"Talking"
'Thinking'
Jutsu/ Bijuu/ Summons
Flashbacks, Letters, and Setting
I don't own Naruto
Chapter 29: Mission to Taki Part 4
With Naruto and Zabuza
The two swordsmen stopped at a familiar bridge. Naruto smiled when he saw the sign.
'The Swordsmen's Bridge'
"Heh, who would have thought we would be back here?" Naruto asked Zabuza.
Zabuza chuckled. "Well, I can't say the idea didn't cross my mind when I thought about who to hire for the rebellion. Though I expected to be able get the whole team."
Naruto shrugged. "Eh. The team is mostly broken up now. We all got our own teams and stuff to worry about. I'm a Jonin sensei now, if you recall."
"Who would have thought. The legendary Fox of Konoha, teaching some snot-nosed Genin." Zabuza commented.
"Some snot-nosed Genin that kicked your Chunins' ass, if I'm not mistaken." Naruto added, as they walked across the bridge.
They walked into the village of Wave, and Naruto was pleased at the stark difference he could see, compared to the last time he was here.
It wasn't like the village had turned into a major village full of huge houses and luxuries like Konoha overnight.
However, the village was going under some major reconstruction, and most of the dilapidated shacks were now mostly gone, with modest, yet functional and adequate homes taking their place.
The biggest difference however, was the atmosphere. Gone was the dark and gloomy atmosphere of hopelessness that hung over the village like a dark mist, and in its place was an upbeat, hopeful atmosphere, full of bustling activity.
With the fishing and shipping industry back in full swing, and the pollution from Gato's businesses now mostly cleaned up, people were up and about, and the markets were full of business and activity.
He could see kids running around, with smiles on their faces, playing as kids should, and he didn't see any thugs depriving people of their dignity.
"Naruto nii-san? Is that you?"
Naruto turned around when he heard a familiar voice.
"Well, well. Look who it is. I almost didn't recognize you without your gloomy attitude!" Naruto teased Inari as he greeted him.
"Geez, Nii-san! You don't have to be so mean!" Inari said as he punched Naruto in the stomach playfully.
Obviously, it had zero impact on Naruto, but he played along. "Oof! Hey, hey. I was just kidding! You look good kid! Looks like you got some more meat on your bones, and that wooden sword in your belt is a good accessory!"
Inari responded with a wide smile.
"And it's not just for decoration! I've been practicing every day, just like you told me to!" Inari boasted.
"Ah, so you think yourself a swordsman now? Why don't we see what you can do with that stick then?" Zabuza asked Inari.
Inari knew Zabuza wasn't a bad guy, or after his family anymore, but he was still slightly scared of the man.
"Umm… I don't think I'm good enough to spar against you yet, Zabuza-san." Inari responded meekly.
Naruto laughed out loud as he smacked Zabuza on the back.
"Geez, you're scaring the kid." He told Zabuza, who smirked. "How about we go to your training ground and see your stances? See if you got your katas down."
Inari nodded eagerly. "Sounds great! Follow me!"
He grabbed Naruto's hand and dragged him behind.
Naruto chuckled as he motioned for Zabuza to follow. "Alright, alright. Let's see what you got." He told Inari.
Back in Taki
A couple days after the fight at the warehouse, Shibuki was busy dealing with clearing up the mess in the warehouse, and had Hisame thrown into a holding cell, until Kakashi arrived to interrogate her or take her to Konoha.
Meanwhile, Fuu and the Genin of Team 7 were at their private lounge in the hotel.
Hinata and Sasuke were bandaged up in various places, due to the injuries from their previous fight.
Fuu and Narumi, who had taken the most damage and had the most wounds during the fight however, looked completely fine, recovering after a couple nights of decent sleep at the hotel.
"So, you're telling us that you had the freaking Kyuubi sealed inside you this whole time?" Sasuke asked in disbelief when he heard Narumi explain what had happened in the warehouse, and how she healed so quickly.
Narumi smiled sheepishly. "Hehe. Yeah, Something like that. Hope you guys don't mind."
"Of course, we mind! How could you keep such a big secret from us this whole time! I thought we were friends!" Sasuke yelled, throwing up his hands in the air.
Narumi raised an eyebrow. "That's what you're mad about? Not the fact that I have a demon sealed inside me that destroyed half the village?"
"Do you think we're stupid? What the Kyuubi did has nothing to do with you! I'm just mad you kept it a secret from us. It's like you don't trust us." Sasuke responded.
"Oh. Well, Naruto nii-chan told me not to tell anyone. Said it was an S-ranked village secret." Narumi responded.
When Sasuke heard it was Naruto's idea, he accepted it immediately. "Oh. I mean if Naruto nii-san thought it was a good idea to keep it a secret, I guess it was for the best."
"An S-r-rank s-secret?" Hinata gasped. "B-but that means you can get executed for talking about it!"
"Oh. Then I guess I didn't tell you anything." Narumi said with a sly smile, as she winked at her friends.
"Kinda jealous though. You had a freakin kunai in your gut, and a couple days later, you're completely fine." Sasuke told Narumi. "Meanwhile, I get a few scratches from some crates and kunai, and I look like a freakin mummy over here." He lifted his arms as he complained. "These bandages are itchy and annoying."
