Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 37: Searching for Answers
Inside the Academy, the Village Hidden in the Leaves
As the youngest students were heading homewards, Iruka knew that his day at the Academy was almost over. The middle-aged instructor sat by his desk, reading through some papers that belonged to some of the youngsters. He only chuckled as he read through them, as it was fun sometimes.
"Heh, I can't believe how quick those kids grow" he remarked while browsing them one by one. As he was reading, a knock came on the door to the classroom and he immediately fixed his gaze upon the door. "Come in, the door's unlocked" he called out to whoever was knocking outside.
The door was pulled aside and in came Menma, his own flesh and blood. This surprised Iruka and the instructor immediately rose from his seat and walked over to his son, embracing him tightly. "Hello son, fancy seeing you here" the middle-aged man remarked as he looked at Menma.
The young man with ponytail only smiled in return. "Yeah, it's been a while since we last talked. With the Chuunin Exams ongoing, I've been practically dragged into holding responsibility of my team. It may be a pain in the neck, but I manage it well" Menma said in return.
Hearing this only made Iruka more interested. "You are teaching Nashiko, Shunsuke and Takeda, are you not?" he asked his son, who only nodded is head in return. Iruka grinned with confidence. "I'm happy that you've been given this opportunity, boy. You were always a better listener than your know-it-all teammate Tadeshi" he expressed his enthusiasm about this.
The young man chuckled nervously. "Don't be so harsh towards Tadeshi, dad. Sure he can be an uptight ass at times, but I still value him as my comrade" he defended his longtime friend, before changing his expression into that of seriousness. "But listen. I came here to have a talk with you about something troubling me. Do you have time?" he told his father while asking if Iruka was not busy.
Iruka widened his eyes in surprise. He didn't expect this to happen, yet tried to be supportive. "Very well, what is it you want to talk about, Menma?" he asked him like a normal father would.
The young man sighed deeply, not wanting to make things more complicated. "Look, I am prepared to guide my students against whatever challenges they face, but I am unsure if I can help both Nashiko and Shunsuke at the same time" he explained. "From what Lady Tsunade and Naruto-sensei told us, teammates could end fighting each other in the finals" he added his worries.
"That may be true. But those rules are something you as their teacher should not concern yourself with" Iruka told him, catching his son's attention. "I know that it may sound ridiculous, but you must follow your instincts as a jounin" he pointed out to Menma, who listened closely.
As he heard those sentences, Menma began reflecting on them. As much as he simply wanted to pretend that he didn't hear those words, he couldn't help but to accept them. The reason for that was because he secretly agreed with his father's thoughts. And he also noticed something. Those sentences sounded like something Naruto would've said.
"Hey dad" he spoke up lowly and Iruka stared at him with a raised eyebrow. The young man fixed a grateful look on his face while facing his father. "Thank you" he said those words, which made the middle-aged man chuckle.
"Heh, don't mention it, son. I've been in your shoes before, even though I was never teaching a team" Iruka said.
But as they were having a good father and son moment, they could hear somebody running through the Academy's corridors. They both turned around to see who was there. To their surprises, they saw Nashiko standing by the opened door panting as she was leaning against the door. The two Uminos only stared at her with raised eyebrows.
"Heh….I…..finally…..found you…..Menma…..sensei" Nashiko said while panting between her words. "Am I…interrupting….something?" she asked them while still panting.
Iruka faced the young pinkette sternly. "You know the rules in this Academy, Nashiko! No running in the corridors!" he scolded her.
Despite panting, Nashiko fixed a cocky grin at him. "Bite me….old…..geezer" she hit back, still panting.
Before Iruka could burst out in anger, Menma immediately stood before his father and tried to calm him down. "Slow down, dad. She's just a kid, you know" he tried to make him stop and then faced his student. "And besides, she's my student, so I'll handle things from now on. See you later!" he waved goodbye to his father and dragged Nashiko out with him, the young girl completely dumbfounded by this.
As he was alone in the classroom, Iruka could not help but to laugh. "Some things never seem to change, especially with troublemakers or pranksters" he remarked.
Menma had managed to drag his student to the Academy's entrance and closed the door before facing her. "Okay, what the heck was that all about, Nashiko? Is your house on fire?" he asked her, wanting to know why she had been running.
After clearing her throat, she began facing Menma with worry, something which made the young man raise an eyebrow in confusion. "I desperately need your help, Menma-sensei. It's about how to prepare for the finals" she stressed out. "Not only that, my dad doesn't want me to learn the Rasengan" she added.
Hearing this caused Menma to snap in outrage. "A YOUNG GIRL LIKE HER LEARNING THE RASENGAN!?" he wondered in his head aloud. "SHE CAN'T BE FOR REAL!" he added to his thoughts. But he came back to his senses and decided to reply to what she just told him. "I understand, but just so you know, that jutu is dangerous for a young kid like you to master. Do you even realize what it takes to master it?" he said while counseling Nashiko.
But the young pinkette stared at him with a mischievous grin on her face. "Exactly, all the more reason I have come to you" she said, causing Menma to snap in surprise. Nashiko began pointing a finger towards her. "I know that besides my dad, two others have managed to master the Rasengan. And one of them would happen to be you!" she said, acting like she caught her teacher doing a crime or something.
