Chapter 1
Four Years On
Borderlands of Hi no Kuni, four years later
She ran through the underbrush of the forest, pushing aside the branches of bushes and small trees as she went. Exhaustion slowed her. She was covered in a fresh sheen of sweat, clothes dirty and torn, blonde hair matted, probably didn't smell very well either.
Running from Kumogakure, through the mountainous terrain of the Land of Lightning, the two small nations of Claw and Talon and into the plains which dominated the border with Konohagakure without stopping was an impressive feet, one which few Ninja below A-rank could achieve. However even someone like her had limits, and she needed to stop and rest, but not until she reached the huge forests, not until they were safely within cover.
Finally they came to the forest outline, massive trees rose up in the distance, unnaturally huge creations easily the same size as a five storey building. She entered the forest, and kept running till she came across a clearing. She quickly scanned the perimeter. Even if there was a ceasefire with the Land of Fire they were still in hostile territory. Confident they were safe she knelt into a crouch, and let her passenger's feet touch solid ground. He staggered for a moment, his joints numb from lack of use.
She turned to him, and despite her exhaustion and their current predicament she couldn't help but smile at him "We'll rest here for a while"
He nodded and watched with curiosity as she went to work, unslinging her backpack and pulling a few small scrolls from satchels "What are you doing Kaa-san?"
She smiled at him, he had always been curious about everything there was to know about being a Ninja, and she had always patiently explained whatever he wanted to know "I'm going to plant some perimeter seals around our camp so we don't get snuck up on"
He nodded and yawned, his own exhaustion apparent. It had taken nearly two days to traverse the terrain between Kumogakure and here. He had not slept during the entire trip, and neither did she. She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze "Take the sleeping bag out of this scroll and get some rest" she said softly, taking out a small scroll and handing it to him.
He took it, but didn't move, his little oceanic eyes full of worry "You'll be close right?"
She nodded, and gave him a hug "I'm not going anywhere Naruto-kun"
"You promise?"
She leaned back, her almond eyes starring unflinchingly at his brilliant blue "I promise"
He nodded in relief, before turning and moving towards a crevice in a large thick oak tree. He knew the enormity of their situation and was instinctually falling upon his own basic Ninja training. One of his first lessons was how to live out in the field. When you need to rest sleep in cover, keep away from any hostile eyes.
For the last four years he had been trained in the Ninja arts by some of the finest instructors in Kumo. They had mostly just taught him chakra control and manipulation, while she and a few others taught him several low-level Ninjutsu and her own Taijutsu fighting style.
She heard a snap, and her head darted around, looking for any signs of danger. It was only a deer, a few meters in the forest. She allowed herself to relax. Although Naruto was valuable to Kumo they wouldn't dare break the armistice with the Land of Fire, they weren't ready to start another war, not with herself and Naruto going rogue. At least that was what she hoped.
She spent ten minutes going through the forest, planting her perimeter seals into the earth before heading back to the clearing. Once there she noticed that Naruto was sound asleep, hidden within a hollowed out tree. She smiled as she sat down beside him, leaning against the inside of the trunk, her hand brushing back his bangs of blonde hair. As she got comfortable she felt her own weariness like a slap in the face, even with the Nibi's chakra sustaining her she could only go on for so long, and she had surpassed her limit a day ago.
Digging her hand into one of the satchels on her Jonin vest she fished out a small red pill, a soldier pill, and popped it into her mouth, ignoring the sour taste that came with it. The medicine got to work within a few moments, and she felt awake again. She could rest later, when she knew Naruto was safe, for now she would remain on a constant vigil.
"You shouldn't do that, kitten" the soft, purring voice of her Biju made her jump, she caught herself and silently cursed "Look at yourself. You're jumping at shadows. You haven't slept, eaten or rested in days. At the rate your going you'll keel over from starvation, dehydration or exhaustion!"
"What choice do I have" she replied, softly so as not to wake Naruto.
"There is no way a pursuit team could keep up with you" the Nibi chastised softly "They would be a day behind you at the least"
"Unless they send Kirabi"
"He cares about the kid as much as you do. The council knows this so they won't send him"
She was right, and as she tried to deny it she realised just how right the benevolent cat demon was. Her stomach hurt, her lips and throat were parched and even with the medication she could still feel her eyes droop from lack of sleep. She heard a sigh. Her Biju spoke again, and this time her voice was pleading.
"Kitten, eat something at least"
She picked up her backpack and rummaged through it, finding a ration bar she tore it from its paper confines and wolfed it down. She grabbed her canteen from her belt next, popping open the bottle and taking a gulp of water to help wash down the taste. Wiping her mouth she fell back against the bark and frowned when Nibi gave off a growl.
"Not good enough, I saw a deer skimming the edge of the clearing"
"Is this your hunger or mine?" she asked deadpan.
There was a purr of annoyance "You of course you foolish blonde! That protein crap is not going to sustain you!!! It was designed to be a snack, not an actual meal"
She groaned. Nibi never liked the protein bars. She was a feline, a carnivore, and as a carnivore she craved meat to sustain her, even though she didn't need it anymore the trait had been passed down to her host. Her feline companion sighed again, and then purred worriedly.
"Kitten, I'm worried about you. If an elite Ninja came at you in your state you won't be able to put up much of a fight"
The Jinchuriki sighed; the Nibi was right "I guess you have a point"
"Please kitten" the creature beseeched worriedly "I'll remove the effects of the soldier pill from your system. Just please get some sleep"
As she sat there, listening to the sounds of the forest and the soft snoring of the child beside her. Her mind began to wonder, remembering the turn of events which led her to this moment.
