Chapter ?
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It was silent when Gomeg finished the tale; Naruto stared up at Gomeg who was so wise and old. The Naruto said "I have never heard of this 13th Goddess, the humans say there is only 12 Gods and Goddess" Gomeg leaned forward, "The Humans lie, you see Jiga went and devised a plan with her Brother, who was the God of the creation of humans, they worked together to get rid of the demons and destroy the sisters powers, so the God told his human creations to hate and detest demons and that all humans should destroy them."
Naruto nodded it seemed to fit, why the villagers had hated and detested the nine tailed fox, Gomeg continued "they also eradicated any knowledge of her ever being a Goddess, but the truth of the demons and gods, the history of the world itself, runs in demons blood."
Naruto said nothing but instead looked up at the stars, "so am I in the wrong? Should I instead hate and detest human's?" he asked Gomeg, Gomeg shook his head "no hatred just breeds more hatred, we must learn to befriends humans, we must open up their hearts, cause the truth also lies within their hearts as well".
Naruto nodded "that's why you helped us?" Gomeg smirked and shook his head "no, I really was bored", then he got off the log and walked back to his cave, Naruto scampered after him. When Naruto ran up to Gomeg, Gomeg spoke "tell me, do you know any of your demon powers?"
Naruto balked, "what powers?" Gomeg heaved a heavy sigh "I thought not. . ." he said. Gomeg stopped and turned his eyes staring past Naruto into the night, Naruto had the urge to look where Gomeg was looking but did not.
"Demons have several different powers, one you have mastered, the ability to speak to other creatures, in all tongues" Gomeg continued "another one of our powers is healing, but only the Demons that practice and train themselves everyday in that art master it."
Gomeg turned back to the cave "Demon can also to some degree, view and travel into other worlds, we can leave behind our physical body and travel with our soul into other realms but only for a certain amount of time, and you can only do certain things".
Naruto's heart leaped to his throat, as he quickly barked out "like what!" Gomeg tilted his head then thought for a moment finally saying, "well let's say, a person is near death, you could concentrate hard and long enough and enter into that person's body, and follow them to where they are in the in-between-place, once there you may talk to them, but you can't touch them, neither can you force them to stay or go."
Naruto took all this is, soaking it like a dry sponge, "can you teach it"? Gomeg grinned "you already know how to do it my son; you just need to practice it to perfect it." Gomeg then began to walk into his cave leaving Naruto in deep thought.
Naruto went back into the cave and went to Ainu who sat on the floor arranging her pack into a nice pillow. "So what did you and Gomeg do?" Naruto shrugged "talked about demon stuff". Ainu looked sad for a moment, "so are you staying?" Naruto sat up in surprise "why would-…with THAT?" Naruto shook his head "no, Gomeg is… a being that likes his solitude . . . a bit too much but it fits him".
Ainu nodded "sorry I guess, I just thought you were so happy to meet another. . ." Naruto nodded "I am, but Human's are the ones who are my friends and family, I grew up with them, I played with them, I fought with them, Humans are my kind, only a few things keep me separate".
Ainu smirked "like a covering of fur and a tail?" Naruto lightly smacked her with his tail, "both a covering of fur and a tail have quite useful functions." Naruto then yawned, stretched and curled up to go to sleep.
Boku gritted his teeth as he put pressure on his injured leg, 'damn Ninja' he thought as he dragged a comrade on his back to the bottom of the rock fall where they had made a camp. Groans and moaning could be heard from a few men who had received the worst of the damage from the avalanche.
They had lost three men when the bombs went off, and five were missing everyone presumed them to be dead buried beneath the rock somewhere, Boku himself was actually hit by a large shuriken that cut a two inch wide and wound in his calf.
Boku was seething with rage, he was going to them back, and he was going to kill them all or die trying. Boku sat down next to the fire, he mulled his coffee about, it was then they heard the harrowing chilly howl rise up into the night, it caused many of the men to jump with fright and scoot closer to each other in the fire as their fearful eyes looked about them and scanned the top of the gorge.
Boku muttered a curse and then prayed for protection and safety. He then stared back into the fire his eyes gazing intently and burning as brightly as the coals within it.
Naruto woke up the next morning before anyone else, Gomeg was gone by the others still slept soundly, Naruto got up and stretched and walked over to Ichino, Naruto looked deeply at his sleeping face trying to find a hint of fever or sickness, when his eyes popped open, saw Naruto and he screamed.
