Chapter five
"Talking"
'Internal monologue'
Scene Change (time)
Namikaze Compound
"Time to get up Hanabi-chan," Naruto said, gently shaking his adopted sister.
"Ni-san?" the young girl's eyes flew open and she sat up.
"Good morning Hanabi-chan," the blond said with a smile.
"Where did you go?"
"Like you I am sensitive to spiritual things. I sensed something and went to take a look. What I found kept me from coming home till fairly late," the former monk said placating his sister.
"What did you find?" the pale eyed girl asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Something I had believed dead. Just as there are good monks there are bad ones as well. I met one of the bad monks," Naruto answered with a shrug.
"Did you win?" the girl asked, a little scared by how serious her new brother sounded.
"No, Yamato stopped him," the blond answered, giving an involuntary shudder as he remembered what had happened the day before.
"Oh..." Hanabi looked down. Besides her father and Yamato, Naruto was the strongest person she knew. Knowing that he hadn't been able to defeat it scared her a lot. Wanting to offer some comfort she looked up at him.
"As much as I hate it I have to leave you alone for awhile." The former monk didn't pick up on this.
"Why?" the pale-eyed girl asked with a frown.
"I have to return to Mt. Shaoshi to seek out the assistance of Master Wu," the jinchuruki said formally.
"Oh..." Hanabi's training meant that she couldn't show how sad it made her to see him go.
"However, the Hokage has arranged it so that your sister and her team will take care of you while I'm gone," the blond said with a smile.
"Really? I'll get a chance to see my sister?" the black haired girl asked, stammering for the first time ever.
"If all goes as planned, yes," Naruto said, his smile getting bigger.
"Thank you!" the pale eyed girl shouted, and giving a bear hug to the blond.
"Easy, sister. Come on, Yamato's making breakfast," the jinchuruki said, standing up. Hanabi nodded and followed her brother into the kitchen.
"Hello," the mokuton user said, flipping a pancake.
"Hey Yamato-sensei, ready to leave?" Naruto called.
"I am. Does Hanabi-chan know what is happening?" the ex-ANBU asked.
"I do," the pale-eyed girl answered as Yamato finished a stack of pancakes.
"Good, have some pancakes," the wood user said, and handed them each a plate.
"What are these?"Hanabi asked.
"They are something I learned to make in ANBU. They're quick and easy and go well with syrup," Yamato said giving a smile.
The trio consumed their food quickly and made their way to the tower. Naruto made a clone and sent Hanabi to his apartment.
Hokage Tower
"Team 10 reporting for duty," Genma said.
"Very good. I'm entrusting you with a C-class mission. You are to go to Mt. Shaoshi. Your goal is to open negotiations with the monks there," the Hokage said calmly.
"Hokage-sama aren't the monks strictly isolationist?" the senbon chewing jonin asked.
"They are but we're hoping that Naruto will be able to convince them otherwise. Naruto you may fully brief them on the road," the Sandaime answered.
"Hai," the former monk said, nodding.
"What do you –" Genma began.
"Later," Sarutobi interrupted. "Given the possible length of this mission Yamato here will accompany you."
"Alright, you three heard the man. Load up and meet at the gate in one hour," the bandana-wearing jonin said with a frown.
"Hai," the three genin said and left.
"Hokage-sama," Genma bowed and followed his team.
Team 10 passed Team 8 on the way and the tension between Naruto and Hinata could be cut with a knife.
"What's your problem?" Ino asked her.
"I have no problem. I do hope that the newest Namikaze is alright," the heiress said, her icy demeanor returning full force.
"She is, but she misses her sister," the whiskered boy said calmly.
"The clan had declared yours anathema. Namikaze, please do not speak to me," Hinata said, though she was crying inside at what she had to say to the boy she considered a brother.
"I understand. For what it's worth I wish this hadn't happened," Naruto said sadly.
"So do I, Namikaze, so do I," Hinata said, turning to leave. Team 8 followed her.
"That was unexpected," the bug user said, adjusting his shades.
"Naruto, are you okay?" the mind walker asked.
"I'll be fine. It is unsettling but something like this was bound to occur," the jinchuruki said calmly, not at all like someone who had just lost their best friend.
