Kumogakure Ninja

Posted: 21-09-09

Updated: 28-06-11

CH6: The Will to Protect

(Ritoru Haaku: Naruto & Emiko)

Emiko felt sick, looking at the genin's pitiful form on the ground. His hands were ripped his up to the extent she could see bones and flesh. The purple haired teen felt dizzy, but this wasn't the time to be weak. She ran to the blond but stopped ten feet away. Her eyes bulged. She couldn't believe it... his arms, his disgustingly wrecked arms were sowing back together seamlessly.

''Oh my-'' Emiko fainted just as Naruto stood up, howling in pain.

''Emiko!'' Naruto shouted concerned, darting up and catching the girl as she fell down. ''Hey, wake up!'' he shouted, ''Come on, wake up!'' he lightly slapped the purple haired teen, but she didn't respond. ''Fuck!'' he cursed loudly, ''Why the hell did it go wrong? I was determined, I was ready!'' he said, laying down the girl gently, as if she were made of glass. Guilt captured his heart. ''Damn it!''

-ooo-

Hari rolled over to his right side, the angry frown still on his face. 'How could I have been so weak?' he asked himself. 'How could I have let myself become so overconfident?'He wished he could blame his new found powers. It was true the sensational feeling when he tried to sense someone made him feel quite powerful, but he knew deep down that wasn't why he lost. He was overconfident because he had felt the lack of chakra in his samurai opponents and because of it he had let his guard down. Perhaps if he had concentrated more, he could've sensed Satoru and he might have been able to get the advantage.

He shook his head and leaning to his left, ''Who're you kidding?'' he asked himself out loud. ''There's no way I could have beaten that guy.'' Hari sat up and reached for the pack of senbons Naruto had placed on nightstand. He threw three simultaneously at the wall. His aim was still true, as he pierced each senbon with another. But he knew that wasn't enough. He needed to know more- a lot more about ninjutsu to stand a chance against guys like Satoru.

Hari reached for the small blank pieces of paper on his nightstand Kirabi had brought him yesterday. He knew what they were, but he hadn't tried to find out his elemental affinity. He didn't know why he didn't, perhaps he felt he didn't deserve to be a shinobi anymore. After all, there was no room in the shinobi world for amateurs, and he had shown just how much of an amateur he was when he fought Satoru. Hari swallowed thickly, taking the paper in his hand. 'I might as well just get this over with and find out,' he thought to himself, channeling chakra through his finger tips into his small, square sheet of paper. Instantly, the paper exploded in a burst of flames. ''What the fuck?''

-ooo-

Yugito woke up with a gasp. She immediately noticed she was feverish and her skin was pale. She didn't need a mirror to know her eyes were slightly red and her lips crusty. 'Chakra exhaustion,' she self-diagnosed as she got up, 'Such a disgrace! I let myself get carried away again and now I lost another day of training.'Yugito got up out of bed and stumbled outside of her tent to find Kirabi sitting on a log, poking the fire. She noted briefly it seemed to be a team habit.

''Good, you're up,'' Kirabi said, throwing Yugito a bottle of water, ''Get ready, we're leaving in ten minutes.''

''Leaving where?'' Yugito asked, taking of the bottle cap and taking a long tug, ''I can't train in this state. I'm suffering of -''

''Chakra exhaustion, I know,'' Kirabi cut her off, ''Which is why it's the perfect moment to continue training you in your jinchūriki form to use higher level of ninjutsu.''

Yugito showed him a rare smile. ''Give me two minutes,'' she told him, getting back into her tent to get equipment.

-ooo-

Naruto cursed loudly, walking in circles around the unconscious form of Emiko. 'What am I going to tell her? If I tell her the same bullshit I told Hari, I know she's going to prod the team about it and they can't know she knows.'

If anyone were to discover he was a jinchūriki… Naruto would have to kill them. That was one of the conditions when he was enrolled into training. Kumo would take him in, fund his training to control his bijū powers but it was a top secret project and anyone who found out had to put down as a matter of national security. As far Naruto knew, the shinobi world was under the belief Kumo had only one jinchūriki, thus Naruto and Yugito were secret weapons- secret weapons under construction. They would be a pair of big targets if the other villages found out, they would be threatened and would seek to destabilize Kumo's military power through assassinating or abduction their jinchūriki.

