I give you chapter three of JEP. A bit rushed, but enjoy.
Chapter three
"Raikage-sama...I...I implore you to reconsider. I can't do this! It's just-! Why!?"
Mabui, personal assistant of the Fourth Raikage, fought a valiant battle to keep the smile off her face. Why? Her best friend was close to completely losing it.
When Yugito Nii, jinchuriki of the two tailed cat, aimed her glare at her, Mabui knew she had lost and thus hid her face from view behind the scroll which was the cause of this meeting in the first place.
The Raikage ran his massive hand down his face in exasperation. "Yugito, this was supposed to last fifteen minutes tops, and now three quarters of an hour have passed. To be honest, I'm quite tired of your bitching. As Raikage, I order you to go on this extended mission!" He finished his statement by slamming his fist on his desk. Yugito flinched when the legs of the desk snapped and the sound of wood striking the hard floor echoed through the office.
"Damn it Yugito. Look what you made me do! I actually liked that desk."
"Just like you liked the other hundred desks you smashed," Mabui added dryly. She due to her occupation was unruffled by the Raikage's violent nature having borne witness to it, time and time again.
"Shut up Mabui. Now Yugito, these leaf nin are actually ok people," At Yugito's raised eyebrow he hastily added, "that is, when you're not fighting a war against them."
Mabui chose this moment to join in the conversation, "Apart from that, an alliance between the two most powerful hidden villages has many benefits, not the least of which is to combat this new organization that is targeting you and other jinchuriki alike."
"Then why me! Why do I have to go outside the village!?"
"Relax, you'll be travelling with twenty-three Anbu and a ninja of your choice, same as Uzumaki-san. You'll meet in Yugakure. Hell, if you get there earlier than them you could use the opportunity to relax a little. There will be a time-frame of three days where both of you have to arrive there. Arrive late and you will most definitely not be going to Konoha and this fragile alliance will be broken. Do not even think about arriving late just to get out of this." Mabui stifled a giggle when her friend began to whistle innocently.
"You will carry two scrolls. The first will be handed over upon meeting up at Yugakure. You will then depart with the leaf nin and the cloud ninja whom you chose and vice versa for Uzumaki-san for your respective villages. Once you have arrived hand the second scroll to the Hokage and further instructions will be issued from there."
Yugito sighed. If all this work had already been put into this, she couldn't just back down just because she wanted to.
Throughout it all, the Raikage watched Yugito with more scrutiny than he would usually pay to any person or issue. Unbidden, words from long ago came back to him just like they did every time he saw B or Yugito.
"Listen Yugito," he began softly (not that it was noticeable), "someone I respect, once told me that jinchuriki has to find that one thing that tethers them to reality. Something that can ground them, something to always look forward to, something that can bring you peace."
"We both know that so far, although this is your home, Kumo hasn't offered you such a thing yet." He raised a hand to silence her when she opened her mouth to protest. "The difference between us is that I have acknowledged that. You need to do so too, more for your benefit than mine. This trip will perhaps put things into perspective for you and when you get back you may either have found or be that much closer to finding it."
Yugito just stood there stunned. It wasn't often the unruly A let loose words of insight and wisdom. Any defence, any fight she had left in her evaporated on the spot. The Raikage was right, however much she wanted to deny it. Lately her life had lacked that warmth. She had thought that dumping Darui would make her life easier but her life just became devoid of any colour after that. Going back to him was not an option as he had faded to gray just like everything else. The flame had already been snuffed out.
Hanging her head dejectedly she muttered, "When do I leave?"
Mabui's words were cheerful in an attempt to lighten the mood. "That's up to you actually. We're trying to randomize the dates so as to shake off this organization. But it has to be soon so you don't miss the time-frame. The Anbu team is just waiting for the word."
"Understood. I'll leave immediately." The Raikage let out a positive grunt. Yugito turned to leave before hesitating then facing A again. "A-sama, could you do me this one favour?"
"Hmmm? Sure."
"Could Mabui be my guide?"
"Unacceptable."
Yugito blinked in outrage. The man hadn't even taken one second to think about it.
"Why not?!"
A went on like they were talking about the weather. "She is my assistant and I'm Raikage, that's why. You think I'll let her leave me here with all this paperwork about the alliance? Hell. No."
Mabui meanwhile was blushing slightly. Apparently these two fighting over her was a form of flattery she didn't get very often.
