Disclaimer: The Naruto Franchise belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, 'Shounen Jump' and other affiliated companies with intellectual property rights over the franchise.
A/N:
1) Special thanks to DarkHeroOrion, his masterful beta work continues to inspire me. I'm trying to emulate some of his tips as time goes, hopefully he'll continue to help me grow more as an author as time progresses. Hopefully he'll get writing again soon so we can all enjoy his work and not just his 'behind the scene' work on fixing mine.
2) I want to thank all the reviewers, the good and the bad, I know many of you questioned some of my actions in 'The Point of Divergence' especially regarding Naruto's attitude and Sakura's treatment, but all things will eventually come full circle and I thank those who stuck with me this long, even though many of you have doubts.
3) I'm going to have a rather hectic semester (starts today!), so I'm not sure when or how my update pace will be in the following months. But I will do my best to update when I can. Wish me luck everyone!
Now, Read, Review and most importantly - Enjoy!
Japanese Word Glossary
Youton – Lava Release
Jinchuuriki – Power of Human Sacrifice – Nickname for the Bijuu containers
Iwa – Stone
Iwagakure – Hidden Stone
Konoha - Leaf
Konohagakure – Hidden Leaf
Kiri – Mist
Kirigakure – Hidden Mist
Bijuu – Tailed Beast/s
Youki – Evil Energy
Yonbi – Four Tails
Hachibi – Eight Tails
Kyuubi – Nine Tails
Shikaku – Assassin
Tenketsu – Chakra Points
Baachan – Granny
Kumo - Cloud
Kumogakure – Hidden Cloud
Boufuudoki – Wrath of the Gales
Nami no Kuni – Wave Country
Touton no jutsu - Jiraiya's invisibility technique
(Training Ground Alpha, Feet of the active Volcano Satsuma, Iwagakure)
Sumiko panted softly as she wiped the sweat off her forehead with her forearm. She lightly squinted as she looked upward. It was midday, and the Sun's unyielding, blistering rays bathed her in sacrilegious light. Her clothes were soaked with perspiration and clung to her skin disgustingly and, in some places, uncomfortably.
Her sensei had chosen this area to help her master her Youton element. He had briefly instructed her to feel the lava and grasp it with her mind. It was fitting that such an infamously infuriating man as him would choose to frustrate her by so 'eloquently' explaining in that bitter tone.
So, that was how she spent the last two weeks; baking in the sun, choking on the putrid vapors of Mt. Satsuma. In such a pitiful state, any kunoichi had only one option left. Beg."Roushi-sensei, can we take a break? Please?"
The Last of Iwa's Jinchuuriki snorted. "No. Now, concentrate!" he harshly barked. The green-eyed princess gritted her teeth and snapped her head in his direction, glaring at him with impotent rage.
He wore a large headpiece consisting of a three-pointed crown-like ridge, bearing both his Iwagakure forehead protector and ring, and a prominent black piece of armor running across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. His headgear did nothing to conceal the cocky smirk that spread over the aging man's lips.
The man's spiky red hair was tied in a standing pony tail. He dressed himself in a long-sleeved, purple shirt and pants, with clashing brown armor. He attire finished out with a bag tied around his waist, most likely containing ninja tools.
She turned her body fully toward him, her temper frayed by being treated like excrement…no…something even lowlier than that.
"No," she stated in a low, dangerous manner. "I don't care how horrible the village treated you when you were young. Nor do I particularly care how much of a nuisance having to train me has been. You will treat me with respect, Roushi."
The bearded shinobi tilted his head at her. "Will I, now? How, exactly, do you intend to make me do that, princess?" He drawled, one of his bushy brows quirking slightly while his mouth twisted into a sneer.
The brunette kunoichi slapped together her hands, her chakra spreading around her. He may have insisted she wasted her time 'feeling' the earth, but at night, when he slept, she trained herself to the point of near exhaustion. She was a proud princess of Iwa; she would not be held back by this scruffy and shaggy…fool!
'Like this!'
The earth ominously trembled moments before the ground exploded around her, the fury of the mountain gushing around her in all its searing glory. The magmatic substance swirled around her before she threw both of her hands forward.
"Finally, you've caught on, pathetic child," his scornful 'compliment' rang through her ears, doing little to defuse the situation. The man uncrossed his arms and pointing one palm toward the rushing wave of destruction.
Her mandible almost unhinged itself as he stopped her attack with his offhanded gesture, her slender eyebrows flying close to her hairline. She unconsciously felt a shiver run down her spine. Upon closer examination, noticing for all his ridicule, he was not actually having such an easy time. The man's eyes, usually a dull brown, began to take on an eerie, scarlet hue.
'Oh, no…' she thought and watched in rapt horror, trepidation and anxiety filling her body as the bubbling, burgundy youki started wrapping around his limbs.
