Hello! And welcome to chapter 5!
Disclaimer: I attempted to hire a thief to steal the rights for Naruto. He was caught, shot, and made an example of. I don't recommend trying that route again. Naruto and his friends still belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Naruto's children, on the other hand, they are all mine. :)
It would appear that things are happening in threes. It took me three chapters to complete the "Mission Preparation" stage (where I introduced everyone important for the time being), and now it looks as if the mission itself is going to need three chapters. I wanted to finish it up with this chapter; however, Fumato threw a wrench in my plans. You'll see what I mean later, but it offered me a very interesting perspective on my villain. I couldn't ignore it... thus, not only do you end up with some more action next chapter, but you get some first person perspective! (I hate writing first person, by the way, it's very difficult to keep interesting).
This chapter is pretty much ALL action. I hope you enjoy it, because I did my best to make it interesting and easy to follow.
It was brought to my attention by a reader that they wanted to know the name of the ninja in the alley, the woman. Well, I did throw her name in the last chapter. It's the only time it is going to be mentioned until chapter six... so yeah. It's there, but I didn't give it a real announcement. Besides it doesn't really matter because her "formal introduction" will be much more exciting!
I don't have a picture for you this time (sorry!) because I'm currently in the process of moving. I'm lucky that I still have time to write as much as I am. As always, I reply to all reviews, and I'll return a review if you want me to do so. That's all I have for you, hope you like it, and I'll see you next time.
~Sarai
Naruto: Kurashio
Chapter 5 – Riptide
We have a saying where I come from:
"The dead do not disappoint…"
I don't think anyone even remembers where the saying originated, but I would love to take credit for it. It's a macabre way of looking at the world… saying we build the dead up with memories and idealization, creating a false sense of their worth, their accomplishments, or their evils… We attach such reverence and respect or fear to the dead; how is it possible for them to let us down? They cannot… they are dead.
"The dead do not disappoint."
No, I'm afraid that singular honor belongs to the living. When held up to the ideals of the past, all too often, the living fall short of expectations. They cannot help but fail. Mortality is an unbalanced coil, leaning at the slightest winds of change… but eventually life does end, giving way to the impregnable certainty which is death.
Mortality is like a candle—bright and fragrant in the beginning, turning into a sputtering mess at the end. The only difference between one life and another is the measure of time.
True, some mortals burn brightly… remembered for their deeds as heroes and not for their failures which made them human. These candles stand out among the throng, often burning themselves out before their time. Others, the more devious, attempt to prolong their lives. They burn dimly, barely noticeable; they try to draw out their lifetime to an eternity… for immortality.
It is futile.
All candles will burn out, and when they do… darkness settles into the void left behind. Another candle is lit; the cycle continues. The light is carried on by those around it. As more and more people die, candles burned out, the fond memories fade with them until all that remains are the most glaring reminders.
"The dead… do not disappoint."
[…]
Naruto had always thought himself to be fast. Admittedly, as a child, his skills had been nothing to speak of, but he had grown quite confident in his abilities at his current age. The blond knew he was one of the most capable ninja Konoha had to offer, and he didn't rest on his laurels either. Naruto was constantly trying to make himself stronger.
So he was surprised at how swift their current quarry was.
The rogue ninja, or whoever this was, had managed to stay out of his and Sasuke's sight for the better part of an hour. They hadn't lost her, at least Naruto assumed it was a woman from the long hair, but they hadn't been able to gain a descent visual, much less to try and apprehend the person.
The blond noticed the distance between himself and the fleeing ninja begin to decrease; he was gaining on her. In a blur, the unknown kunoichi spun about, and there was the unmistakable trill of a kunai flying through the air. Naruto twisted mid-run, dodging the projectile and catching the weapon as it passed. He threw the weapon back at its owner with practiced dexterity, but the woman countered with a second kunai. The counter-weapon was thrown with such precision that Naruto's attack was diverted toward Sasuke, while the second Kunai came whistling for his chest.
Naruto and Sasuke split, dodging the weapons but allowing their target to get even further ahead.
Memories of his first day as a genin kept popping into Naruto's mind. He was reminded of trying futilely to grab a bell which was attached to Kakashi's waist. He had been twelve at the time, so it was understandable why he'd been unable to complete the task… but as an adult? Naruto felt a challenge for the first time in many years, and he was excited.
"We need to come at her from different angles," Sasuke's voice came through the communication channel. "As long as we stick together, she'll be able to avoid us too easily."
