Chapter 4: The Journey Home
"The Journey Begins, starts from within
Things that I need to know"
-Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War (2004)
Konoha General Hospital was especially hectic today, as new genin patients were being admitted once an hour. The team assigned with the retrieval of Sasuke met with some incredibly powerful shinobi, and had suffered severe damage. Akimichi Chouji's body was eating through chakra so fast that he was actually losing body weight. If he did not receive attention immediately, his body will eat itself until only the skeletal structure remained. Tsunade was hard pressed to find a solution to this problem. The Akimichi catalogued accurately the effects of the Red Chili Pill, and there was so much information it filled a two thousand page book. Fortunately, Nara Shikaku, Shikamaru's father, was by Tsunade's side, providing insight to her theories and speculations. Finally, they discovered that grounded Nara deer antlers, when applied to a unique serum that Tsunade concocted, would halt the chakra eating process completely. Exhausted, Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief, but she knew that her work was not complete. There were more patients to treat, and she had no time for a break.
In the emergency room, Hyuuga Neji was laying in the center of an elaborately designed seal. His wound had ceased bleeding, but he was still in critical condition and could still die if the medics were not careful. Four medics occupied all of the corners of the seal, attempting to repair Neji's wound using strands of his hair. The process was time consuming, taking seven hours for the elaborate seal to be drawn, and another 3 hours of intense chakra concentration to keep the cell ratio of his wounds and the cell ratio of his hair exactly the same. Shizune was fully focused on this endeavor; if they messed up the cell ratios, Neji could die from overexposure to foreign chakra. After 3 hours, the hair was finally beginning to morph into skin and combining with Neji's wound, effectively repairing it. Shizune wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but she could not lose her focus. This was a delicate process, and it required her utmost attention.
Inuzuka Kiba was resting in the infirmary, bandaged all over his lower torso and his face. He had received heavy bruising on his face from his failed attempt to overwhelm Sakon and Ukon's Rashōmon summon. To make matters worse, in order to fend off an attempted takeover of his body by Ukon, he stabbed himself in his appendix, almost rupturing the organ. It was enough to remove Ukon from his body, but the heavy injury knocked him out of the fight. He was very fortunate that Kankuro arrived in time to prevent Ukon from killing him. Akamaru, Kiba's partner, was in a more serious condition.
"How is he, sister?" Kiba asked, worried about the state of his loyal Ninken.
Kiba's sister, Inuzuka Hana, examined Akamaru with a stern look on her face. She had just finished bandaging Akamaru's legs, which took the brunt of the damage caused to his body. She was analyzing his condition and coming up with a suitable response for Kiba, who was worried more about Akamaru over himself.
"For the moment, he can't walk…" Hana said, pretty sure that was the best, least worrying response she could give her brother. "The muscles on his forelegs and hind legs were damaged."
"…Sister…" Kiba said, still worried about Akamaru's assessment. "You're a vet, aren't you?"
Hana nodded then placed her hand on Kiba's shoulder. "He's alright…" she said in a reassuring tone, brightening Kiba's spirits. "Don't worry, after some rest, his condition will stabilize."
Kiba wanted to jump out of his bed and hug his sister, but his injuries were disagreeing with him. So he was satisfied with merely nodding to show his approval. After moving his neck slightly, a jolt of pain rushed at him, causing him to scowl vocally.
"But more importantly, the same applies to you." Hana said, concerned about the sudden pain her brother had just felt.
Kiba merely smiled. The pain was nothing to him, and now that he knows Akamaru was going to be okay, he had nothing to worry about. "…Yeah…" he said, resting her uncertainties. "I got it." Kiba closed his eyes and dozed off into unconsciousness.
Outside of the emergency room, nervously playing with his hands, Nara Shikamaru was waiting to hear about the conditions of his teammates. It was his first venture as a Chuunin, and he had almost sacrificed the lives of his partners to achieve the mission. Sitting on the bench across from him was Temari, who showed up in the nick of time to kill Tayuya. She was not as worried about Chouji and the others as Shikamaru was, but his apparent breakdown was starting to irritate her.
"There's no use in fidgeting." She finally said, catching the attention of Shikamaru. Shikamaru only received a broken forefinger during his battle with Tayuya. Following a check up with some doctors, he was free to wait on the news of his friend's recoveries.
"Sacrifice is an inevitability of missions…" Temari told Shikamaru, as if she was clairvoyant. "Didn't you receive emotion training?" She was trying to reassure him that his decisions made during the mission were right and proper, and that he did not fumble in the slightest, despite his teammate's injuries. But Shikamaru was not having any of it. He felt that it was his fault that his team was wounded in the manner they were. With better planning, he could have avoided so many casualties. Shikamaru stared at Temari as if she did not know what she was talking about. She was a genin, and he a chuunin. She did not have the experience needed to provide advice for his dilemma.
"Training and actual combat are different…" Shikamaru told Temari, trying to justify his worry. "In a mission, you don't know what going to happen…And I…was a team leader for the first time on this mission…" Shikamaru looked away from Temari, wallowing in his self-pity. "Because of that, I understand that…" He turned back to face Temari, trying to prove a point. "I'm not cut out to be a shinobi…"
Temari closed her eyes in contemplation of Shikamaru's monologue. When she opened them, she just rolled it, brushing his statements aside. "Unexpected fragility…" she said, disregarding Shikamaru's feelings. "Men are strange…" She definitely did not want to have a pessimist as a husband in the future, and if it had to be a pessimist, she did not want him to be a lazy, unmotivated slacker. She would be adamant about not having a husband that enjoyed watching clouds and playing shōgi.