Her teacher was sweating but eventually sighed in defeat. "Alright, you caught me there. But listen, there's no way I'm gonna teach you the Rasengan. You have idea about the consequences of using…" the young man with ponytail was interrupted by a familiar voice calling to him.
"Did someone say Rasengan?" the voice came from Konohamaru, who was now standing beside them with a smug look while holding his hands in his pockets. He then began facing Nashiko. "I couldn't help but to overhear you speaking about the Rasengan. Are you sure you're up to this?" he asked her with seriousness.
Hearing this made Nashiko smile gleefully. "Heck yeah I am! I also know that you have mastered it, Konohamaru-sensei! Will you share some of its secrets?" she asked him.
Konohamaru only grinned in return. "Well, I can't say I shouldn't. I have known your dad since I was a kid, so perhaps I shall return his kindness and help you out" he said, causing Nashiko to jump in joy while Menma only stared at him dumbfounded. "But before I do that I wanna make sure that you…." The conversation stopped as Konohamaru was dragged by Menma towards the next corner at the Academy. The brown-skinned man made sure that they were not followed.
"Just what the hell are you doing, Konohamaru?" the young man asked him, who only raised an eyebrow.
"Why, I'm just helping out Nashiko. What's wrong with that?" the brown-haired man replied before asking him. "Shouldn't you as her teacher let her know about the Rasengan?" he asked him.
Hearing this made Menma sigh. "We teach her that technique without her own father knowing of this? You're insane! If Naruto-sensei doesn't want Nashiko to be that advanced then I suggest we follow his request" Menmastressed out. "Come on, this is Naruto Uzumaki we're talking about, Hero of the Leaf, Toad Sage, future Hokage and one of this world's strongest shinobis" he added.
But Konohamaru only rolled his eyes by hearing this. "Yes, he's the hero and strongman, but so what? Sometimes, I miss the days when Naruto used to be a goofy but inspiring brother figure, not some boring and lame-ass worldwide celebrity. But those days are over" he told Menma. "Anyway, when Naruto was at her age, he didn't at least seek help or advice from Kakashi-sensei. Instead, he sought out the help of a perverted but a wise sage. I expect you to know the rest of the story, Menma" he added with a brief history.
Hearing this made the man with ponytail recall his time under Naruto's wing and he shut his eyes in shame. "Naruto-sensei…all that hard work he went through…" he was surprised by feeling Konohamaru pat his left shoulder. The brown-haired man only nodded in return, indicating that he understood Mamuro's feelings.
"We all feel that way sometimes, Menma. But Naruto's very pleased with what he has achieved. Not just as a shinobi, but also as a father. You may also understand why he chose not to accept the mantle of Hokage right after the war was over and wait for many years instead. It was because he found something more important….love" he revealed and Menma realized what he was getting at. "But enough of that, if you feel uncomfortable with teaching Nashiko the Rasengan, I can do that, considering that my previous responsibilities for the second phase got screwed up. But we must both help her along the way" he suggested to him.
Seeing Konohamaru having enthusiasm in this, Menma knew that he could entrust Ayumu's cousin to teach her the technique. He only nodded his head in return. "All right, you win. But neither of us must tell Naruto-sensei about this" he agreed and shook hands with the brown-haired man, who grinned in return.
"I KNEW YOU WOULD CHANGE YOUR MIND, MAMURO-SENSEI!" both jounins snapped in fear and saw Nashiko just coming forward from the other side. She was filled with happiness. "OH I CAN'T WAIT FOR US TO BEGIN!" she added with excitement.
Menma stared at her dumbfounded. "Have you seriously been eavesdropping on us while we were having a serious conversation?" the jounin asked his student, who only huffed in return. This made him slump in defeat. "Of course, why did I even ask?" he noted in his head.
But Konohamaru looked into the young girl's eyes with seriousness, although he wasn't necessarily strict. This took Nashiko by surprise. "Listen Nashiko, if you wanna be prepared for the finals, you have to realize that you will need more than the Rasengan. As far as I know, you said you wanted to improve your strategic thinking. I think both me and Menma here can help you with that" the brown-haired man told her, making sure the pinkette understood everything.
"As you wish, Konohamaru-sensei!" she exclaimed sweetly and saluted in return, making Konohamaru drop a sweat. "I will not let my parents or any other close friends know about this. I will let them see it in the finals" she assured them.
As much as he found Nashiko's overreacting to be ridiculous at times, Menma could not help but to smile at the young kunoichi. He just recalled the conversation he just had with his father and he now understood what Iruka truly meant by what he had told him. "Nashiko, you may be a different kid than from the time I or your father was a genin, but you really have what it takes to be a fine kunoichi. I am intrigued" he admitted in his thoughts.
In a fancy hotel, the Village Hidden in the Leaves
This hotel was the place visitors would stay while in the Leaf Village, whether they were international celebrities or important guests, like one of the Five Kages. But for now, the foreign teams participating in this year's Chuunin Exams were staying there. Among them was of course the trio from the Mist Village, led by Kaito Mizushima. Since the end of the third phase, his three students: Aoi Terumi, Kotone Hozuki and Jurou Kaguya had spent the next hours celebrating their wins and relaxing at the hotel. But it was decided that they would begin training for the finals the next day, and Kaito would make sure that his students kept their word.