"It's dangerous to split up against an unknown ninja," Naruto cautioned.
"Come on, Dobe," Sasuke chided, "This is me you're talking to… or are you afraid I won't be there to protect you?"
"Ha! You wish," Naruto grinned, "Take her from the west. I'll keep her busy."
As if thinking with one mind, Sasuke dropped back a pace just as Naruto exploded into a group of clones. In the confusion of the Shadow Clone jutsu, one of Naruto's clones took on Sasuke's appearance. This would allow Sasuke to gain a different attack vector without alerting their prey to his absence.
Naruto, the Sasuke duplicate, and four other clones spread out attempting to surround the fleeing woman; however, she seemed to anticipate his movements. The ninja angled her retreat up the spire of a church, landing atop the steeple. As she touched down on the golden crucifix, Naruto could see her fingers laced with Kunai.
The ninja woman let eight of the projectiles fly, at least one headed for each of Naruto's clones and himself. It was an easy enough attack to dodge, or it had been... before the rogue ninja above him perform several familiar jutsu signs.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu?" Naruto was confused for only a moment, at least until those eight kunai suddenly exploded into a hundred.
The blond lost sight of which weapons were the real thing and which ones were clones, not that it really mattered. "Shadow Clone Jutsu" created actual, physical manifestations. There was no way he could destroy all of the "clone" kunai. In the amount of time he had… Naruto could protect himself, but then the ruse would be lost, or he could dodge. Taking the lesser of two evils, Naruto allowed his clones to be slaughtered, each of them exploding into smoke, while he used his concentration to get himself and the Sasuke clone out of harms way.
The female ninja fully took advantage of his defensive effort, back-flipping off the steeple and dashing away once again.
Naruto wanted to be frustrated by the turn of events, but he couldn't force himself into such a mood. This chase was exhilarating for him, full of surprises at each turn. They were deadly surprises, such as her last attack, but surprises nonetheless. Naruto had been using the same Shadow Clone technique for years, but he had never thought about applying it to his weapon. She'd given him something new to practice back in Konoha. As he pushed forward, attempting to use the Sasuke clone to come at the woman from both sides, Naruto wondered what other tricks she had up her sleeve to avoid detainment.
Before he could get an answer to his question, the real Sasuke appeared out of nowhere, slamming into the woman from her flank. For a moment they had her completely by surprise, but before Naruto could even catch up to the pair of grappling shinobi, the woman execute a flawless taijutsu counter which sent Sasuke flying backwards into the side of a nearby building. Naruto hadn't seen taijutsu like that since sparring with Rock Lee, and no one had handled Sasuke so easily… not since they were kids.
He was on the woman in an instant, fully expecting to engage this mysterious foe like Sasuke had moments before, but she obviously had different ideas. Rather than continue fleeing across the rooftops, the female ninja took a step backward, off the rooftop, and dropped down into an alleyway. Naruto's momentum took him sailing directly over her, and he had to come skidding to a stop to redirect pursuit.
"Did you get a good look at her," Sasuke's voice barraged his ear.
"No," Naruto shouted, dropping down to street level to continue pursuit, "I wasn't the one she punched in the face."
"I didn't get punched in the face," Sasuke snapped.
Naruto chuckled, "Looked like it from where I was standing."
"The bitch threw me into a wall," Sasuke countered, "I didn't get a chance to see her face on the account of trying to dodge said fist."
"She's fast."
Sasuke seemed to share Naruto's mirth, "Yes… she is indeed."
Just up ahead the woman took a sharp turn around a corner, vanishing around the wall at the end of the alleyway. Pouring on extra speed, Naruto could feel the wind whipping his hair wildly as he took the same corner.
The street ahead was completely empty.
There was no way she could have taken to the rooftops again so quickly, and he wasn't far enough behind for her to reach the end of the next alley. So where had she gone? His question was answered by the cold prick of metal against his throat.
"I think we've played this game long enough…" a cold, sultry voice spoke a hair's breadth away from Naruto's ear.
He felt whatever was pressed against his throat break skin and the warm path of blood, trickling down his neck from the wound. "I agree," Naruto smirked, happily using the woman's voice to target her position without using his eyes.
Rather than try and fight out of her grip, Naruto stepped backwards into his foe, slamming an elbow into her chest. The attack was blocked, but the weapon at his throat was also removed so its owner could defend. Naruto quickly blocked a retaliatory strike, putting distance between them in order to assess the situation.
