Disclaimer: Insert standard 'I do not own this' warning.

Rivers of Hades

Chapter 8

The next morning was unusual for the five shinobi, two of them especially. Naruto looked like he hadn't slept at all, which was true. Hinata was acting shyer than she had in a long time, back to before Naruto had started paying attention to her. She was also having trouble looking in the general direction of Naruto without squeaking and turning away. The other three were confused about his, but neither Naruto or Hinata were talking.

Turning to the purpose of their mission, they began discussing any possible clues as to the library's location that had been found the day before. No one had any ideas. Kurenai then proceeded to give them a lesson on gathering information from objects instead of people. She told them that in dealing with important secrets, like clan libraries, most people would never outright name the location, but would leave clues to its location, intentionally or not. She then asked if in any of their searches, they came across multiple references to a specific location.

Hinata, Kiba, and Shino came up with nothing, but Naruto sat and thought for a second. He was rather ashamed of himself. The others had been working towards the goal of the mission, while he had been looking through photo albums. Just because it was his family they were dealing with, he let himself forget his mission, just to sit and look at photos.

'Wait a minute! Photos! That island in the background!'

He proceeded to inform them about the island. As they had nothing else to work with, they would investigate the island. If nothing turned up, they would return and search again. Naruto knew that he had gotten very lucky with the pictures, and promised himself that he wouldn't let it happen again. He wanted to be a professional, and had to start acting like it. He could do what he wanted within reason when off-duty, but on a mission, he expected better from himself.

--

After breakfast, they began asking around as to the location of that island. Since the villagers were more than willing to help, they didn't have to hide their purpose, and were soon able to narrow down the location to an area that could easily be searched in a few hours. Despite the unusual properties of the island and whirlpool, the biggest clue was a dock in the background of the pictures. Only two or three islands were close enough to the mainland to be able to capture both the island and the mainland dock in the same photo.

The first two islands hadn't matched the photo, even accounting for the passage of time. Naruto was hoping that the third would be the right island. True, he wouldn't mind spending more time here, but he wanted to accomplish the mission before enjoying himself. Business before pleasure and all that.

"Please, oh please, let this be the right place," Naruto begged to whatever higher power was listening.

Suddenly, the island was in front of them. Hardly anything had changed between when the pictures were taken and now. The wooden planks of the dock were rotten, and the island was a little overgrown by the plant life, but that was to be expected, after nearly two decades without upkeep. Close by, they found a sealed cave. Opening it, they found it had been converted into a storage space, with rowboats and related equipment, all in good condition.

Looking over the boats, they picked one out that could safely carry all five, plus Akamaru, with a minimum of discomfort. Working together, the five shinobi loaded the boat with their supplies and hauled it to the water's edge.

Shino chose that moment to ask a question that had been on his mind since he had seen the island in the photo.

"How are we supposed to cross the whirlpool in front of the landing site? It is too large and powerful for us to navigate around safely, and there is no other way for us to access the island."

"Uh, Shino, I can take care of that," Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head. Kiba looked at Naruto questioningly.

"How can you do that? We don't know anything about this island other than your clan took a lot of pictures here."

"My clan developed a bunch of special chakra control exercises. One of them is moving on top of a whirlpool without getting sucked under."

"Wait, what? Is that even possible?"

Shino spoke again. "Interesting. Using a chakra control exercise as a barrier on a clan library. I don't believe anyone else has even thought of such a thing, assuming the library is on the island."

Kurenai cleared her throat to gain their attention. "Well, there's one way to find out. Let's go!"

--

"Hey! Why'd we get stuck rowing?" Kiba was ticked. He and Shino had been told to row the boat, and his arms now felt like they were on fire.

Kurenai replied, "We needed two people to row so that everyone could fit in the boat, otherwise I could have done it. We need Naruto to channel the chakra to get us past the whirlpool, so he can't row. Hinata could have rowed, but it works best if both people have close to the same upper body strength. Now suck it up, we're almost there."