Fuu chuckled as she watched her friends. The way they had blown off their Jinchuuriki status like it was nothing had really touched her. They knew what she and Narumi were, but they didn't care. To them, both her and Narumi were normal girls. That was all Fuu had ever wanted to be.
"So, I gotta ask. How did you guys know where I was?" Fuu asked her friends, who were more like family to her now.
"Oh. Well, you see, Mushimaru came and led us to you." Narumi told Fuu.
"It was Mushirama, you idiot." Sasuke tried to correct her.
"Umm… g-guys? Wasn't it Mushiko?" Hinata suggested.
Fuu giggled, before she called 4 beetles, which landed on her hand.
"Which one of them was it?"
The Genin of Team 7 looked at the beetles closely. At first glance they looked similar, but upon taking a closer look, they realized they all looked slightly different.
"It was this one." Narumi pointed at a specific beetle. "Right guys?"
Sasuke and Hinata nodded.
"This one? Are you guys sure?" Fuu asked, and the Genin of Team 7 nodded.
Fuu giggled again, before speaking. "Sorry to break it to you guys, but that's Mushiken. Thanks, Mushiken!" Fuu thanked the bug by giving it some jam that was left over from breakfast.
"Oh. Well, it looks like you were wrong, Sasuke-chan." Narumi told Sasuke.
"Don't call me that! Besides, you were wrong too, stupid!" Sasuke growled back.
Hinata and Fuu giggled as they watched the two argue.
"Whatever, Sasuke-chan." Narumi said as she rolled her eyes. "Besides, there's something else we gotta deal with. Something more important."
"What's that, Narumi-chan?" Fuu asked Narumi.
"We have to get Kakashi-sensei back for not showing up on time. If he was here, we wouldn't have had to get our butts kicked so hard." Narumi said as she smacked her fist into the palm of her other hand.
Fuu felt a drop of sweat roll down her forehead when she saw the dark looks enter Sasuke's, and surprisingly, Hinata's eyes as well. She could briefly feel killing intent leaking from them as their aura's darkened.
The Genin of Team 7 cracked their knuckles. "So, what's the plan?" Sasuke asked in a low voice.
Narumi smiled, though it wasn't one of her usual nice smiles. No, this was an evil smile.
"You guys know that orange book he reads all the time?" Narumi started to explain her plan, and the two other Genin began to smile the same evil smile as they listened.
Fuu looked at them, slightly worried. An evil smile definitely did not fit their faces, especially not Hinata.
With Naruto and Zabuza
"Not bad, kid!" Zabuza commented, as he saw Inari go through his stances.
"Heh, looks like you put in the work. Good job, Inari!" Naruto complimented Inari.
Inari smiled a proud smile as he wiped the sweat off of his brow.
"Told ya! I'm gonna be the strongest swordsman to come out of Wave! Just you wait!" Inari declared.
"Dinner's ready!" Tsunami called out to the 3 who were in the yard of what was formerly Gato's mansion, which was now both the office for Wave Shipping Company, Wave's Village Center, and Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari's house.
In a couple minutes, Naruto, Zabuza, Inari, Tsunami, and Tazuna were seated around the dinner table, which was full of delicious seafood dishes.
Naruto and Zabuza dug into the food with gusto, famished after a day of traveling. Tsunami's skill in cooking only made them more ravenous.
Tsunami smiled as she watched Naruto eat. Life was so much better now. She could now say with confidence that life was good, unlike before, and she owed it all to the blonde man in front of her.
"I'm glad you're enjoying the food." Tsunami told Naruto and Zabuza.
"Mhmm! How could we not? Your cooking has gotten even better!" Naruto complimented as he ate.
Tsunami laughed modestly, with a hand covering her mouth. "Well, I have much better ingredients to cook with, due to Wave's improved situation."
Naruto gave her a thumbs up with one hand, as the other hand was occupied with a lobster claw.
"You've done a great job with this place. I knew I made the right decision when I made you my partner and president of Wave Shipping Company!" Naruto told Tsunami.
Tsunami blushed slightly from the praise. "I'm just trying to do my best to return your faith in me by making sure the village and the company do well."
"The whole village owes you!" Tazuna added in. "Please, if there's anything we can do for you, let us know!"
Naruto and Zabuza looked at each other.
"Well, we'd appreciate it if you could get us a ship." Zabuza suggested.
"And a whole bunch of supplies." Naruto added in.
Tsunami grinned. She'd been waiting to return even a small fraction of the favor Naruto had done for her. "Don't you worry about the supplies. Now, how big of a ship do you need?" She asked.
In Taki
"Man! That's the 3rd bookstore that wouldn't sell us that book!" Narumi whined, as the gang walked out of the bookstore.
"Just how dirty is that book?" Sasuke wondered out loud.
"I mean, it is pretty saucy." Fuu commented.
The 3 Genin of Team 7 turned around to look at her.
"You've read Icha Icha before?" They asked almost in unison.
Fuu nodded. "Yeah. I found a copy in the alley next to a whole bunch of magazines. The pages of the magazines were all stuck together, so I left those behind, but the book was in decent condition." Fuu mentioned, not realizing the implications of what she said.
Narumi and Hinata didn't understand either, so they were more interested in the book, but Sasuke couldn't help but blush.
"Sweet! Do you still have it?" Narumi asked.
Fuu nodded. "Yeah! It's actually a pretty decent read if you get past all the weird scenes."
