I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Inspired by "Never Cut Twice", written by shadowmaster62.
Naruto: Paths Less Traveled
Chapter 1
Morning broke over Konoha, wrapped in a cloak of grey clouds. As the sky lightened imperceptibly with each passing minute, the villagers and resident shinobi prepared to greet their respective business in the new day. Shops were opening, morning news was being delivered, breakfasts were cooking, and the first class of the day for the students of Konoha Ninja Academy was preparing to start. However, in all of the gathering bustle, one room in an out of the way apartment building was unmoved, and remained silent, its sole habitant having departed before first light for the last time.
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The training grounds of Konoha were vast, encompassing the majority of open space within the village's territory, and boasting a wide selection of available terrains for the use of active duty shinobi. They were all very scenic, but more importantly, each and every one of them offered numerous hiding places. Naruto was currently passing through one of the forest zones adjacent to the great village wall, doing his best to avoid notice while maintaining a decent rate of travel. For once, he was taking full advantage of his environment, attempting to blend into his surroundings as often as possible - he had even foregone his usual loud orange jumpsuit in favor of more conservative clothing. Very early in planning his departure, Naruto had determined that sneaking through the main gate was unacceptable - with at least two chuunin monitoring all of the village's incoming and outgoing traffic at all times during the day, and no cover anywhere within fifty yards of the gateway itself, there was simply no way to pass through without being marked. Being noticed exiting the village proper wasn't a problem, but being noticed never coming back was. The only choice Naruto had was to hop the wall directly from one of the less conspicuous areas of the village.
However, it could not truly be said that any road out of the village was ideal. Naruto knew that with his decision he was merely trading one set of headaches for another. Numerous patrol groups ran circuits throughout the greater forest of Konoha beyond the village wall. Naruto knew some of the routes, but that information did little to improve his situation - the pathways crisscrossed all over the forest, and the patrol schedules were staggered in such a way that any section of territory could be in the direct view of at least three sets of eyes at any given moment. Although the recent attack by the united forces of Oto and Suna had weakened Konoha's reserve of active duty shinobi, the outer sentry lines had actually been reinforced to continue presenting a strong image to the rest of the community of hidden villages. Naruto's chances of passing through such a network without being spotted were slim, but not negligible. Although he lacked information on the speed and location of any of the patrol groups, he did have one asset.
The first time Naruto had manifested the characteristics of the Kyuubi, that day on the bridge when his team had defeated Zabuza and his subordinate Haku, he had experienced a significant increase in his sensitivity to sight, sound, and smell, to the point where his tracking abilities could rival or even surpass those of a bloodhound. With such a tool at his disposal, the task of locating and avoiding the various teams scattered throughout the forest would be reduced from nearly impossible to merely difficult. Fortunately, the manifestation did not require any concentration, and could be maintained almost indefinitely without effort, allowing him to concentrate fully on the task at hand.
Naruto came to a stop several meters from the high wall of the village and directed his focus inward, just long enough to summon the Kyuubi's red chakra until it suffused his pathways. Instantly his senses exploded with the ambience of the forest. He could focus his sight on the most minute detail, from the ants wandering through the bark of the trees to the seams in the wall before him, to the birds of prey that circled high above. He could smell the brown earth, the dew that still clung to the grass, the various animals that scurried about their own business. He could hear the rustle of every leaf, the skittering of every insect, the padding of every clawed foot, the flapping of every wing. And he could hear the sounds of sandaled feet landing on tree branches.
Naruto tensed and leapt nearly straight up, angling himself to land feet first on the wall's surface about two thirds of the way to the top. As he made contact, he immediately propelled himself up and over the side, jumping out into the forest canopy before him. Snagging the first large branch that passed him as he fell through, he swung himself up and into a crouch on a high bough, then paused to assess his surroundings once more. From his new perch, he could now determine the whereabouts of any shinobi moving near enough to alert his senses, or anywhere within three hundred meters. Focusing in on the first group that entered his increased range of perception, and doing his best to avoid making any sounds of his own, Naruto began the tedious process of weaving his way through the net.
