Author's Ramblings: Nice... 30+ reviews. Okay, to the deal at hand..
First, I probably often mention that Naruto keeps most of his feelings at bay, and concealed from the rest of the world. That doesn't extend to peacetime entertainment. He laughs, he jokes and he pranks like the others, and the laughter and such are the real thing. However, on missions, and about important things, he rarely reveals his thoughts, except to Yugao. Keep in mind that he has explicit trust in her, and that if he doesn't tell her something, it's mostly because he hasn't thought it through yet. Also, he isn't a the happy little kid who'd help out anyone without anything in return, but he has several soft spots.
Also, people will likely be asking why Naruto isn't spamming Shadow Clones like mad for his training. Apart from learning new jutsu, it's useless to him. Anything physical would demand muscle memory, and that includes the movements of his puppets, and any potential martial art. His control and capacity are as close to flawless as possible for him, and he's not a ninjutsu maniac. I already have special plans for his skills on that accounts.
Also, a very important statement to make. Please read this part
Just because you're used to characters slinging hundreds of different attacks around, not to mention dozens of different jutsus or using fancy, self-made combat styles that pop out of seemingly nowhere, doesn't mean that will happen in this fic. Originally, I intended to put up a rough estimate of the skills Naruto will have, but I'll skip it. Be content to know that while he will be powerful, he still wont equal a jounin in power alone (skill, tactics and intellect are a completely different matter though... even Madara would die if someone hit him with a 5 ton weight on the head :D)
Also, bloodlines such as the Sharingan will be toned down compared to cannon, because it simply doesn't make sense(it's vastly overpowered) (I mean come on, the moment you think the annoying character is about to die.... nooo, I have a new uber jutsu to throw at you because my brother died... seriously annoying)
Now that the annoyed rant part is out of the picture, enjoy the new chapter.
Chapter 7 : Three's a Crowd
Boredom. Complete and utter boredom, the bane of his existence for the past several hours. He had really stopped counting ever since the sun reached the horizon. The girl they rescued was still asleep, Yugao was outside, looking for a good doctor to take a look at her, and Naruto? Naruto was sitting around wasting his time. He really wasn't in the mood to pour over the scrolls or tinker with his puppets, or even go out and fish, though that was hardly an option with the unconscious girl there. There was one line of thought left to him though... that about the demon sealed inside him.
He really didn't know what to think of it, the seal on his belly was far to complex for him to comprehend, and the limited notes on it Sarutobi had packed in the scroll he left him were... complicated and hard to decipher to say the least. At best, it would take him years to figure it out... and he didn't have the time. On the other hand, apart from the rather limited texts he had read, he knew next to nothing about the jinchuriki. They house demons, and strictly speaking, it refereed only to the 'great nine' as it were. His information on his tenant was also pitiful at best. The Kyuubi was well known as the most powerful and the most destructive entity in the world.
Seriously, for such an important subject it was pathetic that he couldn't find out more about it. But then again, he really didn't think that his sensei expected the future apprentice to be a jinchuriki. But, as usual, he would adapt. His stash wasn't the only source of information... from what he heard the former Mizukage was a jinchuriki, of the three-tailed horned turtle, if he remembered correctly. He wondered if it would be possible to get his hands on his belongings. He was sure that the man left behind something on his experiences as a host, even if it was just a journal. He would have to dig around for information... not that he really minded. There were bound to be other sources of information, and likely, he could find some way to contact the demon itself.
"Uhhh" came a pained groan, startling him from his thoughts "Where am I?" the voice asked again. It took Naruto half a second to figure out just who it was talking.
"The city of Habuse, sleeping in my bed" Naruto flatly responded, though a small smirk came to his face as the girl blinked at him in confusion, before her face turned into a scowl
"I assume you are the one who bought me?" she asked dejectedly.
