Chapter Six
Karasu's hand slammed out and hit Naruto square in the chest. The wind was knocked squarely out of him and released with an 'OOF', leaving his thoroughly winded.
When the breath returned to him in wheezing puffs he managed to gasp 'What the hell was that for?' To the now still as a statue ninja beside him. She didn't move or even register his question, her eyes were trained on a single area ahead of them. This instantly alerted Naruto and he stayed in his hunched position, silently willing the trees to thicken to hide them better.
If Karasu was like this, it meant that no one should move until she knew more.
After several minutes which seemed to take forever, Karasu motioned up and jumped, landing on the lowest tree branch and continuing until she was a fair distance up. Naruto joined her and as soon as they landed and settled, lowered his Chakra significantly. Now if he was detected, he would appear to be only a little bug. Karasu was much better at this, she had taught Naruto and everyone else in the Akatsuki the same technique. At the moment, Karasu didn't even exist.
For an added affect Karasu changed into a crow and looked harshly at Naruto. He held his hands up and watched her fly away.
He waited there for ten minutes. He didn't dare move, he wasn't sure what Karasu had sensed. She may have sensed someone belonging to the Anbu, or just some little newbie ninja. Whatever it was, it had alarmed her enough to take Naruto to shelter and then fly away in the form of a small, harmless animal to investigate.
Whatever it was, Naruto refused to move or even breathe too loudly until his partner returned.
When she did she fluttered into her human form again, eyes a bright crystal blue. Her raven hair fluttered around her face, framing it beautifully. She looked excited, and Naruto felt his heart begin beating faster.
'What is it?' Naruto whispered, leaning forward with eyes wide with his excitement. Karasu grinned back, flashing her sharp teeth. He noticed that her eyes were slowly changing to the solid black that meant she was either angry, or ready for a fight.
'It's another team that I think you may be familiar with.' Karasu whispered with a low growl. That was her excitement showing through.
'Stop being mysterious tell me!' Naruto demanded in an aggravated tone. Gaara's dead weight wasn't helping his mood, especially since Karasu refused to carry him claiming it would hinder her scout's abilities.
'It's Team Kuerway or whatever her name is. It's the dude with the bugs and the other with the dog. Also that pathetic excuse for a ninja.' Karasu whispered. Her eyes were now nearly their pitch black.
He nearly jumped for joy. It didn't matter that Karasu couldn't remember the name, her description was spot on. It was Team Kurenai.
'Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant Karasu! Let's get to work, shall we?' He asked, slowly rising to his feet and scanning the forest around him. He was certain that they'd be traveling in the trees. Akamaru was perfectly capable of leaping through the trees, and they'd always felt that method safer. Naruto quickly decided on what to do. 'Where are they?'
'Over there, five minutes away.' Karasu pointed to a position that was behind them and to the right.
'Brilliant. Hang this up, give it to me on my command.' Naruto said, ungraciously dropping Gaara on the large tree branch they were standing on and taking off his Akatsuki cloak. Karasu looked on disapprovingly.
'You're going to trick them.' She stated monotonously. She caught the cloak that was flung at her and slung it over her shoulder.
'It's a perfect opportunity. Aren't you always the one that says "Take every opportunity that promises fun"?' Naruto asked, taking something from his belt. It was his old headband, a long scar running through the leaf insignia. He grabbed a gritty silver substance from a pouch and rubbed it into the scar, smoothing it down and flicking off any excess before filling in the gaps in the insignia.
'It looks rough.' Karasu criticised.
'I can't do any better.' Naruto said, sliding the headband over his head and letting it hang around his neck. He lifted his black shirts sleeve up and slit a small cut and begun rubbing it in his hair and over his face and neck. He then gave another slit and doubled the layer before wiping a kunai on it, broke the weapon and smeared his fingers in the blood.