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At this point, anyone who was acquainted with Naruto could have been forgiven some confusion from witnessing his current methodology. "Dead last" was best known for flashy displays and grandiose claims, not calm analysis, patience, and discretion. None of these sudden changes in his behavior made any sense - unless one applied the proper context.
While in school, Naruto had tried his best to succeed at becoming a shinobi, but at the time he had believed that all one needed to be a shinobi was fighting ability and powerful techniques, and that his aptitude with the more cerebral aspects of the job would develop as a natural consequence of being awesome. Which is not to say that Naruto was actually an idiot - he simply felt that thinking things through was unnecessary.
Fortunately, at some point during his first real mission, Naruto had come face to face with death at the hands of an enemy that was every bit as cunning as he was powerful. He'd watched Kakashi become ensnared by Zabuza with relatively little effort, through sheer chicanery no less (and the idea that anyone could outwit Kakashi was plain terrifying). At that moment Naruto knew that if he was ever going to survive, much less excel in his career as a shinobi, he would have to play by the same rules as everyone else, and that meant he would need to study his ass off in order to make up for time wasted in other pursuits. Therefore, as soon as Team Seven returned to Konoha from Nami, Naruto had reluctantly set to the task of devoting all of his free time to hitting books and scrolls, playing brain games, and surreptitiously watching his sensei and the other jounin in the village. The results of his new mental training were not immediately noticeable - his performance during the chuunin exams was proof of that. Yet slowly and surely, Naruto had learned the value of the old adage 'looking underneath the underneath' and begun to apply it in his own life.
None of his recent gains were as apparent as his handicaps (and Naruto eventually recognized that his previous attitude had born some rather large handicaps). For one thing, his critical thinking skills were still severely underdeveloped and could do nothing but improve. He was absolutely lousy at dealing with abstract concepts, and he still more or less hated reading. However, he was not without his own rather unique advantages.
Kakashi had hailed Naruto as the number one shinobi at surprising people, but hadn't known at the time just how right he was. Naruto was able to draw upon years of experience as a first class prankster, he had a power of insight in battle that hinted at real tactical genius, and his unquenchable drive to be the best was second to none (except Rock Lee, but that boy doesn't have anything else going for him). He also possessed the unquantifiable factor of the Kyuubi imprisoned inside him. He was, to put it simply, devious and resourceful as hell. All of this meant that when Naruto had developed sufficiently to approach his job seriously and with the will to apply himself mentally as well as physically, he took immediate advantage of his newfound focus - by revealing it to no one.
The choice made perfect sense, really. As a shinobi, the last thing a person wanted to display was their true character. To do so was to risk exposing one's weaknesses to potential enemies, and for a shinobi, everyone was a potential enemy. Hiding one's nature also provided a significant advantage on the battlefield - it made predicting one's actions extremely difficult. Countering this tactic was one of the original reasons shinobi were taught to look 'underneath the underneath', although few learned the true lesson before they were senior chuunin. The slower ones never learned it at all.
Thus far, Naruto had successfully concealed his new insights behind the same face he'd worn during his academy days, that of the class clown. This was the real reason he had become so good at surprising people - he watched and waited while continuing to act brazen and reckless, and then he kicked ass. He even managed to do it in such a way that made everyone assume dumb luck was on his side, with the likely exception of the Hokage.
As of this moment, though, the usefulness of his pose had come to an end. Leaving his village behind meant he would no longer have any allies for which to perform relentless and deflecting shenanigans. Oh, he could maintain the act as a means of misleading other enemies he was sure to face, but the beauty of those future enemies being complete strangers was that he could choose any face he wanted. In some ways, Naruto was relieved. He had gotten rather tired of being treated like an idiot, even while actively encouraging it. What was more, not having to act also meant he could devote his full energy to discovering his new path in life.
As he was reflecting on this, Naruto was about eight kilometers out from the village walls. It was now early afternoon, and the sounds of the shinobi patrols had not reached his ears for at least twenty minutes. Satisfied that he was out of danger, he dropped down to the lower boughs which allowed for greater freedom of motion, and set off at full speed for Water Country. As he traveled, he reached up and untied his forehead protector, stuffing it into one of the side pockets of his pack.