While walking in a hallway on his way to their room, Kaito was thinking about how to prepare for the Mei Terumi's arrival. Yesterday, he had immediately sent a letter to the Mist Village but he hadn't got a reply from the Fifth Mizukage yet.
Kaito sighed deeply as he wrapped a towel around his neck. The bandaged man had spent some time in the hotel's swimming pool and had relaxed in the sauna afterwards. While he had done that, many other guests on the hotel couldn't help but to find him weird as he actually swam with those bandages on his body. However, Kaito didn't seem to at least care about their thoughts. He was more concerned about the events that had occurred recently, especially on the Train Mountains.
"This is not making any sense. The Hidden Mist has this perfect opportunity to reach out to the outside world, only to have some damn terrorists ruining the friendly mood" he thought in his head. "Whoever those moon lovers are, they won't be taking our village" he added.
As he reached the door to his team's room, he used his keys and opened up. Once entering he could see Aoi sitting by the couch reading a book he had just bought while visiting the Leaf Village. But what Kaito could also see was that the azure-eyed boy had a clothespin on his nose and it made him wonder. To his surprise however, the bandaged man could smell something fresh, yet disgusting and he covered his nose, considering that the bandages prevented him from smelling properly. He could also see that the window behind him was open.
"Hey Aoi….why does it smell like strawberries and dead shark in here!?" Kaito demanded from his student, who faced him in return.
"Don't blame me! It's Kotone and her stinking perfumes! She's currently taking a bath as we speak" he answered in return.
Hearing this made the bandaged man snap in anger and he immediately went over to the bathroom's door and could notice some steam coming out from underneath it. Kaito scowled while knocking on the door, trying to make Kotone listen.
"Hey girl, why do you always have to use those perfumes of yours!?" he wondered out loud after knocking.
"Do you mind, mummy man!? I'm taking a bath, so go away!" the stubborn voice of Kotone could be heard on the other side of the door. "And you're not touching my perfumes either! Those are my property!" she added.
Kaito rolled his eyes in return. "Fool of a Hozuki, I told you to get rid of those damned things, didn't I!?" he asked her with irritation. "Now the entire hotel room stinks because of your perfume!" he added.
"Beat it, jackass! I need those perfumes, so screw off!" the young redhead's voice called to him rudely once again, causing Kaito to slightly lose his temper and draw his blade. But he realized it was no good doing that, considering the costs. Therefore he returned his blade to its sheath.
"Whatever you're doing in there, you're paying for the hotel costs, Kotone!" Kaito said out loud and began heading for the couch. He didn't hear any response from Kotone, so he sighed in irritation. But he began noticing that something else was missing. "Is Jurou in here? I notice that his room is awfully quiet" he asked Aoi.
Aoi faced his teacher again. "He felt like taking a walk outside to get some fresh air. But he said he wouldn't be long" he answered the bandaged man, but suddenly snapped in his thoughts. "Oh and by the way, he exited from this window behind me" he said while pointing his thumb at the opened window.
"DAMN IT JUROU! NOT AGAIN!" Kaito cursed as he angrily looked out from the opened window. The bandaged man was gritting his teeth. "I told that brat to use the door like a normal person!" he thought in his head. But he felt like not chasing after the orange-haired boy and decided to head for this bedroom. "I've had enough of this shit! I am going to sleep. At least I lose all frustration when I do that. But just don't try anything stupid here! Booking a fancy room like this is expensive, you know" he told Aoi while warning him at the same time, before heading straight to his bedroom.
"Okay, chill out, Kaito-sensei. I'm not the one you should be mad at, it's Jurou and the four-eyed numbskull that's masturbating in the bathtub!" he said while taking a dirty jab at Kotone.
Before he knew it, he could spot two kunais that had been thrown through the bathroom's door thanks to them being empowered by Kotone's Liquefy Jutsu. Aoi had no chance of dodging, so he blocked it by using the book as a cover. Unfortunately, the kunais left two ugly marks on his book. The light brown-haired boy became furious over seeing this.
"Thanks a lot, Kotone! Now my book's destroyed! You're buying me a new one!" he said while sighing deeply.
Inside the bathroom, it was steamy as Kotone was laying the bathtub enjoying the feeling. But at the same time, she got irritated by both her teacher and Aoi. She decided to ignore her teammate and enjoy the bathing. And of course, she had put off her glasses and they were lying next to her.
"Ah…..this is refreshing. It's a better bathtub than the one I have back home" she thought, never saying a word, only resting with the water surrounding her. But while she did that, the redhead couldn't help but to think about what had transpired while she and her teammates had been in the Exams. "It's a good thing those Sound ninjas are out of the Exams, but I still can't help but to feel unsafe about the finals. Is it really necessary for me to feel this way?" she wondered in her mind.
But she suddenly was reminded about Inojin's confrontation with those Sound ninjas, and the dark power he unleashed. However, during the third phase, he didn't show any signs of depravity in his fight at all. This made the redhead smile.
