It's true, it really is – reviews make me update! I swear! Just ask MehLikey! I've been PMing him/her as I wrote this chapter.
Just for future reference, an energy sword is like a lightsaber, except more the blade is more sword-like and all of them are white. An energy bow of any kind is a bow that shoots energy bolts instead of arrows.
This chapter takes place three months after the previous chapter. Enjoy!
"Are we almost there yet?"
"Impatient, are we?" Jiraiya asked as he drove Tsunade and Naruto back up to Konoha City. Commander Sarutobi had called a meeting and requested their presence. As far as they knew, this meeting would be an actual war meeting instead of about the spirit business.
"Do you think the commander checked those tracker nominations?" Tsunade asked absently as she rocked Naruto.
"Who knows," Jiraiya said. "He's a busy man without a war, and with a war he's swamped. I don't know when he'll get anything that's not urgent done."
"Point," Tsunade said. "Do you think the Uchihas will let us stop in and see their little spirit-holding children?"
"Don't see why they wouldn't," Jiraiya said. "I wonder how little Sasuke's growing up. He's what, three months older than Naruto? That'd make him eight months now."
"I guess so," Tsunade said. "I'm worried about Itachi, though. I looked through some of those files the Uzumakis sent us, and the Pain spirit isn't a good one to have."
"I believe it," Jiraiya said. "Poor kid. Well, he's tough. The Uchihas are."
Tsunade nodded. "I wonder which spirit we'll locate next, and who the vessels will be."
"Who knows?" Jiraiya asked. "For all we know, the rest may not have taken vessels yet."
Tsunade sighed. "Just the thought of it is troublesome. Great. Now I sound like a Nara. But all the same."
"I can't wait till Commander Sarutobi OKs those nominations so that we can order our underlings around," Jiraiya said. "That way we can do more researching and they can do the finding."
"Researching," Tsunade said with a snort. "You haven't lifted a finger to sort through that stuff the Uzumakis sent us. You've been writing your precious orange novels."
"Hey, when I hit a writer's block and don't have access to the internet, the Uzumakis' files are good time killers," Jiraiya said.
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Are we almost there yet?"
"Wake up, Tsunade. We're here. Finally," Jiraiya said. Tsunade snorted in her sleep. Jiraiya looked down at baby Naruto, who was lying in her arms. The little boy reached up and pulled his hair. "Ow! Naruto, wake up Tsunade." To demonstrate, Jiraiya gently tugged on one of Tsunade's pigtails. Naruto followed his lead and yanked.
Tsunade's eyes shot open. "Ow! What the-?!" She looked down at Naruto, and then over at Jiraiya. Seeing the stupid grin on his face, she elbowed him. "Shame on you. You almost made me swear in front of Naruto." Jiraiya shrugged. "Well, we're here. Get the luggage. I've got Naruto."
"Yes, princess," Jiraiya said as he got out of the car and popped the trunk. "Your wish is my command."
"Good," Tsunade said. "Then go check in at the hotel while I feed Naruto."
"As you wish," Jiraiya said, saluting.
Tsunade shook her head as Jiraiya strutted away. "You're godfather's got a screw or two lose, Naruto. What do you say?" Naruto just reached for the bottle Tsunade was preparing. After a little experience, Tsunade had learned that while Naruto like having his milk warm, he would drink it any way it was offered to him as long as he was hungry. It was very convenient when they were travelling. Sitting down in one of the lobby chairs, Tsunade fed her adopted son.
A few minutes later, Jiraiya came over carrying the luggage. "We're all set," he said. "We've got a nice suite on the second floor thanks to our status."
"That's nice," Tsunade said, standing. "Let's just drop off our bags before heading out to the headquarters."
Ten minutes later they were back in the car and heading into the city. Jiraiya parked the car and they entered the building.
"Wow, this is serious, huh?" Jiraiya asked when he saw that the Commander, Fugaku Uchiha, Hiashi Hyuga, Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, Chouza Akimichi, Shibi Aburame, Tsume Inuzuka, Kakashi Hatake representing the ANBU, Ibiki Morino, and the Council of Elders. "We've got the whole shebang."
"Jiraiya, shut up," Tsunade said as she carried Naruto. "Advisor-General Tsunade Senju reporting for duty."
"Uh, right," Jiraiya said, noticing the disapproving looks that the Council of Elders was giving him. "Advisor-General Jiraiya Sannin reporting for duty."
"Does the child have to be present?" Koharu Utatane, one of the elders, asked.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Naruto Namikaze is a five month old baby," she said. "I don't think anyone needs to worry about confidential information coming out of his mouth."