Shikamaru stood up and clenched his fists. He stared at the floor for a while before responding. "I shouldn't have been team leader this time…" He said sadly. "I just trusted everyone else. I was laid-back…I didn't have enough strength…It's all my fault…" He continued to ramble on in a guilty fashion. He was really torturing himself with all of this self-punishment. Humility is a quality trait to have, and Shikamaru was displaying it in spades by placing all the blame on himself. But he was going too far by blaming his teammate's injuries on himself. Those were unavoidable circumstances that he had no power over. Temari was honestly getting tired of hearing Shikamaru whimper like a whipped dog.
"…Are you afraid of being hurt?" Temari said. Shikamaru did not reply. She was not understanding his emotions. He just turned from her and walked away. As he passed a corner, his father, Shikaku exited from the emergency room and watched him in pity running away from a girl.
"Shikamaru…" he called out his name. "You're being talked down to by a girl and running away?"
First it was Temari. Now it was his father. People just simply refused to understand his reasoning. "I don't want to have a troublesome argument because I'm not a girl."
Shikaku stared at him for a few seconds before responding. "Yes…" he replied in initial agreement. "But you're also not a man. You're just a regular coward."
Temari thought about Shikaku's exclamation. Shikamaru was running away from his problems by blaming himself instead of moving on.
"Even if you quit being a shinobi, missions will still occur. Someone will carry them out." Shikaku verified. "Your companions will just go out with a new leader. So then maybe your companions will die…" Shikaku paused for a moment to ruffle his goatee before continuing his rant. "But if you're their leader that time…your companions may not reach that end…If you look at this time as an experience, and you learn from it…Maybe you can carry out your missions with less problems…" Shikaku stopped to notice the shaking of his son's shoulders. Maybe he really was taking everything he was saying to account. "If your companions are really important to you…before you think about running away…consider that you may become greater for the sake of your friends!" Shikaku broke off from the wall to stand straight, glaring coldly at his son's back. "That's what it means to be a real companion! You coward!"
Temari frowned at Shikaku's approach to Shikamaru's dilemma, but it seemed to have worked. Shikamaru could not rebut anything that his father had said, because everything hit right on the money. He was blaming himself and degrading himself as worthless. But in the end, life goes on. His friends may (or may not) recover and they will go back to doing what they did before this mission. Shikamaru cannot leave them behind, and as a leader it was his responsibility to make sure they don't ever get hurt, even with a difficult mission.
The door to the emergency slowly cracked open, and Tsunade left the room with a smile on her face.
"It's alright now" she said, comforting Shikamaru's worries. She took a seat at the bench Shikamaru was sitting on before as she continued her explanation. "The continuous cell destruction effect of the pill was stopped by an antidote that Shikaku and I put together." She sighed at her accomplishment, relieved that Chouji would be fine. "This time, he was saved…It was a success." She leaned on her arms and stared at the ceiling before continuing. "I used a special drug-mixing manual from the Nara clan. There were some serious things in that. The results of continual study?" She asked Shikaku curiously.
Shikaku was about to respond to Tsunade when the door to the emergency room slammed open again. "Tsunade-sama!" screamed Shizune at the top of her voice, despite Tsunade's relative closeness to Shizune's position. "Hyuuga Neji…his condition has stabilized!" Shizune was sweating profusely from her immobility and serious concentration hours on end. "Also…I have some information. Just now, Hatake Kakashi has returned with Sabaku no Gaara, Rock Lee, Uzumaki Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke!" Tsunade smiled widely at the sound of the news. "Sasuke and Lee's conditions seem to be the most pressing, but neither were in critical condition."
"Well then, Shikamaru I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on a job well done." Tsunade praised. "Not only did you accomplish the mission, you returned your entire team to Konoha with no fatalities. I must commend you for expert performance."
"No…" Shikamaru said, puzzling Tsunade and Shikaku. "Don't commend me on this mission." Tears were streaming down Shikamaru's face at the amazing news he had just heard. Everyone in his team was alive and in stable conditions, and Naruto had returned with the mission objective. But he still was not satisfied with his accomplishment. "Next time…Next time I'll do it flawlessly!" Shikamaru vowed under a torrent of tears.
Sasuke was having a rough time in the hospital. His left hand was in a cast, and he was told that it would take about a month for it to fully heal. In the meanwhile he could not even properly train, especially with the 24 hour surveillance on him. He acutely noted some ANBU guards around his vicinity, watching his every move. At least his alert senses have improved throughout this terrible ordeal.
With nothing else to do in the hospital, Sasuke decided there was one thing he could train with while he waited for his eventual discharge: chakra control. Sasuke knew that in order to build his reserves, he needed to boost his own chakra control, and he could only do that by doing chakra control exercises. Yet, he has already completed tree climbing and water walking exercises. There was not a body of water to practice water rolling, and even if there was, his cast would get in the way of his training. There definitely was no nearby waterfall to practice waterfall climbing. He was left with improvising his own chakra control exercises.
He activated his Sharingan. In order for these exercise to work, he must deplete chakra at regular intervals. He must also be weary not to overuse chakra otherwise the Curse Seal will try to slither its way into Sasuke's heart. He was not about to let that happen. A gust blew inside Sasuke's room, along with it drifted an idly wandering leaf. Sasuke grabbed the leaf from its gentle descent, thanking his good fortune for such a useful training item to just randomly blow into his room.
Sharingan still active, he placed the leaf on his forehead, just like the simple chakra control exercises from the Academy. The goal of the exercise is to maintain the leaf on his forehead without it dropping to the floor. It required a steady amount of chakra to be concentrated on that area. With the Sharingan active, it's already simple to have chakra relocated to his head, but the trick is maintaining both the Sharingan and the leaf on his forehead for long durations of time. He needed to focus his chakra in to distinct places at the same time, and that required heavy concentration. His best time to sustain the Sharingan was 2 hours and 17 minutes before he exhausted his chakra reserves. Obviously, with the leaf on his forehead as he maintained his Sharingan, his time would be far less than it is right now. But the goal is to reach up to and surpass his best time. In effect, it will allow him to keep Sharingan for longer durations of time. Combat-wise, this will provide him with the upper hand against an equally powerful opponent who will prolong the battle.