As soon as she finished, the boat reached the outer edge of the whirlpool. Naruto immediately began channeling chakra into the boat. He knew he could do it properly with just himself, but this was something he had never tried, and he was nervous, making it harder. The boat tilted to one side, almost enough to capsize, but it went no further. Kurenai, Hinata, and Akamaru were holding down the supplies they had brought, while trying not to fall out. Kiba and Shino went into overdrive, paddling as best they could to get them out. All of a sudden, they were on the other side of the whirlpool, heading towards the island dock.

When they landed, they decided to pull the boat out of the water, rather than trust the dock, which was as rotten as its counterpart. Naruto was exhausted after channeling enough chakra to cover the boat. He almost didn't hear the compliments directed his way.

"That was really good, Naruto."

"Way to go, N-Naruto-kun."

"Most impressive."

"That was so cool! If it hadn't been for the boat tilting, you wouldn't have known that we were in a whirlpool. It felt like we were rowing through calm water!" Kiba's statement was accented by Akamaru barking his approval.

"Thanks, everyone. I just want some time to recover before I need to do it again."

"You should have enough time. If you're ready, let's check out this island."

Shino pushed his sunglasses up. "One question, Kurenai-sensei. The whirlpool, how can it exist? The currents here could not form and sustain a whirlpool at all, let alone one of that size. Logically, it should not exist, as it defies all known natural laws."

"Uh, Shino, I think I know. I told all of you that what we did to cross it was a chakra control exercise specially developed for my clan, right? Well, in order for me to learn it, I needed access to a stable whirlpool of a certain size and power, and those don't occur in Konoha. There is a jutsu that creates a whirlpool much like that one, which is how you perform it inland. I just don't know what could be powering it, though."

"Perhaps we will find the answer at our destination. Let's go."

--

They had been walking for an hour and a half, just looking over the island while making their way in. Despite the overgrowth, to anyone who knew what to look for, it was evident that there had been trimmed paths here at one point, meaning this island had meant something to someone. After all, why build a dock and clear paths if no one could get out here? And it seemed that with that whirlpool in the way, only an Uzumaki could get out here.

They reached the location where the building was in the picture, and there it was. It turned out that it wasn't actually a building; it was a part of the surrounding rock that was extended out, like an exposed tunnel mouth. Someone had colored it with some substance, making it look like it was built there, but it was probably made with a Doton jutsu. After opening the 'door', they found that the interior was lined with masonry, leading underground.

As they went deeper, using flashlights they had packed, they found the source of the whirlpool. It was the chakra control whirlpool jutsu, and was powered by several chakra seals. If they weren't renewed, the jutsu responsible for the whirlpool would run out in about fifteen years. At first, this confirmed to the genin that this was the library, but Kurenai cautioned them that everything could just be an elaborate trap.

Finally, they found themselves in front of a metal door. There were no keyholes, no hinges, no visible way to open it without risking collapsing everything down on top of them. Hinata activated her Byakugan, looking for something that would open the door.

"A-Ano, there's a room on the other side of the door. A big one. I-I can't see what's in the room though."

"Is there anything that could open the door?"

"Um... W-Wait! I see some seals above the door. There are words in them. L-let's see... 'Ice,' 'Fire,' 'Sorrow,' 'Hatred,' 'Forgetfulness,' and 'Memory.' What do they mean?"

"Weird. Hey Naruto, any ideas?"

"Yeah. I know what they are. They're markers for some of our clan techniques. I don't know what they could be for, though."

Kurenai answered, "Often, clan libraries will include a special protection seal that requires the performance of a clan technique to open. Why don't you try one?"

"Alright. Everyone stand back. Uzumaki Hijutsu: Yomi no Ookawa: Phlegethon!"

The fiery stream shot out from Naruto's hands. However, instead of hitting the ground and burning, the flaming water went up above their heads, twisting into the character for 'Fire'. Immediately, the door began to slide out of the way.