The jinchuriki of the two tailed cat sighed deeply. It seemed things were...thick. She would have to take drastic measures, and they would have to be really drastic if they would get through to the thick-headed fool who sat before her. Nevertheless, she had never backed down from a challenge.
Only Mabui noticed the glint in her best friend's eye. She knew what was coming and couldn't help but smirk.
Five minutes later, the door to the Raikage's office slammed open.
"Pack your bags Mabui! We're going to the Land of the Hot Springs!" was Yugito's triumphant shout. She strode out of the office a second later, in a way that could only be described as 'like a boss'. Mabui trailed after looking for all intent like a crazed fan, with the giggling and the squealing and the maniacal laughter.
Darui, the Raikage's right hand man, a pocketing dark skinned white haired man stared after his former girlfriend for a moment before he chose that opportunity to go in for his appointment. He was greeted with the sight of a passed out Raikage about to drown in a pool of his own blood which continuously leaked out of his nose.
"That lucky bastard."
...Naruto's Day of Departure...
Zeroing on the large chakra signature, Jiraiya landed before the Ichiraku Ramen establishment.
"Good grief, if he's doing what I think he's doing then he'll probably be too bloated to move on his own two feet. I might have to carry him. No, I don't think I'll manage. 'Bunta might have to carry him."
Chuckling at his own joke along with the mental image of a fat Naruto filled with ramen, Jiraiya entered the stall. He was surprised when he didn't see Naruto seating at one of the stools. Jiraiya wasn't the best chakra sensor but he knew what to look for thanks to natural chakra, therefore he could sense the general area someone could be in if he focused.
If that general area also happened to have Ichiraku Ramen somewhere in there, an academy student could make a good guess of where Naruto could be.
However Naruto was not current stuffing himself on one of the stools. So that left the question, where could Naruto be?
A cute brown-haired teenage girl, who he knew to be the chef's daughter, appeared. Automatically, Jiraiya studied her before declaring her as too young in his mind. He was a super pervert, but a pedophile he was not. He couldn't deny the cuteness though.
"Ummm...excuse me, have you seen Naruto?"
He wasn't attracted to her but he still felt like a bastard when he saw the frown that came upon her features. "Awwww...he's leaving now?"
Jiraiya also frowned at that. Naruto had apparently disclosed an S-class secret to a ramen chef and his daughter.
Jiraiya just nodded while masking his annoyance.
"Naruto! It's time!" she called.
"Ok Ayame! In a sec." Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. What was Naruto doing back there?
Naruto walked out, in the process of taking off an apron with an elderly man who was patting him on the back.
"There you go Naruto," The old man chuckled, "Now you can make ramen just as well as I can!"
Naruto's grin was infectious. "That's a lie Teuchi-jiji. No one can make ramen like you!"
Teuchi sighed before wrapping Naruto in a monster hug. "We're gonna miss you Naruto."
With tears at the corner of her eyes, Ayame joined in the hug. Jiraiya watched on, feeling both touched and a bit awkward in the presence of such a heart warming moment.
"I'll miss you too. Both of you. You're the best friends I ever had."
"Ahhem."
Three glares were aimed at Jiraiya but he didn't give a damn. "We're sort of...you know...on a schedule."
Teuchi extricated himself from the mess but Ayame latched on this time burying Naruto's face in her still developing bust.
"Stay safe, will you? And promise me you'll eat something other than ramen."
Naruto managed to chuckle. "No promises there Ayame." Teuchi raised an eyebrow. That was the first time Naruto ever used that phrase, and it was not out of ignorance.
When Ayame let go and Naruto approached Jiraiya, he had a hard time figuring out what the hell his godfather could be scribbling in a notebook.
"In the future Naruto, when we tell you that something is an S-class secret it means that you don't tell anyone. Not even you're best friends." He said gesturing to Ayame and Teuchi.
Teuchi only let out a small "Oh" while Ayame giggled. Naruto had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry."
"Good grief," Jiraiya said shaking his head with a small smile. An S-class secret it was, but at least Naruto now knew that someone here would miss him.
"Are you ready, kid?"
Naruto set his face into a hard determined expression.
"Yeah"
"Then let's go."
As the toad sage took to the rooftops, Naruto lingered to give the Ichiraku patrons a bright smile, then he too was gone.