Almost an hour into his training, he was interrupted by a knock on his door. The momentary lapse in concentration dropped the leaf that was clinging onto his forehead by chakra. Sasuke scowled at the interruption, but could do nothing else about it. The door opened slightly, and a red clothed, pink haired kunoichi walked in holding a vase with a single rose for the patient. When she looked into Sasuke's eyes (still active with the Sharingan) she could not believe her own eyes. Sasuke was here, he was in Konohagakure! He did not fall for the temptation of power that Orochimaru offered, and that brought tears to her eyes.
"Sasuke-kun…" she said, the tears welling up in her eyes finally streaming down her face.
Sasuke looked away. He knew that it was rude to have your kekkei genkai active during conversations and meetings, but he did not care. He was in the middle of his training exercise when the kunoichi decided to drop in unannounced. He was not about to give up on a certain facets of his training to host his guest.
"Uh…hi Sakura…" Sasuke said, unsure of what to do in this situation. He'd much rather to continue training instead of be with Haruno Sakura, but it's not like he had much of a choice. A couple of months ago, he probably would have told Sakura to leave his room, that he was in the middle of concentration. But now, he wanted to cherish the small bonds he shared with his teammates.
Sakura came running towards Sasuke's side and embraced him in a gentle hug. Sasuke could feel the young girl shudder as she shook from crying and hiccupping into his chest. He wanted to comfort her, but his Uchiha pride was telling him that it would be too much; it would lead the girl on. So he merely just allowed her to cry on his shirt, drenching it in her tears.
"Sasuke-kun…" the young girl moaned, tears chocking her voice. "Sasuke-kun…I thought I was never going to see you again." She was earnestly worried about Sasuke's safety. She cried right in front of Naruto as she begged him to bring Sasuke back to Konoha, something that ninja were not allowed to do. She didn't care about the whole shinobi code. She just did not want to lose Sasuke again, like his apparent death in the Wave Country.
Sasuke just smirked. "You honestly thought I was going to go to that snake?" Sasuke asked sarcastically. "Do you not have enough faith in me?"
Sakura looked up into Sasuke's eyes and saw the three tomoe orbiting his pupils. She originally wanted to smile and refute what Sasuke had said, but now she was feeling pride at Sasuke's accomplishment.
"Sasuke-kun, congratulations!" Sakura shouted in excitement.
Sasuke was confused. He was back in Konoha, but that was not grounds for congratulations. Yes, he did kill Kimimaro (his first kill, and he's taken it rather well), but he could not have done it without the help of Naruto and Lee.
"Your Sharingan looks exactly like Kakashi-sensei's!" Sakura explained. "You have those three thingies floating around your pupils!"
Sasuke widened his eyes in disbelief. Three tomoe circling his pupils…looks like Kakashi's Sharingan…could this mean?
He hugged Sakura this time with his good arm, forgetting all of his pride in placement of extreme bliss. He could not believe that he had finally matured his Sharingan. Now he was ready to fight Itachi, he was ready to avenge his clan.
Sakura, on the other hand, blushed uncontrollably. Her cream skin was dyed a hot pink color as she tried to contemplate what exactly was going on right now. Yet, she did not care. Sasuke was hugging her, and that all that mattered. Once again, she returned the hug.
This embrace lasted several minutes before Sasuke realized what he was doing. In less than a fraction of a second, he had let go of Sakura and started to fumble away from her. There was a minor blush on his cheeks as well, not because he liked the girl, but because he had forgotten about his pride and utterly embarrassed himself.
"Uh…don't tell Naruto…" Sasuke said, still embarrassed. "If you do…I will find you…"
Sakura put both of her hands on her lap then looked down towards the floor. She giggled at Sasuke's apparent threat, knowing he would never really do anything to her. Her cheeks were still red from that wonderful hug Sasuke graced her, and she will not be letting it up. Yamanaka Ino is definitely going to be jealous now.
"Y-yes…Sasuke-kun." She said in a hushed voice, similar to that of Hyuuga Hinata.
Sasuke turned towards her, Sharingan still spinning, and smiled at her. It was a genuine smile, not a smirk or a grin.
"Sakura, thank you for letting me know about my Sharingan." He said in all honesty. He was very blissful. He was certain that, with a fully mature Sharingan, he can match Itachi's strength and give him a run for his money.
Sasuke and Sakura spent the next two hours discussing what went on during Sasuke's coma. She talked about how Naruto and Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, travelled around the Fire Country in order to find the next Hokage. She also described Naruto's new jutsu, as Sasuke was completely unaware of Naruto's training and his new jutsu. Learning about what his best friend had done during the months of coma made Sasuke even more eager to battle him. Only then can he truly measure the limits of his abilities.
"…I wanted to apologize…" Sakura suddenly said.
Sasuke turned to her, confused. He wondered what exactly she wanted to apologize for. It's not like anything she could do would bother Sasuke (unless you consider her overeager fangirlism).
"For what?" Sasuke asked.
"For my inaction…" Sakura said, with a depressed look on her face. "When the Sound ninja came and took you away, I couldn't do anything but cry."
Sasuke had an irritated look on his face. Yes, Sakura was compassionate and loyal. But it drove him insane that she was unwilling to better herself as a kunoichi and a shinobi. Often times Sasuke wondered what his team would be like if they had Hinata or Ino, because they took being kunoichi more seriously than Sakura did.
"Hn," Sasuke scowled. "Don't worry about it. 'Sides, there would have been nothing you could do about it."
"That's just it, though!" Sakura shouted, almost close to tearing up. "I hate the fact that there is nothing I could do about it!"
