AN: Now it's time for Chapter 9, thanks to everyone who has reviewed the story thus far and I'm glad that you guys enjoy the story so much. Okay I've heard the suggestions from the audience and I too agree that Konoha should get a lot more of what's coming to them so I shall give what you ask for along with more Jiraiya humor as well. And now without much further ado let's get to it.
Disclaimer: Meh, look in previous chapters.
Chapter 9: Setting out and Emerging Akatsuki Forces
Namikaze Compound, Next day
Naruto woke up with the feeling of being completely satisfied, sitting up a bit it came as no surprise to find himself in a tangled heap of limbs with Sakaki draped across his chest with a serene look on her face. Turning his head to the left where the nightstand was he glanced at the clock resting there, he had rghly two hours to get ready and meet his lecher of a sensei by the main gate so they could leave.
After 15 minutes Naruto finally managed to win a battle that was almost impossible for even him to win, prying his clingy mate off him so he could leave the bed. Even then Sakaki still was reaching for him, too bad he had things to do. So when he was ready Naruto headed downstairs to find Kin relaxing in the kitchen with a pot of tea and some breakfast.
"Good morning Kin." Naruto greeted the young lady as he walked passed her and started to fix himself some food.
"Oh, Good morning Naruto-sama. Did you sleep well?" Kin replied with a warm smile on her face before she took another sip of tea.
"Yes I did all things considering." Naruto threw back as he sat across from the ex oto-nin and poured himself a cup of tea as well.
Ever since Kin switched sides a month ago, her disposition had changed for the better. She shared with him her life in Otogakure and naturally it was anything but glamorous, having to always be on edge and stay a few steps ahead of the perverts that wanted to use her for their own desires. At first when she started living here that aspect stayed the same with her but, after realizing that Naruto would be forcing himself on her any time soon brought Kin around almost immediately and she was at ease with everything from then on.
Now she greets him each morning with a bright smile on her face and the determination in her soul to improve not only to prove herself capable to Naruto but, as a gift unto herself for getting the second chance.
"That's good. So what are your plans for today?" Kin asked with curious eyes.
"I'm actually leaving on a trip with Jiraiya for a while to go searching for Senju Tsunade and escort her back here to become the successor to the Sandaime. Inform Sakaki of this when she wakes up." Naruto says as he drains his cup of tea and finishes his breakfast before rising from the table.
"This is good news, and don't worry about a thing Naruto-sama. I shall take care of things here in your absence." Kin replied as she got up from the table as well.
"Kin, I've told you this already you aren't my servant." Naruto said as he rounded on the brunette.
"I know but outside of fighting in your name and being given a home with you, ensuring that the place is kept in order is the least I can do. Besides I've even managed to rope Sakaki-sama into helping from time to time when you wanted to train by yourself for the Finals." Kin offered as she began washing the dishes in the sink.
Naruto didn't say a word as he nodded before exiting the kitchen and headed out the house. He wanted to gather a few things for the trip unlike Sesshomaru the times have changed and just because he was now a youkai did not mean he has given up on being a shinobi for the most part, just being human physically.
As he traveled towards the shopping district, Naruto could feel a slight shift in the air and decided to be on guard as thing were changing and he had no intention of being caught flatfooted by anything or anyone if he could help it.
Across Konoha, Hyuuga Compound
Hinata sat on her bed in reflection about what Sakaki said yesterday, about being strong enough to be independent enough to stand by Naruto's side when times called for it. Could she do it, could she truly change her attitude for the better? What Sakaki said sounded life a dream far beyond her reach.
However Hinata knew that she needed to prove to her father and clan that she was not as weak as they thought, lest she be branded with the slave seal and cast into the branch house while becoming subservient to her little sister Hanabi when she became the clan head.
"No! I won't have doubtful thoughts like that anymore. I promised myself in front of everyone that I was done with running away and that includes my professing love for Naruto-kun. I can start with today during practice." Hinata said to herself powerfully while jumping to her feet. She stuttered a bit but forced herself to follow through with speaking without a hint of fear in her voice.
A knock on her bedroom door broke Hinata from her thoughts, walking over she opened her door and looked out.
"Hai?" Hinata said clearly seeing as she wanted to slowly begin changing herself and to her that started with her speaking to others.
"Forgive me for interrupting you Hinata-sama but Hiashi-sama has sent me to inform you that practice shall be held a bit earlier this morning than usual and that you are to get ready and arrive at the dojo within five minutes." The now identified branch member Tomo reported with a crisp bow in greeting.
"I see, I shall be along shortly. Thank you Tomo-san." Hinata nodded in understanding.
"My pleasure Hinata-sama." Tomo replied in a rare moment of smiling softly at the girl before her that was treated as well as a branch member without a curse mark by Hiashi.
Dismissing Tomo, Hinata proceeded to get ready. As she got dressed Hinata's mind went back to the day her mother passed away, she remembered her last words and now that she was a bit older she finally understood the meaning behind them. Her Kaa-san told her to always forge ahead with strength no matter the hardship and to never let her gentle nature be tainted by anyone or anything in this word, this meant that she could be a proud kunoichi without having to sacrifice what made her Hinata.
"Okay, Kaa-san. Wish me luck this the beginning of my life changing for the better." Hinata said while looking at a picture of her mother Hyuuga Harumi who passed away when Hanabi was born and Hinata was 7 years old.
Giving herself one more once over, Hinata felt that she was going as ready as she was going to be and rushed from her room towards the compound dojo.
Arriving two minutes later, Hinata walked into the dojo to find a newcomer sitting in on her daily practice.
"Hinata, you've arrived on time. Good from now on your cousin shall be participating in our daily practices, now we shall start with a spar between you and Hanabi like always." Hiashi said without turning his head in her general direction since she walked through the door.
"Hai, tou-san." Hinata relied simply as she walked out onto the mats and turned to face her little sister as she got into the jyuken stance.
Hyuuga Hanabi looked at her older sister with studying eyes, something about Hinata seemed to be different but the young 5 year old couldn't put it into exact words especially since for the first time ever she couldn't get a reading on her sister's face. While Hanabi was studying Hinata, she was doing the same to her little sister, Hanabi was beginning to gain their father's features where as Hinata favored their mother more.