"Why don't you ever use your holy chakra?" Ino asked as they walked down the stairs. She wanted to get Naruto's mind off Hinata.
"Holy chakra destroys the mind and the soul. No human can use it without killing what makes them human. The opposite, Demonic chakra also destroys the body and can't be used without killing yourself. Both chakras react to extreme emotion: Holy to things like love, trust and joy, and Unholy to things like rage, hate, and sadness," the former monk intoned.
"Sorry, I didn't know," Ino said, contrite. Naruto was literally robbing Peter to pay Paul and both of them could kill him.
"It's not your fault. I knew what would happen when I started purifying the demonic chakra," the whiskered boy said as they walked out of the tower.
"What do you intend to do once you finish purifying the fox?" Shino asked quietly.
"I intend to release that chakra back into the world," the blue-eyed boy answered, not mentioning that doing so would most likely kill him.
"How?" Shino asked, sensing that something was off.
"Do not worry about it. It will take years for that to happen," the former monk answered, evading the question.
"Hurry up kiddies," The brown-haired jonin said. He motioned for his team to move. Shino left and Naruto, fulfilling his promise, followed Ino home.
"Naruto, why does Holy chakra destroy the mind?" Ino asked as they walked.
"That's hard to explain. Holy chakra connects you to everyone and everything in the general area," the former monk said, shrugging.
"Why is that bad?"
"Too many views. You know how it feels when dealing with one mind besides your own. Now imagine dealing with hundreds of them all shouting and talking at once. The human mind isn't designed to handle it," Naruto said with a small grimace.
"What do you mean?" the purple-clad girl said, nonplussed.
"The connections tend to overwhelm a person and kill the individual part of them. This includes emotions, thoughts, and even one's soul; they become subsumed into everyone else," the former monk said quietly.
"Kami, and you monks actively try and create this stuff?" the pony-tailed girl said in shock.
"Never in large amounts, just enough so that the shouts can be heard as a whisper. I am a unique case," the jinchuruki said calmly.
"Why not just let the seal do its work?" the mind walker asked.
"Because it's my duty. I was entrusted to stop the demon. My order fought a war to stop these demons. I will not betray that trust," the former monk said firmly.
"But won't the seal do that?" Ino asked, still confused as to why her friend was willing to risk everything.
"The seal was originally designed to convert its chakra into human chakra. Human chakra is incredibly easy to corrupt. Any of the remaining bijuu could, in theory, absorb the chakra and become a new Kyuubi. That falls under the heading of a bad thing," the whiskered boy said with a wry smile.
"Oh."
"How's Sakura?" Naruto asked.
"She's alright from what we can tell. She was sleeping when I left. But she still needs a lot of treatment. Us leaving isn't going to help that. Dad won't tell me what happened to her," the blond girl said, annoyed.
"You don't want to know," the former monk said.
"She's my friend," Ino insisted.
"Just trust me on this, there are things that you should not see," the jinchuruki said. Ino said nothing and they kept walking.
Yamanaka Residence
"Naruto-kun!" Sakura launched a flying tackle at Naruto as soon as her friends came inside.
"Affectionate, isn't she?" the jinchuruki asked, patting the girl on the head.
"I think she transferred her feelings for Sasuke to you," Inoichi said, shaking his head. Ino was blushing like mad.
"I can see that. How are you feeling Sakura-chan?" the former monk asked smiling to the girl.
"Good!" the pink haired girl said looking up at her rescuer's face.
"You have her hopped up on happy pills, don't you?" Ino asked, shaking herself out of her shock.
"Oddly no... her mind's reverted to a child's about age three I think," the jonin said frowning.
"That's odd. I thought we had mostly fixed her," Naruto said, his frown matching Inoichi's.
"We did but we restored her to the last time she was mentally healthy," the Yamanaka clan head said.
"By the Light...." the former monk said, shocked. Even he had been mostly alright, all things considered.
"Indeed. I'm going to do what I can to bring her back to the right mental age. That'll take time though," the jonin said with a shrug.
"You going to play with me Naruto-kun?" Sakura asked, having gotten annoyed by all the 'old people' talking.
