Notes: Thanks for all the positive comments everyone! Makes me want to write more!
This chapter is a little shorter... sort of like an interlude, but is still vital to the story.
Sidenote - Yes i did mean 2 inches and not 2 feet - oopsie!
Dialogue:
"talking" - normal speech
'In italics' - thoughts
-: Flashback :-
Chapter 6 - Potentail Threats?
Deep within a large mountain by the side of a river on the western edge of the Fire Country, 9 figures congregated on top of a group of tall rock structures. Each wore long dark cloaks with red patterned clouds, matched by the red housed silver rings they displayed with black inscriptions in the centre. Every individual had placed their own on a different finger. Silence sounded throughout the great cave as each appeared to be in a meditated state. The concealed figure in the centre opened his eyes slowly.
"It is time once again. You each have your assigned targets. The Bijuu's power inside each of the Jinchuuriki will soon belong to the Hell God." He slowly turned to two others on his left side. "Deidara... Sasori, you are to retrieve your target first. The one called 'Gaara', Jinchuuriki for the Ichibi and the Kazekage of the Sand."
"We have his location from our inside source... yeah." replied the long haired figure.
The other, who was bent over and appeared to be on all fours elaborated further, "He is headed to Konoha for their Jounin exams. On his return we will capture him and bring him back so we can begin the process."
"Very well. However, our late member; Orochimaru, is planning to attack the Village of the Leaf on the last day of the exam. If this is the case, you must extract him from the Village before that time since it is certain of destruction." The individual in the centre said. The two gave a small nod and disappeared from the scene. The Leader spoke again, "Have the rest of you located your Jinchuurikis'?" Again, barely visible nods were made by all, except one.
"My target, Uzumaki Naruto, the vessel of the Kyuubi has not been seen for a number of years and is supposedly deceased." a pale man explained.
The Leader narrowed his eyes, "It's power still lives, he is alive. I would have been aware of his demise if it was so. You must locate him and secure the most powerful of the Bijuu, but for now, you and Kisame are needed here." He turned back to face the group, "Once those have returned and the extraction process has been complete, Hidan... Kakuzu, you will retrieve your's. In the meantime, we must prepare. It will no doubt take longer without Orochimaru to aid us."
"Heh, that stupid fool only has two agendas right now; destroying Konoha and making Itachi's brother's body his own for the Sharingan." The tallest chuckled. The smaller figure sitting next to him shot a lazy glance.
"It is no concern of ours unless he interferes with the capture processes. He may become a liability in time and will be dealt with if such." Ended the individual positioned in the centre.
The 7 remaining took up their previous positions and went back to meditating.
Just outside Konohagakure, Naruto and Gohan flew just above the tall trees at a slow speed. They had decided to get a little physical training in before tomorrow, not that they needed it.
Gohan, who was already acquainted with Naruto's favourite jutsu, still couldn't get over it's simplicity. "What a useful technique, since the amount of Ki that you put in a clone can depend on what the situation calls for. The way Tien explained his method was quite different to the Kage Busin no Jutsu."
Naruto smiled, "Yeah, it was the very first jutsu i learnt and has helped me out of so many tight spots in the past. The funny thing is; i only found out it's true extent the day before i got sucked into our world."
"Huh, what would that be?" The tall Z warrior questioned.
"The part we're using now actually. When they disappear we'll remember everything they've done since they've been in existence."
"Oh right... you mean you didn't notice that the first time you used the Jutsu?"
Naruto huffed, "Hey i was younger and less informed of such things back then. Plus, it wasn't like anyone was going to tell me since every Ninja in the Village hated me. My old sensei; Kakashi, wasn't exactly any help either and always avoided me if possible. Every time i asked him to assist me in training he would either be too busy, which meant reading his perverted books, or training Sasuke and even Sakura."
"I'm sorry Naruto; i can't even begin to imagine the pain you went through." Gohan sadly replied.
"Yeah i know, but it just makes me mad. I mean, i only tried to gain attention because I had no one to give me any. Sure the Old Man would come and see me every so often and occasionally bring new clothes and supplies, but i had to live in a dirty old house in the worst part of the village all alone since i was 4. On top of that, i was beaten by the villagers, continuously called names and shunned by the other kids because of their parents! The worst part was i didn't even know why."
