GoodWriter: Welcome back to The Orphan Trio.
Lexboss: Demon's not back yet?
Creeper: Not yet, but he should be back soon.
Lexboss: How are these chapters getting done if he's not here?
GoodWriter: I'm not sure if it was smart or not, but apparently he was allowed to take his laptop with him.
Creeper: Here's hoping it didn't get shoved up some clone's ass. Then it'd be uncomfortable for it, the chapters wouldn't be done, and the laptop would smell like shit.
(Demon walks in, a bloody stake on his back)
Demon: Damn, I needed that!
Lexboss: Demon, you're back!
Demon: Yep, and better than ever. Although, I apologize Lexboss, the techs randomly chose your sample for the clones.
Lexboss: Don't even tell me what happened.
Demon: I won't. Anyway, let's get on chapter 14.
Creeper: It's chapter 15, Demon.
Demon: Oh, right. Okay, on to chapter 15!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way. Nor do I own Ninja Warrior/Sasuke in any way.
"Talking" – Thinking – Demon/Summoning Speaking/Jutsu – Demon/Summon Thinking
The Orphan Trio, Chapter 15: A Harsh Wake-Up Call
The next week passed easily enough, but it was still stressful. While Kakashi recovered, he continued giving his team some team battles to strengthen their abilities. While their skills were impressive, their battles got more difficult each day as Kakashi got stronger. After five days, Kakashi's clone managed to defeat the trio, if barely.
After their team fight, each would practice their own jutsus. Kurohi continued to improve his skill with the Fireball jutsu, so that he could use it more times before running out of chakra. After he managed to achieve the proficiency he hoped for, he began working on using his Darkness Clones in an unexpected way. He smirked to himself as he thought of the possibilities in the future.
Toshi trained his Lightning Fist, doing his best to speed up the charge. While he hadn't told his teammates yet, he was also working on a new jutsu to work with his Labyrinth Wall. He figured it wouldn't work much offensively, but it would help to distract the enemy longer once they were inside. Any extra distraction would buy him time to handle the enemy.
Naruto was training the hardest of the three. Despite refusing to use the Shadow Clone method, the blonde made remarkable progress with his training. Naruto had mastered the Great Breakthrough three days after Team 6 arrived. However, he had a little trouble with the Fireball jutsu, likely from having Fire as a weak element. Undeterred, the blonde put his all into his training. Finally, he managed to successfully launch the Fireball. It wasn't as strong as Kurohi's, but it was strong enough to get the job done. The trio thought that maybe the water in the air had an effect, but Kakashi said it shouldn't have much effect on the jutsu.
All in all, Team 7 was kicking ass in their training, a statement that could not be said for the majority of Team 6. Despite the hopes of Genma and Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura would not cooperate. Sakura flat-out refused to learn any jutsu that Sasuke wouldn't learn, saying that it has no worth if "her Sasuke" had no interest in it.
Meanwhile, Sasuke constantly demanded that Kakashi teach him some powerful Fire and Lightning jutsus. The Jonin couldn't say he didn't know any since the Uchiha knew he had given Toshi and Kurohi some jutsus. Despite that, Kakashi refused to teach him, saying that he needed to respect his teammates before he would get a chance. Sasuke simply scoffed before storming off, saying that an Elite like himself didn't need to waste his time with "inferior morons".
Unlike his teammates, Sai took to his training with gusto, much like his friends. Genma, tired of not being able to teach well, put his all into training Sai. He felt that if the Hokage wanted to punish him, then that was fine. He wasn't going to waste his time and energy on someone who wouldn't listen to orders or accept his offer. With this, Sai was improving by leaps and bounds. He managed to learn a few defensive Earth jutsus, as well as a few offensive techniques. With Toshi's permission, Sai learned the Earth Spikes technique from the Genin. He also spent his free time working on his Ink jutsus and painting the scenery of the forest around him.
While the training was going well for most, all of the ninja, except for Sakura and Sasuke, knew they were going to be in for the fight of their lives.
