A.N. – Hello to all of my readers and this is another chapter of my wonderful story Naruto: Harbinger of Balance. This chapter will astound and amaze you, leaving you in utter awe at my brilliance. That or you will be laughing your asses off at me. Either way I will give you just what you want which is more Naruto. I would like to say thank you to Tiger for the review and hope others will take a page from your book and do the same. Now…ON WITH THE STORY!
"Speaking"
'Thought'
"Demon Speaking"
'Demon Thought'
"Nature Creature Speak"
'Nature Creature Thought'
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. 'bastards.'
Chapter 3:
Bosh revealed and the World Walk.
His eyes began to open for the third time that day with an aching head and a feeling of confusion. "Why the hell does this keep happening to me?" Naruto said as he got up off the floor and sat on the bed.
"Naruto what did I tell you about words like that." said the old Hokage as he looked at the boy when he flopped down onto his back. After the boy laid back down he started to stare at the unknown guest, wondering how he knew the young Jinchuriki. "And who are you? I don't think Naruto has ever talked about you before, are you a new friend of his?"
"Why yes, me and the youngling really hit it off when we met, though he was a little annoying at the time." said Bosh. He shook in laughter when Naruto jumped from the bed to stare at him in awe and confusion.
"How the hell do you look that?" he asked in ridged in shock.
"Naruto, language."
"It's fine by me. I don't care if the kid was cussing up a storm. It wouldn't affect me none." said the wild man. He looked the old man up and down. "You must be the Hokage, and his Oji-san, that he was talking . It is an honor to meet you sir." He said raising his hand to shake.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, I don't think I have ever seen you around here. What may your name be?" asked wondering who the visitor is.
"Oh, I'm just Bosh the Wanderer. I met Naruto earlier this week and I helped him out when he was being mobbed. I was able to get him away but I think that they are looking for me now. Do you think that you could lend me a place to stay for a while until I move on or your people stop looking to tear me a new one." He asked, wording it in a way that got him a free place to stay.
At this time Naruto had been trying to get into the conversation and get answers from Bosh when he heard what Bosh said and figured out a way to help him out, get his answers and start the end of his nature test. "Hey, since you helped me why don't I help you? You can stay at my place. I can even show you one of my escape routes in case we get separated and you need a quick getaway." He suggested. The Hokage was astounded at this. Naruto offered the man to stay with him and offered one of his escape routes, something he never even told him.
"If that's what you want I'm fine with that, as long as you have enough room for the both of us and as long at it is ok with the Hokage." He told Naruto. He knew what the boy was doing and was fine with it, it was what he had wanted all along, and it was a lot more helpful to that Naruto wanted it as well then to try and do it alone.
"I'm fine with it if we could go to Ichiraku Ramen. There are some things that I need to talk to you about that you need to know by tomorrow. This is because you will need to come to the Council Chambers tomorrow to talk to the whole council." He said with a serious face.
"Okay Jiji let's go." He said as he got up and rushed out the door.
"How long do you think it will take until he notices that he just ran out with only a hospital gown on?" Bosh asked in a curious voice.
"I'd give it until Ayame tells him." He replied.
"And how long will that take?" the other man asked.
"Well he'll be coming anytime now." He said. Just when he said 'now' Naruto came back in the room with a scowl on his face.
"Why didn't you tell me that I was dressed in this? Do you know what happened to me out there? A few women and a couple girls started to chase after me when the wind blew the hospital gown too high and they got a good look at me. I don't think they wanted to hurt me just push me down and rape the life from me. I don't know what's worse, them trying to beat the life out of me or rape me death." He said as he sighed at the ground. The two grown men were rolling around on the floor laughing as Naruto glared at them.
"Oh my God! I haven't had such a good laugh in a long time. For a second there I though I was going to die from lack of air." Huffed the old Hokage.
"I can not say I have ever laughed that hard in my life. Oh ho, if this kind of thing happens often around you then I'm sticking to you kid." Said a still out of breathe Bosh. Naruto just glared at them willing them to burst into flames.
"If you two asses have decided to stop laughing then I suggest you leave before I get it in my head to prank the hell out of you both." Threatened Naruto. The old man stopped in an instant knowing that if he didn't then he had a snow balls chance in hell of not ending up in as Naruto's latest victim. Bosh on the other hand kept laughing, unaware of the danger he was in. When he didn't stop, the old Hokage patted the other man on the shoulder when he finally saw the gleam in the young boy's eyes. When Bosh looked at the elder and then at Naruto he could tell that he was in deep shit now.
