Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I don't own squat, besides my OC's. And you guys are welcome to them.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Kyuubi/inner Sakura
Scene change (time)
Hyuuga Compound
"Hinata Hyuuga, do you have any idea what you've done?" One of the elders asked. After some investigation the council had determined that Hinata had been the one to spirit Hanabi away from them and into the hands of the Namikaze. The Hyuugas had not gotten along with Namikaze who had joined around the same time as they did. The existence of a clan who through hard work and seal mastery become their equals was irritating to those who prided themselves on their blood.
"I kept a promise to my sister" The heiress replied coldly.
"You have allowed the Byakugan to fall into the hands of outsiders! The branch house members will send their children to other clans; you have insured the destruction of the clan!" The head elder said with venom.
"No I insured the destruction of your clan." Hinata Hyuuga was terrified inside but didn't let anyone see it. The emotionless mask she had cultivated was now perfect.
"It is our clan!" Another elder said shocked that the heiress would insinuate that she was not a member of the Hyuuga.
"I refuse to associate myself with a clan that would enslave my sister for no reason other than tradition! I made a promise to my sister and mother that I would never allow any of my family to be sealed. I was taught that a Hyuuga's word was irrevocable was I wrong?" The blue haired girl asked masking her fear with distaste.
"No a Hyuuga's word is his honour but what would possess you to make a promise like that knowing that the sealing was inevitable?" Hiashi asked playing the role of clan head.
"I had hoped that the council remembered my mother's words before her death. You know the ones that foretold the death of our clan if the seal was kept in use?" The heiress said. Himiko Hyuuga had indeed possessed nearly prophetic ability to predict the outcome of certain practices and had correctly predicted the outcome of the Kyuubi attack, Third Shinobi War and the Kumo incident. Her last prediction had been of the destruction of the Hyuuga.
"She was delirious!" The second elder snapped
"She was never wrong before and you all dismissed because Kami forbid you change and have to do your own work." The blue haired genin snapped back letting a little bit of her anger show.
"The Hyuuga are the strongest we cannot be destroyed" The head elder intoned.
"Then tell me why one genin was able to take on half of the branch house and force them into a stalemate?" The grim face of Hiashi said with a wry tone.
"This boy he contains something that makes him immune to our attacks." A third elder said darkly.
"No he just understands taijutsu better than anyone save a taijutsu master" The clan head said shaking his head. What was it the Fourth had said? Oh right 'Stability leads to stagnation, stagnation to death, better to change on your own terms then be forced to change'
"What is the meaning of this Hiashi why are you defending the boy?" The second elder asked angrily. The elders weren't used to people arguing with them and didn't take to it well.
"I do not defend him nor condone what he did. However I have study some of his style and I tell you this none of one here save me or my departed brother can face that boy in taijutsu and win." Hiashi said solemnly. There was a reason why the Hyuuga's had always tried to get Monks to train them.
"Father if I could explain I have sparred him many times and understand a little of his style" The heiress spoke up.
"Go ahead" The clan head said after a moment.
"The Namikaze uses a style called Koutetsu Bodi (Steel Body) in essence he has a constant level of chakra flowing just under his skin in combat he uses this chakra to harden his skin to the point that it becomes steel like. This means that our Jyuuken cannot pierce it and he hardens his tenketsu even more. Combine this with an encyclopaedic knowledge of nerve strikes and pressure points you have someone completely immune to our taijutsu. To defeat him you have to use nin-jutsu or be able to overwhelm his chakra with your own and given the amount he has that is almost impossible." The blue haired girl hated telling her friends secrets like that but hoped it would chase off the elders.
"He must be killed then we cannot allow that style to be taught" One elder screeched an impressive feat considering he was in theory male.
"You would violate the Charter just so that you do not have to change?" Asked the Clan head dumbfounded the charter had been in place since the founding of Konoha. Any clan who broke it or threatened to break it was branded for all of history as a traitor that no one could trust.
"We must maintain our superiority no matter what the cost" The head elder said with a depressing finality in his voice. Years have having what amounted to absolute power within their own domain had dulled the once razor sharp political senses they had.
"No I think this farce has gone on far enough, it is one thing to sacrifice our own for the good of the clan it is another to sacrifice the clan for our pride! Think if the Namikaze die the Hokage will use it to break us the Hyuuga will be destroyed." Hiashi actually shouted a first for him.
"Then we must co-opt the Namikaze into our own right now it only contains two members it will not be hard." Another elder said calmly.
"How? One of them has no reason to love us and the other despises us for the seal." The first elder had calmed down and was thinking rationally.
"You said you were friends with him did you not Hinata?" The head elder asked quietly.
"I am..." The heiress said not liking the tone of the elder.
"Then seduce him have his child if he is as honourable as you say he is he will marry you and the Namikaze will cease to exist." The second elder said calmly. Hinata had to fight a laugh. It was insane Naruto didn't even look at women. It was slightly irritating but at the same time, Hinata actually trusted him not to be a pervert.