Naruto was no longer a shinobi of Konoha.
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Gaara sat by the window in his quarters, staring moodily across the village of Suna. He had been doing that a lot lately, much to the dismay of his siblings. Not to say that they were particularly worried for him - anyone who had taken their first life at around the age of four was generally considered to be a person who could take care of himself. No, the primary concern for Temari and Kankuro was whether their younger brother was about to unleash another bloody rampage, such as he was wont to do whenever something displeased him. Having lived in his presence for many years, they were well aware that the demon which rested inside him was easily roused whenever its vessel became disturbed. Usually, Gaara's insomnia and the absolute defense his sand provided were sufficient measures to prevent Shukaku from receiving enough stimulus to fully awaken. Usually.
Gaara's recent depression was more mundane than his siblings might suspect. The simple fact was that he missed Konoha, a village that had accepted he and his siblings as allies during their last visit. Although Konoha and Suna had been nominal allies for many years, such relationships were typically maintained at arm's length, and contact was kept to a minimum. However, Orochimaru's recent subversion of Suna's forces and the attack that followed had been taken as a wake-up call by the newly established Fifth Hokage, and she had decided the time was ripe for improving relations between their respective villages.
So Konoha had requested assistance from Suna's shinobi forces at the earliest opportunity, selecting Team Baki to demonstrate that Konoha was willing to forgive past transgressions in the name of friendship. What was more, after they had completed their mission, the Hokage had personally granted Gaara and his siblings freedom to move about Konoha however they wished, as long as they stayed out of sensitive areas and stayed out of trouble. Temari and Kankuro had been indifferent to the gesture and mostly kept to their quarters, playing with their makeup more likely than not. Different tastes, and all that. Gaara, on the other hand, had seized the chance to experience Konoha for the first time.
Oh, he had seen it all before during the chuunin exams, but at that time the three of them had been scouting for tactical information. Nothing disrupted atmosphere like a recon/infiltration. Even then, Gaara had been fascinated by what was obviously a predominantly civilian community. Suna was a militant village, and actually was better described as a fortress. Its layout had been designed for utility and defensive response - aesthetics were a secondary consideration. The entire settlement was surrounded by high walls, carved directly out of the mountain on whose knees it had been raised, with only a single narrow corridor which served as the village's main gate. The only way Suna could truly be breached was by air, but everyone knew that was impossible.
Of course, Konoha had defenses as well - the differences lay in how they were presented. In Konoha, one could easily forget that they lived within a significant military machine. For this reason, Gaara had taken his stay within the village as an opportunity to experience what life was like for normal people. He visited the marketplace every day. He went to the park. He had even visited the Ninja Academy (although the instructors had been forced to insist that he keep his distance from the students). Everywhere he went, he watched people moving about their daily lives, until he finally realized what he'd missed for so many years.
Gaara wanted to feel alive.
Partly this was due to the severe restrictions presented by having such a violent creature as Shukaku living inside him. Partly it was the contrast with his home, which appeared almost totally devoid of life or color, or even noise. Mostly, it was because of Gaara's recent meeting with a certain loud-mouthed shinobi by the name of Naruto.
Naruto was a jinchuuriki like Gaara, and, like Gaara, he had been ostracized and avoided for most of his life. Unlike Gaara, instead of withdrawing into himself from pain and loneliness, Naruto had reached out to those near him, forcing them to acknowledge him through sheer determination. According to the Sannin Jiraiya, who had spoken briefly with Gaara while examining his seal at the Hokage's request, Naruto possessed a quality which allowed him to make friends with anyone he met. Gaara had experienced this quality firsthand, while in the throes of demonic rage during the attack on Konoha. Naruto literally had beaten him over the head and forced him to recognize that there were people who cared for him as a person, that he was not merely a weapon, but a human being. It was the first time Gaara had ever considered his life as a thing of value in itself. The revelation had been shocking, and alien feelings had risen in its wake. But as time passed, Gaara began to perceive the truth in Naruto's words, and sought to learn more from the people of Konoha. He had even begun acting more friendly with his siblings, inasmuch as he was able. Why, he didn't threaten their lives more than twice a day anymore.
