A/N: With a final vote of 15 to 13 Wind Country is the winner! I would like to thank all of those who voted and as for those who wanted the Land of Waves, I promise that there will be something later on. Unfortunately, that later on is an unknown amount of time away, but perhaps soon, I'll have a little fun with my favorite Kirinin and drag him and his oversized into the story for a while. I will be accepting any ideas as always and putting them to mind. So without further a due, let's get this train rolling again!
Chapter 3: Let the Training Begin!
"So we'll go to Wind Country then?" asked a certain blonde kunoichi.
"Yea," replied Anko, with a heavy yawn. "It would probably be for the best since the Sandaime doesn't have me registered as a nukenin and that I've never been there before." The snake mistress then looked up at the clock on the wall seeing that it was well past midnight. She, Shizune, and Tsunade had been discussing whether going to Wind Country or the Land of Waves would be better a decision. The purple haired kunoichi then stood up and stretched, cracking several vertebrae and relieving some of the tension that had built up from sitting in that crappy wooden chair for so long.
Tsunade and Shizune stood up as well, but before any of them headed off to bed, the slug Sannin said in a slightly serious tone, "Anko-chan, Shizune and I will travel with you Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan to the boarder, but then we will have to split up."
Anko quickly cocked one eyebrow and simply asked, "Why's that?"
The blonde gambler replied, "I want to see if I can track someone down to help us with training both of them; he might even be able to teach you a thing or two. And there's also the fact that," she coughed lightly as her cheeks flushed a faint shade of pink, "I've built up a heavy gambling debt in some of the villages on the boarder over the past few months and was hoping to avoid going there for at least another six months."
Anko sweat-dropped upon hearing that, Tsunade, one of the three Sannin and the most famous disciples of the Sandaime Hokage, was running from debt collectors, because of her gambling addiction. After a heavy sigh, the snake mistress asked, "How long do you think it will take to find this person, and who is he or she?"
"He," the slug mistress began hesitantly, "Is my former teammate and another of the Sannin, Jiraiya." The blonde kunoichi, though she greatly detested the perverted white haired man, she figured he would be the best choice to teach Naruto and Hinata a varying array of jutsu, since she herself possessed few aside from her medical techniques.
Rubbing her temples lightly, knowing that the task she set upon herself would be a royal pain in the ass, she looked at the snake mistress and answered the rest of her question, "As for how long it will take, I predict about one to three months, and once I've found him, Shizune and I will wait at the border between Wind and Fire while he comes to get you. Staying in Sunagakure would probably be the best decision seeing as most of Wind Country is desert."
As Tsunade finished up, Anko immediately asked one more question, "So you'll only be with us for about a week then before you and Shizune leave to find Jiraiya-sama?"
The slug Sannin smiled slightly, "I figured you were a bit sharper than that Anko-chan. I have no intentions of leaving you, Naruto-kun or Hinata-chan so soon. I'd like to try to teach them some of the basics, and I'd like to teach Naruto-kun my variation of the Henge no Jutsu, so he can hide his scars. Maybe I'll also teach you how I can do this." She then stood up and extended her right index finger, before quickly bringing it down and hitting the top of the chair's back that she had just been sitting in. The wooden chair splintered into an uncountable amount of pieces, leaving a certain snake mistress shocked.
"Damn! Even that spandex wearing freak Kakashi calls a rival can't do that," the purple-haired kunoichi exclaimed, earning questioning looks from Tsunade and Shizune. Before either of them could ask what was Anko meant, all three women noticed that both Naruto and Hinata had woken up; both looking slightly upset and very sleepy-eyed, because of the slug Sannin's demonstration.
Anko yawned heavily and said, "Perhaps we could finish this discussion after a good night's sleep."
Both Shizune and Tsunade nodded and the latter saying, "I think that's reasonable." Before long, Naruto and Hinata were snuggled up together again, asleep, while Anko drooled into the pillow of the bed she had to herself, and Shizune struggled to fall asleep after her sensei rolled over on top of her, not even stirring slightly.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
During the night, Kyuubi decided to chat with his container over what would transpire in the coming days and months. "If the slug user spoke true, Kit, it seems that over the next few years, you, along with the Hyuuga and your 'nee-chan', will become a very talented and amazing ninja."
The young blonde's eyes glowed brightly, in a way that Kyuubi didn't even know the boy's eyes could, at the sound of this news. "Do you really think so, Kyuubi?" the fox-boy asked not completely believing the demon fox.
"Kit, you're going to be trained by two of the strongest ninja in the world, if you aren't as strong as that one-eyed scarecrow that attempted to end your life by the time you're twelve, I will be very surprised. Also," the fire-red fox started, "To help you along when you first start and begin to learn to use your chakra and it grows to a certain level, I'll loan you some; though I would like to speak with the three females in the morning, if you will lend me the control of your body for a few moments."