"You want me to seduce a former monk....one who has never received any form of teaching on girls? He doesn't think that way to him a girl is just a person with a different body. Naruto has no inclination towards...this and that and probably won't until puberty even then he'll control it to the point where it wouldn't matter. There's just no way to let him know that you're interested short of jumping his bones and even then he'll probably assume you were drugged or something and do his best to incapacitate you and leave before anything really happens." The blue haired genin said after a moment to control her reaction.
"You're saying it is impossible to seduce him?" The first elder said.
"I was never trained to seduce anyone I am after all a Hyuuga. I do not have the ability to seduce him and even if I did I doubt I could do that to him." The heiress said sadly. If things had been different they might have had something as it was she was not going to lose the closest thing she had to a brother over the council's idiocy.
"Why is that?" Hiashi asked curious. If it wasn't for the open defiance that Naruto had given the Hyuuga he would have made a good match for Hinata.
"Because all things considered I have come to see him as a surrogate brother. It just wouldn't feel right" The pale eyed girl said in a resigned tone.
"How could you see that...individual as anything other than an enemy?" The head elder said angry that the heiress wouldn't bend to their will.
"Naruto was the first person to approach me not as Hinata Hyuuga heiress to the most powerful clan but just Hinata one more academy student. I don't have to play games with him or always worry that he's just using me that is why I trust him" The blue haired girl had a faint smile at that.
"I see tell me why does the Namikaze hate the seal so much?" The first elder had long since realized that for better or worse things had to change. There was just no way to maintain the stasis that the Hyuuga's had been locked in for years.
"From what I know, the seal was invented by his order in order to imprison people who for various reasons could not be physically contained or killed outright. It was for criminals not for the reason we use it" Hinata said coldly she like many hated the caged bird seal.
"Does he know how to remove it?" The clan head asked calmly. If the knowledge of how to remove it got out....then the main house could say good bye to the land of the living.
"I don't know, Naruto's never really talked about what exactly he does and doesn't know. Even my knowledge about the Koutetsu Bodi took nearly half a year to gather. I would say no given his lack of interest when it comes to seals but he probably knows someone who does" The Heiress gave an evil smile. She had promised her mother and herself that by hook or crook the Hyuuga would change.
"If the branch house finds out that seal is removable then they will revolt they will not care about the consequences the chance to be free is too good to pass up." The third elder said.
"What shall we do then?" The second elder asked fear in his voice.
"We have a choice either we all have the seal or none of us do, those are our only options now. If we free the branch house then we will have a measure of gratitude and the branch house probably won't try to kill us. Or we all get sealed and again the branch house won't kill us for fear of retaliation." The first elder said, truth be told he had gotten tired of seeing innocent children scream in pain as the seal was applied.
"I refuse to see our great clan had captive to mere fear" The oldest council member said with rage.
"Fear of what? Change? You old fool for better or worse the world has changed and the Hyuuga must adapt. Our strength comes from our honour, not our traditions." The first elder said frankly getting sick of this.
"I am your elder and superior you will not speak to me that way!" The oldest member shouted his voice filled with hate.
"By what right to you claim superiority I have done more missions and harder ones then you have or did you forget esteemed sir which one of us became a Jonin?" The first elder asked. In truth there were not that many Hyuuga who ascended past the rank of chuunin. Jonins were required to be proficient in at least two of the three great ninja arts. Hyuuga's were masters at taijutsu but their tunnel vision prevented them from learning genjutsu or ninjutsu.
"....." The old hate monger had no response.
"Enough! We can all agree that for better or worse we have to change our ways. So although we have no way to remove the seal we will not put it on any more children and the use of it as a punishment tool is forbidden." Hiashi said formally putting his foot down.
"We have to protect the bloodline!" The third elder shouted thankfully he had stopped screeching.
"That is what we tell the masses do not insult us by saying that we need the bird seal for that." The head elder had realized that this was the end of his clan a new one would take its place.
"What if Kumo tries to steal the byakugan again?" The second elder said with a confused tone not really objecting but thinking out loud.
"We will ask Jiraiya to give us a proper blood seal and that will be that. Do I make myself clear?" The Clan Head said letting a small portion of his formidable KI leak out
"You can't do this!" A fourth elder shouted. 'Honestly since when do we Hyuuga shout?' Hiashi wondered.
"I ignored my wife's words once I will not ignore them again. The days of absolute power resting with the Main house are over. I will not allow this clan to be destroyed because of the council's pride." The clan head unleashed the full extent of his KI the elders all abruptly decided that yes Hiashi was right and yes they must do as the clan head demanded.