The female shinobi was a blur of motion, managing to stay just beyond Naruto's field of vision. She struck twice, and Naruto didn't dodge fast enough. He felt pain as two fresh lacerations appeared on his upper right arm and left calf. If he didn't start taking this seriously, Naruto determined that he could end up in actual danger very soon.
From the corner of his eye, the blond caught the hint of movement from a third attack. Naruto ducked under it and struck out with retaliation of his own. His fist struck the opponent in the chest, but she was nimble and leapt backwards, effectively decreasing the force of his strike.
"Not bad," the woman whispered from the shadows. Her entire form was covered by darkness, but she also had nowhere else to go. She'd effectively trapped herself.
"You alright, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto's attention was drawn to a fire escape above his head where Kakashi was crouching, watching the scene with concerned amusement. The silver haired jonin had his headband up, and he was watching the woman cloaked in shadows very carefully. Naruto could tell she was watching the gray-haired copy-nin just as closely.
Sasuke appeared moments later, landing next to Naruto with several kunai in one hand and his sword drawn in the other. If their former teacher's presence shocked him, the raven didn't let it show, "Kakashi… what brings you here?"
"Strange story actually…" his former teacher mused, his never once leaving the shadows, "I was following a ninja who dropped into this alleyway."
"What?" Naruto shouted in surprise, "There are two of them?"
Kakashi didn't speak; rather he just shook his head for a negative. That was all the time they were given before their shadowy foe launched her attack. From with in the shadows, three forms burst out—one headed for each of the gathered jonin. It was over in a flash as each Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi retaliated, striking out with their weapons.
Blade, kunai, and fist struck heavily against body, before they went completely through. The three men stood there as they watched something horrifying yet fascinating at the same time. The three bodies which had attack them were dissolving, melting away into darkness which crawled back into the shadows of various recesses, alcoves, and buildings.
"Clones?" Sasuke asked, immediately back on guard.
"Shadow clones," Kakashi confirmed, "Perfectly executed for distraction. Our target has used it to escape."
Naruto was standing over the clone which he had attacked. He had punched it directly in the face with every ounce of his strength. Now there was little left of it, save for a few tendrils of darkness which had yet to leak back to their homes… but, before the clone had been destroyed, Naruto could have sworn he'd saw a pair of ice blue eyes staring at him... laughing with excitement. They'd seemed so real, the impact of his fist against the soft, pale skin had felt real…
"Those weren't like my clones," the blond said quietly.
Kakashi thought about this, "No. Come to think of it… I haven't seen clones like this before."
"Did either of you get a good look at her?" Sasuke growled, irritation creeping into his voice.
"Nope," Kakashi said in good spirits, "The clones were meant to be destroyed. I don't even think she fully formed them."
"Blue eyes," Naruto said thoughtfully. "She had blue eyes…"
Sasuke looked concerned for a moment, but Naruto couldn't tell exactly why. "Unfortunately, that doesn't help us," the raven said bitterly.
"No," Kakashi agreed, "But why were the two of you chasing after her?"
"I traced a land line call to a public phone," Sasuke explained, "When I arrived there was no one in the terminal, but a pedestrian pointed out someone in the crowd. She took off when I approached her. When I saw how capable this ninja was, I called Naruto for backup. What about you?"
"She was tailing our target," Kakashi shrugged, "When I attempted to get the drop on her, she fled…"
"They weren't the real person," Naruto suddenly said. The blond had been thinking over and over again about the chase, how everything had ended up in the alley. He'd gotten no outstanding chakra reading from the person they were pursuing. "We were chasing clones…"
Kakashi's face fell as he considered this, "Yes… that would make sense."
"Two clones came into the alley," Naruto continued, "We didn't think about it because there was an actual chakra signature hiding in the shadows… and we didn't suspect clones because we'd all followed what we assumed to be a real person. The real chakra signature covered up the fact that two clones had converged on a single area. The actual ninja had been waiting here all along…"
"And when the three clones attacked, the ninja suppressed her chakra and got away," Sasuke said with realization. He brought a hand up into his hair, gripping the dark locks in frustration. "Why? Why lead the three of us here?"
Naruto wondered the same. What had been the point? In most cases shinobi were vastly more powerful than their creations, and the woman's clone had given them quite a runaround. If she could have put up a fight, why had she lured them here?
"Distraction…" Kakashi said the word for the second time, "If she was part of the weapon smuggling…"
Sasuke supplied the rest, "She wouldn't have wanted three jonin available to interfere."