"Now, defend yourself!" the elder ninja thundered.
She took a step back and threw both hands forward.
Her mind raced for a solution as the wave of liquid fire closed in on her position. She spread her hands apart, thrusting her essence in front of her and watched with some satisfaction (as well as soul-shattering relief) as the wave split in the middle, harmlessly passing around her.
'Are you out of your mind? You could've killed me!' she pondered in dread, though she dared to never voice her displeasure…not with how the man seemed to struggle with his bijuu.
"I never said we were done!" Roushi hissed and made some hand seals, the burning substance around him beginning to violently swirl and froth like a rising foam. It shifted and mutated, finally assuming the shape of a dragon's head.
The maws of the beast opened wide right before it raced over to her.
She knew a scant few Youton ninjutsu, and those were the ones her cousin, Kurotsuchi, had shared with her when they trained together. She quickly rushed through the hand seals, ignoring the intense sensation in her throat as she roughly exhaled, pushing out a thin, furiously fast flow of magma from her lips.
The attack plowed through the dragon's mouth and slammed into Roushi. She heard the jinchuuriki scream in raw agony as it covered his body. She breathed out hard, and her body trembled with adrenaline, fear and relief as his attack dissipated.
"R-Roushi-sensei?" she shakily inquired.
The reply wasn't verbal; it was a sound which was half-growl, half-howl. A massive explosion rocked the entire area, forcing the young woman to unceremoniously drop to the ground. Using raw earth manipulation, she erected a concave barrier to cover her.
She nervously bit her lower lip, shutting her eyes and gripping the ground beneath her with her chakra. Just as the cataclysm subsided and successfully stopped her body from being swept away, her body stiffened.
"R-Roushi-sensei?" Sumiko fretfully piped up, once more.
Iwa's conceited princess felt a malevolent presence approach her and crossed her arms just in time to block a massive, iridescent, red fist. The knuckle comprised itself of an ethereal construct of demonic essence roughly the size of her body, threateningly pulsating around Roushi's own digits.
She cried out in pain, her body catapulting backward. The sense of vertigo and wind whooshing around stopped when she slammed into an upturned slab of stone. She choked when the demonic hand pinned her to the chunk of debris. She looked death in the face; Roushi's eyes now blazed like an otherworldly crimson flame.
Her panic shot through the roof. 'No! Somebody help me…Help me!'
She shut her eyes, whipping and pushing her chakra around her while screaming. It was as if something unlocked inside her; she felt a soothing, tremulous power flow from deep inside her and expand through every fiber of her being.
She opened her eyes, and, if she had gotten surprised before, it paled next to what she witnessed at that critical moment. A glowing blue hue surrounded her arms and upper body. Her jade orbs caressed every contour of her frame with quick glances, before she looked forward, taking in the gleaming, thread-shaped strands of chakra that had extended from her arms.
There, twenty feet away, was Roushi, wrapped in the flickering confines, writhing in agony as her chakra restrained and pushed down the Yonbi's youki.
Disbelief slowly crept up Sumiko's flummoxed visage. "W-What the…what's happening to me?"
(Several Days Later, Hyuuga Mansion, Konohagakure)
Hyuuga Hinata showed off a wide smile and covered her mouth as she giggled. Working with multiple Naruto clones was like observing a demented circus act that went horribly wrong. The clones never got along when they weren't fighting. It was true that Naruto's manners and behavior had improved greatly, but only when he was among superiors or elders; however, when they were alone…
One Naruto clone glared daggers at the brush in his hand. His hand was stained with ink and his eyebrow dangerously twitched.
"Hina-chan," the clone whispered angrily, trying his hardest not to blow his top, "no offense, but do we really have to do this every time I come here? Th-this is so…so boring!"
"Yeah!" an identical tone piped in a suffering, bitter mumble. "Hina-chan, why am I doing this calligraphy training…again?"
"Hey!" a third voice venomously interjected, hissing impatiently at a conversation-like volume. "It's for fuuinjutsu, so stop complaining, you lazy bastards!"
"Now, now, stop it…all of you," Hinata finally commanded firmly. "You've gotten much better, Naruto-kun, so no complaining." She crossed her hands beneath her breasts and eyed them critically. All three clones and their two counterparts had the decency to look sheepish before they resumed their practicing.
"Hai, Hina-san!" they all obediently crowed and saluted in an overly exaggerated manner. She shook her head and wordlessly activated her Byakugan, observing the rest of Naruto's clones endlessly toil.
One group of five clones was located in the country yard. Two of them worked on what appeared to be wind nature manipulation, the air around them contorting and spinning in various manners. The other three stood on the surface of the Hyuuga's private pool and worked on water nature manipulation.