"It will be as you say Hiashi-sama. However as of now we will not interact or welcome the Namikaze beyond what is required by the council. They are an anathema to all of us!" The Head elder said with a finality that was unstoppable. Declaring a clan anathema was once step short of open clan war and in essence meant that the two were in cold war where each clan tried to get one up on the other .The Uchiha had declared one against the Senju during the Nidaime's reign and it had ended with the virtual eradication of the Senju. Which in turn had led indirectly to the destruction of the Uchiha but not many knew or realized that.
"Understood. Hinata outside of formal team training and missions you are not to go near the Namikaze" Hiashi said to his daughter.
"Hai father...May I be excused?" The heiress asked. She had to be strong no tears not yet not until she was away from the compound.
"You may" The grim faced Hyuuga's face softened. Given how close the two had been he knew that he just hurt his daughter very badly. 'As much as I would like to have the Namikaze as allies they have gone against us and I have to give the elders something. Sorry my daughter.' The words are thought but they will never pass his lips. It is not the way of the Hyuuga's to discuss feelings.
Namikaze Compound
"So Ni-chan what am I supposed to do all day?" Hanabi asked off handily as they ate dinner.
"......meditate?" The blond said after a moment.
"With all due respect Naruto-kun I do not think an eight year old girl would want to spend the entire day meditating" Yamato said with a sweat drop.
"I have nothing to say to that I meditated all day when I was her age" The former monk said partly to himself.
"You were training to be a monk" The mokuton use pointed out.
"Good point. Alright Hanabi-chan what do you want to do?" Naruto asked his sister.
"......" Unfortunately Hanabi didn't have an answer for that.
"That was helpful" The jinchuruki said.
"You could always send her to the academy" Yamato said with a laugh.
"I'd rather wait until I know how angry the Hyuuga's are at me and Hanabi" The blond said quietly.
"They won't do anything overt..." The ex ANBU said with a frown.
"Yes but I get the feeling that subtlety is one of their strong points" The former monk said. Honestly he hated this political stuff but he had promised his friend that he would help and besides...Hanabi needed to be taught how to defend herself both physically and spiritually.
"There is also the matter of ROOT" The mokuton user said still frowning.
"What?" The new Namikaze asked.
"In theory it is a disbanded section of ANBU but there are rumours that it still exists. If they do they will try to use this situation to their advantage." The ex ANBU said in distaste Danzo although at one point necessary to the village had become more trouble than he was worth in his opinion.
"If only there was a way for me to stay here and train Hanabi while I went on missions!" The former monk said shaking his head. That made Yamato think for a moment yes the kage bunshin jutsu was forbidden but only because of the risk of chakra exhaustion given his ward's immense chakra levels that wasn't too much of an issue in this case.
"Tell me Naruto-kun do you know the shadow clone jutsu?" The mokuton user asked a sly smile creeping across his face.
"I only know the basic clone jutsu" The blond said looking at his guard.
"The Kage Bunshin no jutsu allows the use to create physical flesh and blood clones. Given your enhanced chakra capacity I believe you can make better use of this jutsu than anyone else can. If you would let me I'll show it to you so that you can indeed be in two places at once." The brown haired man said smiling.
"Thank you Yamato-sensei" the jinchuruki said with a bow.
"I'm just a body guard. Come on let me show you the seals" Yamato said as he began to teach them how to make a Kage Bunshin
Council Room (3 days later)
"I will not accept this individual as the son of Yondaime!" Hibana Haruno screeched. The council had been convened on what to do now that the heir of the Namikaze had been found. It was not going well.
"As opposed to what Haruno a shape shifter that magically has the Yondaime's DNA?" Asked Chouzu Akimichi laconically he had gotten tired of the civilian half of the council railroading things in circles.
"Calm down all of you. The blood seal evidence is irrefutable Naruto Uzumaki is in fact a Namikaze and thus clan head of the Namikaze. Which means that he can buy and sell half of Konoha at whim if he wished; now all of you stop your stupidity!" The Third Hokage said allowing a small fraction of his KI to leak out. For the 'God of the Shinobi' a small fraction was equivalent to an A class ninja's entire ability to project KI. So most of the civilians began to soil themselves in response, Sarutobi suppressed a smile.
"It is imperative that we make sure he is loyal to us" Koharu said formally.
"Naruto is loyal to his comrades and me. In his words he has little reason to be loyal to the rest of Konoha" The Sandaime said quietly. Maybe this would make the civilians realize just how badly they had messed up.
"That is treason!" The Haruno member screamed her inner persona having fought off the effects of Sarutobi's KI.
"What did you expect woman? We all know what he contains and we know how he was treated would you be loyal to a village the emotionally and mentally abused you for years?" The blond haired head of the Yamanakas said with a dismissive scoff.
"What do you think Hiashi?" The scarred master of Root asked with a sickly smile.
"While the Hyuuga's have no love for the Namikaze we are forced by circumstance to admit that Naruto once known as Uzumaki is indeed Minato's heir. Despite this we will oppose any attempt to get him seated on the council" The grim faced Hyuuga said with scowl.
