Four Letter Words
Story Thus Far- Iruka is still in the hospital, but he's quickly recovering. The ANBU searching for Naruto have been whittled down to two, and Naruto himself seems to have picked up a new friend. One of Suna's puppet makers longs for a vacation. The forest creatures are learning to control their innate powers, what exactly they plan to do with them is unknown to all but one.
Chapter Eight: Haku
Morning light filtered into the small cabin from a curtained window. Pale rays of yellow light drew lines across dead crinkled herbs. Haku frowned at his pathetic collection and lifted a thin stalk for closer inspection. Brown eyes examined the decomposing leaves with concealed contempt before dropping it back to the table. It landed amongst the rest of its useless brethren, rusty brown a sharp contrast to the creamy white of their former storage scroll.
The plants had been a rare find around Takara, and their uses varied from dulling pain to dying fabric. It was a wonder they hadn't been found earlier and harvested for commercial purposes. Haku crushed a stem between his thumb and forefinger as he thought about the woman who had taught him about plants. Zabuza-sama filled the gap she left admirably, but sometimes…
Haku sighed as he felt a heavy presence appear behind him and block the light. The cold memory of the woman warmed and drifted away as more immediate concerns pressed on his mind. Due to various circumstances, the majority of which were too embarrassing to be remembered, he had been unable to properly sort and store his gathered herbs. Since it was only the two of them, Haku and his master, he had hoped they would arrive at the safe house quickly before any detrimental effects took hold of the plants. He hadn't anticipated the high decomposition rate. All that time spent carefully selecting and picking them… wasted.
"Organics don't store well." A gruff voice commented, slightly muffled from mask like bandages covering the mouth. Zabuza glanced over his protégé's shoulder and mentally scoffed at the ruined herbs.
Haku's jaw tensed, an action that Zabuza noted with some humor. The boy always strived to be the best, and rarely let his emotions show through, but he was still a kid. Even when they first met on the bridge long ago, Zabuza could see that the body had come to reflect the cold ice the boy could use. Still waters ran deep, and reflected in those brown eyes was a tsunami waiting for the order to release. The missing-nin's lips twitched in what could have been thought of as a smile if they were visible. It was his tsunami.
Haku acknowledged the comment with a nod, and his arm blurred as it swept the contents of the table into the nearby waste bin. Scroll and ruined herbs clattered into the metal container testament to the effeminate boy's disappointment in himself. He should have known better. He wasted the scroll, wasted the herbs, and wasted time. "I apologize, Zabuza-sama."
Zabuza turned and adjusted the large sword that was always within reach of his person. Far from an elegant weapon, the blade had cleaved the heads from numerous opponents. He had lost count how many. Haku preferred the much more refined method of killing with needles, it took more skill and energy. To each his own. Zabuza glanced out of the corner of his eye noting that the boy's shoulders were marginally more tense than usual. He knew the boy's idiosyncrasies like the back of his hand.
"They have a root around here." Zabuza commented off handedly as he looked out the window. "Locally it's used in tea's to bring down swelling and fevers. It's a pale root, but thick, has small purple flowers."
Haku blinked and stood up, lips moving silently repeating his sensei's words. He shook his head to clear it from thoughts of herbology, opened his mouth to speak, but the older man continued ignoring him.
"This mission is simple enough. Apparently our client's daughter was taken in lew of payment by the local loan-shark. I'll scout the warehouse; spend the day as you will."
A cool breeze ghosted in through the still-open door. Haku smiled faintly, the feel of Zabuza's chakra rapidly receding. The boy reached up and released the tie in his hair. Long, silky black locks fell framing a visage that would not look out of place on a female model. "Thank you, Zabuza-sama."
Naruto sneezed as he woke, and he could feel a distinct chill against his back where some dew had gathered. He rubbed his arms to encourage blood flow. His limbs felt like ice and as warmth returned he wondered why his clothing was in such bad shape. Kin groaned in her sleep as Naruto moved around, he twisted and stared at a red-brown stain outlining a large hole.
"Ne, Kin-chan!" He pushed the mysterious hole to the back of his mind and sat up. Naruto grasped one of Kin's shoulders from where she was slumped and shook the half-asleep girl.
He stood and glanced around the clearing searching for any signs of danger, when the voice returned with a yawn. "Boy? What are you still doing here?"
"Conscience, why's Kin still asleep?" Naruto asked as he changed tactics and proceeded to repeatedly poke the girl's arm. She muttered something about snakes and shivered, still lost in her nightmare.
"Not everyone is an early riser, you know. I recall you used to be late for school, what, 4 out of five times?" The voice reasoned with a chuckle.
"But she doesn't have school, and she keeps saying things."
Kyuubi pondered this, images of the girls recently acquired wounds flashed to mind, and it sighed. Honestly, why was it that the only animal of the group had any sense? Why did the stupid girl fall asleep without dressing the wounds? They could be infected, or worse. As long as Naruto's okay I could care less. If she dies I won't have to worry about her slowing us down.
Naruto bit on the inside of his cheek and looked around. "Conscience, I'm worried."
Kyuubi sighed. "I suppose now is as good a time as any. First aid 101. Pick up her wrist and check her pulse. Use two fingers." Kyuubi waited as the sensations transferred over to him, and was surprised. "Damn. Her heart's beating way to fast. You'll have to get her to a hospital or find some way to slow it down."
"Okay. Hospital. Gotcha." Naruto knelt down and placed one of her arms over his shoulder. "Wake up, Kin. You need to tell me where the hospital is!"
She blinked, and her eyes wandered unfocused. "No…no hospital. Can't go there. If he, if Orochimaru finds me…"
"Is that the snake you were mumbling about?"