"Bought? Nah" Naruto responded, waving his hand dismissively "Me and my partner found you on a ship we were raiding. Didn't want to leave you behind to sink with it. You aren't branded, so legally speaking, you aren't a slave. And frankly? It would be too much of a hustle to have one right now" Naruto joked, trying to lift the girl's spirits. He certainly didn't want to be the one to tell her that she was in essence raped while she was comatose. "So, what's your name?" he asked curiously
"My name? It's Haku" the now named Haku responded
"I'm Mezuro. My partner and the doctor should soon be com... ah, they're here" he finished off as he heard the much more subtle (compared to him) entry of his partner. He loved raising a ruckus, mostly because he couldn't do that while he was working.
A minute later, Yugao walked into the room, followed by a rather short old man with graying hair. The doctor was a strange one to say the least, and he couldn't fit him in with any of those he remembered back from Konoha. He was shorter than him, thin as a twig, but wearing baggy robes that hid that quite well. He had the appearance of the wise old man from tales of old.
"Is this the girl?" he spoke calmly.
"Yes" Yugao shortly answered.
"She seems fine to me. You removed all the transport tags, correct? Then all she would need is a days rest, some food and water and she'll be just fine" the aged doctor commented, trying to ignore the 'gentle' nudge Yugao was giving him "Oh, that. Miss... uhm, what's your name again?"
"Haku" the raven-haired girl responded, now growing slightly irritated by the old man.
"These people suspect you might have been raped during transport. Will you let me give you a checkup, and offer some medicine if needed?" he offered in a kind voice, slightly surprising the two, while Haku looked shellshocked. Lost for words, she shortly nodded.
"I think I'll be leaving now" Naruto shortly stated, jumping through the window to get a breath of fresh air. He certainly didn't want to make Haku even feel even more nervous with him being there. Also, he really didn't want to be there for the medical examination.
The slight chill of the night air reminded him that he had once more forgotten his vest, leaving him only in his sleeveless shirt and the black bandages that he had forgotten to take off.
It was too late to go fishing, and he left the cash in his vest pockets, so no going out for food. In a flash of inspiration, Naruto decided to practice the one skill Yugao taught him that he didn't test yet... much at least. Going into one of the side alleys, Naruto performed a quick Henge to alter his appearance before walking to one of the more crowded nearby areas. Time to practice pickpocketing.
Yugao had already liberated Naruto of her share of the cash (which was incidentally nearly three quarters of the remaining cash) and paid the doctor from it
"She will be just fine. While she was indeed raped, she has no recollection of it, hence the lack of trauma. Also, the seal kept her safe from any lasting... damage, as expected" the old doctor explained "Slavers know their work quite well, I'm afraid" he offered as he walked out "Oh, and don't forget to give her the pills for the next three days. They'll help with the damage from the seals"
She didn't notice the old man smile as he descended the stairs, as she was busy helping Haku get up. Nor did she notice him leaving the money she had paid him on the last step of the stairs, held firm by a small stone, before he left.
"Well Haku-san, in case that Mezuro didn't tell you already, I'm Tenre, his partner"
"Pleased to meet you" she responded in a shaky voice. It was somewhat hard to swallow everything she heard for the past two or three hours, not to mention the memories of the events before that.
"Dare I suggest a hot shower and some warm food? I'll suggest the first, while I prepare the second"
Haku shortly nodded to the young woman before her, letting herself be guided to the shower. The bathroom wasn't much, but it was clean, and it had everything it needed, including a surprisingly comfortable shower cabin.
"I'll be outside if you need anything, okay?" Yugao shortly offered "The towels are in that cabinet over there" she added pointing to the object in question and walked out to heat up the food.
Haku watched the proceedings with a small amount of suspicion, a thing inherent to her due to her upbringing, but the information she gathered so far went against the duo being enemies. First, they claimed the saved her from slavers, which according to everything else was quite true. Then they bring her to safety, remove all the restraints on her, and pay for a doctor to check her up. Had they wanted to harm her, they would have done so long ago. Then there was the fact that she was indeed raped, but strangely enough, she didn't feel that much about it. She felt dirtied by the knowledge, but there was no self-loathing as her sensei warned her was to be likely. No pain, no hatred, no consequences to the act itself. So, setting the obviously lacking emotions of hurt aside, she decided to be rational about this.