Naruto was very forthcoming and helpful when it came to helping her with controlling water. His tips were unorthodox, but very effective. She wondered who taught him such advanced manipulation techniques, but he remained tight-lipped about his secrets.
She didn't mind, for her own progress was moving along at a very advanced pace. Her nature manipulation instruction was overseen by Kurenai-sensei, who apparently specialized in Suiton ninjutsu alongside her genjutsu. Getting an augment from Naruto's useful tips here and there, and she was improving very nicely.
Furthermore, her father had asked her great-aunt, Kei, to assist her. Apparently, the elder Hyuuga of the branch had, in her prime, modified the Juuken to fit the female physique. The style was more about speed, flexibility and precious strikes to vital organs and veins than blasting the tenketsu. It was called the Shikaku-fu, as it was a style meant for quick, brief bursts of battle.
In the meantime, Neji trained under Hiashi and Kurenai and kept on progressing rapidly. His Juuken-fu proficiency evolved rather magnificently, and blending his sharp Byakugan eyes with Kurenai's genjutsu proved to be a most beneficial combination. Finally, he collected tips from Kakashi-sensei and Genma about manipulating lightning nature chakra, his ninjutsu abilities also benefitting from the use of the Byakugan.
She winced sympathetically as her kekkei genkai revealed the spar between Neji and Naruto; more particularly, her cousin smashing his palms into Naruto's body and sending him crashing into one of the trees in the yard outside the manor. 'Ouch…'
The two sparred regularly, both fighting with a ferocity and vigor that was breathtaking to witness. Naruto rose to his feet and glared at Neji, muttering choice words before charging once more.
She wondered if she was the only one fascinated by Naruto's rapid growth. She noticed some older members of the main family kept watching Naruto whenever he visited with their own set of 'all-seeing eyes.'
Her father had also started acting weird whenever Naruto arrived as a guest. He kept popping from out of nowhere whenever Naruto was about to talk about his training in depth, and she wondered if there was more to his very strict stipulations on what Naruto could or could not do on Hyuuga grounds than just preserving their property. She pushed the thought aside when she helped one of the clones adjust its grip on the brush.
Her mind wandered once she finished. Despite their one, romantic outing all those months ago turning out to be a disaster, it did little to dislodge her awe and affection toward the last Uzumaki. If anything, training and helping him with his studies on an almost daily basis had broken down the barrier between them, back then. If only he wasn't dating Ino…
She tried to push the thought away, but got distracted when an explosion suddenly erupted from outside. She was sure every Byakugan in the complex ignited at once.
"Sorry! False alarm!" Naruto suddenly cried out. He temporarily called off his spar with Neji in order to rush into the mansion. "S-Sorry. I think one of my clones went a bit overboard. B-but he didn't ruin anything…I think."
"N-Naruto-kun? What was that?"
Neji followed his sparring partner, though he looked far less alarmed and far more resigned. "Naruto," he began as he rubbed his temples, "didn't Hiashi-sama make it clear that you're not supposed to use ninjutsu on Hyuuga lands? The last time you did, you killed all the koi fish. Then, there was that time you accidently cut down those trees…"
Naruto glowered at Neji. "Hey, those were accidents!" he roared in defense. "And I paid you…with interest! And that…well, technically, I wasn't training on Hyuuga land. I think I might have damaged some of your trees again, though…"
Hinata owlishly blinked before she delicately sniggered.
"N-Naruto-kun…" she murmured. She wondered what happened to Naruto, lately. Several days ago, when he came to visit, he was very…expressive with how happy he was to see his two Hyuuga peers.
She almost blushed at the thought of him being so familiar with her by embracing her. A rosy tint graced her pale cheeks before Naruto turned fully to Neji, who displayed a smug smirk.
"Should I inform our friends to wear battle armor when we go on missions with you?" he asked with hidden mirth, clearly not concealing his snarky grin. "I'd hate to be blown up because of your enthusiasm."
Naruto's eyebrow twitched and indignantly waved his hands. "I blow up the shed in one D-rank mission! One D-rank mission and they never forget it!"
"Uzumaki-san," Hiashi interjected from behind Naruto and Neji, a smirk on his lips and a single eyebrow curiously creased, "for the record, that was the blacksmith's tool shed, and he had to close the shop for a week for the repairs."
Naruto jumped and whirled around, glaring at Hiashi, and deeply inhaling before his sudden outburst.
"Oi! What's it with you Hyuuga and sneaking up on your guests?" he exclaimed before he could catch himself. Then, he paled and looked mortified by who 'accosted' him and became the unwarranted target of his ire.
Hiashi's eyelids closed around his pupil-less white eyes a slight amount, though his lips twitched. "Perhaps, if you had not been shouting so loudly, you would've heard me approach, Uzumaki-san."