Naruto leaped away, the others all were on their feet, and Goza was standing in a fighting position while he snored. Ichino looked at Naruto catching his breath "what the heck! Where are we! What were you doing!" Naruto glared "well, I was looking to see if you had a fever, but it turns out your fine thanks to Gomeg, who is the owner of this cave." Ichino sat up and looked around, "he also was the one who healed you".
Ichino looked down "oh, thanks" Naruto rolled his eyes "don't thank me you moron thank Gomeg!" Ichino stared at him "well . . . where is he?" Naruto that time could not answer Ichino, "I don't know, but he should be back-"Good….morning! My friendly human, how are you today!" said the blind Badger as he came through the cave entrance.
Ichino looked at the Badger then rubbed his eyes, and looked again, "what….am I dreaming?" Naruto snorted "no, this is Gomeg, a healing demon Badger". Ichino looked at Naruto "…" was all he said.
As they had their breakfast, Ichino kept staring at Gomeg, finally Gomeg turned around "just because I am blind does not me I can't feel you looking at me, stop staring youngling"! Everyone laughed.
While Ichino get back on his feet, the others repaired tack or took inventory of what they had. Naruto left the others to their devices and went to Gomeg, "Gomeg, can you teach me to control my powers"? Gomeg turned his head towards him he sighed "might as well" then turned and walked out of the cave, Naruto followed.
Gomeg led him to a small clearing, "one way you can better your concentration and ability to go into other worlds is practicing on entering the thoughts and lives of other creatures." Naruto looked around "so the plants?" Gomeg nodded "you catch on pretty quick". Naruto chuckled remembering a time when he could mess up even the simplest of instructions.
Gomeg sat down and closed his eyes, then spoke "let all thoughts fall away from your mind, relax your body, let you're your mind drift, think of what a tree would think, think of how it would feel to be a tree, then there will be a moment," Gomeg paused "that words can't explain, you just know, that you are becoming one, that you are one, that you are the tree".
Naruto nodded "very well" Naruto laid down and closed his eyes, he cleared out his thoughts, letting everything fall from his mind, he breathed in and out in rhythm with the wind blowing through the trees, then imagined if he was one of the trees.
He thought of what it would be like to stay rooted in the same place for years on end, imagined what it would be like to bloom in spring and grow through summer, then turn colors in fall, and sleep during winter. He thought of what it would be like to have the wind rattle his branches with nice calm breezes or have your branches torn down in the harshest storm.
It was then he felt a strength fill him, a calm perseverance, 'I am the willow tree filled with beauty and grace…, I am the oak tree standing tall and strong…, I am the Bamboo tree I bend but do not break. . .' this what he heard and then he was there, he was the tree, he felt the life forces within him, ever flowing constantly growing.
Animals scampered on his strong branches, Birds built nests within the leaves, chipmunks stored nuts within his trunk and a creature lived within his roots, he provided shelter and a home, he gave oxygen and gave food, and the animals in return gave him protection and ate the insects that caused him harm, the tree was the Giver of the forest, the father, for the tree made up the Forest, the tree was the true king.
The he felt something shake his trunk, it disrupted his branches and caused a protest from all the animals, constantly it shook him, until Naruto snapped awake from his dream, Naruto opened his eyes, and looked around, Gomeg sighed "be careful it's very easy to lose yourself when traveling into different minds, you can get caught up in the moment, you must always remember your purpose.
Naruto snorted in irritation, "so I am suppose to forget myself, and remember myself at the same time?" he said furrowing his eyes at Gomeg. Gomeg shook his head "no, you are to forget your physical form, but never forget you spiritual form, for that is the true you". Naruto scratched his head, "I kind of get it," Gomeg nodded "you will understand, later, you are young, now is not the time for you to be worrying about the way of life like me, you job as a young one is to live it."
Gomeg turned away, "I will teach you some healing, but I know that you are not one to heal" Naruto flicked an ear in annoyance. Gomeg snorted, "always impatient you are, anyway come I wish to teach you another thing."
Naruto followed Gomeg once more. Gomeg led him to an out crop of rocks that stood defiantly next to the river, three small shriveled trees clung to the rocks stubbornly holding on and growing upon them, and Naruto looked over to the tallest of the trees, it was stunted, charred and misshapen on top.
Naruto turned to Gomeg, "what is wrong with that tree?" Gomeg grinned "observant at times as well, that my son is a tree struck by lightning, in fact this place has greater importance then all others, can you tell me why?" Naruto looked around; he studied the area for a bit but still could not figure what was so great about this area.