As both sisters were analyzing the other, they both almost missed their signal from Hiashi to begin. Hanabi of course didn't waste any time as she ran at Hinata with an open palm strike which Hinata sidestepped before going to attack Hanabi's tenketsu in her outstretched arm. Due to her shorter height Hanabi managed to evade enough strikes to avoid being taken out of commission but Hinata didn't attack lightly and she ended up with a good chunk of her arm damage which would make using the jyuken difficult.
Hinata danced outside of Hanabi's reach as the 5 year old went on the offensive, they moved about the mats as Hanabi tried to corner her older sister so she could end the match quickly. However Hinata wouldn't be cowed into another defeat as she timed her sister's attack and sidestepped a palm strike aimed for her stomach and weaved inside her sister's guard and slammed Hanabi in the stomach with a strong elbow followed by tripping her sister while attacking with a palm thrust that sent the five year old bouncing across the mat before coming to a stop.
Hanabi struggled to a knee only to find a palm resting on her chin and two finger's pointed at her eyes courtesy of Hinata, who was standing over Hanabi.
"I win." Hinata said simply as she watched her sister a somewhat impassive expression.
Hanabi just looked up at her older sister with surprise and assessed that if this were a life or death battle Hinata would only have to twitch either of her hands to end her life.
"I...forfeit." Hanabi said not really believing what was coming from her mouth, considering that just the other day Hinata wasn't as confident in her combat abilities.
She wasn't the only one having that line of thought however, both Hiashi and Neji had masks of indifference on their faces but on the inside they were genuinely surprised by this change in Hinata.
Hinata herself backed off but, didn't drop her stance until she was entirely sure that Hanabi wouldn't attack. Backing off she turned towards her father and waited expectantly.
"...Ahem...yes well it seems you have improved since before the Chunnin exams. Let us begin with today's lesson. Neji go and stand in line with my daughters." Hiashi said as he spoke up after collecting himself from Hinata's display of change.
As the three Hyuuga children got ready to begin their lesson, Hinata glanced briefly at her father and caught the very slight nod of his head in a positive manner that gave Hinata a bit of hope that things could truly get better in the future.
X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Naruto walked into Higurashi Emporium with a mental list of what he wanted to buy, he was brought out of his silent musings by the sound of a curtain being moved. Naruto looked to find Kenji emerging from the back at hearing the bell over the door signaling a customer.
"Ah, Naruto-san. What brings you here early this morning? That sheath I made for your sword holdiing well?" Kenji asked with a smile as he leaned on the counter top.
"Yes it serves its purpose well. I need a calligraphy kit and you're the only place I can trust not to rip me off before I pull their spine out through their anus." Naruto said as he looked Kenji right in the eye.
"What exactly are you looking for?" Kenji asked not even disturbed by Naruto's threat against the other shop owner's in the villaga that he's had to threaten.
"I want the best set you've got to offer." Naruto replied as he dropped some money on the counter in front of Kenji.
"Whoa,...you're serious. All right then wait just a minute." Kenji said with a whistle as he got up and went into the back where he keep the calligraphy items.
"Tell me what you think of these?" Kenji asked as he came back out with an expensive kit that he set down and slid the open box over for Naurto to inspect.
Naruto looked in to find beautifully crafted brushes with seals on them from what he could see, there was premium ink in three large bottles along with various rags and small sponges used to correct mistakes.
"This seems better than what I was going for." Naruto said as he closed the lid and went and grabbed a storage scroll from the rack as well.
"Yes and each brush has seals to make them unbreakable and will only take as much ink as needed so no mess is really created when writing. Listen I need to speak with you about a private matter, do you have time?" Kenji replied as his tone became serious while looking at Naruto.
"I'm suppose to be meeting up with my sensei so we can leave but, knowing him that he still has yet to wake up from his nosebleed induced coma yet so I've got some time. What do you wish to speak with me about?" Naruto said as he glanced at the clock on the wall to see he had another hour and a half at least until he had to meet Jiraiya at the main gate.
"Follow me then." Kenji offered as he stepped through the cloth cover after Naruto paid for his calligraphy set and stored in in the scroll that he purchased as well.
Naruto followed behind the shop owner and was surprised to find a quaint hallway that led in two directions, The left went to where the forge and the storage space for any extra materials and weapons not ready for display went, while the right lead to a lounge area complete with a small stove and fridge in the corner. There was also a large, comfy sofa with two recliners around a beautifully decorated coffee table.
"Have a seat anywhere, can I offer you any refreshments?" Kenji asked as he pulled out a bottle of water for himself.
"No thank you, I'm fine. So what did you needed?" Naruto politely declined before getting down to the topic at hand as he took a seat on the sofa.
"One moment, I'll be right back." Kenji said as he placed his drink down and left the room.
While Kenji was gone Naruto just sat patiently, admiring the various paintings and pictures that helped brighten the room some. The sound of Kenji's returning footsteps had Naruto looking towards the door, the shop owner had reentered the room looking a bit winded as if he ran up and then down a couple flights of stairs.
"Sorry about the wait but, the contents of this scroll are what I wish to talk with you about." Kenji said as he sat down and passed the scroll over to Naruto who immediately opened the scroll and skimmed its contents in fine detail.
What Naruto read was basically a marriage proposal set up between Higurashi Narumi and Uzumaki Kushina his mother for their eldest children, in this case Tenten and himself. Looking the document over to himself a numerous amount of times Naruto could see the same prerequisites that he would lay down for any potential women or men looking to become a part of the clan.
"Well?" Kenji asked as he had watched the young clan head read the scroll in silence without a change in his features. He wanted the best for his daughter and felt that Tenten could flourish best with a husband that wouldn't want to stifle her career just to please him.
This marriage was on top of a good sized list of proposals as the Higurashi family was renown throughout the Elemental countries for their unique smiting skills at a forge. So when Kenji heard of Naruto's last name when he walked into the shop a month ago, that struck remembrance of his pregnant wife Narumi, and the equally pregnant Kushina as they sat around joking about their children being married to each other until Kushina got the idea in her head to do just that. And after a couple of days the contract was drawn up between the two mothers and given to Narumi along with a pendant that Kushina had found in her travels as a token of everlasting friendship between them.
