Favor of the Great Spirits
Chapter 3: Great Labors Bring Great Challenges
Naruto raced across the floor, scrubbing diligently as he stepped forward pushing his weight into each scrub. Sweat dropped from his forehead, mixing with the water on the soapy floor. Training that day had been exhausting and his weekly services to the local temple were not helping. "Why are you doing this?" A young woman asked as she stepped into the room, her robe being dampened by the soapy floor.
Naruto only smiled " to replace meditation…I needed an activity which taught temperament and so I turned here, I thought a temple would have a good method of teaching temperate and I was told it's through service" Naruto said as he finished his scrubbing and moved to the sponge mop, to soak up the water from the drenched floor.
"Sounds stupid" the young priestess in training said as she wandered off, probably to go hang out in the garden that Konoha liked to frequent.
Naruto smirked; it was stupid, mostly because the entire meditation thing was a ruse. He did the service because Konoha told him that service to the temple would help him easily gain access to the spiritual energies locked inside him once it becomes available to draw upon. There was also the side effect of improving his image among the populous, but Naruto wasn't concerned about the village's opinions about him anymore only his ninja training. As Naruto finished his inner musings he finished mopping the floors of the temples main rotunda and put his tools aside. Shedding the robes that he wore while working at the temple he folded them and threw them over his shoulder and left, whistling a tune as he stared out to the sunset that signaled the end of his day.
Spirits
Sakura stood in the middle of the libraries many corridors, doing volunteer work to earn a few the privileges to use the library after hours. While Naruto seemed to be focusing to the spiritual through service and meditation Sakura had dwelled deeper into her studies and had accelerated her learning in many theoretical aspects of the Shinobi arts. When she had time she would go out and practice them, she would even practice while in the library, when no one was looking of course. With a peek to the left and a peak to the right, Sakura was assured that the corridor formed by the tall packed bookcases was empty. With a blush she reached into her back pocket and pulled out an old dusty novel, a rather smutty piece that she had found in one of the private reading rooms people used to study. The squeak of the library cart's wheels sound and Sakura immediately stashed the novel back in her back pocket. "Sakura Dearie, I have some good news for you, are you here?" rang the aged old voice of the old librarian.
"Yes Mrs. Yamamoto, I'm here" Sakura said as she approached the old woman pushing the cart.
"Good I have something to show you…." The old woman trailed off as she let go of the cart and beckoned Sakura to follow her as she shuffled along the floor to the back of the library where the studies where located.
The two reached the back, passing through the halls made by the various little cubicles that dotted the floor. They then reached halls dotted with little offices made up the private studies that could be reserved or even rented. Sakura's eyes kept wandering looking around for anything out of place that may be what the old woman needed to show her. They reached the end of the hall and approached a strange stair case that wrapped around itself going up to the second floor. "Help me up the stairs Sakura, my old bones find going up these steps to daunting to go alone and I'm afraid I may fall" Mrs. Yamamoto said as Sakura head her hand, ready to move forward and catch her should she slip or pass out. At the end of the stairs was a fairly large door, it was dusty and looked like It had not been touched in years. The
The kind old woman grabbed a key and plucked it from the chain, unlocked the door and handed the key to Sakura. "Here you go dearie" she said pushing the door open delicately, making the double doors strangely swing open.
It was a private study unlike any other, stocked shelves, custom leather furniture, a fire place, and a large table like desk. Sakura stared at it in amazement and ran to the other end, swinging open a pair of glass doors that lead out onto a balcony overlooking the entire library floor. Mrs. Yamamoto chuckled, her old voice rasping out the joyful sound. "This is the head librarians office, or it used to be" the old woman explained "Since I'm the head librarian I can use this office at any time, only problem is my advanced age keeps me from going up the stairs, besides I'm not one to sit in an office all day, this is why I'm giving it to you, 24/7 access to the archives is now at your fingertips and a perfect little getaway for you to focus on your studies in, as a thanks for all the work you've put in here" The old woman smiled before turning away "now would you mind helping me downstairs".