Now that he was back in Suna, Gaara was on the verge of a monumental decision. Having witnessed the differences between his life and the lives of more normal people, he realized that he wanted what Naruto had. Gaara wanted to be acknowledged as more than a mere weapon. And maybe, just maybe, the time would come when he could use his powers to protect the people that were slowly becoming important to him.
At that moment, the sound of flapping wings jolted Gaara from his thoughts, causing him to look up as a messenger hawk landed on his windowsill. Confused, but without hesitation, he removed the small scroll affixed to the bird's leg. His name was clearly printed on the outer wrapping, but otherwise the scroll bore no markings other than a small spiraling design surrounded by eight scrawling lines. Then Gaara remembered where he had seen that pattern before. Hastily, he removed the message's bindings and began to read.
Many hours would pass before he moved from that spot again.
oooooo
"Wow... this place really took off." Naruto stared at the sight before him with awe. After two days on the road, he had finally arrived at the bridge that connected the city of Nami with the mainland. The immense wooden construct which happened to share his namesake had been finished shortly after Naruto and the rest of Team Seven had completed their mission to protect its primary architect, Tazuna, from assassination. Of course, it hadn't hurt that their onetime enemy, Zabuza, had killed the gang boss whose wish to suppress the bridge's development had necessitated the mission to begin with. Apparently Tazuna hadn't been exaggerating about the impact his great dream would have - the formerly impoverished and destitute city had transformed into a bustling center of commerce. The continuous stream of travelers, carts, and shipping wagons passing over the bridge provided silent testimony to Nami's newfound prosperity. Naruto could not have been more satisfied to see his friend's beliefs so thoroughly vindicated.
Unfortunately, as much as he would have liked to visit Tazuna and his family, there was just too much risk. Konoha's hunter teams were going to be sent out eventually, when Tsunade discovered that he was still alive. If his name was floating around a place such as Nami had obviously become, it could reach halfway across the continent by the end of the month. Gaara had almost certainly found his message and performed the services Naruto had requested by now - he would never fail to act on behalf of the first person who had called him a friend.
If all had gone according to plan, he was now officially dead in the eyes of the village, but if his name surfaced just a few days later (from another city, no less), the little soap bubble of a deception he had constructed was going to pop much sooner than he'd like. Naruto had a plan to prevent that from happening for as long as possible, but it involved a rather large amount of risk - not to mention sinking quite a bit of the earnings he'd managed to scrape up before he'd left. The first order of business was to find someplace relatively cheap that could put him up for a week or two, or, failing that, a nice camping spot in the woods. Hopefully Nami's new status as a major trade center wouldn't have caused all of the inns' prices to skyrocket.
By the time these thoughts were crossing his mind, Naruto had completed the walk across the great bridge and entered the city proper. There were market stalls in almost every lane he could see before him, hawking anything from the catch of the day to rare spices to heirloom jewelry. Well, at least I should have plenty of material to work with, Naruto thought to himself, eyeing the selection. As he meandered through the city market, he was again amazed at the complete turnaround the place had experienced. Everyone was bustling to and fro about their business, everyone had a spring in their step. There were no gangs of hungry children running about trying to knick fruits or vegetables, and most of all, no roving pairs of obvious enforcers subjugating the locals. Times changed fast, apparently.
Eventually Naruto located an inn that wouldn't gouge his purse too heavily, and put himself down for a week's stay. If he wanted to go longer, he'd need to find work pretty quickly. That was a subject he'd have preferred to avoid a little longer - as a shinobi he was capable of a more dangerous and varied selection of jobs than common laborers, but looking up that kind of work in a place like Nami - that is, an ordinary city - almost guaranteed crossing over to the wrong side of the law. Naruto wasn't quite ready to take such a step yet, but even if he were, there was the issue of his rank to think about. As a genin, he had to admit his selection of techniques and overall experience were, frankly, pathetic. He was years away from being able to solo missions of any greater difficulty than delivering milk to old ladies. That left him with a choice among the more mundane career fields for the time being - but he would still need a lot of free time to continue practicing and studying. There were plenty of options around, but going through them all was a task best left for another day.
