And again, this time against myself really, I've decided to throw another chapter of this fic (yeah, I suppose you guys have Shang to thank for that). After almost three months I figured I could give this another shoot, but just like before: unless the number of reviews will be satisfying, this fic will get dropped… again.
To answer questions about Aiko: she's not a tailed beast to start off. The case of her being inside Urusai is actually way more complicated then that, but I do not intend to give away anything out yet, since it's something that will be explained later on in the story.
And so here's the next chappie of "Naruto: Beyond":
Chapter #38: At the Tower
Title Page: Ayame is sleeping in her bed with her mask laying on a night shelf next to her, yet her face is covered with the sheet
Sasuke landed on the ground without making a noise, wanting to make the woman who was watering the flowers in the garden a surprise. To his dismal however, she sensed him perfectly and without even turning around, she greeted him: "Welcome home, Sasuke-kun…"
The Sharingan user only let out a sigh. Even though many thought that she wasn't the greatest kunoichi of the Leaf, it was almost impossible to surprise his wife: "Hey Sakura-chan…" he replied with a smile. "I see you really took taking care of the garden seriously… or is it just that Ino said she'll win that 'best garden contest' next week that you're trying so hard?"
"It's neither…" responded the woman and then turn around, revealing that she had jade green eyes and long, pink hair that felt freely on her back. She wore a red, sleeveless outfit and black leg guards along with fingerless, black gloves on her hands. Her hitae-ate with the symbol of the Leaf was located on top of her head. "The thing is…"
"You're worried about Homura…" Sasuke finished for her with his smile disappearing from his face. The woman only nodded slightly after a moment. The Sharingan user walked closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. As she looked up, he kissed her on the forehead and smiling once more, he announced: "You shouldn't worry… I've just talked with Tenten… Shikamaru's team already made it to the tower safely…"
At hearing that Sakura let out a sigh of relief: "That's good to hear… after what happened to us in that forest… I certainly wouldn't want Homura to have similar experience to ours…" but as she said so, a loud 'mom' was heard.
As the two adults looked in the direction the yell came from, they saw a young girl with medium-length, pink hair and black eyes running towards them. She was wearing a violet jumpsuit with black stripes going down its sleeves and trouser legs. There was a large red and white fan painted on its back and she had both her hands wrapped in bandages.
Right behind her run a boy about a year older then her with gelled-up, black hair and green eyes. He was wearing a black t-shirt and short, white pants. Just like the girl, he had a large fan painted on his back and had a red neckerchief. He carried a fluffed, orange tiger in his hand.
The last to arrive was a boy who was strangely similar to the one with the neckerchief. His eyes were also green and his hair was raven-black, only longer and clipped in a ponytail. He was wearing a dark blue t-shirt and short, white pants. Also he had a large fan painted on the back, but in his case, the same symbol was visible on both sleeves on his shirt.
"Mom!" the girl yelled as she dug into Sakura's arms. "Naraku stole Toramu and he tried to hit me with it!" he announced while she pointed at the boy with the neckerchief. The woman only rubbed her head slightly before she glanced at Sasuke.
The man only let out a sigh and walked towards the two boys. "Sorry dad…" began the one with the ponytail. "I tried to stop him, but Naraku just wouldn't listen and then Gouka started screaming and then…" but at this point the boy got interrupted by the jounin:
"Yes, I know Enkou… Naraku likes bad jokes…" and with that he turned towards the one with the fluffed tiger in his hand: "Give your sister her mascot back, Naraku…" and as the boy began with the 'but', the older man narrowed his eyes, making him lower his head and hand back the girl her toy.
Sasuke let out another sigh and with a tiny smile appearing on his face, he turned towards the two boys again: "You know, guys I have a little free time now… what'd you say if we would go and train a little? I'm anxious to see how much you've learned since last week…"
"Yay!' the twins cheered as they ran back into the house to get their shinobi stars. The young girl, Gouka, only sobbed quietly as she looked at her father. He smiled towards her and with that he placed his hand on her head: "Naraku shouldn't bother you for some time, but if he will, just let me know and we'll pull some prank on him, okay?"
The girl only nodded as a tiny smirk appeared on her face. At that time the two boys returned and the three male headed to the nearby forest. As they went on their way, Sasuke only smirked: "Having your own subordinates is tuff… but having your own kids is even harder…" he thought to himself as he glanced in the direction of a tower that was located in the middle of the famous Forest of Death.
---That time in the tower---
"Finally we made it…" announced Renge with her hands behind her head as she walked down the hallway with her teammates. "If it wasn't for those rain-nins that thought they'll manage to take our scrolls, we'd get here sooner… the nerve of those guys… and who was that Kasano guy they talked about anyway?"
"Beats me…" replied Irakusa shrugging. "Most likely he was also the participant of the exams, but I never saw the guy… you think he's any good?" but the kunoichi only stared at the ceiling as he asked.