Sasuke was surprised. Did his absence actually change the kunoichi's beliefs? He should get kidnapped more often, then.
"I'm tired of being the weakest link for our team." She continued, with tears falling down her face. "I used to think I was better than Naruto. But he's improved so much, and all I've done was being a burden to you all."
"That's not true." Sasuke said, surprising himself with his reassurance. "When Gaara tried to kill you, I was so angry. I wanted to protect you with everything I had, so I rushed in blindly to save you. I was afraid. I was afraid that Gaara was going to kill me and end my ambitions. But when I thought about you possibly dying, I couldn't just stand still." Sakura was staring wide-eyed at Sasuke's admission. She couldn't believe that she affected Sasuke this much. "The same thing happened when that snake Orochimaru attacked us. The urge to protect you overrode my fear from his killing intent."
Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan and stared at Sakura's eyes. "Don't you see? You aren't useless. You are the morale that drives this team to push beyond our limits. You're the reason why we can move on, even in our most fatigued. So don't ever put yourself down because you did not have the power to help rescue me. Who do you think gave Naruto the power to rescue me?"
Sakura just stared at Sasuke dumbfounded. Everything that Sasuke had said was right. She was grateful that Sasuke truly did not think of her as a nuisance. Sasuke, after making his point, reactivated his Sharingan to continue building his resilience.
"That being said, don't think that you can just keeping slacking off. Me and Naruto can't protect you forever, so you need to learn how to stand on your own two feet."
Sakura nodded enthusiastically. "I know!" she said with confidence filling her voice. "That's why I plan on taking the apprenticeship with Tsunade-sama. I don't want to stand in the sidelines and watch you and Naruto fight anymore. I want to be there with you when push comes to shove!"
Sasuke smiled at Sakura's newfound resolution. He admired her desire to grow stronger and not be a burden to her team. He could now focus on reaching new heights without a dead weight holding him back.
"Aww, this is very romantic." A new voice suddenly appeared, causing Sakura to blush deeply. Kakashi had entered Sasuke's room from the window, interrupting Sakura's personal time with Sasuke. She was about to vocally complain until Sasuke started talking.
"Sakura, I need you to leave. I have things to discuss with Kakashi." Sasuke said, in an extremely serious tone.
Sakura was confused as to why Sasuke wanted to talk to Kakashi. She knew that Kakashi was in a coma for some apparent reason. Was that the reason why Sasuke wanted to talk to Kakashi? But why alone? They were all Team 7. He could speak to her about anything.
"Sakura, I agree with Sasuke." Kakashi said unexpectedly. Kakashi knew what Sasuke wanted to talk about, and he respected the avenger's wishes to discuss it alone.
Sakura complied with Sasuke's and Kakashi's demands. When she left the room, Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan. He kept it active for about 2 hours and 46 minutes, breaking his personal best. But he could not have it on while in the presence of a superior. He was a shinobi of Konoha, after all.
"Before we begin, I'd like to congratulate you on fully maturing your Sharingan." Kakashi said with a smile beneath his mask. "It took me quite some time before I fully matured my Sharingan, but by the time I did I…" He looked towards the floor. He did not want to remember his painful past.
"Hn," Sasuke said. Truth be told, he was elated beyond comprehension. But he wanted to keep his cool demeanor in the presence of Kakashi.
"You must have been in some dire situations to unlock the third tomoe." Kakashi said.
"Life-threatening." Sasuke replied, remembering his battle with Kimimaro. "On to more important matters. Why did you tell Naruto not to tell me?"
"So he did tell you?" Kakashi figured that Naruto wouldn't keep his friend in the dark. Kakashi was now worried about Sasuke's reaction.
"Yeah, he did. He told me how both you and him got caught in Itachi's Tsukuyomi. But why did you give him that order? Why were you trying to withhold that information from me?"
"…I was afraid that if you knew, you would willingly seek out Orochimaru for power." Kakashi answered honestly.
"Maybe I should, just to spite you!" Sasuke shouted angrily. The fact that Kakashi tried to keep this information from him made him angrier than anything Sakura could pull. Sasuke then took a breath of air and thought more carefully. Kakashi did have grounds to believe that Sasuke would try to approach Orochimaru for power. "…I still want to kill my brother, Kakashi…"
"That's exactly the reason why I did not tell you-" Kakashi tried to say, but Sasuke continued.
"…But I won't ever resort to some cheap source of power to strengthen me." Sasuke finished, shocking Kakashi. Kakashi then smiled. Somehow, during this whole ordeal, Sasuke matured a little. He heard everything he had told Sakura and Kakashi was wondering what happened to the little uptight loner kid that Sasuke decided to abandon.
"I'm relieved to hear that Sasuke," Kakashi said truthfully. "But words are merely that. I need you to prove it to me, through your actions. Until you've proven your own strength, I'll have to take everything you say with a grain of salt.
"That's exactly what I want to hear from you, sensei." Sasuke said, once again surprising Kakashi. Sasuke doesn't usually refer to Kakashi as "sensei." Seriously, what happened to Sasuke during this mission?
"I'm ready to fight Itachi now." Sasuke said, putting all of Kakashi's thoughts to a halt.
"No, you are not." Kakashi said with finality.
"But I've fully matured my Sharingan!" Sasuke said in an irritated tone.
Kakashi lifted his hitai-ate from his left eye, revealing his own Sharingan. "So have I." He said. "And, guess where I ended up? In Konoha General, in a coma for a month after fighting with Itachi."
Sasuke was taken aback by what Kakashi said. The most powerful jounin he has ever met, defeated by his brother? How powerful was Itachi? Yet, despite Kakashi's revelation, Sasuke was not deter in the slightest. "Well, you aren't an Uchiha." Sasuke said. "Your Sharingan depletes your chakra faster than mine. You could barely use it for 15 minutes before exhausting yourself!"