For now, Naruto needed to make himself unrecognizable. As he was considering several ideas on how to go about doing so, he reached his room and let himself in. It was a simple affair - a single average size bed, small writing desk and lamp, washroom to the side and a small kitchenette near the doorway. Enough to satisfy his basic needs indefinitely. Setting down his travel pack and making sure he had a few kunai hidden under his sleeves, Naruto left to see what the city had to offer a shinobi on the run.
oooooo
Two hours later, Naruto had acquired a new wardrobe, a new hairstyle, a much lighter purse, and a head full of questions.
Clothes had been relatively easy - Nami had more than a few tailors, apparently. His chosen items were already the appropriate size, and modifications had been fairly basic. He'd started with a sturdy pair of black drawstring pants, several white T-shirts and a high-collared black long coat. The coat was lined with white and reversible, which would allow him to blend into areas where dark colors might not be preferable. He then had the knees of the pants lined with extra thick layers of cloth and extra pockets woven into the lower legs. He'd also acquired a new pair of sandals, more rugged and durable than his last set. He wasted no time swapping out his old clothes for the new ensemble before continuing his rounds.
Getting his hair changed had been slightly more complicated. Naruto knew that his anonymity depended on maintaining a description completely at odds with the image he'd held as a member of Konoha. A blond boy with blue eyes and whisker marks on his cheeks would be recognized instantly, even across a crowded city square. While the eyes were temporary (he hoped), there wasn't much he could do about the whiskers. He could change the color and style of his hair, but not permanently, which was the ideal solution. Luckily, while asking around in the market, Naruto learned of a barber that actually could do such a thing, and eventually located his place of business.
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Stepping inside the doorway, Naruto was greeted by a small yet cheerful shop. Three swiveling chairs stood in front of a long counter, and the entire wall above was taken up by a large mirror. Sitting in one of the chairs, reading a newspaper, was a mustachioed old man with friendly eyes, who looked up as soon as the opening door rang a little bell.
"Ah, welcome young man," he said as he set aside the paper and stood up. "What can I do for you today?"
Naruto looked at the man for a moment before responding, "They told me you can change a person's hair color permanently. Is that for real?"
The old man grinned. "Yes, yes it's true. I suppose it's hard to believe without proper explanation. If you like, I can tell you how it works while we get you fixed up, hmm?" As he spoke, he turned a chair to face Naruto, who hung up his new coat and moved forward to take his seat.
Turning Naruto's chair to face the mirror, the old man continued to speak. "Now then," he said as he lifted up Naruto's hair in various places, "how would you like this done? It looks like your hair's used to being held up; you're accustomed to wearing a headband, I'd guess. I'll have to shorten it a bit to get it to settle down if you want to keep going without one. And this back area is totally flattened. We can do something about that, too."
Naruto watched the old man's reflection as he worked. "Yea, shorter would be fine. I'm not so worried about the style, it's mostly the color I want to go."
The old man nodded, "Of course. What did you have in mind?"
Naruto considered this for a few minutes, before answering, "How about white?"
"White? Are you sure you want to start looking my age so soon?" the old man replied with a chuckle. "Well, I suppose it'll make for an interesting contrast. This could take a little while, so make yourself comfortable." He picked up a pair of clippers and set to work on Naruto's bangs. "I suppose I should introduce myself. Kensu is my name."
"Uzu- er... Naruto," Naruto returned, cursing himself for the slip. How the hell are you going to stay hidden if you give people your full name, idiot?
Kensu looked at him curiously for a brief moment but didn't comment. "What brings you to Nami, Naruto-san?"
Naruto looked at Kensu's reflection again. "How did you know I'm not a local?"
Kensu laughed. "Because you haven't heard of me, naturally!"
Naruto grinned at that. "Yea, I guess you got me there. I'm, uh, just here to see the marketplace. I heard this place really turned around after Gatou got taken out."
