I do not own Naruto or any affiliated characters in any way, shape, or form. Hope you enjoy!
Just in case, here are some other disclaimers: I make no claims of ownership over Hiromu Arakawa or Noriaki Kubo in real life or their fictional works. May their great works be always appreciated. Kudos to anyone who can figure out who these people are and get the slight jokes I make in the chapter.
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Day 6 of the journey
The next morning the Konoha ninja were awake at an early hour, their normal breakneck pace pushing Sasuke and Naruto to keep up with the adults. After the second day of training, both Sasuke and Naruto had learned the Body Flicker Technique, and the adults were making the youngsters use it to cover more ground. As the day wore on, Naruto finally realized they had left the Land of Fire. All around him, he noticed more and more rivers as they pushed into the foreign nation. Before long, the group began to follow a deep and wide river, with a growing rock wall flanking both sides.
Noon found the group standing in front of a giant waterfall, the mist of it drenching them in no time. "Where the hell is this village we're supposed to go to?" Naruto's yell was barely recognizable over the roar of the falls.
"Right through there." Shikaku pointed straight at the torrential downpour. Sasuke took a double take at this, a dubious expression on his face.
"How are we supposed to get through there?" Sasuke and the blonde both roared. Despite their outrage, the effect of the falls made the protest into a quiet comment.
"Hn, kids. Like this, you knuckleheads." Kuromaru pushed past the youths, squaring up with the center of the water. A blue aura began to gather around the wolf, and a pulse of energy split the falls for a brief instant. In a flash, the wolf had jumped through the pause in the deluge while the curtain of water closed behind. Mikoto leaned down and placed a hand on her son's shoulder even as several of the others checked over their equipment briefly.
"Sasuke, when you pass through, make sure you dispense all of your remaining chakra. It's a protection seal that Takigakure has added to their village entrance for foreign shinobi." Mikoto looked worriedly at her son. She had neglected to mention that if you did not dispense with all of your chakra, the falls would never open. Anyone who jumped prematurely would be crushed under the force.
"I'll see you two on the other side. Make sure you get the kids through all right." In a flash, Tsume was bursting through the water, her chakra pulse timed just before her jump. Inoichi, Chouza and Shikaku quickly followed suit.
"Naruto, why don't you go first? That way you'll be around the most protection." Fugaku nodded to the blonde. The two had gotten over their differences in training during the prior nights, especially after Shikaku's explanation of the boys kekkei genkai. Naruto began to mold all of his chakra, holding it in as it became a maelstrom of energy. In a burst, he released as much chakra as he could and looked towards the waterfall. It poured in front of him, refusing to part.
"I was afraid this might happen." Fugaku frowned at the boy before talking into his neck communicator. "Shikaku, your guess was right. We're going to have to use plan B." Naruto was already gathering chakra once more, and this time dispersed an even larger amount, causing even the air and rocks beneath him to quaver under the power. Looking up expectantly, the boy frowned as the water continued to rush past.
"Why the hell won't the stupid falls open?" Naruto fell to his knees, panting to keep himself upright. Sasuke looked to his friend, then up at his father.
"Dad, should I go through with the others?" Fugaku shook his head, drawing a confused look from Sasuke. The older man leaned down so that he was close to Sasuke, making it so that he did not have to shout over the sound of the rushing waterfall.
"When we agreed with Naruto's father to take up this protection mission, we stated that the entire head family of the Uchiha would protect the Hokage's son. As such, you are bound by our agreement." Seeing his son still pondering, and guessing the reason, Fugaku laid a hand across Sasuke's shoulder. "Itachi could not join us because he was already taking on a special mission for the Hokage. That is why you were brought along, and trained as much as possible; to make sure you could do your duty, and protect the son of the Hokage." Sasuke blinked at this, surprise and conflicting emotions running across the boy's face. Fugaku stood, and turned to Naruto, who was attempting a third try to breach the falls. Fugaku moved to stop him, but Naruto again released a burst of energy, this time kicking up small rocks and pebbles, before once more collapsing on the ground.