"I'd like to but I have to go somewhere," the blue-eyed boy said, patting the girl on the head.
"But I wanna play!" she said fiercely.
"We'll play when we get back, okay, Sakura-chan?" Naruto said smiling.
"Promise?" the green-eyed girl asked, looking for deception.
"I do," the former monk said, smiling as he pried Sakura off him. Ino pulled the girl up the stairs.
"Why you two here, anyway?" Inoichi asked, watching his daughter leave.
"Ino has to pack for her C-rank and I promised I would see Sakura before we left," the jinchuruki explained.
"You guys are rookies, you're too inexperienced for a C-rank," the elder mind walker said, frowning.
"We are, but Master Sarutobi wants to open up talks with the monastery I trained at. It's out of the village so it's technically a C-rank," Naruto said, shrugging.
"Monks are strictly isolationist outside of the few noble families they agree to teach," the blond jonin said. Something was off but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"They are, but I think I can convince them otherwise," the younger blond said, smiling.
"Confident, aren't you?" Inoichi said shaking his head.
"You could say that," the jinchuruki answered. Truthfully the fact that the dark order was still around ensured that the monks would act.
"Why?" the blond jonin asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"If it works I'll tell you," the blue eyed boy said.
"All ready!" Ino called coming down the stairs.
"Let's get to the gate then," the former monk said, heading out the door.
"Stay safe, princess," Inoichi said.
"I will, Daddy." His daughter nodded and gave him a hug before following her team mate.
The group met at the gate and without a word Naruto began to head north. Hours later they stopped for lunch.
"So Naruto, you gonna brief us now?" Genma asked, chewing on a ration bar.
"Yes. In truth this mission is not to open up negotiations but to ask for help," the former monk said, pulling out his own ration bar.
"What?" the senbon-chewing man asked, surprised. Konoha was the most diplomatic of the hidden villages but it still didn't ask for help often.
"In order to explain I'll have to fill you in a bit on the history of my order. Millennia ago before the time of the Rikudo Sennin the world was united under one government. This government for the most part was fair and just, it was a golden age for humanity. My order along with three other ones served as peace keepers and policemen. Yet all things must end. One of these orders, which is now called the Dark Order, turned on us.
"The reasons are unclear but they began a war with the other three orders and the world. Using a combination of Dark arts, human sacrifice and will they summoned demons to fight. The Orders united under three men who would become known as the Saints. The war was long and billions died. But in the end the Saints won and were able to defeat the Dark Order. After doing so they hunted down both the demons and the remnants. All the demons save the bijuu were sent back to their own world, and the remnants killed. At least that is what I believed until recently. However I found a member of the Dark Order and one of their altars in Konoha. I don't know how or why but stopping them is beyond my skill," Naruto said quietly.
"That's where you found Sakura isn't it?" Ino asked, her hands shaking.
"Hai. I'm not sure what they did or wanted her for but they hurt her," the whiskered boy said, concerned for both his team mate and his new friend.
"What happened to Sakura-san?" Shino asked, perplexed.
"Nothing good. Even now my father is trying to fix her," the mind walker said, slowly getting control of her emotions.
"All right people this is an A-class as of now, by my authority. Finish eating and we'll double time it to the monastery," Genma said. The rest of the group complied and took off.
Naruto's Apartment
"Aren't you happy Hinata?" Kiba asked. Team 8 stood outside the apartment.
"No," the blue haired girl said coolly.
"Why? You get to see your sister again," the dog user asked.
"Kiba-san, drop it," the heiress said, suppressing her irritation.
"Touchy isn't she?" the feral genin asked Chouji.
"Kiba, Hinata doesn't have a sister by clan law. With Hanabi a Namikaze and the Hyuuga family declaring the clan anathema, Hinata doesn't know what to do," Kurenai interjected.
"Oh," the dog user said. The dog for his part moaned. Why did Kiba have to be so impulsive?
"I doubt Naruto knew that or he wouldn't have set this up," the large genin frowned.
"No, he didn't. Today was the first time I talked to Naruto since I sent my sister to him," Hinata said quietly and knocked on the door. The door opened for them to see Naruto there.
