Chapter Three: Hidden Abilities: Newfound Strength
'Ugh…the Kyuubi was right…'
Naruto squirmed in what felt like was a bed, writhing in unimaginable pain. His eyes felt as if they were glued shut. He felt the same ache as if he were back in the mindscape, while his stomach needlessly performed topsy-turvy back-flips, cartwheels and round-offs. The nauseating spells struck hard for the poor blond enigma. Meanwhile, his head was pounding from his sensitive hearing and his nose was burning from fragrant overdrive. In short, to say that the jinchuuriki was suffering now was the greatest understatement known to mankind.
'Damn you, Fuzz-Butt, for making me feel like the underside of shoe-gunk! You goddamned trickster! You'll pay for that!' he roared in his mind as he felt the demonic presence inside him laugh uncontrollably at his misfortune.
"I told you that I was not kidding, my precious guardian…Hin-hin…" The prideful beast yipped in merriment.
The blue-eyed wonder could do nothing but fall back to sleep unknowingly for two consecutive days, adjusting to the changes that his body had undergone.
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The sounds of a baby crying ominously echoed in a glade within the vast forest. A set of nine candles lit up the dark night surrounding the baby's point of view. A hazy image of the blond, now as a thirteen-year-old, hovered over his past self like he bore witness to an out-of-body experience.
'What the hell's going on?'
Suddenly, before him stood a stories-tall red fox demon that balefully glared at the newborn, causing him to shriek in horror. That fear subsided into wonder as an equally tall toad summon plowed into the furry hide of the vulpine, distracting it almost immediately. While the beast got stunned by the ramming attack, several ethereal chain links of white energy entwined and pinned the demon's fleece in place.
'Those chains…' Said fetters drew from a single source—a female dressed in a white gown, but stained in crimson, due to the loss of blood in her system. Those chains emptied out of her back and restrained the roaming force of nature. The woman, whose hair was as red as fire, edged closer to the newborn baby with a pained expression, hemoglobin dripping from the side of her lips.
"N-Naruto…"
The ghastly Naruto's face assumed a look of shock. 'She…she knows me?'
A few seconds later, the redheaded woman collapsed in a heap, shackles binding the fox receding into her back. The Kyuubi roared and descended on the duo, but not before something strange happened…
Trees.
Dozens and dozens of verdant growth sprouted around the downed body of the woman and surrounded Naruto's vision…
After his time of inactivity, the blond, fully rested, jolted awake and shakily stood on his two feet.
'Whoa…That was some trippy dream…' It made little sense. Who was that woman, and how did she know his name? Why did he feel like he just relived a real nightmare that was brought to life? Was it a repressed memory that lay dormant within his mind? 'Ugh…my head is still pounding…' He licked his dried lips to moisten them, but to no avail. The cotton mouth brought upon by dehydration did just that to him.
He arched his back to hear a few pops to relieve the tension. Without knowing, he picked up two scents that emanated from the dark room where he was taken, feeling a bit dizzy in the process.
One was familiar. It had a twinge of cologne added in with a bit of dirt, sweat and ointment. He looked to where he had sensed the familiar aroma. His eyes widened as he saw Sasuke, within the dim lighting, unconscious, and his chest heaved up and down underneath white sheets, indicating that he was breathing. He heavily sighed in relief, aware that the brooding bastard was all right.
'So, he gets to live another day, so I can wipe the floor with him later,' Naruto humored to himself as he indirectly picked up the second scent. It smelled like peaches, herbs, and more healing ointment, but of a stronger variety. He noticed the boy, or so he claimed to be, with long black tresses and peacefully closed eyelids.
'Something doesn't seem right with him. His scent has a feminine quality to it.' Naruto was baffled at looking at the figure underneath blue covers, lying next to the lone Uchiha survivor.
Stifling a yawn, he smelled the delectable odor of food wafting from downstairs. So, following his nose, he tried to walk, but had to grip part of the wall that led to the door, due to the fact that his legs felt like jelly.
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Slowly but surely, the blond shinobi traveled down the stairs to see the rest of his team sitting at the dining room table, Inari, a dark-haired lad who had sported a fisher's hat and green overalls with a yellow shirt, his mother Tsunami, an indigo-haired woman who wore a pink and red shirt and a blue skirt, and the boy's grandfather and woman's father, Tazuna. All of them appeared to be in generally good health…and enjoying their prepared meals.
As soon as he stepped forward, the smells of the cuisine hit his nose at full force and wobbled back in dizziness, with his mouth slightly drooling.
Naruto spoke, in a somewhat deeper voice, "Ugh…my head is spinning. How long have I been out?"
