Pre-word: Alrighty, so I'm really glad that I seem to have fooled so many people into thinking I offed some characters for a moment last chapter.

If nothing else, I'm glad when I can be unpredictable successfully. It doesn't always go well, but the general feedback to that last one seemed to go over well, so I'm relieved there, haha.

With that said, one more chapter here really pushing the plot forward and bringing an end to this little journey that started five chapters back.


Heart Under Shadow

First Impressions


The time had finally come to enter Takigakure.

The journey that felt simultaneously like it had taken forever and was over in a flash, was indeed coming to an end.

Yet as they stood at the bottom of the cliffs with the waterfall that hid the entrance to the village, there was one last thing to be taken care of before they could proceed: A goodbye to the man that had been their companion for the entire duration of this trip.

For he could not go into Takigakure. Not without damaging whatever goodwill it was Team Gai had already earned with them. He was the man that the village considered its greatest shame and there was no way he could possibly be accepted back into the village. Not yet, at least. Maybe in time, if Kaguya truly changed things as she envisioned.

Kakuzu wasn't someone Naruto could call a friend… but he respected the man. Perhaps more than he respected any other person he had met until now- with the obvious exception of Kaguya herself.

While he and Kakuzu stood at the bottom of the cliff facing one another, Team Gai had jumped ahead. Not too far, just enough to be considerate and give the two their space and allow them a mostly private farewell.

Itachi's crow, as if realizing this was the end, came flying down to perch on Naruto's shoulder. As it stood there, blinking oddly at him out of its eye, the blond hesitated. "So uhh… how is this ownership transfer deal supposed to work exactly? Do I just like tell him you're his new boss now or something?"

Kakuzu thought he would sigh. Instead, it was a small chuckle that snuck past his lips. He was almost disgusted with himself. Almost. "Up until the end you really haven't changed, have you kid?"

"You making fun of me?" Naruto shot back, but there was no bite in his words. Instead he just snickered and gave the Nuke-nin a big toothy grin.

"You're damn right I am." Kakuzu didn't quite laugh, but the smile beneath his mask was the next closest thing. A smile Naruto could all too blatantly see, not that he would tell the older man that.

That smile did slip, however, as Kakuzu regarded Naruto seriously. "I'll admit it, I was debating about killing you the moment this transaction was complete."

"You would have been free to try." Kaguya emerged from Naruto's shadow, arms folded and glaring up at him. "In fact, we considered the possibility that thou would attempt such an act a near certainty. That thou are admitting to it before the transfer, leads us to believe thou have decided against such an unwise course of action?"

"Yeah, I suppose it does." Kakuzu shrugged his shoulders, not at all surprised he had been suspected.

"What changed your mind?" Naruto asked. He thought maybe the sudden reveal of such information would hurt him, but he found that this was what he respected about Kakuzu the most. The man was honest in the most brutal meaning of the word. That was why, even these words couldn't wound him or make him think less of the Nuke-nin.

"Let's just say I'm hedging a bet. Kinda like what Itachi did. I'm expecting great things from you one day kid… and future employment, if you know what I mean." Kakuzu extended a hand for Naruto to shake. Just like when they first met and made the deal that began this whole journey.

"You just mean you want me to give you more money someday, right?" Naruto shook his head, but took Kakuzu's hand anyway. In that same moment, the crow jumped from Naruto's shoulder and landed on Kakuzu's. Just like that, it would appear the transaction had been wrapped up.

"That's exactly what I mean." Kakuzu let go of Naruto's hand and took a step back. His masks didn't pop out to unleash an elemental attack and Kaguya didn't attempt to turn him to dust. In a manner that they all thought unimaginable when this journey started, they were actually parting on amicable terms.

"What are you going to do in the meantime?" Naruto couldn't help but wonder aloud.

"As if you even have to ask." Kakuzu rubbed his fingers together in the universal sign for cash. "I'm gonna head out to collect that corpse your little moon friend sold me the information to… and then you bet your ass I'm gonna make the biggest payday of my career."

"We would advise thou be cautious in all matters regarding that subject." Kaguya warned, genuinely sounding concerned. Something Naruto didn't even know she was capable of. Although he had a feeling it was for something much more than Kakuzu himself. "The world might very well change if the wrong hands acquire that."