Gomeg chortled "this place has all the Elements combined into one small area, Water, Wind, Earth, fire, lightning, wood" Naruto looked around where is the fire?" Gomeg pointed to the rocks, "these rocks where made from volcano's of long ago, they represent the fire, actually they represent the combining of fire and earth, for they are a metal at their base".
Naruto looked at the rocks, they where dark, but when he stepped closer and looked at them more critically he saw the smooth flowing of the rock a stark contrast to the sharp raggedness of the shape.
Naruto also saw the glimmer and small flecks of metal ore within the rocks, "they are beautiful" he said out loud. Gomeg nodded "this is where the four tailed holder mastered the art of lava element". Naruto looked in wonder "so why are we here? I already know water and wind together creates Ice".
Gomeg smirked "but you do not know that you can change you natural affinity as naturally as you breathe" Naruto's heart leapt to his throat "is it really possible? I mean I made clones that each had their own affinity" Gomeg nodded looking impressed "very good, this is a step, but I must tell you can't wield all five elements in your body at once, it will cause great consequences, it could even kill you, or it will curse you to a never ending life of pain and agony".
Naruto looked at him "wait never ending . . . you mean immortal?" Gomeg sighed heavily, "yes, Immortality, when one has perfect balance of all five elements they become immortal, however they also shall live each moment in pain, only those with a strong will can live forever in that pain."
Naruto shuddered thinking back to Madera, "how come no one ever told us this?" he asked Gomeg shrugged "easy, they could not have known, it is a wisdom only us demons know, Immortality is not for humans, they are selfish and greedy and to fragile both their minds and bodies, they should not dabble in the ways of gods and demons".
Naruto growled "well somehow the knowledge slipped out" Gomeg nodded "yes I have seen it, but many are failures, I believe the cause for this knowledge had something to do with the humans and their capture of the great demons or a trickery of the sibling gods on their youngest sister."
Naruto turned and looked out across the river remembering back to the time he first saw Megumi no Ookami, "Gomeg have you ever met her?" Gomeg shook his head "no sadly I have only heard her or felt a breath of her, but never have I been to be graced with her full presence."
Naruto was silent for a while, Gomeg then sat up and tapped him on the shoulder, "train you body to so it can accept and change into the different affinities, I will leave you, each demon learns his own way, when you are done you may come back to my cave."
Gomeg then waddled away stiffly. Naruto shook his head, he looked around then sighed, and he sat on his haunches and closed his eyes, and once again lost himself into the flow of the elements that lived around him.
After many hours Naruto finally staggered into the cave, he was exhausted and tired but he also felt thrilled and excited, Gomeg smirked at him "good your back, now will you teach these humans how to not ruin everything in my cave."?
Naruto looked at his team mates who were sweaty and trying to sort through the mess of Gomegs cave, "what are you doing?" he asked hiding the humor in his voice, "we are trying to pay for his services by cleaning his cave, as he requested, but it seems he has a different definition of clean".
Gomeg snorted by the fire, Naruto shook his head "I'll help" he said disdainfully. By night fall the cave was just as Gomeg wanted, the five of them fell back into the cushions and unto the floor, for they were exhausted.
Gomeg grinned "here is some food I know you will like, venison stew, with chives and honey clover, with some black raspberry tea" all of them greedily ate and drank the wondrous food.
The next day the decided to head out, Gomeg gave them a few medicine salves and herbs, and a few more healing tips to Naruto and they were off, they traveled fast and quietly on the alert for enemies, they moved efficiently through the trees, but they had to keep the sight of the gorge cliff otherwise they would have lost their way within the thick confines of the forest canopy.
Naruto stayed next to Ichino and Goza, Ainu and Toyi led the way, both of them were faster in the trees then the awkwardness of Naruto's four legs and the large bodies of Goza and Ichino. Suddenly Toyi held up his hand, all of them stopped dead in their tracks.
He signed with his hands that there were enemies ahead, Naruto sniffed deeply, Toyi was correct, Naruto swore to himself 'they shouldn't be in the woods! Their afraid of the woods!' Toyi signaled them to quietly go around the left side, going directly behind them.
Naruto stayed on Ichino's left protecting his weak side, they moved at a snail's pace, covering their chakra signatures and moving without making a sound. Naruto held his breath as they worked their way through the branches, Naruto kept his ears on the alert for any signs that the Enemy was moving.
Then Goza with his large bulk stepped on a branch that was weaker then he thought, it made a single long creak, then a loud audible snap. It seemed to be deafening, all of them paused Goza mouthed the words 'sorry' before a kunai with a paper bomb tied to it thudded into a tree above their heads.