'Let's go.' Karasu whispered, jumping down to the floor. She saw a small clearing and quickly made it appear as if I small fight had ensued. Naruto dropped beside her, checking the surrounding area for any sign of the team. They didn't have much longer left. 'I'd say forgive me, but I don't care.' Karasu said and before Naruto could react, she tore at his clothing with her kunai. A potent poison on the blade made the blood congeal so it appeared to have been done some time back.
'That hurt.' Naruto spoke in such a way that it seemed clear it hadn't. He had been trained to notice serious injuries, or those that could slow him down. These wounds were not of that sort.
'You'll also need this.' Karasu said, eyes perking. She heard the rustling of trees and knew she only had seconds. Without waiting for his confirmation she whacked him over the head, hard enough to stun for a minute but not enough to seriously damage. Naruto, who had been expecting that much from his 'loyal' partner, let this happen. He fell like a sack of potatoes, heavy body breaking the shrubs underneath him.
Before anything else happened Karasu wrapped herself in shadow, seemingly disintegrating into the darkness. Her Chakra level dropped immediately, and she seemed to no longer exist.
Team Kurenai weren't long in the waiting. Naruto was coming to when he heard them very close, and immediately he went limp, eyes fluttering closed.
!
Hinata had been torn for three years. Three years without watching the blonde haired ninja from a distance, then becoming someone he considered a friend. Fighting alongside him had been ever better, watching him grow had been a marvellous experience.
Then he died.
Every day Hinata wished that she could go back in time, go with Kakashi and carry Naruto back herself. She owed him so much, friendship and courage. To this day she still owed him so much, and she hadn't even been able to save him. That one little thing she could have done, she didn't.
She choked back a sob and rested on a branch for a moment. Kiba and Shino waited for her. They too felt his absence. Not in the same way as Hinata, that was clear, but they felt a Naruto shaped hole in their lives and it was never filled.
'Hinata, we need to go.' Kiba spoke gently, shaking her shoulder as lightly as he could. Hinata squared her shoulders and wiped her eyes and nose before standing up, shakily. Her knees shook before she took a deep breath and set her eyes straight ahead. The anniversary shook them all for several days after.
'We weren't there Kiba. We couldn't . . . we weren't there.' Hinata whispered sadly, eyes staring at Kiba. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Shino said nothing, standing a branch away with Akamaru next to him.
'I know. We can visit him as soon as we get back, I swear.' Kiba promised. He had always intended to do so and leave a bouquet of flowers at the gravestone. It was one of the largest there was, with the sleeping nine tailed fox above wrapped Naruto in its warm embrace. It was odd, but the Hokage had insisted that people remember him like that, as a boy who had something evil inside of him, but continued to smile and bring joy throughout his life. The statue of him was smiling with closed eyes, and the nine tails was also smiling. The Hokage said that Naruto had probably tamed the fox inside of him, and that was why he was smiling as well.
Everyone had accepted that, and everyone had remembered him like that. Kiba too believed that Naruto had perhaps made friends with the fox before his death.
"Wherever he is, he's at peace." Kiba remembered Kakashi whispering on the day of Naruto's funeral, when it had rained for the whole day and the entire village had turned out. Unfortunately the river had never given up his body, and everyone had lost hope.
'Alright. Thank you . . . Kiba.' Hinata whispered, gently patting his shoulder and leaping to the branch where Shino was. He gave her a swift pat as well and they set off again when Kiba was sitting atop Akamaru.
They set off again. Hinata saw a large crow wheeling close to them, eyes fixated on them before flying off into the distance. 'Probably just protecting its nest.' Shino told Hinata, seeing her staring at where the crow had been moments before.
'It was a pretty large crow. Beautiful, I think.' Hinata commented. In the Village such crows weren't seen often. The wild ones must be larger than the others, she thought.
They travelled for another seven minutes before they came across something almost unbelievable. At first they saw roughened terrain and slowed down immediately. If there had been a fight the attackers might still be close, and they had to tread carefully.
They looked all around the clearing, slowly and carefully. Akamaru didn't smell anything unusual, though his actions became more and more excited and worried and whingey. At one stage Kiba had to stop walking and look down at Akamaru, demanding an explanation.
