A New Place
The journey to Naruto's new home from the site of the attack took a couple of days. In that time the travel companions got to know each other a little. The young lady's real name turned out to be, Kugatachi Kaname, sixteen, she was the daughter of a weapons master, who taught her quite a bit about weapon's handling. Her weapon of choice was the bo-staff, she called them, the most versatile of weapons, which gave one a choice, to kill or not to kill. Her own weapon was ingeniously crafted, it was a yard and a half long, coming to her mid-upper arm, but if she gave it a quick twist, it came apart and she had two weapons. She had crafted it herself, just before she left home to find herself. Her stated goal, was to become the greatest weapons master of all-time, greater than even her father. Kaname admitted, she made a huge mistake when she fell in with the Pillars. Ryūto Asamiya, the one calling himself, Kami, was full on crazy, actually believing himself to be Kami-sama, and Yami, whose real name was, Shōgo Kitsukawa, just liked to cause trouble. She admitted, she only joined with them because she had a crush on Shōgo, not her best decision, she now understood.
Naruto being six, despite his evident maturity did not understand, "you liked him," he asked to her nod, "but you knew what they were doing was wrong, right?" They would be at their new village by noon tomorrow and were sharing a camp site. They even had a small fire going, and their comradery was a consequence of proximity, and as for Naruto, the fact he has not really talked to anybody for a week.
"Yes," Kaname answered, "I knew they were up to no good."
Naruto's expression of confusion caused Kōetsuji to laugh, "it seems, our young vagrant, is still too young to know, how powerful the force of attraction can be," then sobering to look at Naruto, "for which I am quite glad, it means your innocence is still rather tightly entrenched."
Naruto sulked, with his arms crossed, "I'm not as innocent as you think," then remembering what happened about a week-ago, quietly added, "killers can't be innocent."
The other two were quiet, then Kaname, sharing a look with Susumu, got up and walked a little away from the campsite, it was not enough to take her into the darkness, but it gave them, the illusion of privacy. The man looked over at the boy solemnly, "do you want to talk about it, Naruto?"
"No, I don't," Naruto answered shaking his head, and the man nodded, "but I… I think I need to tell somebody, anybody what I did in Konoha, that made me have to run." So, the little boy confessed, of the thirty murders he committed last week, on the night of his birthday, when he also discovered his power over metals. He told Susumu, although Naruto knew Kaname was there, about the bear he killed that same night by causing…, "by causing the poor creature's body to betray it." Naruto, smoothed down the bear-hide clothing he was wearing, "this is from the skin of that poor animal, I have other garments from him. The bear was so huge, and I'm so small, he provided me with enough material to make two full changes of clothes," Naruto blushed and cast an uncomfortable glance toward the direction of the girl, "even underwear."
Susumu smiled at his humor, then grew serious, "Naruto, it is not my place to pass judgement over what happened in your village," he informed the boy, "though it sounds to me like you were protecting yourself. The situation with the bear was the same, the creature would've killed you, if you hadn't acted. Everybody has the right to do everything they feel right doing, to protect their lives, and the lives you cherish," Kōetsuji told him, "the fact that you feel guilty for that shows, despite how harsh your life has been, you still value the lives of those around you. You haven't let your life so far, make you jaded," he declared, "you're a good boy, and I look forward to seeing you grow into a great shinobi."
"Really," the little boy asked, nobody had ever called him, good, not even his Jiji, "do you mean that," he asked timidly?
"Of course, I mean it, kid," Susumu confirmed broadly, "if you hadn't left your village when you did, you wouldn't have been there to save me from the Pillars."
Naruto gave him a rueful grin, "I don't think you were in any real danger, Monk-san," he declared to Susumu whose eyes widened, "no offence to Kaname-chan, over there," Naruto thumb-pointed, "or her skills with her weapon, the calm you portrayed wasn't resignation to a beat-down. It was acceptance to a fight you didn't want. You wouldn't be a teacher at a ninja school, if you couldn't hold your own," Naruto looked over at the astonished face of Kaname, "especially against the likes of the Pillars." Naruto waved her back over to sit by the warmth of the fire.
Susumu's mouth made a slight upturn, "and how could you be sure of that?"
