New story, written following "Superpower wiki" definition of "Necromancy" it takes place in Suna.
One or two "Franken Fran" Elements (appearance and overall concept only, STRONGLY OOC).
Pairing: Naru/fem Gaara (Sahara)/ Temari/ Fem Kankurou (Kankuo).
"You bastard" - demon talking / jutsu.
"Let's finish this" – dialogue.
" Can it get any worse? " - during flashback/Thoughts.
Disclaimer: I don't own and NEVER will own the material I use/used/ will use and I will NEVER take money for this or anything else I write so leave me alone, lawyers!
Black Baron of Suna Chapter 2: The Man that could see the future.
Konoha Village – Abandoned Apartment Complex – night before the exams -
Gossip had always been the fastest thing in existence, especially when shinobi were the ones to gossip about something, so it was no surprise that the news of Baron Shi momentarily setting shop in Konoha for the duration of the Chuunin exam was already well know even BEFORE said man could have possibly opened his shop in the village.
Ever since the sun set a continuous stream of visitors had focused its attention on the run-down apartment complex where the first floor had apparently gained the ability to change into a perfect replica of the Infamous Shop Near the Underworld in Suna.
The truth was that Naruto learned that 'saving the appearances' was fundamental in the maintenance of a good image in the eyes of the customers, that's why he had prepared an exact copy of everything normally inside his shop that he kept sealed in scrolls, so to give the idea that Baron Shi could Summon his shop wherever he was from beyond the Mortal Realm.
It was not like he lacked the materials for the shrunken heads, swimming blobs or pictures of screaming faces since apparently Human Beings were unable to understand the simple rule of: You try to not pay and I turn you into Furniture...it was their problem after all, not his.
Right now the black cloaked blond was waiting for yet another customer to visit him, feeling lucky that he had not to take part to the exam, otherwise he would have as well fell asleep while standing the next day.
"How many before we can call it a night?" the Kyuubi doll asked with a bored voice.
"Three more and then FINALLY we will get some sleep," Naruto answered groaning.
"I don't remember this place being so full of superstitious people" Kushina said giving the boy a little shoulder massage.
"Yeah, we were also lucky no-one linked the plush-doll to Naruto and the Kyuubi," Minato said.
"We were lucky that I managed to stay out of everyone's radar instead, those ANBU kept following me around like a shadow," Naruto said to correct his father.
"That's true, they were talking about Recovering Konoha's weapon while we were following them, luckily without the Heart-Batteries installed they couldn't sense us," Kushina said huffing.
"Okay-okay! They were seeing our son as a weapon instated of an hero, I already admitted my mistake, you and the others were right in abandoning the village, okay? Can we please go on with our lives (or non-lives) now?" Minato said groaning.
"At long last the mighty Yellow Flash admitted of being a baka, I am elated!" Kushina answered in triumph.
"Cut it off, you two! Luckily I have not the Kyuubi sealed in me otherwise they would have been CERTAIN I was the one they were looking for," Naruto said.
"Eh! While sealed here even their PRECIOUS Byakugan and Sharingan can't work or influence me, a plush-doll has not a chakra coil system for the Hyuuga to see and disable nor an actual 'brain' for the Uchiha to mess with, until I keep my energy 'dormant' no-one will be able to know that I was the Nine-Tailed Fox they so much Hate, even a sensor-type shinobi won't be able to sense me while literally keeping me in their hands," the doll said.
"Yeah, I know I am a genius, no need to remember me that," Naruto said in pride.
"Master Shi, the next customer is ready to enter," Veronica said approaching the table.
"Let her in, let's hear what she need" Naruto said covering his face with the hood as a girl with brown hair tied into two buns entered the shop, cautiously looking around while following the Human-doll.
"Nice to meet you, my dear, welcome to my humble shop," the Necromancer said with a little bow of his head, the coldness and monotone voice sending a shiver up her back.
"The honor is all mine, I am..." the girl answered.
"Higurashi Tenten, I know...people won't trust my ability of clairvoyance if I fail at knowing with who I am speaking AT THE VERY LEAST," Baron Shi said letting out a brief chuckle.
"Yeah...I guess so...I...well, some people talked about your ability in predicting the future...so I was wondering..." Tenten said looking around.
"You want me to see what Fate has in store for you?" the cloaked figure asked curious.
"Yes, even if I would like you to not calling it Fate, I have a Teammate kinda 'enamored' with the concept and I am starting to hate the word itself," she answered.
"My bad, sorry for bringing out that then, but I need to remind you that I can predict one of the INNUMERABLE possible futures that are awaiting for you, it will be YOUR choices to determine which one will become reality, if you still want I can tell you what will happen should things continue as they are," the Baron said nodding.
"I can accept it, I get that should I try to force that particular future to happen in the end the result will be different?" she asked, seeing him nod she closed her eyes to let out a sigh.
"Some preference in the method you wish me to use?" the boy asked.
"The crystal sphere if you don't mind, Baron Shi-san," Tenten asked.
"Very well!" Naruto said clapping his hands making every candle in the shop die down until only the faint, pearl-white glow of the crystal sphere remained, like a small moon hovering over the table.
"You can try if you want...you are not the first one to do it," the Necromancer said with an amused tone finally surfacing.
"Oh!...I-I didn't mean to..." the girl said nervously.
"Go on, I don't mind!" he said motioning her with an hand, watching as the girl moved her hands as to dispel an illusion.
"Kai!" focusing as much energy as she could the girl tried to release the Genjutsu and/or technique she believed was in the room, getting nothing as result.
"Solid Crystal cut in a perfectly spherical shape, no lights, no smoke, no mirrors and of course no Jutsu, but feel free to not believe and just treat me like a counselor, I am just here to please and help," Baron Shi said moving his hands up and shrugging.
"Okay...how does this work?" Tenten asked pointing at the sphere, a little embarrassment showing on her face, she was not one to believe in this kind of things and was feeling a little silly in being there at all.
"Focus on what you need to know, no need to tell me directly, just think about your question and focus on the core of the sphere, I will do the rest," the boy's voice returned cold and emotionless as he was speaking, the crystal shining a little brighter as to attract the girl's attention.
"Okay..." she muttered letting out a long breath before focusing on her question, a shadow of sort appearing in the middle of the sphere few seconds later.
"...Good, the Chuunin Exam is what is giving you more doubts I see...since it's your first time I won't ask for payment BUT, this is the only time I will do this, should you return I will pretend my payment," he said surprising the girl that nodded in thanks.
"Uh! Mirrors...nice trick, you are an ingenious girl, I am impressed," Baron Shi said nodding.
"How did you...ah! Sorry!" Tenten asked before falling silent at how stupid her question must have sounded.
"Don't worry...Aah! Yes, a forest, must be The Forest of Death I presume...for one like me, it almost feels like home, but let's see further..." the boy said chuckling again.
"The Forest of Death feeling like home!? This guy must be completely out of it!" she thought in worry.
"From here onward everything becomes foggy...I can only give you this advice...Sounds can be devastating in more ways than one, messing with your senses and showing you things that are not what they are in reality," he said as the light in the crystal ball died down while the candles were lighting up again.
"Sounds? I guess I will pay attention then...any suggestions?" Tenten asked.
"Stay focused, trust your instinct and make your hands and accuracy stay steady and sharp, you will go far," the boy answered getting up.
"Thank you, Baron Shi-san," she said bowing.
"A lucky charm? Just in case you may need one," he asked.
"I don't usually believe in those things...fine, I want one!" the girl answered, before blushing and presenting her hand.
"Perfect, fifty Ryous, my dear," Baron Shi said giving her a polished tablet of black wood with tiny inscriptions on it.
"Expensive..." she muttered paying him.
"But working all the same, keep it over your heart, you will thank me after the end of the exam" Naruto answered.
"Be as you said, good night," Tenten answered shrugging, leaving the shop with Veronica closely following her.
After the girl left Naruto took off his hood, sat back at his desk and tapped the crystal ball several times with a serious expression.
"Talk, I know you are there!" he said to the sphere.
"Baron Shi-sama?" a female voice asked tentatively.
"What do you need, Oh spirit of the underworld?" the boy asked solemnly.
"I am...I am...I am Higurashi Pai-ten...I am here...I need your help, Baron Shi-sama!" the woman asked pleadingly.
"You need my help regarding your daughter? I already gave her too many details about her future, any more and she may unconsciously risk altering it," the boy answered.
"I know...it's about the invasion, you saw it in her...she will..." the voice said.