"It's the Kyuubi, Naruto. You'll never be able to dispense all of your chakra, because more is constantly being added to your pool as soon as you dispense a portion." Fugaku placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, who met his eyes with a look of disappointment. "You couldn't have done anything about it, so don't worry about this setback for now." The boy gave a slight huff, his eyes once more fixed on the ground. Fugaku stood and nodded to Mikoto.
The group proceeded away from the falls, heading back down the trail. As they did, the quiet that enveloped the group intensified as they traveled. Finally, Fugaku spoke up to break the silence.
"We'll be camping a short distance away from the village entrance. We are going to meet up with one of the village elders to let down the gate for a second for you to pass through. Until then, we'll finish what little of your training we have left." Fugaku spoke over his shoulder to the boys, not pausing to look back.
"What? I already finished all the jutsu training, what am I supposed to do while I wait for Naruto to catch up?" Fugaku paused a moment, and looked back over his shoulder with a smug look at his son.
"You get to train tonight with me then. I hope Tsume has been improving your sword skills." Fugaku was already turned around, so he missed the sudden happy expression on Sasuke's face. Naruto's expression had darkened once more, and he let his friend and their father move ahead. 'Sasuke's lucky his dad has time to train him. I wish my dad was around more often. Still, all I have is that lame clone jutsu left to master, and that one's really obnoxious for some reason. Maybe Mikoto will have something new to teach me…'
"What about me, Mikoto-san? I already mastered everything but that stupid clone jutsu! Besides, Shikaku said that might not be possible for someone like me…" Mikoto smirked at the boy's pouting face. 'Poor guy. Must be tough being friends with a kid like Sasuke. Oh well, I'll help him out a little bit then.'
"Well, then we get to learn a very special set of techniques tonight. If I'm right, these three will be fairly simple for you to learn." Naruto looked just as happy as Sasuke, and was quickly racing to catch up with the others. 'Jeez, I didn't even tell the little idiot what it is he was going to learn. Men.' Mikoto put on a burst of speed, catching up to the boys.
xXxXxXx
Night of Day 6 of the Journey
A tall man with a simple turban turned back towards his six-man squad. "Alright, listen up. We're in waterfall territory now, so keep your wits about you!" His barking voice surprised the two oldest members of his group, but the three youngest all remained impassive.
Baki narrowed his eyes at this, observing each of the children. The girl and the puppeteer were obviously tired beyond belief, far too gone to be combat ready. The youngest though just stared straight ahead, his gaze speaking of nothing but murder. 'Gaara. You are aptly named it seems.'
Twirling a kunai in his hand, he pitched it into an empty clearing. "We're making camp here tonight. I want to enter the Land of Rivers at full combat strength, so that means getting decent rest tonight. Unpack your things and get camp set up. I'll do a perimeter sweep." His eyes locked with the other jonin on the escort mission. "It should only take ten minutes, so I expect to see ration bars out and water bags refilled."
"Yes, sir." The reply from the two older ninja was automatic, their minds already set to the task. Hands quickly reached into bags, and before long, there was a small campfire going, along with tents expertly pitched. Baki nodded once, before jumping into the trees.
As the leader of the group disappeared, the two older sand siblings collapsed where they stood. Temari caught herself on hands and knees, and Kankuro landed heavily in a kneeling crouch.
Between panting breaths, Temari managed to gasp out, "I don't know how much more of that I could have taken. We've been going for nearly three days." She shrugged off the strap for her battle fan, and the object thunked heavily to the ground. Kankuro managed to lower his mummified package a touch more gracefully, but the parts still clanked as it lowered to the ground.
"Kankuro, Temari, I'm hungry. You'd do well to have my meal ready soon." Temari and Kankuro both froze at the sound of their brother's voice. It was gravelly, and laced with an edge of merriment. That was never good. Gaara was always the most bloodthirsty when he sounded happy.