"I don't want to go back. Naruto-sama…" She trailed off pleading, and Naruto felt his chest twinge. She was depending on him, she trusted him. Like Iruka-sensei. She was his friend, wasn't she? That was what happened last night.
Naruto remembered reading books when he was younger about heroes and friendships. Friends were supposed to protect each other. Friends cared and respected each other, or so the stories said. The blonde carried her over to a shady spot beneath one of the tree's and set her down. "All right, Kin-chan. No hospital, but I'll find some help."
He retied several knots in his scroll net, and slung it on. The scroll smacked against his back, brushing against the skin that had been exposed by the ruined clothing. Naruto gasped and stood straight as a tingle went down his spine. A small spark of red chakra leapt out and burned the scroll, dissolving the strip of seal parchment that marked it as something special.
"Let us go, Naruto." The voice whispered.
Niata cracked her neck and walked down the dusty hallway, her arms carrying a box of random instruments and papers for the civvies. Her thick brown boots were a far cry from the usual ninja sandals, but they served their purpose better than the sandals would. Close the border with Wind, it wasn't usual for their to be sudden downpours or sandstorms depending on the direction of the wind. The dessert brought sand and grit that irritated her toes, and the forest wind wanted to loose it's moisture before entering the arid wasteland. Niata didn't like mud either.
"Oi! Minato-saaaan!" Niata called out as she nudged open a door with her toe. The room was strange and filled with odd equipment. Niata didn't understand how most of it worked, but she didn't need to know. Her job was quite possibly the easiest off all shinobi occupations; it was so simple it only required one chunin. If it weren't for the maturity level required a genin could do it.
"Just put them over there." Minato waved a well manicured hand toward a desk already covered in papers. Some were printouts of dots and dashes, others bore the chicken-scratch Niata had come to recognize as Minato's handwriting.
The box squashed several papers as Niata dropped it, but it seemed that the blonde didn't care her things were a mess. It was just one more thing to add to the list of problems their outpost hand.
"Anything interesting today?" Niata asked as she brushed her hands on her green mini skirt and walked over to the other woman.
"Hmm? Not really? Some woman in Hokusai had a baby boy, and she's inviting her cousin to a party in a month, but other than that the lines been dead." Minato commented as she concentrated on drawing a picture of a fox with multiple tails. "Nothing interesting since the notice of the Jinchuriki going rouge. You?"
Niata sighed, she was too young to clearly remember the Kyuubi attack, but she certainly knew about it and what really happened. "Boring. None of the trip wires have been activated, not even by animals, and I just finished my Sudoku book. I won't be able to get another one until my tour is up."
Both women sighed. Ninja and civilian had come together to form a friendship out of mutual boredom. It was a known fact Konoha had one of if not the best intelligence network. Add to that the Fire Countries own civilian based communications system and nothing remained a secret for long. In theory their position was dangerous, but in the years they'd worked there nothing had threatened the telegraph post. Niata had recently posed the theory that no one attacked because no one knew they existed.
Unlike inner country posts, the lines that brought information to them were underground due to the large number of tree's and possible ninja battles. They were out of the way. Though Suna might have known about Morse code and the transmission lines, the changing landscape of the desert and repair costs made it impractical to be used there. No other country had a relationship with Konoha stable enough to merit technology exchange.
The women sighed again. There just wasn't any good gossip out in the sticks.
Before Minato a machine jumped to life, shocking the two women. Instantly she had a black sheet of paper and a pen at the ready, her eyes shining. Niata looked on with interest as a series of beeps and whistles were tapped out by machine. A wire extended to another machine across the room that began spitting out dot and dashed paper for record purposes.
The blonde woman nodded to herself and began writing rapidly. She stopped only seconds behind the machine and kicked herself away from the desk; narrowly missing the observing ninja. Her chair squeaked as it rolled across the floor and came to the cluttered desk Niata had left the box.
"What was it?" The shinobi asked as she watched her friend reach into the box and pull out a bag of round lettered pieces.
"A medical message. No matter how trivial, anything to do with medicine is to be given top priority." She pulled out three pieces from the bag and attached them to an old typewriter which had clearly seen better days. Minato smiled. "You have no idea how annoying it is to type with missing keys." Her fingers flew around the typewriter with satisfying clicks.
She spun the wheel and withdrew the paper, which actually contained something legible compared to her handwriting, and folded it up like an official document. Niata accepted it with a 'where to'.
"Suna."
"Oh. Okay." Niata ran up the stairs just for the heck of it, and burst open the attic door. "Yosh!"
"My name is Yoshi. It's one bloody letter!" An angry man yelled as he attempted to clam the disturbed birds. He wasn't doing too well.
"Sorry, Yosh. Anyway, this needs to go to Suna." Niata brandished the letter like a shield. "Medical Message."
He rubbed his neck and nodded. "Then It'll need our fastest bird. Beasty? Are you ready for a flight Beasty?"
The falcon shrieked and hopped. Niata just rolled her eyes. Yoshi was a bird trainer, but he babied his charges more than a shinobi trainer would. Still, he got results, and the post was technically under civilian control. Which was part of the reason it was always so disorganized, Niata privately thought.
Yoshi rolled the letter up and attached it the falcon, before kissing it on the head. "Go with grace, my Beasty."
Zabuza peered through the leaves of his cover feeling disappointed. Several people had been working around the warehouse his target was presumably located. He had counted no less than thirty-five guards, but none of them would pose a challenge and that depressed him. How was he to test Haku's growth when all they had to kill were weak small time crooks?
Haku… The boy was probably out in the forest around their temporary base looking for the root he'd mentioned. Somehow he never lost his intrinsic innocence of childhood, never seemed to connect the dots that would jade normal people. He looked like a lost puppy on that bridge, waiting for someone to take him in.