"She will die during the invasion, yes, I saw the date of her death coincide with the start of the attack," Naruto said nodding.
"Can you...can you stop that from happening? Can you save my poor daughter's life?" Pai-ten asked with a sobbing voice.
"You are asking me a lot, spirit of the Underworld, I will be forced to directly intervene on things, you lot should know that I don't like doing that" he answered.
"Please...she is so young, she still have to achieve her true potential, her father would be devastated should she die too!" the woman pleaded.
"...Naruto," Kushina whispered.
"It's your choice, son..." Minato said.
"Fine...I will do as you ask BUT!" the blond said stopping the spirit from thanking him.
"But?" she asked.
"But after that your daughter's soul will literally belong to me, I won't enslave her, force her into anything or torture her mind you, but after this she will owe her whole existence to me and die only when I will say so, this is not negotiable," Naruto answered.
"WHAT!?" Pai-ten said in horror.
"It's your payment for my services, I am not doing this for my enjoyment, but as a matter of fact, when she will die I will take her soul and stop it from leaving her body so to heal her, contrary to an undead it will be like her heart just stopped for few seconds...this if I am fast enough to do it, otherwise she will just be an undead like Veronica or my parents, in truth I voluntarily turned them so to have those two being Immortal since you can't kill someone that is already dead, but for Tenten I can make an exception and let her stay alive," The boy calmly answered.
"And...should she chose to love someone?" the woman asked.
"She can love whoever she wants, I already have a girlfriend so I am not so desperate as to force her into loving me, for all I care she can do whatever she wants with her life as long as she doesn't turn against me as an enemy, her soul being mine will just be a consequence of her escaping death, not a curse of servitude,"
"Okay...I...I think I can accept that, just...don't take liberties with her, please..." Pai-ten asked
"I am a Necromancer, not a pig," Naruto answered.
"Thank you, Baron Shi-sama, I will be forever in your debt!" the voice said as the presence left the sphere.
"Requiescat in Pace, Pai-ten!" Naruto answered saluting the woman and putting his hood back on.
"Master Shi? Should I let the new customer in?" Veronica asked worried.
"Yes...let Sasuke in, it won't take long," he answered sensing the 'familiar' presence behind the door.
"Baron Shi-san? Can I come in?" the boy asked.
"Please enter, Uchiha-san, what can I do for you?" the necromancer asked.
"It won't take long...I just need some suggestions about the Exam," Sasuke asked sitting down.
"Since every other gennin of Konoha seemed eager to come here for that reason I went a little ahead for some of you and already checked, especially in your case," Naruto said nodding.
"My case? Why?" the Uchiha boy asked curious.
"Let's just say that a vision I recently had may interest you too..."
"A vision? And it will interest me?" Sasuke asked.
"Nothing too serious, let's just say that being bitten by a snake in your case may have fastidious side-effects that may become 'long-lasting' if not treated accordingly, for this reason I prepared something 'special' just for you," the Cloaked figure said moving to a small cabinet, taking out a long grey scarf that he then presented to the boy.
"Snake bites...Thank you, I guess I will pay attention...and the scarf?" the boy asked.
"Wear it during the WHOLE exam and after, never take it off no matter what, you will feel when it won't be necessary any more," Baron Shi said to the puzzled boy.
"Really? Sounds a little..." he trailed off, uncertain in how to answer.
"Stupid? I guess it may appear like that, but trust me, the seals and protections on this will help you more than any armour would...no matter what promises comes from a poisoned mouth, each syllable will still be as mortal as the poison itself," the other answered.
"And that would mean?" Sasuke asked wearing the scarf, strangely feeling protected by it.
"You want revenge but at the same time you know that making your desire cloud your judgment won't help you going far. never let people mess with your ideals, nor blind you with false promises of power and help, nothing comes for free and you know it, no prize is worth your soul," the necromancer answered.
"Why the ones like you can't give a simple answer like: 'don't do that but do this'? trying to decipher your words is painful to the extreme!" Sasuke said moaning.
"We oracles tried that once or twice in the past, and still people didn't understand what to do, in the end we opted for those cryptic words and inwardly laugh at your 'I get it now!' expression when our words finally get some sense for you," Naruto answered chuckling darkly.
"I don't find it funny..." the Uchiha boy muttered.
"I do instead, I find it REALLY amusing, it's one hundred and fifty Ryous for the scarf by the way,"
"O-O-ONE HUNDRED!?" the boy yelled.
"One Hundred AND fifty" Naruto corrected "You can give it back if you don't want it," he then said.
"No! I-I mean...okay, I'll take the scarf...money-sucking bastard." Sasuke said growling while paying him and stomping out of the store immediately after.
"Have a nice day!" Naruto said, smirking at the soft growl he got in answer.
"Like that he will learn to not come here at this hour of the night" Kyuubi said.
"Both him and Tenten were worried, can't blame them, I was nervous too when studying under Samedi and forced to take one of his exams...sadistic bastard," Naruto answered shivering at the memory.
"The last one, Master. Please be patient, we have almost done," Veronica said bowing.
"FINE! Let him in," Naruto said groaning, few seconds later a man with a blank mask barged inside before marching towards the table.
"Baron Shi, as per orders of Danzo-sama you will be escorted to our base to answer our questions!" the ROOT member said in a monotone voice.
"What kind of questions?" he asked bored.
"You will tell us everything you know about Suna and its Kazekage, should your answer being satisfactory you will be set free," the masked shinobi answered.
"And what if I say No?" Naruto asked amused.
"That is not an option," the man said taking a fighting stance.
"I thought so...Veronica?" Naruto asked as the man's arms and legs were rapidly removed by the girls' weapons in a shower of blood.
"Thank you, my dear, I don't know what I would do without you," the boy said smiling, ignoring the howls of pain of the ROOT shinobi.
"It's a pleasure serving you, master," Veronica said bowing.
"Adorea-chan, please eat him but leave out the head, I will shrink it tomorrow in the morning, I am too sleepy now to do a good job," the blond ordered to the bandaged woman who nodded in answer.
"Master, there is a seal on his tongue," Veronica said checking the body for hidden traps.
"Let me check his body for more before collecting his organs, I will copy whatever they used on him for later study," Minato said getting closer.
"As you wish, I will be in my bed if you need me," Naruto said moving towards his bed while the four un-dead analyzed the intruder.
"Gotta work on a way to keep those out of my store...I will add few exception to the candles tomorrow, but now I need to sleep," the boy mumbled between yawns.
Konoha – the next day – day of the exam – Shinobi Academy -
"I must to stop here, I am not taking part so I can't enter here," Naruto said hugging Sahara.
"I know, but I don't like it at all!" the girl answered.
"Don't worry, I know you three will be awesome, I will follow you all from distance," the boy said.
"Baron Shi-sama will use Karura as medium, she will tell him everything that happen during the exam, if you need she will summon him," Shukaku said from the seal.
"Okay..." she muttered, letting the boy go with evident difficulty.
"Be strong and don't kill everyone, I know you will pass this, I trust you," Naruto said kissing her.
"I will make you proud," Sahara said nodding.
"We all will!" Temari said hugging him.
"Yeah, we will celebrate our victory once back at home," Kankuo said adding herself to the hug, her hand stealthy moving down to pinch his ass playfully.
"Hands down, NOW!" Sahara roared in anger.
"Just go you three and be good!" the blond boy said smirking, waving at the girls as they entered the academy.
"What can I do for you, ANBU-san?" he then asked without looking behind.
"I was wondering if you could accompany me somewhere," the man with the eagle mask asked gently.
"I am a kid...yet TWO of you are here to take me? Isn't it too much?" Naruto asked curious.
"It's more like a precaution to protect you more than a capture," the woman with the cat mask said.
"I have nothing to hide nor I am a shinobi, otherwise I would be in there now," the boy answered.
"You have high reserves compared to a civilian, you know?" Eagle asked.
"Family trait, I presume; I didn't go to the academy back in Suna nor I am registered as a soldier either," the blond answered.
"Be as you said, please follow us, it won't take long," Cat said taking a step forward, rising her hands to show her lack of ill intent.
"I will, but just so you know, should you try something, you will regret it immediately after," Naruto said as the woman's hand grabbed his shoulder, the three disappearing in a puff! Of smoke.
"Hokage Tower, NOW!" Kushina growled as she sprinted towards the tall construction.
"I will held you responsible should something happen to Master Shi, Minato-san!" Veronica said glaring at the man.
"Then be fast punishing me, because if something happen to Naruto I doubt Kushina will leave something of me for you to torture," Minato answered sighing.