"He's too young for a council seat in any event." Homura said with a shrug. He had nothing against the Namikaze boy but felt he needed a bit of seasoning before he became a councillor.
"True but if he can bring the Monks of Mt. Shaoshi to Konoha it would be great." Tsume said thoughtfully.
"That will not happen. From Naruto's account the monks are incredibly insular the only time you will see them as when they go on their pilgrimages. They will not fight unless they are attacked. Which is not something I'd recommend after what they did in the first war" The old Kage said with a rueful chuckle.
"First war?" Chouzu asked his friend Shikaku in a low voice.
"During the first great shinobi war Kumo decided that it was a good idea to attack the monks...we're not too sure what happened but the end result was the destruction of a third of their army. Since then all the major hidden villages have maintained a strict non-aggression policy when it comes to the orders." The elder shadow user said and muttered troublesome after answering.
"I still do not see why you allow them to stay within our borders if they are such a threat to us" Danzo said with a chuckle just a little more and he could get Hiruzen to do something foolish.
"They are not a threat unless provoked. And how do you propose we get rid of them? Yes it is likely that we would win a fight with them through superior numbers in the field. But to attack them in their own monastery is foolishness. They would devastate our forces. Now enough of this arguing. Due to the Namikaze's age he will not receive a seat until he reaches the age of majority. Until that time his seat will be held in trust by Iruka Umino. Upon reaching the age of eighteen or achieving the rank of jonin Naruto Namikaze will be allowed on to the council. We will then decide the exact fate of the Namikaze" The old kage said frankly hated all of this political bullshit 'Hurry up and become the shinobi you were born to be Naruto, I'm too old for this job' he thought.
Konoha
Naruto had gone out with his new sister and guard for some dinner oddly not ramen. This had taken him a fair ways away from his usual haunts. On a whim he stretched out his chakra senses and found it thrown back in his face by something. This would need some investigating.
"Yamato, Hanabi-chan head back home I've got to go check something" The jinchuruki said and took off looking for the source of the disturbance.
"Don't worry Hanabi-chan, Naruto knows what he's doing" The mokuton user said comfortingly to the girl 'At least I hope he does' he thinks with a frown.
"I knew that because of the Kyuubi attack Konoha would have places
where the darkness lives but nothing like this" The former monk
said disturbed. He had found his way into an underground complex.
Unlike his compound the stench of decay and evil was omnipresent
here.
True this place it is....calling me
Kyuubi? How are you out of the seal?
I'm not but the darkness here it strengthens our connection enough so that you can hear me.
Well....truce until we figure this place out? Even your chakra doesn't feel this evil
I'd take that as an insult but your right, this place it is infested with demonic chakra almost as if....
There was a gathering of demons or possessed people here. Not too long ago from the feel of the place
That doesn't make any sense. Your kind wiped out most of us during the war
I know but I'm only saying what it feels like
Walking into a large chamber the former monk felt physically sick. There was an altar with children's skeletons scattered around it. Four pillars supported the roof.
Those monsters, they killed children to.....
Summon me...so that's why I was pulled here all those years ago. I may be a demon but you hairless apes never cease to surprise me at what you do to each other
I recognize the symbols on the pillars. They were used by the dark order during the Three Saints War. But that doesn't make sense...we killed every last one of them.
Apparently not. For all your frailty you worms are surprisingly resilient.
I must get out of here and inform Master Wu. This place is beyond my skill to cleanse.
You can cleanse my chakra but you can't heal this place you worthless monkey?!
The channel by which I cleanse you is already in place. There is nothing here for me to work with; I cannot create light without a flame.
"I-is someone there?" A voice called. It was Sakura.
"Hai keep talking and I'll find you" The blond said and reached his senses out despite the strain of fighting off the malevolence of the room.
"Naruto what are you doing here?" The pink haired genin asked her curiosity overcoming her fear.
"I sensed the darkness here and went to investigate." The former monk said calmly.
"Please get me out of here before they come back" Sakura begged as her terror came back full force
"They?" the whiskered boy said as he found his comrade chained to the wall. She had been beaten and from the looks of it not for the first time. Concentrating his strength Naruto snapped the chains and caught the pink haired girl.
"The people who did all this" the girl whispered.
"We'll talk about it later after we get out of here okay?" Naruto said softly.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible boy" A black robed figure said from behind. Naruto recognized the robes they were from the dark order the ones had been the catalyst for the Three Saints war.
"You....how? You were all destroyed in the war" The blond said in shock. In truth there were records of the Three Saints war and the former monk knew the true history but was forbidden to speak of it unless the Dark Ones returned. The version he had given his friends was the official one but not the real one.
"Fool it's been millennia since the war we hid and waited until the orders became weak. Now we will rise again and this time the saints will not be able to stop us!" The figure said cackling.
"You were defeated once it will happen again" The former monk said shifting Sakura on to his shoulders.
"Humph prepare yourself boy it's time to die" The robed man said and attacked.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto called and a dozen clones sprang into existence.