Jiraiya studied the boy as they jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Naruto's expression was determined but his body spoke a whole other language. Even due to the fact that they were both in motion, Jiraiya, a man who made a living in the information business could pick out the slight shaking of the boy's fingers.
'I see...Kakashi didn't get rid of all the fear, but having the courage to still go through with this is still a big first step.'
The trip was made in silence with neither of them really wanting to reach the destination. A part of Naruto's attention was on Jiraiya who he was following while the other was busy taking in the sight of Konoha.
'I won't see that for a while, or that, or that, or that...'
Then a thought struck him.
'I might not even live to see my village again.'
Naruto's landing on the next building was awkward and he stumbled. Cursing he struggled to catch up to the toad sage. Luckily Jiraiya pretended not to notice.
Five minutes later the two stood before the Third Hokage. Naruto found he couldn't look the Hokage in the eye so he instead settled for looking at the sunset that lay beyond the window. Soon it would be dark.
"Naruto," Sarutobi began, "you know about your parents now, don't you?"
Naruto nodded stiffly, still avoiding the old man's gaze.
"Naruto, do you know why I didn't tell you?"
The wall Naruto had been trying to hold up broke with those few simple words. All the anger he had been trying to hold in came to the fore. Still Naruto held it in with sheer willpower but it was there on display for the world to see. It manifested itself in his expression, the way his shoulders tensed, the way he curled his fingers into a fist, the way he stood with his back straight...
It was like a dam waiting to burst but it wouldn't. Naruto had become guarded the past week. He'd asked Kakashi about his father at the hospital after his fight with Sasuke. One of the finer points he'd been told about the man was his ability to handle any situation with a calm and cool mind. Naruto was trying to emulate that right at that moment.
It still needed a lot of work.
"Naruto, if word got out about that people would come for you just like those two did."
Naruto sucked in a breath.
"Your father was a legend among ninja. He killed a lot of people. Among those people are fathers, mothers, children, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and so on and so forth. We love him for fighting for us but there are even more who hate him for fighting against them. Those are people who wouldn't hesitate to come after his son especially after his death."
Naruto shuddered. Sarutobi had just told him that the whole world out there would come for him just like those two men had. That suffocating fear he'd had when he was in Itachi's presence, he had buried it, but right now it was clawing its way to the surface, threatening to overwhelm him again.
A hand on his shoulder broke him out of his thoughts. He looked up into the old man's eyes.
"Don't worry Naruto. That's why you're making this trip. When you're done, you'll be able to handle any of those people."
"Just like your father could." Jiraiya added.
His beating heart slowed and his breathing became deeper. Naruto nodded. He could do this.
"Well then, let's be off."
Sarutobi's hand on Naruto's shoulder tightened its grip. Naruto experienced the strange sensation of having left a few organs and body parts somewhere for less than a second before they all slammed into him again.
He blinked. They were no longer in Sarutobi's office but in a large dimly lighted room. It looked like some sort of cave.
All around him were Anbu, the elite of the village in the process of preparing themselves for the coming mission.
Jiraiya appeared amidst a swirl of leaves. He led the way to a corner of the room where someone had left a new set of Anbu armour and gear. It looked suspiciously small.
"Naruto, we are inside the Hokage monument – Area H-2-4 of the village. This area is usually used as a safe house for civilians and genin during village emergencies or as in this case a briefing room when a large amount of our Anbu forces are to being sent on a mission."
"You mean we're going with all these-"
"Twenty-three Anbu? Yes. Jiraiya here makes twenty-four. More than enough to keep you safe." The Hokage finished with a smile.
Naruto's vision was eclipsed by a dark piece of fabric suddenly colliding with his face. Slowly he took the shirt off before staring at it then at Jiraiya whose arms were folded.
"Suit up, kid. I am not taking you anywhere looking like you got gang-banged by cray-"
"What Jiraiya meant to say is," a familiar voice interrupted, "we're trying to sneak through the country-side here and orange really isn't good for that."
A typical Anbu stepped forward only this one had a head topped with silver spiky hair.
"Ka-Kakashi?"
"Yup but for the duration of this mission, I'm Inu. Anbu protocol, you see."
Naruto didn't really get it, but nodding and pretending he did had served him well in the past and it served him here now.
"C'mon brat. Change!" Jiraiya was clearly impatient.
Naruto's old personality surged forth when his orange was challenged.
"But I like orange!"