Haku had been a priceless find in shinobi terms. Not only did he have a valuable bloodline, rare after the purge, but a quick mind and interest in medical herbs. It was because of the boy's base in herbs that Zabuza had postponed his rebellion. Training with the undertakers had vastly improved Haku's arsenal and Zabuza was never cheap when it came to his tools, and Haku was his favorite.
The demon brothers had been good tools as well, but they didn't matter anymore. Shinobi did not dwell on the past, not if they wanted to live.
Zabuza shifted and watched a young man exit the building, his gait betraying his drunkenness. The missing-nin had been observing the man for some time, and with every appearance his alcohol consumption had been increasing.
Foregoing the massive sword at his back, Zabuza reached into his arm warmer and withdrew a single kunai. He had been listening to various conversations of the guards and found out that the drunken man was the son of the leader, one henge and he'd be in. Just a brat. A spoiled brat that doesn't understand the meaning of anything. He's never had to earn anything, daddy's provided everything.
Zabuza leapt soundlessly from his perch, he hadn't been in the assassination squads for fun, at least not entirely. As annoying as it was to go through the system he had learned what he wanted. The ninja trailed the boy from the trees, sneering behind his mask of bandages, watching as his target tripped and cursed. Spit flew from his mouth, and Zabuza could imagine the stench of alcohol that accompanied the curses the idiot spoke.
Their client didn't care how it was done. In reality, he wasn't so much a client as a contact; a provider of information. Zabuza mused on their deal as he watched the pathetic excuse for a person get up and continue toward the main town. In exchange for a place to stay, they missing ninja had been contracted to retrieve an old man's daughter alive through any means necessary. Zabuza had almost declined, but then he heard that he could take whatever he wanted from the syndicate and no troublesome authorities would be alerted. Who knew what they kept in there?
"Damn bitch! She'll be begging me to take her after today…" The man said with a slur. Zabuza would have arched an eyebrow if he had one. Was he talking about his target? Perhaps he would live a little longer to see if anymore information would be coming. The ruthless nin thought it over and laughed.
"No. I don't think so." Zabuza gripped his kunai lightly, ready to throw. He'd have to do it soon if he wanted to avoid the body being discovered.
The man spun. "W-who said that!"
This is too fun. "Throat, spinal column, lungs, liver? Maybe the heart. That's a classic." His voice seemed to be coming from every direction confusing and terrorizing the small man in the road.
"S-stop hiding! Come out or I'll hunt you down!" The man yelled as he spun around, eyes searching for the invisible person, hands going for a weapon concealed beneath his coat.
He has a weapon, but it's not cared for. Zabuza scoffed and threw the kunai with pinpoint accuracy. It glinted in the clear sunlight once before digging into the soft flesh of the man's chest. Zabuza dropped down and walked to man while taking pleasure in his fear. Frothy blood bubbled out the dying man's mouth as he tried to scream.
Zabuza had picked the lungs.
Haku crouched close to the ground, senbon at the ready. His brown eyes examined the target, weighing the advantages of attacking at various points. I'm really putting too much thought into this. The boy thrust his slim weapon downward and it easily pierced the soft red-brown dirt native to Rice Country.
He worked a circle around the small purple flower with the sebon to loosen dirt. Occasionally he stopped and tugged the stalk of the flower testing if it was ready to pry from the ground. Haku smiled and jerked on the flower, unearthing an oddly thick root resembling ginger in it's shape. Maybe I can replant it somewhere else, but we probably wouldn't stay long enough to see the effects of a new environment. I should start brewing the tea tonight.
Haku turned to put his prize in a basket he'd brought along, but a small bird was perched on the handle. He smiled and thought about trapping it. There was a white bunny at the cabin that might appreciate some company. The renegade ninja sat the root on the ground and cupped his hands even though he doubted he would actually catch the bird.
The small sparrow's head tilted, watchful.
"Eh? Hey, do you know which direction the town is?" A cheerful voice caused Haku to turn around, surprised at being caught unawares. Zabuza wouldn't be pleased about that, but it was just a kid.
Haku whipped his head around too late. The bird was gone. He mentally shrugged and placed the root with the two others he'd found that morning before returning his attention to the younger boy behind him.
"Are you lost?" Haku asked while his shinobi habits came forth. The boy was younger yet Haku got the feeling he was actually older than his frame suggested. He had crystalline blue eyes that on initial examination sent a chill down his spine. Something lurked in those eyes, a hidden anger that smoldered waiting for the prod that would bring it out with righteous fury.
When he noticed the bloodstains on the child's clothing Haku smiled pleasantly to conceal his worry. Maybe someone had already prodded the anger out. If that was the case the blonde boy could be a potential threat. It was also odd for such a small boy to be carrying a heavy scroll, and the forehead protectors dangling from the net hinted at past victories. Haku's mind drifted toward the small amount of senbon sitting in the basket.
Naruto squirmed under the scrutiny but didn't say anything. This unknown person's eyes didn't carry the unbridled hate that had been so common back in Konoha, and as long as it didn't hold that he could put up with it.
"Um. I'm not lost, exactly. Do you know where I can get some help?"
The voice hissed in agitation. "This one is dangerous. He's a shinobi."
Haku stood and picked up the basket. "What kind of help do you need?"
Naruto paused. "What kind of help do I need?" That was a strange question to the Kyuubi container. How many times had he been asked if he needed help? At the moment though, he felt fine. Kin was the one that needed help. "I don't need any help."
Haku observed, and decided the boy might require further study. Maybe he's suffering from some sort of head injury. "I'm gathering some medicinal herbs. Would you like to accompany me?"
"Medicine? Yeah!" Kin doesn't want a hospital, but if I hang around this guy I might get some medicine. Perfect! "Hey. I'm Naruto Uzamaki. Nice to meet you!" Naruto grinned widely displaying unnaturally sharp eyeteeth.