"This Inojin Uchiha…really is something…special" she admitted in her thoughts while her cheeks reddened. But Kotone immediately snapped back into reality and lifted her head up in the bathtub. "As much as I hope to be able to fight him in the finals, I am nervous about it too" she thought and reached for a towel beside her and put it on her head. While she was doing that, she began thinking about the other kunoichis that had made it to the finals. Thinking about them made her scowl. "Nashiko Uzumaki and Minami Inuzuka…I hear those two also has their eyes set upon Inojin. They better stay away from him!" she thought, considering those two to be her so-called love rivals. But when thinking about Nashiko, she could not help but to reflect on the fact that they shared common ancestry in the Uzumaki clan, considering that her own mother Karin also came from the mentioned clan.
The redhead got off the bathtub and sprayed some perfumes on her admiring her beauty and attractiveness in the mirror. She was enjoying herself, until she could hear someone teach her sword in the living room, considering that she had left it there. Kotone quickly exited the bathroom with a towel around her body and looked outraged, as she saw Aoi holding Uzushio out through the window. The light brown-haired man smirked at her.
"Aoi, what the hell are you doing with Uzushio!?" Kotone angrily asked and pointed her finger at him. "You better not drop it! Pull it back in at once!" she demanded from him.
"Not before you buy me a new book, four-eyes!" he hit back, teasingly holding the sword as if he was letting go of it by accident, much to her frustration.
While his student kept bickering, Kaito was now lying on his king-sized bed, completely ignoring Kotone and Aoi's tantrums. Even so, he could not help but to express his dissatisfaction with Kotone while at the same time, admire her stubbornness. The bandaged man mused to himself.
"That girl…..she's just like her brother when he was at her age" he admitted, thinking about Kotone's elder brother Zangetsu Hozuki. "But even so, Kotone is more similar to her mother than she is to Suigetsu" he concluded his analysis.
But there was another thing on his mind right now. Kaito was thinking about Jurou and his match with Rock Guy. Never had he imagined that a goof like him would be able to match up to Jurou's strength. However, he feared that in the finals, the orange-haired boy could potentially lose all reason in his thoughts. But the bandaged man refused to believe such claims.
However, Kaito's eyes suddenly snapped, as he could feel a disturbance happening near the hotel. But eventually he knew that it came from the nearby park and Jurou was there, he just knew it. The young man quickly got off his bed.
In a park near the hotel, Village Hidden in the Leaves
Night had descended upon the village and only a handful of people dared to wonder through the streets. But Jurou Kaguya enjoyed walking alone. He found himself sitting on a bench in the park and found a place where he could reflect on what had happened. Ever since his match with Guy, Jurou was getting fed up with waiting for opponents.
But he was also fed up with the fact that the Sound ninjas were no longer welcomed in the Chuunin Exams. It was not because he sympathized with them, but because of his desire to fight them…..and eventually slay them. The Sound ninjas were among those he truly wished to see die. When he found out about Tsunade's decision, anger secretly boiled inside of him.
"Damn that Slug Queen! Letting those spawns of Orochimaru go away!" he thought with disgust. "Once I'm done with the finals, I shall begin hunting them and bring them to justice!" he declared with determination.
Jurou had as a young boy, never understood the clan his mother was from. But when he learned about the story and fate of his deceased uncle: Kimimaro, he would develop a grudging anger towards everything associated with Orochimaru. He specially resented Noburu, who was Kabuto's son. Like Orochimaru, Kabuto was also involved in making Kimimaro a puppet, foolishly loyal to their cause until his death, even though it was not the fallen sage who had killed him.
"Uncle Kimimaro never deserved to serve under the likes of them" the orange-haired boy thought, recalling what he had told his own father once. Jugo and Kimimaro were close friends during their time in the Sound Village. "I don't understand how father can be so…..passive about those two" he added in his thoughts.
"Sitting all alone in the dark, I see. Do you prefer solitude?" Jurou's eyes snapped once he could hear a mysterious voice coming to him from behind. As the orange-haired man turned around, he could spot a blue-eyed man with short black hair and goatee smirk at him while resting his hands on the bench. The man also had black markings around his neck. "I can tell by seeing your reaction, you do so" he remarked, never wiping off the smirk on his face.
The orange-haired boy quickly moved his fist towards him, but noticed that he was gone from where he stood. Jurou became surprised. But he could see the mysterious man standing a few inches away from the bench, only staring at him with unfazed eyes. But those eyes of his were glowing as if they were celestial. Nevertheless, Jurou only glanced at him with stern eyes.
"Your attack was predictable, yet you were fast to pull it. Impressive reflexes I must admit" he commended the boy.
But Jurou was not grateful for this. "Who are you and why have you approached me? Do you seek to challenge me to a fight?" he asked threateningly, while slowly standing up on his feet. "If so, then I advise you to reconsider. My powers are not to be taken lightly with" he added with a warning.
"Why would I do that? Honestly I have no qualms with a lonely boy like you" the man replied but he wasn't finished. "But even if we were to fight, your powers would be useless against mine. Remember that fact, Jurou Kaguya" he added while saying his name.
The young boy's eyes were filled with surprise. "How do you know my name!?" he demanded while clenching his fists.