'Since he's dead, I have nowhere left to go now. Maybe...' she thought as the warm water fell in cascades over her aching muscles, soothing the slight, but annoying pain in her legs and shoulders. God knows in what kind of position she was kept while 'in transport'.
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Naruto meanwhile, was busy mourning the lack of a ramen place in Habuse. 'Capitol of culture my ass, if they can't make ramen...' he inwardly cursed as he tried the first thing that caught his interest: pocky. And damn, he had to admit it was an interesting treat, and to think it came in dozens of different tastes!
Quite contrary to what people might think, Naruto wasn't a ramen fanatic. Sure, it was his favorite food, even with the healthier and higher quality ones he had learned to prepare, but he really didn't want to burden the Ichiraku's much, since his constant eating there had caused issues in the past. So, once every week he'd come and feast.
"Mmmm... chocolaty" Naruto mumbled as he stuck a new stick in his mouth
Maybe the sticks of pocky will provide a temporary alternative. Not as good as ramen, but damn tasty regardless.
All jokes aside, he was quite proud of himself for his work for the night. He had managed to steal enough cash to actually pay a decent meal AND a full box of the addictive treat, not to mention leaving some change behind. Not bad for a night's work.
He cheerfully walked back to his warehouse home, eying the lit upper floor with a smirk. Keeping as quiet as possible, he began walking up the wall, in an exaggerated sneaking motion as his left hand held to the box of pocky. He half expected for Yugao to pop through the open window and berate him for messing around, or simply smack him on the head with a solid object through the window, not even bothering to look out.
Neither happened, much to his growing surprise and concern. Still, the sounds of chatting and laughing coming from inside pretty much dispersed his worries.
He got down from his spot, and decided to use the front door.
"Hey everyone, I'm home" Naruto loudly announced as he popped through the door, immediately cowering as Yugao nearly threw her sword at him, while shushing him with her other hand. Haku had fallen soundly asleep in the two minutes it took him to get there.
"Sorry" he weakly offered to his partner, who merely shook her head.
"Real subtle" Yugao commented
"I said sorry already... sheesh. Oh, and someone left cash on the stairs. Know anything about it?" Naruto asked as he passed the stack of bills to her.
"That crazy... why did he do it?" Yugao thought out loud as she easily recognized the money she had used to pay for Haku's checkup. When Naruto opened his mouth to ask, she just waved off in a halfhearted 'never mind' gesture.
"Mezuro... there's something I want to ask you." she started seriously.
"You want to ask her to join us?" Naruto continued, not even bothering to look at her surprised face "I've been thinking the same thing. Both of us are quite good, but a couple of serious jounin and we're dead meat." Naruto stated honestly, his eyes displaying his level of worry. He sighed, staying quiet for a few moments "I... I don't want you to die Yugao" he quietly stated, with all the finality of an executioner's axe falling on it's victim.
Yugao found herself touched by the genuine concern behind the calm voice, and she knew he meant it. He slowly opened up to her during their time together, a bit of the bright, happy personality that should have been there once more coming out thanks to her, but he was still a very serious young man who knew well the weight of his words. She could do naught but smile at his care.
"You do realize that I'll die of old age or disease one day regardless?" she offered, not as a jab, but as a friendly piece of advice and concern. To her surprise, Naruto just laughed.
"I can't stop the Shinigami's blade any more than I can stop time" he stated, the laugh dying out "But I'll do all in my power to delay his coming" he added firmly. Both turned their heads as Haku shuffled slightly in the bed, turning around to cover herself better with the blanket.
"Tomorrow then?" he asked quietly, before walking to the chair to catch some sleep. If he could have slept in his workshop with an anvil for a pillow, a chair was comfort
"Tomorrow" she responded, getting up and going to her own office/room to sleep, vaguely aware of the several clones that got out and kept watch. After all, the term paranoia was hardly applicable among shinobi.