"Hold him off while I get Sakura-san out of here" The blond commanded.
"Sure thing master Naruto" The lead clone said as they began to attack the figure. The figure grimaced he hadn't counted on this. The boy was only moderately skilled but his clones weren't trying to win merely buy time and they could do that.
Naruto moved as quickly as he could, speed was his only hope here not stealth. Sakura for her part was scared but slightly annoyed at how she was being carried like a sack of potatoes.
"Curses he's destroying my clones faster then I'd hoped." The blond said as he ran towards the exit.
"What you're not going to let him get us are you??" Sakura said still terrified. Naruto, shook his head what had they done to her?
"There's the exit. Hold on" The jinchuruki said as he made a flying leap through the entrance into the air.
"So that's where this passage goes." Naruto said looking around the academy grounds
"We've escaped? I'm free?" The green eyed girl asked not daring to believe it.
"For now although that robed man...he worries me"The former monk said with a frown. Irony being what it is the robed man arrived at that moment.
"You've annoyed me boy but not it's time for you to---URKKK" The robed man gurgled and died as a tree root impaled his chest.
"Yamato-sensei, how nice of you to arrive." The blond said allowing a little sarcasm to seep into his words.
"It was rather difficult track you. You know your sister's worried sick." The mokuton user said with an exasperated face.
"I'll apologize later we have to get Sakura-san to the hospital and talk to Master Sarutobi" Naruto said firmly.
"Don't leave me alone!" The pink haired girl said a grabbed a hold of her rescuer.
"....." The jinchuruki was taken aback by her response.
"She seems rather attached Naruto-kun" Yamato said with a chuckle
"I think she's still afraid of being taken back to that place." The blond said with a grimace
"What place?" The mokuton user said taken aback. The hatred Naruto apparently harboured for some place was immense.
"I will not speak of that until we see Master Sarutobi" The whiskered boy said firmly.
"Let's go then." Yamato said and watched as his ward put Sakura into a piggy back position on his back.
"Sakura-chan we're going to see the Hokage he'll make sure that those people don't hurt anyone anymore." The blond said kindly to the girl who nuzzled into his back.
"This is strange Sakura seems to be broken..." The mokuton user said with a frown. As a favour to Kakashi he had once or twice watched her team for flaws.
"If what I suspect is true then she probably is." The former monk said sadly.
"You have a lot of explaining to do Naruto-kun" The Ex-ANBU said.
"Hai....I never expected this when I went to investigate" The jinchuruki said with a frown. The trio made their way to the tower.
Hokage Tower
"I don't have time for your games Chika-san I must see the Hokage!" The former monk said distressed at the interference from the Hokage's secretary.
"You little brat take the girl to the hospital and then go to the Hokage" Chika said with a frown.
"Right now I'm afraid to let her out of my sight." Naruto said.
"Chika send them in. Call for a medic, if Naruto doesn't want to take her to the hospital I'm sure he has a good reason" The old kage interrupted the argument.
"Thank you Master Sarutobi" The blond said with a bow. Which was impressive considering Naruto still had someone on his back.
"Brat" The secretary grumbled.
"Chika-san please can't we be friends?" The blue eyed boy asked trying unsuccessfully to use the puppy eyes technique he heard young kids used.
"No" Chika said un-amused.
"Just thought I'd ask." The former monk said with a shrug as the trio walked into the Hokage's office.
"So Naruto care to tell me why you're holding Sakura and what happened to her?" Sarutobi asked seriously. He knew Sakura to a degree, highest book marks in the class but considered subpar at the rest of it. Still this girl looked broken.
"As you know as a monk and because of my burden I'm more sensitive to things of a spiritual nature. Konoha still has deep scars from the Kyuubi attack and I have gotten used to sensing that. However when Yamato, Hanabi-chan and I went to a different part of the village I sensed something darker then the Kyuubi. I went to investigate. What I found...is something that I had thought impossible." The blond said and took a deep breath.
"Ages ago before the time of the Rikudo Sennin there were four orders of what we now call monks. These orders became the pillars of a true world government working in concert they kept the land at peace. Yet the darkness with in all men corrupted one of these orders. Believing that they were earthly gods the fourth order released demons upon the lands and attempted to conquer the world. The other three orders united and resisted led by three men who became known as Saints. After a long and bloody war these Saints managed to destroy the Dark Order and according to the scrolls seal most of the demons away. Yet I found evidence that the Dark Order still lives." Naruto said with a frown.
"The Dark Order, I understand the name but what do you mean they still live?" The mokuton user asked with a confused expression
"My order is not proud of what happened in the Three Saints War. To prevent it from ever reoccurring we eradicated the entirety of the fourth order killing every last member we could find and we believed that we had got all of them. Or so we thought. I found a large cavern it had a sacrificial alter and the symbols that the Dark Ones used to control and summon demons. Thankfully most of the demons are gone." The former monk said with a wry smile
"What did you mean most of the demons are gone?" Hiruzen said quirking an eyebrow.