It was not the forced march that had Gaara in a mood to kill. No, there was a feeling on the wind. A feeling of something akin to his Mother had grown the closer that the group had come to their destination. Whatever it was, it was exciting, and made the bloodthirsty sand stir in his gourd.
He had acquired the gourd after Yashamaru had failed at killing him three months prior. Mother had suggested he keep the sand, wanting to be closer to her son. It was now his way of carrying his Mother with him wherever he went. He had crafted the thing himself, and had used his powers to manipulate the sand into forming the kanji character grafted on his forehead. The symbol for love was his statement to the world; he would love only himself, and fight for only himself. No other person could be trusted. No one except Mother…
The feeling on the wind though spoke of individuals similar to him. If there was ever anyone against whom he could validate his existence, it would be one of those individuals. For the first time, Gaara desired to kill and slaughter an unknown foe. Killing the villagers was one thing; they deserved the death he brought. But this foe, whoever they were, would prove to be most satisfying.
'I look forward to spilling the blood of my kin. It should be most pleasing to Mother.'
Gaara's smile was wide as he stood, staring into the distance.
xXxXxXx
Day 7 of the Journey
The morning saw Sasuke sitting around a campfire, his meal portion in his hand. 'Blech…I can't wait until we can go into the village and get some decent food. It'd be nice to have something edible.' Sasuke forced down the vile glop, turning to look at the tent next to him as a rustling sound was heard.
Naruto emerged from his tent, a nightcap of a frog resting on his forehead. Sasuke snickered at his bedraggled friend who sleepily began to assemble his morning breakfast. 'Guess my mom worked him pretty hard. Usually he's the one who's up before I am.' Sasuke turned his neck back to his food and let out a slight grunt as a spasm ran through his muscles.
'Then again, Dad didn't work me too lightly either.' Sasuke rolled his shoulders and his head a bit, trying to work the kink out of his neck. As he did, he noticed his father approaching the campsite. Today though, he was dressed out in full battle garb, the Uchiha fan blade strapped to his back, with thick metal grieves and gauntlets. He wore a set of red samurai armor over his chest, appearing more warrior than ninja.
"You two need to finish up. The greeting party is coming here soon." Fugaku frowned at Naruto, taking in his morning beanie. "Naruto, you have to change into the battle and dress garb the Hokage prepared." Naruto looked about to retort, but bit back the remark at the mention of his father. The purpose of their mission came back to Naruto in a flash as he shifted in his seat, silently finishing his breakfast.
Deciding an angry Naruto was better than a sulking one, Sasuke turned and lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Come on, blockhead. It's not every day a guy meets the girl he'll spend the rest of his life with!"
Naruto turned with an outraged expression on his face and began shouting at him at the top of his lungs. "What the hell kind of a best friend are you, huh?" The boy's voice was far louder than his size, but the worst part of the retort was the egg that splattered right onto Sasuke's face. It seemed that in his shout Naruto had forgotten what he was eating a moment before.
Sasuke and Naruto both paused as the chewed excrement slid down Sasuke's forehead. "That's it. I'm using one of the sword kata's on you for that one!" Sasuke sprang to his feat, grabbing a wooden camp spoon for a blade as he chased down the fleeing blonde.
"Come back here and fight me, damn you! You coward!" Sasuke chased after Naruto as fast as he could, but no matter how hard Mikoto had worked him, the boy was still excited and energetic as always as he bounced away.
Fugaku shook his head, and sighed, beginning to clean up the mess of breakfast the two had left behind them. 'I hope Mikoto's having better luck with the search patrol. We could definitely use some good news right around now...'
xXxXxXx
Mikoto flashed through the trees, her eyes running from vantage point to vantage point. She was trying to find the best spot to scout into the distance, searching for signs of the Sunagakure ninja. Shikaku had theorized that a Jinchuuriki might not be able to make it through the defenses at the falls, so it would be better to send a scout team to locate the Suna-nin. If they could get both Jinchuuriki through at the same time, it might end up causing the group less hassle. Still, the odds of finding that group were severely slim. The Konoha ninja were at least a few days ahead of the other group, meaning that Mikoto had to push out for quite a ways in order to have a chance of spotting them.