'Is Akamaru alright?' Shino asked, conversing with one of his beetles at the same time. Kiba frowned at his companion and shook his head unknowingly.
'I don't know. He's acting off.' He placed his hands on his hips and drummed his fingertips on his hip bones, staring at his companion completely clueless as to his behaviour.
Akamaru jumped forwards and stood beside a pile of trampled and crushed shrubs. 'He's found something?' Hinata questioned shyly, incredibly curious and scared. She had never truly overcome her fears and shyness. She was still that girl from three years ago, she was sure.
'Akamaru what is . . . oh shit. HINATA! SHINO! COME HERE!' Kiba suddenly screamed, lunging down and tugging at a body, turning it this way and that. Hinata saw black cloth, torn and bloodied. She hastened and almost instantly saw what had been the commotion.
'Is that . . . it can't be . . .' Hinata whispered, trembling all over. She felt an overwhelming rush of relief, disbelief and shock. So many more emotions that she couldn't pick out flooded over her, overwhelming each and every single one of her senses so that she fell to her knees and stared at the young man lying in pools of congealed blood. She began to laugh, and cry all at the same time, shoulders shaking harshly.
'Oh God . . . it's Naruto!' Shino gasped, dropping to his knees and pulling the injured boy from Kiba's grasp. He still wore his Konoha Headband, it was hanging around his neck. It looked scratched, but then again he'd been a rogue for three years. It was a miracle he was still alive.
Shino wrenched Kiba's shaking hands from Naruto and he quickly looked him over. He was by no means an expert, but since Hinata and Kiba seemed to be incapable of doing anything, he decided he had to do something.
He stretched out a hand and found it was shaking. He formed a quick fist and bit it, hoping that that would calm his nerves. His heart was nearly beating out of his chest.
He touched the boy who looked so much like Naruto and turned him on his back. If he started to choke he'd put him in on side again, but for now he wanted to look at the face. Faint whiskers on his cheeks, bright yellow hair that was spiked. It had to be him. It was. Naruto wasn't dead, he was alive!
Quickly Shino checked the injuries. It looked brutal, but not deadly. Whatever had happened he'd only been cut and then knocked out, probably happened a few hours ago according to how the blood was acting. He was just knocked out, harshly and perhaps thought of as dead, but he wasn't in harm's way.
'It's alright. He's just knocked out and beaten up.' Shino informed the others, breathing a sigh of relief. They weren't about to lose him again.
'It's Naruto, isn't it? That's Naruto . . . he's alive.' Hinata whispered, crawling over to the body and lifting the head onto her lap. She stared down at him, memorising everything she could. The feel of his pulse, beating strongly and his soft breathing. His soft skin and silk-like hair. He had grown so much, his body was hardened, tougher than before and the laugh lines that had once been so prominent were all but gone. He looked serious and stern, but then again he'd been living as a rogue for three years. Hinata wondered how he had come back from the dead like he had. According to Kakashi there was no way he could have survived without outside help.
Had he had outside help?
'Oh man . . . it's him.' Kiba breathed, 'And he's been fighting.' He looked at the Kunai in Naruto's grasp. It was covered in blood.
'Sometimes it's necessary.' Hinata defended weakly. Kiba said nothing, instead poked Naruto's limp body.
'We can't stay here. We need to take Naruto back to the village he's been through a lot.' Kiba said, staring at the body and wondering how to move it.
At that moment the tiniest groan escaped Naruto's lips, and his closed eyes fluttered. Hinata gasped and dropped his head. Luckily the ground was soft with specks of moss dotted around, so it did no further damage. However it pushed a louder groan from him, and his breathing became louder.
His eyes fluttered slowly open, and any hesitation in who it was, was instantly discarded. His eyes were a bright blue, the same blue that Hinata dreamed of.
His eyes closed again and he groaned once more, arms shaking and grasping the other as if he were hugging himself. He opened his eyes again, this time the pupils moving to focus in on the swirling faces above him.