"The Saints and their followers were strong enough to defeat all but the most powerful of the demons specifically the nine tailed demons. Ichbi the Tanuki, Nibi the cat, Sanbi, the turtle, Yonbi the weasel, Gobi the wolf, Rokubi the falcon, Nanabi the bear, Hachibi the ushi-oni and Kyuubi the fox all managed to defeat and escape the sealing attempts of the Saints. They are all that is left of the greater demons. But that is a tale for another time. More importantly there are at least two more Dark Ones out there." The blond said frowning.
"Why two more?" Yamato asked. This was way above his pay grade but he was still curious
"The dark order always worked in groups of three: A master, a servant and a student. Yamato killed one of them from his skill I would guess a servant." The jinchuruki said with a grimace.
"So we have two members of an organization that your order fought a war to destroy running around Konoha is that what I'm hearing?" The old Kage asked resisting the urge to rub his temples
"It is Master Sarutobi. I can probably defeat the student but the Master is beyond my skill. We must get word to Master Wu. I need help besides that alter needs to be cleansed of the innocent blood spilled" The blue eyed boy gave a shudder at the memory.
"Innocent blood?" Sarutobi asked. Somewhere deep down he knew he didn't want to hear the answer to his question but had to ask anyway.
"That alter it had been used for Human sacrifice. Specifically children from the skeletons I found. Blood has power particularly innocent blood and there are few things more innocent than a child" The former monk said looking down.
"What why would anyone do that?" The old kage said visibly sickened. It was thing to ask children to fight to teach them to kill. He hated that but it was necessary. But to kill kids just because one needed to power some jutsu. It was beyond the pale.
"This is just a guess on my part but I believe they were summoning the Kyuubi to the village so that the demon would be sealed and my father slain." Naruto said getting control of himself and resuming his normal calm tones.
"You mean the Kyuubi was forced to attack Konoha?" The mokuton use asked a bit disturbed if someone could force a demon as powerful as the Kyuubi into submission what else could they do?
"Forced? no. If it had truly wanted to the Kyuubi could have fought the compulsion but for all its intelligence the demon is an arrogant thing it probably didn't believe it could be defeated." The blond said.
"So how do we send word to your Master Wu? No one in Konoha knows how to get to Mt. Shaoshi besides you." The Sandaime said slipping into his role as leader of the village.
"Your right. What if you sent me on a mission?" The jinchuruki said with a quizzical look.
"Yes a courier mission it would be c-class simply because of its urgency. That would work the council wishes for me to open talks with the Monastery anyway. Yamato given the nature of this mission I'm going to ask you to back Genma up along with the rest of team 10" The grandfatherly Kage said.
"Hai Hokage-sama. However what about Sakura-san?" The ex-ANBU normally wouldn't care too much about one genin but in this case he made an exception.
"I'll have Inoichi take a look hopefully he can help her." The Sandaime said with a sad smile.
"I don't want Naruto to leave...." The pink haired girl spoke for the first time since entering the tower.
"Sakura-chan I have to leave so I can make sure that these people are stopped. Don't worry I know the Hokage will protect you." The former monk said kindly and gave the girl a reassuring hug.
"Promise?" Sakura asked quietly.
"You have my word" The blond said putting to rest Sakura's worries.
"What worries me is that Sakura should've been able to get to this state. It takes time to break people and it there hasn't been enough time since I saw her this morning." The old kage said with frown.
"I believe that Sakura was far more fragile than anyone thought. If you look at her body you will see that this isn't the first time she has been hurt." The former monk said still holding Sakura.
"Your right....I'll have some of my ANBU investigate this. Something doesn't feel right but I can't put my finger on it." Hiruzen said with a frown as he lit his pipe.
"What do you mean Hokage-sama?" Yamato asked.
"It's all seems too convenient, you finding this place now and not before. Finding Sakura, you escaping. If I didn't know better I'd say someone set this all up." The Sandaime said puffing his pipe.
"I can't explain that Master Sarutobi but I also need someone to look after Hanabi-chan." The Namikaze heir said with a small smile.
"Put her in your apartment I'll have team 8 watch her." Sarutobi said feeling better despite all the gloom their conversation had created. Naruto still put his people before anything else. 'You'll make a fine Kage boy.' The Third thought.
"Thank you Master Sarutobi. I'll take Sakura-chan to Ino-chan's place by your leave" Naruto said and began to walk out of the office. The Hokage wrote down some orders for Inoichi on a scroll and tossed it to Yamato.
"Take this scroll. It'll inform Inoichi of the situation. The medic will be by tomorrow" Hiruzen said. The ex-ANBU nodded and gave a salute.
"Thank you Master Sarutobi." The blond said as they left.
Yamanaka Residence (10 pm)
"Naruto what are you doing here?" Inoichi asked as he opened the door.