After a moment of thought, Renge responded: "Dunno, but it'd be interesting to run into him… I wanna check if he's really as good as those guys said he was… what do you think, Kamoku-kun?" and with that she glanced at her other companion, only to see that he was looking straight in front. As she followed his sight, he noticed a certain, blonde mist-nin standing in the hallway, propping against the wall with his arms crossed.
The moment the three grass-nins came closer, he bounced off the wall and walked right towards the Kusa cell leader. As he bended over slightly to look into Kamoku's eyes, a tiny smirk appeared on his face as he asked: "You're Hongen Kamoku, ain't ya?"
"Perhaps…" the other boy replied simply with his eyes narrowed. "But you should introduce yourself before asking someone his name…" the blonde only smiled wider and with a short chuckle, he responded: "The name's Kigahen… my last name is not important…"
"When people say that…" Irakusa cut in calmly. "It often means that it's exactly the other way around…" and with that the blonde glanced at him, still smiling. After a short while he looked back at Kamoku and with his smile disappearing, he announced: "Tell me something… did you had a brother?"
At those words Kamoku's eyes narrowed even more. Anger began building up in him, yet he did his best not to show it. Realizing this, Renge stepped in between the two quickly and without even looking at her teammate, she asked: "Why are you so interested in Kamoku-kun?"
"No, real reason…" came a response. "It's just that I knew someone, who looked incredibly similar to you… he once told me about his brother and you match that description perfectly… so I was just curious…"
"My clan is of no concern to you…" Kamoku announced with a cold voice. A voice Renge never heard him talk with. "I do not wish to continue this conversation, so do move out of our way so that we could reach our destination… the next exam will start in a short while and we wish to rest before that…"
"Naturally…" replied Kigahen with a smirk as he bowed slightly and stepped aside, allowing the grass-nins to walk pass him. But as Kamoku was passing by, he said quietly, yet loud enough for all the Kusa gennin to hear: "However it's regrettable that you decided to betray your father like this…"
Kamoku suddenly stopped as his eyes narrowed. Without looking at the blonde, he replied with an emotionless voice, which made Kigahen's smirk widen: "The man you're speaking off… he is not my father… and I'll never treat him as one… and that brother you mentioned… we were never family in the first place. Everything that happened to me… they're the ones to blame…" and with that he walked on.
Kigahen only smiled as he glanced after the Grass trio. A moment later he headed his own way, still smiling: "Hongen Kamoku… the renegade… most interesting. I never thought that I'll meet him in a place like this… he's not part of the mission… but then, I can still sacrifice some of my time to play with him for a bit…" and with that thought he disappeared around the corner.
---That time, elsewhere---
"There's the tower!" yelled Urusai happily as he landed on another tree branch. "We're home free!" but at this point Ayame smacked him in the back of his head:
"Quiet down, will ya?" she asked annoyed. "We shouldn't draw attention to ourselves, especially now! There might be traps set around this place and since there's so little time till the end of the exam, teams that don't have all the scrolls will try anything to get a complete… if you don't want to get attacked, shut up!"
The trio landed near the entrance to the tower. "This is it…" announced Jun simply as he pushed the door open and the three walked inside. As they went pass the doors, those shut close, imprisoning them inside.
The young gennin weren't moved by that at all however. Their eyes only widen as they realize what awaited them inside the tower, their finish line.
---the second exam is at its end… the real challenge begins now!---
And that's that. Maybe for now (if the number of reviews will be high enough) or maybe for longer (if it won't be high enough). Basically it's up to you. I do hope those of you, who decided to read it, enjoyed this chapter.
And now, before finishing this, I'll follow Shang's example and give you the full list of the more important gennin (and that I'm too lazy to do the character profile this time):
Konoha (Uzumaki Naruto): Hanayaka Jun, Hatake Ayame, Kodawari Urusai
Konoha (Hyuuga Hinata): Aburame Kumo, Emimaru Hinako, Hashira Hisaki
Konoha (Nara Shikamaru): Akimichi Choumura, Hyuuga Isseki, Uchiha Homura
Konoha (Uchiha Sasuke): Fuujiru Dajaku, Inuzuka Hige, Reijuushi Kyoudai
Konoha (Rock Lee): Mekko Gaki, Naifu Ibuki, Sabudo Kei
Suna (Temari): Sabaku no Kai, Nibai, Saboten
Suna (Kankuro): Chisoku, Hagetaka, Kugutsu
Kiri (mist-nins): Ago Fuka, Ketsueki Kenbu, Kodawari Kigahen
Oto (Yakushi Kabuto): Kaguya Toge, Tategoto Fushi, Wooku
Kusa (grass-nins): Chitagana Renge, Hongen Kamoku, Irakusa
Ame (rain-nins): Kasano, Kasumi, Pazu Tso
And that's it… for now maybe. Cya!