"Naruto may stay," Commander Sarutobi said. "Now that we are all assembled, I want to tell you of an interesting development one of our spies reported in Ame. Jiraiya and Tsunade, you two may be particularly interested in this. Kakashi, report."
"I witnessed an ten year old boy kill everyone he could see in a span of five minutes," Kakashi said. "It was as if he was possessed by a demon. He and his female friend had just had their friend suffer severe injuries as a result of a terrorist bomb. While the girl struggled to tend their injured friend, the other boy went on a rampage. He had strength and speed that was somehow superhuman. I saw him punch a grown man in the stomach and make him fly into a wall with such force that it made a dent. When reinforcements arrived and the boy was sedated, the girl stopped crying and seemed to stare the men down. They fell back, some fainting, some puking their guts out, and some with what looked like a horrid rash."
"What importance does that hold to us?" Danzo Shimura, another one of the elders, asked.
Jiraiya glanced at Commander Sarutobi, who nodded. "Ok, this is gonna be weird. It may knock you all off your feet, so pull up a chair." And Jiraiya and Tsunade explained the spirit situation to everyone.
"Why are we finding this out ten years later?" Homura Mitokado, the third member of the Council of Elders, asked.
"Well, the commander didn't find out till after Minato's death," Jiraiya said. "We didn't say anything because we had no proof and we weren't even sure if it was legitimate. It took a giant orange fox spirit on a rampage to prove the validity of what Orochimaru told us."
"Can you prove to us that this is true?" Shikaku asked.
Tsunade nodded. She looked down at Naruto. "As Jiraiya mentioned in his explanation, the Uzumaki clan deals with spirits. They gave us some files so that we know what we're dealing with."
"Can you prove to us spirits exist?" Inoichi asked.
"If the Peace spirit that Naruto holds is feeling sociable, it might grace us with its presence," Tsunade said.
Fugaku spoke up. "I can vouch for the existence of these spirits. My three sons all bear them. As some of you may know, my oldest, Itachi constantly suffers from what appears to be illness, though he has no symptoms that doctors can identify. We learned from Advisor-Generals Jiraiya and Tsunade that he is the vessel for the spirit of Pain. My nephew Tobi holds the spirit of Happiness, and my youngest, Sasuke, holds the spirit of Wild. Now that I know this, I've watched Sasuke and have seen him communicate with animals."
"You are not a man to tell tall tales," Shikaku said. "I believe you."
"I agree," Hiashi said, nodding.
"As do I," Chouza said. Inoichi nodded as well.
"And I," Kakashi said.
"While your word is worth much, seeing is believing," Homura said.
Tsunade sighed and looked down at Naruto. "I beg your pardon, spirit of Peace," she said. "There are people present that can't take word of mouth for truth." Naruto continued sleeping. Seriously? Are you going to do this to me now of all times? Tsunade mentally asked Peace. Then Naruto glowed pearly white and a familiar butterfly appeared on top of him.
"Thank you for answering," Jiraiya said.
"Please pardon my delay," the butterfly said. "I was binding Hate so that Naruto would not be uncomfortable with my absence."
"No problem," Jiraiya said, grinning. Turning to the gathered, he said, "Now you've seen. Do you believe?" Everyone sitting at the table nodded dumbly. "Good. Now, uh, commander, why did you call this as a war strategy meeting?"
"If Ame and the rest of our opposition discover the power of the spirits and come to control them, it would be damaging to us, especially with two such as the two that Kakashi mentioned."
"Pardon my intrusion, but what did you say the two did?" the butterfly asked.
Kakashi answered the butterfly. "One was a boy who looked about ten. He went on a rampage and killed everyone in sight in less than five minutes. He appeared to have some superhuman strength and speed that allowed him to do so. The other was a girl of about the same age. When her friend was subdued with sedative, she stared down the opposition. Some dropped in what appeared to be a dead faint, and other retreated either violently vomiting or nursing what seemed to be a severe rash."
The butterfly was silent for a moment. "From your description, the girl bears Illness. The boy bears either Destruction or Wrath. I believe you said that they are in what you consider enemy territory? Those two are terrible to be your opposition."
"Hm." Shikaku thought. "I'd say go retrieve them, even though they live deep in enemy territory. They are dangerous to have against us. Kakashi, did they seem to hold any allegiance to Ame?"
"The boy killed Ame police without hesitation, and the girl apparently wished illness on the men who were restraining her friend, also Ame police," Kakashi said.