Kakashi, who was at the table, reading Icha-Icha Paradise, gave his patented 'eye-smile,' which consisted of his exposed eyelid to assume an upside-down U-shape. He greeted the blond, "Good morning, Naruto. I see that you're up and moving around. You see, you've been out for two consecutive days…"
"Eh?" Naruto shouted in shock. "What do you mean by that?"
Kakashi, however, continued to relay the information to Naruto, unfazed. "…Well, to put it short, sweet and to the point, Zabuza is dead, Gatou was arrested and his funds were conveniently drained via direct use of a genjutsu," he smirked underneath the mask, "and Inari-kun here," pointing at the little kid, who blushed lightly in embarrassment while he finished up, "rallied the town to stand up to Gatou's band of thugs, and they high-tailed it out of here, with the aid of my Bunshin no Jutsu: Kakashi-ryuu…" Naruto thought that he saw a large grin from behind the mask. "And, on top of that, the townspeople helped with carrying you three back safe and sound.
"However…" His voice took on a more serious tone as he eyed one of his pupils. "We must not let Haku out of our sight. Even though the kid left on his own will with Zabuza, we will not know for sure for where his intentions lie…"
"Uh…Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto started but was interrupted by the little kid who idolized his orange-clad hero.
"Hey…Naruto-nii-chan…" Inari looked at the blue-eyed kid in confusion. "You look…different…"
The whisker-marked genin looked at the boy with equal confusion. "What are you talking about, Inari? I feel fine…at least, for now…"
"What I mean is…" Inari was interrupted by Sakura, who had just gotten up from the table and approached the blond idiot with fists clenched.
"You had me worried sick, you idiot!" the pink-haired kunoichi screeched at the top of her lungs. A vein bulged on one of her temples. "And what did you do to my Sasuke-kun?"
"Say, Sakura-chan, could you keep it down? You may blow out my eardrums." Naruto used his pinky to swipe the inside his ear. He felt that his finger was…off in a way, like his fingernail had grown.
Sakura reared back to deck the blond enigma and fired away…
Surprisingly, that never happened…
In the blink of an eye, Naruto dodged the blow and was immediately behind the aspiring kunoichi, holding back the fist that was about to strike him, while leaving a miniature dust-cloud, similar to when Kakashi moved behind him during the bell test to perform his Konohagakure Hiden Taijutsu Ougi: Sennen Goroshi. Those who had witnessed the stunt pulled by the number-one unpredictable, hyperactive, knucklehead ninja had their eyes widened to the size of saucers, save for Kakashi, who had a slightly widened eye.
One thought came to everyone's minds…
'How the hell did he get to be that fast…?'
"Naruto, you moron!" Sakura roared while flailing about. "What's the big idea? Let me go!"
"Gomen, Sakura-chan…I guess, uh, reflexes?" He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, that's got to be it." He released his hold on the bewildered Sakura.
'He sure has gotten quicker, but I'm not sure if he'll still match up to Sasuke-kun,' she beamed inwardly.
'Shannaro! That's right!' Inner Sakura beamed for joy, holding up a banner with a chibi-Sasuke caricature with the characters for 'You're Number One' written on it.
When he released his pink-haired crush, a few things were making themselves known to Naruto. First, he heard his voice with a slightly deeper tone. Next, he felt uncomfortable in his patented jumpsuit, almost as if it felt too tight. And finally, he noticed that he was a bit above Sakura's eye-level. With eyes wide, his muscles tensed and he rushed to the bathroom upstairs.
Rushing into the bathroom, he turned on the lights and gazed at the mirror. His eyes bugged out due to the considerable changes…
The blond wonder was six inches taller than his standard height. His cerulean orbs had slit pupils, his canine teeth grew somewhat, his ears had become somewhat pointed like an elf that he had read about from a discarded children's fantasy book. Naruto's fingernails grew a few millimeters in length. The whisker-like engravings became a bit more prominent on his face, but it was insignificant compared to the other features. His muscle mass had become more well-toned than normal.
'So…these were the side-effects…'
Naruto felt…better than before, almost as if he felt stronger and ready to take anything that the world threw at him. He looked down at his hands and scrutinized them.
'Hmm…' he mused as he examined his diminutive, claw-like nails. 'I think I should ask Sakura-chan for her nail file…'
Walking back down to the stairs, he took note of a plate reserved for him. It did not take a moment's notice for Naruto to start digging in, voracious appetite and all.
After a full gut and a high-decibel belch, he approached Kakashi-sensei. "Can we talk sensei…in private?" Naruto asked his cyclopean jounin-sensei.