The stranger chuckled evilly. "Why, it's because of the power that rests within you: the Shikotsumyaku. Those who carry it possess the ability once used by the mother of all shinobi, the women your clan is named after: Kaguya Otsutsuki" he answered while explaining a few details.
Hearing this made Jurou snap and he pointed his fingers at him, as if he was ready to fire skeletal bullets at him. "Are you a follower of Orochimaru!? If so, then you made a mistake seeking me" the orange-haired boy told him while demanding an answer from him.
The black-haired man sighed in disappointment. "Don't put me in the same league as him. And you may address me as Koshin, if you please" he introduced himself and took a few steps forward, causing Jurou to fire his skeletal bullets. But before he knew it, Koshin stretched out his arms and clapped his hands in fast speed. The young boy couldn't believe his eyes as dusts began falling from the mysterious man's hands.
"That man…he just….HE JUST CAUGHT MY BULLETS WITH EASE!" he thought outraged.
Koshin only looked at him smugly. "I trust that you are now convinced that you can't best me. But how about I demonstrate a little talent of mine on you?" he asked him mockingly, while Jurou readied his stance. As Koshin was about to make his move, he could feel someone passing him in a fast speed. He was filled with caution and stood still. But he could feel a cut on his right cheek and it began bleeding, much to his surprise and anger. "What the hell…who did this!?" he demanded while looking around.
"That would be me" Jurou snapped as he could hear the voice of his own teacher. The bandaged man was now standing on a branch belonging to a nearby tree, facing the black-haired man deadly. Kaito also brandished his thin but dangerous blade: Yoarashi. There were small spots of blood dripping from it. "You were so loud that it made me wanna slice off your mouth. Luckily, I decided to only give you a warning slice on your cheek. So I tell you this: leave my student alone, or else I WILL cut off your mouth" Kaito warned him without any slight of remorse.
Although he was angered by his action, Koshin couldn't help but to chuckle in amusement. "You performed it amazingly, human. I take it you're this brat's sensei" he said to him.
"He's not just some brat! He's our teammate!" the girly voice of Kotone came and Jurou was surprised to see his teammate stand by his side. The four-eyed girl faced his silent teammate with a giggle. "We saw how Kaito-sensei was in a hurry to get you back, so we decided to tag along" she told him.
But Aoi only stared at her with annoyance. "Yeah, but you absolutely had to waste time putting on some clothes" he said to her.
Kotone rolled her eyes in return. "Do we really have to through with this?" she asked him in return.
But their blue-eyed adversary had his eyes solely focused on Kaito, who faced him deadly in return. But inside of him, Kaito was very curious about who this man was. "What business do you have skulking around the Hidden Leaf in the middle of the night? And why did you refer to me as a human when you are one yourself?" the bandaged swordsman asked him coldly.
"Questions, questions, questions, you humans really are curious beings" Koshin spoke up but suddenly, light chakra began forming all around his hands and he faced Kaito with a deep frown. The swordsman remained cautious, firming his grip on Yoarashi. "I don't have time for this stupidity, so I will gladly put you out of your misery, swordsman!" he declared, the chakra in his hands glowing brighter.
Kaito got cautious and readied himself and his students did the same thing. They could all see Koshin smirk as he was preparing to mount an attack on them, whatever it was. But instead of focusing on the genins, he was mostly focused on Kaito, and the bandaged swordsman knew he had to be prepared.
Before Koshin could unleash his fury, each of his arms was held by two individuals who wore similar clothes as him. They appeared out of nowhere and it surprised even Koshin himself. The first was a tall man with blue eyes and spikey, grey hair with beard. It was his brother Susanowa. But the other was a young woman with blue eyes and long brown hair that reached to her neck. She seemed younger than Koshin.
"Undo your spell, Koshin" Susanowa sternly requested him, hinting that he was actually warning his brother to do that.
The black-haired man only snickered in disgust, but he did undo his attack as his brother requested, although with reluctance. "What are you doing here?" he demanded an answer from Susanowa, but suddenly faced the brown-haired woman with a hint of betrayal in his eyes. "You little bitch! I told you to keep your mouth shut, Uzume!" he angrily lashed out against his sister while addressing her name.
But Uzume only watched him with concern in her blue eyes. "But brother, it is not right for us to show deception to one another. I had to tell him, or the almighty Hirohito would not be merciful" she told him, although Koshin was not satisfied.
But the three strangers suddenly had their attention on Kaito, who had landed in front of them. His students were still by his side and they made sure that their sensei was given enough space to use his sword. Kaito eyed them suspiciously.
"You three strangers are starting to intrigue me with what you say. And who is this "almighty Hirohito?" he asked them lowly. He spun his sword around and readied his stance. "Talk, before I cut off your heads by accident" he demanded threateningly, not regretting what he just said.
Susanowa glared at him with his azure eyes and stood before his siblings, considering that he was taller than them. "Our identities are none of your concern, human. You don't have to know anything about us. We are fast as a leaf in the wind" he told him while pointing his hand palm towards the swordsman.
Kaito had enough of this and drew his sword to swing at them, only for him to realize that the trio had disappeared before his eyes. His students were also surprised by how fast they were. Their bandaged teacher sighed deeply and returned his blade to its sheath.