"I'm counting on it." Kakuzu laughed away her concern. "It wouldn't be worth as much money as it is if it couldn't do at least that. Besides… no matter how much that thing might change the world, trust me when I say that it's probably going to be nothing compared to the way you two affect it."

"I think that might be the closest you've ever come to complimenting us." Naruto tried to recall anything nice the Nuke-nin had said about them before but wasn't coming up with much. "You're not too bad yourself, y'know."

"...And it has officially gotten too sappy for me. This is why I don't do goodbyes. That and I usually kill most of my travel companions." With that said, Kakuzu turned on his heel and began walking back towards the forest. "See you around kid and moon kid." He held a hand over his shoulder.

"Thanks for everything… see you!" Naruto waved with both hands over his head, despite the fact that Kakuzu wouldn't even turn back around to see it.

"Until next we meet." Even Kaguya couldn't help but extend a farewell. In her own way, she had grown to respect Kakuzu too. She thought perhaps as another person that had left their humanity behind, they were two people compatible with one another. Certainly not friends, because such things were impossible for either of them. However, they also were able to understand one another in a way maybe no one else was capable of.

So from the bottom of her heart, she truly was glad she had not been forced to kill him today.

They waited until Kakuzu had disappeared into the forest before turning around and jumping up to regroup with Team Gai. As Naruto leapt up the cliffside, Kaguya returned back into his shadow where she planned to remain hidden until a time it was opportune to reveal herself to their new hosts.

"Sorry for the wait!" Naruto planted himself sideways on the cliffside next to Team Gai. The roar of the waterfall immediately next to them was near deafening and any kind of conversation had to be conducted through shouts just to be remotely understood.

"Don't mind, now let us go!" Of course, this didn't matter much to someone with the vocal capacity of Might Gai. Naruto wouldn't be surprised if people in the next country over could hear him shouting. At his encouragement, the group began to descend back towards the base of the waterfall and the river it cut across the land.

Naruto wondered where exactly their destination even was, but before he could ask he saw it. A gap behind the waterfall and inside this gap a path. Gai led them into this underground tunnel network and they began the trek that would lead them into the hidden village.

"Incredible." Naruto gasped as he looked around the intricate tunnel system they now traversed through. There were multiple paths and off-shoot tunnels, but Gai seemed familiar with the route, guiding them without hesitation through the maze-like network.

"This is not so surprising when you think about it." Neji began to explain, filling in the gaps in Naruto's information as if it was expected. He appeared to be taking that pledge last night seriously to say the least. "This is the only way in and out of Takigakure. So supplies have to be carried through here and they need the space to be able to deploy their army at a moment's notice."

"Supplies?" Naruto wondered aloud, genuinely becoming interested in the topic now. He didn't know much about other villages, after all.

"I suppose you wouldn't have seen it, considering you were traveling with that Nuke-nin and had to avoid the main road." Neji mumbled to himself as if just figuring out where Naruto's confusion was stemming from. "There's a village not far from here that serves as the center for the country's Merchant Guild. Takigakure always has it generously protected and in exchange they receive all the necessities that can't be produced from within the village itself."

Now that Naruto thought about it, being locked away behind a waterfall did sound cool on paper, but he had never really considered the logistics of running such a village and keeping it connected with the outside world. Which also brought up the question-

"Do any civilians even live in the village?" Naruto asked. While in Konoha, the population had been mostly civilian considering they were experiencing the longest era of peace they had ever known before its destruction- but Konoha had also been fairly out in the open with easy access and large gates. Takigakure wasn't exactly as easy for normal folk to just pick up roots and move to.

Gai laughed as if Naruto said something funny. "Yes, of course they have civilians. You are right in assuming that the ratio of Ninja to the non-combative populace ratio is skewed the opposite way it was in Konoha, however. All in all, it's considerably smaller than the bustling streets you would be familiar with."

This was actually good news as far as Naruto was concerned. He didn't want to deal with the huge numbers of the Leaf again. At least if things went wrong here, it would be a fraction of the lives lost when compared to what he had taken already and most of them would be people that expected to give their lives while on the line of duty.