Kumogakure no Sato, One week earlier
"It is impossible"
They stood in the office of the Raikage, the walls and floor carved from the stone of the mountain the Hidden village was situated on. Filing cabinets covered the walls and in the centre, overlooking a large window of the village was the mahogany desk and chairs of the Raikage. This was where he made the decisions which affected the Ninja population of the Land of Lightning.
She had been called here by the Raikage himself. Beside her stood the Raikage's brother, her fellow Jinchuriki and close friend Kirabi Yotsuki, who had barged into the meeting uninvited, and when the elder asked him to leave he began spewing his usual badly worded rap phrases. Eventually the Raikage let him stay, on the condition he stop his useless anecdotes. She smiled as the usually aloof and insubordinate Hachibi container complied without question. He cared about Naruto too, saw the kid as like a little brother and she surmised he had heard of this meeting on his progress and made sure he was there to attend it.
The others were an assortment of ANBU captains and village elders. She had nodded a greeting to her fellow Ninja and bowed respectfully to the village elders. The ANBU returned her greeting, while the elders just grunted and moved on. The worried looks of the Ninja and the disappointment of the elders gave her cause for concern.
It had been three months since Naruto began training under the ANBU and seal masters on how to control his tailed beast, and as much as she wanted to know how it was going it was classified above top secret. Her son had always come home tired and exhausted, and when she asked how it was going he just smiled and reminded her that it was top secret. This gave her cause for further concern. Naruto had always confided in her, when something was wrong she was the first he would talk to and ask help with.
"After three months of conversing with the Kyubi no Yoko I have concluded that, at the boy's current level it will be impossible for him to fully master it" she looked at the elder and head scientist of the project as he reported his findings, a frown on her face. Norimasa Sakamoto was a former Kumo-Jonin, an old man in his seventies with thinning white hair and dark brown skin, who retired from service and became the chief scientist for the Science and Research Bureau. It was he who oversaw the conditioning of both herself and Kirabi. She didn't like the man, in fact she hated him. He had never hid his contempt for the Jinchuriki, not even with Kirabi, and he was the brother of the Raikage.
"Please elaborate" E said with a frown. He didn't like the old man either, in fact she remembered when he came up in conversation the Raikage called him an old fossil who should have been buried years ago. She smiled at the memory, only to hide it behind her stoic mask once more.
"The Kyubi is the most powerful of the Nine, its strength is so malevolent and vast that it is impossible for a normal human mind to control" the scientist replied, skipping through a few pages on his report "Upon further examination and after several communications between beast and host I have come to a conclusion. While it will lend its chakra to the container to save its own life it is not as, how should I say, compliant as the Nibi and Hachibi where"
She didn't like where this was going, and from Kirabi's movements she saw he didn't much like it either. The towering Jinchuriki folded his arms across his broad chest, face set in a frown as he listened to the head scientist of the Science and Research Bureau.
"At his rate of progress he may never fully master the nine tails of his transformation. The Kyubi's chakra is just too vast and potent that its consciousness would encompass and take over his host. He would become more of a danger to the village than as its protector" the scientist suddenly shut his report, his eyes partially hidden behind his round glasses "Unless"
He let the word hang in the air, not caring to reiterate further. The Raikage tapped his finger against the surface of his desk in impatience, before sighing "Unless what?"
"Unless we put him through the full conditioning"
Yugito growled at this, the full conditioning was more like torture. The subject would be conditioned both mentally and physically to become a weapon. She didn't know the details but what she did know was that the practice was cruel and inhumane in every sense of the words. When the training was complete the subject would lose all emotion, he would basically become a hollow shell of what he once was, the perfect killer.
The Raikage growled at the scientist for a moment "If we did that the boy would be nothing more than a shell of what he is now. No emotions, no individual thought, he would be stripped of all that makes him who he is. Such barbarism has been outlawed"
"It is regrettable" the scientist replied, his almond eyes gleaming with a sick joy behind his glasses "But necessary, I will be putting this forward in the council meeting later today. But your agreement would make this much faster"
"I refuse" E replied without hesitation, fixing the scientist with a glare which would have melted steel, lips twisted in a sneer of disgust "And I will fight this motion of yours with tooth and nail. There is a reason why I banned all forms of that training, and I doubt you will gain enough support on the council to overrule me"
A smile adorned the old mans face "Off course Raikage-sama, but I will still put my recommendations forward when the council meeting begins"
The Council of Lightning, a council made of heads of the numerous Ninja clans of Kumogakure as well as Ninja commanders and Village elders. They were at heart an advisory council, one who was created to help the Raikage in the day to day running of Kumogakure no Sato. They had some power, and although the Kage was the leader of the village the council could still overrule his decisions, but in order to do that they needed eighty percent of the members to agree. Such a thing had only happened twice in the history of the village.
"You are welcome to do so, Sakamoto" the Raikage said tightly "And my opinion will remain the same, now leave me"
The old man bowed, spun on his heel and stalked out of the office, he looked at both Yugito and Bee as he left, and the Nibi Jinchuriki could have sworn she saw a malicious smile on his face. She felt her body go numb. Sakamoto was a very methodical human being, and she used the term human very loosely, he would never make a play like this against the Raikage if he didn't have the support for it.
The line of Ninja filed out, but Yugito and Kirabi remained, eyes not leaving the Raikage's for a moment, likewise he did not shy away from their gazes but met them head on. The door closed and she couldn't hold her diplomatic façade any longer.
"Bastard" she growled.
Kirabi nodded his agreement, before starring at his elder brother with an unusually stoic expression, his black sunglasses lowering to reveal dark almond eyes "So bro, do we have anything to worry about?"
The Raikage sighed, once again massaging his forehead "The council does not side with him on many issues, but with the kid it's another story. He was supposed to start his training at five, but thanks to your 'motherly instincts' he was held back"
"What are you implying?"