Haku smiled back, though his was more subdued. Naruto's fang like teeth reminded him of an old vampire movie his mother had liked. "They call me Haku, pleasure's all mine."
When Naruto turned around, presumably in the direction Haku was heading for more roots, the mist trained shinobi froze. The back of his yukata was practically non-existent. Something had eaten a large hole in it, and there was a pale scar stretching across the bare skin. For a scar like that to have formed the wound would have had to be deep, most likely fatal or paralyzing. Everything Haku knew about healing was set on a ledge and dangerously close to falling. The boy was interesting.
"Here. I'm looking for these flowers." Haku began the same process as before to dig up the root and keep the whole plant intact.
"It's pretty. I bet Kin would like one. She's a girl, and she's got that purple ribbon." Naruto commented.
"Girls always like flowers, then?"
Naruto sat back and began going through the basket. "Of course. Why else do you bring them flowers on birthdays and anniversaries?"
"Do you think I like flowers?" Haku laughed. He didn't get the answer he expected.
"No. Haku does not like flowers the way girls do." Naruto stated as he found one of the senbon, and then began to use it as a toothpick.
The feminine boy thought. "Why do you say that?"
Naruto's expression made it clear he thought the question was stupid. His conscience had said Haku was a boy, and though he appeared the opposite his conscience was never wrong. Never. "Because you aren't like most girls. What were you planning to do with these things? They don't look like normal needles, and you don't look like a normal doctor." The blonde ended his words with a flourish of the senbon; the metal flicked up and down in his mouth when he chewed the end. It slashed his unprotected tounge, and Naruto felt his eyes tear up as he spat out the weapon.
Haku lifted a hand to offer assistance, but dropped it when he saw that the younger –stupid- boy was fine. Blood tended to clot faster in the mouth. "Who's Kin? Is she your precious person?"
"Precious? What is precious?" Naruto wasn't completely ignorant but he had difficultly shifting his paradigms. He recognized the word, but had most often associated it in relation to valuables like 'precious stones'. Family heirlooms could be precious. What about family members? But I don't have any. "I don't think I have any precious people."
"That is very sad." Haku meant it. To him, not having a precious person was akin to dying. Revenge, hate, and selfishness only brought more pain in the end. "To not value anyone, it must be a very lonely world."
"It can be…" Do I value anyone? Yes! Yes I do! Iruka's smiling scarred face flashed in his mind. That image that had burned though the hate filled glares of the villagers fed his soul, healing his heart bit by bit. The teacher had been his pillar of support in Konoha, and kept him from falling into suicidal despair. "…but I think, as long as you have one person, it's okay." Naruto nodded to himself.
"So then, you have someone?"
"Yup, and… holy shit! You know healing things, right? Right?" Naruto asked, desperate. How could I be so stupid? Kin's a precious person too!
Within a cage, Kyuubi paced with bristled fur. It had been close, so close to getting the boy to forget about the weak female. Well, maybe not totally weak, but still. She was a liability. She wasn't in any fighting condition, and the fox demon could feel something coming. With the seal in place his temporal abilities were severely hampered, but he could still sense when a vital turning point was close.
After expending so much chakra helping the boy with the two chunin, and healing his wounds during the free-for-all, Naruto's body was tired. It didn't show, but at the cellular level his body was at the limit.
Kyuubi stared at the wall, her mind going into crunch time as he tried to come up with a plan.
Sarutobi, the third Hokage of Konoha, closed his eyes and listened. Ninja's stepped lightly, but when one knew what to look for he could hear their passage past his door. Few bothered him, and those that did insisted that he take a break.
He'd gotten little sleep over the past week, only a few hours here and there. Bags had formed beneath his eyes and his bones were finally starting to feel their age. Every step ached; he couldn't decide if it was real or his mind punishing him for letting everything happen. I should have stepped in. I should have taken care of him.
"There's nothing I can do."
Nothing I can do for Naruto. The council won't let me overlook this exploit, even if he did come back willingly.
The Hokage shook himself and reached for a thin folder that had been left on his desk this morning. His secretary must have left it there when he had gone outside. Several slips contained the selected teams for the years academy graduates, and if they passed or failed their 'teamwork' examination.
The old man chuckled at the thought. Not every jounin sensei tested for teamwork, despite Konoha's emphasis on it. If they had lived up to their ideal, Naruto wouldn't have been pushed so far. His situation was the fault of the whole village.
The slips listed team eight, consisting of an Aburame, Hyuuga, and Inuzuka, and team ten, a Yamanaka, Nara, Akamichi, as passing. Team ten had the teamwork thing, or rather they believed in the 'if I work with you I only have to put in half the effort'. Team eight just worked well together but their sensei claimed that they may have looked good on paper but were almost always at each others throats. Their saving grace was the ability to put personal grudges aside for the good of the mission.
Team seven was in limbo. It consisted of two people, and they were still waiting to be assigned a sensei and a third member. Naruto would have been ideal but…
"Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno." The top of the class in practical, and top in theory. Kakashi should have been assigned. "Sasuke's been mostly left alone, too."
There were no free genin to fill the position. Sasuke and Sakura would have to remain on the reserves list, or go back to the academy and await to be sorted next year. Visions of an angry Uchiha prodigy flitted through Sarutobi's head. The boy would not take to being sent back well.
The third rubbed his forehead and called for a cup of tea. His secretary entered promptly with a pleasant smile, though he could see the nervousness in the slight dip of her shoulders. She set the cup and saucer on the desk. Sarutobi nodded a dismissal and reached for the cup. He couldn't help but groan as a hated folder entered his view. The Root profiles.
She couldn't have known he had been trying to ignore it.