SPIRITS
Sasuke grunted as he pried himself off the ground, his muscles ached and refused to move. Unfortunately they didn't have a choice in the matter as Sasuke forced himself on the notion of pure will to move forward and head home to ice down his limbs. He had to keep up with Naruto after all, and the knuckle head just seemed to be progressing at such a high rate compared to him. Results that took Sasuke weeks took Naruto half that time, and it was beginning to grate on him. So Sasuke threw himself into training, and while the time was still the same it seemed the results surpassed those of Naruto's. Of course neither could beat each other in a fight yet, Sasuke managed to be able to deal more damage with each passing day but Naruto had also learned to be able to absorb the same amount of damage. Add in Sasuke's ever increasing speed and improving reflexes it was an unstoppable force meeting an unmovable force. Naruto was only managing to scrape victories off by outlasting him, which annoyed him to no end, or it would have if Naruto's face wasn't swollen shut every time. However it all meant nothing, the only thing that did was power. Sasuke did feel a sense of camaraderie amongst team seven, but they all seemed to seek a sort of solace in different and conflicting paths. While Sasuke trained his body, Sakura trained her mind, and Naruto explored his spirituality, something that seemed out of place for the blonde. Sasuke concluded that the team's roles were clear though; Naruto was a Tank, expendable and hard to kill great for causing massive amounts of damage and not much else. Sakura was the brain drawing the targets away from the Frey, and Sasuke was the specialist, who took down the target once alone and set the scene that would allow the tank to escape alive, if he had lasted that long. They were in simpler terms a team assembled on the classic Assault squad formula, more than the academy Top student, last student, Mid-rank, even if it was unintended.
One thing was obvious from the beginning though, he didn't have to be alone anymore. For now he simply chose to be.
SPIRIT
"This damn cat is getting on my nerves" Naruto grumbled as he carried the purring cat , which only moments earlier was trying to claw out his eyes.
"This is what? The eighth time we've caught this damn cat" Sasuke added before Sakura ran up beside him.
"Ten, if you count those two times he managed to escape when we first started taking these missions" she said holding out her hands to take the cats from Naruto, who gladly leapt over to her. "How did you get this cat so darn calm?" Sakura asked.
"Just a little scratch behind the ears and a gentle hold, it's like someone is strangling this cat or something if that's all it takes to calm it down" Naruto commented, flicking his own ear as emphasis to the scratching part.
-Five minutes later-
The mission room was where lower ranked missions as well as missions that had been deemed "suitable for public knowledge" were disturbed. As always there was about six ninja's processing requests, mission fees, and Intel that could prove valuable to the given mission. And since it was the early afternoon the Hokage was also there to assist in handing out the missions. Currently team seven was waiting for their pay as well as their next mission, and in the mean time they were catching a very sad show.
"Wow….nice call" Sasuke grumbled as he saw the cat be subjected to the malicious torment of Lady Shijimi, the Daimyo's wife.
"Oh my pretty, pretty kitty, momma's so glad to have you back in her arms, such a poor little kitty you are Tora, getting lost like that but there's no need to worry, your safe and sound with Mama now " Lady Shijimi cooed as she proceeded to strangle the poor cat.
The room just stared as she wandered off, the slowly dying cat still in her arms. "Alright" the Hokage announced, gaining the attention of the team gathered "Your next assignment will be too babysit for the council of elders, run errands to the neighboring village of Ai kasumi (indigo mist), digging up sweet potatoes…." Sarutobi listed as he read over the list of jobs still available.
"Stop right there Old Man" Naruto grumbled "I did not sign up to be an errand boy I signed up to be a ninja, give us a real fucking mission for Izanagi's sake" He finished, crossing his arms and throwing in a disgruntled glare.
His team agreed with him, all with the exception of their teacher Kakashi who just sighed at his failure to bring his students into line. "NARUTO " Iruka shouted, his head turning read and seemingly inflate " Your only a beginner and this grunt work is where you will get all your experience so you can do the bigger and better things".
"So that three months of grueling training Kakashi put us through was all for nothing, I'm not going to be a better ninja by looking after a bunch of brats, through me into the fucking fire already and watch me take it down" Naruto ranted as he threw his fists and elbows around haphazardly.