Kiba took the opportunity to crack a joke. "Hey, that sure gives a new meaning to 'firewater'. But seriously, does that count as a Suiton or Katon jutsu?"

"It's really a Suiton, but it could pass for Katon."

"Oh. Hey, why didn't you use any hand seals for it? Now that I think about it, you didn't use any back at the assessment either, when you did the ice one. What's up with that?"

"On my back, between my shoulder blades, are special seals, probably the same ones Hinata-chan saw above the door. They are proof that I am a member of the Uzumaki clan, and allow me to perform some of my clan techniques without hand seals."

"So that's why you took your shirt off for that old woman. So there are four other jutsu, for the other four seals?"

"Yeah."

Kurenai interrupted the conversation. "Enough. Let's see what is in the room."

They entered the room, looking out for any possible trap. What they found was a huge room, with some light filtering in from a camouflaged skylight. There was enough light to see where things were, but not to see anything in great detail. Hinata located a light switch, and turned it on. Still more chakra seals kicked in, powering light fixtures, and the room lit up, revealing bookcases loaded with scrolls. Kiba's jaw dropped.

"Holy crap! This is as big as the general library back in Konoha!"

"Yeah, tell me about it. Hey, there's a sign over there!"

Naruto walked over to a sign that was posted to the wall. He read aloud, "The original documents here cannot leave this library except in the case of the imminent destruction of the library. If you must remove a scroll, please take one of the copy scrolls in the bookcase in the corner."

Looking into the corner, everyone present sweatdropped, including Shino. In the corner were two bookcases, loaded with heavy duty storage scrolls, similar to the one they had been given before they left. Opening one up, Hinata exclaimed, "I-It has a complete copy of every scroll here! Already sealed in!"

Kurenai raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding. The Uzumaki clan completed one of our mission objectives for us?"

Kiba joined in, "Damn, they're good. So, do we pack up and head for home, or spend some time looking through this stuff?"

Naruto spoke up. "I'd like to stay here a little bit. I still haven't completely recovered from crossing the whirlpool. I'd like to be at my best when we make the return trip."

"You're the only one who can get us back across, so I guess we're staying a bit."

Naruto walked up to the bookcase, grabbing a second scroll. Hinata blinked, then asked, "Um, N-Naruto-kun, why did you get a second scroll? We already have one."

"I know, but the way I see it, this way, I'll have one copy, and the other will go into the Archives in the Hokage Tower. I might like Uzu no Kuni, but I would rather not make unnecessary trips here if I can avoid it. Plus, maybe sensei and I can go through the contents, and see if any of it could benefit the village. Depending on what we decide, copies can be made for the general library in Konoha."

They accepted the explanation, and with that, the group split up. Shino walked around, looking at the various subjects contained in the scrolls. In a section on plant and animal life, he found a scroll on insects of the Elemental Countries, and pulled it out and began reading. Hinata had found the section dealing with medicines and healing techniques. She couldn't resist, and started looking through it, looking for ways to improve her salves.

Kurenai, true to her specialty, worked her way over to the genjutsu section first. She was impressed with the selection, but was even more taken aback by the inclusion of several genjutsu that had long been thought lost. One of Naruto's ancestors had managed to either locate a scroll for the original technique, or recreate it well enough that only a true master would be able to tell the difference. She quickly asked Naruto if they had been included in the copy scrolls. He responded positively, and her squeal of joy echoed throughout the library, causing the four genin to look at her disbelievingly. She blushed, and excused herself for a moment.

Naruto's first destination had been the ninjutsu section. Like Kurenai, he found several jutsu that were considered mythical. He knew the Sandaime would be foaming at the mouth when he saw them, the mental picture bringing a smile to his face. That quickly changed when he started looking at the Kinjutsu section, and saw something that made him want to sit in a corner and cry.