"Okay, just what the hell were those freaks!?" Aoi asked out loud. "Not only did they seem powerful, but arrogant as well. Tch, dirtbags" he added.
But Kotone was feeling very uneasy and her teammates could see that. This surprsinlgy made both Aoi and Jurou feel concerned about her. "Those people….their chakras….I have never in my life seen such enormous amounts of chakra before!" she remarked with fear in her voice. She then began facing her teammates. "Truth is: their chakras even dwarfs the one Itachi used in his fight against Noburu Yakushi!" she added, much to everyone's shock.
Jurou was sweating with unease by hearing this. "I don't know, but I think I would hold my own against at least one of them" he tried to downplay his fears, but he could see that it wasn't working. But the orange-haired boy noticed his teacher approaching him with a disapproving look on his face. They were both in a staring contest, until Kaito made the move and kicked Jurou by his stomach. Both Kotone and Aoi only watched this stunned, as they had actually never seen Kaito getting that fed up with their silent teammate.
"Fool of a Kaguya, I told you not to wonder off on your own during the night!" the swordsman scolded him, while the young boy groaned while holding his stomach. Kaito crossed his arms. "If it weren't for me, you would've been dead!" he added with anger.
Hearing this made Jurou growl in return, and he faced his teacher with defiant eyes. "Why are you so overprotective of me!? Is it because of the fact that I am among the Mist Village's valuable military assets!?" he suddenly asked angrily while facing Kaito's cold eyes.
Surprisingly, he sighed while shutting his eyes. It was apparent that he was thinking about coming up with an answer. But eventually, the bandaged man faced him with eyes of sympathy, something which made all his students surprised.
"This has nothing to do with military asset, Jurou. It is because of a vow I made to your mother. You do know that despite our friendship, she is living outside the village as an exile" he revealed to him, causing Jurou to be stunned while his face showed no signs of anger. "The vow I made to her was the fact that I would protect you as your teacher, as I had failed to protect her as a close friend. The only one who knows about this besides me, are Aoi, Kotone and your father" he revealed and suddenly walked away, but not before looking over his shoulder to face all his students. "Gather up inside our room. Tomorrow we will begin training for real. So get your asses in your beds and go to sleep" he told them all and proceeded walking towards the hotel.
While Aoi and Kotone complied, Jurou stood still, not knowing how to respond to what he had heard. But there was something that had been on his mind and he wondered about it. He did that while following his teammates slowly.
As he followed, Jurou snapped in his thoughts. "Wait…..that member of the Mist Village's ANBU Black Ops…the one who discovered my mother's existence…..was that you….Kaito Mizushima?" he wondered in his head.
Next day, at the outskirts of the Hyuuga Mansion
Minami had been experiencing a traumatizing moment with her maternal grandfather yesterday, and it still haunted her. But she had stubbornly tried to forget about the incident. But right now, she was now following Himawari to the outskirts of the mansion and she had wondered why this was necessary. Even so, she preferred not to be near Hiashi.
The two were now standing in the woods and Manami looked around, with Riko doing the exact same thing while sniffing in the air.
Himawari smiled at her younger cousin. "I am glad you could come with me, Minami. We really need to talk" she expressed her gratitude towards Manami.
The young bluenette simply nodded her head in return. But she was surprised to actually see someone appearing from behind the tree Himawari was standing in front of. It was a boy a year older than the bluenette but with long, black hair. He was dressed in a yellow sweater while wearing black pants. Seeing him made Manami surprised.
"I can't be…..Hanzo?" she uttered out the name of the boy, who was the middle child of Hanabi, as well as her only son. "I didn't expect someone as cocky as you to show up" she remarked while suddenly facing him with suspicion.
Hanzo Hyuuga only sighed in annoyance at what his cousin said. "Look, the only reason I am agreeing to this is because we are family, nothing else!" he answered her while fixing his eyes on his older sister. "So tell me, Himawari…..are you certain about this?" he asked Himawari with a questionable look on his face.
"Absolutely, little brother" she answered maturely before fixing her eyes upon Manami. "We have something important to tell you, Manami. You see, we are going to help you prepare for the finals" she told the bluenette, who was surprised by what she heard.
Minami did not know how to respond to this. "But…what about…" those were the only words she could come up with.
Himawari held up her hand to make her stop. "Do not fret. Grandfather will not know of us doing it, despite what he has told us" she insisted to her. "In fact, I was given permission to train you by your mother" the brunette with ponytail answered with a smile.
The young bluenette's eyes widened. "So mom…...supports me?" she asked lowly.
"Of course she does, you numbskull! And more importantly, our mom was in favor of it too, despite her great reluctance" Hanzo spoke up while scolding Minami. "Anyway, if we're gonna help you, then you can't as much as tell others about what you are doing, even if they are your teammates or something, understand?" the black-haired boy added, making sure that his cousin got every word inside her head.
But Minami only crossed her arms in return. "You do realize that I'm not five anymore, correct? I'm not someone who screws everything up. That title goes to Takeda" she pointed out with Riko barking in agreement.