"What the hell?" the feral genin asked, speaking for all of them.
"Hello, I am a clone of Master Naruto," the clone said, bowing.
"But you're substantial..." Hinata said, frowning.
"Indeed I am. Yamato-sensei was kind enough to teach Master Naruto the Kage no Bunshin Jutsu," the blond clone said smiling.
"That's a forbidden technique!" The red-eyed jonin said, surprised. That jutsu killed most people who tried to make more than one clone or ones that could last more than an hour which this one obviously could.
"Is it now? Hmm wonder why Yamato-sensei left that out. Regardless, for Master Naruto the chakra cost is not an issue," the clone said musing.
"Your reserves must be huge," Kurenai muttered quietly.
"Perhaps but please come in Hanabi-chan is meditating right now." The clone said moving out of doorway and beckoning the team in.
The team found Hanabi sitting in a lotus position with chakra occasionally flaring out of random tenketsu.
"What is she doing?" Chouji asked quietly.
"She's setting up a chakra defense to prevent possession. She is more skilled than Master Naruto had hoped. Another hour or two and she should be done," The clone answered. The Akimichi nodded.
"Chips anyone?" he said after a moment.
"Do you have a board game or anything?" Kurenai didn't like it when her team got bored.
"I believe we have shogi and chess," the clone answered and went to retrieve both games.
"Kiba and Chouji, you play shogi to work on your strategy. Hinata, watch them and give them pointers. Switch after each game. Hinata with Kiba, Kiba with Chouji and Chouji with Hinata," the genjutsu mistress said, ignoring Kiba's groan.
"What about you, sensei?" the chip-eating genin asked.
"Well I'm going to be playing chess with this clone, provided it lasts," Kurenai said nodding toward her opponent, who had returned.
"Master Naruto has given me enough chakra for the rest of the day. He wasn't sure when you would arrive," the blond said and set up the games.
"Let's play," Kurenai said and the group began. Kiba, as might be expected, was for too aggressive and lost to Chouji's more balanced style. Surprisingly Hinata lost too. Chouji, although not at the level Shikimaru was, apparently picked up a few tricks from his friend. Hinata, in turn, beat Kiba. While this was happening Kurenai and the clone played chess.
"Dammit how can a kid like you beat me?" the black haired woman muttered as the clone checkmated her.
"You rely too much on feints Kurenai-sensei. If one can see through them it isn't hard," the clone said, shaking his head.
"Nee-chan," Hanabi gave a start coming out of her meditation. Kurenai, picking up that something was about to become personal for the two, hustled everyone else outside.
"Hanabi...the elders declared the Namikaze anathema," the heiress began.
"No...." the ex-Hyuuga said softly. Anathema meant that she could never go back or be a Hyuuga again.
"They did. I thought that it would be okay, that the elders would be angry but in time allow it to settle. And then we could start being sisters again. But you know the rules for when a clan is anathema to the Hyuugas," Hinata said sadly.
"After this mission is over you can't ever see or talk to me outside of official business. Or you will be branded with the seal and expelled from the clan," the younger girl answered, her arms trembling.
"Yes...And although it's worth being exiled to be with you in my opinion, I can't fulfill Mother's dying wish if I don't take control of the clan," the heiress said.
"Nee-chan, I don't want to lose you," Hanabi said, wrapping her arms around her sister.
"I don't want to lose you either, imoto, but things have to change. I want the clan to be a family again. I want it to be okay to be a younger sibling. I don't want this ever happening again," the blue haired girl said hugging her sister fiercely.
"And that's worth it? To stop this from happening you're willing to lose me?" the new Namikaze accused into her former sister's chest.
"No, but what can I do?" Hinata asked.
"Leave," the younger girl said angrily.
"Where sister, to Naruto's? Shall I give them an excuse to do something stupid? To one of the other clans, none of which can afford to share the doom of the Namikaze? Become a missing-nin and take you with me?" the heiress asked in exasperation.
"Yes!" Hanabi shouted. Well for someone raised as a Hyuuga it was shouting for everyone else it was mild annoyance.
