. Not sure why exactly. I did get my booster shot for Covid on Saturday morning, so I've kinda been feeling shitty and out of it since then. Oh well. *shrugs* Might play in to why I can't seem to sleep. I dunno.
Anywho, looking forward to seeing your reviews/comments and whatnot! I'm gonna chill for a while and relax. Damn this chapter took a lot out of me. XD