A few moments later, they were in Fuu's house, looking through her bookshelf.
"Ah, here it is!" Fuu exclaimed as she pulled out the book.
Narumi took the book and opened it up. She was curious to see what all the hype about it was.
The Genin in Team 7 read the first few pages together, before Narumi slammed the book shut.
"Eww! Gross! I didn't even know they used that like that! Ugh! I'll never be able to look at a cucumber the same way ever again!" Narumi wanted to pour bleach in her eyes.
Sasuke sat with his legs crossed awkwardly, staring out the window, trying his best not to make eye contact with any of the girls around him.
Hinata had a huge blush on her face. "T-that's… so weird… p-people do that?"
Fuu just shrugged. "I guess so. The story gets better in the second half. The first part is mostly just people-"
"NO! Please! I don't want to hear it!" Narumi said as she plugged her ears with her fingers.
"I need to find some soap to clean my eyes! Ugh! Kakashi-sensei! You pervert!" Narumi screamed as she ran to the bathroom to scrub her eyes clean of the filth that corrupted them.
"I-I need to go get some fresh air." Sasuke mentioned before walking outside with a strange gait.
"What was that all about?" Fuu asked Hinata in confusion.
"I-I'm not sure." Hinata replied.
"Umm… If you d-don't mind, I'll be taking this. You know, we m-might need it later. For p-pranking Kakashi-sensei of course." Hinata said with an embarrassed look on her face as she grabbed the Icha Icha book.
Fuu just winked at her with a knowing smile and gave her a thumbs up. "Your secret is safe with me, Hinata-chan."
Hinata's face hid behind the collar of her hoodie, as she sank inside her giant hoodie in embarrassment. Her hands however, hid the book into her pockets.
In Wave the Next Day
Zabuza whistled, impressed at the speed the small woman had organized everything.
"Is this good enough? Do you need anything else?" Tsunami asked.
"How many people did you say this ship could hold?" Naruto asked as he looked over the ship.
"Well, it's not the largest ship, so not too many. I'd say around 10 to 20 people. Up to 40 if you remove all of the cargo." Tsunami responded.
"Perfect. And the supplies?" Naruto asked as he watched Tsunami's workers load crate after crate of supplies on board.
"Enough food to feed several hundred people for a couple weeks, some clothes, medical supplies, some sealing equipment, and some steel ingots." Tsunami responded.
"I gotta ask. What do you need all this for?" She asked.
"I can't tell you that right now. Maybe later. It's sensitive information." Naruto replied.
Tsunami nodded. She knew Naruto was a shinobi, and had to keep some secrets. She didn't want to pry into his business anyway.
"The workers will probably finish loading the ship in a few minutes." Tsunami informed Naruto, who nodded approvingly. "Are you sure you won't need any sailors?"
Naruto shook his head. "Zabuza has some experience sailing, and I can provide all of the labor force we'll need to sail this ship."
Tsunami nodded, and a few moments later, the workers loaded the last crate into the cargo hold.
Naruto and Zabuza boarded the ship, while Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari waved at them.
"When will we see you again?" Inari asked.
"Who knows? Hopefully, it won't be too long." Naruto replied as he waved at the boy and his family. "Don't forget to keep working on your kenjutsu!" Naruto yelled as the ship began to leave the dock.
"Thank you for your help, Tsunami-san!" Naruto yelled out as the sails went up.
"Come back at any time! You're always welcome in Wave!" Tsunami yelled back.
Soon, the waving family were small specks in the distance.
"So, let's get going in earnest, shall we?" Naruto suggested to Zabuza.
"I was just waiting for you to finish your sappy farewell." Zabuza replied with a smirk. "Let's get moving!"
Naruto smirked. "Kiri, here we come."
In Taki
"The ninja from Konoha is here. He's just outside the village." One of the hotel staff came and alerted the Genin.
"Why thank you." Narumi responded as she got up.
The Genin double-checked to see if they had all of their stuff with them.
Fuu watched sadly as she looked at her friends get ready to leave. It seemed her short trip in heaven was over. Soon, they would be leaving, and she would be back to her life as a pariah of the village, all alone.
The 4 friends began to leave the hotel, when Fuu was stopped by one of the hotel staff.
"Fuu-san. A moment please?"
"Huh, you talking to me?" Fuu asked in surprise. No one in this village ever called her Fuu-san. She'd usually be lucky if they didn't call her a demon or bug bitch.
"Indeed. Our boss wanted me to give you this." The hotel staff handed Fuu an envelope.
She opened it up, and saw a small letter and a key inside.
She began to read the letter, with Team 7 reading it as well over her shoulders.
Dear Fuu-san,
I'm the owner of this hotel, and one of the elders of the village.
You may not know this, but my family and I were some of the hostages you helped save and protect from Suien and his henchmen.
In the past, I've let my prejudiced view of you dictate my actions towards you.
I've come to realize it was foolish of me. You are much more noble than I am, and I owe you my apology.
It's not much, but I would like for you to feel free to use any of the hotel's facilities, whenever you wish, free of charge.
You are also free to use the room you had been staying at, for as long as you want. We'd be happy if you decided to live there permanently. With this letter, I've also put in the key to the room.
I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us, and I hope we can have a better relationship moving forward.
Sincerely yours,
The Hojo Family
"Wow Fuu! Congrats!" Narumi told Fuu as she patted her in the shoulder.