"That is true." Kakashi admitted. "But you are still incapable of fighting Itachi. Even with your chakra preservation."
"I know I can kill him now!" Sasuke shouted. "Everything I've worked my entire life for has led me to this moment. I have to kill him now!" Sasuke clenched his fists in fury.
Kakashi sighed. The tomoe in his Sharingan began to morph, growing larger and having a more defined shape. The tomoe lengthened and extended to the very edge of his iris, then curved so that each point intersected with the edge of each tomoe. His Sharingan now looked like three sickles, connected together from his pupil. Sasuke's eyes widen at the sight of Kakashi's odd transformation, and briefly flashed back to Itachi's eyes. The moment he entered Itachi's Tsukuyomi, his Sharingan did not look like a normal three tomoe Sharingan. Suddenly, the leaf that Sasuke was holding onto disappeared in a distortion of space-time, astonishing Sasuke.
"W-when did you…" Sasuke said, his voice trembling.
"During the mission that I was assigned to the day after recovering from my coma." Kakashi answered. "I was fighting a S-rank missing-nin that had the upper hand, and just when I was about to kick the bucket, my Sharingan transformed. Before I knew it, half of his body disappeared and his legs began to squirt blood."
Sasuke was shocked silent. He was absolutely positive that he could fight Itachi, until Kakashi demonstrated a new form of the Sharingan, one that he was mostly unaware of. Maybe these were the eyes that Itachi was talking about when he said Sasuke should kill his best friend.
"Itachi wields the Mangekyō Sharingan. At your state, you will be killed almost instantaneously. If not, your brother would surely play with you psyche as he tortures you continuously for 72 hours using Tsukuyomi." Kakashi shuddered after remembering that experience. It's not one of his more favored moments, that is for sure. "I have the Mangekyō Sharingan now, but I'm afraid that I am not yet proficient with it. Itachi would kill me too, if we fought again. If you can't beat me in a spar, what makes you think, even with your Sharingan advantage, that you can kill Itachi?"
Sasuke could not utter a single word. If Kakashi, who has awoken the Mangekyō Sharingan, believes that he is no match for Itachi, what makes Sasuke think he can fight him now? Sasuke bit his lips in frustration; he was too hasty in his belief that he can fight Itachi. Unless he can somehow unlock the Mangekyō Sharingan, there is no way Sasuke can hope to outmatch his brother. It was a rude awakening for the avenger, who learned that his power was still insignificant.
You must kill your closest friend.
Sasuke thought back again to those menacing words that Itachi left him before subjecting him to the horrors of the Tsukuyomi. It seemed to contradict what Kakashi had told him about unlocking the Mangekyō. Kakashi had somehow managed to unlock it in the direst of situations, when the circumstances called for it. He apparently did not need to kill his closest friend. Mentally, he breathed a sigh of relief. He did not have any desire to kill Naruto, so this alternative to gaining the Mangekyō was much preferred.
"So let me get this straight," Sasuke said. "You got your Mangekyō from a near-death experience, correct?"
"…Yes…" Kakashi said, afraid where this was going.
"So you don't need to kill your best friend to get it?" Sasuke asked curiously.
Kakashi's visible eye started to twitch as he recalled a traumatic experience in his life. He never thought he had to remember that horrible event. He still felt guilty about it, and it drove him to the edge of depression. He stood from his sitting position on Sasuke bed and faced away from Sasuke. "…I'm sorry, Sasuke…" Kakashi said with a hint of sorrow in his voice. "…you may be right…"
Sasuke couldn't believe what Kakashi had just said. If Kakashi said what Sasuke thought he just said, then does that mean he…
"I'm sorry Sasuke, but I don't want to talk about it right now. Maybe one day, when we are closer than we are now. I'll reveal to you the truth…about my Sharingan…" Kakashi said before he shunshin'd away from Sasuke's hospital room, leaving the perplexed genin utterly confused about this altercation.
'Dammit, how am I supposed to obtain the Mangekyō Sharingan now?' Sasuke wondered. Kakashi has hinted at being responsible for killing his best friend. Maybe that was how he got the Sharingan in his left eye? If so, does that mean that your best friend must be an Uchiha to obtain the Mangekyō? He hoped that was not the case, since everyone in the Uchiha clan is dead. Yet, it would explain how Itachi received his Mangekyō. Shortly before the Uchiha massacre, the body of Uchiha Shisui was discovered in a pond, with an apparent suicide note in his person. Yet, both of his eyes were missing, and Itachi was peculiarly silent throughout the whole investigation. If he indeed killed Shisui and wrote it off as a suicide, that would explain his Mangekyō. However, that doesn't explain the missing eyes from Shisui's body. For what end does Itachi need Shisui's eyes? All of this pondering was leading Sasuke to more and more unanswered questions.
There was the secret to the Mangekyō Sharingan to discover. Sasuke needed to know why Shisui's Sharingan was missing, and what exactly does Itachi have planned for it. He also needed to know how Kakashi killed his closest friend, and see if that relates to the Mangekyō at all. Yet, he was not going to get answers in this hospital. He was going to have to travel to find the answers he is searching for. And Sasuke knew which shrine he needed to go to in order to find his answers.
Naruto was resting with a huge grin pasted on his face. Plenty of people came around to see him: Kakashi, Tsunade, and Shikamaru to name a few. Even shy Hinata came over and talked with him a bit before checking on Kiba. Of course, she was red in her face, and Naruto was seriously concerned for her health, but Hinata seemed genuinely happy to see Naruto.
The most exiting aspect was when Sakura came over to visit Naruto. Naruto will never, ever forget that hug he got from Sakura for as long as he lived. That was probably the closest thing he got to intimate contact with the girl of his affections. He'll definitely ask Sakura out after leaving the hospital, believe it!