"Don't play dumb with me Yugito, I know you too well" he rebuked mildly "By his age you had fully mastered using the Nibi, Kirabi was on his fourth tailed transformation. At the moment the kid can barely control his single tailed cloak, his anger clouds his judgement. The council is losing its patience. They want results, and Norimasa is giving them a way to gain those results"
"At the risk of turning him into another Rokubi" she almost screamed, barely keeping her patience in check.
He glared at her "Do you think I will enjoy this? I will do all that I can, but if the council is against me there is little I can do"
"You can overrule the council" she replied, but was stopped by a snort.
"Even I have my limits, if I go against the council I risk losing my support with the clans and without their support I can't overturn the decision"
She gritted her teeth, keeping her opinions buried deep within her mind. Instead she clenched her fists so tight the skin on her knuckles turned white. She lowered her head "Excuse me"
The Nibi host turned on her heel and stalked out of the office, leaving a worried Kirabi and a frowning E. They remained silent until the door closed, and E spoke, his words lace with weariness.
"She has gotten emotionally involved with the child" he muttered "I should have seen this coming"
Kirabi sighed, pushing up his sunglasses "She was his guardian at first, but things took a turn for the worst"
The elder brother frowned "Stop that"
"It's true though" the little brother continued "At the beginning she saw it as another mission, but over time things changed. The kid is infectious bro, just by being with him you want to get to know him better. When he enters a room it lights up. My students are smitten with him, Yugito sees him as a son and I even see him like he's my little brother"
The elder sighed "I know. I like the kid too"
"It's more than that" Kirabi said "Before the incident with Konoha she was nicknamed the 'Ice Cat'. She was always stoic and cold to everyone around her, bar me, you and her sister. But since she took the kid in she's opened up, I've seen her smile and laugh…in public!"
"He has been a good influence on her" E replied "Before she met him her façade as a snow queen scared men off, now her new appearance as a caring mother has drawn them to her like a moth to a flame"
Suddenly he saw his brother with that look, and decided to nip it in the bud "Don't even think about it"
"What" he replied, his face a mask of innocence.
"I will not have you singing rap music at her window, not again" he replied deadpan "Do you realise how many complaints we got, the amount of damage which needed to be repaired because of your little stunt?"
"I was trying to serenade her"
"Little brother, you serenade a person by playing a musical instrument, classical tools like a violin are usually preferred" E explained impatiently, feeling a headache coming on. Where the hell was his aspirin!? "Not standing on the pavement shouting out your pitiful excuse of rap music"
"She liked it"
"She fully transformed and tried to kill you, in the middle of the village!"
"She looks so sexy when she's angry too"
"Was being condemned to a hospital bed with chakra poisoning for two months really worth it?"
He didn't hesitate "Oh yes"
She had been sixteen during the Hyuga incident in Konoha, the lead bodyguard to the then Head Ninja. Trained to become a killer from the age of two, ascended to the rank of Genin at eight, a Chunin at ten and a Jonin at thirteen, by her fifteenth birthday she had been selected as a member of the Raikage's own ANBU strike force, becoming a captain within six months of her selection.
She had never even thought about settling down and raising a child, her status as a Jinchuriki, a living sacrifice, had made that decision impossible for her. She was respected in her village. Her beauty made her a symbol of lust to many a man. But no one besides her fellow Ninja wanted to get close to her.
The only people she considered family before the incident was Kirabi, E, her sister and half of the Yotsuki clan. Then the incident happened, and she found herself looking after a little four year old Jinchuriki. She hadn't planned on it happening, she was just supposed to be his guardian until he was old enough to begin the training. But over time something changed. She didn't know what or why but he got to her. There was something about him; his personality naturally made him friends and before long she found that she cared about him.
By the end of their first year together he had started calling her mom, and she had let him. All her life she had been taught that she was only a weapon, there was no room for wayward emotions like love and hate. But she found that she loved this little boy, he showed her that there was more to her than just a weapon, that she had within her the emotions of a human being. She could love, hate, cry, laugh and smile just like all those she perceived as normal.
They weren't related by blood, but they were as close as a mother and son.
She stopped and looked around, frowning. She had walked through the village to the training grounds, a barren landscape of rock formations, separated by fences of barbed wire. For a while she wondered why she had come here. Then she remembered. He was training in basic Taijutsu out here with her younger sister. If memory served they said they'd be in the fiftieth training ground.
And so they were.
Both stood in the clearing, fully dressed in battle attire and preparing to begin another sparring bout. Her sister was a slender woman of fair complexion and natural blonde hair. She was promiscuously covered by a sleeveless, very short robe that left very little for the imagination. Beneath her garment was a layer of mesh armour that was probably quite uncomfortable despite its small size, when took into consideration her somewhat disproportionate bust.
If the kid was uncomfortable with her sister's choice of attire he didn't show it. He had gotten used to her sisters choice of clothing years ago. In contrast Naruto wore a pair of baggy black pants with the symbols for earth and cloud etched into the outer pockets. A black shirt covered his upper body, and if one looked closely enough they would be able to make out the light armoured suit underneath.
She watched as Naruto and her sister bowed to each other, and then fell into the basic stance for the Kuroi Tora fighting art, the chosen fighting style for the Nii clan. Her sister took up a defensive stance, blocking and parrying Naruto's quick strikes and claw like grapples with practised ease born from years of practice.
Yugito smiled as he executed a clawed punch, only for it to be blocked. He had learned the basics of the art quickly and was showing steady progress with each training session. At first she and her sister had thought he was a natural, but a week after they gave him the scroll she had woken up in the middle of the night, and went outside to get a breath of air, only to find him in the courtyard, slowly going through the basic motions of the fighting style. He trained constantly, mastering the forms through perseverance and hard work.