Naruto didn't mind being restricted to use his own powers, in fact, he was happy about it. The blond hated his bijū more than anything in the world. He had met the beast only once and even that was a vague memory. The beast was truly menacing, a monster of destruction and he didn't want to have anything to do with it. It was the reason he was still only capable of using the firstjinchūriki form, even though Yugito could do one and Kirabi could do all eight. According to Kirabi, Naruto had been a big pain in the council's ass, since they had thrown so much into his funding and the results were less than impressive in their opinions. But Naruto didn't care, he was fine with using the bastard fox's powers when his own life and those of others depended on it, but he would never use it in a fight he could win with his own strength, no matter what the situation.

''Oh,'' Emiko began to wake up with a groan, ''I have got the most splitting- Naruto!'' she shot up, looking around her. ''N - Naruto?'' she asked looking at the blond in front her. ''Is th- that you?''

''Obviously,'' Naruto said in his usual confident voice, ''Are you alright?'' he asked, feigning ignorance. ''You seem a bit pale.''

''But- but I just saw you on the ground and your arms were up in pieces!'' Emiko burst out, ''How are you ok?''

Naruto gave her a questioning look, ''What are you talking about?''

''You just blew yourself up!''

''How?'' he put up his best 'surprised' face for her.

''You used a technique - I don't know! I just remember seeing you blow yourself up!''

''That's impossible,'' Naruto lied, taking on a feigned look of concern, ''Are you alright, Emiko? I just got ready to do my technique when you suddenly fainted. I think it's the fact you haven't eaten for over a day.''

''Yea- yeah, that must be it,'' Emiko said, sitting down, ''I need to get something to eat.''

''I'm on it,'' Naruto said, creating a shadow clone and ordering him to hunt for them. ''I'll have my clone get us something to eat, he'll be back soon.''

''Yeah, good idea,'' Emiko said, ''Thanks.''

Naruto waved it off and turned his back on Emiko and silently sighed, 'Thank goodness.'

-ooo-

''Good,'' Kirabi praised Yugito, who stood with an aura of blue flames surrounding her with a lightning ball in her hand, ''Don't let go of your center. Embrace the power you feel now and remember exactly how it feels. Don't shy away. You are in control now.''

Yugito nodded, ''I think I can increase the output now, sensei,''

''Go ahead, but be careful!'' Kirabi warned her, ''bijū's chakra isn't like human chakra. It's far more potent and can kill anyone around you if you don't know how to control it.''

Yugito nodded, swallowing the lightning ball in her hand by closing her fist. She closed her eyes, going for a tiny bit more of bijū chakra. She heard Kirabi curse and jump back as suddenly she was flaring vividly with blue flames.

''Calm down, Yugito! Relax!''

The blond kunoichi took a deep breath and exhaled softly, her chakra diminished dramatically. She felt the power rush through her veins, she raised her right hand and aimed it on a tree, concentrating lightning chakra to her palm. Instantly, a thick beam of lightning shot off and evaporated half the tree. The beam shot further, destroying half a dozen more trees in the same fashion.

''Bravo!'' Kirabi said, clapping, ''I didn't expect you to enhance your lightning chakra manipulation with your bijū's chakra. Very resourceful!''

Yugito breathed in and out a couple more times and eventually, the bijū's power resided back into her seal. ''That was amazing,'' Yugito panted, dropping to her knees, ''I didn't know I could apply bijū chakra to elemental manipulation.''

''There's a lot you don't know, but that's all for today,'' Kirabi said firmly, getting off the log, ''You're going back to bed and I'll wake you up let's say fifteen hours from now. By then, you should be fully replenished and rested.''

''Fine,'' Yugito said, slightly grumpy, but she followed her teacher nonetheless.

Kirabi closed the tent behind him, leaving a dozen of clones to guard her as she slept and took off to the village to see his other student.