Sasuke was back in Konoha, and he seemed to be a different person. Before, he only cared about becoming stronger. Now, he was sincerely concerned about the lives of his teammates, especially Naruto's. He demonstrated that newfound concern during the battle with Kimimaro, and his subsequent talk as they lay on the grassy plains. Naruto was looking forward to fighting this reformed Sasuke; hell, he might even be a challenge.
As Naruto began to close his eyes to end one amazing day, a massive earthquake shook the foundations of the entire hospital. Frightened, Naruto immediately ducked under his bed, as was standard protocol for earthquakes and other natural disasters. When the tremors ceased, he got out from under the bed and went to the window to examine the damage caused by the quake. What he saw almost surprised him into falling flat on his face. An old man with long white hair and a large hairless wart on his left nostril was staring at him from a large toad. That explains the random earthquake.
"Ero Sennin!" Naruto shouted excitedly. He was very ecstatic that his sensei was here to visit him, even if it was in the most…unconventional of fashions. Immediately after calling out his sensei's moniker, all of the woman examining the windows closed it tightly and shut their blinds, hoping that the pervert would not try to sneak a look.
"Dammit you little brat, I told you not to call me that in public!" Jiraiya, the "Ero Sennin," told Naruto in frustrated hopelessness. It's become ritual at this point. Naruto will not cease calling the legendary Sannin an "erotic Sennin." Jiraiya just shrugged it aside, since he had more important things to discuss with Naruto. "Never mind that, I came to talk to you about an important matter."
Naruto could not stop jittering. He was just too excited about the potential news that Jiraiya was going to unveil.
"From now on, you are officially my apprentice." Naruto outstretched his fist and thrust it back to the side of his body in a sign of victory. He was thrilled beyond belief to be Jiraiya's apprentice. Jiraiya had a plethora of jutsu just waiting to be taught to Naruto, and Naruto was more than willing to learn them. He was celebrating so much that he almost missed the next tidbit of information Jiraiya delivered. "I will train you one-on-on for three years."
Naruto's arms slackened. Three years? That was a lot of time to be trained. He looked at Jiraiya with a stupefied looked slapped across his face.
"When I was investigating Orochimaru's 'Immortality Jutsu…' Information concerning 'Akatsuki' came to light." Jiraiya said. Naruto thought back to the two men wearing black cloaks with red clouds adorned on them. One of them was Uchiha Itachi, the man responsible for putting Naruto and Kakashi in a horrible genjutsu for quite some time. If Itachi had that kind of power, he was definitely no joke to deal with. Presumably, his partner with the fish face was no joke either. He needs to get stronger to even stand a chance against the "Akatsuki." But three years trying with Jiraiya? He just got Sasuke back, only to leave him again?
"Information?" Naruto asked seriously. Before making a decision, he needs to get all of the information he can possible receive. Otherwise, he would make a bad judgment call.
"They won't be after you…for at least three to four years from now." Jiraiya said with certainty.
Naruto remained silent. This was a huge opportunity to boost his skills and strength, as well as learn to control the Kyuubi. But, he would be leaving Sasuke and Sakura behind for this venture. He wanted to train with those two more than anything else in this world. So he needed more information.
"Ero Sennin, what exactly do you have in mind for this 3-year apprenticeship?" Naruto asked curiously.
"You know that I have to maintain my spy network, correct?" Jiraiya said, to which Naruto nodded his head. Jiraiya's spy network was vast and all encompassing, designed to watch over the actions of his former teammate Orochimaru. As such, he was rarely in the village for longer than 2 to 3 months before departing. He needed to maintain the effectiveness of his spy network, as well as verify the reliability of certain sources. "While we are travelling around training, you can acquaint yourself to my network and see how it's run. Also, you have an opportunity to visit places and meet people that you normally would not meet while trapped inside Konoha."
'Jiraiya does make some points.' Naruto thought, after reflecting on everything Jiraiya just told him. It's true: he had access to an opportunity that many would give to take. In spite of that, Naruto was not among the "many." He valued his friends more than he did trying to train with Jiraiya.
"Ero Sennin, your offer is amazing." Naruto began. "Fantastic even. Anyone would be a fool to not take it, ya know? I guess that would make me a fool then, because I'm gonna have to refuse."
Jiraiya was surprised. Naruto usually jumped at a chance to learn new jutsu and techniques. To refuse such an option was very uncharacteristic of him. Yet, they did not have room for negotiation. Akatsuki will make their move regardless of Naruto's decision today.
"Kid, I don't think you have much of a choice in this matter." Jiraiya said. "I already talked it over with Tsunade, and she agreed with me. While we are in the move, Akatsuki will find it difficult to target you, but over here you are a sitting duck."
"Tsunade-baachan was okay with this?" Naruto said, with irritation in his tone. "How could she do this? How could YOU do this?" Naruto was outraged right now. There were people who think they can decide what was best for Naruto's future? He was a shinobi of Konohagakure, and by extension an adult. He no longer needs anybody to dictate his life's direction. Besides, he never had an adult to help dictate his life's direction.
"You little runt, do you realize the potential danger you are going to be if you refuse this offer?!" Jiraiya shouted in annoyance. Naruto was staunchly defiant in his stance, and he will not let up for a moment. He was now using his independence as a reason for remaining in Konoha.
"I do know, Ero Sennin." Naruto said, surprising Jiraiya with his response. "In case you forgot, I got my ass handed to me by Orochimaru in the Chuunin Exams. He's an S-rank criminal, if I recall correctly." His last comment was coupled with a roll of his eyes, indicating the sarcasm in his tone. "And if we haven't forgotten, I was placed in a coma by Itachi's Tsukuyomi. I may be a fool, but I'm not stupid. I know exactly what I'm up against, and I'm not gonna back down!"
"This is exactly the reason you need to be with me!" Jiraiya shouted, getting steadily angry with his student's stubborn refusal. "Not even the Yondaime was this adamant about refusing training!"