She bit back a chortle at the expression Naruto wore when he apologized nervously. "S-sorry, Hyuuga-sama,"
Hiashi made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "It's fine. I would expect no better from the son of the Bloody Red Habanero. Now, do you care to explain to me why, exactly, are there upturned trees on the road leading to the manor, Uzumaki-san?"
She shared an amused glance with Neji when Naruto bellowed a tense laugh.
"Um…well…you said I couldn't train on Hyuuga land, so I trained…around it…" he supplied rather helplessly.
Her father heaved a long sigh and shook his head, lightly rubbing his right temple to ease the onset of a migraine. "If you're entirely done with abusing my property, Uzumaki-san, I think it's time you leave. If I'm not mistaken, you have an appointment with Hokage-sama, soon."
Then, as quickly as he came, Hiashi left right after he shared a small bow with the resident jinchuuriki, leaving Naruto to gaze a bit into space and dejectedly mumble something about 'poor Gama-chan' and how a 'baachan' is never going to let him live down the humiliation.
Neji patted him on the back. "I guess I'll buy lunch next time, Naruto. I'd hate for you to starve," he said bemusedly and greeted him a good night.
She was left alone with Naruto, soft popping sounds behind her signaling his clones dispelling themselves. She couldn't help but blush and smile a bit when Naruto looked at her with sincerity. "Hina-chan, you're the only one who doesn't abuse me!"
"I-I…well," she stammered a bit, trying to fight down the heat on her cheeks and breathe deeply to stop her heart from pounding so hard in her chest. His antics were entertaining as they were touching, and she couldn't fight down the small beam she wore, even if she tried.
"I guess I better go before Tsunade-sama has a fit. It's not fair sometimes; I always get lorded over by blondes! They're a menace, I tell you! So violent and pushy…Gah, I'm going to be late again!"
"See ya next time, Hina-chan! Thanks for the help!" He chirped and bowed slightly before taking off at a brisk pace.
When he left, her shoulders slumped a bit and fixedly stared at his back. He was true to his namesake, a whirlwind that kept on wreaking havoc on her. Pushing down her laments and the thoughts of his scent, good looks and adorable expressions, she shook her head slightly.
Those errant thoughts would be the death of her. She cleared her mind, though a smile tugged at her lips and remained there when she approached her room to retire for the evening.
(At the same time, Wood land area, Lightning Country)
A light huff escaped Jiraiya's lips as he observed his quarry from the lens of his telescope. Several dozen feet ahead of him, lying in the shade against a tree trunk was a massive, dark-skinned swordsman. The man was napping peacefully, a pencil in his mouth and a book in his lap.
His invisibility jutsu came in handy when following someone as dangerous as the Hachibi Jinchuuriki. It was…enlightening, observing the Kumo shinobi. The one known as Kirabi alternated between being comically absurd and being bone-chillingly dangerous. It would seem all Bijuu hosts were doomed to don figurative masks to conceal themselves.
The toad sennin had not exactly divulged the full contents of his current endeavor to Tsunade. Something told him that if he did, he might come close to death for the second time in his life. He planned on taking a great leap of faith and gamble with more than just his life…much more. Chronologically, he had concentrated his spying efforts on Konohagakure's premier, rival village, ever since embarking on his long-term spying mission.
He had contacted and reassigned his agents' priorities right under the Raikage's nose, had intoxicated and interrogated some Kumo kunoichi with his wiles and now planned on taking one small detour before embarking on his way to his next destination.
Jiraiya decided on his usual entrance; there was no point in trying to conceal his identity with genjutsu or disguises. He needed his target to know who he was if he was to achieve his goal. He discreetly approached, soundlessly leaping from branch to branch. He dispelled his Touton Jutsu.
'I'm getting too old for these things…' he wearily contemplated, rubbing his face once before he moved to bite his thumb.
He smeared the crimson liquid on his palm and leaped off the branch while running through hand seals. He expelled the appropriate amount of chakra for a mid-sized toad summon. He crossed his arms under his chest and shut his eyes as the massive orange amphibian landed heavily on the ground, causing a gentle tremor upon impact.
An annoyed, somewhat bitter voice escaped Kirabi, though he made no motion to change his position, except for the heavy yawn that broke open his lips. "Hey…why'd you do that, ya' old creep? It ain't nice to disturb a guy's sleep. What'cha want with me, anyway? I ain't got time to talk or play…"
Jiraiya's left eyebrow violently twitched. 'Why you…I won't let you ruin my entrance!'
The Legendary Ninja then performed his infamous wild hermit dance. He hopped on her right foot four times, twirled and entered a dramatic pose. "I am Myoubokuzan's Gama-sennin, also known as Jiraiya-sama of the Sannin!"
The elder ninja's eyes shrank to slits when he watched Kirabi sit up suddenly and pick the pencil that had fallen beside him. The Kumo ninja began scribbling furiously in his note book, nodding to himself while murmuring something unintelligible.