Glancing at the afternoon sun, Mikoto realized she might have pushed out a bit too far. 'Guess I got a little excited about being off on my own for once…' A small smile adorned her face as she found a nearby tree that offered a decent view. 'Must be being around Tsume so much…she really makes a woman want to be independent again, like in the old days when I was on all girl squad. Working with Yoshino Nara and Kushina Uzumaki was quite an experience though…' Mikoto fondly smiled as she reached into her backpack, pulling out a set of binoculars. For several minutes, Mikoto casually scanned the horizon, hoping to find the foreign ninja. A group of three individuals drew her attention as they casually strolled out of a wooded area about a hundred yards away.
'Shit, it would be just my luck to encounter our first possible hostiles…I was only told to sweep a large perimeter so that we could run into the Suna group ahead of schedule, not get into a firefight…' Mikoto grimaced as she held the binoculars to her face. In the distance, she spotted several approaching figures. There was a girl with blue-green hair and an orange and grey outfit leading the party. The girl was instantly recognizable.
'Why did we have to run into Fuu while we were still outside the village? The girl is known for her lack of care when it comes to other people.' Mikoto reached into her bag, pulling out a radio communicator. It crackled as she brought it to life, and then suddenly burst into electrical debris. Mikoto cast the thing aside, cursing as a tingling sensation numbed her hand. She looked all around her, and in the distance she could make out Fuu's group coming to a halt. Picking up the binoculars, Mikoto turned her attention back to the girl. She was waving a single finger back and forth in front of her face, a grim smile set on her face.
Lightning cackled to life on the single finger, and Mikoto watched as she pointed straight at the Uchiha's position. The lightning arced in an instant and blasted the tree she was standing in, littering the air with wooden shrapnel. Mikoto barely had time to dodge the tree shards by using the body flicker, panting behind another tree. While her ears were still ringing from the thunderclap, she quickly created ten clone images and sent them sprinting in different directions. Hopefully Fuu would track one of them down instead.
An instant later ten blasts of lightning trailed out, their flashes much stronger and closer. Each of the clones was impaled on a bolt of lightning, the crackle of which saturated the air. Mikoto reached into her pouch, and pulled out several small black pellets. Covering her eyes, Mikoto threw the pellets skyward. Even with her eyes covered, Mikoto felt the flash of light sting her eyes.
A shout rang out, and Mikoto opened her eyes to see the small girl blinking rapidly, trying to clear the effects of the miniaturized flash grenades. 'She just covered a hundred yards in an instant! That's as fast as Shisui! Is she really on the same level as an Uchiha though?' Mikoto felt a drip of sweat run down her neck. This was going to be tense…
"Who the hell are you? Don't you know radio transmissions from foreign ninja are expressly forbidden within one hundred miles of Takigakure! Explain yourself immediately or I will gladly terminate you!" The girl blinked and rubbed at her eyes, trying to make her sight return to normal.
"I'm from Konoha. We are here to participate in the tri-village treaty act. We have been authorized by your leader to use radio to communicate with each other recently. Here are my credentials." Mikoto warily reached into her pocket and began to pull out the documents. She was surprised that Fuu had recovered her sight at this point and was glaring in her direction.
'Those should have knocked her sight out for an hour at the least. These Jinchuuriki are insane…' Mikoto handed over the signed pieces of paper, and Fuu scanned them critically. The girl let out an exaggerated sigh, and fixed the jonin with a look of a smiling predator.
"It would have been so much fun to kill you too…we might have even gotten to drag a couple of the nearby farm settlements into the action…Oh well." Fuu looked over the documents once more, a dejected look on her face. "Ah shit, it says here you're escorting the Hokage's son no less…I guess I should offer my assistances in that case. Man, this is such a bore!" Fuu turned from her internal monologue, glancing back at the woman across from her.