"I'm not the Yondaime," Naruto said. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Don't compare me against the man I'll be overcoming!" He put his thumb down to show that the Yondaime Hokage is going to be overdone.
'Geez, what am I gonna do with this brat, eh Minato?' Jiraiya wondered. 'Ya shoulda married a more reticent girl instead of that assertive red head…' Jiraiya sighed, not being let up by the 13 year old Jinchuuriki. "Is there any way that we can compromise?"
Naruto thought about it. He wanted to spend some time training with Sasuke. He knew that Sasuke wanted the same, since he was always about growing stronger to kill Itachi. So how can he spend time to grow stronger alongside Sasuke…the idea hit him after some thought. This was an idea that would satisfy both him and Jiraiya.
"I'll go with you on your training trip when I become a Chuunin. I'll take the next Chuunin Exam, and I will pass it! Believe it!" Naruto said with confidence.
"But that's another 6 months from now!" Jiraiya said in an almost defeated tone. "Sure, it's a reasonable compromise, but it will take time from our own individual training…"
"Then I'll make up for all the slack!" Naruto proclaimed. "By myself, I'll invent cooler jutsu! I'll become stronger, whether you're with me or not!"
Jiraiya placed his right hand under his chin in deep contemplation. Certainly, training for the Chuunin Exams would boost his skill by some amount. He could even ask Kakashi to start Elemental Training with the young brat. He was hoping to do that sometime after they returned from the 3 year trip. Better to begin on it now than prolong it, especially when he may have a use for it sooner than he thinks.
"Hmmm," Jiraiya said, after finishing his thoughts. "I'll take you up on your offer. But only if you can manage to knock me off my feet in a spar." Jiraiya said.
Naruto gasped. He knew that the challenge was going to be difficult beyond comprehension. Jiraiya was a one of the legendary Sannin, and the sensei of the Yondaime Hokage. He must have thought that Naruto was going to lose this challenge, and he would be forced to comply with his wishes.
"Heh," Naruto laughed. "Trying to scare me are ya? Well, I never back down from a challenge, and I won't start now! I'll take your ass down, and it's going down hard!"
"Good luck with that," Jiraiya retorted. "Meet me at Training Grounds 7 a day after you are discharged from the hospital. You should probably be packed before then, because I won't let you knock me to the ground."
"Got it," Naruto responded. He was not going to pack though, since he knew full and well that he was going to beat this challenge. After he defeats Jiraiya, he'll be forced to respect Naruto's wishes. That'll definitely bring him one step closer to his goal of becoming Hokage.
Despite that, Naruto knows he does not have the power to take down the gallant Jiraiya. As much as he would hate to admit it, he'll need the help of that ingrate Kyuubi. That's the only way he'll be able to match the speed and strength of the Sannin. Placing himself in a comfortable pose, Naruto closed his eyes and meditated. It's going to be tough (since Naruto can't stand still for longer than a couple of seconds) but he'll need to convince the Kyuubi to help him in his endeavor. He felt his consciousness slip from reality and transfer over to the realm of his mind…
Hey Y'all!
Thank you all very much for reading the 4th chapter of my fanfiction. Next update will officially mark True Paths to Power's one month anniversary. I am very excited to keep going from here, as I hope you guys are excited about the next update. Here are third week stats, and I am very, VERY proud of them: 12 Favorites, 21 Followers, 22 Reviewers, and 731 Views! Wow! 731 views in three weeks! I am really hoping that we can surpass 1000 views next week. I may or may not do a special for that milestone, so look forward to the next update!
The first part of the chapter was a basic rehash of Chapter 235 of Masashi Kishimoto's amazing manga. It was written to appease the fans of Kiba and Shikamaru, who thought that they were going to die in this fanfiction. Don't worry everyone. You'll know who will die and who will live in this fanfiction when the time comes. For now, kowtow to me every moment of your life for allowing your favorite character to live. muhahahahahah...MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
The next part is wholly original. It's the hospital scene with Sasuke. Sasuke is frustrated that he can't train right now, so he's doing the only thing he can do: chakra control. He wants to improve the duration of his Sharingan, so that it can be more useful during life-or-death battles. He does not want to deplete chakra rapidly to maintain the Sharingan, otherwise the curse mark will take over. The numbers for his personal records are random numbers I pulled out from my ass. Of course, as an Uchiha, his expenditure of chakra is minimal in order to maintain the Sharingan. But with training, he can further reduce the amount of Chakra necessary to keep the kekkei genkai active. That's why he kept it on during his conversation with Sakura. He was not trying to hypnotically suggest anything to the pink haired kunoichi (not like he needs too, she'll do almost anything he wants). But he prioritized his training over his relationships. He was also trying to be kind and considerate of his teammates, after reaching an epiphany during the battle with Kimimaro, so this is him.
I hope I did Sakura fan justice. I don't see her as a weak kunoichi. Just one that has skewed priorities. After almost losing Sasuke twice, Sakura is finally realizing her lack of initiative when it comes to her teammates. Naruto and Sasuke are working incredibly hard to grow even stronger, but Sakura is putting in the minimal effort to just barely survive. She now realizes this, and she wants to change that fact. Of course, Sasuke is happy that she's finally starting to make herself stronger, but this is something Sakura is doing for herself, not for Sasuke (surprisingly).
Kakashi is given depth here, showing his reluctance in discussing his past. Don't worry. He will open up to Sasuke at some point. He sees himself in Sasuke, and thus is more easily able to relate to the avenger more so than Sakura or even Naruto. This teacher-student relationship will be pivotal in the story, and is going to be more positive then canon Orochimaru/Sasuke relations. Sasuke is (most likely) not going to kill Kakashi after he deems him unfit to teach him anymore.