With a quick look to his watch, Sasuke saw that it was just after noon. Team 5 would be following the police chief to his meeting, and Sasuke had promised to check in. The raven's hand shot up to the communicator in his ear, "Kit! Give me a status update."
His answer was nothing but static.
"Kira? Sainō?" he checked, in case Kit's communicator was failing—still nothing but static.
Anxiously he looked up to Kakashi, "What were your kids doing?"
"Following the gang leader," Kakashi said blandly. The gray haired man flipped on his communicator and spoke, "Fuma, come in. What's the target's location?" This time even the experienced jonin expressed some surprise, and they could all here the loud shrill of the static that answered. "Ame, I need an answer... Gemma, do you hear me?" Nothing but static played over the channel for Team 7.
A second team was not in contact.
Naruto did his best to push his anxiety aside. He couldn't focus on the fact that two of his children could be anywhere; he couldn't think about them coming to harm. The blond had to focus on one certainty: he knew where his team would be. He'd purposefully skipped out on the ramen bill, assuring that they wouldn't be able to leave the restaurant until well into the evening… or he returned to pay. This was enough to silence the raging bout of disquiet that threatened his mind.
Bringing a steady hand to his communicator, Naruto turned it on. He'd only need to say one word to get confirmation. "Jira…"
[…]
The eldest Uzumaki child was currently up to his elbows in latex gloves and soap suds as he washed what seemed like the thousandth bowl. Why so many people felt this ramen shop was worth patronizing, the boy would never understand, but countless customers had come and gone… and he was still here washing dishes. His job was the curse of luck. Hana, because she was a girl, had gotten stuck waiting on the customers; while, Chino was out holding signs and shouting for publicity because of his hunger complaints… the old man hadn't wanted Chino in the back because he feared for his precious storerooms. If Chino was left unattended, no telling how much he might eat… which would only keep them here longer.
That left Jira with the unfortunate position of being the tallest and the only one left. He could easily reach into the deep sink without a stool, and he looked the most reliable with his hands—which, in the old man's eyes, meant he wouldn't break a bowl.
In theory, this was all working out… of course the old man hadn't taken into account that Hana's squirrels were the ones drying the dishes. For the most part they were excellent workers, except when one of them seemingly insulted the other for no apparent reason… this is when they would start fighting. Each fight ended up with several pieces of dinnerware launched into the air, which Jira had to hectically lunge for to keep them from breaking.
He wasn't always successful, but thankfully the old man was too busy outside to bother checking the back. Each broken dish was only answered with a shout of, "That's another hour!" Cumulatively, Jira had been allotted three extra hours of washing dishware thanks to Hana's pets. He'd be making certain she was back here for each and every second of those hours.
"…ra!"
The blond stopped the circling motion he was making with a sponge and bowl and listened. He was certain his communicator had made a sound, but when nothing came through… not even static, Jira shrugged and went back to work.
"Jira…"
That time he definitely heard something. Faster than he'd been moving for the past hour, Jira whipped his gloves off and pressed the PTT button on his communicator, "Sir!"
Naruto's voice came through loud and clear, obviously concerned, "Where are you?"
"In the restaurant kitchen…" the boy said with irritation, "You forgot to pay the bill. Sorry I didn't answer a moment ago, I think my headset is acting up."
"I didn't try to contact you before this," Naruto was obviously sounding worried now. "Have you heard from your brothers?"
"No…" Jira said tentatively, "Dad, what's going on?"
"There isn't any time to explain," Naruto said hurriedly, "Kakashi, Sasuke, and I are too far away from there. I need you to find your brothers… take Hana, and Chino. Leave now!"
"But the bill…"
"Now!" Naruto shouted.
His father never raised his voice unless it was something dire, and normally those circumstances involved Jira, Kit, or Fuma in some sort of dangerous situation. The last time Jira could remember Naruto yelling, Kit had been practicing, using kunai without permission. His younger brother had cut an artery and almost died. Naruto had never looked so worried, and, once Tsunade had patched Kitaka up, their dad had yelled for a good ten minutes. That had been about three years ago…
Jira had learned that you didn't question Naruto when he yelled; it wasn't something good for your health, and he normally had a good reason for it. "Leaving now," he reassured his dad, ending the communication.
He was out the door of the kitchen, grabbing Hana as he practically flew toward the exit.
"Hey!" she protested, "What gives?"