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As he woke up, Naruto silently prayed for a short, utterly boring day. Getting up from the chair, and popping a few joints, he immediately noticed a sight that told him otherwise... Haku was missing from her bed, and if the sounds coming from downstairs were any indication, she and Yugao were fighting... most likely sparing. He duly noted the dobbing of the rain on the thankfully closed window of the office/bedroom, and the fact that Haku at least had the decency to clean up the bed behind her wasn't lost on him.
Trivialities aside, Naruto had a reason to smile. If the two of them were sparing, it meant that Yugao had already asked Haku about joining them, and she most likely accepted. He had no idea about her skill level, but he had a feeling she would prove an invaluable ally.
Putting on what little clothes he had taken off the previous night, he lazily opened the door that led to the stairs down. Descending while thinking over the plans for the next puppet he wanted to make, he was startled by a senbon stabbing itself into the wall next to him. That by itself was enough to worry him, but what surprised him was that it wasn't made of metal... rather it was essentially a small shard of ice. It might have lacked the weight, and therefore the penetration power of a regular senbon... but he wasn't stupid. If someone could form ice...
"Sorry about that" he heard Haku's voice coming from the large open area that comprised most of the ground floor.
"No problems... you didn't hit me" Naruto offhandedly responded, studying the senbon in his hand "Didn't figure you could make ice with chakra.... a bloodline of sorts?" he asked curiously, mildly surprised when the girl's posture changed to a far more defensive one. He then remembered just what had happened here less than ten years ago. The Bloodline Purges.
"It is." she slowly responded
"Hyoton." Yugao shortly added "She has a naturally high water and wind affinity, but thanks to her bloodline she can combine them to form ice." she further explained, already expecting Naruto's reaction, and the probably surprised look on Haku's face.
"Oh, well that's cool" he answered in a bored tone, walking towards his workshop "You girls play nice, Tenre, I'll be in the workshop. You know how to get through should you need me"
And indeed, Haku was surprised by his reaction. Out of all the possible reactions she thought of, mild disinterest wasn't on the list. People have been hateful, shocked, afraid, awed, and a number of other things.
"Don't bother trying to figure out what he's thinking" Yugao offered in a friendly tone "I've known him for the better part of seven months, and I still can't figure out what he's thinking about half the time. Besides, you haven't seen the look on his face when he picked that senbon out of the wall. He's already thinking off the possibilities. I'd be surprised if he doesn't come up with something y the end of the day."
"Is he really... like that?" Haku asked pensively.
"Mezuro is complicated at best" Yugao answered, taking the short brake as an opportunity to clean up her sword "Also, you should know that he agrees on the offer I gave you." she added, taking a whetstone from her pocket and beginning to sharpen the edge of the blade.
"I see" Haku slowly responded, walking to a nearby crate to sit down "You said you wanted me to join the two of you as a... partner?" she asked her question, repeating the offer Yugao had given her an hour ago.
"Yes. You get to sleep here, until we move somewhere else. You'll have to work with us on jobs unless circumstances dictate otherwise, and you get a third of the cash we earn. Also, you get to train with us and you get someone who will watch your back." Yugao repeated. "So, decide yet?"
The girl remained silent for a few minutes, the only sounds in the room being the scratching of the whetstone against the edge of the sword Yugao was sharpening.
"Alright."
"Welcome aboard then. We'll just have to figure out how to put up a third bed somewhere around here"
Inwardly, Yugao smiled. She, quite like Naruto wasn't in the least stupid. Taking a third member to the group was risky at best, but without risks, there were no profits. And a wielder of a rare (thought extinct even) bloodline was the type of ally they could use. Only time would tell if she was worth the trust they put in her.
On the other side of the room, Haku was looking carefully at one of her two benefactors. There wasn't much said, but a lot was implied. She knew that they didn't trust her completely... who in their right mind would? But what really surprised her was that they didn't ask where she got her skills, something she really wasn't yet ready to discuss. Even after a full year, it was still too soon. Even if things didn't work out over time, she owed them for saving her. Helping out for a while was the least she could do.
Still, if the glint in Yugao's eyes was anything to go by, the sparring was going to take a loooong time.