Jiraiya decided he would initiate conversation, since the other man was otherwise preoccupied. He made a circular motion with head and then pointed at Kirabi. "You, who are awed by my presence to the point of silence, are Kirabi of Kumo, yes?"
The bearded container noticeably paused for a moment before he resumed his scratchy jotting. Jiraiya felt a subtle shift in his chakra and dispelled his familiar, landing on his feet akin to a lightweight dancer, preparing himself for everything and anything. He didn't want to risk a war by taking out the Hachibi Jinchuuriki at this time, but he would fight if he needed to.
"Say, ol' man with the funny hair, didn't they tell you Leaf-nin to beware? Ya know, tailing me for weeks takes some stones, especially since I could break ya bones. So, speak yo' mind while I'm in the mood, before I take you down for good."
'Now, I've seen everything,' he sardonically deliberated and a begrudging smile tugged at his lips, '…including a rapping Jinchuuriki. Tsunade isn't going to believe me. But he is as observant and skilled as I surmised. To have sensed me for so long, even if he couldn't see or locate me, he hasn't lowered his guard all this time…'
"I'm here to make a deal with you, the one who is known as Kumo's most prodigious swordsman."
Kirabi slowly stood up, stretching his arms as he pocketed his book. He didn't seem particularly impressed or awed by Jiraiya's reputation or his supposed power. If anything, he seemed bored and slightly impatient by his body language and the subtle jerking in his hands.
"I have an apprentice who is in need for some pointers in kenjutsu. I want your word you'll help him train for a couple of weeks…a month, tops. In exchange, I will divulge some information your brother will find very interesting."
"What makes you think I'll stay true to my word?" The Jinchuuriki surprised Jiraiya by speaking in a low, cool manner. One of the man's blond eyebrows shifted in a curious fashion, and his lips parted into a grim smile that revealed his teeth in a feral manner.
The toad sage slid into warrior mode and mirrored the dark expression. "Because I've watched you, and you seem to never go back on your word. Besides, if you even try to harm even a single hair on the boy's head, Hachibi or not…" Kirabi faintly tilted his head a moment before Jiraiya's chakra exploded around him. "…I'll kill you."
His target grinned a bit and chuckled, raising his hands in placating manner. "Yo, old man, don't go wild! I just wanted to know if you cared for the child. Guys like me; you know we got it rough. It's good to know someone cares 'nough. So, sure, I'll do it. I'll help him out! Now, tell me what my brother needs with no doubt! Ooooh yeah!"
Jiraiya stood down and nodded, his expression turning dour. He marveled at the shrewdness of Kirabi; he was far sharper than he appeared. He would have to remain cautious around him and report that to Tsunade. "What do you know about a group called…Akatsuki?"
(Undisclosed Location, Underground Base in the Tea Country)
Kabuto uncomfortably grimaced as Orochimaru paced around the room. The serpent master had become increasingly enigmatic ever since the invasion of Konoha. He kept his own counsel and shared information selectively, even from him.
Orochimaru was standing several feet in front of him, hunched over a thin, deformed human arm whose skin was an ugly ruby. The hand had talons and was slightly bestial in its shape, and Kabuto wondered what the hell it was.
He pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. 'Things are getting a bit too dangerous. I have to make my move quickly. Orochimaru-sama's new fascination with fuuinjutsu and that bizarre deformed arm have begun to escalate beyond what is healthy. Who knows what he's got planned next? I won't be collateral damage because of his madness when it has no seeming method.'
"Orochimaru-sama…if you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you doing?" he quietly solicited in a firm manner. One did not show fear to the infamous nuke-nin. It wasn't healthy.
The glare of those yellow eyes forced a shiver down his spine, and the extremely wide smile plastered on his master's pale lips did little to reassure him. "I am on the verge of a breakthrough, Kabuto, but do not bother yourself with my experiments. They do not concern you."
"But you summoned me here…" He reminded and locked his eyes with the mutated monster in front of him. He didn't dare blink, or sweat or even breathe until Orochimaru's eyes shifted back to the table in front of him.
"I have been reorganizing my old research notes and genetic sample collection. I was curious as to why they've been touched, and so, I've reviewed the security footage and one question came to mind: is there a reason you were looking for my notes on Edo Tensei, Kabuto?"
Kabuto's eyes widened and his heart pounded against his better judgment. His lips were dry and he felt adrenaline rushing through his system. 'Fight or flight mechanism..? Ha! Neither will help me if I anger him. I have to be careful…or he'll kill me!'