Naruto pointed to his nose, ears, and whisker-marks, "there's more to me than my metal release ability. I have advanced senses, my metal sense allows me to sense any metal around me, down to the part per million, and I have the advanced senses of a fox," Naruto explained, "which is part of another problem, one that I may tell you about, once I fully trust you. The fox senses include, hearing a pin drop in another room, and excellent night-vision, and these whisker-like birthmarks on my cheeks, are in fact very sensitive touch organs. They along with my sensitive ears, allow me to sense the difference in air pressure, and locate unseen obstacles, when even my night-vision is hampered. These senses, coupled along with an acute sense of smell, make me as at home at night, in the dark, or otherwise low visibility, as I am in broad daylight. I have always had an excellent sense of direction, and who knows, these fox senses might even boost my sensitivity to metals. Now, back to how I knew about your resolve to fight. I could hear each of your heartbeats," Naruto explained, as he swiveled his head between the two other people sharing the fire, "Ryūto's heartbeat was rather calm, until he went into his rant. That Shōgo guy's was excited in a slightly unhealthy way," Naruto said quickly, avoiding the eyes of the would-be kunoichi, "and Kaname-chan's while a little accelerated, wasn't too bad," looking at the young woman with praise in his eyes. He was hoping, she would not notice him moving past that part, quickly, she did, but decided an explanation on that could wait, at least until Naruto finished explaining things.
"Monk-san's heartbeat," Naruto continued, "was as calm as a glacier, but that was just the tip off, because despite your heart's relaxed attitude, like theirs, your body was still going through panic mode. I've been through it enough in my life and recognize the symptoms in my own body, and other's when it happens. I could smell it, happening to all of you," the ginger boy explained to his older campsite compatriots, "the air currents that day were good to me, and allowed me to distinguish individual scents, one of the things I wasn't prepared for when I got my nose."
"I notice, Susumu-san," Kaname said, with a mysterious smile, "you are not denying, Naruto-kun's accusation, you really were going to fight us, weren't you?"
The ninja monk, gave a noncommittal smile, "the Fire Temple, is also a ninja temple," was all he would say, "come, let's get some sleep, you two have a busy day tomorrow."
The next day at noon…
The Village of Two Rivers, was not much different than any of the other, hundred or so villages and urban centers that Naruto had passed through since running away from the Leaf. There were homes, shops, businesses, and municipal buildings, crowding around a town square and central park area. This one got its namesake, because it was situated at the junction-branching off point of two rivers. Naruto could see that the main source of income for the town, was the wharf-front, he could see river craft loaded with cargo, getting underway for, or returning from, trips up and down both forks of the river. Monk-san called one side, the Tanzaku fork, because it ended near the infamous, sin-city of Hi-no-Kuni, Tanzaku-Gai, the mecca of all gambling and debauchery in this country.
Naruto, Kaname, and Susumu walked down the paved main street of the village, and as they did, Naruto noticed several artisan's businesses along their path, as well as a few pubs and eateries, enough to satisfy anybody's boredom. Naruto noticed, a lot of the artisan's shops dedicated to metalworking, he could hear and feel, the work being done inside each and every one of them, and he felt almost at home here. Susumu led the six and sixteen-year-olds, around a bend and into the side-street, where the eves of the houses extended well over the roadway. The sunlight, even at midday, barely reached into the street, then suddenly Susumu stopped, as he looked around and seemed to spot what he needed.
Susumu took a sharp left, walked straight at a wall, and with a flash of light, he disappeared. Kaname was startled, but Naruto had lived in a Hidden Village all his life and knew a genjutsu, when he saw one. He took Kaname by the hand, which startled her even more, but she looked at his confident face. She trusted him, not to lead them into disaster. Naruto walked toward the exact spot, Kōetsuji disappeared from, and a flash of light later, found themselves looking at a five-meter-tall, by ninety-meter-long stone wall, which was broken up in the middle, by a six-meter tall, by three-meter-wide gate. This section housed a huge, wooden gate, it was plain and non-descript, without any form of ornamentation. The wall itself was unadorned, it was whitewashed from top to bottom, with wood paneling, half the height of the wall. The wall and the gate section were topped with a pointed eve-style roof.
Susumu was standing at the entrance, with his hands folded, looking very mysterious and priestly, "welcome," he said to them, "to Ryozanpaku, Ronin Academy of Ninja Arts, if you wish admittance, please step-forward and gain entrance." He told them cryptically.
Kaname moved forward and pushed on the door, it would not budge, not even when she put her whole body into moving it. Then she looked at the boy, who seemed wise beyond his years, "why won't it open," she asked?