At this point, Gohan could feel his friend's Ki rising rapidly; he had to do something quickly. "Naruto, you need to remember, you're nothing like them. Control your anger, don't let it control you."
Succeeding, Naruto's Ki began to fall back down to it's previous status. "You're right Gohan, i'm sorry."
The Half-Saiyan smiled, "Don't worry about it. Next time just focus the anger, don't let it drive you. Remember what happened last time..."
-: Flashback :-
"Come on Naruto, you have to dig deeper. Think about all the hate and suffering they've caused you! Channel it through your body and release it! Turn your anger into strength! Use it to protect the people you love!"
The wind kicked up around an enraged Naruto. Slowly tapping into his Ki, veins began to form and muscles ripped. Suddenly an aura surrounded him and he could feel the strength flowing through his very blood.
"I'll kill them! I'll kill them all!" He spat with hatred, as his Ki grew even larger.
Gohan had been trying to teach the blonde the same way his father once did him when he advanced to Super Saiyan. The young teen had amazing stamina and Ki for a normal human, no thanks to the Kyuubi. It had been difficult, and now after finally accessing his Ki, Naruto had been lost in a desire to fulfil his most distant needs for the very first time. "No Naruto control your anger; don't let it take you over!"
"No! They deserve to pay for everything they did to me! I'LL DESTROY THEM... I'LL DESTROY THEM ALL!" he shouted. The floor began to shake underneath him and crumble against the pure force he emanated. Bits of rocks started dancing around with the sheer power being released.
"NARUTO CALM DOWN!" Gohan yelled, trying to stop the path his best friend was taking in order to achieve this new power. But it wasn't working, "NARUTOOO!"
Acting fast, Gohan appeared behind him grabbing his arms and neck, stopping Naruto going any further. He dispersed the power that had once ran through him and collapsed to the ground, panting hard.
"I-i'm... sorry Gohan, i-i... couldn't help it." the blonde winced.
The Z warrior bent over and placed Naruto's arm over his shoulder. "I think that's enough training for today, you need to get some rest. We'll continue this another time." He said with a smile. "It looks like you altered the surroundings a little and scared the wildlife though..."
-: End Flashback :-
"How could i forget?" Naruto stated and looked at his best friend. "Thanks Gohan... for everything. I don't know what would have happened to me or what i would hav become if it wasn't for you and your family."
"Hey don't sweat it. We care for you Naruto, you're part of the family now, whether you like it or not." the tall teen chuckled. "Just remember to use your power to help others and protect those precious to you, just like you always say."
Giving a small smile and nod, the two continued at their pace.
Back in Konoha, the Gondamine Hokage sat in her office busy filling out paperwork. Her assistant; Shizune, stood by her side holding Puew against her body. At that moment, two more bodies filled the room. Tsunade looked up and placed both hands together resting her chin on top.
"So...Wolf, Hawk... how are our guests doing?"
"They haven't changed in state Hokage-sama. The two Grass Ninja are still meditating on the roof of their apartment." answered the Hawk masked ANBU. The blonde woman sat up and sighed.
The Wolf masked ANBU stepped forward, "Hokage-sama, last night as we were watching them, the Rain Chuunin also here to take the exams, came out and spoke with them."
"What! Why was i not informed!" she said in anger.
"We wanted to step in if they started a fight, but that was not to be. Instead they spoke for a few minutes before the departing their separate ways. We thought it would be best to find out anything else before reporting it to you." he responded, slightly nervous.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, "And did you hear what they said?"
"No, they were too far away. We think they were just sizing up the competition."
'Something is definitely not right here, i don't know what it is... but i have a bad feeling about all of this.' Tsunade thought, "Keep watching them and inform me of anything else."
"Hai Hokage-sama!" they exclaimed in unison before disappearing from the room.
She turned to face her assistant who had been by her side for as long as she could remember, "What do you make of this Shizune?"
"I'm not sure Tsunade-sama. I think it is wise that you have appointed guards to watch them, since how the others described Lee was beaten and with such ease." the younger woman replied.
The Gondamine Hokage sat back in her chair and sighed once again, "I don't like this. We'll have to keep a close eye on those two at all times throughout the exam."
Descending onto a field amidst the surrounding trees, the two fighters landed one after the other. Gohan surveyed the landscape and found that the area was enclosed so that they would not be interrupted. He took out a capsule from his pocket.