"Kabuto, just so you know, I never documented my findings on Edo Tensei. However, I've always left bread crumbs of misinformation to lure greedy little thieves who want to learn my secrets." Orochimaru's voice rose by barely an octave, but the white snakes slithering out of his sleeves were a very bad sign of his displeasure. "I was going to share it with you, once you proved yourself completely loyal to me, but that isn't going to happen now, is it? In fact, you've been preparing to turn on me for a while now, haven't you?"
Kabuto heard his whisper, and, before he could blink, the second of the Legendary Three was face to face with him, his scentless breath hitting his face like light vapor.
"Now, try to recall our first real meeting all those years ago," the snake-charmer uttered, oily tone and all. "When I freed you from Sasori's spell all those years ago, I made you a promise, did I not?" Kabuto paled considerably and involuntarily took a step back, as he felt the cool scales of Orochimaru's familiars slither over his arms and around his waist. He was getting dizzy, and he guessed it was the high toxicity of Orochimaru's white serpents.
'No…I've got to…I've got to do something!' his mind raced and, in a state of panic, he did the first thing that came to mind: like a lowly animal, he begged for his life.
"P-please!" he croaked out in a choked manner, his body trembling as the snakes constricted with ever-growing strength around him. "I'm…s-sorry, Orochimaru-sama!"
The serpent in man's clothing abruptly paused. After knitting a slender eyebrow, his lips parted to reveal the most diabolical and untamed of expressions Kabuto had ever seen. His yellow eyes seemed to glow in the semi-illuminated room. "Very well, Kabuto-kun, I will give you a second chance…" Orochimaru's lips touched his ear, and his whisper made his body stiffen and left a bad taste in his mouth. "…That is, if you survive!"
With that ghastly promise, something sunk into his neck, and belatedly, he realized it was Orochimaru's teeth a moment before he screamed at the top of his lungs.
Liquid fire coursed through his blood, and it wasn't his 'old blood'; it was all of his nerve endings being rubbed raw at once. He writhed and felt tears in his eyes as Orochimaru's right-hand man clutched his body the moment he was dropped unceremoniously onto the floor.
Kabuto vaguely heard Orochimaru talking and then strong arms lifted him off the floor. He was sweating all over, and no matter how much chakra he pumped through his body, the pain wouldn't stop. His regenerative abilities had been completely overwhelmed by the ravenous nature of the cursed seal he felt manifesting on his neck.
He had been contemplating turning on his master for a while now. And, apparently, Orochimaru read him like a book and struck him first. He had been complacent, but he would have the last laugh.
'You…you'll regret sparing me, Orochimaru!' Kabuto roared in his mind as consciousness began to slip away from him. The inky darkness began to creep up on the corners of his sight, before his vision faded to black 'I don't know when and how, but I'll make you pay…I'll make you…pay…'
(The following day, training Area Three, Konohagakure no Sato)
Tenten sighed as she dusted off her pants. She really, really hated D-rank missions. The genin were being forced to do two to three of the missions per day…and at full throttle. Their sensei often blended training exercises in between or during the missions and pushed them quite hard.
Today, Gai-sensei decided they had to wear weights as they helped cut the wheat for the farmers. Yesterday, he told them to do three hundred pushups and sit-ups after every section of the fence they finished painting. 'Argh! Is he trying to kill us?'
The weapons mistress found a kindred spirit in her new teammate, Yamanaka Ino. She also hated leotards with a fiery passion and seemed to share her disdain to the antics Lee and Gai-sensei indulged in on occasion.
Things ever since the war had been stable. It was a brittle, fickle illusion that scared her and kept sleep from her on more than one night. The sordid secret she and Lee shared had brought them closer.
They spent a lot of time together, considering they trusted each other exclusively with everything. They trained, ate, hung out and even slept close to one another on missions. It was a bond between sinners; a pact which blurred the line between friend and more.
She gazed at him and gave off a delicate smile. At one time, she was sure she would seek a romantic relationship with Neji, but ever since their battle in the Chuunin Selection Exams, things had become tense between the former teammates. The genius ninja was civil enough with Lee; he had stopped insulting or criticizing him and Lee still respected the Hyuuga greatly, but it was a hollow bond, and everybody knew it.
It saddened her, but Neji was distant for his own reasons. He was almost always on missions as a chuunin, and when he wasn't, he was cooped up in the Hyuuga mansion, training furiously to keep on developing.
She knew that was how life went: people drifted apart. She was pleasantly surprised that, without the Hyuuga's forbidding and oppressive presence, she saw new sides of her bowl-cut friend and found herself growing closer to him.
'I guess Neji was an asshole and buzz kill to an extent even greater than I could've thought.'
Team Gai was sitting in the shade of a tree, resting after a rather grueling sparring session with Gai-sensei. He had often pushed them to develop their teamwork by pitting them against him or other jounin he could find to push their limits. It was effective, even if it was painful.