Kuroi Tora, the Black Tiger, was a fighting art created by the Nii clan during the Dark Times before the formation of the villages. The style was formed after the demeanour and fighting strategy of an attacking Mountain Tiger. The techniques for the art were to claw, rip, tear and grapple with an opponent. The offensive strikes were lightning fast hits, aimed for vital points across the human body to maximise damage while the defensive was to grapple and subdue through submission holds and tosses.
Naruto ducked a swinging spin kick and brought up his hands to grab her extended leg, trying to toss his larger opponent over his shoulder. She let him, only for her legs to wrap around his neck as her back hit the ground. She rolled, sending him flying to the soil. Her sister flipped onto her feet and fell into a basic stance, body stooped, hands shaped like claws at her sides, legs bent. She looked like a tiger ready to pounce. Naruto rolled to his feet and fell into the same stance.
Then he saw her and smiled "Hey mom"
Her sister relaxed her stance and turned, a small smile of her own on her face "Your back early Yugito Oneechan"
"The meeting was faster than we thought" she came up to Naruto and bent over so they were face to face, a smile curling her lips "You've improved cub"
He returned her smile with a trademark grin "Yeah mom, Samui Oneesan has shown me a few new grapples"
She looked up to her sister with a wry look. Samui Nii didn't back down in the slightest, instead her sapphire eyes were full of mirth.
"You taught him advanced grapples when he doesn't know the basic stances yet?"
Naruto pouted "I know the basic stances mom"
She poked him with her index and middle fingers, gaining a flinch and an audible owe "You know them, but can you do them?"
His pout remained in place, crossing his arms and looking away with a stubborn expression which made both women laugh. She straightened, and put her hand on his head, ruffling his spiked blonde hair "Go over there and go through the stances. If I remember you're still shady on the second and third forms"
He groaned something about bossy women before turning and jogging over to the cluster of rocks. When he was out of hearing her smile turned into a sour frown, and her sister looked at her with a raised brow "What happened"
"Norimasa happened" she replied "He's going to try and bring back the old practices to use on Naruto"
Samui's eyes narrowed "No way. The old man would never let that happen"
Her little sister was a capable Ninja; she was a Chunin at sixteen, a master of the clans Jutsu and fighting styles, but when it came to politics she was an amateur "Even the Raikage has to bow down to the demands of the people. If the council vote unanimously in that bastards favour then there is little he can do"
Samui emitted a throaty growl "There must be something we can do"
"We don't know if the council will back him yet"
"But what if they do" she asked.
Yugito frowned, deep in thought before her face fell. She spoke in a small voice, her sister had never seen her like this "I don't know"
With a sigh the younger Nii put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. She could always count on her. They were the last survivors of their clan. Their father and mother died during the third Shinobi world war. Even when Samui knew about the Nibi she had remained by her side as her little sister, steadfast and unmovable to those who taunted her.
"It'll be alright" she tried to console "Trust Raikage-sama. He won't let this go without a fight"
"Yeah your right about that" she replied with a brave smile "He'd probably demolish the council chambers if it passes"
"There is a reason why these practises have been banned" the Raikage bellowed in outrage "If we put the boy through this then we risk turning him into the greatest danger the village has ever known!"
"Your opinion on the matter is noted Raikage-sama" Hoshi Tanaka, head of the Tanaka clan said calmingly. She was a middle aged woman of fair complexion with long blondish white hair, a long scar running through her right eye.
"The training regime may seem a little…severe" Sakamoto spoke up, sitting in his place on the council table "But there are no other options, after extensive researching into the Kyubi I have found no other alternative to draw out its power. The chakra feeds off the boy's anger, his hatred and his fear. So far those three methods are the only ways for him to summon the demons power"
"What about the seal" Kasumi of the Sato clan asked "Can't you summon the seal masters to alter it, allow the boy to converse more freely with the Kyubi?"
The scientist ceased her attempt with a wave of his hand "That was the first thing I looked into, but as far as the art of sealing goes the Yondaime Hokage has no equal, even today. The best Seal masters in Kaminari no Kuni have done extensive research on the subject, only to come up on a blank. There are no references to the seal in any of our records. To tamper with it could bring disastrous consequences"
"What about the other methods, the ones which worked with the Nibi and the Hachibi" old Sesame Yasutora asked, the man was one of the oldest Ninja in the village and was considered the eldest of the elders.
"I have tried councilman Yasutora" the old Sakamoto replied patiently "But it is next to impossible. The Nibi no Bakeneko and the Hachibi no Kyogyū were reasonable for monsters, they understood the need to protect their hosts in order to survive. The Kyubi no Yoko doesn't seem to understand this, nor is it interested in making a deal with its container"
He was holding something back. There was something he was not telling the council, the Raikage knew this by his demeanor, though he hid it well. What was more was that no matter how hard he tried he could not shake the feeling that this entire meeting seemed to be scripted. Most of the council members were asking questions which they already knew the answer too.
The scientist had let slip one piece of information, for one who is not the host to converse with the beast he or she needed to have an intimate understanding of the seal which was used to bind it "Did you really converse with the Kyubi Sakamoto, or were you unable too?"
Norimasa looked to the Raikage with a frown, but before he could rebuke the Lightning Shadow beat him to the punch "I may not be a master of seals, but I know enough. If someone who is not the host wishes to converse with the beast then they or a member of their family needs to either have or had a summoning contract with it, or they must have an intimate understanding of the seal used to bind the beast to its host. But you just said that you and the best of our countries seal masters could not understand the seal"
The scientist looked at the man in confusion, bordering on panic. He had obviously not expected E to know anything about seals "I assure you Raikage-sama that there are other ways to commune with the Biju, and they have all ended in failure"
"Oh" E hummed "Then list off a few of these other options you have tried"
"Enough Raikage-sama please" Sesame pleaded, earning a glare from the Kage that made him involuntarily flinch in his seat.