"Grab Chino and follow," Jira ordered, his tone doing a very good job of mimicking Sasuke and his "ask no questions" attitude.
It must have worked because Hana nodded and dashed away to grab the cheerfully shouting boy. Jira didn't both to watch her, rather he turned to face towards the direction of Police Headquarters, where Kit should have been. "Byakugan!" he shouted, holding his hands out before him. Immediately he could feel the rush of chakra to his optical nerves, he knew the skill had presented itself visibly with several prominent pathways raising the skin about his eyes, looking like engorged veins. Several of the pedestrians around him let out gasps and murmurs, but they weren't worth worrying about.
Jira had never used the Byakugan to search more than about a thousand meters before, and he wasn't quite sure if he'd be able to cover a larger distance… but he was going to try. Buildings and streets rushed through his field of vision, but he saw no sign of any trouble or his brothers. He did catch sight of a police vehicle with flashing lights. It was headed towards a downtown warehouse district, swiftly followed by another.
That was a good enough indication of trouble, and it would be a decent place to start.
"What are we doing?" Chino came running towards him with Hana quickly behind.
"This way!" Jira took off without even waiting, expecting them to follow. If Naruto was worried; they had little time to waste… and, if Kit and Fuma were in trouble… Jira didn't even want to think of the consequences should something happen to his younger siblings. All he knew was that he had to find Kit… and Fuma. Find them and make certain they were safe.
[…]
"I don't think… I can hold them anymore!" Sainō shouted. Another crash against the door almost knocked the boy off his feet.
Kit eyed the door warily. Their situation was growing dire... Below, more and more people were pouring into the alley. If it continued, the city could end up with a full blown gang/police war. The sound of bullets flying had intensified, and both sides were starting to make clear lines. Kit knew if they didn't make it out quickly, then they weren't going to make it out at all.
Bam!
There was another crash of metal against metal. Kit guessed they would knock past Sainō in another two attempts… three if they were lucky. Once those men on the other side made it through, Kira and Sainō would be caught in bullet fire, and Kit would most likely follow. He could escape now, but that would involve leaving his teammates behind. As frightened as he was, Kit couldn't bring himself to even contemplate such a thing.
That left only one option.
"Kira get further into the warehouse!" he directed, turning to Sainō. The brown haired boy looked at him, clearly worried. "Listen… when I tell you, run! Don't look back, just run and find Kira. Hide there until you see an opening to get out."
"But, what about you?"
"I can take a few hits!" Kitaka shouted, "Just trust me." The brunette looked as if he wanted to argue, but thinking it through he just nodded.
Bam!
The door shuddered again, throwing Sainō clear.
"Run, now!" Kit said, drawing another kunai for his free hand. He dropped low into a defensive position and raised his weapons at the ready. Sainō's clone disappeared as he rushed off into the darkness of the buildy, out of Kit's sight and hopefully that of whomever lay beyond the door. Kit's eyes never left the door, and fear threatened to turn his legs to gelatin. He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves and his gaze upon the enevitable...
Bam!
There was a loud crash as the door slammed inward. Kit didn't even waste time aiming. The moment he saw light, the redhead sent both kunai flying through the newly created space. He was rewarded by screams and shouts to "take cover", but he didn't want to stay out in the open.
Kit dashed to the side, away from the direction of his teammates and out of the line-of-sight for the door, drawing himself flat against the wall. He was covered mostly by shadows, hoping to get the drop on their attackers.
Several armed police officers soon came rushing through the door with clear, plastic riot-shields covering their fronts. Luckily for Kit, they rush headlong, not looking at their flanks.
Taking advantage of their haste, the boy lunged. He caught the nearest one in the spine with a well aimed kunai, watching as the man dropped. It happened in slow, horrific motion. Blood appeared around the wound and the man hit the floor limp, as if there wasn't a single bone in his body. Kit hadn't seen death so close… it was fascinating and appalling at the same time. He almost froze from the sight of it.
"Ninja!" one of the officers shouted, "Shoot to kill!"
The words snapped Kit out of his trance, and he dodged to the right just as a stream of bullets pepper the wall behind him. His next movement dashed between the two men, placing him at their backs. Kit quickly drew another pair of kunai, and, with two quick taijutsu strikes, he hamstringed the pair of attackers. They fell to the floor—neutralized but not dead—moaning and crying out for help.