"... Aside from everything I would have laid out as a requirement,I'm not truly convinced. Why should I agree to this contract between our two families? Because aside from getting my swords repaired by you even though I don't see them getting damaged anytime soon, You really aren't offering me anything worthwhile."Naruto asked as he finally looked up from the scroll at Kenji.
Kenji just looked at Naruto with a thoughtful expression on his face, what was he getting truly in return for allowing someone from a small clan that he barely knew. Right then and there Kenji decided to extend an information olive branch of sorts.
"You're right and I don't blame you for being cautious in the slightest, so as a sign of trust between us. I shall tell you of my clan's history and how it ties into your own, I'm sure you are aware of the first of your clan. A youkai so powerful he was known simple as the Inu Taisho or Great Dog General, well he had a number of vassals at his call and one of them was a very gifted youkai blacksmith by the name of Totosai." Kenji started as he stopped briefly to take a sip of water before continuing.
"It was he that forged the two legendary swords Tessaiga and Tenseiga, the very same Tenseiga that rests on your waist. Now then when the Inu Taisho died he instructed that the swords be passed to his two sons, Tessaiga went to the younger brother while Tenseiga went to the elder brother. Do you know why this was done?" Kenji explained while looking at Naruto.
"Yes, Inu Taisho did that as a way to protect and guide both his sons. He gave Inuyasha Tessaiga as a means to protect himself as the boy was a hanyo and Sesshomaru inherited Tenseiga as a means to teach him compassion and tolerance for humans instead of contempt and outright hatred." Naruto replied as he pulled out Tenseiga and held the blade on it's side as he walked through a memory of Sesshomaru's.
"How did you know that?" Kenji inquired astonishingly while nearly choking on water.
"Tenseiga is semi-sentient and has shared memories of the past with me. Continue with your story if you please." Naruto replied simply as he re-sheathed Tenseiga back at his side.
"Of course now where was I?...Ah my ancestor Totosai as was a very elderly man by the time that Sesshomaru and Inuyahsha had inherited and mastered their respective swords, so having a child of his own was beyond him. Luckily one day he stumbled across a young boy that was running from a demon that was chasing him, Totosai saved the boy and after finding out that the boy's parents were murdered by the demon Totosai decided that he could live on through the boy that he saved. So Totosai taught the boy the tools of his trade and over the years the boy came to love the art of crafting weapons, so when the boy had reached adult hood Totosai decided to make the young man his surrogate son in all but actual birth to a woman."
"Through a very long and complicated ritual, Totosai had managed to imprint his genetics and abilities onto the boy. The moment the ritual was done Totosai collapsed on the spot and the young man struggled to reach his step-father's side, the young man knew that the ritual was meant to end the life of the caster and knew that Totosai did it willingly but, it didn't replace the tears that fell for his father as Totsai imparted a few lasting words of guidance before crumbling to dust. Some time later after establishing himself close to a nearby village, my ancestor met his wife to be and a clan legacy began with the birth of the first official Higurashi child, Kotone." Kenji finished with a wistful smile at knowing his family's true legacy.
"So your family is comprised of those with youkai flowing in their veins?" Naruto speculated after letting Kenji compose himself.
"Yes, but it's not enough for us to be classified as youkai but, is enough that we can forge weapons in the same manner as Totosai once did." Kenji admitted as he wiped the corner of his eyes before continuing.
"You do realize that if I took your daughter as a mate she would become a full youkai right?" Naruto pointed out in contemplation.
"Why is that ? None of your clan were full youkai." Kenji replied with uncertainty in his voice at liking the answer he would hear.
"First, all of my clan were youkai as the blood from Sesshomaru passed down didn't dilute through a single child. We just didn't broadcast this fact blatantly, I'm sure you've seen the effects of human fear for what they don't understand. Secondly it's how things are done within my clan, I have a vassal named Tsuchi Kin, she will be given the right to become a youkai as well simply because it's customary for anyone entering the clan from the outside being changed into an Inu youkai if they weren't one already." Naruto explained while looking Kenji in the eye.
"I see, so what is your decision concerning the contract?" Kenji asked while wringing his hands.
"First let me ask you this, why do you wish for this contract to go through? Answer truthfully or I can leave without giving my answer on anything." Naruto said with piercing eyes that seemed to bore into Kenji's very soul.
"I want this because what father doesn't want the best for their daughter and secondly, I know that Tenten can become her very best at your side." Kenji said with truth shining in his eyes.
"You know nothing of me." Naruto said simply.
"You're right I don't but I do know what I can see. A wise young man wit enough conviction to stand on his own two feet without relying on people, that's what I want for my daughter. A life of independence and love something I know you can give both of when the time comes." Kenji rebutted sagely while Naruto's cogs in his head was spinning as he processed what was just said to him.
"...I will accept the contract but, since you started this conversation. You get to break the news to your daughter." Naruto said with a unseen sense of satisfaction at watching Kenji go pale from his response.
"Why leave that situation up to me?" Kenji asked with a growing look of horror at how his daughter might react to being married off.
"It's better to hear the news from you rather than a person she knows next to nothing about. I have to go now so enjoy the rest of your morning and be sure to wear some protective gear, I've heard Tenten has a deadly aim with a kunai." Naruto said getting to his feet after glancing at the clock and seeing that he still had somethings to do before meeting up with Jiraiya, so with a quick goodbye to Kenji Naruto excused himself from the shop.
Hidden Base, Deep in Konoha territory
In this hidden base that even the Hokage's elite ANBU would have great difficulty finding, there was at least 300 completely blank faed shinobi training, being briefed or debriefed about various missions, or merely patrolling the area from the shadows. These machine like men and women belonged to the personal army of Ne which was run and headed by Shimura Danzo who was sitting in his office with a scowl on his face, the reason: Uzumaki Naruto.
Danzo knew that the boy had great potential, to either be a very useful asset to Konoha under his teachings or something that could spell trouble for him in the future. And now the boy was given the very important task of going with Jiraiya to retrieve Tsunade and return her to the village. This thought caused Danzo to lose himself to fury but remained perfectly neutral in his expression after all a shinobi has no emotions to expression in the first place, it was this ideal that made his Root shinobi as effective as they were.