"These are simply my findings" Norimasa continued, coughing into his hand to regain the councils attention, his earlier surprise buried under his political façade "The only way for the child to gain the Kyubi's full power is to commune with him directly, and with his mind being so young he can be easily manipulated and corrupted by the Biju"
"So you want to turn him into an emotionless shell?" E asked incredulously.
"It is the only way to be sure he remains in control of the creature" the head scientist replied "Do you know of another way?"
E looked to him, his murderous intent flashing to levels which made the others in the chamber nervous, before he deflated "No"
"Perhaps we can find a middle ground here" Renji Sato, another elder spoke up "Place guidelines and safe guards to restrict the training in some of its more…questionable elements"
"Sounds like a good idea"
"Then let us take it to a vote" Sakamoto said, standing "As head of the Sakamoto clan and chief researcher of the Kumo Science and Research bureau. I, Norimasa Sakamoto vote yes"
"Yes"
"Yes"
"I agree"
"Yes"
"Agreed"
"No"
"Yes"
"Yes"
"Agreed"
"Yes"
"No" E said numbly, knowing that it was now out of his hands.
"Then it is settled" the scientist said, hiding his smirk.
Hi no Kuni, present time
She awoke with a start, sitting up and looking from left to right. The sounds of the forest were different. Where once there were birds squawking there were now the continual speaks of crickets and other nocturnal insects in the air. It was dark, and difficult to see. The moon and stars obstructed by the canopy of the forest.
Dark, it was night "How long have we been out?"
Suddenly she felt a pulsing sensation on her upper right arm, and gingerly pulled back the sleeve of her dark purple camouflaged suit. On her arm was the tattoo of an oak tree, the form separated into several smaller parts, each one signifying the perimeter of one of the early warning seals she had placed earlier that day. Most of them were coloured black, while one on the left side was flashing red.
She slid her body against the inner bark of the hollowed out tree, pressing against it and dared take a peak at the clearing. Three dark silhouettes flashed from the forest edge, all rushing towards her position. A normal human wouldn't have been able to make out their attackers until they were right on top of them. Thankfully she was anything but normal.
She activated one of the Nibi's 'gifts'. The sclera and pupils of her eyes pulsed, changing colour from their regular almond to a feral cerulean, the round orbs of her pupils thinning out into a vertical slit. Her perception changed, all colour drained from her world, being replaced by blacks and whites as her night vision kicked into full effect.
The three figures were Ninja, all three wearing black pants and jacket, a high collared flak vest worn over their clothes, signifying that they were Jonin. They all were armed with kunai holsters strapped to their legs, and katana sheathed to their backs. But what caught her attention were the headbands they wore, three cloud markings, two of which were joined.
She cursed lightly under her breath. The three were Kumo-Nin, obviously a hunter team sent out in pursuit of her and Naruto. They came to the centre of the clearing and stopped, forming the three points of a triangle, heads darting back and forth in search of any movement.
One had to be a sensor.
Naruto stirred, and as silently as she could she placed a hand over his mouth, startling him. The child looked up to her and saw her place a finger to her lips, urging him to remain silent. She leaned in to him, her mouth a mere inch from the shell of his ear "Stay here. Don't make a sound no matter what happens, okay?"
He nodded, his eyes burning with determination, before being replaced by worry "Mom, what are you going to do?"
"Lead them away from you" she smiled a reassuring smile, leaned against the bark and took a deep breath. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try. She needed to get them away from him. Picturing an image of herself with Naruto holding onto her back she began going through a set of hand signs, exerting the bare minimum of chakra.
"Henge no Jutsu" she whispered, at the same time rummaging through her vest and pulling out a pair of smoke bombs to mask the technique. She threw them into the clearing, where they exploded in massive puffs of white smoke. At the same time she was encompassed by a smaller explosion as the transformation took effect, looking over to Naruto the Nibi Jinchuriki smiled in reassurance and rushed into the clearing.
The Kumo-nin saw the smoke bombs and scattered to the tree tops just as they exploded. The movement made the sensor lose concentration and not sense the slight spike of Yugito's chakra as she transformed. So when she exploded from the smoke, taking off into the forest they guessed she was making a run for it with the child and pursued.
She jumped from branch to branch at breakneck speeds, feeling the three chakra signatures of the hunter's right behind her. Her plan was working. Now all she needed was to lose them. A Nuke-nin she may be, but the idea of killing fellow Cloud Ninja distressed her, even if it was for Naruto's sake.
They didn't seem to share her opinion. A handful of shuriken flew down from the canopy, shredding the branch she had just hopped onto. Gritting her teeth she jumped and twirled in midair, missing the throwing stars by millimetres before righting herself and landing on another branch. Turning she was forced to duck as a kunai soared past her, cutting her cheek and sending a short jolt through her body, the metallic weapon coated with lightning chakra.
Breathing a curse she reached for her own kunai holster, and pulled out three of the knives. She concentrating her main element into the weapons she watched as a coating of yellow energy encompassed them. With a short breath she fell back off the branch towards the ground, her arm blurred as she threw the knives, forcing her pursuers to break formation and scatter to avoid them.
Calmly she performed a half backward somersault in midair, landing on the forest floor in a crouch and breaking into a run again, ignoring the blood which poured down her cheek. Two Ninja hit the ground behind her and gave chase, both going over hand seals in a blur in preparation for some kind of synchronized attack.
"Doton: Doryū Taiga!"