"Commander, would it be unthinkable to enter Ame City and find these two?" Shikaku asked.
"We cannot spare many," Commander Sarutobi said. "However, it would definitely benefit us if the two were with us rather than against us."
"I'll go," Jiraiya said.
"What?" Tsunade asked.
"I need a good mission to keep me on my toes," Jiraiya said. "I'll be careful, Tsunade."
"You'd better," Tsunade said. "Naruto and I need you to come back to us."
Danzo turned to the commander. "Are you really just going to let one of your best Advisor-General's go so deep into enemy territory alone?"
"I believe that a destructive spirit in Ame's hands is not something we should have against us. You all saw the previously inexplicable damage in the place that Minato and Kushina died. We don't want that sort of power against us," Commander Sarutobi said.
"So, sir, when do I leave?" Jiraiya asked.
"The sooner, the better, I suppose," the commander said. "Pack what you need and be discreet. The last thing any of us need is for you to be trapped in Ame."
"Yessir," Jiraiya said.
"That's all," the commander said. "You know of the spirits. The Uzumaki clan is open for questions as far as I know. Tsunade and Fugaku as somewhat knowledgeable in them as well."
"Tsunade more than myself," Fugaku admitted to the surprise of many of those present. Tsunade suspected that it was the presence of the Peace spirit.
"Are there any questions?" the commander asked. No one said anything. The Peace butterfly swirled back into Naruto and disappeared. "Dismissed."
Tsunade and Jiraiya sat in their hotel's restaurant, waiting for their dinners. Naruto sat in a baby carrier playing with a little orange stuffed toad. Tsunade and Jiraiya found it slightly ironic that Naruto like orange. They'd found out by accident when Jiraiya for some reason thought it was a good idea to let an almost five-month old baby finger paint. While Tsunade had been scolding Jiraiya for his foolishness ("Honestly, Jiraiya, did you even check to see if the paint was non-toxic? For all you know it could have been…" Jiraiya gave Tsunade a questioning look "I don't know, something toxic!"), baby Naruto had somehow managed to mix the red and yellow. Ever since then, Naruto had shown a particular liking for all warm colors.
"Are you really going to go off to Ame just like that?" Tsunade asked Jiraiya.
"Of course," Jiraiya said. "I love you and Naruto dearly, but I'm a soldier as well as a godfather and your incredibly reliable comrade."
"I know," Tsunade said with a sigh. "It's just…come back to me, ok?"
"Gee, one might think you actually care!" Jiraiya said, touching his heart.
"Of course I care, Jiraiya," Tsunade said. "Why else do you think I tolerate you writing porn in our house?"
"Do you really think that's all I do?" Jiraiya asked.
"Sometimes I wonder," Tsunade said. "I mean, I always find your bedroom's trashcan filled with bloody tissues…"
"I don't have bloody noses from writing my romances!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "I'm no amateur."
"I know, I'm just joking," Tsunade said, giving him a look. "In all seriousness, though, I want you to come back to me alive. Don't leave just me and Naruto."
"Don't worry," Jiraiya said. "We're generals for a reason. We're the best of the best, even if our job now is less in the field and more about commanding. Let's not worry about me not returning. It's a real appetite killer." He turned to glance at the waitress who was bringing over their food.
Neither talked about the potential dangers of Jiraiya's mission while they ate. When they were ordering dessert, Fugaku and Mikoto came down to dinner with their children.
"Tobi, be a good boy for us and behave," Mikoto said as she put baby Sasuke's carrier on the seat next to her.
"Yes! Tobi is a good boy!" the child squealed. "Tobi will behave."
"That means Tobi has to sit down," Fugaku said, though he smiled in an out-of-character manner as he spoke. "Hello, Jiraiya, Tsunade," he said, nodding to them.
Mikoto settled down after getting Tobi to sit in between her and Itachi. "How was the meeting? Fugaku came back to the hotel room while I was giving the children their baths. Tell me all about it."
Fugaku sighed. "Mikoto, dear, do you really need to know everything that goes on in confidential meetings?"
"I'm your wife, a retired Sergeant-Major, and an active medic," Mikoto said. "I'm fairly certain that I'm trustworthy enough to keep confidentiality."
"As much as I'd love to keep you informed, the word confidential has some significance," Fugaku said. "I can't really tell you down here in public with the children around, now, can I?"
Mikoto sighed. "I suppose not. But you will tell me." It was not a question.
"Of course I will," Fugaku said wearily. "How could I deny my lovely wife the pleasure?"