"No sister, I will not take you out there and I will not doom another clan because of our actions," the blue girl said shaking her head sadly.
"So you're just talk then?" The new Namikaze pouted.
"No, but Hanabi, remember what Hiashi-sama said? A Hyuuga's word is her honor. I promised mother that I would change the clan. Please just be happy with your adopted brother for now," Hinata did something her sister had never seen before, she begged. As much as she wanted to stay angry at her sister Hanabi couldn't.
"It's not the same Nee-chan. Naruto tries, he really does, and honestly I couldn't ask for better brother but..." the younger girl shrugged.
"You don't know him. He wasn't there when you skinned your first knee, had your first spar – any of it. He wasn't there. And that shows but I'm glad he's trying," Hinata said finishing Hanabi's thoughts.
"He cares though, he really does," the Namikaze said with a smile.
"That is one of things I like about him. He is an annoying, disrespectful, clueless man but all the same you can tell that he will do what's right and that he'll always help someone in need," the heiress said, her own smile returning for the first time in days.
"So what now Nee-chan?" Hanabi asked.
"Naruto's gone for the month we'll be over here every day to check on you. I'll try to spend as much time as I can with you. When Naruto returns you won't see me until he leaves again," the older girl said with a shrug.
"Are we still sisters?" the young girl asked.
"You will always be my sister and I love you dearly. I won't let this happen again and I will find a way to bring you home," Hinata promised and hugged her sister tighter. The two broke apart as the rest of Team 8 and the clone returned.
"Everything worked out?" Kurenai asked.
"Hai sensei," the heiress answered.
"Good. The clone tells me that we need to get some groceries for Hanabi here," the red-eyed jonin said.
"Naruto-kun isn't a very good cook. It's all rice, bread and other bland stuff, no meat," Hanabi commented as they all made their way to the market.
Mt. Shaoshi (2 weeks later)
"Fuck that's high up," Genma said staring at the massive mile-long staircase carved out of rock. In the distance one could vaguely make out some buildings.
"It's only a couple of miles, Genma-sensei. But something's wrong," the former monk felt sick as he made his way to the foot of the stairs.
"What do you mean?" Yamato asked.
"Something feels off," the jinchuruki frowned before shaking himself.
"Let's go," the senbon-chewing jonin said and the group began to walk up the stairs.
Hours later they arrived to find the monastery burned. Most if not all the buildings were destroyed. The stately pagoda at the back of the compound looked like it was sliced in half. The temple was blackened with some fires still burning.
"Naruto, what happened here?" Ino asked in shock.
"I don't know....there hasn't been a successful attack on Mt. Shaoshi in 500 years," the other blond said, his eyes wide.
"Where to, monk boy?" the bandanna-wearing jonin asked.
"The temple has an inner sanctum that cannot be breached unless you have the combination. Hopefully some of my brethren are still there," Naruto answered before making his way into the temple.
Inside the temple had been arranged a series of arches leading up to inner sanctum. Bodies were littered around, all wearing the standard robes. There had been battle here and although the wounds looked feral, no animal could have defeated a monk in combat. At the entrance to the inner sanctum they saw an old man holding the lotus position, his staff balanced on his shoulders.
"Master Wu!" the former monk said running to the old man.
"Naruto, I thought you had abandoned us." The wrinkled man opened his eyes which were a milky white showing his blindness.
"My most humble apologies Master Wu but Jiraiya was not present when I arrived. I was waiting for him and things spiraled from there," the jinchuruki babbled.
"Just like your grandfather," the blind master said chuckling.
"What happened here, Master Wu?" Naruto asked.
"The Dark Order," the Abbot answered calmly.
"No they can't be that strong," the whiskered boy said, almost desperately.
"You know that they never attack directly. No, they summoned some of the demons. We were unprepared for their numbers," the old man said quietly.
"How many dead?" Genma asked. Naruto had told them that there were nearly five hundred full monks and several dozen of the lower ranks.
"Virtually all of us. Those that weren't slain have been sent to Boddhaisti," the blind master said, his eyes closed for a second remembering the battle.
"Master Wu, I found one of their altars. There had been sacrifices recently, I should have guessed," the blond boy's voice was filled with regret.