Kakashi smacked the young shinobi over the head, getting his attention and warning him to step back into line. Sarutobi just sighed, and knew that the ram headed Naruto would need a little explanation if he ever wanted this issue dropped. Naruto, we receive requests for missions daily, ones that are deemed fit for public knowledge aren't sent here, thoughts that aren't are handled through my office directly" Sarutobi began, saying maybe a bit too much, but he felt it was necessary "Public assignments go from D to A rank, and are distributed by rank, D's and C's to Genin, C's and B's to our Chunin, and B's and A's to the elite, if the mission is complete then payment is distributed to the ninja in question after their mission quota is complete, or they are put on inactive duty" Sarutobi explained as he grabbed the D-rank mission scroll " Since you have only recently attained the lowest rank the best you can hope for are these D-rank Missions" Sarutobi finished, placing the scroll down with a sense of satisfaction from his explanation.
Naruto had paid no attention to the lecture and was instead more interested in his next meal." I had pork ramen yesterday, so I guess I'll have Miso, you know what I actually feel like getting something else, you know mix it up a little…what about Yakitori...that sounds like it could be worth a try…." Naruto ranted to himself, much to the ire of the Hokage.
Kakashi began trying to apologize, only to have Naruto stop him. "Listen Old Man, I don't care about any sort of food chain, because I'll always climb my way to the top, and if I want to climb to the top of this food chain then I'm going to need you to treat me seriously and stop pussy footing around with these missions" Naruto said.
Kakashi was almost considering groveling for the sure amount of gall Naruto had to talk to the Hokage like he did. Of course the two were on good terms, but this was a professional setting of a military organization, Kakashi could end up taking the blow for not teaching his subordinates the terms of insubordination, something that he had already tried to beat into the team. Luckily instead of the angry shout or red faced, Sarutobi began laughing. Apparently something Naruto had said really connected with him. Lucky thing too, cause if Kakashi was going down so was Naruto.
"I've heard that you cooled your temper, but I see it hasn't done a thing to your boisterous ways, very well, we recently got in a contract for a mid-level c-rank mission for guarded escort to the land of waves" Sarutobi said as his laughter quelled.
Team seven seemed to rejoice at the prospect for not only getting a better mission but also the opportunity to leave the village walls. Naruto was especially ecstatic. "Really?" He said his voice rising in excitement "Who is it, a princess, a lord, a traveling monk who is an expert in all forms of combat but cannot act because of a vow of Pacifism?" Naruto began, listing off any possibility that came to mind.
"No…." Sarutobi began as he scooted his chair back "he's an architect".
"And not just any Architect" Came a slurred and drunken call "The super bridge builder Tazuna"
SPIRITS
Naruto couldn't sleep, he was just too excited. In the morning he would meet up with the team outside the west gate and begin his first mission. However his excitement was causing some troubles. "Naruto…come to bed already…" A sleepy and irritated Spirit groaned.
"Just go to sleep without me…..i need to make sure I'm ready for tomorrow…"Naruto explained as he checked over the stuff he would be putting in his pack.
"Tomorrow?" Konoha asked as she zipped over to Naruto's side "What's going on tomorrow that's so important?" The bubbly spirit began asking as she used her astral form to reach into Naruto's closed bag.
"I'm leaving on a mission and,,," Naruto began but was quickly silenced by a pair of breasts.
"NOOOOOO, don't leave me Naru-kun, please please please please please stay, DON'T LEAVE ME" Konoha began crying tears streaming down her face like rivers as she smother Naruto in her nearly bare breasts.
Naruto managed to pull the unnecessarily distraught woman off him to explain. "I'll be leaving for a few months to go to the land of waves and guard this old drunk, I'll be back soon".
"Wait…Your leaving the land of fire" A worried look soon replaced the one of depression on the spirits face.
"What of it…I am a ninja after all, it's to be expected that I'm going to be traveling a lot" Naruto said as he pulled the spirits hand out of his bag.
"But if you leave the land of fire I can't watch over you…" Konoha said as she moved to leave the room "And if one of my sisters gets a hold of you". She trailed off but Naruto heard her and cut her off before she could leave
Naruto looked up from his task of packing and looked Konoha dead in the eye. "Sisters, I didn't know you had sisters, are they other forests or…" Naruto asked only to stop at the somber expression that told him to go no further.