"If you were a cold-hearted jerk that I married only due to our arranged marriage, you could," Mikoto said. "Thankfully you're not, and I happened to fall in love with you."
"Mommy, how did you and Daddy fall in love?" Itachi asked curiously.
"Oh, I'd love to hear this," Tsunade said, turning to the Uchihas' table.
"You're a better storyteller than I," Fugaku said as he picked up the menu.
"Well, like most Uchiha marriages, Fugaku and mine was arranged," Mikoto said. "We both were, ah, strong-willed teens, Fugaku more than I, so he disguised himself and decided to get to know me without having the pressure of arrangement on us both. We got to know each other and we, by fate's favor, fell in love. Then when we officially met for the first time, I got quite the surprise and Fugaku had a little bit of explaining to do to his parents."
"That's sweet," Tsunade said as she sipped the wine she'd ordered with her dinner. "Jiraiya, no off-color comments. There are children present."
"But I didn't say anything!" Jiraiya exclaimed, offended.
"But you were thinking," Tsunade said airily. She turned to the two Uchiha children who were able to speak. "How are you tonight?" she asked conversationally.
"Fine, thank you," Itachi said with a bow of his head.
"Tobi says that he is very, very good, thank you very much, and that Tobi is a good boy!" Tobi jabbered.
"Such polite boys," Tsunade said to Mikoto. "You've raised them well."
"I do my best," Mikoto said with a laugh.
"How are they doing on the, ah, spirited side of things?" Tsunade asked.
"Sasuke is quite the little chatterer," Mikoto said. "He likes to be near the open windows so that he can hear the birds sing. It's quite remarkable, really. They'll land right next to him and chirp while he babbles."
"How sweet," Tsunade said. "Fugaku mentioned that nature likes him very much."
"Oh, it does," Mikoto said. "All I've got to do is sit him near a potted plant and it perks up in minutes. And Tobi. That boy just brings joy to my heart and to everyone he meets, even the cranky old Uchiha council of elders. It's delightful, really."
"And Itachi?" Tsunade asked. "He's a brave little boy, containing Pain."
"He's doing no worse than he usually does," Mikoto said, turning to look at Itachi, who was reading Tobi the children's menu. "He's so mild and kind," she said sorrowfully. "It pains me to see him hurting and be unable to do anything ease it."
"Have you tried medication?" asked Tsunade as a waiter came to give her the check.
Mikoto nodded. "I've tried what I can, but Itachi's only five year old, and his little body can only take so much."
"Hm." Tsunade sipped her remaining wine as she gave the bill to Jiraiya. "I'll see if there's stronger stuff available."
"Thank you so much," Mikoto said, gripping her friend's hand in gratitude.
"'Kay, we're just about done here," Jiraiya said. "It's been nice seeing you guys."
"I don't know if I'll see you before you head out, so be safe, alright?" Fugaku told Jiraiya. "It would be a great tragedy for all of us if we lost you."
"Have faith in the great Jiraiya of the Sannin!" Jiraiya said with confidence. "I'll return, don't you worry, and chances are, I'll have two little tykes with me!"
The day of Jiraiya's departure came quickly. The white-haired man geared up and bid Tsunade and little Naruto good bye before he climbed into the helicopter which would take him to the outskirts of the Allied Territory.
"You ready, sir?" Jiraiya turned his attention from Tsunade, who was shouting last-minute instructions to him about coming back in one piece and sentimental things like that, to his pilot. Young (as in eleven-years-old young) Shisui Uchiha, an acclaimed Uchiha genius, sat in the pilot's chair, grinning broadly.
"I'm already, little guy," Jiraiya told him.
"Hey! No age comments! I'm the guy who's s'posed to get 'cha places in one piece, after all," the young boy said with a scowl.
"Well, excuse me, but I happen to be on a first name basis with your family's head," Jiraiya said. "I'm not takin' no sass from you!"
Shisui frowned. "I bet you weren't flying helicopters at eleven," he said.
"I bet you weren't doing infiltration missions in Taki when you were ten," Jiraiya countered.
"Whoa…" Shisui said in awe as he flew the vehicle, "I guess they really don't exaggerate. How'd you get infiltration missions at ten?"
"Tsunade, Oro, and I were all geniuses who hadn't enough public exposure to be known, who looked young enough to be written off as harmless, and who were smart enough to remember what we needed to know without keeping records," Jiraiya said. "Plus, it couldn't hurt that the then-General Sarutobi was our teacher and could vouch for our talent."
"Wow, that's wicked!" Shisui said, excited. "Not to mention really dangerous and awesome!"