Still it was the teachings of the previous Hokages that nerely lead Konoha to the brink of ruin multiple times with there constant talks of peace between the villages. If Dsanzo was made Hokage like he wanted things would be different, He would be sending Konoha's forces to crush the opposition instead of allowing them inside this villages walls. Soon, though his time will come and none will be able to stop or refute him as the right choice of Hokage.
Suddenly Danzo was brought out of his self musings by one of his subordinates appearing in a poof of smoke in a kneeling position.
"The mission has been completed Danzo-sama!" came in a monotone from the masked shinobi.
"Excellent, report in for debriefing and then take some rest before reporting in for another mision." Danzo said simply in a manner that dismissed the kneeling shinobi.
"By your will Danzo-sama." The shinobi vanished in the same method leaving the old war-whakw to his thoughts.
Needing a pick-me up to fell better Danzo got up and took a stroll down the halls to a hidden room where he was keeping a deply guarded secret. Opening the doors, Danzo was greeted with a sight of Uzumaki Kushina glaring at him with all the strength she could muster.
Yes this would be a shocker if anyone found out but, Danzo made sure that no one did find out. For you see on the night of the Kyuubi attack after Minato and Kushina risked themselves to keep said Kitsune from ending their son's life as well as sealing the biju into their son. Kushina as she lay dying unconsciously tapped into the power of the Tenseiga which protected her from its resting place as she chose not to use the sword in favor of her own. The sentient blade keep her soul from being ripped from her body, instead this sent Kushina into a death like state to recuperate from having her chest impaled.
So when Konoha's forces arrived on the scene and became fawning messes over Minato's body, Danzo was studying Kushina's prone form and just happened to feel a slight pulse of youkai pass through her body before going still. Danzo took this as a sign of a possible knew tool at his disposal and stole away into the night with Kushina's body. After two days of careful monitoring Kushina awoke no worse for the wear but found herself chained to a wall with special chains and manacles designed for the specific purpose of holding her. That's also when she met Danzo who claimed to have big plans with Kushina in mind.
"Good morning Kushina-san. I trust you slept well?" Danzo asked in a tone that held no amount of emotion in it but was not less respectful as he tried to be civil with her.
"Fuck off Danzo, you and I both know you didn't come all the way down here just to chat it up with me about my accommodations." Kushina hissed with pure venom in her voice as she spat in Danzo's direction.
"I see time has done nothing to dampen your hostility Kushina, never the less I bet you're wondering about why I'm here personally..." Danzo started only to be interrupted by Kushina.
"I'm aghast of breath." Kushina spat out with sarcasm dripping from her every word.
"It's about your sochi(son) Naruto..." Danzo said as he watched Kushina's face become one of anger as her eyes attempted to smolder him on the spot.
"Danzo...I swear if you've done anything to my son..." Kushina started with anger burning with each passing second.
"Relax, I haven't done anything to your son yet. I just thought that you'd like to hear that he's awoken an Uzumaki kekkei genkai of sorts and seems to be doing well for himself. However that will be nipped in the bud as soon as I plan on how to bring him into Ne, then you and him shall serve Konoha as mindless weapons at my disposal and the best part is that none shall be the wiser unless I wish them to be." Danzo said as he informed Kushina what he had planned.
"Keep dreaming old man, the fact that despite my hampered state you're still no closer to making me your slave than you were 12 years ago should tell you something." Kushina said as a mental smile came to her face at dropping such a bombshell on Danzo while he was in the middle of his daydreaming.
"Never the less I will get what I want Kushina, just like I always have." Danzo threw back as he turned on the spot and headed for the door until Kushina's voice reached his ears before he was completely gone.
"Oh yeah, just like you got to fulfill your dream of becoming Hokage all those years ago. Later Gimp!" Kushina taunted with a laugh as Danzo stiffened like a piece of granite before continuing out the room.
As Kushina heard the locks to her cell slid into place, she set about closing her eyes and resting while she could. It's not widely known but any living Uzumaki of the main clan line had a passive connection to Tenseiga due to the fact that it's a pure family heirloom that connected and passed with each generation, although she chose not to use the swords in favor of the one she herself created. Kushina still had a link with Tenseiga that she could feel even in her weakened condition, but she could feel it getting weaker due to her son moving further away from the village.
Kushina stopped trying after a while but silently hoped that her sochi returned so he could be reached and get her out of this hellhole. Yes, Kushina went to sleep dreaming Danzo's demise at either her or her son's hands in the near future.
X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
On the road with Jiraiya and Naruto later
Naruto and Jiraiya were walking down a road side by side, while in the middle of a heated conversation. They had long since left the village behind for the surrounding embrace of nature as they began the search for Tsunade.
"I told you that I was sorry, what more do you want?" Jiraiya asked while rubbing the obscenely large lump on his head.
"If you're going to be of any real use as a mentor then shouldn't you perhaps act the part?" Naruto simply asked without remorse while he walked along.
When he had got to the main gate he found Jiraiya trying to yet again woo one of the opposite sex, she was nothing but a pretty face tourist passing through Konoha and knew nothing of Jiraiya's tendancies. Deciding that he'd rather not lose any more time than necessary and the fact that he hadn't really given a good prank in a while wanted to have one at Jiraiya's expense. So walking over Naruto rapped Jiraiya on the head hard with the sheathed Tokijin and then began to berate the Gama-sennin for being out here shamelessly flirting while his wife and Naruto's 'aunt' was at home waiting for the man to return home with the grocery items.
Needless to say that as they departed from behind Konoha's walls, Jiraiya had a large bump on his head, a hand imprint on his cheek and a sore package from having the woman's knee collide with his boys much to Jiraiya's chagrin. When he was able to walk properly without a falsetto voice, Jiraiya asked why Naruto pranked him in such a manner, his godson revealed that it was two fold one because of him being outside his window last night and because he felt inclined to not completely lose his pranking nature and felt Jiraiya was the perfect stooge to prank which of couse sent the Gama Sennin into a dark anime crouch complete with rain cloud.