(*****)
Teams 6 and 7 were sitting at the table with Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari. Like the last week, the group ate in relative silence. Sasuke stopped threatening Toshi simply because Genma threatened to tell the Hokage. The Uchiha may have felt superior to everyone around him, even he knew he didn't have a chance against the Hokage…yet. Team 7 thanked the senbon-chewing Jonin for his threat, as now they had relative peace. Tazuna may not have shown it much, but he was elated. Just a few days ago, he discovered an unexpected source of hope for his bridge.
(Flashback)
Tazuna sighed as he and Team 7 arrived at the bridge to work for the day. Taking a quick head count, he determined another four workers decided to quit. He didn't blame them; after all, with Gato threatening them, he understood the workers wanted to keep themselves safe. At first, he considered them cowards, but he honestly knew he would probably quit too if he weren't the head builder.
Even so, he was disappointed that his work crew was dwindling. At this rate, he'll be the only worker on the bridge. Even if he's protected the whole time, it would take him years to finish the bridge. His shoulders slumped slightly as he prepared to work on the bridge.
Noticing their client's mood, Naruto walked up to the man and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Tazuna. You'll get this bridge done soon, Gato or no Gato." Despite the Genin's words of encouragement, the old man grumbled bitterly. "Unless you can find me a hundred workers, I doubt this will be done any time soon."
Hearing his comment, Naruto smirked before looking at his team, specifically his sensei. Kakashi, seeing the look in Naruto's eyes, nodded in approval, knowing what the blonde was about to do. Naruto turned back to Tazuna before forming the familiar cross-shaped sign.
"Tazuna, I can do better than that! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Suddenly, the bridge is engulfed in smoke. Waving the smoke away, Tazuna's jaw dropped as he saw Narutos covering the bridge practically end to end. Turning back, he saw the blonde smile broadly while rubbing the back of his head. "How about 500?"
(End Flashback)
Thanks to Naruto, he was well on his way to finishing the bridge. During the days Team 7 trained, Naruto provided Tazuna with 250 clones, saving the chakra from the others for training. Each day, Tazuna managed to make great progress. The best part was that Naruto received the knowledge from his clones learning construction during the bridge work. Add that with the knowledge he already had from working on the obstacle course and Tazuna had a small army of well-trained workers. It also helped that he had someone to talk to during the days Team 6 guarded him so he didn't have to listen to the pink-haired girl's bitching about how boring it was.
Tsunami was happy to know her father was getting a lot of help in building the bridge. Not only did it mean the bridge would be finished sooner, but hopefully the people of Wave country would be able to take their lives back.
However, her son did not share her optimism. After Inari's outburst when Team 7 arrived, Tsunami had told the ninjas about how Gato killed Kaiza, who was Inari's stepfather and a hero for the people of Wave. She was aware that her son lost his faith in heroes because of that incident. She knew he kept bottling up his sadness, but she didn't expect for him to smack his hand on the table tonight.
"Why the hell are you ninjas still here?! You guys are going to die if you stay here. Nobody can stand up to Gato without being killed off. Why bother trying?" The boy shouted, angry and sad at the same time. Expecting this kind of reaction eventually, Toshi sighed as he placed his chopsticks down. "Look, Inari. Your grandfather is trying to help the people here. We are here to make sure he succeeds. Just because you don't think it can happen that doesn't mean all is lost." The Genin said calmly, trying to help ease the boy.
Unfortunately, Inari wasn't calmed at all. "Stop acting like a hero when you're nothing more than an idiot! You don't understand how bad we have it! You ninjas all have warm homes and nice lives. You have no idea what it's like to suffer!"
As soon as Inari said this, the temperature dropped drastically and it became deathly quiet. Kakashi's eye widened visibly as he noticed his team's faces dropped, their hair covering their faces. Stealing a glance, he noticed Sasuke was also affected, while Sakura and Sai seemed unaffected by the statement. However, he noticed a small bead of sweat on Sai's forehead, unsurprising since the former ROOT agent knew about the trio's histories.
