Frozen Heart
Thought I'd get this out before Christmas. May have one out soon... Hopefully
Naruto is slightly grey in this story and it has elements of Killer Instincts.
I don't own Naruto or Killer Instinct
Enjoy
Chapter 8
Kakashi slept the whole night and awoke the next day. He still couldn't move properly, but had to make do with what he could. He was surprised, but mostly proud, of his Team's work ethic. He found that they had taken the initiative and placed traps around the house, collected their own food and placed a sentry to keep watch, rotating every 3 hours or so during the night. What was even more impressive was the schedule that was created with each member taking on a different role.
He saw that Naruto was the first to assist the bridge builder, and that he was following him like a shadow. He saw that Sasuke had the task of keeping an eye on Tazuna's daughter and grandson. And finally Sakura was left to train for most of the day. It was arranged so that each would rotate and complete something different each day, sharing the load.
He had made his way down to the made up training yard, where he saw Sakura running up a tree at full speed, turning around at a point and running back down. He thought this was the extent of Sakura's training, but was surprised when she kept running towards the large body of water. He saw at that moment, her control with her chakra, as she ran across the top of the water, turned around 30 metres out, and sprinted back towards the tree, climbing it once more. She did this three times before collapsing on the ground, exhaustion obviously getting the best of her.
Kakashi made his presence known at this point. "I don't think the purpose is for you to exhaust yourself when training." Sakura stood up at the sound of his voice, smiling awkwardly when she saw him.
"True, but I only have a day to train, tomorrow I'm on duty, and the same will be for the next day." Sakura responded.
Kakashi eye smiled. "So what where you doing? I noticed on the list that Naruto is to guard Tazuna, Sasuke to guard Tazuna's daughter and grandchild, and you to train. What have you accomplished so far?" Kakashi asked.
Sakura smirked, a little blush covering her face, before answering. "Well I've been working on my stamina and chakra control. So far I can run up to the top of this tree, turn around and run across the lake. Naruto says that it should help with my stamina, but I don't know if it'll work fast enough. I've already ran non-stop for twelve sets." Sakura exclaimed, causing Kakashi to look at her in a new light. Twelve sets of that looked difficult to accomplish, especially for someone like Sakura. He only saw her complete the last three, and it looked like she maintained a set speed, never faulting.
"Hmm, okay. It seems that I should start showing you a thing or two." Kakashi stated, causing Sakura to look at him with a questioning look. "Watch this." Kakashi started doing hand signs. After the second, Sakura saw a swirl of leaves in front of her face, the image of Kakashi disappearing completely. A second later Sasuke came limping through the woods, telling Sakura to hurry and that he needs help. He was bleeding profusely, and had kunai sticking out of his being.
Sakura ran towards Sasuke and touched him. As soon as her hand descended, the image flickered and disappeared. Sakura looked back at Kakashi bleary eyed. He could see that he had hurt her feelings, but this is what he wanted to teach her.
"That was a Genjutsu. A simple, but effective, one. This is one of three Genjutsu I'll be teaching you over the week." Kakashi explained, eye smiling as if proud of himself.
Sakura took a deep breathe to calm her rising emotions. Looking up, she had a determined face, willing to make the most out of learning.
The next day, Kakashi saw Naruto training, whilst Sakura was keeping an eye on Tsunami and Inari. Kakashi had met them the night before, around the dinner table. He noticed how Inari always kept his head down, never looking up. He looked, in all honesty, depressed. Tsunami, on the other hand, was fairly nice. She helped him a few times going up and down the stairs.
Now, however, Kakashi approached Naruto, who was completing the same exercise Sakura completed yesterday. The difference was that Naruto had five sets of ten clones, each working on something different.
"Hmph, so he already knows the secret to the Shadow Clone." Kakashi said to himself.
One group was working with projecting ice in the shape of shuriken from their hands. Another group was working on sword play, but using their hands as ice weapons, instead of a real sword. The third group was disintegrating into a puddle and reappearing meters away from where they started. The fourth group were sitting on the ground, looking as if they were meditating. The last group kept disappearing behind the hidden mist jutsu, and then reappearing as the mist dissipated. It was astonishing to see.
The Naruto doing the running stopped when he noticed Kakashi.
"Well it seems you are stronger than I anticipated." Kakashi stated. "How many clones can you make?" He asked, looking between Naruto and the clones.