Like lightening a thought hit him, and Sarutobi smiled. He propped his feet up on the desk and sipped his tea with one hand, the other was flipping rapidly through the root profiles. He didn't have to assign a genin to the Uchiha and Haruno, did he? There.
No name, but the picture and stats were enough. The root member was pale, almost albino, with short black hair and an expressionless face. He was strong, a high chunin level the profile claimed, and just the right age.
Sarutobi chuckled for the first time in what felt like a century. Danzo won't like me using his special ops like this but... screw him.
Haku arched an eyebrow as he examined the Sound kunoichi resting fitfully beneath a tree. She might be a threat, though the amount of damage she could do would be extremely limited. Blood had caked in several places and the medically minded ninja mentally sighed at the incompetence the make-shift bandages demonstrated. He reached into the sleeve of his robe and retrieved his medical kit.
Naruto watched in fascination as the long haired boy unfolded a pack of leather revealing several different types of cutting instruments. Haku selected a rounded pair of scissors and began cutting Kin's top off, though he was careful when removing the cloth that had been cemented to her body by the blood.
"I'll need to clean this. Could you go get some water?" Haku asked without looking up from his work. He took a pair of tweezers from the kit and started removing tiny bits of debris from Kin's wounds.
"Okay." Naruto jumped up and grabbed a canteen while running to a stream, happy. His friend would be alright. Kin-chan's my first friend. A precious person.
"Oh really?" The voice groused. "Left turn here."
Naruto turned and quickly found himself at the smallest stream he had ever seen. It was more like a trickle that passed over some rocks. He knelt down, absently scratching at his back, and dipped the container into the water. The action disturbed the mud, and Naruto cursed as he was forced to move upstream and try again for clear water.
"You think that's enough?"
No answer.
"Conscience?"
Naruto screwed the cap back on and headed to the clearing. He chewed his bottom lip and glanced around worriedly. Was his conscience upset with him? Should he have listened when it suggested leaving Kin and heading on, alone? Where was Kyuu?
"I need to wash it." Haku gestured for the canteen which Naruto quickly gave.
Haku methodically rinsed the area, and Naruto grimaced at the angry red swelling around the cuts. His injuries never lasted that long. While the jinchuriki had been gathering the water Haku had crushed several of the roots he'd gathered that morning with a few herbs he kept on hand. What little water that had been left after cleaning the worst area's was mixed with the herbs creating a paste that, to Naruto, smelled like clovers.
Kin shuddered and snapped her eyes open. She let out a startled gasp and reached for a weapon, only to find that her kunai holster was missing.
"Kin-chan!"
She then realized her breasts felt unusually free and cold. Blushing in anger and embarrassment, Kin wrapped her arms around her chest and glared at everything she could lay her eyes on. "What-is-going-on." Kin bit out.
"Miss, please relax and let me finish applying the ointment." Asked a soft voice.
Kin tucked her legs closer to her body and did not relax. Her hard training in the sound village would not allow her to drop her guard. "Ointment?"
Naruto crawled over, eyes sparkling. "Yeah. You didn't want a hospital right? I found you Haku! Haku knows medicine stuff."
Well, we're both girls but…
"Is something troubling you?" Haku asked politely.
"It's just that, men… girl things…" Why is this so embarrassing to explain. As much as I owe Naruto-sama I do have some modesty. Kin looked down, and was surprised to hear a small explosion that normally accompanied a transformation jutsu. The girl glanced in Naruto's direction and her mouth dropped open in surprise.
A very female, and obviously well developed Naruto sat smiling with only a few wisps of smoke concealing her breasts. "Now we're both girls!" She nodded sagely, leaving Kin to sigh in defeat and Haku clapped one hand over his mouth in an attempt to prevent himself from laughing out loud.
"Raise your arms." Haku asked, inwardly giggling at his new… acquaintances… he hesitated to call them friends. No doubt he and Zabuza would be leaving in few days, and he would never see the two people again. Best not to get attached.
When the girl lifted her arms Haku began wrapping a roll of gauze around her torso. She was pleased her lord found her some help and respected her wish not to go to a hospital, but a small portion of her mind was worried. She couldn't understand why.
Haku gave a sharp tug and secured the bandages tightly. The missing nin re-wrapped his surgical kit and stood up. "I would suggest you don't do anything taxing for the next week. Naruto-kun? You should redo the bandages every few days, at least." Haku handed the naked blonde a large roll of bandages and turned to leave. "I should be going."
Naruto waved slowly, torn between joy that his second minion would be okay and sadness that his new friend was leaving them. "Bye Haku-kun!"
Kin froze. Haku-kun?! I thought he was a girl!
Kyo entered the hospital calmly, almost wishing his superior hadn't told him how important the mission was. He probably wouldn't be so nervous if it had been put off as something to pass the time, as it was every gaze sent a shiver of warning down his spine. Medic nin were known to get violent when their orders were ignored. You can do this Kyo. Act cool. Just checking up on an old acquaintance. That 's it.
The reception nurse glanced up from her work and smiled at him. Immediately Kyo's training kicked in and he began looking for a sign –any sign- that she suspected his true intentions. The smile wasn't forced, and her eyes didn't give the subtle dilation that alerted interrogation specialists to lies. Her whole body was relaxed. He was safe, for the moment.
"What room is Iruka-san in?"
"Iruka? One moment." She turned, her chair giving a small squeak, and began breezing through files. Kyo couldn't help but watch her. She had long fingernails any kunoichi would envy and they flicked the manila envelopes to the side with surprising ease. The nurse stopped. "He was just transferred down a level. We finally convinced him he'd heal faster if he wasn't trying to burn himself up with chakra. Room 204."
Kyo turned to be on his way, and nearly had a heart attack when her voice called him back. Rookies weren't meant to be doing this sort of thing!