"We don't know what it's like to suffer, you say?" Kakashi's vision returned to Naruto, who started to stand up. Kakashi and Genma both knew things were about to get bad. Before the white-haired Jonin could say anything, Naruto continued.
"Have you ever had to scrounge in the garbage to find something to eat? Were you kicked out of an orphanage at the age of five to fend for yourself? Were you beaten, spat on, threatened, and glared at on a daily basis?" By this point, Naruto had stood up fully, his hair still covering his face.
"I have, Inari. I have gone through all of that, all because of something that was out of my control. Don't give me any shit about how bad you had it. You had a loving mother and grandfather who gave you a home and family. You have a town that respects you as a person, even with everything going on. You have a lot of what I never had, and may never have. No matter how bad you think you have it, someone will always have it worse than you." Before anyone can speak, Naruto stormed out of the room, intent on releasing some steam.
Everyone was silent for a moment before Kurohi stood up. Without saying a word, he stormed upstairs. Toshi stood up a moment later before turning to Inari. "You may not realize it, but you just said the worst possible thing to a group of people who had suffered greatly in life. Most of us have suffered, but the difference between us and you is that we worked to improve our lives. We have the courage to push through the hardships we faced. You, however, just cower away and curse anyone who has the courage to stand up for what they believe in." The hooded Genin said before following his teammate upstairs.
Genma and Kakashi sighed, knowing the blonde probably wouldn't return until tomorrow. Sasuke scoffed at Team 7's actions. He was pissed at Inari's statement too, but he wasn't going to waste his time on an inferior brat. Sakura, while still hating the trio, felt a bit bad from what she heard. Sai dropped his head in sadness and shame. While in ROOT, he heard murmurs from his fellow agents. While ROOT agents were supposed to have no emotions, he could still sense the disdain many of the agents had towards the blonde. This was why he wanted to befriend Naruto after being put in the Academy. Even he knew Naruto would appreciate having more friends.
Tsunami was shocked by what Naruto had told Inari. Tazuna looked no better, but both seemed okay compared to Inari, who was paler than Sai was. The shaken woman turned to Kakashi and, in a strained voice, asked, "Was what Naruto said true?" Team 6, Tazuna, and Inari looked towards the one-eyed Jonin, showing faces of fear, sadness, or indifference.
Kakashi sighed before his head dropped low. "As much as I wish I could say no, I'm afraid what he said is all true. In fact, he left out a lot of details." With the implication, Tsunami and Tazuna turned away, feeling sick. "How could a village treat a child so poorly?" Tazuna asked, disgusted. Kakashi sighed at the question. He hated having to tell the fake story, but he knew Sarutobi would kill him for telling the whole truth, especially in front of the young Genin.
"Did you guys ever hear of the Kyuubi? The Nine-Tailed Fox?" The Jonin asked sadly. Tsunami and Tazuna were surprised to be asked about the Fox, but nodded. Inari kept quiet, not really knowing about the beast. Seeing their nods, Kakashi continued. "Well, about 12 years ago, the Kyuubi attacked Konoha. The Fox destroyed a good portion of the village and killed a lot of our ninjas and civilians. The Kyuubi was eventually killed by our Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, although at the cost of his own life."
Tazuna frowned hearing this. "What does this have to do with Naruto?" The old man asked. Kakashi sighed before looking down. "Well, Naruto happened to be the only baby born on October 10th, the day the Fox attacked. Once the villagers learned Naruto was born on that day, most of them felt Naruto to be the Kyuubi reborn into human form. Because of that, the civilians decided to try to kill him, not caring that he was only an infant.
"The newly reinstated Third Hokage did what he could to protect Naruto from the ignorant civilians and the ninjas, but he wasn't able to stop the attacks. The Hokage even hired a group of his Elite guards to protect Naruto, but many of them hated Naruto for what they felt he represented. As a result, they refused to help Naruto when he was getting beaten by the civilians. Out of desperation, the Hokage passed a law that made it a capital offense to talk about Naruto as if he was the Kyuubi, but that didn't work right. He can't execute everyone who broke the law because that would wipe out about 90% of the village. At best, he can send a message with one or two people, but it's often ignored by the villagers."