"You came as quickly as you could and for all your skill you wouldn't have helped much with your own demon fighting you," the old master said kindly.
"I had come to ask for help in cleansing the place but now..." Naruto looked down at the floor.
"Now I entrust the war to you. The time has come for a new Saint. Beyond these doors there is another room. This one holds the records of the original Saints. Study them. Learn from them. Learn how to use Holy chakra without losing yourself. The other orders will do the same. The combination is: Dragon, Phoenix, Tiger, Tortoise, Tiger, Phoenix and Dragon. With the appropriate colors to match," the blind master said calmly.
"Why me?" the former monk asked surprised. It was a hidden dream for many monks to become a Saint.
"You have a good heart, you know the dangers, and I know that you will do the right thing. No matter what the cost," Wu explained.
"But I betrayed the order..." Naruto said frowning.
"So? Your grandfather did the same to stop a great evil, you can do no less. Take the records with you to Konoha. Learn from them and find another to teach. Remember what I taught you about mortals," the old master snapped.
"We are the weakest and yet the strongest of all beings that Kami has created. Our weakness lies in our bodies. Our strength lies in our spirit. When the two are harmonized all things become possible," the whiskered boy said quietly.
"Exactly. The Order is gone now. Our history, our techniques, all of it I am entrusting to you," the blind man said quietly.
"But Master Wu surely this can be rebuilt," the former monk pleaded.
"Led by whom? Even now I have no one who could truly succeed me. The only ones that are strong enough do not have the wisdom. And those that have the wisdom lack the strength. No, all things must pass away," Wu said calmly with faint sarcasm.
"If you feel it is for the best, Master Wu," Naruto relented.
"I do. And for what it's worth I'm glad you came back," the old Master smiled and his breathing, already slow, ceased.
"Thank you, Master Wu," the former monk said, bowing low.
"I think he's gone," Ino said softly.
"But not forgotten. I will fulfill his last wish. Kage No Bunshin Jutsu," Naruto said, summoning 50 clones.
"Give them the funeral rights," the former monk said to his clones.
"Hai," they agreed and went to work.
"We'll help you go on and retrieve the scrolls," Genma said and motioned for his team to back off.
Naruto opened the doors to the inner sanctum and made his way to the end of the room.
"Dragon, Phoenix, Tiger, Tortoise, Tiger, Phoenix and Dragon," the blond said, arranging the symbols correctly.
"Blue, Red, White, Black, White, Red and Blue," he muttered, arranging the colors in the same sequence. The door opened and Naruto walked in.
The room was small, all things considered. There was single table with three large books on it. Above the books lay an ornate yet functional staff. On the wall two satchels hung. Naruto went and picked up the satchels. One contained a set of robes. The other was empty. Shrugging, the blond put the books in the empty satchel and picked up the staff.
"Hmm it's strong, solid and still lightweight," the former monk said, hefting it experimentally. Leaving the room he began to seal all the records in a set of scrolls.
It took hours. As one might imagine there were a lot of records, but still the former monk persevered. Eventually he emerged from the inner sanctum to see Genma and Shino standing watch while Yamato and Ino slept.
"How long was I gone? And what happened to my clones?" Naruto asked. Time always seemed to flow differently in different parts of the temple.
"You were gone for about four hours and your clones are still making the funeral pyre," the senbon-chewing jonin said, idly playing with another senbon.
"Ohh...odd I'd thought that they'd be done by now," the former monk said with a mild frown.
"There were a lot of bodies, Naruto, I don't think anyone survived," the brown-haired man said quietly. Honestly this was like going to Konoha and seeing it burned to the ground, the kid had to be hurting.
"So that's why...." the blond muttered.
"What?" the bug user asked.
"Never mind Shino. Sensei I've gotten everything, we can leave as soon as the clones are finished," the whiskered boy said.
"How long will that take?" Genma asked.
"No idea. I'll have to wait for them to disperse," the former monk said, shrugging.
The trio waited and Genma told Shino to get some sleep so he could talk to his remaining student alone.
"Are you going to be okay, monk boy?" the older man asked his student.
"What do you mean sensei?" the blond said, playing dumb.