"THAT'S RIGHT!" bellowed the undead red head.
Konoha – Hokage Tower – few minutes later -
"Here he is, Hokage-sama," the Eagle ANBU said pushing the boy inside a wide room.
"Thank you, we will take care of the rest from here on, you can go," Hiruzen said nodding.
"Hai!" the man answered before leaving.
"What can I do for you, Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked bowing.
"I just need you to clarify some doubts for me, do you mind helping me?" the old man asked with a gentle smile.
"As long as it is between my abilities I can't see why not," the boy answered smiling.
"Go!" Hiruzen commanded as three ANBU encircled the boy, encasing him in a blue barrier.
"What the?" Naruto exclaimed.
"Jiraya? It's your turn now," the old Hokage asked as a man with long white hair moved out from the shadows.
"Stay still gaki, it will take an instant," the man said as his hand moved inside the barrier, lifting the boy's shirt to look at his belly.
"It should be somewhere here...like it was with her..." Jiraiya muttered touching the boy's belly with an hand coated in chakra.
"There is...nothing? NOTHING? it...it can't be!" the Toad Sage said moving more chakra in the area, eyes wide as the results were negative.
"I was called here to be molested?" Naruto asked worried.
"I...I...sensei, that is not here!" Jiraiya said watching the old man.
"Can you check somewhere else?" Hiruzen asked.
"I tried, I got no answer from the pulses," the other answered.
"Hiashi? Did you see anything?" Hiruzen asked to the wall, the illusion fading to show the Shinobi Clan Heads sitting in their seats in the council room, intently looking at the boy.
"Nothing, Hokage-sama, there is nothing extra inside his coils," a man with long brown hair and pale, pupil-less eyes said shaking his head.
"I see..." Hiruzen muttered.
"But," the Hyuuga Clan Head said "His chakra feels...cold...is like, I can see that his chakra is there but at the same time it's like the energy itself is dead somehow, his body can still generate chakra but without the normal 'vitality' one can expect from the energy" he then explained.
"What?!" Hiruzen said surprised.
"His smell too is strange," a woman with a feral appearance said rising her hand.
"What do you mean, Tsume?" Hiruzen asked.
"His smell is thin, I don't know how to describe it, it's like he could barely leave behind a trace," The Inuzuka matriarch answered uncertain.
"She and Hiashi-san are basically describing him as the nearest thing to a living corpse one can find, even if alive he seems to lack whatever makes someone 'alive' to begin with," an man with sunglasses said with a plain tone.
"Yeah, what Shibi is saying, and whatever it is it's making me feel nervous since he entered here," Tsume added nodding.
"Did something happen while you were growing up, boy?" Hiruzen asked in apprehension.
"Could it be that someone extracted the Kyuubi and then used the Edo Tensei to send here the boy to mock us? Orochimaru maybe?" The old man thought.
"If something happened?" Naruto asked curious, barely hiding his amusement at their surprise in not seeing the Kyuubi inside him and at the results of the 'modifications' Samedi did to him.
"Yes, do you remember...losing something?" Hiruzen asked leaning forward.
"Well...I remember that when I was six the man that raised me as his son tried to kill me..." Naruto said, telling the lie that he and his parents had prepared just in case, using every trick Minato taught him to stop the others from noticing while keeping an eye on Inoichi Yamanaka, remembering his father's warnings about his clan's mental attacks.
"And then?" said Yamanaka Clan Head asked narrowing his eyes.
"Then nothing...I think I smelled something burning and a flash of orange fur, maybe, then I woke up in Suna, Baron Shi found me and gave me some shelter until I found a way to live on my own" the boy answered "But I know that since that day I always felt cold, not even when walking in the middle of the desert, I always feel cold," he then added.
"I...see...sorry for trapping you, we believed you were someone that was kidnapped from our village, I hope you won't hold this against us," Hiruzen said.
"Don't worry, I would have answered even without the barrier though, I am not a Shinobi," Naruto said nodding.
"Ah, yes! Drop it, please!" the Hokage motioned to the ANBU that rapidly moved away dispelling the barrier.
"Can I go now? I would like to eat something before trying to sneak a peak at the exam, my girlfriend is taking part," the boy asked bowing.
"Why not? Since we tried to harass you" Hiruzen said smiling at Jiraiya's fuming face "I think we can repay you with a little help, Jiraiya here will accompany you to eat something and then escorting you to where we will held the second part of the exam once we know if there will be need to use the Tower," Hiruzen then said.
"Let's go, gaki. I'll offer you something," Jiraiya said patting the boy's shoulder and escorting him out.
"What do you think?" Hiruzen asked to the others.
"He seems to hide something, probably he knows what happened but was afraid to tell us," Inoichi said.
"He lied?" Hiashi asked.
"Not exactly, he was withholding some details, while he wasn't telling lies at the same time he didn't tell the whole truth" the 'mind walker' answered.
"Did you try to enter his mind?" Hiruzen asked.
"I wanted to, but since his chakra was apparently different from normal I preferred to play safe and stay outside, I didn't want to risk losing myself in a mind one could describe as dead-like," Inoichi answered.
"That is another strange thing, any suggestion as to why his chakra feels dead?" the Hokage asked.
"Mendokuse...probably is a side-effect of having the Kyuubi extracted..." a man answered lazily.
"Please tell us what you think is the reason, Shikaku," Shibi Aburame asked.
"Technically once the Biju is removed the Vessel dies from the shock and the strain on his mind, chakra coils and body, if I have to say...probably Minato added few fail-saves to try and stop the extraction from happening, those must have saved the boy's life at the cost of his Fire or life-force, leaving him with a 'cold' soul inside," he answered.
"It doesn't make sense nor appears possible," Hiruzen said shaking his head.
"He says that he always feels cold, is possible for an human to live without a soul? What if by trying to kill him that man released the Kyuubi and destroyed part of Naruto-san's soul? It may make the boy an empty shell unable to feel the warmth of being alive," Chouza Akimichi said.
"We are starting to talk like philosophers here...I say it's just the shock of the extraction, he doesn't smell like a corpse nor he feels like one, he is just a poor kid that almost died when he was young, we should let him be and go on with his life, if he wasn't trained like a shinobi it means that he is a simple civilian, high reserves or not we can't harass him just because he USED to contain the Fox, he is probably still scared from the knowledge that he had that beast inside, he didn't want us to antagonize him for that, that's why he wasn't telling the whole thing, let's just concede him a normal life and once the Kyuubi reappears WE will worry, it's not Naruto-san's problem anymore," Tsume said glaring at the others.
"I guess you are right, we will keep him under watch just to be sure nothing happens to him...If I have to say, having him living in Suna is a little sad, his parents were from here after all," Hiruzen said sighing.
"That is also true...a civilian with Low-Jounin reserves...and a truly strange condition the Fox left him, it's a pity he doesn't want to become a shinobi," Hiashi said sighing as well, others nodding at his words.
"What about Baron Shi? Any information?" Hiruzen asked.
"Nothing, Hokage-sama. The Branch member I sent there with the excuse of a meeting didn't manage to see through his hood, Kumiko actually reported the man chuckling as she entered, saying that our clan's pretty eyes won't work on him since his friends protects him," Hiashi answered shaking his head.
"The Byakugan couldn't see his chakra? That's a bad news, Tsume?" the old man asked worriedly.
"Nothing at all, I went to the apartment complex with my best dogs and trackers, but whatever that man did there were absolutely no traces, nothing! No smells, no chakra remains...the whole place was exactly as it was ten years ago, completely abandoned as even the dust had not been removed!" the Inuzuka matriarch answered in disbelief.
"Shibi?" the Hokage tried asking to the Aburame Clan Head.
"It was unsuccessful, Hokage-sama, the bugs me and my clan left in the area near the shop had been returned this morning in a box, someone managed to completely mummify them," the man answered.
"You can mummify a bug?" Chouza asked curious.
"Apparently he could, I instead tried to read his mind from outside his shop after asking for a meeting, I struck once he opened the door..." Inoichi said, falling silent before the end.
"And?" Hiruzen asked.
"...and my wife found me this morning tied up in our flower shop, unconscious," the Yamanaka clan Head answered blushing.
"It's true that you were also naked?" Chouza asked smirking, making the man blush redder.
"A note said that he had found the attack funny, that's why he limited his punishment to just stick that cactus up my rectum," the blond man answered looking down.
"I wasn't aware of it being a cactus, I just saw a pot sprouting from your back," Shibi said sounding surprised instead of monotone.