"It's a long story. This scroll should explain everything" The mokuton user said handing a scroll to the blond jonin. Inoichi read the scroll nodded and brought them inside.
"Hmmmm, well I don't have any missions besides this one. I can do a mind walk tonight" The Yamanaka head said calmly.
"Daddy what's going on?" The purple clad girl had heard the noise and had. Left her room.
"Nothing go back to bed princess" The blond haired jonin didn't want Ino to see her former friend like this.
"Is that Naruto and Sakura?" The young mind walker ignored her father's attempts to get her to go back to bed.
"Yes." Yamato spoke up not bothering to introduce himself.
"Kami what happened to Sakura?" The blond girl ran over to her former friend who was still clutching Naruto.
"I'm not too sure but if I were to guess she was beaten multiple times and Kami knows what else. Right now she's for lack of a better term broken." The former monk said sadly.
"Who?" Ino said trembling with rage.
"I don't know who they were. I have an idea as to what they are but not their identities. I'll explain on tomorrow's mission." The jinchuruki said knowing that Ino needed to calm down before he explained who or what this new threat was.
"When we find them I am going to kill them" The young mind walker said with an icy tone usually reserved for when a mother finds out that their child has been hurt by someone else.
"I do not believe in vengeance. However I will help you these people need to be stopped and I don't believe they will short of death." The whiskered boy said with a soothing voice. Vengeance just led to an endless cycle of death, he would have to work hard to prevent his friend from suffering that.
"...Me and Sakura have drifted apart but I'll be damned if I let my friend suffer like this." Ino said and began to slowly disentangle Sakura from her friend.
"I believe that your father is going to use your clan's skill to try and heal her mind." The ex-ANBU said helpfully.
"The Haruno's ability is going to give me trouble though" Inoichi said with a frown.
"What?" The younger mind walker knew that only training or having a second mind could really stop their clan's abilities.
"Harunos are always more prone to Split Personality Disorder than the rest of the population even ninja. Who tend to have psychological problems up the yin yang. However given Sakura's condition. Odds are that she has fully developed alternate personality. This Alternate tends to react violently to other things being in their hosts mind." The elder mind walker explained patiently.
"So you need someone to fight this thing off?" The former monk asked.
"If Ino was a little more skilled yes but as it is this is going to take a long time. Probably multiple sessions" The blond jonin said with a frown.
"I fight a malevolent demon lord every day, get me into her mind and I will take care of this alternate" The whiskered boy said 'A monk or any good man must do everything in his power to help others...' Master Wu's words came back to the boy unbidden.
"What are you talking about?" Everyone except Ino stared at the whiskered boy confused.
"I was trained as a monk not for fun but rather for me to finish the job my father started and finally kill the demon by purifying its chakra. By talking the chakra and forcibly converting it" The former monk looked a little sheepish under the stares from the jonin present.
"I thought the seal did that" Yamato commented.
"It does but only into normal human chakra, which can be corrupted again and once it is corrupted the fox would have been reborn. My method purifies the demonic chakra into holy chakra and by doing so destroys the Kyuubi. The Kyuubi fights me every step of the way during this so I have some skill at mental combat." The jinchuruki said with a small sigh. Tonight he'd have to skip out given everything else he couldn't afford to be at anything less than his best.
"You sure?" Inoichi asked he knew how to put other people into some one's mind but there was rarely any point only Yamanaka's and apparently monks trained in extensive mental warfare.
"A wise man once said 'If you truly want to do good in this world then you must help others' I am following that saying." The former monk said with a quiet determination.
"Alright...let's go" The elder mind walker said and placed his hands on Sakura and Naruto.
Sakura's mind
"Well this was unexpected" Inoichi said. Sakura's mind was a black plane with three crystal shards in the middle. Most minds were like buildings or natural places and blank mind was indicative of a complete psychotic break.
"Can you fix it?" The younger blond asked worriedly. His own mind was usually a grassy field before he changed it into a featureless plane in order to protect it from the fox.
"I think so. These three shards represent Sakura's personality. Fusing them together will take time keep me covered." The elder mind walker said and got to work.
Cha! Get out of my head you bastard! An enraged avatar of Inner Sakura screamed and launched a punch towards Naruto. The former monk dodged. The punch left a crater that explained a fair bit actually.
"By the light!" Naruto was forced to gasp to willing do damage to one's own psyche in order to defeat someone was insane.
You're like those snake fucking bastards who hurt me in the first place! The inner Sakura shouted and launched a drop kick at the blond boy who again dodged.
"No I'm here to help really!" The jinchuruki grimaced as the avatar summoned some sort of energy weapon and began blasting it at him.
You can help in Hell
"You're not going to make this easy are you?" the whiskered boy sighed.
Die!
"Last chance stop and I won't hurt you" The blue eyed boy pleaded.