"Well, you're about to see for yourself anyways." Gai gestured ahead of them, the light at the end of the tunnel filtering in and temporarily blinding the traveling group. By the time their eyes adjusted they were already outside and the view stole Naruto's breath away, the previous conversation being flung from his mind completely.

For Takigakure was absolutely stunning to gaze upon. Konoha had been amazing in its own right, with the mountain side that had the faces of the Hokage etched into it, but that had been a sight Naruto had known since birth. So for all the wonder it may have to outsiders, it was just normal to him. This, however, was unlike anything he had yet seen.

Directly in their path was a small plain of grass leading up to a massive lake. In the very center of this lake was a tree as tall as any mountain. Its branches reached wide, offering protection to the whole area like some kind of umbrella. Yet it was just open enough to gently let the soft beams of sunlight pass through, creating a picturesque array of filtering light that danced to the beat of the swaying leaves.

On the other side of the lake was the village center, traditional style houses not much different than Konoha's old district making up the primary architecture. Those buildings continued into the mountainside that surrounded the entire area like an impenetrable wall. When someone talked about a "hidden" village, this truly felt like it lived up to such a title far more than Konoha ever had.

"Oh, if it isn't Gai and his students?" Someone called out to them. Naruto had been so taken in by the view, he failed to notice the two approaching men. Both of them with the Hitai-ate of Takigakure wrapped around their foreheads. "Finally came to your senses and decided to join us?" The first of the men with curly hair smiled at them, having not yet taken notice of Naruto.

"This is…?" Unlike his partner, who was inspecting the blond with suspicion and doubt. It was perhaps the most appropriate reaction to someone unknown just strolling into their village, but knowing that didn't make Naruto feel any less uneasy under his stern gaze.

"Kegon, Yoro; this is Uzumaki Naruto." Gai answered his unfinished question, patting his young charge roughly on the back and stumbling him forward. "He was a student of the Copy Ninja, who sacrificed his life to make sure this young man could get here and tell us what happened." Gai lied to cover up Naruto's story and he did it effortlessly too. Not that Naruto was going to complain about it, he was just surprised.

Gai's tone was then solemn. "I'm afraid it was exactly as your reports indicated. Konoha is no more… and if the offer still stands, we would be honored if you would induct us into the village, along with Uzumaki Naruto, who put his life on the line to get here."

"My gods… I'm sorry, Gai." The man known as Kegon inclined his head as he offered his sympathies to the gathered Konoha Shinobi. "To be honest, even we didn't think it could be true." He then glanced down at Naruto. "We'll escort you to Shibuki right away and have the top Jonin of the village convened. They're going to want to hear everything."

"After that," Yoro continued. "We can continue the discussion about welcoming you as official Ninja of Takigakure. It's not our place to say anything on the matter, but Shibuki owes you and your team a great debt, as do the rest of us. So you shouldn't worry too much about the offer's validity." Despite his stern tone, his words were kind and his gaze towards Naruto even softened as if taking pity on him for what he must have seen. "In the meantime," He smirked at his partner, the two of them aligning themselves before bowing and speaking in unison.

"Welcome to Takigakure."


After that, things seemed to blur together for Naruto as they were quickly escorted to the home of the village head. The head was a young man named Shibuki, who only held the rank of Chunin. Yet despite this, all the other gathered Jonin held themselves with an air of respect around him.

The leader sat at the head of a large wooden room on a slightly elevated platform. Meanwhile, the twenty or so top Jonin were lined up in two rows down the side.

It was so completely unlike the atmosphere surrounding the Hokage had been. He had been a veteren soldier who forcefully used every trick in the book to claw his way into power. In contrast, this young leader suddenly had the role thrust upon him and was too far out of his depth. Yet despite these differences, it felt like Shibuki was the one in the better position of the two.

Danzo had ruled through fear and power. Shibuki, however, needed the help of those stronger and wiser than him, and he knew this. So he respectfully called upon his more experienced Ninja to help guide him in making the decisions that would steer their village into prosperity.

In the end, he and his predecessors had to have been doing something right. After all, Takigakure was still here whereas Konoha was no more.