With a nod from the Copy-Ninja, they walked out of the rinky-dink sea cottage that belonged to the family of three and into the forest a few kilometers out.
"So," the masked Hatake started after a grueling silence, "what's on your mind, Naruto?" he prompted.
Naruto scratched behind his golden locks in nervousness. "I bet you know of…him, right?" Kakashi knew exactly to what Naruto was referring.
"I do," Kakashi replied to his blond-haired charge and put away his soft-core porno book. His eye visibly shrunk. "What did he say to you, Naruto?" He gave his now undivided attention unto his student, but his posture presented a bit of alarm and warning for his student. "It's also not wise to consult with a cunning bijuu like…your furry tenant."
"You don't see that the one-eyed copycat is simply trying to keep you from getting strong…do you?" the ninth tailed-beast prodded, casting doubt within Naruto's mind.
"Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei," the younger ninja assuaged. "I struck a deal with the old flea-bag, and well, this is the result." That did little to stop the constant growling in the back of his head.
"I see that, but I'm serious, Naruto," the ashen-haired assassin gravely intoned, not really amused in the slightest. "You'll know the stigma when we get back. Being in cahoots with the demon fox is just throwing all caution to the wind."
Naruto looked down to the ground, eyes downcast. "It's not like I'll gain any recognition, anyway."
"Oh, ye of little faith," Kakashi waved him off, "I know you already changed quite a few people's thoughts on you with your simple words and thinking."
"Oh, yeah? Name them."
"Well, there's the Sandaime, the folks at Ichiraku, Iruka, Ebisu, Konohamaru, and me." After ticking off points with his right hand, the older man showed his open palm to the boy, in addition to using his other hand. "See? You can count the people whose opinion you have altered on one hand, and I'm sure Zabuza would have been another, had he lived…"
A look of remorse skimmed Naruto's facial expression before it withered away. "So, what are we going to do with Haku, then?"
Kakashi tugged on his mask and hummed. "I don't know. He never was a shinobi listed under Kiri's Bingo Book. He was Zabuza's secret weapon, so I don't think we have to contend with hunter-ninja after him."
"Well, about that…" Naruto uneasily observed. "I don't think Haku is who he said he was…"
"Oh?" That got the Copy Ninja's interest. "Why's that, and how so?"
"I don't know how to phrase it, Sensei, but…his smell…seems off…"
"A perk given to you by the…furry problem?"
He paused before nodding and tacking on his second deduction. "Plus, I don't think a guy is all that curvy under the bulky kimono he battled in. Hell, I didn't even see an Adam's apple, for crying out loud!"
"Sharper eyesight, too?" Kakashi sighed and shook his head in dismay. "Anything else that I should be made aware of?"
"He said something about an Uchiha Madara fellow, who he thought was responsible behind subduing him from another host and being flung to destroy Konoha."
The jounin processed what he said before he calmed down and decided to take the information and give it to Sandaime-sama when they return to Konoha. He gave the blond a scrutinizing eye. "Naruto, you do know that Uchiha Madara lived around the time when Konoha was founded, don't you? That was well over eighty years ago, and I don't think that he'd still be alive…"
"I don't know, sensei," Naruto answered. "The fox didn't tell me. He just only told me of what happened to him before his eventual resealing. He also left me with a pretty…odd word of warning…"
"And that would be?"
"Something about the man donning the black cloak with red clouds…lest you regret awakening the slumbering beast…"
"Hm…" Mulling that over, Kakashi's lone eye dissected the blond like a live specimen, almost to the point of undressing him with that dark iris. "You grew, too…"
"Yeah," the bewhiskered ninja grumbled. "Old Fuzz-Butt made me outgrow my clothes!"
"Speaking of 'Old Fuzz-Butt,' as you say," the Copy Ninja began to relay, eliciting a venomous growl from the Kyuubi, "I need to check the seal. This won't take long."
"Okay…" he drew out the last syllable. "What do you want me to do, Sensei?"
"Take off your shirt," he bluntly responded.
"Eh?" The newly transformed genin started to sweat around his brow. "That sounds very wrong, Kakashi-sensei…"
"What?" Don't you trust me, Naruto?" his teacher asked him, playfully mocking in tone. The upturned eye disarmed the kid almost every single time.
The youngest on Team Seven sighed and removed his jacket and blue shirt, red wisp of smoke licking the center as its obscure emblem. "Now, what else?" he all but demanded, wanting this awkward moment to hurry up and pass.
"Hold still," he advised while channeling his chakra into his digits.
The hardboiled veteran poked and prodded the sealing array on Naruto's stomach, which caused said blond to giggle to the point of hysterics.