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Time passed surprisingly quickly for the three of them. Naruto mostly remained a recluse, staying in his workshop most of the time, and usually coming out covered in sooth and dust, cursing under his breath. Yugao occasionally dropped in for some help on her sword and some sealwork, while spending most of the other time either sparring with Haku, or practicing the relaxing art of fishing (mostly trying to figure out what Naruto saw in it). Haku, for her part, tried to help out wherever she could, mostly with sparring, though she had taken up cooking for the group as well. Things had settled down... mostly.
Haku loudly cursed, something that would have surprised anyone who didn't know the fragile-looking girl. Well, explosions within homes, as they were, tended to piss people off. And just when she had finally finished making lunch.
"Mezuro! What did you do this time?" she shouted her question from the small kitchen on the first floor. Thankfully for him, Yugao was still outside, so he didn't get into much trouble... or at least he hoped so. Women could be so difficult at times.
"Messed up the explosive ratios" Naruto grumbled as he walked out of his workshop, skin blackened from the blast. "No harm done though, it was a modified smoke bomb."
Haku could only blink to his statement of 'no harm'. There was a powder trace spreading from the door to about two meters outside. 'Just what kind of insane smoke bomb was he making? Seriously, they work just fine as they are'
"Mezuro... why did a smoke bomb explode like that, and why are you still unharmed?" she asked in a sweet voice that left no room for argument
"Err.... I kinda forgot to close the door? And I kinda put in a new chemical to see how it would react?" he offered. Haku could only palm her face.
"How Tenre didn't go insane with you around is beyond me" she muttered as she walked away, leaving a relieved Naruto to clean his mess up.
"Hey Mezuro" Yugao greeted from the door, carrying a small bag "Another one of your experiments blew up in your face?" she offered teasingly. She knew that Naruto was cautious enough not to try anything really stupid, so it was most likely a small miscalculation.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it all up" he irritatedly commented as he finished cleaning up the last traces of his 'work' from the open area of the warehouse "I tried a different substance as a trigger for the smoke bombs... but they reacted a bit stronger than I predicted. Still, this should help out with my other explosives. Any news from Barok?" he asked finally, no longer interested to speak about his explosive failure.
"Something. Should be interesting though" Yugao commented
"Fine by me. I'll go get Haku and you can brief us over lunch" he responded, turning towards the stairs. Before he could take a single step, Haku's voice came from above
"Lunch!" she shouted, emphasizing the word with a short bang on one of the pots... most likely with a laddle.
'Convenient, no?' Naruto thought as the two of them walked up, laughing the whole time. At times, he wondered how their neighbors handled the constant noise they produced.
Upstairs, both were greeted by a sight they both quickly learned to appreciate. Haku had used Naruto's office as an impromptu dining room, cleaning up the various useless junk from the table and setting three chairs there, along with clean plates and even cutlery.
"Wow. I don't think I'll ever get used to food looking this good" Naruto stated, awed by the simple, but mouthwatering display of food on the desk. Haku blushed slightly, unused to the praise "Let's eat!" he added jovially.
The food was simply, yet very tasty. Rice, meat, vegetables, all prepared well, and giving off an aroma that made their mouths water. Haku, being the cook, took all such reactions as a compliment to her skills.
"Tenre, tell us about the job you got us." Naruto shortly asked after a few minutes of silent eating
"Job?" Haku asked curiously, tilting her head slightly to the side.
"Yeah. I've reached an... agreement of sorts with Barok" Yugao started "In return for handpicking the jobs for us, and making sure we don't get sent on a suicide run, she gets to keep twenty percent of the earnings. Steep, but worth it" she added."Now, to the job she passed on. A certain Gato, of Gato Shipping, better known in the local underworld as the leader of a vast smuggling and slaving cartel has begun taking over Wave country recently. While it is... unpleasant at best, there's little to be done about it, as he hasn't stepped on anyone's toes... yet. The issue we've been asked to deal with is that a number of his mercenaries have raided a nearby island, that is officially within Water country, and Barok received a request to have those mercenaries killed as an example, as well as gather some info about the man himself. Now, this mission should be generally easy, these are normal mercs, there should be no shinobi presence involved."