Gai-sensei was stretching and, otherwise, busying himself. Well, right before he seemed to stiffen and glance over his shoulder. She followed his gaze and watched the last person she could've thought would come interrupt their training step into the clearing. 'Is that…Naruto?'
"Gai-senpai, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but may I have a word with you?" he asked evenly and polite, bowing his head in a somewhat humble gesture.
She bit the inside of her cheek, inconspicuously looking at Ino, who gazed at her fellow blond with slightly wide eyes. The girl was practically bouncing when, only moments ago, she was dog tired.
'I don't get what she sees in him. Sure, he's not too hard on the eye, and supposed to be really strong, but he doesn't treat her right, and he's always too busy…'
"Tenten, come here a moment. Naruto has a request for you," Gai-sensei explained and commanded.
She blinked. 'Me? What would Naruto want with me?'
Her eyes found Ino, who looked confused, disappointed and somewhat upset…if the way her lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed were any indication.
A panicked thought filled her, and she hesitated once she rose to her feet. She gulped and shot Lee a meaningful look. 'Does he know? Did he find out somehow?'
The bowl-cut ninja shook his head and motioned her to go with his head and shot her the thumbs up gesture to calm her down. She still felt somewhat fearful and walked up to him. "Y-yes?" she cursed herself inwardly for stammering.
"I know that you and I…we aren't close, but I need your help," the last of the Uzumaki declared and averted his gaze, crossing his arms under his chest.
"W-what?" she asked. That was the last thing she expected. Her eyes bulged and was far too surprised to care for the somewhat rudeness of her staring.
Naruto uncrossed his arms and reached for his mouth, biting on his thumb, he drew a line of crimson on his left armguard and in a brief puff of a smoke the most beautiful and unique blade Tenten had ever seen materialized in his right hand.
"This is Boufuudoki, my mother's blade," he explained and offered it to her, hilt-first, so she could grab it.
She hesitated only a moment before excitement and curiosity got the better of her. She examined the master craftsmanship and turned around, giving the sword a test swing.
"There are but a select few kenjutsu experts in Konoha. Most of them are chuunin or jounin and don't have time for a greenhorn like me. You are a weapons specialist, so I was hoping you could help me sharpen my skills." The bewhiskered chuunin humbly brushed off his begging like it was no big deal. He didn't want to come off as too desperate. "Anyway…I know you don't really like me, so you won't do it for free. So, what would it take to make that possible?"
Tenten bit her lower lip thoughtfully, her mind a maelstrom of conflicting thoughts. Could she help him? Spending time with him, when every time she looked at him, she saw flashes of Iruka's pale, labored features as she banished them away.
Didn't she owe it to him? She should do it for free, but then, wouldn't he be suspicious of her? She gulped and glanced at the intricate seals engraved into the blade in her hand, and then she turned to look at Ino and Lee, who were watching them curiously and suspiciously, respectively.
"You have to help Lee," Tenten blurted out in a slightly high pitched manner. She felt like the world's greatest bitch, but she couldn't compromise the secret, and she cared about Lee.
Naruto pinched his lips and he furrowed his brow.
"How?" he curiously asked and just a bit suspiciously.
"You have to spar with him at least once a week and…and when you start leading missions, try to take him and me on missions with you. We could use the experience, and you're Konoha's new rising star, so…yeah."
Naruto momentarily glanced at Gai and then smiled, even grinned, faintly. "Sure. I'm always up for a challenge, and Lee's definitely strong. As for the other thing…well, I'll do my best, but…Tsunade-sama issues mission formations in advance. I can suggest, but I can't work miracles."
Tenten exhaled in relief, noticing that Gai seemed to unwind as well as he beamed and pumped his fist. "All right! Now that your youthful flames have once more found harmony, it's time to get back to work!"
"I'll negotiate schedules through you, if you don't mind of course, Gai-senpai," Naruto offered and her sensei nodded thoughtfully.
Gai's jovial eyes suddenly widened with an epiphany only he seemed to grasp. "Naruto-kun, Kakashi is always praising you in my presence. How about you and I spar? I've been curious to see how strong you've become since the Chuunin Exams."
Naruto blinked and shrugged, though he seemed a bit apprehensive. "Umm…sure, Gai-senpai. But, do you want it to be a full-contact spar or just a plain taijutsu match?"
Gai grinned in a manner Tenten could've sworn was almost evil and cracked his neck. "I'll stick with taijutsu, but you can come at me with everything you've got, sans the power of the Kyuubi, of course."
It didn't take a genius to figure out the unmentioned message of 'you're going to need it' behind his words. Tenten blinked and returned to Ino and Lee to fill them in as Gai and Naruto departed, her sensei even more excitable than usual and her new 'student', somewhat gloomy, but concentrated.
"Yoshi! Now, apprentice of my eternal rival, show me your flames of youth!"