Kakashi didn't need to look at their faces to know that Tsunami and Tazuna were appalled at what they heard. Team 6 looked just as bad. Even Sasuke and Sakura couldn't help but feel bad for the blonde. However, Inari looked the worst. He didn't know what he would do if he were in Naruto's shoes, even for a day. Looking toward the door the blonde left, the young boy gave a small, almost unnoticeable nod.
(*****)
Naruto was standing in a clearing, surrounded by clones. As soon as he left the house, the blonde took off to an empty clearing and summoned 500 clones. Now, he was facing off against 300 clones, and he wasn't slowing down any.
"Didn't know suffering?" Naruto growled as he launched a Great Breakthrough at a group of clones, wiping ten of them out. "That brat doesn't have any idea what true suffering is like." A cluster of clones jumped at Naruto, only to be dispelled by a large Fireball. Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow before facing off the small army. "That brat wouldn't last one day in my life." Seeing the army of clones coming at him, he threw his hand signs together before launching another Fireball jutsu at the army. Just before the Fireball reached the army, Naruto fired a Great Breakthrough at the Fireball, expanding the jutsu to a giant wave of fire, incinerating the clones.
Just as the jutsu dies off, Naruto drops onto his back, exhausted both from chakra exhaustion and the influx of over 200 clones' memories at once. The blonde looks at the moonlit sky before falling into unconsciousness.
(*****)
Naruto sat up, feeling a headache like no other. Grumbling, he looked around to see something odd. He found he wasn't in the middle of the forest, but in what appeared to be a sewer. Naruto got to his feet before feeling the brick walls. To his confusion, the walls were cracked in many places, but some areas looked like they were repaired recently.
"Where am I?" The blonde asked himself. He hadn't expected to hear a response.
"So, my jailor finally shows himself." A deep voice booms, surprising the blonde into turning around. "Who's there?" Naruto asked, looking around. Instead of a response, Naruto saw a faint red glow down a path. Nervous, the blonde followed the red glow for what seemed like forever. Finally, he found himself in a large room, bathed in a red glow. Looking around, he noticed the walls also were cracked, but showing small signs of repair. He also saw something glitter in the corner of his vision. Turning, he found himself in awe. He was standing in front of the bars of a giant cage, reaching up into the darkness. Looking closer, he noticed the bars were held together with a small paper with the Kanji for "Seal" on it. Naruto was astonished as he realized what this was.
"So, human. How does it feel to be standing before the greatest creature in existence?" A loud voice bellowed from behind the cage. Naruto looked into the cage before stepping forward. "You're the Kyuubi!"
Suddenly, the red glow brightened enough for Naruto to see inside the cage. Sure enough, a large figure was visible inside the cage. The fox had dark, orange-red fur and nine large, bushy tails. Large, red eyes stared down on Naruto, as if peering into his soul. The fox swished its tails back and forth a bit before responding.
"That's right, human. I am the great Nine-Tailed Fox." The fox stated before lowering its head towards the ground. Naruto stared at the fox for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "Well, I figured I'd see you sooner or later." Naruto's nonchalant tone seemed to annoy the Fox a little. Kyuubi focused its large eyes on the Genin. "Aren't you going to yell at life being unfair? About how your life would be better without me being sealed in you?" Surprisingly, Naruto shook his head at the Fox's questions.
"Why should I? Complaining about it isn't going to change anything. Besides, if it weren't for you being sealed in me, I wouldn't have met my friends. I might have lived badly, but at least some good came of it." Naruto shrugged his shoulders. Kyuubi did not expect this kind of answer. After a moment, it did something Naruto hadn't expected. Kyuubi chuckled.
"That's pretty insightful for a human, especially one as young as you." Kyuubi remarked, looking at the blonde. Naruto simply shrugged as he sat down in front of the cage. "Honestly, I'm surprised you're not going on about killing me or getting free to destroy the world." Kyuubi's tails flattened as it let out a huge sigh. "Well, I've been here for 12 years. I examined the seal, and I can tell that if you die, this seal takes me out with you unless the seal is removed properly. Even if I were to have you rip the seal off, it would still kill us both. Evidentially, your Hokage had thought I'd try that as well." The Fox replied.