"You forgot to sign in." Her voice didn't carry any discomfort, only humor. He took the pen she offered with a forced blush nearly as red as his hair and quickly jotted down his name. Seki Kyo.
Nurses bustled by, some caringly bandages, others laughing. It's only ever this calm during peace time. Kyo rubbed the back of his neck and started up the stairs, one hand on the rail. What exactly did Ibiki want him to do? Questioning an injured man wouldn't get them very far. Pain killers and drugs worked against them, and only the best knew how to differentiate between chemically induced words and true confessions.
This was not something Kyo should be doing. The young man paused outside the door to room 204 and marveled at the fact he actually wanted to be in the dank dungeons. At least he knew what to do there.
"Good afternoon, Umino-san." Kyo commented dryly, with only a hint of cheerfulness.
The chunin blinked and turned his head toward Kyo, who swallowed nervously when he caught sight of the older man's eyes. He was supposed to be blind, but the thought didn't comfort Kyo in the least. Iruka's pupil's had stretched to their limit, practically eradicating the iris. Beside that, the whites of his eyes had become red from increased blood flow. It was disturbing to say the least. Kyo got out his notepad.
"I'm afraid I don't recognize you…"
"Kyo. You can call me Kyo. I just need to ask you a few questions, sir. Nothing too terrible." If I push to hard it would only take a second for him to reach the call nurse switch.
Iruka folded his hands and leaned back onto a pillow, somehow his head followed Kyo's movement to a chair across the room. Kyo attributed it to the sound his notepad made when he flipped it open.
"What made you go to the clearing Naruto Uzamaki was located the other night?"
There was a long moment of silence, and Kyo noted that Iruka's hands tensed. He was worried, but the question was, about what?
"As you probably know, Naruto was in my class. Though not the best student, you could say I watched him more. After a year it wasn't hard to put myself in his place and figure out where he would go to hide with something so valuable."
He referred to him as Naruto. He has feelings for the vessel. "Why didn't you think to tell anyone?"
Iruka shrugged. "At the time it was only a guess. I didn't think it would be wise to spend so many of the searchers on one area if it proved to be wrong."
"I see." Or did you want the scroll for yourself? Were you planning to help the kid escape with it? "Mizuki is dead. Can you describe what happened to cause it?"
Iruka paused. He was no fool. The man wasn't just trying to form a report on the incident, he was gathering information that would be picked apart by the best. Kyo had never been in his class, but he remembered an older teacher bragging about a Kyo. Kyo Seki, far from the best in class, but with a mind that rivaled the best if pressed. The man had been bragging that his student had forgone jounin exams and moved into internship with the Interrogation squad.
Iruka formulated a reply. "I arrived on the scene shortly after Mizuki. I hid myself, thinking that he could handle things on his own, and listened in case my fellow teacher needed backup however unlikely. What I heard was incriminating, and I realized that there wasn't enough time to call for help.
"Naruto asked if he could have more time. Apparently Mizuki told him that if he stole the scroll of seals and managed to learn a technique he could graduate. Naruto has failed the past four times he's tried. Mizuki then called him a fool and began revealing the secret.
"That was when I interfered. We fought, with Mizuki constantly trying to kill Naruto and take the scroll. Fearing for both the boy's safety and the scroll, I admit it wasn't the wisest choice, I told him to take it and run. Then I blew us up."
For several minutes all that could be heard was the faint scratching of pencil on paper. Kyo chewed on his pencil. "Do you know where Naruto may have gone? Put yourself in his place, as it were."
Iruka shook his head. "Naruto's never been outside the village, and he always slept in class if he could." The chunin sighed after a calculated pause. Two can play this game. "He would go anyplace but Konoha."
"Can you think of any other town he might have thought to visit?"
Kyo thought it was eerie how the blind man could shoot any looks in his direction. Particularly annoyed ones. "Naruto doesn't even know the names of other Hidden Villages, what makes you think he would know a civilian one?"
"Right. Thank you for your time, Umino-san."
Iruka closed his eyes and frowned as the man exited. His time with Kyo had put some things into perspective.
After he got out the hospital, Iruka would be going through one hell of a training regime.
Rai followed closely behind his subordinate, every now and then his eyes would drift to the small stuffed animal held in her grip. The woman had discovered only an hour or two ago and claimed that it was covered in the Kyuubi vessels scent. Rai had to agree, though his apprehension had grown since they picked it up. Why was it left there, where we would find it? A fox. The brat left a bloody fox behind. It's like he's taunting us.
Yuukou began to slow and she held her free hand behind her back while forming signals in ANBU assassination language. They were closing in on their target. Rai tapped her shoulder and took the lead while silently ordering her to circle around. She nodded and leapt to the side, soon vanishing among the foliage.
No one got to be a captain by taking stupid chances. This true at all levels, and ANBU was no exception. As Rai approached the small clearing his heart rate increased exponentially as adrenaline coursed through his system. The Kyuubi brat would be dead soon. No. Not yet.
The thought of the fox plush wormed it's way into the forefront of his mind, and he paused. Just how strong had the child become without them knowing? Was he expecting them?
Rai clasped his hands together and allowed his form to melt into the background. He would wait and watch.
The ANBU captain slowed his breathing and tried to control his heartbeat as he peered into the clearing. The blonde menace still had the scroll, that was good. At least they wouldn't have to waste time looking for it. Who's the girl? That must be the Hidden Sound symbol… is the demon getting help from the enemy? It would make sense.
It was all too convenient for the experienced ANBU. As much as he would like to rush in and slaughter the two people on the ground he couldn't risk it. As he had said before, they didn't do unknown variables. Wait and watch, once they could be sure of the situation he and Yuukou would move quickly and annihilate them with surprise. Silent assassination.