A swift pain in his shoulder spun Kit around with incredible force; it was like being punched by Jira. The hit had been from a bullet, which thankfully his sand armor had obstructed, but the impact had hurt like hell. The redhead noticed that more officers had entered the doorway, much more cautious this time, and Kit was completely open. He threw both Kunai, one buried itself in the neck of an officer while the other bounced harmless off a riot shield. They'd have him surrounded if he didn't move.
Kit started strafing, dodging bullets in an attempt to get closer to the men. If he couldn't distract them and get them away from the door, Kira and Sainō would have no chance of escaping. He was almost within striking distance, when the officers parted ranks to reveal a man in riot gear, holding the business-end of an automatic shotgun in Kit's direction.
There was the loud "Thwump!" as the barrel flashed.
At the close range, Kit was sent flying, grains of sand sprinkling the trail of his fall. He landed on his back, winded and gasping for air. He could feel the multiple pricks of injuries, pieces of flak which made it through his armored skin, indicating the jutsu still needed more work; however, despite the minor pain, none of the damage appeared to be life threatening. Painful? yes... but he could struggle to his feet. This wound wouldn't kill him, not even close.
The policemen quickly surrounding him were an entirely different matter.
Kit saw the wrong end of too many weapons and knew there was no way he could dodge them all. Somewhere off in the distance he heard Kira scream, probably telling him to run, but it was all drowned out by the sudden roar of rushing wind and the shrill of metal soaring through the air.
The police officers looked around frantically, fear evident in their posture. When the wind came roaring into the warehouse, there were screams and shouts as several tried to make it back through the open door… but it was to little avail. Dozens of crimson colored senbon needles came whistling through the open windows, their speed increased by the guiding tailwind, and they peppered the armed attackers.
Left and right police officers fell like fleshy pin cushions until the entire building was cleared. It wasn't until the last man fell that Kitaka felt it was safe to raise his head, and there, standing before him, was Jira.
[…]
The older Uzumaki looked down at his brother with concern. The redheaded boy was bleeding, but thankfully the wounds only appeared to be minor. Jira was thankful for Kitaka's genetic heritage, knowing full well that Gaara's patented sand armor had saved his life. He rushed over to Kit and began checking to make certain he wasn't in any immediate danger.
"Jira! Stop!" Kit squirmed out of Jira's grasp and onto his feet, "I'm fine!"
"Where are the others?" the blond asked worriedly.
"Over here," Kira waved, peeking wild hair out from behind a large metal support, "Kit had us get out of the way."
"Good thing you did," Hana appeared, hanging from the nearest open window. Both Ying and Yang were perched on her feet and chattering noisily about something below. "Most of the gangsters are subdued, and Chino is currently mopping up the rest of them… with some help."
"Help?" Kit asked curiously.
"Team 7 was already handling the outside before we showed up," Hana informed the boy, "They just couldn't make it up here… they didn't have Jira. He took out most of the—"
"It doesn't matter," Jira cut her off, "Is everyone safe?"
There were a few pondering looks before the three genin of Team 5 nodded to the oldest. Taking that as a good sign, Jira turned back to the task at hand. He pressed his communicator, "Chino… any sign of the targets?"
"None," their teammate responded, "Well… strike that. I found the gang leader... He's dead."
"And the Police Chief?"
"No sign," Chino said, "The police seem to have calmed down now that the gangs are out of the picture. They're putting handcuffs on everyone."
"Just be careful. Don't let your guard down," Jira cautioned. He turned his pale blue eyes on the rest of the genin, about to give them directions when his Byakugan suddenly picked up movement behind him.
There was a metallic click, the sound of a gun's hammer pulling back—quickly followed by the explosion of a high caliber pistol shot.
Jira spun around, releasing a senbon; his free hand rose protectively as he spun… the bullet caught him square in the shoulder.
Everyone looked on in horror as the scene played out.
Jira jerked from the impact, dropping to one knee. The Police Chief, responsible for the shot, dropped his gun as a senbon pierced his hand and a sword sprouted from his shoulder. With a gurgled cry of pain, Chief Kaiza fell to the floor. Standing in his place was an impassive and stoic Ame, his long, azure hair wreathing his face in an almost angelic appearance.
"You alright, Uzumaki?" the pale boy addressed Jira.
With a smirk, Jira stood up and opened the hand he had clenched to his shoulder. A copper colored slug fell to the floor, bouncing with a series of tinny clinks. "We throw weapons almost as fast as they shoot bullets… figured I should learn to catch one."
There were many gazes, including Kit's. Jira could see that his brother's eyes held a glow of pride; however, Ame was anything but impressed.