"Your enemies will like it too because it's the biggest bulls-eye in the history of the elemental nations."
Naruto glared at the man while begrudgingly picking up the gear. "Where do I change?" he asked sulking. Jiraiya pointed at a nearby door and Naruto disappeared behind it.
"So Kakashi, couldn't resist?" Jiraiya said trying to make conversation. Around them, the organized chaos of the Anbu corps preparations continued.
"It's the uniform. Chicks dig me even more when I put this on."
"The uniform? Sure, we can go with that."
When Naruto returned, he had managed to get most of it right. From the arm guards to the straps at his shin it was all good. Even the two pouches at his back and the kunai holster were secure. His only problem was the chest armour which he had deigned to difficult to even try to put on. Luckily Kakashi was on the scene to rectify that little problem and when he was done, Naruto looked like an honest to god ninja.
There were few differences in attire between him and the Anbu around him such as he didn't have a sword on his person. Also, where Anbu wore a sleeveless shirt under their armour, he wore a short-sleeved shirt that came with a hood to hide his sun-kissed blonde hair.
"I left my old clothes back there." Naruto said while tugging at his leather fingerless gloves.
"It's ok. They'll just burn them." Jiraiya turned away but Naruto's next sentence made him focus his attention back on the boy.
"I also left the hitai-ate. Could I...get...another one?" Naruto continued looking every bit the shy kid.
Inwardly Sarutobi nodded. He should have seen this coming. Naruto probably was doing his best to forget that night, yet the hitai-ate was a symbol of that night since he'd received it moments before his nightmare began.
With his eyes on the boy, Sarutobi called out, "Ferret!"
A dark-haired Anbu with ferret mask blurred into existence beside the Hokage.
"Fetch me a new hitai-ate, his size at once."
Dipping his head, the Anbu was gone as quickly as he had come.
Jiraiya spoke. "Naruto," he began softly. He had had the same thoughts as the Hokage. "You probably won't even get to wear it while in Kumo because you'll have to wear one of theirs."
"I...I don't wanna forget the village."
Sarutobi gave the boy an encouraging smile and Naruto weakly smiled back. He wanted to forget that night. Not the village. Sarutobi had absolutely no problem with that.
Naruto blinked and Ferret was once more beside the Hokage, holding out a hitai-ate with black cloth. Sarutobi took it and Ferret was gone. Sarutobi held it out for Naruto to take and Naruto responded by picking it with a shaky hand.
Naruto didn't see a bloody Iruka when he held this hitai-ate and it was with that grateful thought that he put it on.
He looked up to see Kakashi who was giving him a thumbs up, Jiraiya who nodded encouragingly and Sarutobi who was smiling warmly.
"You look just like you're father Naruto."
Naruto couldn't help but grin at the praise while scratching the back of his head. "Thanks."
Jiraiya turned to face the Anbu.
"Ok so listen up. The Hokage has something to say!"
Sarutobi cleared his throat.
"Greetings fellow comrades. As you may very well know, you have been summoned for an S-class mission, the details of which will be unveiled to you now."
"Konohagakure has just recently signed a treaty with Kumogakure. This treaty will be sealed by perhaps the most symbolic sign of trust a village can give; the exchange of jinchuriki. Jinchuriki are a representation of a village's military strength as one jinchuriki could very well turn the tide of a whole battle. By carrying out this mission, we are effectively showing that we trust Kumo with our military strength and vice versa."
"Now many of you would think this is too soon, but I assure you that this is a plan that has long been in the making. The mission can be classified as an escort/bodyguard mission. Your objective is to escort Naruto from here up to Yugakure. You will need to get there within a three day time-frame: July twenty-fourth to July twenty-sixth. The exchange will happen at that point within that time-frame. If the exchange fails to happen within those conditions return home with Naruto unharmed."
"If the exchange goes smoothly, you will be escorting Kumo's jinchuriki back to Konoha along with her personal guard. Jiraiya here, as Naruto's personal guard, will continue with him to Kumo. You will make sure both jinchuriki arrive at their destination safely, am I clear?"
"Hai Hokage-sama!" twenty-two voices yelled.
Sarutobi placed a hand on Naruto's head. "Naruto is the first package. You will guard him with your lives. Failure is not an option. The main hostile threat is Akatsuki. They can be identified by their attire which consists of black cloaks with red clouds. We believe they travel usually in groups of two. Known members are Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame, monster of the mist."