"So it's a simple cleanup mission?" Haku offered
"Quite. Unless there are more details" Naruto added
"There are. Apparently the leader of the bunch has a bounty on him. Not really a ninja, but a rather unpleasant criminal who has a good idea how to fight them... if he isn't caught off-guard. Mezuro, that one is your target. The others are rank and file, me and Haku will take care of those." she explained, pulling out a small dossier on the man "Barok passed this as well. And told me to say hi" she added the last bit, looking annoyed at the fact, while Naruto did his best 'What did I do?' innocent look. Truly, he hadn't done anything this time... right?
"You and your charms..." Yugao muttered under her breath as Naruto began reading the file
'Kamizo Numari, male, 37. Wanted for 50 different acts of murder, 20 acts of arson, theft and public nudity' Naruto couldn't help but be surprised at the last comment 'Considered to be very dangerous to non-shinobi bounty hunters. Exact skills unknown, but his trap laying skills are deadly, relies on daggers and poison. Bounty 10.000 ryo
PS. try not to let him lure you into a trap, if you can, attack him when he's off guard'
Naruto smiled slightly at the last row, it was a recent addition, written by a female hand... most likely Barok. He'd have to remember to thank her for that detail when they got back from the mission.
"There's one more detail." Yugao commented, pulling out a relatively small, but accurate map of the islands that comprised Water country"Recognize these three islands Mezuro?"
"Hey, wasn't this the place where we stayed? And this is the island where we went for supplies" Naruto commented, recognizing the shapes of the islands. After all, certain landmarks were impossible to miss.
"Precisely, and that's exactly where we're going."she finished.
"When do we leave?" he asked quietly, still memorizing the info.
"Whenever. As soon as we can get ready, preferably. We even get a bonus if we can finish the job by tomorrow evening." Yugao explained, content to have finally finished her meal. "So?"
"I'm already set and packed" Naruto quietly stated, turning to Haku
"I need just a couple of things and I'll be ready" Haku added.
"In fifteen then?" Naruto offered, receiving two nods in turn "Fine, you two go and finish up, I'll clean the mess here"
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And so he did. While the two girls prepared what little they needed, Naruto manifested several cheap mist clones to clean up the table. He was thankfully almost always ready for work...seeing as he kept his puppets on him, along with whatever weapons or tools he might need. Even a small supply of food and water found it's place in his belongings.
It was no more than five minutes that the whole group was gathered in front of the warehouse, with Naruto finishing the lockup. The additional protections were basic, but effective, meant to keep out the likes of burglars and squatters. Any professional ninja would figure out a way to bypass anything but the most powerful protections that were possible to weave, and that by itself attracted more attention than any of them needed. And apart from the workshop, which was pretty much safe behind several layers of blood seals and other simpler protections. Many would think it complicated, but then again, most average ninjas were complacent fools, or simply didn't care to achieve as much. Naruto really didn't care, the more fools, the merrier for him.
Yugao took the front, with Naruto on her left and Haku on the right. Naruto kept the puppets sealed as they now had a third member of the team. Also, he was curious to see if Haku would figure out that the puppets weren't 'alive'.
This time, traveling on foot wasn't an option... because while the island was relatively near, the weather was hardly as calm as it was the previous days, forcing them to book a boat to the nearest port and proceed from there.
The boat was a ramshackle tub of wood, something that hardly gave the feeling of security, though one quickly thought otherwise after the sight of the grizzled old captain. He looked like the kind who must have been old when your ancestors were still learning to walk, hardened by decades (if not centuries) spent on the open waters. The kind of sailor that could take a plank and sail it through a storm.
"Captain-san" Naruto politely asked the man as they prepared to board the ship "I don't know much about your work, so I won't presume to interfere, but how long will the trip take?"
The captain looked at him curiously "Six hours" he slowly responded, taking his hat off to rub the back of his head as he turned to the west, eying the gathering clouds suspiciously "Make that seven"
"Is there a storm coming?" he continued, to the light surprise of his two companions, and to a lesser extent, the captain, who merely quirked an eyebrow, curious whether the boy had read the clouds... or him. Either was impressive
"Aye. A nasty one is coming, though it might benefit you" he offered with a smirk, one that Naruto returned quickly.