Naruto nodded in understanding before looking around. "So, where exactly are we?" The blonde asked. Kyuubi looked around the area a bit before laying its head down. "Kit, we are inside your mindscape. Essentially, this is a representation of your mental state. The cracks in the walls show that your mental state was heavily damaged; no doubt due to your treatment by those idiotic villagers." Kyuubi responds. "And before you ask, the repairs are a result of the friendships and good experiences you recently had. Slowly, your mind is repairing itself."
Naruto nodded in understanding. However, he was surprised. He always heard the Kyuubi, and by extension he, was a violent and murderous beast. Yet, the Kyuubi was calm and not thrashing about. This is nothing like the beast that attacked Konoha. Actually…
"Why did you attack Konoha, anyway?" Naruto couldn't help but ask. Kyuubi expected this question, but didn't think it would be asked so calmly. Debating whether to be honest or not, the Fox decided the former. "Well, you may not believe this. Hell, I doubt anyone in your village would believe this, but I wasn't exactly given a choice." Seeing Naruto's skeptical look, Kyuubi grew annoyed. "Don't give me that look, Kit. I was ripped out of my previous container on the night you were born. As soon as I was freed, I was put into a Genjutsu by some man with a spiral mask." Naruto was shocked. "How? How could anyone put you in a Genjutsu? I was told the Tailed Beasts couldn't be controlled?" The boy asked, confused.
Kyuubi growled at the question. "Well, you were partially told the truth. Normally, we can't be controlled. Hence why we are usually sealed into people. However, there is one thing that can completely control a Tailed Beast. That, human, is the Sharingan." Naruto's eyes widened at this. However, the Fox wasn't done. "Don't worry. You don't have to worry about that irritating Uchiha trying to control you or me. It takes an incredibly strong Sharingan to affect me. Only one person was able to control me before the man with the mask. His name was Madara Uchiha. Compared to him, your little 'friend' is little more than a pissant."
Naruto was slightly relieved. He was worried Sasuke would try to control him when Sasuke got his Sharingan and if he ever learned about the Fox. After a moment, the blonde remembered something Kyuubi just said. "You said you were ripped from your previous container. Who was it, and did they live?" Naruto asked the giant fox.
Kyuubi paused for a moment, surprised about Naruto's interest in his history. "Well, my previous container survived the extraction, but barely. However, she didn't live much longer after that because she was extremely weakened by it. As for who it was, I am not sure. The seal, while not life-binding like yours, was heavily restrictive. I never made contact with my previous jailer while sealed. I only saw my old container just after my release, but only for an instant before being taken over. I don't know her name, but it was a woman with long, red hair."
Naruto was disappointed to hear the previous jinchuuriki was dead. He had hoped to talk with her to see what her life was like. 'Oh well', he thought. Naruto stood up before looking at the Fox. "Well, I have no hatred for you if you were really controlled. And I appreciate you informing me about what you have. You didn't have to do that." The blonde said, once again shocking the Kyuubi. After a few seconds, the Fox chuckled again.
"I'm mightily impressed by you, Kit. In fact, how about I give you a little training myself?" Kyuubi smirked slightly at Naruto's surprised look. "Think about it. If you die, then I die too. I'd kill myself in the afterlife if I died because I could've improved my host and didn't." Naruto nodded, understanding what the Kyuubi was getting at.
"Alright, Fox. What are you going to teach me?" Naruto asked, somewhat excited. Kyuubi was amused by the blonde's excitement. "Well, for starters, I will teach you one of my Fire jutsus. Once you master it, I'll teach you another jutsu. I'll also work to help you train to harness and control my chakra. You haven't accessed it yet, but once you do, it'll be difficult to control, even with my approval. That will be the toughest part."
