Chapter 16 is here! A lot of plot-relevant information will be coming soon, including a whole new enemy ready for later in the story or even in Shippuuden. But I have kept you too long, for now, enjoy the show!
Chapter 16, Angels Aren't Always Good
In an underground compound somewhere in Rice Country...
"Damn Jiraiya and that fox brat! First Jiraiya stops my snakes from destroying the village, then he and the gaki persuade Tsunade to betray me! And now the brat kills Kabuto, leaving me helpless!" Orochimaru shouted as he writhed in pain. An Oto-kunoichi knelt beside him, changing the bandages on his useless arms.
"Sounds like you're having some trouble, Orochimaru." Someone said in a slightly sing-song voice from the doorway. He turned his head to find a girl with long blonde hair leaning against the doorframe. She wore a green shirt which revealed her midriff and was pulled taut over her chest, with tight red pants over her slender legs. She pushed off the wooden doorframe with her back and walked into the room, standing before Orochimaru with her arms crossed. The girl glared at the snake sannin in disgust, waiting for him to speak.
"Who asked you, brat? If I wanted your opinion I would have called you! Learn your place, you stupid girl!" He shouted, accidentally flailing his arms about and hitting the kunoichi in the head, sending her into the wall. The blonde girl's glare intensified and she grabbed the sannin's neck, squeezing slowly. The serpentine man made several noises before the girl released him, throwing his head back against the wall.
"Don't try and order me, or treat me like you do your followers, worm. I could snap your spine like a twig." She said in a tone heavy with venom. "Just get yourself healed already. I, unfortunately, need your help to get to the Darkness wielder, as the Angelus has requested of me."
"And the Angelus will keep up its end of the bargain?"
"The Angelus never goes back on its word. You would do well to remember that, worm."
"Is your mistress so strong that she can defeat the one who killed Kabuto? I mean, he didn't even use the curse seal I gave him."
"She is one of the two entities that entered this world first. The only ones that could possibly defeat her are the Darkness itself and their child."
"Child? I was under the impression the Darkness and Angelus were mortal enemies."
"They are. Quite some time ago, the two entities formed a short-lived truce. During this time of peace, they conceived a child. The Witchblade, as it was called, was to be the balance of these two powers. Sadly, neither side was able to coax the Witchblade to side with them."
"What if this Witchblade were to surface? Or the boy happened to gain the full power of the Darkness?"
"He could not. Not unless he had the wish to lose his very soul."
In Konoha...
Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura stood before Tsunade, who was now sitting behind the desk in the Hokage office. Kakashi, however, was nowhere in sight.
"Team Seven, I have your latest mission. You are to go to Tea Country where you will be briefed on the rest of the mission details."
"Why can't you just give us the details now?" Sasuke asked.
"Because that wouldn't be quite as fun!" Tsunade said, the entirety of Team Seven sweat-dropping.
"Fine, can we just leave?" Naruto asked, looking around the room.
"No, we have to find Neru...and what are you looking for?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Ummm...nothing...just being paranoid. Anyway, baachan, didn't you say about transferring Neru to a different squad?"
"No, I don't remember saying anything about..." Tsunade started, but was cut off by a death glare sent at her by a certain jinchuuriki. "I suppose I could put her on a mission with Gai's team...but you have to tell her."
"Oh god why...fine, I'll go tell her. At least she won't be on the mission."
"Naruto, why don't you want to spend time with your girlfriend?" Sakura asked, not knowing exactly what Neru was like.
"I expect he's sick of her by now." Sasuke chimed in.
"Not sick of her, no. In a way it's kinda cute, but it gets annoying pretty quickly." Naruto told his team. "Well, I'll see you guys at the gates, make sure to pack everything." Naruto said before vanishing as if he wasn't there to begin with. He appeared outside his apartment and unlocked the door, noticing the banging sounds coming from within. He pulled a Darkness Gun from its holster and held it near his face, ready to fire at a moment's notice. The firearm was quickly put away, however, when he saw the source of the noises.
"Neru, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, just cleaning up." The girl said as she stood up from the cardboard box she had been halfway into.
"But it was tidy to begin with."
"I know. But I had to clean up after I finished moving my things in."