"Well now that the laughing is over we can go get some ramen and plot the demise of Bosh here?" Naruto said with a devious leer.
-TIME SKIP-
"Ayame-nee-chan, Teuchi-jiji. How are you doing? Did you have any good customers today?" asked Naruto as he sat in his usual chair.
"Other than you, not really. Oh, who's your friend? I haven't seen him before. Hello, my name is Ayame Ichiraku. What's your name?" she asked.
"I'm just a friend of Naruto's. But I would like some ramen though. Do you have any beef ramen? I would really love some beef ramen." He asked.
"So what was it that you wanted to tell me Jiji?" Naruto asked wondering the reason for the trip.
"Because of the fact that you now know that you are the village's Jinchuuriki you will have to stand before the council so they can explain your position inside of the village. You won't like what they will say but I will do anything and everything I can to help you out and make sure you don't have to but under the thumb of the village. I may be the Hokage but that doesn't mean that agree with how some of the workings in the village are done." He said. This sentence caused Bosh to stare at the old man until Naruto spoke up.
"What do you mean Jiji? What are they going to do?" he asked slightly worried.
"Well normally the Jinchuuriki is made from someone in the family of the Hokage as a symbol of power for him and to ensure the Jinchuuriki's loyalty to the village. Also the Jinchuuriki normally has other members of his or her family alive to keep the Jinchuuriki sane and happy, as much as a person can be considering the circumstance. But because you don't have any family and no one besides us know who your father was, other than a few people that your father trusted, they see you as a liability, one that has no blood or loyalty ties to the village. Because of that they most likely will try to put a Loyalty Seal on you so you wouldn't turn against the village. The seal won't affect your intelligence but it will effect your personality and cause you to forget that you have the seal and won't attack any civilian or ninja unless they have committed a crime against the village. I tell you this because there are some in the council that will help you, either because they like you or because they want to stick it to the Civilian Council. One is the Hyuuga Clan leader Hiashi. He will help because your father was his rival as a Gennin and they became friends over time. Another is Saruna Haruno. I know that she seems to be one of your worst tormentors but she was the one that really gave you all that furniture that was in your old apartment. The last is Shikaku Nara. He knows who your father is because if he wasn't able to figure it out when you had then he isn't as smart as he use to be. All the other members of the Ninja Council just want to stick it to the Civilian Council. That and they know if you hadn't cracked and left the village yet then they would be fine, they trust and respect your determination and inner strength Naruto." He told the boy, who sat listening intently as the old man spoke.
"They really think that Jiji? I'm even surprised that I stay here, but I think the reason why I haven't left is because of you, Teuchi-oji, and Ayame-nee-chan. You are my family. But if they think that I'll let them put that seal on me then they better think again. I've been kicked around by this village ever since I was born and they have taken away my pride, my dignity, and my trust in others and they think that I will stand by and let them put that horrible mockery of loyalty on me just so they can get some damn security!' Naruto had begun to rant loudly at this time, furious at what the Civilian Council wanted to do him when they had done so mush already. ' To hell with that if they agree to put the seal on me you can consider me gone and if they catch me you better start either making my or their headstones, because someone is going to die! I will not let them take away my free will!" He screamed with fury written on his face. Everyone stared at him with shock on their faces. The three people knew him were shocked because they have never seen him like this and Bosh was shocked because of what they plan on doing to the boy.
"Naruto I do everything I can to make sure that that won't happen. I may not have any pull when it comes to the council but-" he said trying to explain.
"Bullshit! You are the Hokage, they listen to you! Not the other way around. This village not a democracy, it's a military dictatorship! If you have to compromise with them then they have too much power!" He yelled in the old man's face. No one's expression could be more shocked than the Hokage's, everyone else agreed with the boy, the council had too much power and had gotten away with things that others would be put in prison for.
"I need to think about what you said.' The elder said while walking to the door. 'But before I go, there are two people that you need to watch out for at all times when dealing with the council, one is Fugaku Uchiha and the other I Danzo Shimura. Never trust those two."
"Ok Jiji. I'll see you tomorrow. Are you going to send ANBU to get me when it's time?" He asked.
"Of course, you may need some help getting there." Replies the old man as he walked out of the stand. Naruto turned to Bosh and said.