"I don't know how you got to be such a stick in the mud but I swear on my life as a super pervert I will corrupt you to the dark side!" Jiraiya declared while pumping his fist in the air.
"Since you've got so much zeal now, you can begin to teach me the subtlety that is Fuinjutsu." Naruto said as he looked at Jiraiya stumble at ths revelation.
"S-seriously? You want to learn fuinjutsu?" Jiraiya asked with shock lining his very voice.
"I don't see why not it has many conventional uses, not to mention there are a small number of people who actively use seals so it's combat applications are wide and varying." Naruto replied as he supported his choice with facts that Jiraiya couldn't dispute.
"Kid, when I'm through with you fuinjutsu will become like second nature. But first I want to teach you something else." Jiraiya said with a wide smile on his face before becoming serious in his demeanor.
"What's that?" Naruto asked looking back at Jiraiya who stopped with a smirk.
"Watch." Was all Jiraiya said as he held his right hand palm up.
Naruto watched as chakra began to collect in the middle of Jiraiya's hand, it quickly took the shape of a ball which seemed to spin rapidly in every direction and had a bit of a inner shine to it. Once it was ready Jiraiya leaped at a nearby tree with his arm cocked back.
Rasengan(Spiraling Sphere)
Jiraiya thrust his arm forward and the attack hit the tree with devastating force as it kicked up a good amount of dirt, after everything settled down Jiraiya stepped back from his work and beckoned his godson over. As Naruto got closer he could see the depth Jiraiya's attack had on the tree, halfway through the great oak was concaved in with a pattern that signified grinding was impressed deeply into the grooves of the tree.
"Well, what do you think?" Jiraiya asked with a grin at his handiwork.
"It's destructive to say the least, and the fact that it doesn't require hand signs saves a lot of time during battle. How do I go through the steps to use that technique?" Naruto asked, he was unprepared for a water balloon to be tossed at him.
People at a nearby town were going about their daily lives when the sounds of explosions and screams reached their ears. Those by the gate were witness to a scared shitless Jiraiya come barreling out of the forest like one of the infamous biju was after his life, they weren't far off though for it was a thoroughly soaked and enraged Inu youkai Naruto who came out the forest after the Gama-sennin.
As the duo got closer they could hear Jiraiya chanting sorry over and over again like it was a prayer to placate the raging entity behind him. Just a bit farther and Jiraiya felt he would be home free, however he forgot about Naruto's Hikari no Muchi which depending on the amount of youki used to create it could be as deadly as a sword or as harmless as a rope; the latter of which found it's way around Jiraiya's fleeing form and caused the Gama-sennin to fall to the ground.
"Ahhhhh! Be please be gentle?" Jiraiya shrieked like a little girl before begging for mercy from Naruto who stood over his bound form.
"Don't worry I won't kill you if that's what you're thinking." Naruto replied as he loomed over his godfather.
"Not the face!" Jiraiya pleaded as his world became one of pain.
Some time later there was an unusual site in the town as one now dry Naruto was walking up the main street with the bound form of Jiraiya being dragged behind him on the ground.
"Naruto, don't tell me you're still mad about the water balloon?" Jiraiya pleaded from his position of captive.
"I was only mad for the first second of your beating." Naruto said simply as he walked along as if nothing was wrong with the spectacle he was creating.
"Then what about the other 59 minutes and 59 seconds?"
"Simple, I was bored." Was Naruto's simple reply.
"You were bored?" Jiraiya yelled which caused Naruto to glare over his shoulder at the Sannin for the level of his voice.
"...We should begin the search for this wayward teammate of yours." Naruto advised as he continued up the road.
"I agree we should find a hotel for the time being..." Jiraiya said before he was cut off by a feminine voice.
"Excuse me, but I was wondering if either of you could help me?"
Both Jiraiya and Naruto turned to the left to see a very beautiful woman in a short one piece dress that pushed up her ample chest. She had long flowing black hair that rest just above her but and wore a pair of high heel sandals with some makeup to accentuate her features. All this was off course too much for Jiraiya who burst from his rope prison and rushed to the unknown woman's side.
"Uh...Naruto my young apprentice why don't you go find us a hotel to stay in while I help this...young woman with her problem." Jiraiya said with a smile as the woman laced her arms around Jiraiya's right bicep.
Naruto said nothing as he took Jiraiya's travel pack from him and watched as Jiraiya went of with the woman all the while giggling lecherously, when the Gama sennin was out of sight Naruto got the feeling that he was being watched but didn't act on it just yet as he decided to have his pursuers reveal themselves in time. So he just set out to find a hotel to stay in for the time being. the moment Naruto disappeared from general view, two mysterious figures appeared onto of a nearby building.
"You sure he's here somewhere?" A large gruff voice asked with a hint of glee in it.
"...Yes I'm sure besides our informant in Konoha said as much that they headed in this direction so this is our best bet for the moment. Let's go." A softer voice answered while they both scanned the streets below before disappearing via shunshin.
Undisclosed Location
Orochimaru was sitting alone in a dark room with two candles for illumination as he focused on keeping himself from crying out in pain again as the effects of Sarutobi's jutsu was taking it's toll on his now useless arms once more.
"The pain has become unbearable, Damn you to hell Sarutobi-sensei. Damn you and that jutsu of yours. You and Naruto-kun shall for stopping my plan to crush the leaf and then rebuild it in my image." Orochimaru was cut of from further thoughts by Kabuto entering the room with a small smile on his face.
"Orochimaru-sama how are you feeling this day?" Kabuto asked but only received a harsh glare for his efforts.
"Don't patronize me Kabuto, the pain in my arms has returned with double the intensity." Orochimaru all but growled at his second-in-command while he once again tried to move his lifeless fingers again.
"That's because you've stopped taking the medicine I've been preparing for you." Kabuto pointed out as he poured a fresh cup of the mixture that would bring temporary relief before standing at his master's side.
"The problem isn't the medicine, but the type of medicine I've been getting" Orochimaru reply simply as a sinister smile slowly began to form on his face.
"What do you mean Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto asked as he helped his master take the medicine which caused the snake-sannin to grimace at its taste before continuing although he kept the veiled anger out of his voice at basically being told that his healing methods weren't good enough.