The once hard soil at her feet turned into slick mud. Before Yugito could react she had sunk to her ankles and fallen face first to the ground. Gritting her teeth she tried to get free, but not before the second Ninja finished his set of seals and, skidding to a halt slammed his hands into the ground "Sorry Yugito-san, council's orders. Doton: Doryūsō!"
Spikes of rock pierced up from the ground at blurring speed, impaling through the woman's abdomen in an explosion of blood. She screamed in agony, making the two Ninja flinch. They knew that a wound like that wouldn't kill her. The Nibi's chakra could heal such an injury, didn't make it any easier to watch though.
Then they watched in shock and realisation as the body began to melt, turning brown before seemingly losing form and imploding in a mass of mud. They were both silent, then breathed curses and spun around; making a beeline for the clearing they had begun pursuit from.
"A mud clone" one growled through gritted teeth.
"Yeah" the other replied, the mirth in his voice apparent "She pulled a fast one on us"
Kumogakure no Sato, six days ago
The knock on the door snapped her out of her sleep, she came awake with a start, before looking bleary eyed at her door. She waited a moment, wondering if it was her imagination playing tricks on her, then another set of banging knocks. Wiping the gum from her eyes she stood, walked over to the front door and opened it.
Any residual sleep left her when she starred into the white porcelain mask of an ANBU operative. The owl like façade starred back at her unflinchingly, the hazel eyes of the Ninja looking her form up and down. She had changed her attire from her Shinobi gear to a baggy gray, short sleeved shirt and a pair of tight dark blue jeans. She was barefoot and had released her locks from the braid, letting the mane of blonde hair flow past her shoulders to the small of her back.
"Nii Yugito, by order of the Council of lightning you are hereby relieved as guardian to the Kyubi host, Uzumaki Naruto" he spoke in a deep voice which left no room for argument, before trying to push past her.
"On whose authority?" she asked, unmoving.
The ANBU frowned "By authority of the council of lightning"
"I answer only to the Raikage" she replied coldly "As do you"
"You think I enjoy being their lapdog, Captain?" the man spat in annoyance "If I had my way I would tell them to shove this order up their asses, but I can't! Now stand aside!!!"
"Not a chance" she said, standing doggedly in place, ready to use her position as a captain in the ANBU corps to her advantage "I'm your superior boy, and I think I deserve to at least take him there myself instead of allowing him to be lead off by a bunch of complete strangers!"
The ANBU looked to his associate "Sakamoto isn't going to like this"
Yugito's growl was feral, making the two elites flinch "Either you go against Sakamoto with these jokes for orders and get lightly reprimanded, or you go against me and get a broken nose and a demotion. Your call boy"
The ANBU hesitated for a moment, before his face fell "You have one hour to report him to headquarters to begin his training"
"We'll be there" she snarled before slamming the door shut in their faces with a resounding thwack.
With a cry of anger she leaned against the wall, sliding down the smooth surface to sit on the floor, her eyes a mass of conflicting emotions "Damn him, he had always wanted a chance to take a Jinchuriki and bend it to his will. The bastard tried to get Killer Bee, then when that failed he tried to get me…now he's going to get Naruto and Raikage-sama can't do a damn thing about it!"
She couldn't believe how blind the council was to the mad scientist. The man had wanted to get his hands on a Jinchuriki for years. This full conditioning was more than just bringing back an old training method. He wanted to make Naruto his weapon, his trump card against the enemies of Kumogakure and, possibly against his political opponents as well.
"Mom" she looked up to see him, dressed in a simple cream coloured shirt and baggy dark orange pants, looking down at her form with a worried expression "What's wrong?"
She took a shuddering breath, and he knew. She didn't know how, but saw the realisation in his eyes. His face fell, a small smile forming. It was a fake smile, but that was how he was, always hiding his emotions behind a mask of cheer so as not to worry her, by now she could tell the difference between his genuine and false expressions as if they were the sun and the moon.
"Don't worry about it" he said, pointing his thumb to his chest "I'll ace this training and become as strong as they need me to be"
She felt a pang in her heart, and it hurt.
They had packed what he needed and walked down to the entrance to the underground ANBU headquarters together. She fully dressed in her ANBU uniform, black pants and jacket, dark gray flak vest worn over the clothing, hair redone in that same braid, covered by a white cloth, and her own ANBU mask, the visage of a cat with blue whisker markings etched onto the cheeks.
Every ANBU and Ninja above the rank of Chunin knew her mask and bowed as she passed them by. She gave them no attention. Almond eyes settled on the spiky blonde hair of her charge, no, her son as he walked through the streets of the Village Hidden in the Clouds. The people gave them a wide birth, they didn't hate the boy, but they feared him for the creature he had sealed within him. What ignorant fools they all were.
Finally they came to the entrance to the ANBU headquarters, a simple single storey office building nestled in the heart of Kumogakure. Outside it looked like nothing special. That was because this was only the administrative branch of the hand picked elite. They walked through the reception to a large set of iron double doors, a glass control panel imbedded on the wall beside it. Without hesitation she pressed her palm against the screen, and watched as a blue line of light flashes over her hand, taking finger prints and running it through the database.
After a moment the huge doors opened, revealing a platform of steel, a small control panel standing on a pulpit in its centre. They both entered, the doors closing behind them and the Azure Cat of Kumogakure walked onto the platform, Naruto close behind. She stood over the control panel, reached out with a hand and pushed the button with the number nine etched on it.
The elevator shuddered as it came to life, and began to descend to the shadowy depths of the ANBU headquarters. This was the central hub of the Raikage's elite guard. Here, underneath the city streets of Kumogakure no Sato was what many called home. The place was a huge complex, shaped like a bee hive, consisting of twenty levels. It held living quarters, sparring chambers, laboratories, a bunker reserved for Kumogakures elite if the village was ever invaded. It held torture chambers, weapon stores and a prison which was considered beyond maximum security, reserved for the deadliest of the Cloud Villages enemies.