"So what are we going to do Gohan? This isn't exactly the best place to train, the locations to small." Naruto asked.
The Z warrior smiled, "Oh its just the right size for what i've got planned. Bulma gave this to me along with the others 2 days before we went, since she said me and you were in it all the time."
"You.. you can't mean..."
-: Flashback :-
"This... is called a Gravity Room, it creates a pressure force times that of Earth's normal gravity!" the young Gohan exclaimed with open arms.
The blonde fell into a state of shock, "B-but such things aren't possible!"
"Heh, tell that to Bulma. Anyway... this is where Vegeta always trains. Since the effects are constant throughout the whole body you can increase your physical strength, speed and stamina all at once. Plus it allows the user to go all out because it gets harder to move and release Ki when the gravity is increased." Gohan explained.
"So what level is Vegeta on?"
"Hmm... last time i checked he was around 450, and the thing only goes up to 500."
Having just come out of his stunned state, Naruto immediately fell back into it, "450 TIMES EARTH'S NORMAL GRAVITY! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" he yelled. "I'm not one who completely understands these things, but i do know that if anyone had that amount of pressure on them, they'd be instantly squished."
Gohan shrugged, "Well if you don't believe me.. you'll have to watch him for yourself sometime."
"What about you?" the blue eyed teen asked, still in disbelief.
"Hmmm i don't really know, i've never tested it out fully. If i went all out right now... maybe 480, 490 in my transformed state. At my second level i'm not really sure..." he trailed off.
The wide eyed Naruto burst out laughing. When he saw the serious look on his best friend's face he stopped as his mouth hit the deck, gaping in absolute awe, "Y-you're serious... Kuso! You Saiyans really are something..."
"You wanna give it a whirl? Should be great practice." The tall teen asked.
"Of course!" responded the now eager Naruto.
"Ok then, we'll start low and work our way up..."
-: End Flashback :-
"Yup, she built us a Gravity Room to train in!" he answered clicking the capsule and throwing several metres away. From the huge amounts of smoke created stood a large dome like structure with a small extension at the side.
Naruto could hardly believe his eyes, Bulma once again outdid herself. "B-but how did she fit that enormous building into that tiny capsule!" he queried disbelievingly.
"Hey, you learn to not ask questions when Bulma works her magic, its better that way... for everyone." The Half-Sayian laughed. As they walked up to the GR, it appeared that the rectangular shaped extension was the way in. "So it looks like she's made a few improvements to the old one. This should be fun."
Opening the door, the two stepped inside. The room had everything; storage space, equipment, food, training clothes and even a shower to refresh. To his right, Naruto found what looked like the controls to adjust the gravity along with a small window. Peering through, Naruto gasped. The actual GR itself was gigantic, at least twice as big as the old one.
"Wow, that's huge! Come on lets get in there!" he said excitedly.
"Well we may aswell change our clothes into these provided." Gohan replied whilst changing into the Saiyan style outfits.
Naruto raised an eyebrow along with the suit, "Aren't these what Vegeta wears all the time?"
"Heh yeah, its true they do provide more protection, but when faced with a strong opponent, it won't really matter. He probably made Bulma make them for him." After exchanging their clothes for some Sayian attire, the pair walked back over to the control panel, "So Naruto, your highest Gravity level last time was... 125 right?" He earned a nod from his friend. "Ok then, we'll start from 50 and work our way up."
Agreeing, the two brothers set the controls and walked into the GR. Feeling the pressure on him, Naruto hunched ever so slightly and fought against it, also cancelling the Henge. Gohan, who felt nothing, went off to another part without hesitation to warm up.
The flickering light of a candle licked against the darkness which filled the large room. An outline of a lone body could barely be seen, his head faced the floor below as he sat on the edge of a wall with two large yellow slit eyes hovering above. Faint footsteps sounded in the distance, gradually increasing in volume as they came closer. His head suddenly jerked up. A pair of red eyes with 3 black dots gazed upon the two that had entered the room and slowly narrowed.
"Where have you been? You are supposed to be teaching me a new jutsu Orochimaru, or did you forget?" the sitting figure asked in a cold, flat tone.
"Heh, pleasant as ever i see Sasuke-kun." the snake Sannin replied. His second in command, Kabuto, stood next to him and pushed up his glasses. "Unfortunately i cannot teach you today, or for the next few weeks. Plans have been set in place which must be carried out on a strict deadline if Konoha is to fall.