"You know?!" Inoichi asked.
"We all know, we found a picture showing it on our doorstep, the message near it said that he could have easily killed you, but he was in a good mood so for this time ONLY he spared you, any other attack will result in the death of the attacker," Hiruzen answered as the Yamanaka man started sobbing in humiliation.
The truth was that Inoichi's attack (that Naruto already knew was coming thanks to Minato guarding outside) coincided with Sahara being UNDER the blond boy's desk.
You can't get mad when your girlfriend is sucking you off no matter how much you try and THAT game of "dirty secretary" was what stopped Ino from turning orphan.
Konoha – Ichiraku Ramen Stand – one hour later -
"You sure eat a lot..." Jiraiya said in wonder, looking how fast the empty bowls were piling in front of the boy.
"Never eat some this good!" the boy answered between mouthfuls, the waitress Ayame and her father struggling to keep up with him.
"Thank you, my boy, feel free to tell your friends about us, more people coming here is always well accepted," Teuchi answered smiling.
"Jiraiya-sama? Hokage-sama says that the candidates are nearing the Forest of Death, if the boy needs to be in the tower you better move," an ANBU with a Boar mask said appearing near them.
"Ah perfect! let's go, Naruto, if your girlfriend is there she may like a good luck hug," the man said patting on the blond's head.
"Okay, but I will come back later for more!" he answered smirking.
"We will be here waiting," Ayame said nodding.
"I want sooooome!" not far away, Kushina was whining from the shadow as the three guards followed the duo.
"Honey...we are un-dead now, we can't eat that anymore," Minato said, trying to console the sobbing woman.
"Can't Naru-chan make my stomach work again? Just for one day?" she asked pleadingly.
"We will ask him later, I promise," her husband answered.
"Okay..." she said sniffing loudly.
"I can't work with those two, I am a professional body-guard, not a baby-sitter!" Veronica muttered angrily, shaking her head in displeasure.
Forest of Death – Main entrance -
"Good! Now that everyone has a scroll get ready, the second part of the exam will start soon!" A woman with a trench and apparently NOTHING underneath except for the shoes and the shortest skirt ever made was talking to a group of gennin in front of the entrance to the massive forest.
"Who the hell are you?" she asked watching Jiraiya arriving with Naruto in toe.
"A late supporter for one of the candidates, Anko," Jiraiya answered cheerfully.
"Why he was permitted access? He is not with a Team," Anko asked with narrowed eyes.
"He is Naruto, Kushina's son...he barely survived an attack that almost killed him before joining Suna at six," the Toad Sage muttered in her ear.
"The Kyuubi vessel?" she muttered in surprise, it was not a secret that the supposed Jinchuuriki disappeared the night of the sealing, Anko was one of the REALLY few knowing the vessel's identity and his mother.
The boy's father, curiously, was unknown to her so she just presumed he was some bastard that escaped his responsibilities, making the hidden Minato feel as if slapped by someone.
"Not anymore...I'll explain later," Jiraiya answered ending the conversation.
"You better, since you are not in the group I take that you are a civilian?" the woman asked.
"Uh-hu...hey, isn't it offensive to force a kunoichi to go around undressed?" the boy asked back.
"I like to feel Free, why? Do you like what you see?" Anko answered smirking, getting closer to him and kneeling so to show that she really was wearing something under the coat, in the form of a fishnet suit that not even PRETENDED to be covering her.
"I have a girlfriend already, I am sorry," the boy answered patting her shoulder with a smile on his face.
"You sure? At your age the boys simply love some extra curves," she answered smirking at Sahara's furious expression, kissing the blond's forehead to further anger her.
"Just a question...how do you stop the coat from completely show off your breast? It just covers enough to not being completely opened," Naruto asked.
"I focus chakra on my nipples, like that the trench stays in position no matter what and it even helps as chakra-control exercise," Anko answered pleasured at his blush, knowing that the image of her naked body under the coat was now forever burned in his mind.
"I will have her blood!" Sahara roared moving to crush the woman, for once Temari or Kankuo weren't stopping her.
"My bad then, bimbo, because the second part starts...NOW!" Anko said as the gates flew open, forcing the Suna trio to run inside, not before Naruto defused the female Biju vessel with a deep kiss, tongue included.
"You are playing with the fire, Anko," Jiraiya said as he accompanied Naruto inside using a side entrance.
"It was still a lot of fun!" the woman answered giving the thumbs up to the man.
"Hoy, Anko! Mind something to eat? I have some time before reaching the tower," a woman with a dress apparently made out of bandages asked nearing her, her fiery red eyes locking on Anko, feeling that something was off about her.
"Really? Yay! Nai-chan is offering!" Anko said happily.
"I didn't mean to...FINE! This time I will pay for you too!" Kurenai said sighing.
"Awesome! I like how the day is going, I got to scare some brats, harass another and be generally cool, I only need Orochi-teme to die a terrible death and everything will be perfect!" the scantly dressed woman said happily.
"I know, it was a good day for me too, my WHOLE Team passed the written Test and entered the Forest, I can only hope they will continue like this, it will finally show to everyone how good I am as a sensei," Kurenai answered nodding, feeling giddy enough to move an arm around her friend's shoulders...before frowning in doubt.
"Anko?" she asked.
"Uh? What's wrong?" Anko answered.
"That thing...you know...the Seal...wasn't it on your left shoulder?" the red-eyed woman asked.
"...No, that is that hickey you gave me last week during your birthday, that shitty seal is...here?" the other answered looking where the Curse Seal her former sensei left on her shoulder was SUPPOSED to be.
"I am no medic...but there the skin seems perfectly clean..." Kurenai said curious.
"W-W-Wait! It should be here!" Anko said in panic, completely removing her coat to see better.
Both women not even caring that few Jounin and ANBU near them lost consciousness at her Showing off her body.
"Anko...the seal is not there anymore, did you finally remove it?" Kurenai asked surprised.
"BUT HOW!? I didn't do anything different from what I usually do!" the woman said disbelievingly, dressing back with a confused expression.
"...Baron Shi..." Kurenai muttered.
"What? What does this have to do with that weirdo?" the woman asked.
"I...Last night I went to his shop to ask my fortune about my Team and this exam..." She answered blushing.
"And? I still can't see what this has to do with my seal disappearing" Anko said crossing her arms.
"Before leaving he told me that 'A friend of mine will finally lose some weight' I thought he was referring to Hana and her diet," she answered.
"Well...I always saw that thing as a weight, that's for sure," Anko said looking at the Forest of Death.
"What's wrong?" Kurenai asked.
"Uh? Nothing, I just have a question in mind, but I know that later I will have my answer," the other answered shrugging.
"I am pretty sure the Seal was there before nearing the Forest, you are hiding something, brat!" she thought with narrowed eyes before joining her friend for a snack.
Forest of Death – half way towards the Tower -
"A pity we can't tree-jump, it will take a lot less time," Jiraiya said sighing, oblivious that the boy near him was totally engrossed in his own thoughts.
"A soul fragment, nice trick, may be a good alternative to Soul Jumping when in need to come back from death in case something happen to the main body (this if you are not a Necromancer to begin with), it's just a pity that this Orochimaru used such a little spark of his spirit to do it, I would have liked to extract some more info from it, but a little bit more of knowledge as a Medic is still good, at least he did some 'side' research on the human body, still disgusting, but at least I have some new notions without the whole 'vivisection/torturing humans' weight on my conscience...can't wait to get the WHOLE knowledge from the main source, he IS here after all!" the boy thought smirking evilly, looking at the Forest entrance before being grabbed by Jiraiya.
"Are we going to use that smoke trick of you ninjas? it's kinda funny going around like that after all!" Naruto asked curiously.
"Smoke trick? You mean the Shunshin? Yeah, we'll use that. Beats walking there," the old man answered.
"I just hope that Mitarashi woman won't notice the whole extraction too soon, it will be a pain to explain how I have made what no-one else apparently could," he then thought sighing as the two disappeared.
In the Meantime – Forest of Death – Team 7 of Konoha (Sasuke, Sakura, Ino Yamanaka) -
"Something is wrong here, I can't say why but my instinct is going crazy" a blond girl, Ino, said looking around in worry.
"I don't feel at ease either, do you see something?" Sasuke asked to Sakura.
"Nothing, Sasuke-kun," the girl answered.
"Me neither" said a man with a Grass Hitai-ate from behind Sasuke, making the boy jump several feet high in surprise.
"Ufufufufu! Nervous aren't we?" the man answered chuckling.