Naruto shrugged his shoulders whilst answering. "I'm not sure." He responded, short and sharp, answering Kakashi's question.
"What are these techniques that your clones are using? I know that you use ice, but these clones look as if they are made up of water and ice. Those clones are using the fog as if it were exuding from their bodies, and these two are creating weapons of ice from nothing. How do you know all of these jutsu?" Kakashi asked astonished.
Naruto stated previously to Kakashi that he would share some info with him, only to keep him off of Naruto's back. "These three jutsu are the ones I made up." Naruto lied. He couldn't really explain how he knew what he knew, it is something that he barely believes himself. "I thought of The Hidden Mist jutsu after Zabuza used it." Naruto concluded, hoping to sate Kakashi's intrigue and stop him from asking more questions.
"Well it looks like you have a strong affinity with Ice. That would mean you have a strong affinity to Water and Wind. I could teach you some Water and Wind ninjutsu, to add to your arsenal." Kakashi stated. He still couldn't believe how much strength his young student has.
"I'd like that, but the issue is that I cannot use ninjutsu at all." Naruto responded.
Kakashi looked at him for a second, thinking of what to say. "You're doing ninjutsu now, how do you mean that you can't use it?" Kakashi asked, wanting to know the true reason behind Naruto not using ninjutsu.
"Well one could say this is ninjutsu, but its' not in the traditional sense. I can make all of this happen because it is a part of me, but creating something out of nothing, is slightly more difficult, and something I haven't mastered. Especially with Water and Wind separately." This explanation confused Kakashi.
"What do you mean traditional sense?" Kakashi asked. Naruto knew he only wanted to contribute to Naruto's growing strength, but these questions were annoying.
"I cannot use wind. Water, to an extent and Ice I can use. These are normally thought up by on use." Here Naruto produced a shuriken in his palm and threw it at a tree. Kakashi saw it but still found it confusing. Naruto saw the confusion and decided to show Kakashi more.
Out of thin air, appeared icicles in the shape of senbon. These, Naruto projected towards the same tree as the shuriken. Naruto went a step further by creating mist out of the moisture in the air. The place was covered in mist in seconds.
"These types of ninjutsu I can do." Naruto stated, his voice coming from all directions in the mist. "However." At this point the mist dissipated just as quickly as it arose. "I cannot use hand seals to control the flow of my chakra. I've tried on various occasions, but the trick still eludes me." Naruto stated. This explanation caused Kakashi to look at Naruto in another light.
"So any jutsu using hand seals you cannot use?" Kakashi asked. Getting a nod from Naruto, he continued. "And it is only restricted to Ice and Water." Naruto was feeling slightly anxious at this point, not knowing where Kakashi was going with this. Kakashi eye-smiled at this point, causing confusion on Naruto's part. "It seems that this is still ninjutsu, but its' closely associated with nature manipulation. What is interesting is that you cannot use Wind techniques, as Wind and Water combine to make Ice. Yet you can use Water?" At this question, Naruto disappeared in a puddle and reappeared next to Kakashi.
"Does that answer your question?" Naruto asked. Kakashi was thoughtful for a moment longer before speaking.
"Can you use the jutsu that Zabuza and I used on the lake?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto thought for a second, before trying. He imagined the jutsu and tried to put it in effect. He knew at that instance that he couldn't and decided to voice his thoughts. Normally Naruto would try to break the jutsu down before utilising it. Without understanding the jutsu, he felt he couldn't use it.
"That was the only water jutsu that I know." Naruto explained, referring to his being transferring into water and him disappearing and reappearing a distance away from his starting point. "Well apart from the Hidden Mist jutsu".
"I see. That I find interesting." Kakashi exclaimed. He stood still for a minute, thinking, whilst Naruto remained on edge.
Something in Kakashi's mind didn't add up, especially when he looked around and saw Naruto's clones fast at work.
"How did you make the Shadow Clones?" He asked, looking back at Naruto.
"The same way as anyone else I'd say." Naruto responded, not really catching onto where Kakashi was going with this.
"So you used a hand sign." Kakashi asked, watching as Naruto's face changed from confusion to astonishment.
"Maybe you can, but haven't really tried." Kakashi stated before continuing. "I want to teach you a few jutsu to add to your arsenal, but first a question." Here Naruto nodded and waited for Kakashi to continue.
"How did you pass the test to become a Genin? I'm assuming that you didn't know the Shadow Clone before then?" Kakashi asked, looking at Naruto.