This is my mind you can't do anything
"You aren't the only one who knows how to fight in a mindscape" Naruto said and summoned a staff into his hands.
You think that staff is going to help you?
"This may be your mind, but my will is stronger than yours" The blond boy said and slammed his staff into the avatar hard sending her flying.
*grunt* how?
"You have some skill I'll give you that. But you're about millennia too young to actually challenge me. Paralyzing palm" the former monk said blurring as he moved. Without warning he hit the avatar causing her to crumple.
What did you do to me you bastard!
"Calm down I shut down your ability to move, as long as I don't kill you I don't have to hold back." The blue eyed boy said with a shake of his head.
You're not going to kill me?
"I'll admit your annoying but your only doing what's natural. You can't beat me I have no real reason to kill you. Don't worry we'll be gone soon enough" Naruto said with a reassuring look
You really want to help don't you? There is a seal that forces the creation of me and other personalities if you destroy it your friends work will go easier.
"Thank you. Where is the seal?" The former monk asked with a bow.
It should be somewhere on me Naruto soon found the seal on the back of the avatar's neck
"Who would use a seal like this? Even heavily modified I can still tell that its original purpose was to forcibly express latent demonic tendencies."
Those black robed monkey fuckers that's who!
"Err yes...hold on this might sting a bit" The blond boy was unsure how to handle this more vulgar version of Sakura.
*Censored, Censor censored with a kunai Censored*
"That's quite the vocabulary you have there, Avatar-san" The jinchuruki said surprised. Could you even do that with a kunai? Probably better not to know.
That hurt!
"Sorry I sometimes forget that I have a higher pain threshold than most." The blond boy said sheepishly.
So what now?
"Now? Now we wait" The former monk said sitting down.
Hours later Inoichi turned from his work. The crystal shards had been mostly fused together the remainder could wait another session. He saw Naruto and the avatar simply sitting together apparently playing shogi.
"All done. It's the strangest thing there were at least two personalities in the smaller crystals. Normally this doesn't happen but it looks like something was forcing it. Outer Sakura seems to have been a pre-programmed personality but it's still the default for now. When the fusing finishes she'll probably change." The elder mind walker said cracking his nonexistent spine it had been hard work.
"Well then let's get out of here. It was nice meeting you Avatar-san" the former monk said.
For a blond prick you weren't too bad.
"Well glad you solved things amicably I'll be seeing you in the future Avatar or whatever you call yourself " The elder blond said as the two faded out of the mindscape.
I hope this works I really do. We can't take another beating like that last one the avatar said with a tremble. Created so that there would be some defences in her physical self's mind the avatar knew that right now she was incredibly fragile one more hit, one more trauma and she wouldn't recover.
Yamanaka residence (3 hours later)
"All done?" The wood user asked as he looked up from the wall he had been resting against. Ino had drifted off to sleep on the couch.
"Not quite but she's healed to the point that she can be left alone for a little while." The elder mind walker said.
"We have to go now but tell Sakura-san I'll see her before I leave tomorrow" The former monk said bowing as he made his way to the door.
"Where are you going?" The blond jonin kept his ear pretty close to the ground when it came to his daughter's team and hadn't heard anything.
"Lord Hokage wishes to hold a discussion with the Abbot of Naruto's monastery. Naruto and team 10 are being sent as ambassadors." The ex-ANBU said with a shrug.
"Alright then. See you around Naruto, shinobi-san" Inoichi said.
The two nodded and left. It was only afterward that Inoichi realized he had left his daughter alone with a man whose name he didn't even know for three hours. Making for one very irate father.
Namikaze compound
"Ready to go back the monastery Naruto-kun?" The mokuton user asked.
"Even if I wasn't I still have to do this. My own feelings don't matter when something like this is at stake" the blond grimaced.
"Why are you so...terrified of this Dark Order?" Yamato found it unnerving the way that this boy who otherwise had enough confidence to fill an ocean seem so scared.
"Do you know how many died in the Three Saints War? 50 billion, most of those casualties came from the dark order killing civilians to power their dark arts. I cannot allow that to happen to Konoha" The former monk said fists clenching.
"Guess we're lucky you came back ehh?" The brown haired guard said with a smirk.
"Truthfully, Master Sarutobi is right there is something more just on the edge of my perception. Hanabi-chan asleep?" Naruto asked to get this conversation on a different topic.
"Yeah I put her to bed before I went to get you" The mokuton user said with a shrug.
"We'll move her in the morning. Right now we both need rest." The blond said it was a long way to Mt. Shaoshi after all.
"Night Naruto-kun" Yamato said and went to his room.
"Night Yamato-sensei" Naruto replied as the ex-ANBU left.
A/N: And there we go. Bet you all thought I was going to be redoing the wave mission. This will probably be one of the few original arcs I have in this story. Don't worry things will stay sort of the same. Thanks for the reviews and for reading. Next: Return to the monastery, Sakura pulls herself together and the Hyuuga sisters 'bond'