"No, technically I am the Kami for the land of fire….but I was born the spirit of the surrounding forests, when the shinobi clans began settling in many spirits were born or took on new responsibilities and for a short time there were hundreds of us and we were a family, until the first great shinobi war that is. During that time many fledging nations were cut down and absorbed into the other nations, the spirits either faded away or were stripped of power, we came to hate each other, and I came to hate the mantle I was given as Kami of the land of fire ,because it stripped me of my family, all my remain siblings hate me and in turn our people hate each other, including my four sisters….." Konoha explained as she slumped to the floor "I just wish things could return to the way they were but… I know that can never happen…." Konoha just sat there staring off into space with a forlorn look in her eyes.
Naruto sighed and lifted the spirit from the ground and placed her in his bed. Her eyes still stuck in a forlorn stare, not bothering to break away from the depressing thoughts that kept her stuck like that, gazed up at the young man who had allowed her into his home and accepted her and all her quirks as a spirit. He just stared back, his gaze somber but lined with his great will and a promise. "I swear Konoha, I'll find a way to end this, All the fighting, even if only for a moment, so you can finally see your family again You have my word as a man, as a Shinobi of Konohagakure it will be done…someday" Naruto returned, making the spirit look upward in awe as he placed her down on the bed and left.
The Kami sat up on the bed and looked out the door, her eyes welling up. "he may only be able to see into our realm…but it felt like, for a second, that he… no it's not possible…not yet".
Spirit
Naruto came running up to the gate around eight hundred hours, his face twisted into one of pure excitement and anticipation. In fact he was so excited that his face even refused to move an inch, keeping the poor boy from blinking. Tears streamed down his face from how dry his eyes were, all in all it was probably just another day for Naruto Uzumaki. However his face did earn him some odd looks from his team mates. "Naruto" Sasuke said getting his teammates attention "What the hell is up with your face…and are you crying?"
"No you ass, I'm just so excited I can't move my face" Naruto shouted back through clenched teeth "I can't blink either so my eyes are watering to try and keep them moist".
Sasuke just sated before his palm slammed against his face in just pure embarrassment "You know, if anyone else had said that I would think they were lying…".
"Yeah so knock it off" Sakura said as she drove her fist into the boy's skull, making his face flap about and snap out of its rigid stat "It's giving me the creeps".
Kakashi and Old man Tazuna just stared at the exchange with a confused and frightened look on their faces. They shared a sigh and turned away, walking down the path wordlessly to head to wave, their absence prompting the three strange teens to go after them and begin their journey to wave. However along the way, between the petty arguments and the awkward silence afterwards Sakura's curiosity got the better of her. "Mr. Tazuna…" Sakura said as she picked up her step to match the pace of the bridge builder walking by Kakashi's side.
"Yes" The drunken old man groaned as he sipped his sake begging that the headache that would soon come up would be brief.
"Well, why did you come to Konoha to Hire ninja, I mean surely Kiri would have been closer and easier to reach considering Wave's importance as a shipping hub, and while Wave does have a formal military working for it Daimyo and they do take missions like ninja." Sakura said as she listed out reason after reason that Tazuna had more options than just Konoha.
"Allow me to explain Sakura" Kakashi offered, taking his role of sensei seriously for a few seconds "While hiring members of the Military would be easier it would also be more expensive since they are a government branch, Konoha is cheaper because not only is it does it receive resources form the Daimyo but has its own economic system generating funds as well as many clients allowing us to give private contracts cheaper, as for Kiri, it's currently in the middle of a massive civil war, with the rebel currently winning, so it's practically impossible for Kiri to accept any missions" Kakashi finished as Sakura scribbled these things down in her note pad. "In fact it's rumored that numerous missing-nin from Kiri actually fund the rebellion in exchange for pardons on crimes committed against Kiri during the current regime" Kakashi added as a fun little tidbit.
"Yeah cheaper…" Tazuna mumbled, luckily the comment was ignored by the team of ninjas as the grumblings of an old grumpy drunk.