"What I mean is that I know of a way to get my arms working again, we seek out my old teammate Senju Tsunade. She's known as the mistress of modern medicine as we know it in the shinbi world today, if anyone can fix my arms it's her. Kabuto leave me and uses our contacts to locate Tsunade's whereabouts." Orochimaru said as he drank a glass of water.
"As you request Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto said with a bow before he walked out the room to perform his given task.
"Soon I shall have my arms back and will crush the leaf for all time. Kukukukuku!" Orochimaru though as a snake slithered into his lap while he licked his lips in anticipation of what was to come soon enough.
Back in town with Naruto
Naruto had managed to find a decent hotel to stay in for the night and was sitting in his and Jiraiya's designated room while Jiraiya was off gallivanting and making a general fool of himself, Naruto in the mean time was sitting crossed legged on the bed in a meditative state with the Kusanagi laid across his lap as he was attempting to discover the secret behind the sword's hidden ability. He almost got a picture of what the sword could do formed in his head when he was broken from his musings by knocking on the suite door.
"It's not Jiraiya as he hasn't come near the building yet." Naruto theorized as he used his nose to determine who was on the other side of the door.
The first smelled of Konoha, weapon polish, camomile tea, and faintly of Yuuhi Kurenai, while the second scent heavily of blood, Kiri, and faintly of Sarutobi Asuma.(1) Knowing that neither jounin knew that Naruto had left the village let alone that he was in this room exactly told Naruto all that he needed, whoever this was clearly has been trailing him and Jiraiya sometime between when they left the village and this town. The fact that they ran into Asuma and Kurenai was also factored in, as Naruto silently pulled Tokijin from its sheathe while walked to the door.
Slowly opening the door partially put Naruto face to face with two people wearing black cloaks with red clouds adorning them, the shorter of the two looked like an older version of Sasuke with two key differences the first being the large gash through his black hiate and the second being the thin yet noticeable lines that ran parallel down both sides of his face other than that he looked like his 'current' teammate right on down to the Sharigan that was blazing in the light. The taller of the two had short spiky blue hair, blue skin, a pair of bloodshot eyes and very sharp teeth not unlike Zabuza's with a sword almost as large as it wielder on his back.
"Can I help you two?" Naruto asked calmly while positioning Tokijin behind the door as a precaution.
"Naruto-kun on behalf of the organization that we represent I ask that you come with us. Come quietly so as not to cause a scene please." the shorter more calm voice said politely.
"Enlighten me as to why I would walk off with two S-ranked Nuke-nin(Rogue ninja) such as Hoshigake Kisame former shinobi of Kirigakure and one of the former Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu(Seven Swordsmen of the Mist) and what I can assume is his partner Uchiha Itachi former shinobi of Konohagakure and an ex-ANBU captain." Naruto said calmly while still looking at the two uninvited guests.
"Looks like somebody did their homework, ne Itachi?" Kisame joked while his hand was twitched to reach for the sword on his back.
"It's called reading a bingo book you circus reject, and if not for that his...how did she put it? Ah his monkey marbles were a dead give away to the fact that he is in fact Uchiha Itachi." Naruto replied calmly but had an inner sense of satisfaction at seeing Kisame become bristled at his off handed comment about his appearance.
"Easy Kisame...Naruto-kun I implore that it would be wise if you came with us right now." Itachi said as he held a hand in front of Kisame before turning his attention back on Naruto who was pensive for the moment.
"Fine, give me a moment." Naruto said as he closed the door with the same speed he opened it.
It was only their experience as shinobi that allowed Itachi and Kisame to leap away from the door before it exploded outwards in piece against the far wall due to Tokijin that was currently held in Naruto's and as he walked out into the large hallway.
"You are both fools if you think I'm going anywhere with you." Naruto said as he cut the air with Tokijin before pointing it at Itachi and Kisame.
"Heh-heh, So he thinks he's got with a sword okay. Itachi let me take him." Kisame asked as he stepped forward while pulling his bandage covered sword from his back.
"Very well but be quick about it, we already wasted enough time with the other jounin. Quickly incapacitate Naruto so we can go." Itachi said as he stepped back to allow his partner room to work.
"Heh I'll only shave his legs off. Get ready kid, Here comes Samehada!" Kisame declared before he rushed forward at an impressive speed which Naruto instantly matched.
The next thing that happened caught both Kisame and Itachi by surprise although the former was the only one to openly show it, both blades crashed against each other with enough force to shatter a small boudler. That wasn't was caused shock for the two Akatsuki members, it was the fact that Naruto hadn't buckled under the initial attack and was holding off Kisame who was one of the physically strongest their organization had to offer. On top of that he didn't even look winded in the slightest, both swordsman held this dead lock for an entire five minutes as neither where willing to given in to the other.
Naruto didn't want this to last longer than it had to as he and Kisame broke off to engage in a flurry of combat with Kisame fighting with a handicap of not injuring Naruto too bad, while Naruto himself had no such restriction as he side stepped an over powered diagonal strike then smacked away a rising vertical one before stepping backwards and then pivoting around a very lethal looking strike to move inside Kisame's guard while thrusting Tokijin forward. The effort was instantaneous as Kisame backed off only to find a deep gash on his right cheek.
"Not bad kid, you actually nicked me. I'm impressed not many could say they've done that." Kisame said as he blood-lust for combat grew considerably while he touched his bleeding cheek.
"What are you babbling about? I missed my intended goal of severing your spinal column, never the less I'll rectify that mistake now." Naruto said as he give Tokijin a flick and relieve it of the Kiri-nin's blood while Kisame's grin grew even larger.
Both warriors returned to battle with the intent of hacking each other to pieces but, soon Kisame found himself receiving more cuts on his body than he ever did and Itachi was about to step in and aid his partner two things occurred. First was the arrival of Jiraiya on the back of a Gama named Gama with the woman from earlier slung over his shoulder unconscious, when Itachi inquired how Jiraiya found out about the genjutsu used on her the Sannin replied that he saw through their ruse as women never expressed such an open interest in him like that. The second occurrence was the arrival of Itachi's younger brother Sasuke who claimed he was here to finally avenge their clan by killing Itachi.