"I believe in you all, my comrades. May the will of fire guide you!"
Jiraiya took the stage. "I am the leader of this mission. That means all of you answer to me. If you hear, see or smell something funny I want you to come straight to me. I believe we have team Alpha, Beta, Kappa and Sigma. Formation: diamond. Team Sigma, you are the recon squad. I want you taking point with two-three members acting as scouts. Team Beta take you're the right. Kappa, to the left. Alpha, watch our backs."
"Since we are a large force, we travel by night and rest by day. Let's move out!"
One of the Anbu moved to a wall and after forming a few hand seals slammed his hand on the wall. A seal shone flashed on the wall before the stone began to move to the side revealing a passage through the rock of the mountain. The Anbu began to blur through it.
"Well I guess this is goodbye Naruto-kun." The boy turned to face the old man. "Try not to stress the Raikage with your pranks."
Naruto's lips twitched before he suddenly threw himself forward and latched onto the Hokage.
"Hold on Naruto. I'm not as strong as I look."
"I'll miss you too old man."
Naruto stepped back. His eyes roamed over the old man as if trying to memorise every detail.
"C'mon Naruto. We have to leave."
They were the last four in the chamber.
Naruto followed Jiraiya and Kakashi up to the passageway before proclaiming. "When I come back old man, I'll be kicking all kinds of ass! Even yours!"
Sarutobi looked a bit stunned before chuckling. "That's what I like to hear Naruto-kun. Until we meet again."
The passageway sealed shut after that.
A few minutes later, Naruto was staring at the rock that moved to cover the exit to the passageway they had just come through. That was probably the moment when everything clicked. This was the first time he had left the village and it would be a long time before he came back. Over the tops of trees the village walls loomed above him. Moonlight shone down on Konoha as if gracing Naruto with one last magnificent view of its walls.
Why did it feel like he had been kicked out?
Naruto turned away, his fists clenched. 'It's better this way' were the words he was using to comfort himself. He would come back stronger so what was a few months.
"Naruto," the blonde looked up to see Jiraiya's form towering over him, "we'll need to move as quickly as we can on this little journey of yours so that means we can't afford to have anyone slowing us down. Unfortunately, you will slow us down."
Naruto winced.
"Blunt as ever, eh Jiraiya-sama?" Kakashi chuckled.
"And that is why Kakashi has so very nicely volunteered to carry you."
A double "What!?" echoed around the clearing.
"Yes, he did. He said he'll do it if he wants the manuscript for my new Icha Icha book." Jiraiya finished with a grin.
Naruto peeked around the large sannin to see Anbu Kakashi raising a shaking fist towards Jiraiya. He could also hear several of the male Anbu muttering things like, "That lucky bastard," while the female Anbu just shook their heads in exasperation.
"Think about it kid. I know you dodged Anbu during your pranks but it was never because you could beat them in a contest of speed."
Naruto looked away, his cheeks red. Regardless of recent events he did not think himself so much a sissy that he needed to be carried.
"I don't like this." He mumbled.
Kakashi walked forward and crouched before Naruto. "Trust me Naruto. You're not the only one." Naruto uncomfortably wrapped his hands around Kakashi's neck and then the man stood up lifting him off the ground.
"Damn Naruto, I hope Kumo's first act of training is to put you on a diet."
Naruto would have been blind not to notice the way Jiraiya's eyes glinted in the moonlight. "Out of shape Kakashi? This is good for you. For once you'll be exercising something other than you're right hand."
Naruto didn't really get what Jiraiya said but the way the Anbu all began to cough at once to hide their laughter told him that this had to be a joke. He put on the hood and settled in for an uncomfortable journey.
"I hate you," Kakashi muttered darkly.
Jiraiya ignored him. "Now that we've got that out of the way, let's move out."
A second later the clearing they stood in was completely empty.
It was four days later that Naruto and his escort arrived at the designated exchange point, on the second day of the three-day period. Naruto and the rest of the Anbu skidded to a stop before the Kumo party, just as the sun began to peek out on the horizon.
The blonde had outright refused to be carried on their last stretch. Naruto's pride wasn't what it once was, but it still had its limits. Since they travelled during the night, Naruto's days were spent sleeping or in boredom in some Leaf bunker cave or random clearing. That time had been consumed by spars and light chakra exercises such as the tree-climbing and water-walking exercise, introduced by Jiraiya and taught by Kakashi and another Anbu Naruto knew as Yugao.