"Hey, kid, don't discredit all your flying work," Jiraiya told the boy, leaning back in his chair.
"Eh, I wasn't," said Shisui. "To use the old 'Konoha is a tree' model, every leaf, branch, and root plays a part."
"You got it, kid," Jiraiya said.
"Does that mean you'll stop calling me kid?" asked Shisui.
"Heck no," said Jiraiya. "You gotta earn a title, and right now you're Shisui Uchiha, kid genius helicopter pilot."
"Rats," Shisui said. "Hey, if you're cool with Uncle Fugaku, do you know what's up with all that weirdness involving my cousins?"
"Define weirdness," said Jiraiya.
"You know, Itachi being sick all the time, Sasuke talking to squirrels, and Tobi being…Tobi?"
"Wait, Sasuke can talk to squirrels? I thought it was just birds," Jiraiya said, catching the information.
"Hah! So you do know something!" Shisui exclaimed.
"Keep your hands on the controls, kid!" Jiraiya yelped. "Yeah, I know stuff about your cousins. Maybe when you're older you'll know too. But for now, just know that it's all under control."
"Drat," Shisui complained as he flew the helicopter. "And I even caught you knowing stuff too!"
"Keep it up and you'll be a monster when you're big, kid," said Jiraiya.
"Yeah, yeah," Shisui said playfully.
When the genius pilot landed the helicopter, Jiraiya rubbed the boy's curly black hair fondly before waving good bye and heading to the Allied base. He was greeted by Lieutenant Colonel Baki of Suna.
"Welcome," the Suna soldier said. "We've heard of your mission, and we're prepared to give you shelter once you get back."
"Yeah, yeah, but you can't give me support while I'm in," said Jiraiya. "I know. This is a one-man mission."
"Good," said Baki. "I take it you'll rest before heading in?"
Jiraiya nodded. "A decent night's sleep, some money, and a change in appearance is all I need. I'm gonna have to say bye-bye to my lovely white locks!" He paused. "That sounded off."
"I'll refrain from commenting," Baki said. "Come in."
The next morning Jiraiya did indeed put the scissors to his mane of hair and dyed it a common brown. It didn't take much to hide his facial structure. He simply neglected to shave and wore an Ame rain jacket with a hood and a high collar. Concealing a couple of knives, an energy sword, a respirator, and other necessities, along with a special first-aid kit from Tsunade, Jiraiya donned common Ame clothes and snuck out of the base.
Getting into Ame City wasn't terribly difficult. Jiraiya simply blended in with the other refugees coming from Kusa, Ta, Taki, Yu, other parts of Ame, and more. He passed the basic pat-down since he had hidden his weapons under a layer of padding. Once he was safely inside the city, Jiraiya headed to the area that Kakashi had seen the children. According to Colonel Hatake, the girl with Illness and her spirited friend also had another injured friend, which lowered the likelihood of them straying far from the scene. Then again, since the Ame police were most likely seeking them because of their destructive episode, they may have. Sighing, Jiraiya headed to the eastern outskirts, where Kakashi had observed the kids.
"Looking for work?" Jiraiya turned. Some random civilian had seen him wandering aimlessly.
"Work would be a nice thing," Jiraiya said. "Work means money, and money means drink. But I'm actually here on family business. My sister-in-law sent word to me that she was in dire straits and that she'd been separated from her son. She's out of the city now, and she's distraught. Of course, she's also pregnant, which means she's in no condition to come out here and find her kid. The father's out in the war cause, so it's up to me, the family slacker, to find him."
"Heh, I feel ya," the man said. "I heard there was a nasty attack on east side a few months back. That sound about right?"
"Sorta, yeah," said Jiraiya. "East, you say? Do you know if there's work up there?"
"Probably, but weren't you looking for the kid?"
"Kid's important, but a man's gotta drink," Jiraiya said.
The man nodded. "Yeah, there's probably work up there. If you can't find any but you find the kid, you can always come back and try here. Can't guarantee a free spot though."
"Glad to know someone's got my back," said Jiraiya as he walked away. It was nice to know that there were decent fellows out there.
It was a long walk to the east side. In order to keep up appearance as a poor slacker, Jiraiya slept on the streets for a few nights and ate cheap food for a few days. Nothing upped appreciation for basic comforts than not having them. Trudging through the never-ending rain, Jiraiya finally made it to the eastern outskirts.