"Who are you?" Ino demanded.
"Someone here to make an offer to our dear Uchiha heir," the man answered flicking out an overly long tongue.
"Sorry, I am straight as an arrow" Sasuke answered rising his hands in a peaceful manner, it was not the first time he got That kind of offer.
"Actually I was offering you Power not the Honor of my company!" the man hissed out gaining a tick-mark on his forehead.
"Power? Do tell, do I have to play find the kunai if I say 'yes'?" Sasuke said taking a ready stance.
"I am starting to find annoying the fact that people consider me a pedophile," the Kusa nin answered flashing Killing Intent, paralyzing the three kids.
"It's about How you near people to propose, you 'flirt' too much when talking," Ino said shivering.
"It's the way I talk, idiot!" the man answered sprinting forward, kicking the Yamanaka girl away before focusing on Sasuke.
"Ufufufu! Yes! You are indeed strong, I can see soo much potential in you, Sasuke-kun!" he said smiling evilly while exchanging few blows with the boy.
"Thank you, that's why I train hard!" Sasuke answered jumping away, managing to tie-up the man with some ninja-wire.
"Katon:..." Sasuke said inhaling deeply.
"Too slow" the Kusa nin said as his body crumbled into mud, the real one appearing behind Sasuke to bite his neck.
"GUUUUAAAAH!" to the man's surprise a lightning discharge erupted from the scarf, covering his body and shooting him away in a ball of fire.
"SASUKE-KUN!" Sakura yelled worriedly.
"Grab Ino and run! We need to reach the tower!" Sasuke screamed pocketing the scroll that fell from the man's pocket.
"H-H-HAI!" shaking wildly the pink-haired girl helped Ino to her feet as the three started running on a mad dash.
"We-we need to run...that man may return at any moment," Ino said panting heavily, feeling few ribs cracked from the man's kick.
"Sakura-chan!" a boy wearing thighs yelled nearing them.
"Lee! Over here!" Sasuke said helping Ino to stand.
"What happened?" Tenten asked.
"We were attacked by some strange guy, Tenten...he...he did something and we couldn't move," Sakura said trembling.
"Killing Intent, to paralyze someone means that he is strong, I can see his chakra, he is still alive and really dangerous," a boy with long brown hair and pale eyes said in disdain.
"Can you help us? We won't be able to reach the Tower otherwise" Sasuke asked.
"YOSH! I shall protect Sakura-chan with my life!" Rock Lee said giving them a thumbs-up, carrying Ino on his shoulders.
"Lee, we shouldn't..." Tenten said.
"We are all Konoha shinobi, we need to help each other!" Lee answered running towards the Tower.
"Whatever, let's follow him otherwise he will do something stupid and make us fail," the Hyuuga. boy said following his Teammate.
"NEJI! WAIT!" Tenten yelled as she and the rest of Team 7 started running as well.
"Thanks," Sasuke said.
"Just because we too have our scrolls, otherwise we would have attacked you," the bun-haired girl answered.
"That way! There is an ambush in front of us, we will evade them," Neji muttered making the group evade a Team from Sound that was awaiting them, they will keep running until reaching the Tower without stops.
With the mysterious man -
As the fire kept burning the man FINALLY re-gained some form of movement from the paralyzing effect of the defences on the scarf.
"Damn him, what was that!?" he thought angrily while opening his mouth, from inside the throat two hands grabbed the sides of the mouth, immediately followed by a new body that exited from the man's mouth with an Heave-oh cry, the face of the Kusa-nin changed into a deadly pale one with slithered, snake-like eyes.
"Forcing me to change body...whoever created that scarf knew what he was doing, if not for that technique I would have been dead," the revealed snake sage said watching his old body burn to ashes.
"I couldn't give him the Curse Seal...but it's only a minor set-back, there is still time Ufufufufu!" the man then said chuckling darkly, disappearing before any ANBU could investigate on his TRUE identity.
Konoha had still some issues with Orochimaru of the Sannin after all.
Some time Later – Tower in the middle of the Forest of Death – Arena in the Main Hall -
Once every survived Team reached the Tower, the various Gennin were assembled in the Main Hall where they were informed of the incoming set of 'preliminary fights' that would further reduce their number so to have a proper group for the Exam's Finals.
"Naruto-kun! Look! We did it!" Kankuo said happily, pouncing on the boy for an hug once they reached him on the balcony over the arena.
"Hands down or I'll kill you," Sahara said peeling her sister off HER boyfriend.
"Sharing is caring," Kankuo answered sticking out her tongue.
"Not in my book," the Ichibi vessel replied.
"Naruto-san! You are here too!" Sasuke said nearing the blond.
"Yup! Your Hokage was gentle enough to have Jiraiya-san accompany me here," the boy answered.
"A Sannin?! Why him of all the people?" Kiba Inuzuka asked nearing the group as well, he and his dog Akamaru stopping abruptly once feeling the boy's presence.
"What the Hell are you?" Kiba asked tensing up.
"Your Chakra is cold, commoner...why is that?" Neji asked narrowing his eyes.
"The gaki has a special condition, let's call it an 'Illness' and leave it at that, Gennin!" Jiraiya said glaring back at the boy.
"I can defend myself, Jiraiya-san, Thank you," Naruto said nearing the Hyuuga.
"What do you want?" Neji asked sneering.
"You are the one who believe in Fate, don't you? Nice to meet you" Naruto asked trying to touch the boy, the Hyuuga grabbing his hand in defence before gasping and jumping back.
"Painful? I can do better than that if you keep being such a rude boy!" the blond said reaching for him again.
"Stay away!" Neji said attacking the boy with his clan Juken style, a wall of sand formed from Sahara's gourd answered by moving to protect Naruto.
"And you keep your hands off of him or mother will have your blood! Let's go, Naruto! Those weaklings are not worthy of your time!" Sahara said coldly, using her sand to drive the blond near her.
"I too shall help you, Master Shi said you may need an extra guard, like this Jiraiya-san will be free to follow his duties as shinobi of Konoha," Veronica said appearing near the Suna group, surprising even Naruto.
The truth? She was tired to hear Kushina's whines about being unable to eat Ramen so she left those two outside the Tower, the added bonus was being able to easily defend the blond.
"Well...thank you, I guess, better go, Sensei is calling me. Call me if you need to go back, Gaki!" Jiraiya said moving towards Hiruzen.
"What did you do to the Hyuuga?" Kankuo asked whispering as the four of them walked away with Veronica scanning the room for possible attacks.
"I used a little bit of Pain Inducement, I know how to interact with the human body's pain receptors so I made the ones in that stuck-up brat's arm momentarily Light-up, causing him an instant of pain," Naruto answered.
"Ingenious" Sahara commented.
"I can torture people all I want for hours and hours with that, I only need to touch them and they will feel THE WORST pain ever conceived...you have no idea of how funny it can be with the right subjects," the blond said chuckling, making the other three girls with him cringe.
Back with the Gennin Teams from Konoha -
"Are you okay, Neji?" Shikamaru Nara asked.
"I am now, I think that I just experienced how it feels to put my arm in a meat grinder," the Hyuuga boy answered clenching his fist few times to regain some sensitivity.
"With just a touch?" Kiba asked surprised.
"The boy is different, I am both curious and relieved about him not taking part to the exam," Sasuke said looking at the Suna group.
"Relieved? Why?" Choji Akimichi asked curious.
"I don't know, it's just that I feel unease whenever he is near, he is not normal, that's for sure," the Uchiha boy answered.
"Tell it to Akamaru, he started shivering the moment we got too close to him," Kiba said looking at his dog companion, animal still looking worriedly towards the blond boy.
"You keep worrying, I need to go down there and fight," Tenten said as her name got called to fight against an Oto kunoichi called Tsuchi Kin.
In the Arena – Tenten Higurashi VS Tsuchi Kin fight -
"Both contestants ready?" Hayate the proctor asked at both girls.
"Hai!" the two answered nodding.
"Remember, the first to knock out or kill the other is the winner, if I say Stop both will stop no matter what the two of you are doing and wait for Hokage-sama and the judges to decide who will pass" the man then said before jumping away, giving start to the fight.
"Ready to lose?" Kin asked smirking.
"Not to you!" Tenten said charging forward with a scroll in her hand, a bite to her finger and a swift movement unsealing a wave of weapons from a scroll, launching the hail of steel towards the Oto girl.
"GACK!" barely managing to evade, Kin rushed forward with a pair of senbon in each hand that she threw at the bun haired girl.