Surprisingly enough, albeit with a lot of effort due to extremely large chakra capacities, Naruto had already mastered tree-climbing, and he was at a stage of the water-walking exercise where all he needed was personal practice. A growth curve, which if you put into account all the variables, rivalled Namikaze Minato's. Jiraiya attributed it to Naruto's paranoia of being attacked giving him a constant awareness and an increase in his level of focus. Whether it carried over into other facets of training was yet to be seen.
The Kumo and Konoha parties all watched each other, muscles tense, ready to spring at the slightest provocation. Years of war where both villages hadn't ever once thought of being allies, until now, could do that.
Both formations parted and two figures from both walked to meet each other in the middle. Uzumaki Naruto and Jiraiya walked forth to meet Yugito Nii and Mabui. They all had the most serious of expressions on their faces all except for one.
Jiraiya's expression was positively gleeful.
Before they reached each other Naruto heard the man utter one word.
"Babes!"
When they were now a metre from each other Mabui wordlessly held out a scroll. Jiraiya held out his and they exchanged smoothly. Both channelled chakra into their respective scrolls through their thumb and the paper glowed green. Both Jiraiya and Mabui looked noticeably more comfortable after that.
It didn't take a highly trained seal master to know the thoughts going through Jiraiya's head or the heads of every male Konohan, so Mabui tried to finish this business as quickly as possible.
"Greetings, I am Mabui and this is Yugito Nii of the Hidden Cloud."
Jiraiya gestured to Naruto. "Naruto of the Hidden Leaf."
He then took a deep breath and Naruto groaned.
When Jiraiya adopted some silly pose which involved hopping on one leg, the Konoha Anbu fought the urge to slap their own foreheads.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Before you stands the epitome of manliness! The fiercest in battle! The most gentle in bed! The brave and Gallant Jira-!"
"Finish that and a war will begin here and now over your blood."
"Feisty...I like that in a woman."
The nail on Yugito's index finger had grown such that it had been an inch away from Jiraiya's jugular. Now, all she had to do was twitch and she'd break skin. "I'm warning you."
Naruto spoke up for the first time, by muttering to Jiraiya. "Ero-sennin, you're making us look bad."
Indeed, the Konoha Anbu wanted to die from embarrassment. Naruto came to their defense. "Sorry, he's just a stray who refused to leave us alone. He's not with us. He's not even wearing the hitai-ate see?"
While Jiraiya was left spluttering at the fact that he had just been so casually thrown under the bus like that, both Cloud women immediately focused on Naruto. It left the blonde feeling intensely uncomfortable, as he found he couldn't relax around people he didn't know nor trust. He was suddenly glad for his hood, which hid his eyes behind shadows. He didn't have to look anyone in the eye.
"Interesting little boy aren't you?" Yugito then made to move forward to take off the hood when a concentrated burst of killing intent stopped her in her tracks. Her forehead was suddenly coated in a light sheen of sweat as she struggled to keep her breathing normal.
She looked for the source which happened to be the Toad sage who was levelling a harsh glare at her. A warning, it seemed, meant for her and only her as no one else was affected.
Before she knew it, the man was smiling again and he and Mabui were clarifying matters.
Her gaze returned to the small boy before her, studying him with a shinobi's mind. The boy was dressed in Anbu armour; did that mean he was Anbu? He definitely looked comfortable in the gear and his posture was one of alertness, but his fingers shook slightly. His breathing was also quick and shallow.
Yes, she could practically smell his fear.
In her opinion, this boy needed all the training he could get.
Naruto, in turn, was also sizing this lady up. He wasn't as good at reading body posture and language, but her expression had already told him all he needed to know.
To her, he was nothing.
Naruto's gloved fists clenched tightly.
"Six months," Jiraiya had been saying. "Upto the next chunin exams."
"Agreed," Mabui, ever the negotiator, finished. "I bid you a safe journey, toad sage. You too, Naruto-san."
Naruto stiffly nodded while Jiraiya looked like he had made some great discovery. He looked back to see Kakashi standing at the head of the Konoha Anbu. The man had the audacity to flash Jiraiya a peace sign.
If Jiraiya could hear thoughts, he would have heard these words.