And this place, this bleak place was where Naruto would spend the next few years of his life, training with no light, no warmth, no compassion to become the ultimate soulless weapon for the village. She stopped herself from clutching her chest, for the pain in her heart was immense.
As the lift continued to descend she came down to a knee so that she was face to face with him, removing her mask and attaching it to her belt before she starred into his brilliant sapphire eyes "You have everything right?"
He nodded.
"Don't let him push you around Naruto, don't let him do anything you don't like nor want. You got me?"
He nodded again.
She was about to speak, then stopped, tried again and failed again. Finally her face fell, a sad smile tugging at her lips "Look at me, the child I care for like a son is about to go into the lions den and I don't know what to say"
She felt her eyes glisten, but stubbornly refused to let them fall. The old persona as the Ice Cat coming into play for a moment, tightly she shut her eyes and willed for the tears to stop. A hand was on her shoulder, startling her. She glanced up and saw him look at her with a genuine smile.
"I know you're not my real mom" he said "But you've been more of a mother to me than anyone else ever has. I was all alone in Konoha. I was hated, feared and people even tried to kill me. You took me away from that. You gave me a home, a family, people who cared about me. You gave my life meaning" he seemed conflicted, scared and uncertain as he spoke the next few words "I know this seems selfish, but can I still call you mom. You know, if we ever met again?"
The tears flowed, and without a moments hesitation she put her arms around him and dragged him into an embrace, shutting her eyes tightly as she cried "Yes, I would like that Naruto. I would like that so much"
He gripped the fabric of her under-jacket, burying his face into the crook of her neck. For a while the two were frozen like that, mother and son holding each other. But like a kick to the teeth the elevator came to a stop with a colossal jolt. The doors opened the reveal the dark, dimly lit corridor of the eighteenth floor. Rising to her feet, wiping away her tears and placing her Neko mask back on her face she turned to Naruto and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He looked up to her and smiled before the two stepped into the dark abyss.
Kumogakure no Sato, three days ago
Three days.
Three long days
Three days since Naruto disappeared into the dark depths of the ANBU headquarters.
She stood on the precipice of the bedroom which was once his, looking at the made bed, the bookshelf full of scrolls, the desk, even his small rack of training equipment under the small window. She could have sworn she was going crazy, for she saw a transparent spectre of him sitting on the desk, lying on the bed reading a scroll, looking out the window, flashing that silly grin when he had mastered a Jutsu or finished a difficult set of equations.
"There has to be something you can do!?"
She had tried to speak to the Raikage, get him to call for a revote, but it was all in vain. Six months, she would have to wait six months before E could try to overturn the decision. Those six months could be six months too late.
She hadn't heard from him since he vanished. The kid was strong willed, able to survive the worst someone could throw at him. But what awaited him in that place was worse than the worst. The documents off the full conditioning had been made available to her, and what she read had physically made her shudder. Electrocution, submerged in ice water, burned with pokers, put through hours of beatings and verbal abuse, training in advanced killing techniques from the get go, experimentation with the seal. They would force him to submit, continue beating him down again and again until he broke.
She came to a decision, and strode from the room without a moments thought, entering her own bedroom and walking across the timber floor to a chest beside her open window. She opened it without a thought, looking down at her black jacket and baggy pants, the yellow symbols of cloud and lightning etched onto the upper arms and thighs, iron, elbow length gauntlets with storing seals. Her dark gray Jonin vest folded over the clothes, the symbol for the cloud with an etched symbol for the two tailed cat in the background of the village symbol engraved into her right breast satchel. Her ANBU mask over the whole thing, looking at her with those hollow, empty slits for eyes.
Nestled on the other side of the chest were her weapons. This included two leg weapon holsters, each holding an assortment of kunai, shuriken, twenty meters of steel wire and paper bombs. Beside that was a mid length katana sheathed in a dark blue sheath, a circular guard, blue wrappings covering the hilt.
She took off her normal clothes, putting on her black pants and jacket, followed by her flak vest and sandals. She sat on the bed, tying her elbow length gauntlets to her arms, her holsters to her upper legs and her sword to her back. Finally she put her cat mask over her face and looked over the landscape of her home, the only place she really knew during her twenty years.
"Bye" she whispered before turning and leaving her bedroom, she walked through the living room and opened her door to the first floor of her two storey apartment block. Only to be met with her sister, leaning against the railing, arms folded, starring at her. Ignoring her she walked past her towards the stairs.
"You're going, aren't you?" she stopped, but did not turn around "I love Naruto too, but think about it. He wouldn't want you to do this!"
"How else am I going to get him out of there" Yugito asked, turning her head for a side glance at her younger sister.
"Yugito Oneechan" Samui whispered pleadingly "If you do this then you will be labelled as a missing-nin, E-sama will not be able to defend you. You'll play right into that bastards hands and you'll be in that cell beside Naruto. Do you think he would want that!?"
"I won't let him become a monster" the elder said, reaching into her vest and pulling out a small scroll from one of her abdomen satchels. She walked to her little sister and handed it to her "Give this to the Raikage when this is all said and done, it will expunge you and Kirabi from any wrongdoing"
Samui hugged herself, looking at her elder sister pleadingly "Sis, please don't"
She smiled behind her mask "Goodbye Samui"
Before her sister could try to stop her Yugito moved. her attack was a blur, her hand chopping the nerves on her sister's neck. Samui's eyes bulged before closing. She fell into her sister's arms, carrying her into her apartment and setting her on her living room couch. She turned to leave, but stopped at the door.
Looking back at her little sister one last time she closed her apartment door and vanished in a flash.