Fuu couldn't believe what she just read. Was this really happening?
The hotel staff bowed to the gang as they left, Fuu still in shock.
As they walked outside, some of the kids on the streets waved at her, while some of the owners of the bigger stores gave her a polite bow, shocking both Fuu and the other store owners.
"It looks like the village is finally recognizing you for you, instead of the Nanabi! I'm so happy for you!" Narumi congratulated Fuu. She understood what that really meant for Fuu, who was still awe-struck.
"I'm not dreaming, am I? Pinch me." Fuu asked Narumi.
Narumi pinched the skin on Fuu's tricep.
"Oww! Hey, that's a sensitive spot!" Fuu shouted, as she rubbed her arm to soothe the sharp pain.
"Hey, you asked me to pinch you." Narumi responded, putting up her hands in front of her in defense.
Fuu smiled. She wasn't dreaming!
Hinata and Sasuke also smiled at Fuu, happy for their friend.
Fuu took a look at the village around her. Though there were still a bunch of disapproving and hateful looks, there were now several faces that looked on her favorably with smiles.
Was this the better tomorrow they were talking about in those books she was reading? Suddenly, living in Taki didn't seem so bad anymore.
She was broken out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Looks like things are gonna get better for you, eh Fuu?" Narumi said with a smile.
"Congrats. Looks like at least some people aren't as dumb as I thought." Sasuke said to congratulate Fuu, trying to look cool with his arms crossed, talking to Fuu over his shoulders with his back turned to her.
"We're h-happy for you, Fuu-chan." Hinata told Fuu. "You deserve to be l-liked."
Of all of the faces that were smiling at her, these 3 were the most important ones. A smile that stretched from ear to ear formed on her face, as she tackled the 3 of them in a hug.
"Thanks guys. Everything got better once I met you guys. You're like the family I never had."
"Ah, looks like you 3 made a new friend, eh?" A familiar voice called out to them, which made the warm smiles on Team 7's face change to that of a serial killer.
They whipped their heads around to see who it was.
Narumi tried to hold her smile, but she couldn't help but grit her teeth. "Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi was a little thrown off by the way she said sensei. What was that all about?
"Hey! Who let this guy in here!" Narumi asked. "I thought nobody knew how to get in!"
Shibuki stepped forward. "I decided to let him in, when I heard he was outside. Moving forward, Konoha and Taki will have much closer ties."
"Yo! You guys ready to head back to Konoha?" He said as he gave a two-finger salute to Narumi in greeting.
"Oh, but we still want to spend some time with our new friend." Sasuke said with an innocent voice, just like they practiced.
"Besides, we have a gift for you that you might want to check out." Narumi said with a sickly-sweet voice and smile.
Warning alarms were going off in Kakashi's brain, but he brushed them off. What could a bunch of Genin do to him anyways. Besides, he liked gifts. Everyone thought he was too cool for gifts, an image he maintained on purpose to look cool and to hide a weakness, but he was secretly a sucker for them. Especially when they came in small, rectangular, book-shaped packages.
"What is it?" He asked in a disinterested voice, perfectly masking his excitement in his lazy tone.
"Oh, you know. It's one of those books that you like to read so much. I don't know what it's all about, since they wouldn't let us peek into it before they wrapped it for us, but it seems to be popular." Narumi told Kakashi as she handed him his "gift".
Kakashi tore the wrapping paper open, to see a familiar book cover.
"Ah. Icha Icha Sensei. A classic. I've read this one already. Thanks though." Kakashi said lazily.
Narumi had to rack her brain quickly to make him open the book. 'Shoot! Of course, he read it already, that giant pervert!'
"I-it's supposed to be a s-special edition." Hinata quickly interjected. "They said it has p-pictures inside."
Kakashi's one visible eye widened in defiance of Kakashi's will to look calm.
"Did you just say p-p-p-pictures?" Kakashi stuttered uncharacteristically, as he began to feel hot inside.
"Yeah! The bookstore owners told us never to open the book, since the pictures were inappropriate for us!" Narumi said as she looked at Hinata gratefully.
Kakashi began to breathe roughly, as he slowly opened the book with hands trembling with excitement. He had always wanted to see the famous cucumber scene illustrated.
While Kakashi's attention was consumed by the book, Narumi looked at Kakashi with disgust, as she subconsciously covered herself. She wished she could wipe her memory clean of that disgusting scene. Sensei were not supposed to do that with their students, whatever that was supposed to be!
When Kakashi opened the book, he saw a strange seal, that began to glow suddenly.
Before Kakashi could react, as his fantasizing got in the way, the seal sprayed him with a sticky liquid, which was a combination of honey, jam, pheromones, and water.
"What the…" Kakashi said as he sniffed the liquid on him. "Did they say the book was a 4D experience as well?" He wouldn't put it past Jiraiya to put something like that in a book. The man was a mad genius.
Narumi, Fuu, and Sasuke had no idea what he was talking about, but Hinata, who had secretly read the book at night, began to blush, knowing exactly what Kakashi was referring to.
Suddenly, several swarms of different bugs began to amass around them, and headed straight for Kakashi.
When he heard the ominous buzzing, Kakashi looked up and saw what looked like a black cloud.
He booked it immediately.
"Shit! What the hell did I do to deserve this!" Kakashi yelled as he ran from the cloud of insects that chased him.