"I see," Shibuki said, nodding slowly as he seemed to take a moment to further consider his words. "So Konohagakure no Sato really is gone then." It had been Gai that explained most of the details to the gathered Takigakure Ninja. Sitting directly in front of Shibuki and between the two rows of Jonin were the former Konoha team, along with Kaguya, who sat comfortably in Naruto's lap. She had made the decision to come out early, not looking to detriment their standing by having hidden her presence in the face of their new hosts.

Explaining her existence had perhaps taken the most time, even more than detailing what happened to Konoha. This was because while there were at least some expectations and reports about the Leaf, she was a complete unknown. In the end, they simply accepted that she was contracted summon, albeit with a bit of a twist. Anything related to the Kyubi and Naruto's status as a former Jinchuriki had been willfully excluded from their explanation as it wasn't relevant.

In other words, things thus far had gone according to Kaguya's plan. Perhaps even more smoothly than expected. Earning the loyalty of Gai and his team, along with the trust they had already developed with Takigakure had sped things along exponentially, meaning all the ground-work had mostly been taken care of before this meeting had even begun. The only thing left was to just make everything official.

"I have a hard time believing it myself," Gai said in response to Shibuki's statement of shock. The green beast was still an enigma to Kaguya. When the situation called for it, he was capable of diplomacy completely unbefitting for his looks and attire. "It's because of this I almost feel embarrassed to be asking you to honor that promise from before, after we so callously declined it the first time." He was, of course, referring to the offer to become Takigakure Ninja.

"No, no." Shibuki quickly shook his head to dismiss Gai's apology. "Your loyalty to Konoha is admirable and I'm sure if any of us had been in the same situation we would have done the same." There was a chorus of silent agreement's from the other gathered Jonin. "In fact, I would say it is only after hearing these facts that I can say we are all in agreement now-" He turned to look at his gathered officers. Many of them nodded, and there appeared to be no dissent. "So we would be honored to have you and your team join us as Ninja representing Takigakure."

Shibuki spun in his sitting position to grab a small wooden chest behind him. From within the chest he pulled out Hitai-ate bearing the crest of the Waterfall village. He laid out six of them on the floor in front of him, just at the edge of the elevated platform he sat on.

Kaguya quirked an eyebrow at the number placed before them. "We do not suppose that one is intended for us?" She placed a hand over her chest, indicating her person.

To the question, Shibuki nodded as if perplexed himself. "Of course, but you do not need to feel pressured into wearing it if you don't want to. Takigakure has a few contracted summoners of our own and those summons usually wear our markings as well. I thought Konoha was the same, is it not?"

"That's correct." Gai answered before Kaguya could reply. "Although Kaguya-san here is a slightly special case, as we already explained. Regardless, I'm sure she would be more than happy to accept it." It sat wrong with Kaguya that he was speaking her intentions for her, but she would also admit to being thankful for his quick thinking. She had no idea the contracted summoned animals would also bind themselves to a specific hidden village.

So she smiled politely, playing along with Gai's honest intentions. "It is as he says, but we would be honored to accept." In reality, she had no desire to wear the branding of a human. Accepting it alone was demeaning her status as a Goddess, as if admitting she was somehow beneath this young man that had only just become a leader. The insult was so great she felt tempted to turn him to dust for this transgression.

Too bad she couldn't just fall back to that trick anymore. Not when it was so crucial she play nice with this new village long enough to begin making the desired changes. Never did she imagine things would come to this point when she first left Naruto's shadow. In some ways she felt more restricted than when she had been trapped inside it.

Not much of a choice, Kaguya joined the other five as they stood up and walked forward to accept the Hitai-ate. The four Genin all seemed to give up their Konoha markings easily enough, but Gai seemed to wrestle with the decision a moment longer. No doubt that as a man that had served his village for nearly two decades, it was a monumental moment to discard the one thing that marked his identity this whole time.

Yet as his Genin team seemed to notice his hesitation, he steeled his resolve so as not to look weak in front of his team and placed the Konoha marking down. Then he took up the Takigakure hitai-ate and all six of them wrapped the clothed band of the forehead protectors around their heads.