Naruto stared worriedly at the large fox in front of him, not sure if lending the demon his body was a good idea. In a slightly distressed voice, the blonde asked, "You won't hurt them, will you Kyuubi?"
"I promise I will never harm any of your precious ones, Kit, so long as they don't harm you; though I can't promise that you won't get hurt while training," Kyuubi said, finishing with a small chuckle. "Now I believe you should get to sleep Kit, since your training might begin tomorrow." Naruto shook his head happily, before laying down once again on one of Kyuubi's large tails and falling asleep.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The Sandaime Hokage walked into his office much later then he usually did on a Monday morning, as it was almost noon, and upon opening the door to his office, he saw a small pink slug holding a scroll in its mouth and looking rather annoyed. Sarutobi then noticed a slim trail on his wall that vaguely read out "This for coming in late Monkey man!" The aging Hokage sighed heavily wondering if the slime would come out of the wallpaper or if he'd have to have it replaced. He went over to the small slug and took the scroll from its mouth, surprised that there wasn't an ounce of slim on it. Sarutobi then looked back down at the pink mollusk, which stuck its tongue out at the Sandaime and vanished in a small puff of smoke.
Opening the scroll, Sarutobi read over it, memorizing every sentence. When he finished, he chucked the scroll out the window, which exploded not a moment afterwards. He took his seat in the chair behind his desk and took a long, slow drag on his pipe thinking, "Tsunade and Jiraiya training Naruto, Hinata, and Anko. As if Anko wasn't a great shinobi to start with, but with Tsunade's abilities…" he shook in an unspoken fear. "Then there's Naruto. With the Kyuubi already sealed within him, he's already set to become as strong as, if not stronger then I, but now, perhaps he may even surpass his father." Sarutobi would continue with his musings well into the afternoon, pondering how the growth of Anko, Naruto, and Hinata could both benefit and harm the village he was sworn to protect.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
It was barely an hour or so after the sun had risen, when the three kunoichi in the group woke up. Well two of them woke up, the third, being Shizune, looked like she had been through a rather rough night, with her eyes red and bloodshot, while heavy bags were present under them. Her short black hair that had been neat and tidy the night before, was now disheveled and stuck up and out at odd angles here and there. Tsunade noticed her apprentice's state and quickly apologized to her for anything that had happened during the night. The slug Sannin's apprentice replied by falling backwards onto the bed, asleep, before she even hit the mattress.
A few minutes later, Naruto woke and saw Anko looking through the newspaper that had probably been delivered to the room earlier that morning. The sound of running water was present from the small bathroom that was connected to the group's room, indicating that Tsunade must be showering since Shizune was in a dazed sleep on one of the other beds.
The snake mistress heard the boy sit up in the bed, mostly due to all the noise the sheets made as he did so. She looked up from her newspaper and smiled at the blond and said, "Good morning, Naruto-kun, did you sleep well?"
The fox-boy nodded happily with a big foxy grin on his face, when he remembered what Kyuubi had requested of him last night. Neither the blonde nor the purple haired kunoichi noticed that the water had stopped running in the bathroom, as Naruto said, "When Tsunade-sama comes out of the bathroom, I need to tell you and her something really important," stretching his small arms wide for emphasis.
"What do you need to talk about, Naruto-kun?" the snake mistress asked curiously.
Naruto grew quiet and said in a low voice that Anko barely heard, "It's about… you-know-what," while pointing at his stomach. The teenage kunoichi's eyes widened slightly as she realized quickly that Naruto was speaking of the Kyuubi. Not a moment later, did Tsunade walk out of the bathroom, in the same outfit she had wore the previous day.
The blonde gambling addict quickly saw the serious faces on both Naruto and Anko and quickly asked, "What's with the serious looks you two?"
The snake mistress quickly responded, "Naruto-kun needs to tell us something important concerning the Kyuubi."
The slug mistress quickly turned her head towards the blonde boy and asked, "What is it that you need to tell us Naruto-kun?"
The fox-boy hesitated for a moment before replying, "It's not really me that needs to say something…" he paused for a moment as a slightly worried look entered his eyes before finishing, "It's Kyuubi who needs to say something."
This shocked both kunoichi, since from the way Naruto was talking he had actually spoken with the demon sealed inside him. Anko quickly burst out, "How is the Kyuubi supposed to speak with us if he's sealed inside you though?!"
Naruto, was now becoming further unnerved, as he answered while slightly stammering, "He-he said he would t-take control of my b-body for a few moments."
This brought further shock and now, concern to both women at the thought of the small boy in front of them, being controlled and possibly manipulated by the demon fox that was sealed inside him. Tsunade quickly shouted, "Naruto-kun, did you ever stop to think that the Kyuubi could just be using you so he can escape from being sealed inside your body?!"