"If they plan to put the seal on me then I'll need you to help me get away." He said. The two Ichirakus looked from Naruto to Bosh wondering what had happened that made Naruto trust the other man to help keep himself safe, he had never asked or relied on anyone for help before.
"Of course, I would never allow a Harbinger candidate to be subject to such a corrupt place such as this for the sole reason that he or she may succeed. If they were then it might have to be destroyed to keep them from trying to take control of everything should the candidate prove to be the next Harbinger." He said with a serious face. Both of them got up and, waving good bye, left for Naruto's apartment making escape plans all the way there. When they arrived Bosh looked at the pile of ash and gave Naruto a perplexed look. Naruto gave his foxy grin and scratch the back of his head.
"I guess we forgot that they burned down my place. It's alright you can find yourself a good hotel and I'll go to my usual place up on top of the Hokage Mountain." Said Naruto as he began to walk away, he stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. When he looked at it then at the person it belonged to he was filled with rage. Bosh had his hand on his shoulder, but that was not what made him so angry. It was the pity in his eyes that caused him to pull back his fist and plant it in the other man's stomach. "Never look at me with those eyes again!" he said in a dark voice. There was nothing that he hated more than pity. You should never help a person out of pity or feel pity for a person that still holds their head up high not in pride but dignity. Pity doesn't solve anything. That was Naruto's belief.
"What the hell is wrong with you, hitting a guy out of no where when he didn't do anything to you." He said trying to catch his breath. 'Damn. That was one nice blow.'
"Did nothing? You looked at me with the one thing I hate: pity. People don't need pity. They need to understand the pain that others go through. To know that they aren't the only ones that have it hard that they aren't the only ones that suffer, that those who see eyes of pity can better their lives' and not forever stay in that pit of despair and shame. So never ever look at me with pity." He turned around and began to walk toward the mountain.
"Naruto wait! Why don't we get a room with two beds? That way you won't have to sleep on the mountain and I can give you a proper apology." He asked. Naruto looked back at him and stared intently into his eye looking for something, most likely more pity. When he didn't see any, but sadness nd understanding instead, he smiled and agreed. When they go to the hotel he stopped before he entered.
"Bosh I think I will stay out here until you get the room and get in through the fire escape." He suggested.
"I'll just make an illusion around you to so that you can enter and not get thrown out." He offered knowing the reason that the boy didn't enter the establishment. He was about to do the deed when Saruna Haruno stepped out of the building and ran right into Naruto.
"What the hell you damn demon! Why do you have to stand in front of my building for? Why don't you go die in a ditch somewhere!" she screamed. Naruto looked at her with a blank expression. She began to fidget under his stare. "What are you looking at demon? I won't let you touch me those dirty hands of your's."
"I know." Was all he said. A look passed over her face and then a scowl. She bent down and glared right at his face.
"I'm so sorry." Was the first thing she said. "I know you would probably rather me be how I really would act toward you but I will not give up the welfare of my daughter for anything even the son of my best friend. I am so sorry." She said, still having the angry look, but with eye that begged for forgiveness.
"It's alright I would have done the same in your situation, only someone that doesn't truly understand what not having a family is like or having lost a loved one can say that they don't care about their family. You did nothing wrong because you were only protecting what is left of your family. The fact that you used money on a person that you didn't even know, a small orphan child that you owed nothing to shows that you did nothing wrong at all. So forget any sadness that you felt over what you may have said or done before now that was against me. You are forgiven you didn't even have to ask for it. No one does, as long as they regret in earnest of what they did. But they only get forgiveness once from me when it comes to how they had acted toward me in the past. I may be forgiving but I am not God, I am still human and can give only so much before the others will feel themselves, what they have all done to me." He said, his voice aged and wise, something that should not belong to one his age.
"Thank you so much. That is something I think that you didn't get from you mother or father, that forgiveness of yours is all your own. Would you like me to tell you about your mother?" She asked. Naruto brightened up instantly. He nodded his head up and down. The others feared that his head would snap off. Saruna stood up and walked with the now illusion-clad Naruto to her manager's office in the back. When they went in and closed the door Saruna burst into tears.
"What's wrong Haruno-san? Why are you crying?" asked a frantic Naruto.
"These are just the tears that I held back when we were out there. Don't worry about these I was just scared that you would still hate me even if you found out. But know I don't have to worry about that, do I?" she said. "Before I start, are you sure you want this guy, whoever he is, to hear about you parents?"
"Sure it's fine just hurry up. I find someone that is willing to tell me about my parents and isn't always busy and she trying to stall." He whined. The woman grinned at the amazing boy before her.