"I knew I should have just killed you straight off. You're going to make me have to stay in the village for a little while." Lightning crackled dangerously around the mint-haired girls frame, her eyes widening. They crackled and split into compound eyes, similar to that of a beetle. "Maybe I should just kill you first and destroy the evidence. It would save me all the hassle. Besides, the Hive could always use an extra meal…" Mandibles seemed to be growing from her face, and Fuu's skin was quickly being covered in a carapace-like skin.
Mikoto reached into her bag and drew out a set of clawed hand wraps. Slipping them on quickly, she turned to face her opponent, her eyes settled in for combat. Before either of the two kunoichi could move, four kunai with seal tags placed around the handles surrounded Fuu.
"Kubo! Damnit, I was just getting excited for a really good scrap." Fuu whined petulantly as her powers were quickly sealed away, the four kunai glowing with chakra being drained from the Jinchuuriki.
"Sorry Fuu, but this one is off the market. She's an Uchiha, and from the looks of it, she's Mikoto the Mongoose. Her fighting style was said to be so impressive that even the great Orochimaru feared her claws." A young man, looking to be in his teens, jumped lightly to the ground and began removing the kunai. He had spiky orange hair, and wore a strange black shikakusho. At his waist was a simple long sword with the guard in the form of the kanji for all. A short chain hung from the end. What was most surprising about the youth were his bright yellow eyes that were pierced with a single vertical black slit.
"Noriaki, let's get moving. If this is Mikoto Uchiha, she is here for the treaty signing." A lady with a refined voice entered the clearing, her arms hidden by the long red sleeves of a trench coat with white gloves covering both of her hands. As she walked, it seemed that there was a weight on her right side. She took the sealed kunai from her teammate and placed them easily within the trench coat.
"Forgive my teammate Fuu. She was treated poorly as a child within Takigakure, and so we tend to take long missions that keep us far from the village. My name is Hiromu Arakawa, and this is Noriaki Kubo. We will escort and see to your entrance into the village." As the girl approached, Mikoto noticed her bright blonde hair, and her relative youth. In fact…
"You're a boy." The Uchiha's plain statement caught the young ninja off guard. "And a short one at that…" As soon as the words had left Mikoto's mouth she regretted it. The young boy in front of her flew into a rage, throwing random assortments of sealed kunai at her, though obviously intending little damage. Mikoto jumped away easily, throwing apologies over her shoulder.
"Hiromu, calm down. You are only twelve, it shouldn't be a surprise for a pretty young man like yourself to be mistaken for a girl. If you didn't keep your blonde hair so long and braided you might be a bit better off, though..." Fuu placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and he slumped into it, leaning against her.
"Yeah, you're right, Fuu. Anyways, let's get this rude woman back to her group." Fuu chuckled, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder to follow the now quite chagrined Mikoto.
After they had been walking for a while, Mikoto motioned Fuu forward.
"What is it?" Fuu's tone was harsh, especially compared to her friendly voice used with Hiruma.
"There's something you might need to know as a Jinchuuriki about the Hokage's son. This is fairly well known, so you can decide whether to tell your teammates or not. The Hokage's son is the Jinchuuriki for the nine-tailed fox." Fuu's eyes flew wide open at this, before a small chuckle escaped her. It was particularly dry and full of contempt.
"It's always the leader's children, huh? Those bastards…" Fuu's eyes had narrowed dangerously again, and the acrimony smell of static discharge was palpable in the air.
"The fact of the matter is we have reason to believe that the one-tailed Jinchuuriki will also be in attendance at the meetings. That could mean that three of the nine will be meeting in one place. I need to know if the village security measures have improved enough over the last few years to handle such a situation." Fuu chuckled once more in the dry, contemptuous manner.