The eastern outskirts of Ame City were easily one of the shadiest places in the already shady city. It was not a good place for children. Jiraiya mentally gulped as he eyed the unfriendly figures that walked the streets and slunk into poorly lit alleys. He did not like this place one bit. Even rough Iwa City had a nicer atmosphere than this place!
"Hey, stranger, looking for some fun?" A scantily-clad woman approached him from behind.
"If I had the cash, I would," Jiraiya said. "Best I can offer you is a couple of pervy stories."
"Role play, hm?" the woman asked.
"If I could afford you," Jiraiya said.
The woman huffed, disappointed. "I'll be waiting."
Jiraiya entered a dingy-looking tavern. "What'll it be?" the bartender asked gruffly.
"For now, just a question," said Jiraiya. "I'm lookin' for the kid of my sister-in-law. Apparently there was some big disaster that we country folks didn't hear about and she got separated from her son. She's a pregnant mess, so she couldn't go back to find him. Any idea where there might be kids around?"
"She lost a kid here?" The bartender shook his head. "If she's a girl, you'll never find her. If he's a boy, well, he's either dead or recruited."
"Ah," Jiraiya said. "Well, that's a downer."
"It's how it is around here," said the bartender. "Ok, pay up."
"Right. No info's free," Jiraiya said with a sigh. He pulled out some coins. "Is this enough?"
"A few more and you'll know how to play the game," the bartender said.
Jiraiya grumbled, but handed over the money as he got up to leave.
If I was a kid with the Ame police most likely after me, but had an immobile friend, where would I go? Jiraiya asked himself as he meandered through the poverty-stricken streets of the eastern outskirts. Would I hide in the dark of the alleys? I'm hiding a girl, apparently, so I'd need to keep her out of site. Yeah, dark is most likely. But I'll be a bunch that gangs run these streets and alleys too. So would I hide in plain sight? Oh well. Maybe I'll just get lucky and run into the kids.
A day or two more in the eastern outskirts, and Jiraiya had made no progress. Broke and already having spent a solid week wandering Ame City, he was beginning to think that the kids had already been picked up by the Ame police or had been killed. A half a week more of stealing, swindling, and gambling, and returning to Tsunade and Naruto was really starting to sound appealing.
Jiraiya was heading back to the sleazy inn he'd managed to get employed at, when he heard a sound like concrete hitting concrete. At first he thought it was just the result of some gang fight in the back alleys. The rest of the people on the street seemed to agree, as no one reacted. But when a second and a third noise of the same sort, each getting progressively louder, happened, the people on the street rapidly began to disappear. Jiraiya, taking the hint that something was happening, slipped into the alleys, tracking the noise.
Smoke signaled Jiraiya's arrival at the right place. A shoddy bunch of abandoned apartment buildings stood in the area. One of them was on fire. Jiraiya heard the sounds of a fight, and approached.
Behind the burning building, a boy with orange hair stood in front of a blue-haired girl, who was holding an androgynous figure in her arms. The boy, Jiraiya noticed, was wielding what could only be a chunk of the burning building's wall as a weapon. Surrounding them were seven Ame policemen, a number which seemed ridiculous for taking down three kids.
"By the spirits, I think I found them," Jiraiya whispered to himself.
The boy somehow heard him. "You!" he roared in an inhuman voice. "Are you friend or foe?"
Of course, this alerted the Ame police to Jiraiya's presence.
"I dunno," said Jiraiya. "Why are the police after you?"
One of the police men turned and aimed an energy crossbow in Jiraiya's general direction. Jiraiya noticed that he was the victim of a disturbingly nasty-looking rash. Yes, he had indeed found them. "They dangerous rogues who have killed several of the police force with brutish force and inhumane poison."
"We're just kids trying to survive," the girl called. "Please, if you have any mercy in your soul, help us!"
"Or better yet, just leave us alone," shouted the wall-wielding boy. "You and all the rest!"
Jiraiya didn't like the odds. He'd hoped, in his idealistic mind, to swoop down, pick up the kids, and get out of there. Of course the Ame police had to be involved. Of course he'd end up fighting.
"If you're a law-abiding citizen, you'll leave this business to the police," snapped the Ame policeman pointing the energy crossbow at him.
Jiraiya sighed. He could either leave and risk losing the kids to the police or to the labyrinth of the back alleys, or he could fight, potentially gain the apparently-distrustful violent boy's approval, and get the kids out of there. Weighing his options, Jiraiya decided to fight.