"What do you mean, 'moving your things in'? We only just started going out."
"So? Either way, I have nowhere else to go. You're not gonna throw me out onto the street, are ya?" Neru asked as she walked up to Naruto, making use of the puppy-dog-eyes-no-jutsu.
"No, I guess not...wait, what do you mean 'nowhere else to go'? Where were you living before?"
"Well, I lived in an apartment by myself seeing as I'm an orphan like you, and my tenant just threw me out."
"What? Why?" Naruto asked, slightly confused as to why he was getting so worked up.
"He found out I was going out with you." Well, that was it. Naruto took out a small black book from his pocket and wrote something down in it, before smiling evilly and placing a hand on Neru's shoulder.
"Well, I guess you can stay here. Just try not to sneak into my bed?"
"I can't make any promises. So, why are you back here? I thought you had a mission?"
"Oh, yeah. You're being sent on a mission with Gai's team."
"Oh c'mon! I just started going out with you, and I never get any time with you!" She complained, making Naruto chuckle. "So, when are you leaving?"
"Uhh...now. I just came back to pick up my pack and sword."
"Oh, well here ya go!" She said happily as she passed Naruto his bag and blade. She then grabbed hold of his hand and began to lead him out of the door. "C'mon, Naruto-kun! I'm gonna see you off!" Naruto was unable to protest as his girlfriend proceeded to drag him down the street with her inhuman strength.
At the gates...
Neru and Naruto arrived at the village gate, the latter being near-unconscious. The dust cloud that had been building behind them as they rushed through the village surrounded, making both of them cough. Sasuke and Sakura rolled their eyes at the sight, while another set of eyes widened when they took in the couple's interlocked hands. Tears welled up in the eyes as their owner disappeared.
Naruto's eyes opened and he took in the village gates, sensing a familiar chakra signature nearby. He looked around, searching for its owner. He found her, standing in the middle of the street with her head down, staring at the ground.
"Hey, Haku! Did you come to see me off too?" He called out to her.
"Baka...How could you...How could you go out with her?" She yelled as she lifted her head, revealing the tears streaking her pale face. Naruto looked shocked, and walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"What do you mean? Am I not allowed all of a sudden?" He asked, sending the girl before him into a veritable rage.
"That's not what I mean, you asshole! How could you love her over me? She's just some lame-brained whore who's obsessed with getting in your bed! What has she got that I don't?" She screamed, forcing Naruto to take a step back. After that, he just stood there, opening and closing his mouth like a fish.
Neru, watching the interaction between the two, rolled her eyes before grabbing hold of Haku's arm and dragging her off to the side. All the others could see was Neru whispering into Haku's ear, and several shades of red make themselves known on her face. Once the two were finished with their conversation, not only was Haku a shade of crimson that probably hadn't been discovered yet, she was also noticeably more cheerful. Many a time she glanced in Naruto's direction and blushed again.
"Can we go now?" Sasuke asked, beginning to get annoyed with their immobility. Naruto nodded and walked out of the gate, turning back to wave at the two girls who were at that time looking at him, blushing and giggling. Instead of waving back, both of the girls ran up to him and kissed him on the cheek, making him freeze again. Neru rolled her eyes as she and Haku walked back into the village. Once they had left, Naruto unfroze and continued walking. Sasuke and Sakura looked between Naruto and the two girls, before shrugging and following Naruto. After a while, Sakura got bored with the silence and tried to strike up a conversation.
"So Naruto, what do you know about this Tea Country?" She asked, as Naruto slowed down to tree-jump next to his team-mates. He hummed for a moment in thought before turning to Sakura.
"All I know is that they have this big race every once in a while, to decide which family has control for that period of time until the next race. The participants have to get from a shrine on the mainland to another shrine on a nearby island."
"I see. Would our mission be something to do with this race?"
"Possibly. The race is supposed to be held around this time, and the two families often hire shinobi to protect and aid the participants." He told her, turning back to the path ahead. Suddenly, Naruto stopped, his team-mates crashing into his back as they could not react in time. The three genin fell to the ground, each landing in an incredibly uncomfortable position.