'Looks like I get the girls this time'
Mabui and Yugito walked past the two, with Yugito and Naruto sharing another last glance at each other and Jiraiya staring mournfully at their departing behinds.
It didn't matter. If Kumo had a tenth as many women like that, he was set.
The two watched Kakashi introduce himself and the Anbu before said ninja formed ranks around the women and took off.
"Jiraiya-sama, we had best move quickly." A feminine voice advised. The two now faced one of Kumo's Anbuoperatives, a captain, if Jiraiya guessed correctly.
Unlike Konoha Anbu, you could not even see the slightest bit of skin on them. All were heavily clothed in dark gear and armour similar to Kiri Anbu only theirs were tighter, without the bagginess.
Jiraiya especially noted how the gear clung to the captain's curves.
Yup, he was set.
Their masks were an entirely different story however. Where Konoha drew their inspiration for masks from the wildlife around them, Kumo drew theirs from creatures and beasts of legend. Naruto marvelled at how the captain's mask was so dragon-like. If they were looking for the intimidation factor, they had bloody well found it.
"You know," Jiraiya began, "I had kinda thought that since we were in the land of the hot springs, I could...umm...relax a little...do a little research...that kinda thing."
The captain was unyielding. "Then you should have arrived earlier than us. I do not intend to fail an S-rank mission because of a pervert."
"We would have arrived earlier, if you hadn't stopped to peep on every girl in every village." Naruto muttered.
Jiraiya quickly slapped a hand over the boy's mouth. "We do not say such things in front of women who carry weapons that can maim, maul or dismember you!" Jiraiya harshly whispered. Indeed, Naruto saw the captain finger the hilt of her sword.
The captain held up a hand and her Shinobi immediately formed a pentagonal sort of formation around them.
"Can he keep up?" the captain asked Jiraiya.
Jiraiya, in turn, turned to Naruto. "Do you want me to carry you again, brat?"
Naruto's eyes burned with an unholy fire straight from the depths of hell as he felt his cheeks become hotter than the sun.
He could hear the faint snickers of the Kumo Anbu around him. So, this was the old toad's revenge for selling him out at another women's bath? 'Well played, ero-sennin' Naruto thought, 'well played.'
"Well brat?"
"N-No! I don't need you old man!" Naruto lashed out childishly.
"Well then, let's go."
A minute later, Naruto was already pushing chakra into his legs to keep from tiring out.
It was mid-morning as Naruto lay back against the trunk of a tree. His arms and legs dangled uselessly to the sides of the branch he sat on. Maybe Kakashi was right about him losing a few pounds. All those warnings from Iruka about eating all that ramen had to come and bite him in the ass one day. That day was apparently today.
The sky was a stormy grey and rain poured but it was light. The few drops that reached past the leaves above him to hit his face were soothing as if each drop revitalized him.
They had passed the border to the land of lightning a day ago and were pretty deep in Kumo's territory. Two more days of this full on sprint marathon and Naruto would be at his new home.
But for the moment Naruto was content with where he was. A leaf nin, even a fresh one, would always be comfortable in the trees. The ever-present fear of Itachi jumping at him out of nowhere was still there, but Naruto was too tired to be paranoid. Besides he had twenty-three Anbu guarding him. Jiraiya had gone to a nearby town for some information gathering, but Naruto was confident in the Anbu. Either that, or it was just his tired limbs doing the talking. Naruto had a sneaking suspicion he knew which was true.
Before he knew it, his eyelids began to grow heavy and Naruto began to slip into sleep's embrace where all manner of terrible nightmares concerning red eyes and sharp teeth awaited him. However, a slight ticklish sensation caught his attention. Naruto opened his eyes to see a spider right on his nose.
Now Naruto didn't particularly care for the arachnids but he had never heard nor seen one that looked like this before.
It was white, almost angelic white and if Naruto was seeing correctly, it didn't have eyes. It also had a strange dirt-like feel to it.
Well, three seconds after examining it Naruto decided he didn't care and deftly flicked it off his nose. His eyes which until that moment had been focused on his nose, readjusted themselves and suddenly Naruto was staring at a hundred of the tiny white spiders crawling towards him.
Every nerve in his body screamed at him to move, but Naruto was stiff as a block of ice.
Salvation from the arachnids however, appeared when Naruto was suddenly yanked off the tree and into the air. A pair of hands wrapped around him and Naruto felt a female's body press against his back before the world became a haze of dark colours. Vertigo threw away any sense of balance, only made worse by the incredible burst of sound that could only come from an explosion.