The 4 friends were rolling on the ground with laughter, crying and out of breath from laughing too hard.
"Oh man! My abs!" Narumi yelled out as she laughed. "You should have seen his face! Man, I wish I had a camera!"
Kakashi dove into the lake when he couldn't lose his pursuers after running for several minutes.
The Genin gathered around the lake and laughed at him. "That's what you get for being late, you slacker!"
Kakashi's head rose out of the water, with a frog sitting on the lily pad that was on his head.
"This reminds me why I never became a Jonin sensei." Kakashi growled out to himself, before the frog jumped off and splashed water onto his face.
With Naruto and Zabuza
Zabuza sailed the ship into a secret cove on a rocky island, that was covered in mist.
"So, this is the base? How many people do we have on our side? This island seems a bit… small." Naruto asked as the jumped off of the ship.
"We have around 5,000 to 7,000 on small encampments on different islands. That way, if any of our forces get discovered, we'll still have many more that are hidden." Zabuza told Naruto as he tied their ship to a post.
"That's a good strategy to cut your losses and keep the rebellion going, but that seems like communication would be a bitch." Naruto commented.
"That's one our biggest issues right now. Having to operate in secret due to our small numbers, communication and logistics has been a real headache." Zabuza responded.
Naruto grinned. "I think I got a few ideas that could improve that front."
Zabuza raised an eyebrow. "You haven't even seen our camps yet. What could you have possibly thought of?"
"I'll let you know when I tell your leader." Naruto replied. "By the way, you never did tell me who the leader of the rebellion was."
Zabuza smirked. "Ah, our leader." He began to chuckle. "Why don't I leave that as a surprise for you as well? In the meantime, follow me. Our camp is hidden in this mist, so you'd do well to stay close, lest you get lost."
Naruto shrugged his shoulders and followed. The sooner he could get to their camp, the sooner he could meet this mysterious leader of the bloodline rebellion.
Back in Taki
Team 7 decided to stay until the next day, as Kakashi needed to wash all of the sticky liquid out of his clothes and hair, and they wanted to spend more time with Fuu.
They decided to get dinner at the Waterfall Pagoda, where they first had dinner with Fuu. It turned out the luxury dining spot was also owned by a grateful member of a village elder's family who had been rescued by Fuu, and she was welcomed to eat there whenever she pleased.
After a night of very little sleep, which the Genin spent just chatting and hanging out with Fuu for the last time, they got ready to leave in the morning.
Fuu and Shibuki followed them to the entrance of Takigakure.
"So, I guess this is where you say goodbye to your friend, you little demons." Kakashi told Team 7, while he glared at them. He still could smell the sweet scent on him, but hoped the bugs on the trip couldn't.
"When will I see you guys again?" Fuu asked with a wavering voice, as she was trying her best not to cry.
"I'm not sure, but we'll try to visit if we're ever nearby. You should visit Konoha as well! We'll show you around! You gotta try this ramen stand, it has the best food in the world! It even has a dish named after me! Oh! And we'll introduce you to Shino!" Narumi rattled off as she held onto Fuu's hands.
"We'll see if we can work something out. We'll be busy reorganizing Taki after this whole mess, but we'll try to arrange something soon." Shibuki mentioned.
"W-we could write to each other. S-since Taki and Konoha are now allied, it sh-should be easier to send letters to each other." Hinata suggested.
Fuu smiled. "Good idea! I've always wanted a pen pal! You guys better write often!"
The 3 Genin of Team 7 nodded. "Of course! That's a great idea, Hinata-chan!" Narumi yelled out.
"Alright kids, it's time for us to head out now." Kakashi told Team 7.
"Wait! One last thing!" Narumi yelled out hastily, as she pulled out a scroll.
She unsealed a red, tube-shaped bag, that could be strapped to the back.
"We bought this for you." Narumi said as she handed it over to Fuu.
"Sweet! I love the color!" Fuu said excitedly, as she strapped the bag on her back.
"How do I look?" She asked.
Narumi and the others responded with a thumbs up and a warm smile, which put a smile on Fuu's face as well.
However, Fuu had to ask. "Ummm, but what is it?"
"Ah!" Narumi spoke up with a smile. "Glad you asked! The top zipper opens up a pouch where you can store supplies, but the bottom part of the bag is a house for your bugs! You see, we thought it would be cool if you could carry your friends around with you all the time, so you'd never be alone!"
"Guys!" Fuu cried out, with tears forming on her eyes.
"Umm, we also g-got this for you." Hinata handed a small orange hair pin to Fuu. "We thought it would match your eye color."
Fuu wiped a tear out of her eye, as she looked at the hair pin.
"Thanks guys! I love it!" She quickly put it on her hair.
"Sorry I wasn't able to get you guys anything." Fuu said with a frown. "I'll try to send you guys something with the letter!"
Narumi smiled. "That would be nice, but you don't have to. We heard it was your birthday when we first met. Think of this as a late birthday present."
The 3 girls embraced in a group hug, while Kakashi and Sasuke watched from the side.
"Get your butt in here, Sasuke, or I'll use my chains to bring you in!" Narumi yelled out.
Sasuke rolled his eyes and walked over to the group, where Narumi snatched him by his arm and pulled him into the group hug.
If the other guys saw him like this, there would be no end to the teasing. Sasuke was glad nobody else was here.