Naruto nodded, before two clones appeared beside him. "Ice Clones." He stated to the look of astonishment on Kakashi's face.
Water Clones, Kakashi would have believed it, but ice clones, out of thin air, something he could barely believe.
"Well, it seems you do have a really strong affinity to ice. How about clones made from water or wind?" Kakashi asked, as the clones crumbled into their base form.
"Haven't tried." Was Naruto's simple response.
"Fair enough. I'm going to teach you three water jutsu over the next week or so. The first is the Water Clone, the second Water Prison Jutsu and the third is the Starch Syrup Capturing Field Jutsu. They are all C rank, so it shouldn't be too difficult.
Naruto nodded, waiting for Kakashi to continue.
On the third day Kakashi came to the make shift training ground to see Sasuke hard at work. He had two Shadow Clones working on two different fire jutsu, whilst the original was doing the same exercise that Sakura and Naruto completed the day before.
"Ahem." Kakashi coughed, gaining Sasuke's attention.
Sasuke pulled up in front of Kakashi. He had been training for roughly an hour, but still didn't look winded.
"Yes." Sasuke asked, looking at his sensei.
"I have taught Sakura a few Genjutsu and Naruto some Ninjutsu. I want to teach you some Fire Jutsu as well." Kakashi exclaimed, eye-smiling all the while.
"Why the sudden change?" Sasuke asked, looking at Kakashi.
"It seems that the three of you are stronger than you let on. I want to help you become even stronger." Kakashi stated, getting to the point and not beating around the bush.
"I know that you can do the Grand Fireball Jutsu, what other jutsu do you know?" Kakashi asked, looking Sasuke in the eye.
"Phoenix Flower Jutsu." Sasuke stated after a few seconds.
"Anything else?" Kakashi asked after realising that Sasuke was not going to speak any more.
"No." Sasuke stated looking at Kakashi.
"Well that will have to change. The first jutsu I'll teach you is the clone jutsu." Here Sasuke looked at Kakashi with hidden anger. "Fire Clone. Which is different than other clones as it explodes and burns the opponent when used against them." Kakashi elaborated, noticing the look Sasuke had and stopping any form of disagreement.
"That sounds… interesting." Sasuke smirked.
Kakashi continued. "I'll also teach you how to use fire in the fingers of your hands." At this point, Kakashi showed Sasuke his hands. Sasuke was surprised to see the fire raising from Kakashi's hands, but his smirk grew into a grin.
'Finally learning something of interest.' Sasuke thought.
"Well, let's get started." Kakashi stated, walking towards the water.
That night, the members of Team 7 joined the rest of the household at the dinner table. The three Genin had noticed the dark aura emanating from the little boy, Inari, but chose to ignore it. Wasn't their business anyhow.
"I believe." Kakashi stated, gaining the attention of those around the table. "Zabuza is still alive." Here Tazuna paled a little, whilst Tsunami look at Kakashi in confusion. Inari was in his own world and didn't bother looking up. The three Genin nodded their head, with Sakura taking on a slightly scared look.
"But the other one killed him? Didn't he?" Tazuna asked, looking at the members of Team 7.
"It looked as if he did, but he should have disposed of the body there and then. Instead what did he do?" Kakashi asked, looking Tazuna in the eye.
"He disappeared with it?" Tazuna asked more than stated.
"What, who are you talking about?" Tsunami asked, trying to placate her raising concern.
"The strong nin they faced before we reached home. The one that left Kakashi like that." Tazuna stated, looking at his daughter. She was scared, but tried her hardest not to show any fear.
"Who cares how strong you are. You won't defeat Gato." Inari exclaimed, before leaving the table and walking up the stairs.
"What's his problem?" Sasuke asked, looking between Tsunami and Tazuna.
"Remember the story of the hero who died by Gato's hand?" Tazuna asked, looking at Sasuke. "That was Inari's father. Not his biological father, but his father figure. He cared and loved Inari very much. Unfortunately, Inari witnessed his execution. He believes that Gato is untouchable because of that. He also thinks that heroes don't exist." Tazuna relayed, dropping his gaze to his hands, which were resting in his lap.
"Well I think I should clear the table." Tsunami exclaimed, only to be stopped by Sasuke.
"I'll do it. The cook should not have to clean." He exclaimed, before clearing the table and washing the dishes.
Naruto left the table and walked outside. He went to check on all the traps before starting his watch.
Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura sat around waiting for their sensei. They had no idea where he went, only that he and Tsunami were gone.
"Well I guess I should start cooking." Sakura exclaimed. "Could the two of you help?" She asked, looking at Naruto and Sasuke. She only wanted Sasuke's help, but thought better than to exclude Naruto. He had taught her more than Kakashi ever had, and he is someone she would consider a friend.
"I'll try to find where sensei and Tsunami have gone to, Sasuke could assist you." Naruto responded, before making his way out the door. He was suspicious, this wasn't like Kakashi, and he figured something may have happened. He also wanted to see if Sakura and Sasuke have matured enough to be helping each other.
As he left the house, he walked towards the jetty. He noticed Kakashi and Tsunami walking towards the house, Kakashi carrying what looked to be groceries. They looked close. Finding them, he returned to the house.
When Naruto walked in, he saw Sakura and Sasuke actually working together to get dinner started. At that moment, he felt more alone than he had ever felt in his life. Tazuna came down the stairs and sat at the table. Naruto decided to join him.
"They should be here any second." Naruto stated to Sakura's unasked question. "They were at the store." He continued.
"So where is Inari?" At this question, Naruto looked at Tazuna, hoping he would know.
"In his room, been there all day moping." Tazuna responded. At that instant, Kakashi and Tsunami entered the house, both had a grin on their faces.
"You shouldn't have." Tsunami stated, looking at Sakura and Sasuke.
"Its fine, we felt like it." Sakura exclaimed, smiling sweetly at Tsunami.
"Have fun you two?" Tazuna asked with a knowing smirk. Tsunami turned away and tried to busy herself, hiding her blush from the Genin and Tazuna.
Naruto got up and walked out the door. "I'll be back when dinner is served." He stated before leaving the rest of them to ponder on his thoughts.
Naruto returned as dinner was being served. He was surprised to see Inari with the rest of them.
"Itadakimasu." Naruto exclaimed before digging in. Everyone had started eating, so he was the last to dig in.
"I'm very happy with the progress the three of you have been making. Sakura, your skill with chakra has increase, especially your stamina. The Genjutsu that you know will be benefit you in the future. Sasuke, your skill with fire jutsu will be extraordinary." Kakashi intoned, looking at both Sakura and Sasuke. He looked at Naruto next. "Naruto, I can see that using water jutsu will compliment your skills…" Kakashi was about to continue before he was interrupted.
"What's the use? You are all going to die anyway." Inari stated, cutting through Kakashi's praise of his students. "Gato is stronger than any of you."
Naruto scoffed at the words, pretending to ignore Inari, and went back to eating.
"You think this is a joke?" Inari screamed, standing to his feet and knocking his chair over.
"Oh contraire." Naruto stated sarcastically. "This is life. Life is hard. If you don't make the best of it, than you might as well be dead." Naruto continued, looking Inari in the eyes. It was then that Inari got a good look at Naruto's eyes. There was a storm raging in them, as if he knew what pain truly was.
"What would you know? You come from a large ninja village. Everything has been handed to you on a silver platter." Inari continued, tears falling predominately from his eyes.
Naruto smirked. He stood up looking Inari in the eyes. "The only time I find peace, is when I'm away from Konoha." Naruto stated, before turning and walking to the front door. He didn't look back but continued. "You think you know me, therefore you judge, but you don't know anything. My pain is my own, as is yours. I can deal with mine, but can you?" Naruto left with those last words.
Inari took off up the stairs, not caring that the tears were flowing freely from his eyes.
Sakura looked at the door with concern. She didn't know that this is how Naruto truly felt, and it pained her to know that she knew so little of her teammate.
Sasuke looked on in silence. He knew what pain was, that didn't mean he was going to express himself. But to see Naruto do so semi-freely, really concerned him. He had no idea what Naruto had been through. Sasuke knew that Naruto lived in the worst district in Konoha, but didn't think much of it.
Kakashi looked down. He knew some of the things that Naruto was referring to, but the rest, he still hadn't figured out.
The household was left in silence as each person was in their own thoughts. Tsunami looked at Kakashi, whom eye smiled back at her. Taking the lead, Kakashi decided to clear the table and clean the dishes.
Sasuke got up and followed his teammate outside. He was on guard duty, so he went and made sure the traps were secure, and also to see where his teammate took off too.
Naruto hadn't returned that night, and Kakashi had to fill in for his shift. He was concerned, but not enough to send a search party after him.