"Sorry"
She ran across the rooftops, Naruto slung to her back. The boy was unconscious and sickly pale, obviously been put through extensive sessions of his 'training'. She gritted her teeth at the word. Was this what could have happened to her and Killer Bee?
There was a flash of bluish light and she looked up, seeing the massive spires which were the electric pylons of Kumogakure. Each towering behemoth placed on one of the four corners of the inner defensive wall, using the common lightning storms to supply the village with electricity for its basic essentials. One good storm could keep the village powered for a month.
She knew she had a long journey. The village was strategically placed on top of a plateau, the only path down being a winding road along the sheer cliffs. This made it difficult for an invading army to advance upon the Shinobi village, and had saved them several times in the past. The huge walls of rock cordoning the village off were easily the size of Konoha's and much tougher, considering they were made and carved from solid rock.
Finally she reached the last building, seeing the huge vertical structure of the outer defensive wall of her village stretch up to the heavens. She stopped, feeling a sense of déjà vu. This reminded her so much of four years ago when she was scaling the walls of Konohagakure with this child on her back. Now she was doing the same thing again, only this time it was in her home village. Concentrating chakra into the soles of her feet she jumped, landing on the wall and effortlessly running up the vertical structure. She reached the top, seeing an empty corridor which would have been filled with long range specialists during a siege or a time of war.
She looked back upon her home, her eyes, hidden behind her mask, confining every contour of the rocky structures to memory. Suddenly a voice resounded from the darkness "Going somewhere, Yugito?"
She turned, and her heart literally jumped up to her throat. There stood the Rakage, fully dressed in his robes of office, looking upon her with eyes as hard as diamonds. She was no match for him, no matter the situation. But something changed. He looked upon her, diamond hard eyes softening before stepping aside.
She hesitated, thinking for a moment that it was a trick. Then she walked across the corridor between the village and the outside world. She gave the Raikage one last glance. He stood with his head bowed, eyes closed as if in penance.
"In six hours" he spoke, his voice saddened "I won't be able to keep it a secret much longer. I will be forced to list you as a Nuke-nin, and send a Hunter team after you" he looked into her eyes, conflicted as to what to say next, then he closed his eyes and bowed his head again "Go"
She hopped up to the battlements, looking down at the seemingly bottomless abyss in front of her, but something in her stopped. She turned, locking eyes with the Raikage.
"Sorry" she whispered, before she leaned back and fell from the battlements.
For a moment the leader of Kumogakure no Sato looked down at the ground, then a pensive smile appeared on the giant mans lips "What do you have to be sorry for? Stupid blonde"
Hi no Kuni, present day
The mud clone had bought her a few moments, but that was all. Her pursuers were definitely Jonin level Ninja. They had left one of they're number behind to make sure her little stunt wasn't a trick. He had followed her the entire time, spiking his chakra subtly every now and then to keep his comrades on track.
She continued to run, changing direction every now and then to try and lose her pursuer. But to no avail. He was a skilled tracker, and had seen through every move she made to elude him. Now he had met up with his two compatriots, and they were chasing after her. There was one advantage. They would not attack for fear of hurting Naruto, and taking the wrath of both the chief scientist of the Science and Research Bureau and the Raikage.
The kage would have probably beaten them to a bloody pulp for wounding 'Yugito' so badly in the first place. But she was running out of options. She would not draw upon the power of the Nibi against her fellow Ninja. They knew this, and where using it to their advantage. As far as they were concerned she was a normal A-class Nuke-nin whom the village wanted brought back alive, along with her charge. The Nibi and the Kyubi were to important to the village for them to just kill the hosts.
Suddenly the dense undergrowth gave way to a clearing, or to be more precise a dirt road. She stumbled, expecting more foliage and putting to much weight into her movements, before righting herself again. She skidded to a halt, looked at the forest beyond and prepared to burst into motion again.
"Hey" a voice, middle aged and deadly serious came to her exhausted hearing "What are you doing here, this is Hi no Kuni"
She turned to see a tall man, in his late forties with a long messy mane of pure white hair, skin was tanned by the climate, eyes a dark obsidian with long thin read markings running from the bottom of his eyes to his jaw. A strange hatai-ite was attached to his forehead, two small stubby looking horns with a strange symbol she didn't recognise engraved into the metal. He wore a pair of green robes with a mesh shirt underneath, a red jacket, large scroll tied to the small of his back and a pair of ridiculous looking sandals
Then she recognised him, and paled. He was in her bingo book, one of the most dangerous loyal Ninja to Konohagakure no Sato. Secretly he had been branded with a retreat-on-sight order to anyone below high A-class.
Jiraiya
Glossary
Genin - Junior Ninja
Chunin - Middle Ninja
Jonin - High Ninja
Hi no Kuni - Land of Fire
Kaminara no Kuni - Land of Lightning
Kumogakute no Sato - Village Hidden in the Clouds
Konohagakure no Sato - Village Hidden in the Leaves
Raikage - Lightning Shadow
Hokage - Fire Shadow
Yoindaime - Fourth
Nibi no Bakeneko - Two Tailed Monster Cat
Hachibi no Kyougyu - Eight Tailed Giant Ox
Kyubi no Yoko - Nine Tailed Demon Fox
Henge no Jutsu - Transformation Technique
Doton: Doryū Taiga - Earth Release: Earth Flow River
Doton: Doryūsō - Earth Release: Rising Stone Spears
Right folks, this must be without a shadow of a doubt the longest chapter I have ever written, and that's saying something. So if you're wondering about Naruto's time in Kumogakure no Sato it will be covered, but mostly in flashbacks and the odd scene with one of the characters of the Cloud village. They won't be back in force until much later.
So anyways, read, enjoy and remember. Reviews make the world go round lol.