Snap!*
The group turned around to see Kakashi hold up a camera.
"Well, that's a cute scene. I can't wait to get the picture developed!" Kakashi said with an eye smile on his one visible eye.
"Give me that!" Sasuke yelled as he tried to snatch the camera out of Kakashi's hand, but to no avail. He had an image to uphold, damn it!
The girls laughed at the scene.
A few moments later, the team finally began to head back.
"Bye Fuu-chan! Hope you have an awesome life from now on!" Narumi yelled out as she waved.
Fuu smiled as she thought about everything that changed ever since she met her new friends.
"Don't worry! Everything is gonna be great from now on. I can feel it! Thanks for everything!" She yelled out as she waved her friends goodbye. "And don't be so mean to Kakashi-san!"
"You guys heard her. Be nice." Kakashi said as he pulled out a book out of his pocket.
Narumi rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Kakashi-sensei."
On the Road to Konoha
"So, looks like you had a good time in Taki, huh?" Kakashi said as he had his eyes buried in his book, though he still surprisingly managed to walk on the path without bumping into anything.
The Genin just glared at the back of his head, with a gaze that looked like it would drill through his head. They didn't even bother to answer his infuriating question.
"What took you so long to get here anyway!" Narumi yelled angrily.
"Oh, you know. I was helping a paranoid client walk his dog, when it suddenly found a bag full of dangerous drugs, which happened to belong to an underground gang of missing-nin, which included several A-rank ninja." Kakashi explained with a nonchalant voice as he read his book. "I had to root them all out and then assassinate them after extracting everything of value, after several days of undercover work. Real time consuming stuff."
Sasuke rolled his eyes at what sounded like an obvious excuse.
"LIAR!" Narumi shouted accusingly as she pointed a finger at the silver-haired ANBU captain. "At least come up with a believable excuse you slacker!"
The Genin hmphed and walked past a stunned Kakashi, who actually put down his book for a second.
"Huh? But I'm being serious..." Kakashi spoke to no one in particular as the Genin left him behind.
"Damn these kids. Can't a man get some respect! Here I was, busting my ass off doing real work, while they were at Taki having a vacation. What's the big deal anyway." Kakashi grumbled to himself.
In the Hokage's Office
Roughly a day later, Team 7 and Kakashi stood in front of the Hokage, as they gave their mission report.
As the Genin gave their account of what happened, Hiruzen and Kakashi's face began to get paler the more they heard.
"I-I see. That's… quite a turn of events. D-due to the sensitive nature of the topics discussed, such as the status of your teammate and your new friend, let's keep this a secret for now, understood?" Hiruzen barely managed to say with a face he forced to appear calm, despite how he felt inside.
"Hai, Hokage-sama!" The Genin responded in unison.
"Good. I'll have your mission bumped up to another A-ranked mission, and I'll have your pay sent to your accounts." Hiruzen told the team.
The Genin smiled at each other. They had added another A-rank mission under their belts, this time, without Naruto-sensei!
"Now, if that's all, you're all dismissed. Except you Kakashi. You stay." Hiruzen told the shinobi in front of him.
"Hai!" The Genin saluted the Hokage, as they began to leave.
"Woohoo! I'm filthy rich again! Ichiraku's here I come!" Narumi yelled as she jumped up with a fist in the air.
Hiruzen waited for their footsteps to grow quieter after the doors shut, and they eventually became inaudible as they left his office.
The old Hokage then collapsed into his seat.
"This is a disaster. We're lucky they got back in one piece." The Hokage said as he began to stress.
He smashed his table with his fist as he yelled at Kakashi. "You were supposed to have reached them the day Naruto left! If I knew you would be this late, I would have sent someone else! You were the closest ninja available! What the hell happened!"
"My mission took longer than expected. What was I supposed to do, abandon my mission?" Kakashi said in his defense. "Besides, they were in allied territory. I thought they were going to be fine. Nobody told me there was an insane traitor in their midst."
"You could have let me know! I would have sent someone else! Nobody told me there was a traitor there either!" Hiruzen yelled back.
"Why would Naruto leave his team there with such a threat lurking? Isn't it partially his fault?" Kakashi asked.
"I told him you would be there that evening. I ordered him to come to Konoha the moment he read my letter, as there was something urgent. We didn't really have the chance to talk about things other than the urgent mission I sent him on."
The two men stared at each other in silence.
"Shit. What are we going to do now? Naruto is not going to be happy." Kakashi said, breaking the silence.
"Not happy? He's going to be furious!" Hiruzen cried out.
"And Narumi's well-being is the only thing that makes him act irrationally. When he hears a kunai went through-"
"He's not going to hear about that." Hiruzen interrupted Kakashi. "We're going to erase that part from the official accounts. Until Naruto returns from his mission, you'll be responsible for Team 7."
"But I never signed up to be Jonin sensei!" Kakashi complained.
"Consider it your punishment for your part in this fiasco." Hiruzen told Kakashi. "Mine will be cleaning up this mess, and making sure Naruto doesn't find out."
"This is your newest mission. Operation: Don't let Team 7 tell Naruto they were in mortal danger. It will be an S-rank mission." Hiruzen told Kakashi.
In the Bloodline Rebellion Camp
Zabuza led Naruto through a maze-like formation of rocky formations, which was hidden in a thick mist, before they arrived at a clearing with no mist. They had finally reached the camp of the rebellion.