-ooo-

Hari opened his eyes, emerging from his sleep, his hands instantly reaching for the pack of senbons on his nightstand.

''So even in your sleep your sensory skills are working,'' Kirabi said as his student rubbed his eyes and looked at him. ''Quite impressive.''

''Thanks,'' Hari said bitterly.

''No need to be bitter about it, you're sensory skills exceed mine already and I've had it since I was seventeen, which is ten years ago.''

''Well, it's not much of a help in battle is it?'' Hari asked angrily, ''It's not like a blast of lightning or a -''

''Are you stupid?'' Kirabi cut off his student, ''Not much of a help?'' he repeated incredulously, ''In case you haven't noticed, you managed to make an instant deduction of your opponent's weakness and how his technique worked. Your chakra sensory skills go as far as identifying elemental chakra signatures.''

''Well, I want some real jutsu too! You can't expect me to fight guys like that Satoru bastard without a couple of decent jutsu! He was playing with me!'' Hari shouted, ''He wasn't even trying and he spared me! Now I just found out I got an extreme high affinity for fire, just watch,'' he picked up another sheet of paper and made it explode, ''That has to mean I can take on Satoru if I have the right jutsu!''

Kirabi sighed, ''Impressive affinity, but I know what you're thinking,'' he said, ''You feel weak because the only ninjutsu you know are low level ones and since you fought and saw what kind of jutsu you'll be facing in the real world, you want more power. You're full of rage because you got beaten, even though your opponent was far more powerful and experienced than you are.''

''Yes!'' Hari shouted, ''So why can't you train me? You've been training Naruto and Yugito since they were -''

''Don't even go there,'' Kirabi said sharply, ''Don't think for a second I'm playing favourites, ever. Understood?''

Hari instantly regretted his outburst. ''I'm sorry, sensei. I shouldn't have let out my frustrations on you. You've been nothing but supportive since you became my sensei.''

''That's right,'' Kirabi said, ''And as soon as you're better, I'll give you a little scroll I found in the jōnin section of the jutsu library. Then you'll have something to brag about.''

Hari grinned, ''But I'm fine now, sensei. See?'' Hari asked, getting out of bed. He was indeed looking better. The boiling water marks were still there, but much lighter of colour, the slash across his chest was wrapped in fresh bandage, but it seemed healthy enough and the cut under Hari's left eye was stitched up. Only his left shoulder remained an unhealthy bluish color.

''Your shoulder -''

''Is fine,'' Hari cut off his sensei. ''It hurts a little with excessive movement, but I'm right handed anyway and everything is achieved with pain, right?''

''Damn it,'' Kirabi said, chuckling, ''When it comes to new jutsu, there's no stopping you guys, huh?''

''No chance in hell,'' Hari shot back fiercely, his onyx eyes glinting with that twisted smile he and Naruto used to do during a good sparring match.

Kirabi got up from his seat, ''Alright, get dressed and meet me outside in two minutes. Dress warm.''

…

''This is so hot!'' Hari complained, pulling at his navy blue turtle neck sweater. The brown haired teenager wore black cargo trousers, a new pair of black combat boots and a black, long-sleeved jacket. His sensei wasn't kidding when he told him to dress warm, having bought the teen a new set of clothes from the shabby markets.

''It's good for your rehabilitation,'' Kirabi said, ''Not stop whining and follow me!''

He ran to the far east side of the village into the forest and took the trees, Hari, although sluggish, not far behind. He led his student into a clearing, not far the village and stopped, turning around. Kirabi fished a thick red scroll from his default pouch and handed it to Hari who took it.

''There's only a few techniques in that scroll,'' Kirabi said, ''But they're extremely powerful, especially if you use them right.''

''They're that strong?'' Hari asked.

''Yes,'' Kirabi said with a nod, ''And don't rip the scroll, I happened to borrow this from the jutsu library. I was going use the theories behind the fire based jutsu for an original lightning based jutsu.''