Shibuki smiled proudly at them, holding his chin high as he welcomed them under the banner of their home. "Thank you for choosing to join our village. As I'm sure you know, our forces may be small when compared to the five great nations, but we also have our pride. We look forward to working with you."

Gai and the others all firmly replied their affirmation, only Kaguya remaining silent. If Shibuki noticed her silence, he didn't remark on it- instead, turning to the next matter at hand. "We've actually been preparing for the possibility of other Konoha Shinobi arriving since the news about the village broke and we set up a small district that is ready to receive you and all others from your former village. For now, just think of it as temporary housing while we think of a more permanent solution. In the following days we'll also have discussions about rank and missions, but for now please feel free to relax and get to know your new home."

"Thank you." Naruto voiced in unison with the others. He was still feeling kind of overwhelmed by the whole thing. Certainly this had been the plan and it was great everything had gone smoothly up to this point, but he almost worried it was all going a little too well. How many times now had they told the same lies over and over again to even reach this point? He wasn't even sure he knew the truth from fiction himself anymore.

At least he was finally going to be able to relax for a little bit. The journey had been interesting and full of all kinds of firsts, but he was looking forward to just placing down roots again. His finger unconsciously traced the marking etched into the top of his forehead protector as he tried to drill it into his brain that this was home now. One he would try to not destroy, but actually protect.

"As for who should be showing you around..." Shibuki continued, looking into his gathered Jonin to select one of them to be their guide through the village. Kegon and Yoro hadn't been included in the meeting, which was surprising to Naruto. He had gotten the impression they were Jonin of the village, but it would appear they weren't included among the top.

Before Shibuki could continue with selecting their guide- there was a sudden commotion outside. It couldn't be called a battle, but it definitely sounded like someone was trying to force their way into the meeting. Naruto and the other Genin tensed as if to prepare for a fight, but they immediately realized none of the Taki Ninja seemed concerned. Irritated, maybe, but it was more like resignation to what was coming next and there was no real sense of danger.

A moment later and the new members of the village were introduced as to why.

"Sorry I'm late!" A girl appearing to be Naruto's age burst into the room, slamming the doors open with enough force that they nearly snapped off the hinges. Naruto was immediately drawn to her bright orange eyes and mint-colored hair. Hanging off her legs, having failed to prevent her forced entry, were Kegon and Yoro.

"Fu…" Shibuki groaned, burying his face in his hands where he mumbled a string of curses under his breath before looking back up at her. "You're not late, we didn't give you authorization to be here in the first place."

"I wasn't asking for permission." Fu laughed and waved away Shibuki's words as if he was simply talking about technicalities. "New people are finally coming to the village after all this time! It's my chance to finally make friends and you can bet I'm not gonna miss out on that!"

"Aruji-sama," Naruto was temporarily pulled away from the stunning sight happening before him as Kaguya tugged at his pants-leg. She beckoned him to give her his ear so she could whisper and he obliged. "This girl is the one thou seek." Wait, then this girl was-

"She is the Nanabi Jinchuriki." Kaguya verified the moment Naruto realized what it was she had been implying.

As he turned back to look at her, he was stunned by the sudden proximity of the girl in his face- her orange eyes nearly taking up the entirety of his vision. He nearly yelped in shock and attempted to recoil, but before he could she had taken both his hands in hers and was shaking them feverishly.

"It's so great to finally meet you! I'm Fu!" She introduced quickly and in one breath. Naruto didn't even get the chance to respond before she was onto the next, doing the same thing to Tenten. After introducing herself to those in her age-range, she spread her arms wide and beamed at all four of them. "Welcome to your new home! If you need anything at all, ask me at any time and I'll fly right over to help out. If it's for my new friends, I'll do anything so please rely on me!"

"We are most pleased to make your acquaintance!" Lee returned her fiery enthusiasm with his own burning passion, pumping a fist and beaming encouragingly. Yet somehow his response didn't seem to be quite what she was looking for.

"Great, another one." Tenten mumbled under her breath and Neji could only sigh in agreement.