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Yugao asked with a smile as she and Haku boarded. As Naruto started to do the same, the old captain held him by the shoulder. When he turned around to see what the problem was, the old man sighed.
"Careful with those two kid." he offered kindly "One woman has been more than enough to drive strong men into the ground. But two?" he shivered at the last words before giving a light push to the boy's back, leaving him to contemplate the meaning of the words. Minutes after that, as soon as the crew of five had prepared, the ship cast off.
He couldn't quite put a finger on it, but Naruto once more felt that slight tinge of uneasiness. Something was going to happen, and soon. By reflex, his hands checked every object in his limited inventory, and found it all there. Yugao and Haku seemed not to notice anything. Could it be that he was just being paranoid?
Yugao was having similar thoughts as she sat, leaning with her back on the mast, the long katana held by it's simple wooden sheath. Contrary to the usual, lavishly decorated blades, this one was simple, lacking even a proper guard. It wasn't meant for ordinary sparring, rather, it was for killing, a weighted, strengthened blade meant to cut through any lesser one by the virtue of it's wielder's strength and skill. That blade was Naruto's gift to her, something he had found a long time ago, but had no use for. He would have sold it, or melted it down, but decided to keep it, nearly forgetting about it until it was time to leave Konoha. And so far, it had served her well, both as a weapon, and as a source of comfort, both of which she believed she would soon need. And it wasn't just because of the coming storm.
Of the three, Haku was the calmest, watching the stormy sea in the distance with a detached calm. Regardless of the horrors that transpired there, it was still her home, and the open sea she had seen so many times was one of the things she loved the most. The storm didn't worry her, but the looks on her new team's faces did. Both were preparing for something. Slightly concerned as well, she made a short checkup on her limited equipment, her gentle hands brushing softly over the small tattoo on her wrist. It would be safe there until needed.
Uncertain of what would await them, the trio of young mercenaries stared into the dim distance as the first signs of rain begun showing, the light drumming of water on the planks of the ship echoing even as the wind picked up.
Author's Notes: And there it is. Now for the few details I promised. Among them, the profile on Naruto's newest puppet, as I will not be writing it down in the story itself.
First, I have not revealed everything about either Haku or Yugao yet. There's a lot more stuff I'll write down, but I don't want to rush things too much.
Also, my writing got slightly delayed for two simple reasons. First, would be the end of one round of exams, which combined with the second... that I got Mass Effect 2 to play, meant a drastic drop in productivity on my account. So, sorry for that one :P
For the subject of Haku's limited reactions. While she is aware that someone raped her, she has no recollection of the event, nor any physical consequences to show for it (slavers aren't stupid, damaged goods aren't paid as well as those in mostly pristine condition). She is still somewhat guarded though. As a final note on the account, just because they offered her a job, doesn't mean they trust her completely yet. Both Naruto and Yugao know that openly trusting someone like that would be dangerous, but they are willing to give her a chance to prove herself, and they need another shinobi to help out so that they can get the better-paying jobs
Now for the puppet
Thunder Weaver
Arachnid puppet in the form of a dog-sized spider with 8 metallic limbs, each sharpened and possessing a small reservoir of nerve destroying venom. The puppet is capable of firing up to three stored webs made out of reinforced ninja wire which are connected to it's store of Lightning scrolls meant to give it's victims a nasty shock. Also, it shoot a stream of acid from it's head, using a simple, but effective pressurized nozzle. The final weapon it possesses is the normal wire with a blade weight at the end, this one can also be electrified.
Unlike his other puppet, Naruto's experience with this one is drastically lower, so it's slower and more vulnerable than the Guardian, also it has far fewer gadgets, but in turn, the construction is far more solid, and it's size makes it harder to hit.
Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter even if there wasn't much action in it. The next one however, will be the start of the Wave arc, and it will be crazy :D
Also, as an addition, don't expect a long, woe is me speech from Inari ;)
Read and review folks. Till next time