Hari grinned, albeit nervously. He didn't expect to get what he wanted so easily, and now that he was about to learn these techniques, he felt more intimidated than ever. ''Sensei, how do I control the fire? There are theories surrounding it that one must draw on his anger to -''

''Those theories are bullshit with only an ounce of truth to back them up,'' Kirabi immediately said. ''It's true you can strengthen your elemental techniques by fuelling them with emotions, but you don't have to use rage to get stronger fire techniques or have a ridiculous stubborn way of thinking to get stronger wind jutsu. Yugito believes the theory is true when it's about lightning techniques, but I didn't burst her bubble because she needs that theory to be good at what she is.''

''Alright, I think I'm ready.''

''Good, I'll be back to check on you in an hour.''

''W- wait, you're letting me do this alone?'' Hari asked, ''Isn't that a bit dangerous?''

''You'll eventually learn that discovering things for yourself is better than having your teacher tell it to you,'' Kirabi said walking away, ''This the time for you to start thinking on your own. Don't see this as another training exercise. See this as a calling. You need to want to learn and you need to want to do this by yourself. It's the only way a shinobi truly develops into something great.''

''You- you think I can become someone great?'' Hari shouted to his teacher.

Kirabi held up his hand and said, ''I know you can!'' and instantly disappeared, leaving Hari alone. The genin grinned fiercely, the insane glint of excitement in his eyes once more. It was time to change for him to change for the better. It was time for him to develop to the next level.''

-ooo-

Naruto sat down, reading his scroll for the tenth time. Why did it go wrong? Why did the technique backfire on him so violently? He had it under control for less than three seconds when it went wrong. 'What did go wrong?' Naruto asked himself, 'I was determined to succeed! I was determined to do the jutsu!'

''OK,'' he took a deep breath and summoned chakra, ''I know I can do this! I just have to stop being afraid!''

''Speaking to yourself isn't really a good sign,'' Emiko said cheekily, leaning against a tree, finishing up the last of her fish.

Naruto ignored her. ''Fūton! Shippū Shūren no Jutsu!'' he shouted. Instantly, wind gushed around his arms, the visible drills forming. They were smaller than last time. 'Alright, control yourself, Naruto. Be determined, not overconfident. Relax and focus…'The Hurricane Drills screeched and Naruto closed his eyes. 'I can do this!'He rushed, running at a big boulder, the size of a small hut. Naruto jumped into the air, aimed his drills at the boulder and shot straight at his at brake neck speed.

BANG!

''Ah!'' he shouted in pain, landing on his back.

''You did it!'' Emiko said, jumping up and clapping her hands. ''You did it! Naruto? Are you-''

''I'm fine!'' Naruto said, instantly recognizing the concern in her voice as he climbed to his feet. ''I'm fine,'' he repeated, ''Really.''

''What's up with you?'' Emiko asked, slightly put off by his lack of excitement. ''I though you would be jumping around, all happy-go like last time.''

Naruto frowned, ''I haven't come close to mastering the technique,'' he said, ''Last time I was overconfident and I allowed my chakra control to falter. I don't even know the full extent of this jutsu's power. Just now, I used as little as I could muster and I coated my arms with chakra. That took maybe ten percent of chakra, more probably. That's unacceptable.''

''Last time?'' Emiko questioned. ''I thought you - ''

''You went to the bathroom,'' Naruto quickly lied, ''Remember like ten minutes ago?''

''Aha...'' Emiko said, wondering why she didn't hear such an impact.

''Anyway,'' Naruto said, changing the subject, ''I've got to meditate about this a bit more.''

''Meditate?'' Emiko said, not believing what he had just said, ''You?''

''Yeah,'' Naruto said, slightly indignant, ''I occasionally meditate!'' Truth be told, he never would've done if weren't for the fact Kirabi had told him a million times that meditation was good to relax one's self and gain enlightenment. Meditation was a crucial part in his training in controlling his jinchūriki powers.

-ooo-

''Katon! Endan!'' Hari dropped to his knees, the jutsu didn't live up to his expectations. It was supposed to be the size of a - fucks knows. It was supposed to be big, but it came out barely the size of a beach ball. This was his hundred and tenth shot at it. ''Damn it!''