"Like that would ever happen idiot." Naruto snorted to himself about Sasuke as he and Kisame halted in their match to watch the two Uchiha brothers duke it out.
Two Sharingan's flared to life, one fully mature and one not as Sasuke powered up his Chidori and ran at his brother at a turtles pace all the while screaming at the top of his lungs. Itachi who had turned around to face his little brother smacked away the jutsu as if it was nothing to him which it was, and the lightning attack ended up exploding in the wall near an empty suite. When the dust cleared it could be seen that Itachi had a firm grip on Sasuke's wrist which he snapped instantly and it caused the younger Uchiha to howl in pain before being punched down the hall to hit the wall before sliding to the ground in a slump.
"Brutal, oh well the runt should have known better. Now then where were we?" Kisame said as he lunged at Naruto who once again was fighting the ex Kiri-nin as they continued their dance of blades.
Jiraiya was at a lost at what he should do as he sat on the sidelines, he was watching as his godson not only held his own against one of the infamous seven swordsman but, was pushing the larger man back with ease. Then there was Itachi who was beating the crap out of Sasuke with minimal effort on his end.
"Man what in the hell has Kakashi been teaching this kid or lack in thereof, cause he's getting his ass handed to him by Itachi." Jiraiya mused as he watched Itachi pick Sasuke up from a slump after he viciously hit the young Uchiha in the gut with a simple punch.
Itachi slammed Sasuke against the wall and began to berate his otouto for being weak before activating his Mangekyo Sharingan(Kaleidoscope Copy Wheel Eye), and then using his Tsukuyomi(Moon Reader) for the second time today with Kakashi being the first. Itachi then forced his brother to relive the systematic slaughter of their clansmen all over again, which caused Sasuke to let out blood curdling screams at the event.
This action prompted Jiraiya into action as he put the woman on his shoulders propped up against the wall before he began blurring through hand sings before kneeling down and slapping both palms against the ground.
Kuchiyose:Gamaguchi Shibari(Summoning: Toad Mouth Bind)
A large plum of smoke emanated from where Jiraiya's hands were before large amounts of red fleshy substance began to cover the walls, floor, and ceiling of the floor they were all on.
This maneuver did not go unnoticed by Kisame and Itachi who glanced as the jutsu took effect, Kisame ignored this in favor of focusing on Naruto as he leaned away from an attack aimed at his ribs, parried a strike to his head and ended it in a downward diagonal block which resulted in another power match between the two. The only sounds being made in the hallway aside from the pulsing ripple of the living flesh was the grinding of Tokijin against Samehada as they respective owners pushed against one another.
"I gotta say kid, you've managed to last against so far but it's time to end this scuffle of ours." Kisame said as he praised Naruto for standing equal to him during this fun time they were having.
"I agree the scuffle is going to end, just not in the way you're envisioning." Naruto replied as he angled the tip of Tokijin towards Kisame's head.
Before the Powerhouse swordsman could inquire as to what Naruto meant, Kisame's entire face became a bloody mess as Naruto fired a burst of Kenatsu needles from the tip of Tokijin which found their mark in the ex- Kiri shinobi's face. As Kisame stumbled backwards and grasped his face from the sudden attack it was all the time Naruto needed to blur forward with his free right hand already in motion.
A wet squelching reached everyone's ears well all except Sasuke who was unconscious from the mental torture but he wouldn't count anyway. Jiraiya and Itachi looked to where the sound originated from even Kisame looked down to the sound and all three men were completely shocked at what they saw, for there on the ground in a growing pool of blood lay Kisame's entire left arm. Looking up further the all could see Naruto in a crouch with his claw hand now dripping fresh blood that wasn't his own, finally the shock of it all registered to Kisame who by now had placed Samehada on his back to grip his still bleeding socket where his arm used to be.
"Nice Naruto, I'll take it from here now!" Jiraiya said as he snapped from his stupor to command the inner toad stomach to do his bidding in capturing Itachi and Kisame.
"Kisame time to go, now!" Itachi said while expressing urgency as much as he could with such a calm voice as villi from the stomach raced forward to attack as Itachi and Kisame unstuck themselves and took off.
Naruto wouldn't have any of that as he gave chase while firing off continuous Kenatsu in both needle and energy wave form, which the two Akatsuki members were able to dodge for the most part with the exception of some needles that hit Kisame in the legs and Itachi in the arms and back.
"Naruto wait come back! You'll get caught up in the jutsu!" Jiriaya yelled from his position as he watched his godson turn the corner after the nuke-nin duo.
Looking behind them as they ran Kisame saw the walls of the hall giving chase as well as Naruto behind them, deciding to stall for time Kisame turned around and used Samehada to bat away the villi before he locked swords with Naruto again before attempting to deliver a vicious kick that Naruto dodged while also avoiding the raging tendrils as Kisame raced to catch up to his partner who was using his Mangekyo again to do something about the wall coming up fast.
A huge explosion reached Jiraiya's ears that had him racing up the hallway as fast as his legs could carry him, turning the hallway he saw his godson in a crouch while looking further up the hallway where Itachi and Kisame escaped.
"You all right?" Jiraiya asked Naruto as he approached his crouched form.
"Yes, but I'd be more concerned with that hole at the end of the hall." Naruto pointed out as he rose and made his way to the hole with Jiraiya at his side the entire way.
When they got there they were both witness to a rare sight, there was black flames burning strong in a ring around the hole with no signs of stopping anytime soon.
"To think they were able to break through this justu?" Jiraiya mused as he approached the flames and began studying them.
"What do you think?" Naruto asked as he too was studying the flames and wondered what it's effect were but wasn't stupid enough to go poking his hand in.
"I don't know but we'll seal them up for now and study them at a later date. This will be your first experience with a true fuin process" Jiraiya replied as he pulled out his own sealing kit and an empty scroll before drawing the seal formula to hold the flames then when it was ready he went through the hand signs.
Fuuka Houin(Fire Sealing Method)
Jiraiya and Naruto watched in reflective silence as the chakra used for the sealing, rose from the scroll and encircled the hole while covering the flames before pulling them inside the scroll at a moderate pace. When the sealing was complete the kanji for fire appeared in the center of the array before Jiraiya scooped up the scroll and storing it on his person before he and his godson turned to the broken Sasuke.