"The security around the village has never been better. Ever since Konoha managed to talk Takumi into joining up with Takigakure, our village has been growing in leaps and bounds. The artisans say that the waters that surround the great tree make their weapons far more powerful. It has helped us attract more clients, and build our shinobi population at a much faster rate. The village is prospering." Throughout her explanation, the sound of crackling electricity only intensified. The last sentence had been spit as if almost poisonous; the word prospering caused Fuu's eyes to shatter once more into compound lenses.
"Fuu, will there be a problem with three Jinchuuriki being in one place at the same time?" Fuu looked puzzled at this, the electricity around her calming to a manageable level.
"The last gathering of three of the nine caused a small war in Kumo. I was the cause for that mostly." Fuu's voice was, for the first time, full of sadness. "There was no need for the battle, but the two tail container just pissed me off. She was so emotionless, and I guess I just lost control when she started to insult me for my lack of it. The eight and two tails were far more than I could handle though. They quickly put a stop to my rampage…" Fuu lowered her head as she walked, her voice now almost a whisper. "…Not fast enough to prevent us killing so many civilians though…"
Fuu looked darkly at the Uchiha, her face set hard with grief. "I hate all the villagers in Takigakure, of that make no mistake. However, other villages have never given me much grief, so killing them is troubling. Don't mistake that for me being hypocritical. The villagers of Takigakure deserve the sympathy of no Jinchuuriki…" Mikoto nodded once, and thanked the girl. She snorted, and jumped ahead, scouting the trail.
"I'll lead. I can pick up on the other radio set in the camp ahead, so I'll meet you all there." In a flash, the blue haired girl was gone.
Mikoto and the others raced to catch up. Meanwhile, the female Uchiha had a single thought running through her head. 'Naruto, whatever you do, please don't end up like her. I don't know if the village could survive having someone like you hating us that way…'
xXxXxXx
Night of Day 7 of the journey
Mikoto walked into the camp, Fuu and her group following behind. Dusk had begun to fall, and the camp ahead seemed to show a gathering of individuals. In the gathering dusk, Mikoto made out a figure wearing a Takigakure headband, his hair spiky and black, splaying out behind him.
"Suien…what are you doing here?" Fuu's voice was dark, her hands reaching for a weapons pouch.
"Don't fear, Heiki-san. I am merely here to ensure that all of the groups make it safely into the village." The man's voice was gravely, and his eyes looked friendly.
"Mikoto, I saw the flash-bangs go off earlier. I tried to contact you, but I wasn't able to reach your communicator." Fugaku's eyebrows were drawn down in worry, his eyes scanning over the other Takigakure ninja.
"Don't worry Fugaku. I was caught off guard by Fuu and her companions, and the communicator was destroyed in the exchange. Once I identified myself, they helped escort me back to the camp." Mikoto glanced around, not noticing either Sasuke or Naruto.
"The boys are already asleep. I had them change earlier, but then you didn't make it back in time. When Suien arrived, I had the man test their training out a little bit. They did well, but wore themselves out pretty quickly. I told them to take a break, and sleep while they could. They protested at first, but were out like a light once they tucked in for a brief rest." Fugaku looked up towards Fuu and regarded her carefully. "Thank you for seeing my wife back to me."
Fuu flushed a bit at being thanked, but nodded her head silently. Fugaku turned back to Mikoto, his attention now shifted back to business.
"Suien has informed me that there have been sightings of Sabaku-san and her traveling partners. As such, we are to remain here for now to meet with them, and then we should be able to approach Takigakure." Mikoto nodded, and began to proceed towards the campfire. Fuu's group and Suien eyed one another wearily over the fire, but eventually settled into spots on opposite sides of the flame.
A few hours passed, and before long, individuals were breaking off for sleeping shifts around the camp. Naruto woke up during the middle of the night and ventured out of his tent. Sitting around the campfire was a single kunoichi. She looked to be around nineteen, and had mint-green hair. Assuming she was an ally, the boy walked over towards the campfire.
"So, you're the Hokage's son." Naruto stiffened at the sudden statement, pausing as he poured himself some hot tea. His face had contorted in displeasure at the mention of Hokage.