Naruto and Jiraiya. Honestly, I was going to have Naruto stay the entire 2 and a half years with Sasuke and Sakura. There are important scenes and battles coming up that I thought he would be good in. But, after some reflection, he is actually better off NOT in those scenes. So he will take some time to train with Jiraiya. But not before he becomes a Chuunin. Get ready for some explosive Naruto vs. Sasuke action in the coming chapters, and I look forward to doing a Chuunin Exams (albeit short and focusing on the battles).
Naruto is actually going to have different interactions with the Kyuubi this time around. Without Sasuke being taken under Orochimaru's wing, he is less inclined to be angry and hateful. As a result, he will not be entering the tailed beast state as often as he did in canon. Keep in touch and learn exactly how Naruto and the Kyuubi will have their relationship.
As usual, if you are interested in editing my works, please PM me. I wish to provide you with better quality works, and if I have an editor, I can do such things. My real life friends (1 actually, I much rather prefer to be a lone wolf than a social cat) are too busy with their own lives, and even then their writing skills are below my own (not trying to be arrogant here).
Now for questions
Q: Is there gonna be SasuSaku?
A: Yes, but its going to be limited. It's not going to be heavily romantic, as Sasuke is not the type of person that prioritize romance over training and gaining strength. However, he's going to want to deepen the bonds he made with Sakura and Naruto, since he values their camaraderie now more than ever. You saw exactly what he said to Sakura this chapter. Besides, I do have plans for the pair that is pivotal to the plot.
Q: Will Sasuke master the curse mark and use it in battle like getting it purified so he can store his own chakra into it like Tsunade does for her healing technique?
A: I don't have plans for Sasuke to use and master the curse mark. His new nindo goes against the use of foreign powers to increase his own. As such, he will be reluctant to use Orochimaru's mark. Sasuke has to overcome this deterrent in order to become stronger, and his struggle against the dark whispers of the Curse Mark are going to play an important role in the story (you know, I realized I've been saying that a lot in these Author's Notes. Point being, EVERYTHING will be important for the plot in the long run).
Q: Will he also learn Kirin?
A: He will be having Elemental Training. I do not believe that the Elemental Training he will be receiving is that sophisticated, however. Orochimaru was a prodigy when it came to elemental manipulations, so he was able to teach Sasuke the necessary requirements for the creation of Kirin. Kakashi knows a lot of elemental jutsu. However, his knowledge comes from the fact that he's copied these jutsu into his repetoire vs. actually creating them. So Kakashi does not actually have the knowledge or skill base to help Sasuke lead to Kirin. That being said, he will be expanding his Chidori technique, learning more Raiton and Katon jutsu, and learn a new element. Don't worry, you'll find out what element he'll learn later.
Q: Are Shika and Kiba gonna die? Or just one of them?
A: This chapter answers this question.
Q: Was that Tobi/Obito near the end? And he's with a girl OC? (Referring to Chapter 2)
A: I won't spoil anything, but the answers are in the reading. Yes, he is with a girl OC. The OC is designed to provide the mysterious masked man with more depth to his character. She will not be monotonous, as she does have her own unique personality. She's also afflicted with a mental disorder. I'll let you figure out what that disorder is. That's all I have to say about the two for now.
Q: Generic ninja weapon you're using for this fic? (Referring to questions asked about Sasuke's kenjutsu)
A: I thought the weapon would be generic for the Uchiha, but I guess I was wrong. However, Sasuke will not be focusing on kenjutsu for this story. Sorry for all the Yuugao fans who were hoping for interaction with Sasuke and possible YuuSas action. Besides, she's still emotionally distraught after Gekko Hayate's death. Dammit girl, how long are you going to wallow in sorry?
Q: Are you going to be different from canon strength as well..?
A: Yes. SPOILER: I plan on having Sasuke weaker in this story than in canon by the time the Shippuden arc occurs. Why? He learns more from Orochimaru then he will in Konoha. Orochimaru had sooooooo much to teach to Sasuke, and Sasuke absorbed it all like a sponge. He made soooooo many variations of Chidori, learned Kirin and manipulates natural lightning, can freely use Curse Mark Stage 2 without the negative repercussions, and is adept with kenjutsu and the Sword of Kusanagi. That's a fucking resume right there! In Konoha, he can only learn so much without being limited by his rank and age. He's going to be slightly stunted. However, that doesn't make Sasuke actually weaker than canon. Sasuke will be learning smooth team cohesion as he works more closely with Naruto and Sakura. Together, with Team 7, he'll be far more stronger than he ever was alone. True Paths to Power, after all.
Naruto, on the other hand, will have very limited access to the Kyuubi and his reserve of chakra. He will have different interactions with the Kyuubi no Kitsune, but because he does not need to get angry or hate as strongly, due to Sasuke's being in Konoha, he'll have to rely on himself to grow stronger. Don't worry. I do plan on making Naruto really powerful (not uber-mega-op-'I can kill everyone in Akatsuki in one fell swoop'-ultra powerful) and he will be able to keep up with Sasuke's growth. Hope you enjoyed a taste to what I have to offer.
Q: Is kiba dead?
A: The mutt ain't dead yo.
Q: Will Sakura still be trained by Tsunade?
A: Yes. She realizes her own limits and wishes to surpass them so that she is no longer a burden to Sasuke and Naruto. She will be going on missions with the two for the 6 months they have training for the Chuunin Exams, and it will demonstrate her progress.
NOTE: Thanks to ddreamer9159 for point out a little mistake on my story. I mistook Killing Intent for Killer Instinct. I feel so good right now. Not.
Thank you all for the positive feedback and all of the questions. I look really forward to updating again next Monday. Check with me again on Wednesday for the next chapter of Finding Conviction, and I'll see you all on May 15, 2013 for Redemption.
-Blackrazgriz 5/6/2013 11:27AM EST