"Don't be so careless next time, Jira," he said with an offered smile, "I'd hate to have to save your ass a third time."
"You didn't save me," Jira corrected.
"That's why I'm not counting this time," Ame gave the blond a wink and vanished back outside just as quickly as he had appeared.
The boy's words brought a bright red flush to Jira's face.
"What was creepy talking about?" Sainō piped up.
"He's not creepy," Kira snarled, smacking the boy over the head.
Kit was eyeing his brother, "What was Ame talking about?"
"Nothing…" Jira sighed, walking over to the window. "Hana, find the person in charge of the newest police detachments. Let them know we have one of there people. Kaiza was apparently one of the ones in charge of the smuggling ring. They'll want to take the police chief into custody."
He ignored Kitaka's curious stare and continued to focus, "They'll also want to get him an ambulance. He's not dead, but if he keeps losing blood… I can't make any promises. We aren't trained to deal with wounds. Try to keep everyone together until our teachers get back."
"What do you want us to do?" Kit asked.
Jira thought about it for a second, "I want you to stay here. You can't be running around with your communicators not working."
With a huff, Kit stamped his foot, "What about you?"
"I'm staying here too," Jira announced. Apparently this shocked the redhead, because he brother, thankfully, didn't say anything else.
Grateful that the other two members of Team 5 were more cooperative, Jira left them to rest while he went to look out the window at the alley below. He could see Hana and Ame talking to what appeared to be a police detective. Chino and Gemma were helping to handcuff unconscious gangsters and police officers alike, apparently the law enforcement already knew Chief Kaiza had been acting on a personal agenda.
What he didn't see was his youngest brother. Pressing his communicator, Jira tried contacting him. "Fuma… where are you?"
There was no answer. Irritation set in so he tried someone else, "Ame, can you see Fumato?"
Again, no answer.
Ame didn't even shift posture, as if he hadn't heard a word. The pale, long haired boy just continued talking to the Detective.
"Hana," Jira tried one of his own teammates, "Why does Team 5 have their communicators turned off?"
Hana looked up at him, clearly registering his voice. Jira watched as she turned to Ame and spoke something, before pressing her own communicator to respond, "Ame says they aren't turned off."
"Well they must be, because I've been trying to get his attention." Jira watched as his message was relayed. Below, Ame removed his communicator and examined it. After a few moments, his pale skin flushed with embarrassment, and he quickly took Hana's communicator, "Sorry about that, Jira, my communicator is fried. It must have been from the electrical jutsu earlier."
"Fuma was using jutsu?"
"No," Ame shook his head, even though Jira was an entire story above him and the expression was pointless. "There was a ninja in the alley. She used a lightning jutsu I'm not familiar with… it must have fried the electrical equipment. That must be why Kit didn't hear us. We tried to contact him when the fighting broke out."
"Alright," Jira accepted that and pushed on to the more important topic, "Where is Fuma?"
"He was with Gemma…" Ame turned to look in that direction, suddenly realizing the problem. "Oh…"
"Find him!" Jira growled, "Shutting off the communicator."
"What's wrong?" Kitaka was at his shoulder in no time.
Jira pondered whether or not to tell his brother, deciding that it couldn't hurt, "Fuma isn't down there."
"Can you see him?"
Kit's question was easily understandable… but the problem was Jira couldn't see Fumato. Byakugan was still active, and he'd managed to push its limits to almost a fifteen hundred foot radius. The small, black haired child was nowhere to be seen, and Jira was rapidly getting worried. "I don't see anything…"
"I can sense him," Kit said finally.
Jira looked at the redhead with respect. Kit was almost two years younger him… and, if he could sense a particular chakra signature, that was remarkable. Jira was still having issues with that particular skill. He could read signatures, but differentiating them was difficult. He was better with people familiar to him… such as Kit and his teammates. Fumato should be similarly easy, and Jira wondered why he hadn't thought to do that in the first place
"Which direction?" Jira asked hurriedly.
"That way," Kit pointed north, "And he's moving."
Yes, he was. Fuma was moving rapidly for some reason, and Jira was finding it hard to follow the chakra as it got further away.
"I have to go now," Jira announced.
"I'm coming with you," Kit said, tightening his kunai pouch.
"No!" Jira snapped, "I need you here when dad gets back. Tell him what's going on."