"Yeah, though I hardly like the fact that my father has that job. I wish he was just another jonin in the village." Fuu smirked at this, nodding her head in agreement.
"It sucks to be ignored and used as a pawn, doesn't it? Though you wouldn't know too much of that, Konoha seems to like their Jinchuuriki." Naruto snorted derisively, taking a sip from his beverage.
"Even though I might not be from Takigakure, I know what it's like to have people fear you. Hell, some of the villagers will use the excuse of me being the Hokage's son to avoid dealing with me, afraid they'll offend their great leader. Or scared that his demon offspring might lash out at them if he's not satisfied…" Fuu smirked at this, nodding. She reached her hand out, and clapped the boy on the shoulder. Naruto turned and nodded at her, sensing a bond of kinship. "…Now even my father has pushed me into this damned marriage. I'm not even eight years old, and he has me reading texts on politics and grooming me to be the leader of our village! What kind of father does that?" Naruto's eyes pleaded with the girl, and she just shook her head and gave the boy a look of kind and knowing care.
'She must be her village's Jinchuuriki…she knows what it's really like…' Fuu smiled at the boy, and pulled her arm back to herself.
"Look, I know the villagers are a bunch of assholes, but the life of a ninja is definitely the best thing you could ask for…" Fuu stared into the coals of the fire, her voice pitched low. She drew her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. In an instant, the image of an older teen disappeared and she looked to be a scared little girl. "…by becoming a weapon for your village, you'll gain the benefit of having teammates you can trust with your back. You can even trust them with the truth about what you are, what you house. More than that though, you'll get to see the world, and if you're really lucky, you know what else?" Fuu paused, looking into Naruto's eyes with that same kindness in them. Naruto slowly shook his head, wondering why his face was flushing.
"You'll get to meet other Jinchuuriki. Only another container, or those that are close to one, will ever be able to truly understand your burden. Those people are the most precious things you'll ever find." Naruto blinked, his eyes confused and watering. No one had ever talked to him this way before. Whenever he had brought the fox up before to his mom, she had told him that she'd start explaining about the demon when he was older. His father always told him that only his mother would be able to help. It had left him unwilling to even approach the topic with his friends, though he was sure at least most of their parents knew the truth about Naruto. He knew Sasuke was aware of his burden, but he was not convinced about any of the other children. "Your father is using you to protect your village. The greatest duty a ninja can take up is to give their life for their home. You are doing that twice over now, both in this marriage, and in your containment of the demon. Just remember, you are doing this not because your father, nor your Hokage has asked you to; you are doing this to protect those few individuals you care about." Naruto tried to hide the glistening tears at the corner of his eyes, and ignored the pain of growing nails digging into his clenched fists. "It's said that only those who have the greatest opportunity to love can contain the power of the tailed beasts. Love is the greatest power in this world. So long as you love, and receive love, you can decide your own fate." Fuu had stopped looking over at Naruto long ago, and her eyes were filled with sadness, staring into the dimming embers.
"Thank you. I don't know what to say, but thank you." Fuu shrugged the response off, turning back to looking into the fire. Naruto settled into his tea, and was about to introduce himself formally when the girl roughly shoved him off his wooden stump.
"What the hell was that for?" Naruto shouted at the girl. She reached into her gear bag and pulled out metal senbon needles in response.
"Go wake the others. We have incoming targets, and I don't know if they are hostile or not." The needles flashed quickly in all directions, lightning arcing out from her hands. "When you wake the others, tell them that one of our kin has awakened." Naruto saw ten shapes of pure lightning rise up from the displaced senbon. The figures leapt into the trees, scattering in several directions.
"Shouldn't we wait and get…" In a flash, the girl was gone into the woods, "…the others. That ladies insane…" Naruto shook himself and dashed over to the Uchiha tents.
xXxXxXx
Night of Day 7 of the Journey
Baki had seen the fading light and cursed. Takigakure was not that far away from their current location, but to move around in the dark would have been madness. He moved to signal for a halt when suddenly Gaara sprinted past him. Baki blinked in surprise; the young demon had never moved with alacrity before on the trip.