"Useless!" Tenten answered deflecting them, a kunai in her hands ready to be thrown.
"You sure?" Kin said smirking, a little movement of her hand and a subtle tingling was heard in the arena.
"GUH!" the Konoha girl muttered clenching her head, her vision blurring and waving, making THREE Kin Tsuchi appear before her.
"Sound-based Genjutsu...strong enough to impede movement and disorient the victim," Kin said victoriously, calmly walking towards the other until they were face-to-face.
"Surrender now would be really nice, you know?" she then said pressing a kunai on Tenten's throat.
"S-Sound?" the girl asked between clenched teeth.
"Surprised? You didn't know that sounds too could be dangerous, eh? I almost pity your ingenuity!" Kin answered chuckling.
"Sounds can be devastating in more ways than one, messing with your senses and showing you things that are not what they are in reality... Stay focused, trust your instinct and make your hands and accuracy stay steady and sharp," Baron Shi's words echoed in the girl's head.
Taking a deep breath she tried to use Kin's kunai to determine which was the real one, as the tip moved closer making the real steel drew some blood she attacked, her punch connecting with the girl's jaw sending her to the floor.
As the kunoichi of Konoha pounced on the one from Oto, two distinct THUNK! Noises were heard, one from Tenten hitting Kin's head with the back of her kunai and the other from the Oto kunoichi driving the blade in the other's chest.
"TENTEN!" Gai yelled in worry at the scene, surprised to see the girl getting up and calmly watching the kunai sprouting from her chest.
"I am...fine?" she answered jabbing the blade out, with a little tearing noise a small tablet of wood fell from under her blouse, a deep hole in its middle making its inscriptions illegible.
Grabbing the amulet she fixed her eyes on it intently, completely ignoring Hayate declaring her the winner while her mind was slowly registering how close she had been at dying in that fight.
"Keep it over your heart...just in case..." she muttered walking back towards her Team.
"Are you okay, Tenten-chan?" Lee asked worried.
"Yes...it was close but I am alive," she answered, still looking at the piece of wood that saved her.
"Why you had that thing inside your clothes?" Neji asked.
"I went to Baron Shi's shop, after his counseling he sold me this telling me to keep it over my heart...it worked" Tenten answered with a weak chuckle, her hands still trembling.
"Baron Shi?... I see, I will thank him myself after this is over," Gai said nodding.
With Hiruzen and Jiraiya -
"Did you hear? Apparently someone knew what would have happened," Hiruzen said, watching as Sakura confronted Ino in the arena.
"Yeah, that's what is making me nervous...when someone start predicting things is always a bad news for my tastes!" Jiraiya answered as the two girls knocked each other out at the same time.
"Poor Kakashi, he told me that Sakura was a lost cause, but I didn't know the situation was that bad," The Toad Sage said shaking his head as the two gennin were moved out.
"...You are still thinking about that prophecy?" Hiruzen asked after a long silence.
"After Naruto's disappearance I decided to look out for him, my initial plan was to move my spy network in a way to permit me to follow it from Konoha so to train him...if things were different I would have been the one to train the boy for this exam, for the finals at the very least before continuing from there," Jiraiya answered with a long sigh.
"I want you to question Baron Shi personally," the Hokage asked as Sasuke walked down to fight Kiba and Akamaru.
"Me? Why?" the sage asked.
"I fear that man has something to do with the Kyuubi extraction...otherwise why SUNA of all the places? Wave is also close to Konoha and so are other places like Tanzaku gai...but Naruto ended up there for Baron Shi to find," Hiruzen said gravely.
"You mean...he wanted the Fox?" Jiraiya asked in shock.
"By now we would have had news about a rampaging Biju, but at the same time your spies would have confirmed if Suna or someone else had got an hold of it so maybe the beast went into hiding...Naruto instead seems to have a different chakra that was unlocked after the release, maybe he is after it? I don't know, I only know that this man is showing too much interest in him, going so far as to send one of his personal guards to protect the boy, no...I fear this is more than mere 'affection'. There most be something behind and we can't let Minato's son suffer for it," Hiruzen said gravely.
"Are you sure of what you say, sensei?" the other asked surprised.
"No, but I just can't let him go away like this, we need to keep Naruto in Konoha and as far away as possible from Suna, especially from Baron Shi, Kami knows what kind of plans they may have for him," the old man said sighing.
"Even by trapping the boy? Keeping him caged somewhere against his will?" Jiraiya asked.
"I hope we will not be forced to go that far, but until we don't know what's going on between him and Suna we can't risk losing him," the Hokage said.
"I don't like this, sensei...he already suffered from this, we can't just ask him more sacrifices..." Jiraiya said in dismay.
"It's our duty to protect Konoha, if Naruto has some secret abilities he unlocked by losing the Fox we need to have him come back...or seal away whatever it is if he don't want to join us, he is a part of this village, no matter where he grew up," Hiruzen answered.
"I'll go talk to that man, but just so you know...just because it will be my mission to eventually lock away his chakra and powers (if ever he has some), it doesn't mean that I will like doing that to Naruto," Jiraiya answered.
"I trust your being a shinobi of Konoha, I know you will do what's best for the boy," the other answered.
Unknown to them Veronica had actually heard everything with her enhanced hearing, discreetly reporting to Naruto and the Suna sisters every word.
"He dare decide your fate?!" Sahara whispered with a growl.
"Seal away everything in case you don't want to join Konoha...will he really go that far?" Kankuo asked with narrowed eyes.
"You heard him, sister...'It's our duty to protect Konoha'...he sees Naruto as an asset that was stolen from HIS village, in his mind if he can't use him then no-one should," Temari answered with a cold tone.
"The old fool thinks that I will let them screw with my head all they want, luckily they don't know that I am Baron Shi, nor that Kurama is sealed in my plush-toy, to them it's just a memento I keep from a bad experience," Naruto answered calmly.
"Then it's decided...I will use that man's blood to feed Shukaku, if he so much want a Biju then I will make him see one up close," Sahara said releasing blood-lust in waves.
"No, I already saw his future and my involvement in it, I told you three what will happen, respect the plan and we will all obtain what we want," Naruto said shaking his head.
"I can't wait," Sahara answered glaring at the Hokage, the old man narrowing his eyes in answer at her stare.
In the Arena – Sasuke Vs Kiba -
"Tch! It will take more to defeat me, Teme!" Kiba said as Akamaru jumped near him, the Inuzuka boy showing elongated fangs and claws as he glared at his adversary.
"You know? Between you and Ino, I am happy to have her as a Teammate, otherwise I know for certain that one of us would have been dead before now, your cocky attitude is absolutely annoying!" Sasuke answered back, Sharingan ablaze and fixed on the other.
"Me? Cocky? You are the worst between us! You even started wearing a scarf to be the cool guy, do you have any shame?" Kiba answered jumping on him, hands moving in a slashing motion to tear flesh away.
"Actually, I need this for protection, and it worked!" Sasuke said smirking, using his clan bloodline to dodge each swipe, punching Kiba's stomach once a particularly fierce attack left his side open.
"GUH!" the Inuzuka boy groaned as he was launched back, from behind him Akamaru jumped forward in a surprised attack, forcing Sasuke to roll to the side to evade.
"I...I heard about that...a sicko tried to give you an hickey and now everyone seems ready to burst from worrying, sucks to be you!" Kiba said as he and the little dog swallowed a small red pill.
"What's that for?" Sasuke asked.
"For this! Human-beast clone technique!" Kiba yelled, turning Akamaru in a copy of him.
"One is already ugly, but two? I think I will be sick!" Sasuke taunted smirking.
"You won't laugh now! Gatsuga!" both Inuzukas jumped high in the air, spinning on themselves wildly to form an huge drill-like tornado pointed at the Uchiha.
"Fuck!" barely dodging the attack Sasuke found part of his arm getting damaged by the wind generated by the justu.
"It's not over yet!" Kiba's voice resounded as the drill bounced on the floor and walls to point again towards his target.
"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu! (Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique)" inhaling deeply Sasuke launched a barrage of fireballs towards Kiba, using his chakra to move them he tried to have the boy miss him in favour of dodging.
"USELESS!" Kiba yelled as he and the dog separated in two different tornadoes before converging on the Uchiha boy.
"NOW!" acting fast Sasuke threw at his feet a little sphere, making a dense smoke cover his body as the two attacks reached him, lifting an even bigger cloud of smoke at the impact.
"Ah! Rookie of the Year or not, I still kicked his ass!" Kiba said triumphantly, watching how Sasuke was face-down immobile.