Naruto nodded, committing this to memory. After a moment, however, he had a thought about Sasuke. "What about Sasuke? He doesn't have it yet, but he's bound to get the Sharingan sooner or later. If he sees me use one of your jutsus, he'll probably try to steal it."
Kyuubi laughed heartily at Naruto's question. "Once again, I'm impressed, Kit. You think ahead, that's a good quality. Don't worry about that Uchiha. The jutsus I show you are my own creation. That little pissant won't be able to copy them because they require either my chakra, or at least my presence, to use. He can try to copy it, but he won't be able to use it." Naruto let out a sigh of relief. He knew Sasuke would try to copy all the jutsus he can when he can.
Before he could respond, he started fading away. "Hey, what's going on?" He asked, confused. Kyuubi stretched a little before lying back down. "You're waking up, Kit. Don't worry, I'll start sending some of the jutsu's information to your memory. It'll help you learn it." Naruto nodded as he faded away. "Thanks, Kyuubi. I'll see you soon." Just as he disappeared, he heard the Fox's voice one more time. "Kurama, Kit. My name is Kurama."
(*****)
Haku wandered through the forest, looking for some plants. With his medical skills, Zabuza was well on his way to recovery. He needed only a few more plants to make another medical salve. With it, Zabuza would be fully recovered in less than a week. Entering a clearing, Haku is thrown by what he sees. The clearing is almost completely destroyed, huge craters and ruts in the ground. Haku sighs, knowing he wouldn't find any herbs here. Just as he turns to leave, he catches sight of a boy sleeping on the ground at the end of the clearing.
Walking closer to the boy, Haku gasps as he recognizes the boy as the blonde that fought Zabuza the week prior. Debating whether to kill the boy or not, Haku sighs before shaking the boy awake. After a moment, Naruto stirs and sits up. Opening his eyes, he takes notice of a beautiful girl standing next to him.
"Hi, there." Naruto says, keeping his blush down. Haku smiles at the boy before sitting next to him. "Hello. Who are you?" The boy asked the blonde. "Naruto Uzumaki," the blonde shrugged. Haku nodded before responding. "I am Haku." Looking around the clearing, Haku turned to Naruto. "What were you doing here in this clearing?"
Naruto glanced over at the clearing, realizing the damage he did in his anger. "I was training last night and passed out." He said, sweat-dropping. Haku sweat-dropped as well. "If you did that, you seem pretty strong already. Why the need to train?" Naruto stood up before stretching. "Well, I need to make myself stronger to protect my friends. I won't allow harm to come to them." Naruto said, determination in his eyes. Haku nodded as he got up too. "I see, so you have precious people to protect. That makes you truly strong." Naruto nodded as Haku started walking off.
"I hope you get stronger to protect those precious to you." He said as he reached the end of the clearing. However, Naruto had something to say.
"Tell Zabuza that Kumori's son says hello." Naruto knew he was taking a gamble, but it was worth a try. Team 7 decided that if they could tell Zabuza about Kumori, then he might recognize the name.
Haku froze, not realizing that his cover was blown. 'How did he know I was with Zabuza?' He knew he was caught. Regaining his composure, Haku looked back and smiled. "I'll let him know. Oh, by the way, I'm a boy." Haku walked off, smiling slightly at seeing Naruto's shocked face at the last minute. After Haku left, Naruto regained himself. "Wow, I didn't know that was a boy. He was cuter than most girls I've seen." The blonde said to himself before heading back to Tazuna's house. He figured he probably was going to catch some flak for storming off, but he didn't care.
Demon: Now, chapter 15 is done.
Creeper: This is taking a while.
Demon: I know. I'm hoping to finish the Wave arc within the next chapter or two.
Lexboss: What's after that?
GoodWriter: If I remember correctly, it's the Chunin Exams.
Demon: Bingo. But, I'm not going to keep it the standard Exams. I'm thinking of ways to twist it to be creative.
Lexboss: I hope it'll be interesting.
Demon: It should. Read and Review!
Lexboss: No flames! Man, that really feels right!
Demon: What?
Creeper: Don't worry about it.
Demon: …Ok. Well, peace!