'What?' He croaked hoarsely. Hinata began to laugh and cry again, and Kiba buried his face in Akamaru's fur. Shino didn't move, only stared at the young ninja wondering how he had survived everything and not come back to the Leaf. Not come home.
'Naruto are you alright?' Kiba asked, lifting his face from Akamaru's fur. Naruto stared at everyone, confused and baffled.
'Who . . .' Naruto whispered, before shakily lifting himself into a sitting position. He was hunched over with his arms resting lazily in his lap. He stared at everyone and winced, some pain hindering him.
'Naruto it's me! Kiba!' Kiba rushed forwards and knelt before Naruto, staring intently into his eyes as if trying to communicate like that.
'Kiba . . .' Naruto whispered, looking down at his hands. 'Aka . . . Akamaru?' He whispered, looking up into Kiba's eyes and narrowing his.
Kiba laughed breathlessly for joy, and so did Hinata. 'Yes! Yes that's right! This is Akamaru!' Kiba motioned for the dog to come forwards, and he did so slowly, tail low to the ground and wagging slowly back and forth.
'Akamaru . . . he's grown.' Naruto whispered with a tired little grin. His eyes were drooping shut before he snapped them open again, furiously intent on staying awake.
'Has he? I haven't noticed.' Kiba looked at his partner with admiration.
'Naruto do you remember me?' Hinata asked, rushing forwards to crouch next to Kiba. Naruto squinted his eyes at her before nodding slowly.
'Hinata . . . right? And Shino.' Naruto remembered. Hinata laughed again and refrained from hugging him.
'Yes! I'm Hinata, and that's Shino! Naruto . . . what happened to you?' Hinata asked, getting straight to the point that was bothering everyone.
Silence prevailed, even Shino took the time to look interested. Naruto seemed to be fumbling for words, his mind slowly coming back to him. 'Well . . . where do I begin? So much . . . so much.' Naruto whispered the last two words, lifting one hand up to rub gently at a spot on his head where they all assumed him to have been hit.
'Don't worry, you can tell everyone once you're better.' Kiba quickly assured him.
'Everyone?' Naruto looked up and around as if expecting the village to magically appear around him. Kiba and Hinata laughed loudly.
Shino stayed silent. He was watching Naruto carefully, he wasn't sure why either. His bugs were uncomfortable, they didn't want to be there. Whether it was the area or Naruto, Shino wasn't sure. He looked around the clearing again, looking for any sign of anything peculiar. There wasn't any blood spattered around the clearing. In a fight like the one Naruto had, there would have had to be blood where the other shrubs were crushed. It only looked like someone had trampled the whole place and then thrown Naruto where he lay now.
There was a dark shadow next to them. It looked like a normal shadow from a tree, no human form inside it. Only difference was this one was much darker. His bugs couldn't detect any Chakra.
Naruto watched Shino and knew that his mind was seeing things that didn't quite add up.
'Shino?' Naruto asked. Shino turned to look at his old friend. There was no way that that couldn't be Naruto. No matter what else might be going on, Shino was certain that this wasn't an illusion or a shadow clone made to look like Naruto.
'Naruto.' Shino nodded.
'Shino I'm . . .' Naruto coughed. Shino crept forwards so that his knee was nearly touching Naruto. 'Shino I'm . . . sorry.' Naruto whispered. The last word was completely different from the tone that the ninja had been using before. This word was dripping in hatred and contempt. The change was so quick and so shocking Shino didn't know how to react, his mind fumbled with everything, because the Naruto he knew would never hurt a friend. Someone so good and innocent would never have been able to change so much.
It was only a millisecond difference. If Shino had acted immediately, he would've been able to fight, stand a better chance than he did.
Naruto thrust himself forwards, Kunai in his hand once again becoming the deadly weapon. It sheared through Shino's skin and tissue like a hot knife through butter, thrusting up into his chest. Naruto missed the heart on purpose.