"You just found out that the people who were your first family are all dead. That's got to affect you," the brown-haired man said, frowning.
"Yes and no. I won't say that it doesn't hurt to lose my brothers and fathers. But at the same time what can I do? Death is a part of nature just as life is. And although life is stronger than death eventually we all die. I cannot bring them back; at best I can live on for them," Naruto said after a moment.
"That's a pretty mature view point," the senbon-chewing man said, slightly impressed. This kid was something else.
"Matters of the spirit are often matters of what happens after death. I was taught to never fear death but to accept it," the former monk said shrugging.
"Huh, death is but a feather, duty is a mountain then?" Genma said with a little sarcasm.
"Now where did you hear that?" the blond said, nonplussed.
"From some Samurai on a mission once. He was into this Zen stuff but I couldn't make heads or tails of it," the bandanna-wearing man said, leaning back on the wall.
"A better way of saying it is: Death is not the end but merely the beginning," the whiskered boy said, sweat-dropping at Genma's less then respectful views.
"Hmmm that's different from the norm," the man said, chewing on his senbon.
"I may no longer be a monk, Genma-sensei, but I was trained as one," the blond said, shaking his head.
"So what now? The mission's failed and we're back where we started," Genma said grumpily. He'd had perfect record for C-ranks until now.
"Not quite, but now I attempt to do something that hasn't been done since before that war I told you about," the former monk said quietly
"Become a Saint...I never understood what that meant," the senbon chewer said, looking at the ceiling.
"Saints somehow are able to use Holy Chakra without losing themselves to their surroundings. By doing so they were able to tap into something beyond us. Holy chakra, for all its draw backs, is incredibly powerful. Even a genin's worth of it would allow you to do techniques for years without worry. It also heals the body and according to the stories actually reverses aging," Naruto said after a moment.
"All that power at the expense of your mind and soul," the brown-haired man frowned.
"Yes, but more importantly you have to be truly good to use it otherwise it rejects you. And the rejection isn't pretty," the boy grimaced.
"So that's why we ninja never developed it," the jonin said, thinking out loud.
"Probably. Yamato might have been able to given his connection to life, but the dark deeds you do as you get stronger cut you off from it," the blue-eyed boy said.
"So why are you a ninja then?" Genma asked, quirking an eyebrow upward.
"It started as something to do while I waited for Jiraiya to show up. But I made friends and slowly came to love the village. I want to protect them and being a ninja was the best way to do that. Not sure if I'll keep it up though," the former monk answered.
"What do you mean?" Genma asked, getting slightly tired of always having to drag information out of the boy.
"Sensei I have to stop the Dark Order. That has to be my sole goal. Because until I or one of the other Orders does then no one is safe. They have already begun releasing demons. What happens when they move on the hidden villages?" the blond said, rubbing his eyes.
"We're not defenseless, you know," the jonin said, frowning.
"No you are not but neither do you know how to kill demons. It's not like fighting a human. They don't get tired, wounding merely triggers a berserker blood rage and humans are like candy to them," Naruto said, worried.
"So, how do you kill them?" The senbon user was a proud exponent of the 'always have a plan to kill everything you meet' philosophy.
"It depends on the demon. Usually they have some sort of focus point in the area. Destroy that and they lack the ability to make themselves physical. Otherwise seal them into something, use holy chakra on them or hit them with as many A-rank jutsus as you can," the blond said after thinking for a moment.
"Doesn't sound too hard," the brown eyed man said, chuckling. Oh your run of the mill ninja was hooped but an elite jonin like himself? He'd have a field day.
"They say the same about a lot of things don't they?" the former monk said with a shake of his head.
"Good point," Genma said with a nervous chuckle.
"Clones are done," the blond spoke as he massaged his temples to deal with the information input.
"Alright go do what you have to do, we'll head out in the morning," the Jonin sensei said quietly.
The former monk bowed and left. The flames cackled long into the night as Naruto kept a silent vigil.
A/N: Well that's a wrap. Anyways a big thank you to Tenshi no Kijutsu for agreeing to beta for me. Not a lot to say about this chapter. Next: Flight from the monastery, Deal with the devil.