"RRRRRRGH!" Akamaru's growl had the boy turning to watch his back just in time to see the first of Sasuke's punch reaching him.
"AH!" Throwing himself down to evade the little dog's jump the Uchiha boy followed with an elbow to the stomach and a quick jab to the chin.
"Sorry, but after being almost killed by Haku I have enough experience to say that you are nothing compared to him when it comes to speed!" Sasuke said intercepting Akamaru to throw him at Kiba, as the both fell to the floor he jumped high, landing with his knee on the Inuzuka's stomach.
"Winner of the fight: Sasuke Uchiha" Hayate called out after confirming Kiba's unconsciousness.
"Hn! That scarf was not only for show!" Sasuke said smirking, his double disappearing in a Puff! To show said accessory.
"I was told to NEVER get it away and so I did, excluding baths, since it was an emergency I decided to took it off since I knew that it could have had enough of my smell to pass for me once henged, the smoke bomb helped messing with your nose enough to not notice the difference, it was useless against Akamaru but luckily your being so damn cocky had you forget to confirm it was really me, who's laughing now?" Sasuke said triumphantly, wearing back the scarf and returning to his place on the balcony.
Balcony – Suna Group -
"Eh! I told you, Sasuke, my prediction are always true" Naruto said in pride.
"It's always surprising to see what you predict become true," Temari said nodding.
"NEXT FIGHT! Sabaku no Temari VS Shikamaru Nara!" Hayate called out.
"Against a woman? Mendokuse...Can I forfeit?" Shikamaru asked with a tired tone.
"I won't tell THAT to your mother, Shika...Sorry," the boy's sensei Asuma said grabbing the boy by the collar to drag him down in the arena, dropping him in front of Hayate before walking away.
"You are not making me eager to fight, being Forced like that is not a good premise," Temari said smirking, using her fan to glide down from the railing.
"Just so you know, I am doing this only because my mother will bash my skull in otherwise," Shikamaru answered groaning.
"Both ready?" the proctor asked.
"Hai!" Temari answered.
"Hai..." Shikamaru answered with fake enthusiasm.
"Good enough for me, HAJIME!" the man called out starting the fight.
"Do you think she will win? Naras are famous for being good strategists," Naruto asked.
"You should know by now, Temari can be devastating when she wants," Kankuo answered smirking.
"Kamaitachi No Jutsu!" Temari called out summoning a giant storm using her fan.
"Shit!" Shikamaru cursed as the attack slammed him against the wall, apparently unconscious.
"Fainted already?" Temari taunted with a smirk.
"..." no answer came from the shinobi of Konoha.
"Then I guess I won," She said moving her fan on her shoulder.
"I don't think so!" Shikamaru said smirking, rapidly dropping on his knee and connecting his shadow to Temari's one.
"W-What!?" she gasped, feeling herself immobilized.
"Kage-mane completed, it was troublesome, you know? Not having other shadows to use really made this difficult, luckily you like to taunt, otherwise you wouldn't have come close enough for me to use my jutsu," Shikamaru answered groaning in pain.
"And you think I will forfeit?" Temari countered glaring at him, feeling and hand of shadows reaching for her neck.
"I am still training in this part of the jutsu, but right now it will be more than enough," the boy answered gripping her throat tightly.
"Fuck you!" Temari answered with a strained voice.
"So? Still resisting?" Shikamaru asked bored, clenching his teeth as his reserves were lowering at an alarming rate.
"I...forfeit" Temari finally said smirking "if you admit that you are a pansy," she then said challengingly.
"It won't work, making me lose concentration," he answered.
"Really?...so even if I insult your precious clouds you won't get angry?" she asked teasingly, satisfied that the hand momentarily lost its grip.
"What do you mean?" he asked with narrowed eyes.
"Oh, nothing, it's just...clouds are pretty stupid, why wasting time watching them?"
"Ah! She touched a sore spot, Shika hates when someone insults his hobby," Chouji said shaking his head.
"I have you know that Cloud-watching is a wonderful hobby, clouds are pure fluffy mass of whiteness, perfect in every way, may it be rain or just some shadows in an hot day they will be there to help you relax!" Shikamaru answered glaring at her.
"Uuh! I see what kind of man you are...I bet you even find Shogi funny and interesting, don't you?" Temari said making the others gasp.
"Now you are saying too much, Shogi is a great game!" Shikamaru answered.
"Yeah, like watching grass grow," the girl said smirking, triumphantly noting that the shadows were trembling.
"That's it! I will knock you out and..." Shikamaru said growling, only for his technique being disrupted by a now charging Temari.
"That's why I say that you women are troublesome...because you really are!" the Nara heir had the time to say groaning before an iron fan was slammed on his face, launching out of the arena.
"Winner of the Fight: Sabaku no Temari!" Hayate announced to the others.
"See? Collecting info on every gennin of Konoha was a good idea, at least we know how to act against each one of them," Naruto said smiling.
"I admit I was a little unsure of that, but I am happy that I was wrong," Temari said hugging the blond boy.
"Hands down. Now!" Sahara growled.
"No, he is as mine as he is yours, I am tired of your threats, or you share or you kill me," the pony-tailed girl answered glaring at her.
"I will..." Sahara started saying before her name was called.
"Will Sabaku no Sahara and Dosu Kinuta come here for the next fight?" The proctor called out.
"This is not over yet" Sahara hissed out as she moved to fight.
"The fight won't last long, not with how angry she is now" Naruto said sighing.
"Her problem, not mine" Temari said hooking her arms around his and resting her head on his shoulder.
"HAJIME!" Hayate yelled, jumping away.
"So? Ready to lose, pretty girl?" Dosu said with an unseen smirk under his bandaged face.
"DIE!" Sahara roared launching a wave of sand towards him, watching as it went dispersed by the other's bracelets.
"I can manipulate sounds, brat! You can't touch me!" Dosu said in smug pride.
"We'll see..." she muttered crossing her arms, more sand moving to attack Dosu.
"Pretty boring tactic" Dosu commented sprinting forward, using his sound attack to destroy each wave of sand until face-to-face with the tomboyish girl, grabbing her face with one hand.
"Now you are mine!" Dosu said cackling.
"Now you are dead," the girl answered as her body turned to sand.
"A suna-bushin!?" the Oto nin said surprised as a cocoon of sand surrounded him.
"Never lose sight of the enemy, Sabaku no kyuu!" Sahara said clenching her hand, the cocoon constricting the boy.
"I would surrender now if I were you, I promised to MY boyfriend I won't have killed without a reason, I only need to win," the Suna girl said glaring at her sisters as the two were 'feeling up' her man.
"Fuck...you" Dosu answered with a strained voice.
"Insults won't help," Sahara answered with a raised eyebrow.
"I will get free...using my bracelets" the other said glaring at her.
"It may be a good idea NOT trying that" Sahara answered.
"Scared, eh? Then I will show you how dangerous I can be!" Dosu said sneering, focusing all his chakra in his bracelets.
A subtle Straap! Resounding under the sand and Dosu started howling in pain, releasing the sand Sahara showed that the boy's arm had been crushed.
"I thought that by clogging the holes the sound won't have been able to come out, leaving me free to just tear your arms to pieces...I was right," Sahara said with a sneer.
"Winner of the fight: Sabaku no Sahara!" Hayate said making the girl sprint to free her boyfriend from the dirty hands of her sisters.
Inspired by her fight Shino Aburame of Konoha will do the same to the other Oto shinobi Zaku Abumi using his insects to close the boy's arms, with the difference that his exploded because unable to release the air inside them to attack.
"I have to remember to add a failsafe to prevent that, can't have soldiers explode because of that," the once again masked Orochimaru thought watching the two fights, taking notes.
Kankuo was another easy fight as the one she was facing showed the ability to stretch his body, catching her head in an head-lock and threatening to snap her neck.
The puppet mistress answered by "sprouting" four extra arms, showing that she switched with her puppet before the start, her puppet then moved to snap the boy's four limbs and ending the fight with a stream of screams of pain and curses as a background to her victory.
"I am so gonna turn that bastard in a slime!" Naruto said glaring at the now 'quadriplegic' Oto nin.
"Ooh! See? He loves me, that's why he is so overprotective!" Kankuo cooed hugging him tightly.
"Whatever, let's go, there is no more need for us to be here" Sahara said dragging away Naruto as Chouji passed flying near them thanks to a well placed Konoha Senpu from Rock Lee.
"Shouldn't we stay and watch?" Naruto asked.