At this point Naruto realized he had screwed up, badly. It never occurred to him to think of a cover story for his presence, but it should have been the very first thing he considered before even entering the city. If he didn't have a plausible reason for being in a particular place, he was sure to raise suspicions. Worse, it might alert ANBU to his whereabouts. Fortunately, his present circumstances were forgiving, and now that he knew his mistake, he could be sure not to repeat it in the future.
Kensu nodded, apparently taking Naruto's motives at face value. "Yes, that was a bad time. Many people were forced to leave the city. Those who were able, at any rate." For a brief moment, his eyes squeezed shut. "Yet Tazuna-san never lost his resolve. Even under the threat of death, he kept trying to make his dream a reality. You can see how things have turned out since then. We owe him much for restoring Nami to its former prosperity."
At that moment Kensu straightened and took a step back. "I'm almost ready to apply the color you requested. Give me just a moment." He then brought his hands together, prayer fashion, and closed his eyes. After a few seconds, his fingertips began glowing with chakra. Returning to his position behind Naruto's chair, Kensu began lightly massaging the boy's scalp. Naruto felt a strong tickling sensation on the crown of his head as the old man's fingers wove practiced patterns through his hair.
As he worked, Kensu spoke again. "This technique is actually very simple, if you have any skill with controlling your chakra. Basically, the chakra stimulates your hair follicles, and causes the pigment cells to expand or contract. The result is a change in the amount of melanin that leaches into your hair, which is where the new color comes from. With enough practice, you can give yourself any color you want... as long as it's something natural."
Naruto watched the barber's reflection in the mirror, noticing that even after his hands passed over a certain area on his head, he was still completely blond. "Why isn't it working?"
Kensu chuckled. "It is working. You just can't tell yet because it only effects the cells in your scalp. Once your hair has grown out a bit, you'll start to notice the change. When I've finished my treatment, we can fix you up with some ordinary dye to get the color you want right away. If you like, I can also provide some optional colors for you to experiment with. No sense tying yourself down this quickly, eh?"
Kensu continued his work, humming softly to himself as Naruto gazed around the shop. It was well lit, and nicely appointed, but it was also small, and located out of the way of the greater market. Naruto guessed that it was one of those 'hole in the wall' type of places that tended to survive more because of loyal customers than any advertising. The thought brought back memories of Ichiraku and his little stand. If Kensu's quality of work was anything like Ichiraku's, Naruto was certain he'd be plenty satisfied, whatever the result. At that moment, the barber faced Naruto's gaze in the mirror and asked a question that jolted him out of his musings.
"You're a shinobi, aren't you?"
Naruto could not look away from the strangely intense gaze he was now being subjected to. After a few moments, he nodded once.
Kensu nodded to himself, and returned his attention to Naruto's scalp. "I thought so. Your chakra feels much more developed than any of my other customers'. You're not wearing your forehead protector, though. What village do you come from?"
Naruto's expression became pained, momentarily, before he recollected himself. "I don't have a village anymore."
Kensu looked at him sharply. "A missing nin," he hissed. He straightened up and took a step away from Naruto's seat, opening the distance between them slightly. His posture and tone had changed completely, from that of a harmless old man to an unexpectedly deadly threat. "What is your business in Nami?" His voice had changed, too, becoming deeper, and more resonant. The man was clearly a skilled actor.
Naruto sensed that his life depended on his answer, so he faced Kensu's gaze squarely in the mirror. "Just gathering supplies. I don't want any trouble."
Kensu grunted a short, harsh laugh. "You're going about this the wrong way, then, Naruto-san. Going missing from a hidden village is probably the fastest way to get yourself on a kill list." He stared at Naruto's reflected visage. "I'll ask again. Which village did you run away from?"
Naruto looked down at his feet. "Konoha."
Kensu continued to stare for several minutes before finally letting off a sigh. He straightened, dropping his combat ready stance. He was Kensu the barber again. "I won't ask why you left, kid. But for your own sake, you'd better hope you haven't led anyone to Nami on your heels. Now. I suppose you're wondering just how a simple old barber knows so much about you shinobi, hmm?"
Naruto looked up at the mirror, then swiveled his chair to face Kensu directly. "You're no barber."
Kensu smiled ruefully. "Actually, I am... but I see your point. There's no great mystical secret about it. As it turns out, I too am a missing nin. Rather, I was. That's all long behind me now."