Discarding the knife Naruto leapt back, away from Shino's bugs. Hinata screamed in horror, Kiba launched forwards to grab Naruto. He was about to reach out and touch him when something from behind coiled around every limb and fastened. Strings, usually used for fishing, and on the ends were Kunai. They jolted him back and brought him crashing to the ground, giving him thousands of tiny cuts all over his body. Akamaru barked angrily and flung himself at the shadow that had appeared, but it disappeared underneath his paws. Then it was suddenly standing on his back and he snapped up, jaws clasping around nothing. Kiba stood on his two feet shakily and set off to help his partner, but he never arrived. Two Kunai sheared through his ankles, stopping him in his tracks and preventing him from putting any pressure on his legs.
He screamed out in pain and fear, turning around as quickly as he could to see Naruto standing over him. Naruto smiled grimly, his eyes suddenly turning from their innocent selves to ones of pure hatred and anger.
The wires coiled themselves around his body again, holding him to the ground. He tried to fight, tried to bring his hands together to use some signs, but they didn't move. He heard Akamaru give a frightened yelp and then another, the second filled with pain. He felt the body of his partner hit the ground heavily, he heard Hinata screamed.
Naruto leaned forwards and stared at Kiba. The Konoha ninja couldn't look away from those blue orbs, so close up and swirling with the fury that was just below the surface. 'Naruto?' Kiba croaked fearfully, uncertainly.
'You left me for dead. Now you suffer the same fate.' Naruto hissed in his ear, so quiet Kiba could have missed it. He didn't, however, miss the words that dripped with hatred. It was so frightening Kiba began to shiver.
Naruto stood up again, and the other assailant walked over to him. She was beautiful, but as cold as ice. Her eyes were black shards, and she wore the familiar black cloak with red clouds. She handed one to Naruto and he put it on with a flourish. The girl vanished in a puff of black cloud.
Naruto walked over to Hinata, who quickly stood up and moved into her gentle fist stance. Kiba saw that there was no possibility of her defeating the yellow ninja. He walked with an air of confidence that had never been there before, calm and completely in control.
Hinata tried to attack, but he caught every single one of her attempts and deflected them with an air of boredom. Hinata sprung back and stared at Naruto.
'Naruto what are you doing? Why are you doing this?' Hinata cried, eyes changing so she could see his Chakra.
'Oh Hinata, you always were a daft imbecile.' Naruto spoke gently and calmly, his voice soothing. Hinata lowered her hands, her eyes returning to normal and brimming with hurt.
'Naruto . . .' She whispered, trying desperately to hold back her tears. Naruto flew forwards, a kunai in his grasp. Hinata saw it coming, tried to deflect it but wasn't prepared for the lightning fast kunai that came from her other side. She cried out, and Naruto pierced the other in the other side. She now had two sticking out just below her ribs, the blood seeping out. Naruto hit her harshly on the head, stunning her but not knocking her out. Hinata fell to the floor, hair fanning out around her as she lay stunned.
The female ninja came back, this time carrying Gaara. Kiba fought even harder against his restraints. The more he fought, the deeper the strings cut. They weren't budging, weren't allowing him to move a finger.
He now realised how bad the situation was. Gaara was beaten and bloodied, truly this time. He was hanging limply and carelessly over Naruto's shoulder. He turned to leap up into the trees and away when Kiba suddenly screamed his name. The sound tore from his throat, ripping through everything like a sound wave. The birds overhead fluttered away.
Naruto turned to look, and that was when Kiba realised there was no hope. His eyes showed the difference three years had made.
Kiba could only stare as the ninja he had once called a friend jumped away, Akatsuki cloak fluttering out behind him.
Kiba sobbed and tried to look over his shoulder. He could just make out Akamaru's form, and it was rising and falling. His buddy wasn't dead, he had been left alive.
They all had, but badly wounded. Even Kiba. If left like this for too long, he knew they'd all be dead soon. 'Oh God, someone please help us.' Kiba whispered, a single tear sliding from his eye and down his cheek.