"He is right, you should wait here until the end," Baki said nearing them.
"Fine" two of the three sisters and Naruto said sighing, Sahara simply glared at the veil-wearing Jounin in silence.
Later that night – Shop Near the Underworld -
A sharp knocking at the door alerted Naruto of the arrival of a new customer.
"Enter!" the boy said with his infamous cold monotone voice.
"You and I need to talk, Baron Shi-san," Jiraiya said with narrowed eyes.
"Yes, I know, your request, if we want to call it like that, was pretty clear even in its simplicity: I want the truth...humans always seek the Truth, not a simple one mind you, but the one with the capital 'T', so tell me, Jiraiya, Toad Sage and one of the Legendary Sannin, student of the Sandaime Hokage...what is the Truth you so much want from me? I can see the conflict inside you and I know for certain that some Truths you want are also some that you DON'T want to hear," Baron Shi said chuckling darkly, his fingers crossed in front of his face as his elbows rested on the desk.
"Big words for someone selling smoke to impressionable people," Jiraiya said glaring at him, the two Skull-masked ANBU-like guards at his side taking a step forward in a threatening way, he could also feel Veronica getting closer and hear the sound of a long blade being unsheathed.
"Selling smoke? That's how you describe my job? Kind of funny hearing that from someone obsessed by a prophecy made by some old Toads," Baron Shi said chuckling again, highly amused by the old Sage's surprised expression.
"W-W-What!? How do you know about that!?" Jiraiya asked with wide eyes, oblivious that it was Minato himself to tell Naruto about the prophecy.
"I know enough, they told you that a student of yours would have changed the WHOLE world, either destroying the shinobi way of life or changing it into an unrecognizable way" the cloaked entity said walking away from the desk, his robes long enough to cover his feet and making it look like he was floating instead of walking.
Silently blessing the fact that he knew how to actually do an untraceable henge to appear taller Naruto leaned closer to Jiraiya, his voice dropped to a barely audible whisper.
"I know you fear that your supposed pupil will end up destroying your precious Shinobi life, that's why you ditched Minato, right? And now you are hoping to maneuver his son, Naruto, into Changing the shinoby way instead, am I right?" Baron Shi asked
"SHUT UP!" Jiraiya screamed jumping back
"Sad...really, really sad...prophecies are certainly set on stone, but someone with enough brain can easily twist its meaning, there is no need to become obsessed over the apparent message of one," the Baron said sighing sadly
"You don't know what you are talking about!" Jiraiya said glaring at him
"I know a lot of people that did the same mistake you are doing now and choose to obsess over some 'cryptic words' without looking more 'deeply'...The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will born as the seventh month dies and will have the Power he knows not...that idiot in particular got pretty desperate because of it, and yet his prophesy did not even give a clear answer about the winner, what a fool!" Baron Shi said sighing again, taking a little chalk to draw a wide circle on the floor, a pentacle inside it and several strange markings on each tip of the star.
"What are you talking about?" the Toad Sage asked curious, watching as the man positioned several candles around the circle.
"Inside joke of us Oracles, something happened several millenniums ago and still source of laughs," he answered.
"What are you doing?" the old man then asked.
"I decided to help you, you won't listen to reason unless your main doubts won't get removed...Enter in this Circle thinking inside your heart that here resides my universe," Baron Shi said pointing at the circle he was now standing in.
"Tch...so be it" Jiraiya muttered stepping inside.
As he did the room rapidly melted, leaving the Toad Sage floating in a sea of stars, as he turned he saw the Sun shining like a majestic ball of fire and under his feet a blue sphere he somehow knew was the very same planet he lived in.
"Jiraiya, if I am not mistaken...you came to me to find some answers..." Baron Shi's disembodied voice echoed in the void around the Sage.
"This...this is not an illusion?...that's true...I need to know the real meaning of the prophecy...and Naruto's possible involvement in it!" the old man answered, trying to find the source of the voice.
"The Elder Toad predicted the birth of the possible destroyer of the Ninja world, there is no changing in that, the Oracle's words are immutable..." the voice said darkly.
"But then..." the Toad Sage tried saying before being interrupted.
"By the way...every matter has more than a single aspect...By weaving we cross a thread with another joining the weft to the warp and obtaining what we call cloth, if we then pull the threads out of the weft we will undo what we have interwoven without obtaining anything different, the cloth was undone without being cut or burned...and like this, without destroying and without re-creating, the destroyer of the World can become the Great King of Creation...why don't you try to see this like that...Creating something new sometimes requires destroying what was there before..." the voice answered simply.
"What's...what's the meaning of that? What can I do to avert absolute destruction? Is really Naruto involved in all this? Was his losing the Kyuubi part of the prophesy too?" Jiraiya asked looking around frantically, fear resounding in his voice.
"You will find the answer inside you," a younger voice said as a young boy walked towards Jiraiya, a cold light in his cerulean eyes.
"Naruto!?" Jiraiya said with wide eyes.
"Maybe yes, or maybe not...or maybe not yet...if you want an Happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story...pay attention and chose, you or the Village?...what's easy or what's right? Will you do what your Duty demands or will you follow your Instinct and ignore your orders? The choice is only yours to make," Naruto said coldly, shifting into the form of Baron Shi.
"Wait! YOU are Naruto? Or you are just messing with my head?" Jiraya asked with a trembling voice.
"Now Go!" Baron Shi said pushing him away and making him fall in an endless void surrounded by darkness.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Screaming in absolute terror Jiraiya sat up, looking around with wide eyes and panting to see that he was in the bed of his room at the Village's Inn, cold sweat rolling down his forehead while he hid his face in his heavily trembling hands, trying to recompose himself.
"A...a dream?" he asked at the empty room, his heart still beating fast.
"It seemed so real...was Naruto really there? Or was that man trying to confuse me?" he asked to the room, unable to understand if everything he saw was real or not.
Konoha – Shop Near the Underworld – in the meantime -
"He should be awake by now" Naruto said scratching his eyes tiredly.
"Are you sure it was a good idea showing yourself like that?" the Kyuubi doll asked from the table.
"I needed to add some shock to the whole thing, Kurama...otherwise the message won't have reached his brain, he needs to chose between his ideals and Konoha, if he continues like this he will one day find himself in a situation that will result in his death, should he remain so blindly loyal to Konoha then I will need to remove him, I can't risk having this world spiraling into Chaos because people like him can't accept the changes this world needs to undertake" the boy answered getting up, cradling the plush-doll to his chest and moving towards the bedroom.
"You know that after this month there will be the Finals...and the start of the invasion" Kurama said sighing.
"Yes, I know...after that event will be over the REAL battle for the Shinobi World's future will start, stopping Orochimaru from branding Sasuke was only the first step, my visions will show us what we need to do every time there will be need for us to intervene...we only need to wait and be ready" the boy answered closing his eyes and sighing.
"There will be a War?" the doll asked.
"Probably, is too soon to say, but I saw the Moon covered by a Red eye resembling the Sharingan and an huge Shadow marching over the world destroying everything on its path...I don't know what it means, but I know for certain that it is a bad omen, a warning of what will happen if we fail" Naruto answered getting on his bed.
"Those visions are not a blessing, but a curse" Kurama said sadly.
"I know...but if I don't do something with this knowledge, then no-one will" the blond answered falling fast asleep with Kushina mounting guard near him with a sad expression on her face.
She was only hoping that for just ONE night some vision won't disturb her son, even knowing that his was an ability he could just turn off.
End of Chapter 2.
Done, it's always Hard writing the exam for me, especially here that Naruto is not taking part, next chapter will be more action-oriented.
Hope you enjoyed all the same.
The final part with the meeting between Jiraiya and Baron Shi is the transcription of the Italian Version of Alexander's meeting with Diogenes in "Reign: the Conqueror" (Alexander Senki) I tried to translate the Italian version since to me it had a "deeper" meaning than the English one even if the message delivered is the same, but without the Yoda-like talking of Diogenes, here is the Original version for whoever wants to have a comparison and wish to translate it himself/herself (Italian Version: Tuttavia ogni questione ha più aspetti...tessendo, intrecciamo filo con filo unendo la trama all'ordito e otteniamo ciò che è chiamato stoffa, se poi sfiliamo la trama disferemo ciò che abbiamo intessuto pur non ottenendo niente di diverso, la stoffa è stata disfatta senza venire tagliata o bruciata...e cosi, senza distruggere e senza ricreare, ecco che il distruttore del mondo può diventare il grande re della creazione...prova un pò a pensarla in questo modo...)