The Uchiha raised an eyebrow, "You are attacking Konoha again...? When was i going to be informed of this development?"
"You are not needed in Orochimaru-sama's strategy Sasuke; it has already been prepared for." Kabuto answered for his master.
"Though Konoha is weak, it will not fall for a frontal assault like last time. They held off two villages back then, even if they did loose their Sandamine Hokage." The Sharingan wielder stated.
Licking his lips Orochimaru grinned, "Ah, but this time i have four villages to aid me against the Village of the Leaf. This time, it is certain to fall, especially in a surprise attack from all directions."
The Uchiha didn't care what the snake had planned; all he wanted was the power to defeat his brother. By learning from Orochimaru he could one day achieve his ambition and avenge his clan, only then would he rest. "Very well, but i expect to be compensated for this."
"Kukukuk, where are your manners my young apprentice?" The Sannin chuckled, "Of course i will indeed advance your training once i have returned. But for now you must train yourself until i am back." With that he and Kabuto turned and walked back the way they came.
Sasuke's head fell to the floor once again. He slowly began to remember his 'Village' and all the missions with Team 7.
'Naruto... Sakura...'
As quickly as the thoughts entered, he pushed them away and out of his head. Only one thing mattered to him now; the death of Itachi.
After a successful warm-up, Gohan had increased the gravity to 100. They had engaged in a routine spar to begin with and had now advanced to a more aggressive state. Continuous punches and kicks were hurled at the other, but every dodged with ease. The ground was useful to train and improve Taijutsu, but in real combat it restricted the space in which to fight and there were fewer areas to attack from.
Naruto finally took the fight to the air. Gohan followed and the battle continued.
-: Flashback :-
"Now that Naruto has got the hang of releasing his Ki, the next step we'll take is to learn how to fly. Remember, just use your energy... and be careful." Gohan stated with a hint of worry in his tone.
"Yay!" Exclaimed Goten as he bounced up and down in an attempt to fly.
"Sweet!" shouted Naruto copying his younger friend.
The Z warrior looked puzzled, "No, no, no you guys! Hopping and flying are two different things. Use your energy to lift you." he said with clarity in his voice.
The blonde teen and black haired boy fell silent in concentration. A few grunts later, Goten floated off the ground followed closely by Naruto. The two jiggled from side to side as they tried to control the amount of Ki being released.
After a few hours, a lot of patience and many failures later, they had finally managed to take charge of using their Ki to lift them through the air. "Woah! This is so cool!" The young blonde shouted as he flew overhead.
Goten flapped his arms whilst in the air, "I'm a birdy! A birdy!"
Gohan smiled, "Good you two, keep up the practice and soon you'll be able to do it without thinking."
-: End Flashback :-
Fists collided, sending shock waves throughout the GR. Though the punches and kicks were no where near a fraction of their true power, a dangerous amount could still be felt. They continued at this pace for a few good hours until Gohan finally ended it with a kick to Naruto's back, sending him crashing to the ground. Slowly lifting himself and his torn clothing up, the blonde brushed off the dirt and breathed heavily.
The Half-Saiyan landed beside him also a little out of breath and clothes ripped. "Come on Naruto, i think we've done enough for today and we don't want any injuries before tomorrow."
"Heh, afraid i would have beaten you?" the younger chuckled. "I guess your right. We should be getting back, our clones are probably bored out of their minds meditating all day whilst being watched by those baka ANBU!" With that, the two casually walked to the exit and switched off the GR.
Some time later, they had changed back into their Grass Ninja attire and Naruto had performed the Henge once more. Gohan pressed the button on the outside of the building and recovered the capsule, putting it in his pocket. He turned to his friend in the hopes of an answer which had been plaguing his mind for a few hours.
"Hey Naruto... who is that person you're Henged as?" Gohan asked.
The now black haired Naruto looked himself over, "Oh, its just one of my class mates at school. He looked right for this mission of ours." he said whilst they took off from the ground.
The Z warrior laughed as they flew back to Konoha, "I see, well let's get going... I'm hungry!"
End Chapter Notes
One thing i really.. really couldn't be bothered finding was the pig's name - it sounded right... please don't hate me.
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Next up: The Jounin exams begin!
See you next time!