Naruto was slightly shocked by the slug Sannin's behavior, especial since she made it sound like Kyuubi was pure evil. The fox-boy quickly rose to his tenant's defense and said, "Kyuubi would never do that! The few times I've met him he's only been nice to me; he'd never try to hurt me, he promised me!"
Naruto then clutched his head and grunted in pain, as a small pulse of chakra exited his body. The blonde slumped over a little, causing Tsunade and Anko to start worrying. This small amount of worry turned to mind numbing fear when the boy sat straight up and opened his eyes. Instead of his usual, ocean-blue orbs, the fox-boy's eyes were blood red, with thin black slits in place of his normal round pupils. Anko shouted, "What have you done to Naruto-kun, Kyuubi!"
The demon now in control of the young boy's body chuckled lightly in a voice that was both deeper and far darker than the blonde's usual perky tone. He studied the two kunoichi carefully, then he said, "Hello, Tsunade, Anko, both of you have nothing to fear, I haven't taken over the Kit's body permanently, I'll only be in control for a few moments so there is one thing I'd like to say."
"And what would that be demon!" the snake mistress spat, still unnerved by the presence of the Kyuubi.
"It's three things actually, the first being…" Kyuubi trailed of a second before bowing lightly and saying, "Thank you for keeping the Kit alive and safe."
These were words that neither Anko nor Tsunade ever expected to hear from a demon, especially the very demon that had attacked their home village only a few years before. The blonde kunoichi, regaining her composure first, stammered, "Y-you're welcome, Kyuubi."
"Also," the demon fox began, "I'll be helping the Kit expand his chakra reserves while you're training him, by slowly converting my own demonic chakra, into his normal chakra." Kyuubi quickly realized now that his time for controlling Naruto was almost up, so he stared Anko and Tsunade dead in the eyes and said, "If you ever betray the Kit, his trust, or harm him with the intent kill, know that I will make you pay for it. With. Your. Lives!" he finished coldly, with a large amount of killing intent streaming off of him. The blonde's eyes then closed and he fell back down and was fast asleep.
The demon's message appeared to have gotten true, as a few drops of cold sweat slid down Tsunade's temple, while Anko fell flat on her rear; her whole body shaking. "I've never been that scared since that teme abandoned me," the snake mistress said, with Tsunade nodding in acknowledgement.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
It was later that day, slightly after noon, when the group settled down in a large clearing, where they decided they would be spending the rest of their day. After a quick lunch of grilled fish, Tsunade stood up and said, "Well, Naruto-kun, Hinata-chan, I think it's time for your first training session." Both children's eyes lit up immediately and they started to hop giddily around the slug Sannin, earning them a small smile.
The blonde kunoichi led the two children over towards the center of the clearing, where she then walked a few feet away and said, "We'll start off with a very basic technique, the Henge no Jutsu." Tsunade slowly went through a short series of hand signs, telling the two wannabe shinobi what each one was, before holding the final sign and building up a very small amount of chakra. The slug mistress was quickly engulfed in a puff of smoke. When it cleared, there stood not the blonde kunoichi, but her assistant and apprentice, Shizune.
Both kids looked behind them and saw the same person sitting on the ground drinking tea and talking with Anko. Shyly, Hinata asked, "Tsu-Tsunade-sama?" The imposter Shizune nodded her head, before releasing the henge and changing back into her normal, blonde, busty self. Tsunade then said, "Now I want both of you to try it; Naruto you henge into Hinata, and Hinata you henge into Naruto."
Both nodded and then went through the hand signs they had been shown a moment ago, and holding the final hand sign, they both built up an amount of chakra they felt necessary before yelling out, "Henge no Jutsu!" After the smoke which had engulfed them disappeared, Tsunade had to resist the urge to laugh. Naruto had changed into a blonde, spiky haired Hinata with blue eyes, whisker marks and his clothes were unchanged. Hinata, was closer, but had failed only in changing her hair and eyes and adding the whisker marks that were unique to the fox-boy.
Both children looked at each other and screamed as soon as they saw each other, effectively ending both of their henge. Over at the camp site, Anko was rolling on the ground holding her sides, laughing and Shizune was trying desperately not to end up the same way. Tsunade lost her battle against her laughs and broke into a short fit a joyful laughs. When the smoke had cleared around the children, both were facing opposite directions and blushing heavily.
After all the laughing had ended, the slug mistress sighed to herself and said, "We've got a lot of work to do before we get to Wind Country."
A/N: All right chapter 3's done! Please R&R and leave suggestions. The next chapter will be out in a day or so, so stay tuned! Also, I hope you enjoyed the humor I used to lighten it up a bit! See ya!