"The hell did you do that for, dobe? Don't just stop without warning us!" Sasuke shouted at his blonde team-mate as he climbed out of a bush.
"Be quiet."
"That's no way to talk to an Uchiha! Learn some resp-" Sasuke was cut off from his berating of Naruto by the aforementioned shinobi clamping his healthy hand over his mouth. He looked to the blonde nin's face to see his eyes dark, as if someone had just killed his puppy. Sasuke immediatley relaxed, and Naruto removed his hand.
"I said, be quiet. I mean it. We need to find somewhere to stop, now. A tea shop, an inn, anything." Naruto said, slightly worrying his team. After a while they found a small tea shop, where they sat down and ordered. Sasuke and Sakura looked to Naruto for answers, but when he gave none, they decided to voice their concerns.
"So, why did we have to stop here?" Sakura asked. Naruto stopped sipping from his tea and placed the cup on the table, his eyes closed.
"I sensed something...it felt like some kind of rage. But it didn't feel evil at all. It felt as if an angel was angry." Naruto said cryptically, confusing the other two genin considerably. "And the problem was this divine fury was blocking my sense of direction. Currently, I have no idea where Tea Country is."
"So what now? We can't just abandon the mission because you got lost!" Sasuke almost yelled, before Naruto raised an open palm, signifying him to stop.
"I never said we were going to quit. We are shinobi, our job description is to work with what we are given to pass by any obstacle. We will not give up on this mission. However, another part of our job description is to understand the true power of information in its rawest form." Naruto said, confusing everyone once again. "In other words, it's time for some information gathering. Just remember, we are to keep our identities and intentions a secret. Nobody must suspect a thing. Now, go find yourselves a table and keep your ears open. If you find someone who might have something that can help us, do not hesitate to question them."
Sasuke and Sakura nodded, before getting up from their seats and heading to opposite sides of the shop. After many cups of tea and sticks of dango while waiting, they finally found something. A group of people sitting near Sakura were talking about Tea Country.
"Hey, what's going on in Tea Country?" One asked the others.
"The entire Wasabi and Wagarashi families are gathering for the race. They say that new kid, Idate, is running for the Wasabi family." Another said.
"Idate? I heard he's real fast. Fastest they've ever had."
"Yeah, but rumour is the Wagarashi family have hired Ame-nin to sabotage the Wasabi."
"True, but the Wasabi have hired Konoha-nin."
"But their ninja supply is running low, remember the invasion?"
"Oh yeah...so it looks like the Wagarashi are winning this year. Too bad, the Wasabi did good over in the west this year."
'So, we've been hired to help the Wasabi?' Sakura thought, listening to the men talking. 'And Tea Country is to the west? Good, we have the information we need.' The rosette stood up from her seat and walked back to Naruto, who was once again calmly sipping his tea.
"What have you discovered?" He asked, not once opening his eyes or putting down his cup.
"We have been hired to aid the Wasabi family in their race, while the Wagarashi have hired a team of Ame-nin. The Wasabi runner is called Idate. Lastly, Tea Country is supposedly to the west of here." She told him quietly, not wanting anyone to hear them.
"Good. We'll wait for Sasuke, see if he has anything to report." He said, before the raven-haired boy walked over to them. His team looked at him, while he simply huffed and looked away. "Sasuke, if you couldn't find anything, there's nothing to be ashamed about. You win some, you lose some. Shit happens, man."
"Whatever. Can we leave?"
"Yeah, just let me pay the bill then we'll go." Naruto said, before he heard shouting from the other side of the shop.
"I don't care who you are, kid! You gotta pay!" A burly man in an apron shouted at a boy around their age.
"But I don't have any money! I'm an orphan!" The boy said, cowering from the large man.
"Then I guess you'd better work off your debt!" The man yelled, but stopped when a hand was placed on his shoulder. He spun around, ready to floor the person who interrupted him. All he found was Naruto standing behind him with a smile on his face.
"Excuse me, sir. But if it's alright, I'll pay off the boy's debt. After all, I'm an orphan myself." He said, as he held out a bag of coins. The man blinked then took the bag, turning back to the boy.