For a moment Rai's breath caught in his throat and his heart stilled. The girl, the unknown quantity was staring right at his position. When there's too many coincidences, there are actually none.
He didn't know how she could have seen through the jutsu, but when she opened her mouth the warn the jinchuriki his thought was confirmed. Rai cursed and released a salvo of kunai. It looked like they would have to fight right off the bat anyway.
Kin held her cut shirt in her hands sadly. She had liked it the gray camouflage but now it was unusable. Typical medics were always worried about moving their patients and ended up ruining good clothes. "Not like it would last much longer with all the holes in it, I suppose." Kin muttered to herself and she folded her top and tucked it into her pants pocket. It be useful as a cleaning cloth and she didn't like being wasteful.
"Are you okay, Kin-chan?" Naruto asked when he noticed her mutterings.
She waved his question away and looked at his own terrible clothing. Before it had been very fine, but now it was near rags. Shinobi were certainly hard on their things. We'll need to get some armor then. I feel half-dressed with only bandages covering my breasts. "We need to get some new clothes."
Naruto nodded and shrugged out of his sleeves. "Yeah, but I don't think I have enough…"
"It's fine. We're ninja's. We can always…" Kin stopped and turned her head, the hairs on her arms stood up in response to some long forgotten instinct. Danger. A predator.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The steady beat barely registered against the many sounds of nature, but it was unmistakable to a shinobi trained in the Sound Village. A heartbeat. It wasn't hers, or Naruto's. Her gaze went to the tree's as she tried to locate the unknown watcher, but she couldn't see anything. Wait, those leaves are…
"Naru-!"
Kin cut off as she was forcibly rolled to the side by her master. Naruto crouched over her, and through sheer luck the weapons that had been sent to silence her had found themselves buried in the scroll.
Two masked ninja entered the clearing and Kin's stomach churned. No matter what village or name, the masked shinobi were the best. Even if Naruto-sama could take on genin he couldn't fight elite nin. They would die.
Naruto moved to face them, and a low growl echoed around the clearing. "Konoha ANBU."
"Uzamaki. We're here to get back the Scroll of Seals and execute you. We can do it quick and painless or slow and brutal." Once of the ANBU said with a slightly garbled voice. Kin was willing to bet it was a woman, but after Haku she wasn't so sure. Not like it will matter once we're dead.
Naruto actually laughed. "I don't give up."
"Slow and brutal it is."
Haku was halfway back to cabin, deep in thought, when it occurred to him that he had forgotten the whole reason for the outing. His basket of herbs had been left with the boy and girl. "Oh."
The ice user turned and began running back. He had been so preoccupied trying to figure out how the blonde knew he was a boy he had forgotten about his herbs. Zabuza-sama had given him the time off to gather them and if he returned without the roots the whole day would have been wasted.
Perhaps not entirely wasted, he had helped the girl, but the older ninja wouldn't care about that fact. Haku raced through the forest, his speed unmatched by any his age. Oddly, the smell of smoke reached his nose and changed from earth-bound travel to tree-bound. Alarms rang in his head and he reached into his light robe.
The mask he took out of bone white with a single blue swirl accenting it. It was a mask of the Mist Shinobi hunters, and he had taken it from his first kill. So many memories.
Haku placed the mask on his face and attached it with a sliver of chakra. Instantly everything became sharper, clearer, as if there was a fog that covered the world and it had only just then lifted. Very few knew the true nature of Mist Hunter masks. Not even Haku understood the full capabilities of them until he put it on for the first time.
Haku moved carefully and watched as his two acquaintances managed to trap a masked ninja and wound her, but the woman cut the wires and jumped away leaving an explosive tag in her place.
Naruto groaned as the heat from the explosion burned his exposed back. They were going to die. Haku bit his lip and flicked his wrist instantly summoning three senbon to his hand. Watching the practically one-sided fight didn't feel right. Even though it was only for a moment, he still knew those people.
The Mist trained shinobi reached back and took aim. I already spent half the afternoon healing her. I'm not going to let that damned hunter ruin my work. The trio of sebon flew through the air and collided with a brace of shuriken knocking them off target. The ANBU turned in the direction the senbon had come, but Haku was already moving.
He flitted among the tree's like a ghost, his speed equal to that of most Jounin. The male ANBU caught a flash of pink and rapidly formed hand seals to launch an earth missile toward the new threat. Haku flipped over the speeding ball of rock and twisted, releasing more senbon as his anger began to build. No mercy. These people are just as lethal as Hunter Nin. If I allow them to live they'll just come back stronger.
Hunter nin wanted to kill Zabuza-sama, and Haku by proxy. He wasn't about to let that happen.
"Makyou Hyoushou." Haku twisted his fingers into something resembling a diamond and began pushing his family's unique chakra into the air. There was ambient moisture in the air and Haku smiled sadly beneath his hunter mask. His technique utilized ridiculous amounts of chakra in dry air, but with so much raw material to work with he could keep it up for quite a while.
Ice particles formed rapidly in the air and condensed, gathering and encircling the supposed male ANBU. Haku placed a hand on the back of one of his mirrors and stepped in. His image was reflected in each and every mirror making it impossible to tell which one was real.
"Mist Hunter. This is none of your business." The ANBU spoke cautiously. Haku could imagine his eyes searching for an exit. The act was futile, his technique did have gaps, but there was impossible to reach them.
"Neither is it yours." Haku spoke in monotone and crossed his arms over his chest, each hand armed with senbon ready to throw.
"The blonde is a renegade of our village, and a thief."
Haku smiled sadly. So am I. He released the senbon quickly yet only one hit the ANBU. No matter. He had a perfect record with the his demonic ice mirrors, and he wasn't about to mar it.