Naruto's jaw dropped open. "But..." He looked around at the shop and its trappings, the obvious products of years of hard work. Years obviously not spent on the run from hunter nin. "But how long have you been here? Aren't you worried about ANBU finding you?"
Kensu chuckled at the Naruto's confusion. "Didn't you stop to think about what I was doing to your hair just a few minutes ago? I was a spymaster for ANBU, back in the day. I'm a master of disguises, not some helpless retiree. But, even if they did find me, what difference can it make now? I'm not so long for the world as I used to be, you know."
He folded his arms as he regarded Naruto's expression of dawning comprehension. "Listen, kid, if you're going to live on the run, you'd better sharpen up. Never mind that I could tell you were a shinobi, you didn't do that great a job making me believe you're here for any ordinary reason. And you nearly gave yourself away when you introduced yourself. That was sloppy. Only truly dangerous shinobi ever give out their full names, and I'm pretty sure you're not one of those yet."
Naruto scowled slightly at the comment, but he knew the old man was right, and decided to hold his tongue. Still, it was a near thing.
Kensu sighed again, rubbing his head. "Look, it's pretty obvious you're new at this, so I'll help you out a little. First of all, forget about paying for my services. You can consider it my side of a bargain for Nami's safety. And if you think your presence doesn't put Nami at risk, then you really don't have a clue what you're doing. Just take my word for it. Second, I want you to meet me again tomorrow evening. Say about an hour before sunset, out on the far side of the bridge in the forest to the north. Look for a clearing with a sawed off tree trunk in its center. I'll see you there."
Kensu looked at him again with a hard glare, causing Naruto to recoil slightly. "One more thing. If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will find out, and then I will kill you myself. I've decided to help you, but I'm not going to let you squander what I've built for myself here. Understand?"
Naruto swallowed, and nodded. He didn't doubt the old man could back his words up.
Kensu smiled. "Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto-san. Oh, before I forget..." He walked over to a set of shelves on the back wall and took down a bottle, then tossed it to Naruto. "Use that straightaway. And, watch your back."
As Naruto rose from his seat and tucked the bottle away, Kensu retrieved his paper and settled himself down in another chair. Naruto watched him for a moment, thoughts whirling in his head. Then he turned, took his coat from its hook on the wall, and left.
oooooo
An hour later, Naruto was staring at his reflection in the mirror, examining the effect of his new hair color. Having followed Kensu's instructions immediately after returning to his room at the inn, he was now sporting a head of pure white. Also, as he'd suspected, Kensu's styling was superb. Instead of a crop of spikes sticking straight up, Naruto's hair was now cut close to the scalp, with just enough length to pull off some ragged edging. A tiny ponytail had been tied off at the base of his skull, completing the new look.
Naruto closed his eyes slowly, then opened them again, revealing the red eyes of the Kyuubi. The difference was shocking. Where before the Kyuubi's eyes had been startling, against their new white background, they could be terrifying. Naruto grinned, exposing one of his enlarged fangs, and appreciated the jolt his reflected visage gave him. The overall image was that of a boy gone totally feral - the sort of person who might do absolutely anything. Yes, this would do just fine.
Naruto was not interested in scaring random people, but there was no question that he would be spending much of his time alone in the wilderness in an effort to avoid the hunters from Konoha. Naruto had enough experience to understand that there was almost no chance he would not cross paths with other shinobi in his travels. Since his abilities were still trivial compared to many jounin, the best option he had was to cultivate a truly frightening image in order to gain some psychological advantage. Even if he was only able to intimidate his foes for a few seconds, those were still seconds of extra time he could use to prepare for battle - an invaluable resource to any shinobi. And who knew, maybe it would be popular with the ladies.