Naruto thought for a moment, then stepped forward and knocked upon the door, and Kaname-chan blushed deeply. Of course, it's not just a school, it's somebody's home, she rebuked herself, they heard footsteps falling on flagstones on the other side of the door. The footsteps stopped, and the would-be ninja apprentices, heard a wooden bolt be thrown back and the door creaked open, while an ogre, peered down at them from about a meter and a half tall. It shocked them at first, but Naruto, used to looking at a much larger orange, fur-ball, in his mind, was the first to recover, and bowed, followed closely by Kugatachi. "Hello, my name is Uzumaki Naruto, formerly of Konoha…"
"… and I am Kugatachi Kaname," the young lady said…
"and we would beseech entry into Ryozanpaku, so we may become Ronin ninja," they said together!"
The ogre face, with tanned skin and short spiky silver hair, blinks rapidly, then looks slowly at Susumu, who nods. This causes the ogre face to eep, though it sound more like "Ippai," and quickly disappears back behind the door. They all here rapidly scurrying feet, then hurried whispers, shocked almost panicked voices, though muffled. Naruto and Kaname share a bewildered expression, then look over at their monk companion, who had a sheepish grin on his face, "well, you see, the only other students we have so far is the Elder's fourteen-year-old granddaughter, and her friend from school. We've never really had any outside students before, weren't expecting any, especially as young as Naruto, so we kind of caught them off guard."
Naruto and Kaname's eyes could not get any bigger, "so we're just a test case, are we not," the girl asked, to the monk's shameful nod. This time the look the two aspiring students shared, was one filled with trepidation, but Naruto at least decided to make the most of this opportunity. Being ninja means to persevere in the face of hardship, he would not wilt like a lily, unless this school turned out to be a jip. They heard more running feet behind the wooden door, followed by what sounded like a collision, and a cry of pain, followed by an actual smack to a body, and more crying, which sounded more like the wailing of a small child. Then something sounding like the soothing voice of a mother, then there was quiet.
The gate opened again, and this time what appeared was a face, Naruto was somewhat familiar with, it was a towering, fair-skinned man with blue-eyes and blonde hair. His hair reaches mid-back, he also sports a chest-length beard, macho mustache, and strands forming a thick, antenna-like shape, hanging in front of his face. Naruto's eyes bugged-out of his head, he had seen color pictures, and a portrait in the Hokage's office of the Fourth, well except for the lanky hair, the broader-shoulders, the obvious age difference, Naruto could be looking at the spitting image of Minato Namikaze.
The man in front of them, smiled a welcoming smile, and spoke in a wisdom filled voice, "Greetings, and welcome to Ryozanpaku, the school that trains ninja without the politics associated with living in a Hidden Village," he began, then introduced himself, "my name is Namikaze Hayato, I am the Elder and Headmaster of this school," then turning to present the gathering behind him, "and these are the instructors here at this school, and will be the one's guiding you on the road to becoming great shinobi and kunoichi," he pointed at Naruto then Kaname.
Naruto wanted to ask him so badly, but he knew best impressions were first impressions, so he held his tongue, and waited as Hayato introduced the rest of his staff. There was, Hopachai Sakchai, known as the God of Death, he was a master of the taijutsu-style called, Kokonotsu Shishi, and the Master of Assassination, harnessing even the earth at your feet to kill you, who at the moment was holding back sniffles, as a very beautiful, very well endowed woman tried to comfort him. So, he was the one we heard crying, Naruto concluded, he was also the one who answered the door in the beginning. The woman comforting the Master Assassin, was named, Kōsaka Mai, the undisputed mistress of all weapons, especially with the nodachi, she carried with her everywhere, some say, she could even make the elements her weapon, and was second only to Sakchai in killing arts. Mai is a fairly tall, and beautiful young woman, with a slender frame, a remarkably curvaceous-figure, with long, waist-length, ebony hair, she tied back in a high ponytail, peach skin, and light purple eyes. She wears a purple choker around her neck, that contains numerous small pins, and a small pink kimono and long purple stockings, under which Naruto could see bandages over her chest, and a tight, mid thigh, mini-skirt, with a small slit up the side. Yet, her most eye-catching feature are her eyebrows, which resemble lightning bolts.