Taking a tip from the Kiri soldiers, Jiraiya threw out a smoke bomb, put on his respirator and a pair of goggles, and armed himself with his knives. Though his energy sword was his baby, it made a distinct humming noise when activated, and was no good for Kiri's Silent Killing tactic. With one slash, the energy crossbow-wielding policeman fell. Jiraiya hit another man, and then another, and then another. When the smoke finally cleared, the Sannin thanked his lucky stars that he'd bothered to pick up the tactic. Only two remained.
Of course, those two had to be ones that looked dangerous. One man held trench knives, and the other, the only woman of the original seven, had a standard energy longbow. Bolts of energy rushed by Jiraiya as the woman shot at him, while the man got in close. Giving up on his knives, Jiraiya tossed them in the children's general direction, praying that they didn't hit them. Taking out his energy sword and flicking it on, he quickly rendered the man's trench knives, as well as his hands, useless.
The man dropped, screaming in agony. Jiraiya silenced him with a stomp on the neck. The woman, practically spitting with fury, fired rapidly at him. Suddenly wishing that he'd spent more time brushing up on his long-ranged combat and his blocking skills, Jiraiya started to get worried. Then a piece of concrete flew at the woman, forcing her to hold her fire as she dodged. Then the orange-haired boy charged.
"Get back, you little idiot!" Jiraiya yelled.
"I can take her!" the boy yelled back.
"Yahiko!" the girl screamed.
"That's not my name, Konan!" the boy, Yahiko shouted. "I am Pain, and I will kill all those who stand in my way!" Grabbing the fallen energy crossbow from the ground, Yahiko/Pain fired several successive shots at the woman, who had gotten her bearings back and was readying her bow again. Caught off guard by the boy's inhumanly fast movements, the woman was hit and fell. Yahiko/Pain lifted her by her collar and hurled her into the burning building.
"Yahiko?" The girl, Konan, looked at her friend. Now that he wasn't the living embodiment of rage, Jiraiya could see that he had a split lip and blood running down his face.
"Konan? Are you and Nagato ok?" asked Yahiko/Pain.
"Yes," she said. "Yahiko, come back to us. Pain took care of the enemies."
Yahiko let out a breath and collapsed. Jiraiya turned off his sword and collected his knives before kneeling beside the children. "Er…does this happen often?" he asked as he examined the boy.
Konan nodded. "Whenever we're threatened, Yahiko become Pain and protects me and Nagato."
"He's pretty strong for a boy his age," Jiraiya commented as he pulled out Tsunade's special first aid kit and started tending to the child's wounds.
"He is," Konan said. "It's not normal, but we don't care. After all, I can make people sick."
"Can you, now?" Jiraiya asked casually. "Poison?"
"No," said Konan. "Magic."
"Magic? I didn't think there was such a thing," Jiraiya said.
"What else would allow me to do this?"
Jiraiya's hand began to itch. Looking down, he saw hives appearing. "Can you make it go away?" he asked.
"I've never tried," the girl admitted. "I'll see what I can do. You did help us, after all."
Jiraiya sighed as the welts went away. "That's a special ability, I'll grant you that. Whether it's scientifically explainable, we have yet to find out. What's up with your other friend? He…er, she? Well, they don't look to good."
"Nagato's hurt," Konan said with a nod. "There was an explosion a while ago, and he got caught in it. His legs are messed up and he can't walk. He was going to die, but Yahiko and I found him and took care of him. I think he might be dying again, though."
Jiraiya scratched his head, pretending not to be worried by the way the girl spoke of her friend's death. "I know some people who could help him. We'd have to leave the city, though."
"Can we leave the city? Yahiko told me that it wasn't safe for me here," Konan said.
"Do we need Yahiko's opinion?" asked Jiraiya.
"No," said Konan. "He'll listen to me, and he cares about Nagato too. Let's go."
Jiraiya blinked, pleased by the girl's agreement and amused by her attitude. She almost reminded him of Tsunade back when they were still in elementary school. "I'll carry Yahiko and Nagato if you can show me a quiet way to get out of the alleys. You see, I'm kinda new around here, and…" The girl started walking. "Ok, that works." He picked up Yahiko and took Nagato from her.
Konan knew her way around the city. She even knew places where the city borders were thinly guarded. While they were waiting for a patrol to pass, Yahiko opened his eyes. "Hullo. Pain says that the danger's passed. Konan, who's this guy?"
"This is the guy who helped us," she said. "He knows someone who can help Nagato's legs."
"And you believe him?" asked Yahiko. Jiraiya started to get nervous. If the boy caused a ruckus, he didn't want to know what would happen besides him having to convince the kids that he was their friend.