"Yeah, but you still possess the bad temper seen among most Inuzukas" Hanzo hit back. Before he knew it, he was angrily grabbed by Minami, who held him by his collar. The black-haired boy tried to shove her away, but to no avail. Therefore he had to talk to make her stop. "Relax, I was being sarcastic!" he tried to make her calm down.
That, coupled with a pleading expression from Himawari made Minami let go of Hanzo. But she still faced him with stern eyes, while Riko growled at him. "I may possess Inuzuka blood within me, but one thing's certain. You still possess the same arrogant attitude seen from elderly Hyuugas" she expressed her opinion of Hanzo, who only cooked an eyebrow in return.
"Arrogant? Me?" the black-haired boy asked her as if he sounded offended. He also began facing his cousin with stern eyes. "You better take back what you just said" he added with a warning to Minami, but the bluenette was not intimidated.
"Enough of this senseless bickering, both of you" Himawari intervened with reason in her voice while trying to bridge her younger brother and cousin. She then faced Manami with seriousness. "Minami, even though you and Takeda have Inuzuka blood running through your veins, you two are still family, never forget that" she told the young bluenette and Minami could tell that she actually meant it.
She began reflecting on her cousin's words as a result. To her, it seemed like she was not alone in this dilemma and she really appreciated the support of her cousins. In fact, the bluenette bowed her head formally, making them both surprised.
"I thank you both for doing this for me" she thanked them with a gentle voice.
As much as they were surprised, both Himawari and Hanzo eventually formed a smile on their faces, as they knew that beneath her tomboyish armor on the outside, Minami was actually a sweet and caring girl on the inside and that was all that mattered.
Himawari began facing her younger brother sternly and Hanzo snapped at being given this look. "Okay, I will do that, just don't get your panties in a twist!" he said and suddenly reached out his hand to Minami, who watched him with surprise. The black-haired boy sighed deeply as if he was doing this against his own will. "Look, sorry about what I said earlier. I wanna help you out as a cousin, but we will need to get along with each other if we are to cooperate. Do you accept my…" Hanzo was surprised when Minami suddenly reached out her hand to his and they both shook hands. The young bluenette nodded at him.
"Yes, I accept your apology, as well as your terms for cooperation" she said, and she actually meant it for real.
Seeing her like this made Hanzo smile. "Very well, then let us begin" he said in return.
Inside the village's hospital
At the hospital's reception, Nashiko and Shunsuke were waiting for their teammate to arrive. In fact, Menma had decided to join them to celebrate his exit from hospital. When word reached out to them that Takeda could exit the hospital today, they all agreed to celebrate him without hesitation. Frankly, it was Nashiko's mother who had told her of this.
"It's going to be great seeing Takeda again. I've been worried about him ever since the third phase ended" Shunsuke remarked and he could see that both his teammate and teacher agreed with him.
"I know, Lady Tsunade told us that we could visit him in his hospital room whenever we felt like it. But I think giving him some space would be the best decision" Nashiko explained.
Menma smiled while hearing his students speaking. "Furthermore, he needed some time with his family" he said but suddenly formed a frown with his mouth. "But I doubt that Minami ever came to visit him" the young man added.
Hearing this made both his students wonder about how the relationship between the twins had fared since the end of the third phase. But in their thoughts, there was a slim chance that their relationship as siblings was healthy. Furthermore, they also feared that the conflict between them could only affect the already troubled relationship between Kiba and Hinata.
But the young genins thoughts were interrupted by Sakura approaching them, her heels making enough noise to catch their attentions. The young pinkette smiled as her mother came, dressed in her nurse coat. Nashiko immediately rushed towards her, only for Sakura to calm her down with a gentle touch on her left shoulder.
Menma bowed his head to Sakura with respect and dignity. "Lady Sakura, I humbly thank you for the treatment you have given Takeda. I don't know what would become of him if there didn't exists such a talented medic as you" he thanked her while expressing the uttermost respect for the pink-haired woman.
Sakura only nodded her head at him in appreciation before facing both Nashiko and her raven-haired friend. "Don't worry about it, Takeda and Arata are on his way. He just had some relatives over for visit" she explained to them.
Both Nashiko and Shunsuke gasped in relief and as they looked beyond Sakura, they could see their long-haired teammate with brown jacket walking down the corridor accompanied by two cousins from his father's side of his family. Technically they were Hana Inuzuka's oldest children, as well as members of the Inuzuka clan. The first one was a tall, 17-year old man with messy, black hair, similar to what Kiba used to have. He wore a black jacket with white fur covering the hood and armpits. He also wore white pants while having his forehead protector hanging around his neck. This was Masajun Inuzuka, Takeda and Minami's rowdy but friendly cousin. The other was a young woman just a year below Masajun, who had her brown hair tied into a ponytail similar to her mother. She actually wore a jounin vest and a black shirt beneath it. She also wore black gloves. This was Hana's eldest daughter: Yume Inuzuka. Like many members of the Inuzuka clan, they both wore its red markings running across their cheeks. But what was astounding was the fact that while Yume possessed a face similar to her mother, Masajun possessed the feral looks from his uncle and grandmother.