Standing a little away from the couple, to their right was another man, trying but failing not to cringe as Mai stared daggers at him, he may have been the undisputed master of Taijutsu in the world, whose attacks were said to burn like Hell-fire, but he knew when he went too far, when he let his frustration mount so high that he lashed out at his friends. Sakaki Haru was shirtless, wearing a brown leather jacket, and blue jeans with bandages wrapped around his forearms, Sakaki is a tall and largely-muscled, tan-skinned man, he has short, eggplant-colored hair with one strand, hanging over his face, he also has a long scar that runs horizontally across the bridge of his nose. He comes off as threatening and intimidating, most of the time, but he really cares for his friend, he just does not like to showcase his softer side, very much. Standing to the otherside of the couple was a man, openly ogling Mai's body, from behind Sakchai's back, who could rival the Legendary Super-pervert himself in hentai, though he is a rabid fan of the book series called, Icha-Icha. As for rivals as a spymaster, there were none better than Huan Ma, he is a slippery and stealthy a river, with deep currents, he was also a Taijutsu master second only to Sakaki, but where Haru uses brute strength and over-powering might, Huan uses deceptive counters and quick thinking, he will defeat his opponent before the first punch was even thrown. Yet, if one were to walk past him in a crowd, they wouldn't give him even a second glance, Huan can be described as a fairly short, middle-aged man, in typical merchant's clothing, who wears a hat to cover his bald head, with a long prickly-mustache.
Walking up to stand with his family, Kōetsuji Susumu, said to rival even a Nara's intelligence, he is one of the most cunning strategists in the Elemental Nations, even better than Ma. Susumu is the general they call when an enemy must be defeated, at all costs. He will do it by making you defeat yourself, which just like his Aikijujutsu, can make the larger forces numbers count for nothing. These people were more of a family to each other than colleagues in a ninja school, and Naruto for one wished to become a part of it, if they allowed him, that is. Standing in front of the adults, were two teenagers close to Kaname in age. There was a voluptuous, blonde girl, who looked enough like Namikaze to be his granddaughter, which she was introduced as Miu. There was also a boy, with brown-hair who seemed to be rather physically fit, but with gentle eyes, that held conviction, he must be the other disciple, Monk-san told us about.
Namikaze-sama had finished introductions, and turned back to the new arrivals, Naruto motioned for Kaname to go ahead. She bowed, hands folded in front of her, as a proper lady is taught, but like a true warrior, never took her eyes off the old man, "I am Kugatachi Kaname, and I humbly entreat thee, to earn the honor of being a student of your ninja school?"
Hayato looked at the others and received a nod of approval from the others, he turned back to the young lady, "then as Headmaster of Ryozanpaku, Ronin School of Ninja Arts, I accept you as student." He looked over at their two students, "Miu, would you please, show Kugatachi-san to a room in the newly built girl's dormitory, I believe you could use a roommate, neh?"
The blonde girl known as Miu stepped forward, "Yes, grandfather!" She escorted Kaname away to do as her grandfather asked.
They all turned to the remaining traveler, who just stood there staring back at them, so Naruto bowed again, "I, Uzumaki Naruto, once of Konoha Village, respectfully request to join Ryozanpaku?"
"Uzumaki, you say, from Konoha," Hayato asked, casting a look at Huan and Susumu, the latter of which nodded as he understood what that meant, and the former just quirked an eyebrow. "You understand, that the training here won't be like it was in your Village," Namikaze the elder asked, "they dole out training, as you can handle it. We won't go easy on you because you're a child, we will be as hard on you as we are on the others, so are you sure this is something you could want?"
"I've never had it easy, old man," Naruto growled, "since before I could walk, life has been trying to wring me like a wet towel, I don't think you could do to me any worse than the people of my village ever did, and all they were doing was trying to kill me. This is something I choose, and if you accept me, I won't stop until I've surpassed every single one of you, in all of your specialties, that's a promise," as Naruto spoke a metal blade formed in his hand, and he used it to slash his palm, "I swear on my blood, I will surpass each and every one of you. So, do your worst, Namikaze-san," Naruto challenged, "because I promise you, I've had it worse."
Hayato, as well as the other S-ranked ninja in the yard, all shared a look, there was a terse nod from all of them, and Namikaze turned back to Naruto with a sadistic grin crossing his face, "then welcome to Hell, my boy."
Naruto smiled as he walked further into the compound, and as the doors closed behind him, he asked the old man, "did you know, you look a lot like my hero?"
"Oh, who might that be, Naruto-san," Hayato wondered?
"The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze," Naruto told him, "before I was forced to flee from the Leaf, it was him I wanted to surpass, and become Hokage! You too could almost be brothers, except for the hair," Naruto added, "but I guess being from the same clan explains it."
Hayato smirked, "yes, that would explain it," he agreed, but as Naruto nodded in acceptance, Hayato laid a bombshell on Naruto, "another explanation could be that he's my nephew."
Naruto just stopped, and Namikaze kept going as if nothing momentous had been said, then the Kyūbi who had been listening said in his mindscape, [Holy Shit!] The doors to Ryozanpaku close, and that's the last we see, of a stunned, Naruto.