As the crew continued there walk, enraptured by conversation they passed by a stray puddle. While Naruto and Sakura paid no mind to it, Kakashi was alarmed, while Sasuke merely eyed them with suspicion. As Kakashi took the final steps past the boundaries a man suddenly leapt from the puddle, with another strapped to his back. With a powerful leap the other man flew into the air, and the duo began to whip the serrated chain connecting the two of them. The loops fell over Kakashi and as second landed and they both pulled tightening the binds until they sliced through Kakashi sending pieces of his body flying in all directions.
"Sensei" Naruto said in shocked awe as he stared blankly ahead.
"Two down" a low grunting voice whispered from behind him shocking him.
Luckily Naruto's Muay Thai training had given him a small zone of hyper reaction. As the clawed duo swiped at him from behind Naruto ducked and leaned back. When he extended he had limbo under the chain and their claws, grabbing their heads to brace himself he continued to slide back and slammed the two heads together. As Naruto continued his back pedal Sasuke took the distraction to in the chain to a nearby tree. The duos tried to pursue Naruto but were held back by the shuriken and kunai that had pinned them to the tree. Naruto changed course and started running forward and struck the one with one horn with a knee, kicked him back and stepped on him to pin him down. "Stay down" Naruto growled as a shadow passed over him.
"You should really watch your back kid" the dual horned assassin responded as his claws descended.
Naruto suddenly froze, unable to act with pure fear freezing him as he saw his own reflection in the bladed hands…briefly. Sasuke had sailed overhead with a flying kick and nailed the assassin in the forehead. "Take your own advice" Sasuke said, going into a roundhouse kick and knocking the second brother out.
"Thanks for the save" Naruto said, using a stomp to the head to knock out the other brother.
"Don't mention it" Sasuke said as he broke the chain connecting the duo and began using it to bind them to the tree.
"Good work you two" Came a familiar voice.
"Kakashi-sensei?" Came Sakura's shocked gasp "You must of used Kawarimi no Jutsu the second they tried to tighten the binds right?" She stated more than asked as she examined Kakashi's arm's for any cuts that might indicate when he used the technique.
"Yes I did it in order to figure out who they were after" Kakashi explained "I knew something was up the moment I saw the puddle, so decided to let you guys handle this one and only jump in should one of you need me, and you all did fine" Kakashi said as he turned to Sasuke " I'm especially proud of you Sasuke, while Naruto and Sakura froze after my fall you sprang into action, Naruto only manage to more damage cause he was targeted first and reacted accordingly when they got close".
Naruto growled in the background while Sasuke smirked and handed the chain off to Sakura who then approached the unconscious assailants. "I think I can get some info out of them…. But I need some wire to bind them". Sakura said as she looked up at her sensei in hopes that he had the supplies.
"Just use their serrated chain, it will keep them from squirming, and remove the gauntlets" Kakashi ordered. Sakura nodded and got to work binding the assassins with the chain and tossing their gauntlets to Sasuke, who eyed them with glee before attaching them to his belt.
Sakura then smirked as she placed her bag on the ground and began shifting through the various items that she had packed into their bag. She pulled out a large tackle box and began to chuckle menacing as she opened it up and began to remove several things, one of them being a little salt shaker and a set of pliers. Sakura approached the unconscious duo with her plethora of tools and began to mumble. "Prep for interrogation step 1: Remove any weapons and equipment that could hinder investigation", Sakura said as she carefully removed the gasmasks and horned face plate to check their mouths and keep their heads from being weapons themselves. "Step 2: Finish preparations for targets to suit means of interrogation" She again mumbled as she put down the pliers and grabbed the salt shaker and began waving them underneath the assassins noses.
"Gah where, what…..who are you?" one of the wto began to mumble, moving slightly and making the chains cut into his being.
"I'm unimportant" Sakura said a light hearted smile on her face " All you need to know is that I'll be taking your secrets" She responded holding up a several of her tools, which included a scalpel, a long piece of wire threaded to a needle, a and a feather. Her menacing laugh as she went through her bag of tricks were so disturbing Kakashi disturbed earplugs amongst the few watching the display.