The two walked through the busy camp, towards a large tent in the middle, which appeared to be the commander's tent.
Naruto looked around as he walked, and saw the place was full of rugged looking shinobi, who looked like they had seen better days.
The camp was bustling with activity, some training their skills, some being patched up from injuries they had received in their last raid, blacksmiths forging new kunai or other equipment they needed, and people moving things around here and there.
The rebels kept a wary eye on the foreigner that was with one of their high-ranking members. Even as they saluted Zabuza, they observed Naruto with a suspicious look.
"Looks like they're quite wary." Naruto commented.
"Don't worry about that. They're just not used to seeing unfamiliar faces." Zabuza responded.
"Good. At least they know to always keep their guards up. Looks like they might be more useful than your average rabble." Naruto replied.
Soon, they reached the tent, and Naruto entered when Zabuza lifted up the flap at the entrance for him.
Naruto looked around, and saw an older, rugged looking man with an eyepatch, who looked like he had been through countless battles. 'Ah, this must be the leader of the rebellion.' Naruto thought when the man stepped up to approach him.
Naruto gave him a slight bow. "Hello. I'm the help you hired from Konoha."
The man with the eyepatch raised the eyebrow on his visible eye. "Zabuza, where's the rest of them?"
"They weren't available." Zabuza replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "They said he was the best they could offer."
The man with the eyepatch scoffed. "This is ridiculous! This is an insult to our rebellion! What do they expect us to do with just one shinobi, that we couldn't already do with ours?"
Naruto felt a bit disrespected, but kept his cool, as he didn't want to offend the leader of the rebellion so early on.
"I apologize on behalf of my village, but we couldn't afford to let our involvement in the rebellion become known to the public. It was easier to hide the presence of 1 person compared to a team, so they sent me. But don't you worry, I'm more than capable of making up for a team, as you'll find out soon enough." Naruto said calmly.
The man scoffed again. "Hmph! They sent an arrogant pup! Back in my day, such arrogance got people killed!"
"Is it arrogance if a lumberjack says he's good at cutting trees?" Naruto responded, barely remaining patient.
"Why you!" The man yelled at him, before he was cut off by a feminine voice.
"Now, now, Ao. No need to be so rude to our guest." The alluring voice said with authority.
"Mei-sama! My apologies." The man with the eyepatch said with a bow.
That threw Naruto off. "Huh?" He turned around to see who had just spoken.
His eyes landed on the most physically attractive woman he had ever seen in his entire life. She had long, auburn hair that was tied into a knot at the top, but still fell all the way down her back, and her bangs covered one of her eyes, which made her look even more attractive with a slight mysterious look. Her beautiful green eyes had a seductive, yet playful look to them, though a more observant eye would discover eyes that were sharp, attentive, and dangerous, having seen the terrors of war.
His eyes subconsciously traveled further down, landing on a well-endowed chest, that would have most men dreaming for years to come. Beneath her blue kimono which barely attempted cover her generous bust, she had a kunoichi's body, with lean muscles primed for action. She had her long slender legs crossed seductively, gently swinging the leg on top to a steady rhythm.
Other than her undeniable beauty, which stuck out like a bright flower amongst dry thornbushes, Naruto was shocked by how young she looked. She looked like she couldn't be that much older than himself, and she was apparently the leader of this whole rebellion.
"Like what you see?" She asked with her alluring, yet playful voice.
Naruto realized his mouth had been open slightly, and closed it immediately.
"How dare you gawk at our leader with your ravenous eyes, ogling her as if she was a young, ripe fruit, ready to be picked and eaten slowly, whilst savoring the juicy flavor!" Ao, the man with the eyepatch who was revealed NOT to be the leader, shouted at Naruto.
The tent became silent.
"… literally nobody was thinking that, Ao-san." Naruto replied breaking the awkward silence.
Mei's bangs covered both of her eyes, casting a shadow over them, as her seductive smile turned into a deadly one.
"… Ao. Shut up or I'll kill you." Mei said in a threatening low voice, as she gritted her teeth through her smile.
"M-my apologies, Mei-sama! I didn't mean anything by it! It's just that the man was staring at your-"
"That's enough, Ao. We get the point." Zabuza cut him off before he said something stupid again.
"I apologize for Ao's behavior." The young, female leader of the rebellion said to Naruto.
"It's quite alright. I suppose my stare could be interpreted in that way. It's just that I was surprised to see someone so young leading such a dangerous rebellion." Naruto explained.
'Heh. Nice save.' Zabuza thought to himself with a smirk.
"Oh. Is that so?" Mei said with a smirk. "I assure you, my age does not define my power or capabilities. I would assume you would be somewhat knowledgeable on that subject, judging by how young you are yourself, Lumberjack-san."
Naruto gulped when he heard the suggestive way she said Lumberjack-san. He attempted to look calm on the outside, but beads of sweat began to run down the back of his neck.
Mei grinned when she saw how uncomfortable she was making Naruto. She had gained control of their interaction, and Naruto knew it as well. Mei knew she was sexy, and used it to full effect to control any situation she could. She would use anything to achieve her goals, using her attractiveness as another tool in her tool belt, as any true shinobi should. Within just a couple of minutes of meeting her, Naruto knew she was not someone to be trifled with.