Haku took advantage of the improved senses that the hunter nin mask gave and jumped three mirrors before attacking again. He didn't score any points this time. The man was good. Haku channeled more chakra to his mirrors and increased his speed.
Yuukou back flipped and spun away while sending a spiral of fire blasting toward the blonde demon. She had tagged him several times, and he was slowing, but the fact he wasn't dead was quickly making it's way on her private seven wonders of the world. The girl he was with proved to be next to useless. Either she was simply a horrible kunoichi, or she was too injured to be a threat.
One solid kick to the chest was all it had taken to put her out of the battle.
"Kyuu!" The demon yelled in anguish. It's big blue eyes were locked on her belt, from which hung the stuffed toy she had picked up. Does it value this thing?
The woman inhaled and mentally called out her chosen technique as the Uzamaki boy ran toward her. "Katon: Haisekisho!"
Super heated ash particles blew out of her mouth and covered the clearing. Yuukou stepped back and pulled a shuriken from her holster. "Shuriken Kage Bushin!" The shuriken suddenly doubled, then split again and again till some thirty shuriken flew into the cloud of deadly ash. The female ANBU moved to check her progress when a glint in front of her caused her to pause.
Another wire. She spun only to see the thought to be unconscious, possibly dead, girl grin with blood trailing out of her mouth. The girl's eyes burned with pain and madness as she flicked a small bell attached to the wire.
Yuukou collapsed to her knee's as her world shifted. There was a ringing in the air from the bell that made her feel as if someone was pounding her brains out. Yuukou clutched her stomach and puked. The jutsu was screwing with her senses, her balance, everything. For someone who had spent her life improving her senses for tracking purposes… she felt like she was dying.
I've got to get her to stop. Yuukou reached for a kunai, missed twice, but managed on the third try. She held the stuffed animal up, possibly her only chance for reprieve, and placed the kunai close to it. The action was pathetic, but she would worry about that later. The demon had shown some attachment to the doll and if still alive he might persuade the girl to cancel the jutsu briefly. I'll only need a moment. Then I'll kill the bitch.
"Kyuu! Put Kyuu down!" The demon screamed with rage. Yuukou was seeing double, but she could make out a bad burn on his right arm. Her ash had been productive. Yuukou opened her mouth to retort, but only ended up dry heaving… and accidentally cutting into the doll as her body spasemed.
Naruto yelled in fury and came at her despite Kin's warning.
Yuukou felt her body seize up with fear as she looked down at the fox plush. It's glass eyes no longer looked glass, and they glowed with power. Small pieces of strange fluff flew from the cut in it's side and drifted past the mask into Yuukou's mouth. Her throat constricted and she fell backwards away from Naruto's wild punch.
Kyuu fell away as she coughed and gagged, her eyes bulging as she stumbled around. You bitch. A voice whispered with hate in her ear. You cut me. YOU CUT ME! YOU WILL PAY!
Yuukou didn't see the dark cloud until it was too late. With a final cough she managed to dislodge the strange substance that had clogged her throat, but the air she breathed in was filled with burning ash. The lingering jutsu seared her lungs and throat rendering her unable to scream.
Naruto quickly snatched his beloved fox plush the ground and held it close while whispering reassurances to the doll. "It's gonna be okay. I'm here now, Kyuu-chan." The boy glared in the direction the ANBU had gone, and smiled when he saw her vanish into the ash. His arm still stung, he knew she wouldn't be happy.
"Naruto-sama…" Kin coughed and slumped on the ground.
"Kin-chan, you aren't supposed to be doing anything." Naruto said, though he had been grateful for her help.
"I'm fine, but I think my ribs were knocked out of place, again. The other one's still fighting though…" She gestured to the strange dome like ice structure across the field.
Naruto nodded and moved. His mouth opened in surprise when he saw the two masked fighters within the ice prison. That's the outfit Haku was wearing… Haku had senbon. The ANBU is fast, though. Haku's still young.
Naruto held his doll up and examined it while voicing a question. "Kyuu-chan. Who do you think will win?" He turned the stuffed fox on it's side and was unable to find the cut Miss ANBU had inflicted upon his precious gift.
Naruto received no answer from either the toy or his conscience. He looked at the ground while stroking the soft fabric of his toy. "Haku is my friend. I want Haku to be a friend. That would make Haku a precious person… and I'm going to protect my precious people however I can." An idea formed in Naruto's mind. He glanced back at the dispersing cloud of ash. The woman was dead. Burned. The trapped ANBU didn't know that. "Henge."
Rai couldn't help but turn as he heard his subordinate shout out in pain, screaming for help. He couldn't help but cry out in dismay and anger as he caught sight of her mutilated and burned form though the gaps in the ice.
He couldn't help but die as the freezing needles of death pierced all his vital points.
Shinobi couldn't afford distractions in a battle and Rai, former ANBU captain paid for it.
END.
A/N-The fight between ANBU, Haku, Naruto, and Kin was possibly the most annoying to write. Comes to a somewhat abrupt ending, but this chapter was annoying. Yes, they have cell phones, radio's, and telegrams. Yes, the doll was the one to actually kill off Yuukou though it was a series of unfortunate events. Naruto isn't stupid or forgetful, but because of his using Kyuubi's chakra and his ambivalent feeling's toward his 'conscience' Kyuubi has a lot more influence over his thought's than in canon Naruto. Kyuubi can also, in some cases, manifest it's chakra outside Naruto to a limited degree.
That's all I'm going to say for fear of giving too much away.
Oh, and I was wondering if you guys would like an OC character list? I know I've made a butt load of people for this AU though not all of them will play a major part.
I'm 2/3 done with my Senior Project (stupid shitty school) and once I've finished I'll be updating sooner. Chao.