(At the same time, Outskirts of Kirigakure)
Sakura was a bit skeptical when Suigetsu led her to the more downtrodden, neglected part of Kirigakure.
'If our sensei is so impressive and notorious, why does she live in such a shoddy looking area, Sakura-chan?'
Her jade eyes were narrowed and her senses remained sharp, not putting it above her 'partner in crime' to try something. He was, at least according to him, one of the lead candidates for assuming the position of one of Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist, notoriously unruly, insane and bloodthirsty individuals.
She was a bit bored; they had been travelling through the maze-like city for almost twenty minutes in complete silence. "Suigetsu…I've been meaning to ask you something for a while now."
"What is it? You're usually blabbering about this or that. So what's caught your tongue, Sakura? Oh ho, don't tell me you wanted to ask me out on a date? If you did, then…"
"Shut up! Don't be a jerk, fish-face!"
"Then what is it, you psycho-bitch?"
Sakura blinked and glared at him, but she wasn't too upset. They found out mutual name-calling was something they indulged in; it was playful, stress-relieving and fun to act childish on occasion.
She snarled and shook her fist at him, her green eyes almost seeming to glow. "How are you going to be a swordsman of the Mist when your village lost all their swords over the years, water for brains?"
"Ha! Shows what you know, you sex-starved shrew!" he bit back in retort. "Apparently, your ol' boss man, Danzou, ordered my brother's assassination during one of the skirmishes in Nami no Kuni, around three years ago, so he could steal our swords. Anyway… Mangetsu had the last laugh, though; he hid the scroll of swords in his body and then killed himself before they could manage.
"So, all it took was for Mashashi-sensei to go collect it from where the battle took place, and he picked up Zabuza's blade from Wave. So, we've got six outta seven back! And before you say anything else, I got dibs on that old geezer."
Sakura blinked, and then grabbed him by the collar, shaking him for good measure. "Oh, hell no! Danzou tortured me, Suigetsu. He killed my mom and used me then tossed me like trash. He's mine."
A deadpan female tone drawled out suddenly. "Yo, Suigetsu-kun, if you and your little girlfriend wanted to go fuck and work out some sexual tension, I'm pretty sure you guys could find some place better than this."
Sakura blinked, noticing Suigetsu follow suit and she felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment mixed with anger, 'As if I'd ever touch that shark-faced son of a bitch!'
Suigetsu blushed faintly but growled and waved both fists at the interloper that accused them.
'He ain't that bad looking, and we are all in one boat, aren't we? You could do worse. And before you go yapping about Sasuke-kun, don't forget he's dead, and it's not like we're going to be celibate because of him. Call it the force of no alternative.'
She turned to the woman and examined her. The woman was in her late twenties, by the looks of it. The woman wore a Kiri ANBU uniform – a striped shirt and pants with the same outward pattern, with a green robe draping over them.
Her hair was a short, spiky long mane of bright green and her eyes exuded an exotic shade of amber. She had two ninjatou strapped against her lower back. Her most distinguishable feature however was the eye-shaped tattoo on her forehead…
There was something suspicious about it.
The woman scowled and stared angrily at her 'partner' with aggravation. "Oh, c'mon, Suigetsu-kun, don't tell me you want me to train this little scamp of yours. She a tree-hugger, for crying out loud. It'll take me months to just get her in the right mindset!"
Suigetsu put a placating hand on her shoulder, squeezing her shoulder gently. "Nah, Sakura's all right as they come, Hachi-senpai. She's all for slicing and dicing, doing what it takes 'n all that. Trust me. She's as cutthroat as the average Kiri-ninja. Plus, she worked for Danzou, after all."
"Oh? Well, we'll just have to see about that, won't we?" the woman murmured thoughtfully and took a step toward her. "So, Suigetsu tells me you're a Raiton manipulator like I am, right? What else can you do?"
"I'm a poison, anatomy and assassination specialist. I've also got proficiency suitable for genjutsu," Sakura smoothly replied, locking eyes with her potential sensei. The woman shifted and blurred toward her, pausing an inch from her face.
Sakura didn't flinch. 'Take that! Shannaro!'
"All right, then, I may not be nearly as strong as Mashashi-san, but I almost made it into the Swordsmen back in the day. It was Suigetsu's big bro who beat me to it…that son of a bitch… No offense."
"None taken. He was a son of a bitch!" Suigetsu guffawed.
The woman grinned and winked at her. "But…he was awesome in the sack! We almost tied the knot 'n all that, before the Leaf cut him down, that is. Tch," she sucked her teeth. "If you're gunning for tree-huggers, I'm all for preparing you for it."
Sakura grinned as well, a tremulous, warm feeling spreading through her. What was it again? Happiness? Hah! She finally had a sensei who wanted to help her grow.
'Ya know, I'm starting to like it here!'