"Don't think this is over kid. One day, nobody will be here to help you." He said, before walking through a set of double doors. Team Seven and the boy walked outside, and Naruto stretched his arms and legs. While stretching, he noticed a pouch hanging from the boy's belt. His eyes narrowed as he examined it. The boy noticed him looking and ran off, heading into the forest.
"Hey, you little brat! Get back here so I can tear you a new one!" Naruto shouted as he chased the boy, Sakura and Sasuke close behind.
"Hell no! You'll have to catch me!" The boy shouted back, before speeding up so all they could see was a cloud of dust being kicked up. Naruto slowed to a stop, cursing at his inability to keep up with the kid. Sasuke and Sakura jumped down beside him, and told him to forget about it. Naruto turned without a word and sped off in a westerly direction, heading for Tea Country.
In Tea Country...
"Ah, so you must be the Leaf ninja I requested!" A man with short grey hair wearing a simple kimono said as they entered a large compound. "I am Jirocho Wasabi, leader of the Wasabi family. Welcome to Tea Country. I brought you here to-"
"We know why we're here, Wasabi-san. We figured it out already. When does the race start?" Naruto said, not in the mood for small talk.
"Oh, right. It starts soon, but our runner hasn't shown up yet."
"You mean Idate?"
"Yes. He left a while ago, and hasn't been seen since." Jirocho said, before the boy from earlier came from around a corner. "Idate! There you are! We've been looking for you!" The boy saw who was standing in the middle of the path and tried to run away, but found himself blocked by the same blonde shinobi that had paid his bill.
"You owe me. Pay up, or I hit you with a shockwave in the cervical section of your spine, damaging the C1-C5 region and by proxy the phrenic nerves leading to the diaphragm. Unfortunately for you, you'll stop breathing. So if I were you I'd give me my money. Now." Naruto said, his eyes like ice. Idate was, to say the least, scared shitless and ripped the pouch off his belt, passing it to Naruto. Naruto opened the bag and took out the correct amount before throwing the bag back to Idate. "Next time, pay with your own money."
Jirocho cleared his throat, getting Naruto and Idate's attention, before speaking again. "If you're both quite finished, I will continue. The race starts soon, so if I were you I'd get to the start as soon as possible." Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke nodded, before beginning to walk out of the compound. When they got out of the gate, however, Naruto stopped abruptly once again.
"Naruto? Is something wrong?" Sakura asked, actually starting to get worried about her blonde teammate.
"It happened again...the angel is angry."
In Rice Country...
"Where are you going, brat?" The bedridden Orochimaru said to the blonde girl before him.
"The Darkness is somewhere near here...A neighbouring country. This is my opportunity to rid the world of that menace."
"This isn't the time! We have to build our strength before we even attempt to destroy Konoha!"
"Who said anything about Konoha? I just want to kill the Darkness host, once and for all."
"...Fine. But you will come back and aid me afterwards, and you will take a team of my ninja with you to keep an eye on you." He said, as four ninja disguised as Ame-nin walked into the room.
"This is Team Oboro, a squad based mainly on infiltration. That's why they're so good at their disguises. They also have in their possession an artefact that we stole from Amegakure which used to belong to Konoha. If you should step out of line, they will not hesitate to kill you."
"Very well. You four, if you're coming along for the ride, try to keep up." The girl said as she left the room, the four nins following her. Along one of the underground passages, one of the shinobi spoke up.
"Miss, we like to know our associates' names before we work with them. May I ask yours?"
"Danielle Baptiste. Just call me Dani."
Ooh, cliffhanger! This is one of the first times I've incorporated the Darkness comics instead of just the games, I think. So yeah, Dani, former Witchblade wielder and current Angelus host, is working with Orochimaru to kill Naruto. And Team Oboro is actually a team of Oto-nin in disguise! What's going to happen? (Well, I know at least. Sort of.)
Next Time, on Naruto Estacado:
What will happen when Dani meets Naruto? How will Sasuke react when he sees the Rasengan? Will Idate win the Tea Country race? Will Orochimaru actually let Dani kill one of the ninja who bear his curse mark? Find the answers to these and more on the next episode of Naruto Estacado! (Rolls credits, with Cry of the Banshee by Brocas Helm in the background)