"Gaara, where the hell do you think you are going? You need to get back into formation!" Gaara paused, turning to look at Baki. When he did, eyes of gold with blue cross hairs stared back at him.
"My kin are ahead. I am going to catch them, then use their deaths to prove my existence. You will not stop me." The boy threw a hand out and sand lashed suddenly around Baki. In an instant, the jonin was helplessly pinned to a tree. Gaara turned and began sprinting ahead.
"Shit, Baki's down, Isago. What are we going to do?" A man with short brown hair and basic Sunagakure ninja garb turned to a similarly clad individual. Like Baki, Isago wore a simple turban covering the right side of his head. The man grimaced, and began forming a rapid number of seals.
"Damn it. Mukade, we're going to just have to guard the other Kazekage siblings after we get Baki loose. That demon's got enough power to take care of himself. Once we can reach the village and drop off the kids, we'll catch up with Gaara." Mukade nodded in agreement, bursting ahead to catch up with Kankuro. The puppet user looked up at Mukade weakly as he clapped a hand on his shoulder, waking the boy from his standing stupor.
"Sorry kid, but we need to free Baki and catch up with Gaara. You and your sister watch our backs real quick while we free him, alright?" Kankuro nodded, jumping over to the head ninja.
Temari and Isago were already looking over Baki. His head had smashed into the tree, and he seemed to be knocked out. "He's breathing at least…" Temari jumped back as the sand reached out towards her with grasping tendrils. She managed to dodge most of them, but she could only watch as the sand binding tightened around the older man. "…though I don't know for how much longer." The girl grimaced as she covered up a light gash on her arm, and Mukade moved to place a hand over the wound, channeling healing chakra into the injury.
Isago moved closer, his hands whirring with a buzz-saw like sound. Several minutes passed as the man carved into the tree, leaving a series of deep cuts in the sand and trunk, freeing Baki. Mukade stooped down and picked the man up, then turned and began sprinting to the left of Gaara's direction. The others quickly followed, though they were afraid of what they chased.
Far ahead, the air was saturated with the feeling of murder, and the wind howled like a bloodthirsty monster.
xXxXxXx
Some small part of Gaara's psyche struggled against what was happening. He had spent so much of his young life up late at night, fighting the temptation to sleep. Now though, the sheer bliss of giving in to his bloodthirsty desires was oddly making him tired. So very tired…
Gaara settled down onto a small patch of ground. 'For so long, I've fought the desire to sleep. But perhaps, in my sleep I'll dream of proving my existence. Perhaps, I'll dream once more of his murder.' Yashamaru flashed once painfully before his eyes, on the night he had told him of wounds of the heart. The next instant, he beheld the wonderful explosion of his uncle, and a chuckling voice was heard in the back of his mind.
"I understand Mother. If I go to sleep, you can show them my dreams. You'll help me realize my dream, of proving my existence…" The boy's voice shook with weakness and longing. "…I'll let you out, to see the sky once more when I sleep, won't I? It's been so long since you got to see the world, so I don't mind. Show them my dream Mother, show them what we both desire." Gaara closed his eyes, and the sands began to quickly shift around him. A sky, clear of clouds with a full moon hanging above, shone down on the clearing below.
xXxXxXx
HOLY FREAKING FILLER TIME OF FILLER-NESS…Finally got everyone where they are supposed to be in the way they are supposed to be. Hopefully this didn't take too long, but it feels like I used up way to much space in here. I would like to throw a major shoutout to my beta, Lazruth, for editing these last two chapters. Well, that's the chapter, and if any of you feel like looking some things up, I left a few Easter Eggs in there for you. Well, that's all till next time, so as always, read and review! If you leave some really thoughtful or positive ones, I might even start putting them in the openings and closing of arcs! This arc should conclude after the end of the battle sequences.