"But you can't go by yourself… that woman… she was…"
Jira turned back to his little brother smirked, "I'll take Ame… you take charge, and I promise you: I'll be fine. Kit may just be chasing down one of the gang members... or a cat for all we know."
Kit obviously disagreed with him, but Jira was glad to see him nod in agreement. Without another word, Jira leapt from the window, onto a nearby fire escape.
"Hana," Jira called through his communicator, "Tell Ame he's with me."
As he took to the rooftop, Jira was comforted by another familiar chakra. He looked to his right and nodded at the tall, pale youth who now had his flank covered.
"Wanted to make sure I could save you again?" Ame chuckled.
"You know very well that's not how it happened," Jira countered.
Ame let out another soft laugh, "Keep telling yourself that… now where are we going."
"North," Jira replied solemnly, "Fuma's running from something."
[…]
Talent…
That is something I can personally vouch for. Talent has significant, intrinsic value. Without talent, a person is just mediocre… mundane. In the grand scheme of things, talentless people are useless.
It is my life to recognize power. I train power, I see power… I understand power.
Power is a raw fundament, but for it to be useful… there has to be talent, and I encourage talent. I've spent years developing special, talented individuals… all for one purpose, but I have yet to find that one individual who could help me finish the plan.
How delightful that I now seem to have a plentiful batch of such talented children to pick from.
I've seen a great portion of talent today… but I need to test one more. One little child hasn't shown me anything, and that makes me think he is all the more talented because of it.
[…]
Fuma had been following a ghost.
At least it had seemed like a ghost. While he'd been in the alleyway fighting the police who were trying to hurt Kitaka, Ame had told him to keep his eyes open. Fuma always did as he was instructed, otherwise people got hurt. He had been highly alert, which was why he'd noticed something in the shadows.
Fuma had seen a pair of blue eyes. At first they'd looked like Naruto's, but then he noticed how cold they were. When he went for a closer look, the shadows detached from the wall and fled down another alley. It had been a struggle whether or not to cbase after, but, in the end, Fuma felt something inside that urged him to follow.
He'd been chasing that shadow for quite a while, only just now realizing how far he'd gotten from the others. He was about to turn around and head back, when the shadow suddenly stopped.
It looked at him; he looked back… then it disappeared down a side-alley.
He walked tentatively to the edge, looking down the paved way. The alley was a dead end, nothing there could have been of interest, besides he didn't see the shadow. Turning his gaze to other areas, Fumato finally saw what he was looking for.
"That's not a really good hiding spot," the boy said, looking up at the ledge above him.
Silent and graceful, a figure dropped down to land beside him. A woman, a very tall woman, stood and looked down at him. Fuma locked eyes with her, deciding instantly that she wasn't a very nice person. He'd only met a few women in his life… Sakura, Hinata, grandma Tsunade… though she'd threatened to kill him if he ever called her that in public… and a few mothers of his friends. They all had kind eyes, but this woman… she had eyes like crystal—harsh, emotionless. Fuma seen his Sasuke's eyes get like that from time to time, but they would eventually soften, especially around Naruto.
Fuma didn't think this person's eyes had the ability to soften.
"What makes you think I was hiding?" the woman asked, a smirk twitching her lips.
Fuma thought about the question, "Because you were in the dark. People hide in the dark."
"People use the shadows as a distraction, too," her voice came from behind him this time. Fuma turned to see an identical version of the woman standing inside the alley.
"Everything can be a tool," a third woman appeared, again identical.
The first woman shrugged, "But I don't expect a little boy to understand."
"I think I get it…" Fumato smiled cheerfully up at the woman.
"It's like a game," another version of Fumato appeared next to the woman in the alley. He'd always enjoyed making clones. Naruto and Fuma had created several different games, one that resembled this.
An impressed smile played across the stranger's lips. She took a step closer to Fumato, now looming over him. Her ice blue eyes held some sort of bizarre excitement within them. "Yes," she said with a whisper, "Something like that..."
Side notes:
PTT is a term for walkie-talkies... it means Push to Talk. I figured it would work similarly for ear mounted communicators. Bluetooth headsets also have PTT buttons, so yes. That's what PTT means.
In the warehouse, when the senbon appeared... Jira was guiding them from a distance with wind jutsu. This will be explained in greater detail as the story progresses, as well the abilities of all character.
In the last scene... everything that involves identical women, I just wanted to stress that she had made clones. There isn't some twist that they are triplets or anything. (.) I think it was made clear enough, but I'm not going to be reading it fresh... so let me know.