Naruto, however, was deeply unsettled by Fu's proclamation. He recognized the look in her eyes, or rather the hidden depth behind them. For she was putting on the airs of a happy-go-lucky and friendly attitude, but deep down she was hurting and lonely. Oh so lonely in a way that Naruto understood to the depth of his being.

She was the same as him, or at least how he used to be. Before he had given up and just accepted his isolation. He had been saved from that by Kaguya and now it was his turn to save this girl from it. That was why he was here.

Glancing at the Jonin around him, he could see it was at least slightly different than Konoha. It wasn't exactly hatred that the Jonin regarded Fu with. It was rather a tenuous unease, as if they were afraid she was a ticking time bomb. The concept of Jinchuriki was something none of them seemed to fully understand and that frightened them, which contributed to her isolation.

"Fu…" Naruto whispered her name before he even realized it, having only intended to repeat it in his head to memorize it for himself. Her head whipped around to look directly at him again. She had no qualms about making direct eye-contact and despite it being his first instinct to turn away, he continued to meet her gaze head on.

He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and gave an awkward smile as he puffed at his chest and summoned all the energy he could muster. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! You better remember it if we're gonna be friends." The girl blinked at him, the perpetual smile on her face freezing momentarily. There was a brief flash, where she seemed to recognize Naruto as someone similar to herself.

Then it was gone a moment later as she let out a boisterous laughter. "I'm impressed! You guys seem like you got spirit. Maybe you'll be able to keep up with me after all." Her joke came out jilted, as if lacking the same energy as before. It was clear that moment's realization was still on the back of her mind but she was trying to push past it for the time being.

Kaguya smirked silently to herself. It would appear this first meeting was going well. Naruto had been needing to find someone like himself, or else he was just going to be spinning endlessly in place when it came to making friends. He had been putting his best foot forward with Lee, Tenten, and Neji but it was clear that doubt of being able to form real bonds again weighed heavily on him after what happened to Sakura.

He didn't have the time for such doubts with Fu, because to him it was more important to pull her out from her own darkness. It wasn't about what he deserved, it was about what he could do to help her.

Seeing an opportunity, Kaguya turned to Shibuki while she pointed back at Fu. "Thou were debating who to guide us through the village just now, yes?" She didn't wait for his response. "We request that she be the one to give us this tour."

"That's-" Shibuki started to refuse but paused as it became clear he had no idea how. Not without giving a reason. While it was true they were all Takigakure Ninja now, it was too early to just be trusting them with Village secrets, such as who their Jinchuriki was. Nevermind that they had already figured it out.

"Ohh!" Fu bounced in place and clapped her hands together. "That sounds great, boss! Leave it to me! Please, please, I promise I won't mess it up!" She rushed past them and threw herself onto her knees in front of Shibuki.

Shibuki looked to fight internally over the matter for another moment before once again lowering his head to let out another sigh. "Fine… just please take it seriously, alright?"

"Yes!" Fu threw both hands over her head in victory. Before anyone else could so much as react, she ran forward, grabbing Naruto's hand in one and taking Neji's in the other. As she began to pull them along, Tenten and Lee were forced to follow after, having to jog just to keep up.

Kaguya dropped down into Naruto's shadow, unable to keep pace with her short legs and having not had the opportunity to climb up on his shoulders like she would have preferred. That was fine for now. Because as she peeked out from the shadow and looked up at Naruto's face, she saw him barely containing a natural smile as Fu pulled him along.

Naruto and Kaguya had just met the third actor of their little stage play. And while they didn't know it yet, she wasn't just someone to just be saved and put in their debt. For she was someone that would shape their destiny just as much as they intended to shape her's.

The next act had already begun.


Chapter End


Post-word: So with this chapter out I decided to add Fu to the character filters. Even if she was only just introduced this chapter, I've decided to lean pretty heavily into her importance in the fic, if the ending wasn't already enough of a hint of that.

Speaking of characters, while Kakuzu did make a departure this chapter, I do hope to bring him back in the future with a bigger role to play. I also didn't get to give the members of Team Gai much dialogue this chapter because I had to kind of push the plot along, but I think now that the cast has officially settled in, I can take the time to work on some more character-related stuff and spend some chapters more with that.

So hopefully that is something worth looking forward to.