"Sounds like you're quite confident in your abilities. What would you say your skillset includes, Fox-san?" Mei asked.
"If I'm being modest, I'd say… everything." Naruto replied, earning a glare or a roll of the eye from the others in the tent. "And I'd prefer to be called Naruto. Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. Or Uzumaki Naruto officially I suppose, since I'm the clan head now."
That got everyone's attention. This was the son of the legendary Yellow Flash of Konoha, and the clan head of the last remaining members of the fabled Uzumaki clan?
"I see. Glad to have you here then, Uzumaki Naruto-kun." Mei said emphasizing the -kun. "I'm Terumi Mei, the leader of our little rebellion."
She stood up and opened up her arms, as she broke out into a smile. "Welcome to the Kiri Bloodline Rebellion."
*Author's Note*
And that's the latest chapter of the Jinchuuriki's brother! We've finally reached the bloodline rebellion!
Lol what do you guys think about me making Hinata closet perv? Well, I guess it wouldn't be fair to call her a pervert, just curious. Afterall, she is at that age, and coming from such a strict family, I thought it would make sense for her to "rebel" in a secret way, reading books that are frowned upon. Also, I had Ko, her caretaker revealed to secretly read the Icha Icha series, so I decided it would be a thing where many of the elegant and dignified Hyuuga clan secretly enjoys reading dirty literature.
Some people were saying that Team 7 seems OP so early on. I'd say they're fairly powerful, much stronger than Team 7 was in canon at the same time period, but if you compare them with people like Itachi, or Naruto in this story, they're at a somewhat reasonable power level. I'd say they're around Chunin level, with Naruto being a much better sensei than the others were shown to be in canon. It's also not like they were defeating Jonin on 1-on-1 fights. If anything, they were getting their asses kicked. They only won when they used tricks, traps, ambushes, and numerical superiority, and even that with difficulty. Most of the killing was done by Shibuki, who was already a Chunin level fighter, who was boosted by the hero water. Let's not forget that Team 7 also has a Jinchuuriki who can control her powers somewhat, a SANE prodigy of a powerful clan, and the heiress of a clan known for OP taijutsu. Also, not all Jonin are created equal. Someone like Murasame or Kirisame are fodder compared to Jonin like Gai or Kakashi. The 3 Genin have a lot more growth coming their way before this story is done.
Another thing that many people were saying was stupid was the fact that Naruto left his students behind. First of all, it was an order by Hiruzen, who was working with incomplete information. In hindsight it proved to be a mistake, but people make mistakes. It's not like they have phones for easy communication either. Also, they were in allied territory, so people wouldn't really think much of it usually, if there wasn't a traitor in the midst. They could easily leave Genin behind in a village like Suna, since they're on good terms. Another point is if you think that was irresponsible, I'd like to know what you think about Jiraiya's time with Naruto in canon, where the man left Naruto to train himself, while he went off to do his own stuff, while he knew full well there was a gang of S-rank ninja who were out to get him. Also, unrelated, but what did he actually train Naruto in during the 2-year training trip? He already knew how to do the Rasengan, and how to summon toads before they left on the trip, and Naruto didn't learn sage mode until after Jiraiya's death.
Also, dumpster juice? Come on man, why you gotta do me dirty like that? I'm trying my best here… T.T I could have gone through my day not knowing that. But I appreciate the honesty, I guess. I hope my writing improves as the story continues. Better to know it's getting better, rather than worse, I guess.
I'm not really taking votes and showing them in my Author's notes, since it seemed to make people angry if I didn't stick to the votes, but I'm still taking suggestions. Here are the relationship dynamics again, if you need a reminder to help you choose. Let me know if you have any other people you think should be on this list, and I'll see if I can see them pairing up with Narumi in the storyline I have in mind.
Neji: Narumi teaches him a lesson, humbling him. He eventually falls for her sweet, caring, and bubbly personality, helping him break out of his pessimistic outlook on life. Tries to act serious in front of her, but Narumi will push his straight man act to the limit, similar to how Guy and Lee do for him in Canon.
Chojuro: Meets him due to Haku somehow. Chojuro respects her as a kenjutsu user, but is also immediately attracted to Narumi's appearance and personality as well. He's too shy to approach her for a while, until Haku nudges them together. Narumi thinks his shyness is cute, but also respects him for his sword skills. Helps him become more confident in himself.
Chouji: Narumi doesn't care about his weight, actually likes how snuggly and teddy bear-like he is, and his kind and loving personality. Chouji appreciates how Narumi helps him with his self confidence issues. Maybe Ino could get them together?
Gaara: Narumi tries to help him become more normal with things like emotions and making friends. Never having anyone who didn't fear him at all, or anyone who tries so hard to help him, he is interested in her, platonically at first. A relationship where Narumi would be a passionate or emotionally aware person, who tries to teach an awkward and socially unaware Gaara how to act appropriately, with Gaara trying to be a good boyfriend but making weird gestures to show his love.
Shikamaru: Finds Narumi troublesome, but somehow finds himself doing troublesome things for her. Relationship will have some similarities between Yoshino and Shikaku. Ino would try to make him be a better boyfriend, but he's too lazy to listen to her most of the time. Will come through in clutch situations overcoming laziness and a tendency to avoid troublesome situations to be there for her.
Anyway, I hope you guys liked the chapter! Hope you all stay safe, and have a great day! Until next time!