"Do you have any plans for now, Takeda?" Masajun asked his cousin while stretching his shoulders. "I don't know what, but I think you deserve a vacation or something" he came up with a suggestion.
The young boy only sighed deeply in confusion. "I will think about something after the Chuunin Exams are over. Even though I'm out of it, I still feel like I can't turn my eyes away from the finals" Takeshi answered.
Yume smiled by hearing this. "So you plan on watching the finals? A wise decision" she commended him.
As Takeda and Arata caught eye of his teammates and teacher, he immediately formed a smile on his face and walked towards them. He began facing both Nashiko and Shunsuke, who seemed very happy to see him standing before them with no serious injuries.
"Hey there, guys! Long time no see!" Takeda said with Arata barking in satisfaction. "Man, it sure is good to be out of hospital bed!" he added and began stretching his arms.
Menma smiled as he faced the brown-haired boy. "It's good to see you with us once again, Takeda. We have all been worried about you since you were knocked out unconscious" he told him.
But the long-haired boy only shrugged his shoulders. "Meh, I was actually worried about how you were coping with my condition" he said, but suddenly faced his teammates. "And by the way, congratulations on passing to the finals, especially you, Nashiko" he told them while taking a brief look into Nashiko.
The young pinkette only huffed in return, trying not to admit that she actually liked Takeda praising her. But both he and Shunsuke could see that and they only laughed. Eventually the two boys began a conversation of their own.
"So, what will you do now, Shunsuke?" Takeda asked the raven-haired boy who was for some reason, lost in thoughts.
Nevertheless, he happily answered his recovered friend. "I have sought counsel from Menma-sensei. But I have also started to consider asking my dad to help me training" he answered before sighing deeply. "I have to prepare myself against any opponent I'm up against" he added.
As they could see Takeda being regrouped with his team, Masajun and Yume felt proud of the bonds he had developed with his teammates. But Masajun could hear some steps behind him and turned around. The black-haired boy smiled. It was a long-time classmate of his, as well as his comrade: Susume Aburame.
"Hey Yume, you run along home with Takeda. I and Susume have something we need to discuss" he told his younger sister, who only rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Whatever you say, loverboy" Yume remarked sarcastically earning a small growl from Masajun, much to her amusement. "Just don't take too long, okay?" she reminded him before heading over to Takeda's location.
As he approached her, Masajun could notice Susume wanting to have their talk somewhere else. She showed him by walking towards the next corridor. Her silent mood indicated that what she wanted to talk with him was something private. Nevertheless, the black-haired man followed his comrade.
As they were about the end of the next corridor, they stopped. Susume adjusted her girly glasses before speaking. "Forgive me if this feels odd to you" she apologized to him.
Masajun only held up his palm to make her stop. "No need to apologize. Whenever you wanna talk with me, I'm up for it. Besides, me and Yume were only supposed to visit Takeda and escort him to his team" he assured her.
Susume smiled slightly. "You are correct. Our meeting here was just a coincidence. I had just finished my visit with Saburou" she said, but suddenly fixed a deep frown with his mouth. "But we really need to talk, Masajun. It is about….him" she revealed to her teammate.
Masajun's feral eyes widened. Hearing these words put a dagger though his heart. "What…..are you serious!?" he asked her loudly, only for Susume to cover his mouth with her hand. She hushed him. Realizing his mistake, Masajun nodded in acknowledgment. The brown-haired woman put her hand away and he was free to speak up. "Do you mean that they have found him? Have the ANBU Black Ops discovered his whereabouts?" he asked her lowly.
"From what Lady Tsunade told me, they only spotted him recently. He was spotted near the border to the Land of Lightning" Susume told him. The brown-haired woman then began sighing deeply, indicating that she felt troubled by those news.
But Masajun wanted to know more. "Have you spoken with Hideki-sensei since you were notified of these reports?" he asked her, but Susume shook her head.
"He already knows, but he is calm about it. But if Hisoka were to find out, things could get ugly. There are still a few days before the finals, so we can't risk making our case known throughout the village" she insisted to him. "You know why that is important. Hisoka is his younger brother, remember" she began reminding him.
The black-haired boy showed understanding to her words. "Very well, but maybe you and I will have to travel at the border to the Land of Lightning and seek him out ourselves. We must convince him to put his grudge against the Hidden Cloud Village aside. We are his comrades after all!" he told her. But Masajun was suddenly tightly embraced by Susume in a hug and the black-haired boy returned it, as he could notice how troubled she felt about their situation. While he tried his best to comfort him, Masajun began thinking about his comrade. "Damn it. Where the hell are you….Hotaka Sado!?" he wondered in his head.
To be continued…
Author's note: What a terrific chapter! We got to know about how Nashiko and Minami would start, as well as what the Mist ninjas met during the night. We also got to know about a thing about Hisoka's older brother, which we will soon be touching on. Here are the voices to Minami and Takeda's other cousin, both from the Inuzuka and Hyuuga clans. Also we have Saburou's eldest sister Susume.
Himawari Hyuuga – Hynden Walch
Hanzo Hyuuga – Marc Diraison
Masajun Inuzuka – Eric Vale
Yume Inuzuka – Ashley Johnson
Susume Aburame – Lisa Ortiz