"Yes," said Konan. "He didn't try to kill us on the spot when the fight was over."
"Ok," said Yahiko. "But if he tries any funny business, I'm gonna unleash Pain. You hear that, Mister?"
"Yeah, yeah," said Jiraiya. "Call me Uncle Toad. That's cool with me. Konan, when's that patrol passing?"
"Soon," the girl assured him. And she was right. The patrol passed, and five minutes after it was gone, Yahiko motioned for him to come.
"Why didn't we leave by the front gates?" Jiraiya asked.
"People want me and Konan," said Yahiko. "It's cause we've got super awesome powers that no one else has got."
"I see," said Jiraiya.
"I mean, I've seen a lot of things, but Pain is unique to me," said Yahiko. "And no one can make people sick like Konan."
"I believe it," Jiraiya said. "Now, lay low, kids, because we've gotta bypass the Ame eagle eyes."
Several stressful and hungry days later, Jiraiya, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato reached the base. Over the journey, Jiraiya had discovered that Yahiko was a chatty, amicable boy with a dream of peace and a fierce determination to protect his friends. Pain was his alter ego who had the fighting power necessary to do so. The boy had never particularly like Ame, and ever since the Ame police had started hunting him and Konan down for their powers, he had developed a particular loathing for the place. Konan, Jiraiya learned, was a caring and concerned individual who shared Yahiko's dream of peace. She was apparently brilliant, as she had learned from simply glimpsing and overhearing the basic skills needed to keep someone like Nagato alive. Nagato Jiraiya did not know well. The boy drifted in and out of conscious, and was in desperate need of medical attention, not to mention nutrition. The emergency rations that Jiraiya had went to him, while Konan and Yahiko foraged for what they could. Needless to say, the sight of the base was a welcome one.
Baki welcomed Jiraiya and his three young friends. They were all properly fed, watered, and treated. Jiraiya cleaned himself up before even considering calling Tsunade.
Tsunade's face appeared over the hologram. "Jiraiya! You're alive! How was the mission?"
"Yes, princess, I'm alive," Jiraiya said. "Did you really have such little faith in the great Jiraiya, your wonderful and talented teammate?"
"I just worry," said Tsunade. "You're all in one piece and not calling me from a hospital bed, I trust?"
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry," said Jiraiya. "I've missed you and Naruto. How's the little bugger?"
"Happy as a clam," Tsunade said. "When will you be back?"
"Soon, I think," said Jiraiya. "I've got three kids with me. Two are spirited, and one's their friend. Tsunade, the boy needs medical attention. The doctors here told me that his legs got blown up and that he'll be a cripple for life, if he can survive the raging infection he's got."
Tsunade's face turned grim. "I'll do what I can."
"I know you will," Jiraiya said.
"Hey, are you talking about us?" Yahiko walked in with Konan. "What did the doctors say about Nagato?"
"Hey guys, this is Tsunade. She's not my wife, but you could say that she'll be your mom when we get to my place," said Jiraiya.
"You're adopting us?" asked Yahiko.
"If you want us to," said Jiraiya.
"How's Nagato?" asked Konan.
"Very sick," said Jiraiya. "When he's more stable, we'll go to my house and Tsunade will take care of him. Tsunade's one of the best medics in the known world, you see."
"So when do we leave?" asked Yahiko.
"Son," said Tsunade. "Has anyone ever told you that patience is a virtue?"
"Probably, but patience doesn't get me what I need," said Yahiko.
Tsunade shook her head. "We're going to have a fun time with you, I can tell."
And so the Ame Trio join the Jiraiya and Tsunade. Who will it be next time?
If you haven't played the spirit guessing game, play now! Here are the names and spirits again, with the known ones crossed off. Review and leave me your guesses! Or just review and tell me what you think about the story. Believe me, it really does inspire me to work on this story.
Names:
Choji
Deidara
Gaara
Hidan
Hinata
Ino
Itachi
Kakuzu
Kankuro
Kiba
Kisame
Konan
Naruto
Neji
Rock Lee
Sakura
Sasori
Sasuke
Shikamaru
Shino
Temari
TenTen
Tobi
Yahiko (we don't know for certain yet which he is)
Spirits:
Air
Autumn
Beauty
Destruction
Earth
Envy
Fire
Greed
Happiness (Tobi)
Hate (Naruto)
Illness (Konan)
Intelligence
Lust
Moon
Pain (Itachi)
Peace (Naruto)
Spring
Stars
Summer
Sun
Water
Wild (Sasuke)
Winter
Wisdom
Wrath