One of his relatives, his grandfather no less, had beaten Naruto to inventing the Oiroke no jutsu. The hand seals, the description, even the name! He knew it had been his grandfather because he had seen the name in the photo album, and the same name was listed on the scroll as being the author. Reading through the scroll, Naruto found that his grandfather had created the jutsu at age eight and for one of the same reasons Naruto had created it. The reactions it got were funny as hell. Shortly after its creation, it had been labeled a Kinjutsu, much like the Sandaime had done when he had first fallen victim to it.

Naruto had created the jutsu at around the same age, but had forgotten about it after he got his mom's scroll. He had used it frequently before then, but now he couldn't remember the last time he had used it. By this point, he knew that it was juvenile and not very useful outside of getting some laughs at the expense of his targets, its main use being identifying perverts. Still, it was his first, and currently, his only, original jutsu, and a source of pride for him. Now it wasn't even that.

'Almost makes me wonder what I'll find in Dad's library when I finally get access to it. If he has a similar jutsu in there, I think I really will cry.'

Now, he and Kiba were looking around, slack-jawed at the varied topics.

"Botany, kenjutsu, agriculture, architecture, metallurgy, sculpting... Was there anything your clan didn't do?"

"Sit around and be lazy, it seems. Wait, I stand corrected. Here's one called A Guide to Cloud Watching. Shikamaru will be thrilled."

Snorting, Kiba noticed a door in the back. "Hey, what do you think is behind this?"

Everyone gathered around it. No one detected traps, so Naruto opened it. It was about the same size as the main room, but it didn't contain more scrolls. One side of the room was a standard armory, with weapons, armor, and assorted equipment, outdated but still functional. The other side was storage. Furniture, jewelry, anything of value, was neatly covered and stacked. In the rear of this room was a solid steel door. Kurenai guessed it led to the clan treasury.

"Well, Naruto, it turns out we don't need this storage scroll from the Hokage, thanks to your clan's foresight. Anything you want to take with us?"

"Just one thing, Kurenai-sensei, but I won't need a storage scroll."

Walking over to the section of the armory dealing with armor, Naruto grabbed a hitai-ate, covered in dust. Wiping it off, he showed it to the group. It was a standard hitai-ate, but the symbol was the Uzumaki crest.

"The cloth's no good, but I can replace that later. Let's go."

--

Two days later, the group packed up and began making their way home. The villagers didn't want Naruto to go, but he promised that he'd be back. The assembled people nearly broke out in tears when they saw that Naruto had fixed the Uzumaki hitai-ate plate next to his Kohoha one.

That evening, they were setting up camp for the night in a grove of trees, when a rabbit ran through the campsite. Hinata caught it, and brought it in front of the group.

Kurenai eyed it, remarking, "This rabbit still has its full winter coat. He should have started losing it by now. This is someone's pet."

As soon as she said it, the rabbit bolted out of Hinata's arms. Kurenai then shouted, "Get down!"

The genin ducked, in time to avoid dying from their head being cut off. A over-sized sword flew through the air, embedding itself in a tree. A man appeared from nowhere and pulled the sword from the tree.

Kurenai identified him, "Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the Mist."

"The one and only."

-- -

AN: Sorry, I just couldn't resist bringing Zabuza and Haku into the story. By my estimation, in this timeline, Team 7 has at least another month or two before they go to Wave. As for what happens, you'll just have to wait and see.

One of the more recent reviews pointed out that I was rushing the storyline. They're right. I am, and I knew it all along. I'm not apologizing for it, though. This is my first fic on any site, and my first real attempt at writing something besides essays since I was in elementary school. That sort of stuff is going to happen. All I can say is that I'm trying to work on it.

I used chakra storage seals as power sources for the library and its defenses because the way I see it, since the library was built in an isolated location, its power supply would need to be long-lasting and low maintenance. Every other power source I could think of would have run out or broken down after nearly two decades of neglect. I eventually hit on the idea that if you can store physical objects in seals, and they keep indefinitely, why couldn't storing chakra in seals be used to power something over long periods of time?

Next time: Decisions and Consequences