He yearned for water- cold water. He also wished he could take off the ridiculous amount of clothes wore. 'Who, in the right mind, would wear a turtle neck while practicing with fire jutsu?'Hari pulled himself together and got up. This was a crucial part of his training. He had to be determined, ready and he needed to use his rage.

''Rage...'' he sounded bitter. He knew he was angry deep down, but he couldn't draw on it. Not after what he did to - ''No!'' Hari shouted. ''No!'' he repeated once more. He had successfully shut that out of his mind for years.

'I want to protect, not harm,' Hari decided… and then it hit him. ''Wait a minute...''

He remembered Kirabi's words vividly, as if the jōnin was saying it to him now. ''Those theories are bullshit with only an ounce of truth to back them up.''

''Yeah,'' Hari said to himself, his hand going through hand seals. ''I don't need to be angry to be good at what I am. I just need to believe I know that I can do it! I need to have something that keeps me true to myself.'' And then a something is heart and mind spoke up. He wanted to protect those close to him. Hari moulded chakra into his lungs. He wanted to be there for those he loved, unlike that bastard. Hari smiled, ending his array of hand seals and landing on the tiger hand seal, he shouted, as loud as his lungs permitted him, ''KATON! ENDAN!''

An enormous blast of fire escaped his mouth, taking the form of a small house. Hari managed to maintain its enormous form for less than ten seconds, when it grew smaller and eventually disappeared completely. Hari dropped to his knees, chuckling, despite his throat being dry, his eyes lazy in exhaustion and his limps crusty and trembling. Hari's eyes rolled back as he collapsed to the ground.

Kirabi dropped out of the tree, walking to his student's unconscious form. He boomed with laughter, ''You'll go far in our world, Hari. There aren't many with a heart as kind and loyal, or minds and swift and intelligent.'' Kirabi picked up his student, slinging him over his shoulder. ''Years from now, people will talk about me being the sensei of the three greatest shinobi Kumo ever produced! I can't wait!'' With another booming chuckle, Kirabi left the clearing, Hari's unconscious form on his shoulder as he began to make his ridiculous beat boxing sounds.

-ooo-

The following morning, Emiko woke up. She yawned, getting up, her back was slightly sore from leaning against a tree all night. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she noticed Naruto was still in his meditative state, sitting cross-legged in his boxers in the cold stream of the river with his hands in a hand seal of sorts. His breath was deep, his eyes were closed, he seemed at peace. It was as if he was sleeping.

''Naruto?'' Emiko asked questioningly. ''Are you asleep?''

Naruto did not answer, prompting Emiko to believe he was indeed sleeping. The purple haired girl closed in on the blond genin. ''Naruto?'' she asked once more.

''I'm not asleep,'' Naruto finally said, unmoving. His voice seemed deeper for some reason.

''Thanks for the quick reply,'' Emiko said sarcastically, ''I thought you were asleep.''

''I'm not awake either,'' Naruto said cryptically.

''What's that supposed to mean?''

This time Naruto did not answer, his lips remained slightly apart longer than you would, were he awake. Emiko sat for an hour, occasionally asking questions, which he would answer after a long period of time.

''I'm ready,'' Naruto suddenly said, ''I can do the jutsu.''

''Don't you mean you can think you can do the jutsu now?''

''No,'' Naruto said firmly, standing up. ''I have discovered something.''

''What?''

''I'll tell you later, but for now, just get out of the way.''

Emiko quickly did so. There was something about Naruto. He spoke with conviction, as if he knew he was right. As it was just a fact. She gulped, seeing the blond swiftly going through hand seals, his hands blurry.

''Fuuton! Shippū Shūren no Jutsu!'' Naruto said loudly. Instantly, the drills of wind appeared around his arms, far thicker and screeching much louder than they did the previous day. Naruto set his eyes on a patch of trees, grown close to each other. His face was impassive as Yugito's right now. He didn't take a deep breath as he did before. He took a stance and instantly burst forwards, pushing his legs to the limit, without the use of chakra.