"Alright sit down, shut up and prepared to be amazed!" she announced.
-ANOTHER TIME SKIP (WTF?)-
"Finally I thought we would never leave." He looked down and saw that Naruto wasn't even listening to him complain. "Naruto can you hear me? I guess if you would listen then you can't eat your ramen then." He said not expecting the reaction. Naruto jumped on top of him and put his face right in front of his.
"I'm listening. As long as I get my ramen-chan then I don't care if you told me you were a woman and had the hots for me." An awkward silence feel upon them as they stared at one another. Neither spoke to the other until they got to their room for the time being. As they got ready for sleep the tension grew. It finally broke when they got into their separate beds and Naruto to said.
"Hey could you never tell-" he started.
"As long as you never do-"
"Never happened, never will. Got'cha."
"Don't forget the plan tomorrow."
-WHAT IS WITH THE TIME SKIPS-
"Naruto Uzumaki you have been called here today in front of the whole of the Village Council so that we may speak to you about a matter of village security." Spoke the council assistant. "It has come to the council's attention that you now know of you tenant. Is this correct?" he asked. Naruto nodded his head up and down. He looked around at the council and was able to spot all of the people that his Jiji told him about and took a mental photo of each person for future use.. "Now because of this you will be asked a few questions that we would like you to answer in front of the council if you would?" He asked. He waited for Naruto's answer before continuing, when he nodded again the man asked. "What do you think of the village?"
"Well it depends on if you mean the people who hate me, those that simply don't care, or the few that care about me. The first would be that I feel sad that they had lost so much in one night and they could do nothing about it. But I also feel like they are blinded by their own pain and anger because they hurt the one person who keeps them safe and happy, because they would hurt an innocent child that did nothing to them." He said.
"You demon! You dare tell such lies to the council you will tell the truth or-" a councilman began.
"Don't you dare tell me not to lie or whole life is a lie. Your marriage is a fraud and a mockery. You control your children through fear and have no real friends, only leaches looking to suck up any power you drop in the muck for them and don't get me started on your 'personal activities'. Unless you want your real life to be told around the village then back off." Naruto threatened. The man closed his mouth in a snap out of fear that the 'demon child' really did know of what he was doing behind the curtain of politics. The others were astounded, even Danzo, about how quickly the man's mouth closed. He was known to never shut up, even after the Hokage threatened him. They now all wanted to know who this child was in reality and how he could do something that they all tried to do for years in less than a minute. Naruto on the other hand continued what he was trying to say.
"The second is that I don't really care. They will do their duty when they are given the mission to protect me but other than that they don't both with me. They don't mess with me then I give them a bad recommendation to Jiji so that they won't have to use up their time on me when they could be doing more important missions for the village." He continued. The Hokage sighed in frustration at the boy, but he and the Ninja Council had to agree that the only person that knew more about the layout of the village than him are the designer and the Shodai. He could take care of himself. That and the majority of the boy's watchers were the elite of the Jounin and ANBU.
"The last are the only reason that I am still here to tell you that if anything were to happen them in any negative way then we would have problems." The boy said. The room went quite and the first thought that went through everyone's head was, 'Did we just get threatened, by a kid, and we're taking him seriously.'
"Did you just threaten not only the Hokage and the clans of Konoha, but me as well boy?" asked a flabbergasted Danzo. Naruto just looked at him like he was crazy.
"Are you stupid? Why would you feel threatened by me? You're a ninja for God sakes, old, retired, and crippled though you may be, you shouldn't be scared you by little old me. I'm just a weak little kid." responded Naruto with an innocent look on his face. Everyone looked like they had just been slapped in the face. No one had ever insulted Danzo this badly before. Hell, no one had ever insulted Danzo period. A snicker was heard from the rafters as the ANBU tried to stifle their laughing. Danzo finally recovered from his shock and sat stoically in his chair, but in his head he was thinking of the many things that he could do to the boy when he finally got him under his thumb. The others were burning the date into their minds as 'The day Danzo got burned by a kid.' This would be a day that they would never let Danzo forget. Even the Civilian Council couldn't keep the grin off their face.
'Naruto that was a foolish thing that you did, but it was damn funny.' The Hokage thought. As they all settled down the assistant look back toward Naruto when he saw everyone quite and saw the young boy eating a burrito.
'How in God's name did he get that, and when?' The Council thought while one started get the urge for a burrito himself.