For one moment, he let himself think about Sakura, before putting the pink-haired kunoichi out of mind. Satisfied that his new image was complete, Naruto let the red fade from his eyes as he turned away from the mirror and retrieved his coat. It was time to visit Zabuza.
oooooo
The sun was just crossing the horizon by the time Naruto reached the section of forest where he and the rest of Team 7 had laid Zabuza and his disciple Haku to rest. He proceeded slowly, not wanting to disturb the site any more than absolutely necessary. Meters passed in silence, and then he was beyond the last line of tress, entering a small grassy field that ended in a point at the land's edge. Sheer walls dropped down from all sides except straight back, providing an unobstructed view of Nami and other islands which lay beyond. Just before the drop stood two crude wooden grave markers, side by side. No markings were carved into the posts - the only clue to the identity of those who rested beneath was the enormous sword piercing the earth in front of them. Naruto approached the site until he stood five paces away from the great sword, made a silent prayer, and clapped his hands once. He then spent some time examining the blade before him.
Kubikiri Houchou was one of the Seven Swords of the Mist - its shape was unmistakable, and its reputation fearsome... much like that of its former wielder, the Demon Momochi Zabuza. The blade extended well over a meter in length and stretched as wide as a small tree. A scoop in its edged side near the hilt guard and a round hole near the tip gave credibility to the name Neck Cleaver. If it was the craftsman's intention to give shape to the word 'brutality', he could scarcely have done better. Naruto traced the sword's outline with his eyes, committing every detail to memory. Then he raised his gaze to the two grave markers once more.
"Hello, Zabuza," he started, a bit awkwardly. It wasn't often he visited the graves of defeated foes who had tried their best to kill him and his team, after all. "I think maybe you know why I'm here, sorta. I've left Konoha. I'm a missing nin, now... like you." Naruto grimaced, casting about for the right words. "Well, okay, I didn't try to kill anyone and I wasn't chased out, but still... there's nothing left for me there." A light breeze swept through the grass, diverting Naruto's thoughts momentarily. "It sucks, honestly. I did my best to live up to the ninja way I made for myself, but all it got me was a load of bad memories and a broken promise."
Naruto grimaced as he realized he was probably just irritating Zabuza with childish whining. "Okay, well, I can't keep on living that way. I thought I could make everyone acknowledge me if I just kept on trying, but... that wasn't enough. I spent my whole life trying to earn that, and you know what? I'm tired of wanting everyone's approval. I think it's time I started living for myself. And... I need your help."
Gathering his thoughts, and his courage, Naruto plowed forward before he could lose his nerve. "I want to take your sword with me. To me, it's a symbol of what you used to be. Whatever else you might have been, you were a free man. And that's what I'm going to be. But I'm going to need an edge, so to speak. So, if you don't mind..." With that said, he reached forward and grasped the blade's handle, tensed as he awaited some sign of Zabuza's feelings about the matter. Seconds passed, and nothing happened.
Consigning his fate to the gods, Naruto strengthened his grip and heaved, pulling the mighty blade from the ground and raising it upright before him. Still nothing happened. Accepting the lack of reaction as Zabuza's acquiescence, Naruto bowed once to the grave markers. "Your memory lives in this sword, Zabuza. I'll do my best to preserve it." Resting the sword across his shoulders, he began making his way back to the city. There was still much to be done.
Holy crap this took a long time to finish! I really am sorry for the wait - life has been very busy and it's just going to get worse. I originally planned this chapter to be longer, but at this point it's better to get it out there and just wipe off the slate a bit.
Obviously I've taken some liberties with canon in this segment. Call it what you will, but this is kind of an AU / Divergence, and anyway a dumb hero just can't survive on his own in a world where literally everyone you meet can and probably will try to kill you just for making the wrong face at them. So there.
A few fun facts - some of Naruto's vicious retroactive character development was partially inspired by S'TarKan's Team 8 - hope you don't mind, Viridian. Also, for those of you who are freakishly attentive to detail, Naruto's new outfit is the very same from Shiippuuden's second outro sequence. You know the one, where the Naruto cast fill in their own version of GTO? Yea, that one.
Also, Nami means Wave, although hopefully you figured that out from context. Ah well, precautions and all that. See you all next time (hopefully sooner than later)!
PS - HOLY CRAP I did not realize the document editor doesn't transfer symbols and I totally submitted a story with run-on sections and what the hell is up with that! That's fixed now, hopefully nobody got too frustrated with it. :D