The trees obliterated in front of Emiko's eyes. Naruto didn't see the effect, he was standing with his back facing the trees, which were completely pulverized, broken down to wood dust and tiny pieces. Naruto was not done yet, ignoring Emiko's happy squeal as she clapped. The blond genin turned to a boulder that was sticking out by at least ten feet above the foot high water of the river mouth they were. He set his eyes on it, his face impassive still and darted off. He jumped high into the air, the drills as big as they were moments before. He pierced the thick boulder with both drills of wind. It instantly shattered with a loud crack. Naruto gracefully used the blast to back flip and land in a crouch, his arms spread as the drills instantly disappeared.

''That - that was amazing!'' Emiko shouted, ''How come you had such control?''

Naruto stood up, taking on a stupid heroic pose, rubbing his finger under his nose. ''Meditation!''

''Meditation? Right,'' Emiko said.

Naruto grinned stupidly, when he fell backwards, landing in an ungraceful heap, instantly asleep. Emiko sighed, a crooked smile on her face.

''Idiot.''

-ooo-

Satoru stopped his stride, as he walked through the forest.

It was early and the sun was rising, casting the sky in a lovely shade of orange and blue with but a few clouds. The swordsman stopped midstride and his hand instantly shooting for the hilt of his sword. ''Come out, Takezo, I can smell your stench.''

Clang!

Satoru's blade stalemated with another and he looked into the fierce brown eyes of Takezo, who grinned madly.

''Hello, Satoru-teme,'' Takezo's brownish-red blade glinted in the light of the sun rising. ''I heard you gave some of my men some trouble.''

Satoru scoffed arrogantly with a mirthless, though provocative smile. ''You're men resemble you. They are nothing but overconfident amateurs, I felt obliged to rectify that.''

Takezo growled, and applied more pressure behind his blade. He howled, cutting through Satoru's blade and cutting him deeply in his right shoulder. Satoru smiled, suddenly dropping down, revealing to be an ice clone, leaving a thick cover of ice on Takezo's blade which began to grow, encasing the blade in more ice. Steel as cold as ice touched Takezo's neck, his beard turned white with ice.

''Hmph,'' Takezo grunted, shifting his head, seeing Satoru's back turned to him and his pale hand holding the blade to his neck. He could practically feel him smirk. ''Not bad, when did you make the clone?''

''The second I smelled your disgusting stench,'' Satoru said, raising his blade and sheathing it in his scabbard. ''You should take a shower.''

"Aye?'' Takezo grunted again as his blade broke down from its solid for to sand grains. ''And you should get laid once in a while,'' the brutish samurai grunted back and his blade grew back to its original size. ''Look at what you did to poor Kuma-chan.''

''You should not challenge me again, who knows, my blade may slip and slit your throat.''

''Perhaps you think to highly of yourself,'' Takezo challenged. ''I cannot wait till the day this is over. I shall strike you down with nothing but pleasure.''

''I would love to see you try, scum.'' Satoru growled, as Takezo sank into the earth of the forest, a smile that went unseen on his face. ''Fool,'' he said to no one in particular as he continued his stride.

Author's Notes

A big thanks goes out to all readers and reviewers, you make my day and motivate him more than you think.

Enjoy, read and please review!

…

Jutsu Used:

(Jutsu: Shippū Shūren – Hurricane Drills!) – B rank, offensive, short range. The user summons a large amount of chakra and, if needed, coats his appendages with chakra. Then, the user simply spins wind chakra around his arms. The spinning of wind chakra is only necessary for a few seconds. Afterwards, the wind chakra will continue to swirl around the arms. At this point, the tendrils vibrant at an extreme high frequency and screech loudly. The technique can then easily pulverize trees and shatter boulders. The true potential of this technique has yet to be met.

(Jutsu: Katon! Endan - Fire Release! Fire Ball Technique!) – C rank, offensive, mid range. The Endan jutsu is a C leveled jutsu that utilizes the fire element. By channeling and moulding chakra to the lungs, the user can create a spark and blow out a ball of fire. Those like Hari, who have an extremely high affinity with fire can take this jutsu to the level and expand its heat output and enhance its destructive capabilities.