After finishing the procedure, the older man stepped back and gave the design one more once-over. "So far, Naruto, you're in the green."
"Well, that's great and all," the blue-eyed shinobi began to complain, "but what am I going to do with clothes that don't fit me, anymore?"
"And for the gods' sake, tone it down on the orange, brat!" the carmine phantom locked away inside him bellowed. "It's unsightly!"
'Like you?' Naruto smoothly retorted, getting a snarl as a response.
"Point of clarification: I'm vermilion…that means reddish-orange. There's a difference!"
While the blond went toe-to-toe in a duel of words with his ethereal occupant, Kakashi looked off into one direction before focusing his eye on the boy. "There just so happens to be a clothing store not too far from here. However, in lieu of the recent economic duress the Wave has fallen under, there might not be that much in the variety."
They proceeded to head down to the Wave Country shopping district, hoping to find a set of clothes for the now-taller blond. Traveling down toward the district, Naruto was wondering how his team was going to take it as to how he had gotten taller and more different in just a few days. Luckily, his sensei and he decided to classify it as the scapegoat of an awakening 'bloodline,' which was partially true…just, not all the way.
As fate would have it, they found a loose-fitting brown shirt and black pants and bought it with relative ease. To their fortune, they also found a pair of black ninja footwear to accommodate for the jinchuuriki's somewhat larger feet.
After buying the clothes, Naruto quickly changed into them and it felt more comfortable than his tight outfit. In fact, it had almost fit perfectly, save for some sagging cloth around the sleeves and ankles.
"Sensei, do you have any tape for pulling back all this extra cloth? It'll also help me with attaching my brace of kunai." Right before his eyes, a roll of the adhesive fumbled its way into the blond's floppy hands.
"…You could use better lessons in dexterity," Kakashi dully remarked, eye lidded in boredom.
Walking out of the store, they were approached by a rather tall, lanky young man who was in his mid-twenties. He had short, brown hair and blue eyes, and he was wearing a teal shirt and tan workpants, along with black construction boots.
The gentleman seemed to look familiar to the blond and gray-haired ninja, but then they recognized him as one of Tazuna-san's supporters and subordinates of the bridge-building project.
"Uh…can we help you, sir?" Kakashi inquired. "You seem a bit lost."
"Oh! Sorry. Kind of spaced out there, for a second. Greetings," said the young man, seeming a bit distracted. "I take it you must be Konoha ninja, right?"
"Um…Yes, we are…" the ex-ANBU Captain deadpanned.
"And you helped with clearing up the mess that spilled into the Wave Country?"
"Of course! We were hired for the job, after all!" the smaller teen boomed. "What rock have you been living under?"
"That's fantastic! Oh, by the way, I'm Douhaken Hisao, and it's an honor to see our heroes…eh, what were your names again?" He sheepishly grinned as the pair of shinobi looked at him with unabashed disbelief.
"I am Hatake Kakashi," stated the gray-haired Copy-Ninja, "and this is one of my charges…"
"Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!" the boy announced with a lot of gusto, thumbing his chest in the process.
"Uzumaki, huh?" Hisao asked to himself but loud enough for the two shinobi to hear. He wondered where exactly did he hear that name before…
"Ah," the brunet realized. "Well, blow me away! Uzumaki-san, I think that I may have some information for you, if you're willing to listen to my ramblings…"
Both Naruto and Kakashi turned their heads to each other and back at the mysterious man with puzzled eyes and owlishly blinked.
'This guy is a bit flaky…' Naruto declared with no change in his assessment of the man before him.
"I concur…"
'What does he know about the Uzumaki clan?' the Copy-Ninja wondered to himself.
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A/N: Good day (or evening, depending on your time zone), ladies and gentlemen. As noted before, I'm going to be doing some overhaul to previous chapters to ensure that they're up the current standard. To insert a time marker, this is the author from 2011, not the one from 2008. I decided to take some criticism into consideration to improve the overall quality of this story, and as declared, it shall be updated as such, factoring in recent reveals that never showed up until the current and recently past arcs. That noted, you can expect that some things pertaining to fanon will get the axe. Why, you may ask? Well, I should write for better quality, and I need to do away with the old, childish mentality that my former self had written down.
Next time, on Birth of a Legend: The Fox Druid…
Pillage and Plunder: Sacred Scrolls and a Tiny Stowaway
Romaji/Jutsu Guide
Icha-Icha: roughly means "make-out"
Bunshin no Jutsu: Kakashi-ryuu: Clone Technique: Kakashi-style
Konohagakure Hiden Taijutsu Ougi: Sennen Goroshi: Secret Art Body Technique of the Hidden Leaf: One Thousand Years of Death