Back in Konoha with Hinata
Hinata was having a great day today, practice went better than expected and her father didn't look her way in disappointment but more like reassessment at his stance on her. In Hinata's eyes this was a step in improving her tou-san's opinion of her and while it was a long ways to go before he would openly acknowledge his pride in her Hinata would take any form of positive praise she could get: both spoken and unspoken.
The Hyuuga heiress was so lost in her thoughts, that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ended up bumping into someone. With two cries of pain, Hinata looked up from her position on the ground and found herself looking at Tsuchi Kin with groceries on the ground around her.
"Oh Kin I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." Hinata apologized as she started to help Kin retrieve the wayward groceries.
"It's fine Hinata, it could happen to anyone. So what are you up to at the moment?" Kin asked as she picked up the last dropped item before they both rose to their ful height.
"Nothing in particular, I've got the rest of the day off from training with my team." Hinata replied as she brushed some dirt off her pants.
"Then why don't you join me for a snack then?" Kin asked as she settled the bag in her arms.
"No I don't want to impose." Hinata started before Kin interrupted her.
"You won't be I was just heading home after finishing my shopping for Naruto-sama's house so I've got loads of free time." Kin pointed out as they began walking up the road.
"Then sure I'll join you for awhile." Hinata said with a bright smile that radiated kindness.
"Come on then." Kin said as she led the heiress up the street.
With Naruto and Jiraiya
Jiraiya was furious as he stuffed some tissue in his nose to stem the nosebleed thanks to Gai, the eccentric jounin had leaped through the hold made by Itachi and Kisame while crying Dynamikku Entori(Dynamic Entry) as he performed a flying kick. After a few minutes of clearing the air, Gai was apologizing profusely as he hoisted the unconscious form of Sasuke onto his back.
"Look it's alright, just get Sasuke back to Konoha as fast as you can. He needs to be looked over for mental damage from a powerful genjutsu." Jiraiya instructed to the jounin.
"Of course Jiraiya-sama but that comment makes me wonder if it was the same genjutsu that struck Kakashi down." Gai pondered.
"So Kakashi was attacked as well?" Jiraiya inquired before Gai recounted the battle that took place in Konoha before he showed up here.
"I see well that just means we definitely need to succeed in our mission to locate Tsunade." Jiraiya said as he looked as he godson.
"You're going to find Tsunade-hime! Yosh! This is such a great day! I will hurry back to Konoha before the sunsets, if I can't do that I shall run 500 laps around Konoha, If I can't do that then-..." Gai started with that crazed look in his eyes before Jiraiya stopped him.
"Gai, Gai, just...go." Jiraiya sighed with exasperation while pointing to the hole in the wall.
"Hai, Jiraiya-sama!" Gai saluted before running off and jumping out of sight through the hole in the wall.
"See now that's respect my young apprentice. You could learn from his example." Jiraiya said as he pointed out Gai's devotion to the shinobi ranking system.
"Please he's obviously an idiot. Let's pay for the damages and just get going, and we're using your wallet." Naruto said as he went to grab their bags while Jiraiya cried at the amount of money he would need to cover the damages.
Three Days Later in Tanzaku Town
After three days of training and travel, Naruto and Jiraiya were right on Tsunade's heels, also Naruto had taken to practicing the Rasegan to add another attack to his arsenal that was coming along nicely. After their run in with the Akatsuki, they moved with haste to find Tsunade and their search lead them here.
"You sure this is the correct town where Tsunade is?" Naruto asked as he didn't feel like going on a goose chase for this teammate of his.
"Of course I'm sure, now then what do you say to getting some food? We have been traveling non-stop for the last three days." Jiraiya suggested as he lead the way to a nearby restaurant that was open this morning with Naruto right behind him.
As they walked inside the place, Naruto ran right into the back of his godfather when Jiraiya stopped in his tracks. Asking what was wrong, Nariuto followed his line of sight to see two women sitting together. First was a blonde with her long hair in two ponytails tied with purple hairbands. The woman wore a grey, kimono-style blouse with no sleeves, held closed by a broad, dark bluish-grey obi that matches her pants. Her blouse was closed quite low, revealing her sizeable cleavage, she wore open-toed sandals with high heels. A prominent feature other than her generous bust that could give Sakaki a run for her money was a violet rhombus on her forehead. Naruto could make out her honey amber eyes as she enjoyed a bottle of chilled sake and dumplings.
The blonde's companion was a woman with shoulder length black hair with bangs and dark eyes, she wore a long blueish-black kimono with white trimmings, held closed by a white obi, and open-toed sandals with low heels it gave her an simple but beautiful look.
"You know them?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow at his godfather who was still looking gobsmacked.
"My dear Naruto, we've just found our mission objective." Jiraiya said with a visible smile as he began making his way over to the two ladies.
Naruto just followed behind as he got a feeling that the next few days would be very interesting and filled with more enemies to fight while he followed behind his godfather and mentor.
AN: Okay my faithful readers chapter 9 is now complete and I hope you've enjoyed it. I have to say that I enjoy having comical moments between Jiraiya and Naruto, and the part where I wrote about Naruto pranking Jiraiya I felt that it was a good moment. In regards to Kisame vs Naruto; that was just awesome from start to finish and I hope everyone was pleased with this fight along with the Hinata vs Hanabi spar match. So now Chapter 10 is being worked on and I promise to offer an intersting Sannin battle that involves Naruto. This is Xeno signing off and don't forget to r/r plz, it keeps those poor Naruto male character's out of the fan girl pit.
Konohamaru: Like me, please keep me out of their yaoi fangirl clutches? (puppy dog eyes to females in the audience.
Xeno: That's right for just one or more reviews between each reader can ensure young Konohamaru here stays out of the fangirl pit, to those that don't shame on you and you must be a yaoi fangirl in disguse. Know that we will hunt you down and keep you from meshing such cool anime male character's together again.
1.- I just thought those scents up on the spot with acception of Asuma and Kurenai's scents for obvious reasons.