Suddenly Naruto was rolling on the forest floor with whatever person had taken him there. The person immediately stood up leaving Naruto on all fours, gasping as he forced his bile to stay inside him.
He looked up to see the dark-haired Anbu captain standing over him. A dark scorch mark stood out on the back of her armour for the world to see.
"Even with a shunshin," she said with distaste.
It was a state of chaos above them. A full-scale battle was taking place between what appeared to be the Kumo Anbu and individuals in dark red cloaks. Even from down here Naruto could see how outnumbered the Kumo Anbu were.
One of the cloaked individuals raced towards them and Naruto tensed, unsure of what to do. He was spared having to think however as with a flash of steel their attacker fell to pieces, courtesy of the captain. With trepidation and fear Naruto dared to look at the corpse.
Instead of disgust however, Naruto was struck with confusion. There was no blood, no organs or anything. It was with a start that he realized it wasn't human. Gazing into its face, Naruto saw glass orbs instead of eyes, a mouth that definitely looked like it worked with a hinge and the absence of a nose.
"A puppet?" the dragon-masked captain asked.
Naruto had nothing to say to that.
Another explosion occurred above them and Naruto had to jump out of the way of a falling tree branch which crushed the puppet. Any fatigue his body held had disappeared in the blink of an eye. Fear and adrenaline coursed through his body with the force of a waterfall. It was so bad, that when the captain told him to follow her, he took off after her like a bullet.
As they ran on the forest floor, the sounds of battle rang in Naruto's ears. The screams of men and women, the crunching sound of wood breaking, the roar of explosions; it all made Naruto feel like his heart wanted to break through his ribcage. Branches, puppets and weapons fell around them, and Naruto could feel the impact through his feet each time. The clouds, as if aware of the intense battle taking place below them, poured even more rain such that Naruto had slid one more than one occasion before miraculously regaining his balance.
Naruto focused on his only source of protection; the woman who ran before him. He was completely oblivious to everything else. That was the reason he was so unprepared for what happened next.
"JUMP!" the woman before him yelled before she was suddenly in the air.
Naruto took a second to process her statement before he too leaped upwards. It was still a little too late. Below him, there was a small white light before a blaze of fire erupted before his eyes. Naruto crossed his arms over his face and torso letting his arm-guards take the brunt of the force of the explosion and boy, did they take it.
The fist over his face smacked into his nose before Naruto felt his body move at neck-breaking speeds. His armoured back crashed into many-thankfully thin- branches but the explosion had given Naruto too much momentum for them to slow him down.
When Naruto opened his eyes, he was floating above the tree-tops as if in a dream. In that split-second he caught sight of a long haired blonde man standing atop a large white bird. Naruto felt his heart catch in his throat when he saw the cloak the man wore. It was the same as Itachi's and Kisame's; black with red clouds.
The blonde man smirked.
Gravity began to do its work and Naruto's body raced for the ground. His assailant wouldn't have that though. The bird entered a steep dive and when Naruto was just about to hit the tree-line, the blonde man's hand was but an inch away from his face.
Naruto didn't have enough time to confirm, but he could have sworn he felt something like a tongue lick his face.
It was not to be however, as lightning streaked through the position where the blonde man had been, missing Naruto by inches. The blistering heat caused by the rapid expansion of air had Naruto's eyes watering.
Then he was back among the trees and he was snatched out of the air by the captain.
She set him down on a branch. "Can you run?!" Naruto nodded dazedly. "Follow me! The others are covering our escape!"
Naruto followed obediently, his legs quite shaky.
"Art is an explosion!"
On cue an explosion roared out behind them. Naruto almost lost his balance but then he channelled chakra into his feet and continued the tree hopping.
He wasn't getting out of it that easy as something sliced through his arm a second later. Naruto screamed as he was sent spinning through the air. He fell and was saved yet again by a pair of strong arms. This time, however it wasn't the captain but his fashionably late godfather. Looking into the old man's worried eyes Naruto heard someone yell, "Rasengan!" over the roar of the rain and explosions above him.
He felt a liquid run down his arm, something definitely warmer and thicker than rainwater before the stress caught up to him and he sank into blissful unconsciousness.
Remember to review and tell me what's good and what's not.
Next chapter: The Village Hidden in the Clouds