"Please put the burrito away Naruto." sighed the old Kage.
"But Jiji, your ANBU came to get me before I could eat anything, and I was hankering for a good burrito." He spoke between bites.
Tired with all the interruptions the assistant intervened. "Naruto do you have any ill intentions toward the village for how you are treated?" he asked.
"Not really. But that could change at any time someone could Henge themselves into a person that I trusted and give me one of monthly bleeding sessions, as an example" This confused some of the council, the ones that didn't periodically torture the boy, and the one of the women, Tsume, asked.
"What do you mean bleeding sessions? As far we all know you're male. Unless you're hiding something." She said with a smirk on her face while looking at his crotch.
Naruto finished his food and a drink appeared in his hand, the council ignored it's existence because they couldn't figure out how it got there. He looked at them and explained. "What I meant was when people tie me up hanging from the ceiling and they cut my wrists and other places that if cut would bleed profusely and let my blood run out into a bucket that they placed under me. I think the reason that I'm still alive is because of Kyuubi. Well after there done they take half of the bucket and fill up some water balloons with it and throw them against my wall, and because by the time that I'm able to clean off the wall the blood is dried my apartment always smelled like blood. The second half of the bucket of blood they give back to me in a way that you don't want to know about. (A.N. - It could cause me a lot of trouble if you found out how messed up I really am.) By this time the ninja council proved again that the ninja life was a hard and dark one, none of them batted an eye but all of them looked at him in understanding and respect because they had all been tortured at one time in their career, some worse then others. Naruto saw this and gave them the brightest smile and said, "Thank you." The ninja just looked at the boy like he was crazy.
"Boy I could get arrested for this but, if you ever do attack us then no one could say that you had no reason or right to." No one was surprised at what the assistant said. "Well I think that we won't have to hear anymore than that. The fact that you haven't killed us all yet proves you have no such intentions. But that verdict, so to speak, is up to the council. I wish you the best of luck." He said as he left. The council left the room to decide Naruto's fate. When the last council member left he pulled out a pack of cards and while looking at the ceiling said.
"Who wants to play a few hands of poker?"
When the council came back in the room they saw all of the ANBU in nothing but their masks and underwear, except from the female ANBU as Naruto had offered his jacket to her, and Naruto counting a large wad of hundreds of ryu with an ANBU cloak on and a grin. The ANBU went back to their places as the meeting began again. "Naruto after a long discussion we have decided that you will not be given the Loyalty Seal." Spoke the Hokage.
"Good choice. You would have had a rampaging demon in you village if you all had chosen to use the seal. That is, after I had gotten my precious people away." He said with a serious face. They began to sweat when he said this, they had really dodged a bulle- screw that, a nuclear bomb.
"Good thing I planed on this." Said the still angered Danzo and his Root ANBU surrounded him.
"Danzo what is the meaning of this!" demanded Inoichi as he pulled out a kunai.
"Why bother telling you. You won't remember anyway." He replied with a smirk.
"Oh, I think they'll remember alright." Said the shadows of the room.
"Who is there? Show yourself." commanded the Root Commander. Bosh stepped out from the shadows and went to stand by Naruto's right. A Root ninja stepped forward to grab Naruto and before his hand gripped his arm he no longer had a head.
"Oh, honored council of Konoha. I would like to introduce myself, I am Bosh the Wanderer and the right hand man of Lord Naruto. I am guessing what is going on but I think I have it right. Thus to enlighten you: Danzo has at this moment has sprung a trap that was activated when you agreed to not place the seal on my Lord. He had a sleeping herb placed inside of the tea that was passed out before you left the other room. One that would keep you asleep long enough to place the seal on my Lord. But he didn't know that I would be here or that Lord Naruto would play you like he did. He caused the regular ANBU to laugh letting me know who to kill and replace without you knowing. I then gave him the burrito, drink, and pack of cards so that we could have a money and be well feed for our quick get away. Not only that but I switched the tea, you are the only one that got the sleeping draught. All this happened because Naruto deliberately mad you that angry and confused. Angry because of the crack he made about you and what he said about the fat councilman over there. So now you can arrest Danzo harmlessly when he is asleep and we can escape as you all listen to the explanation that what is basically a genjustu while we leave the village for a couple of years. No worries, we will come back and Lord Naruto will show the world the Power of the Harbinger. As a final note Lord Naruto says that incase he doesn't see you again he says "Love you, bye Jiji." The genjutsu vanished into thin air as all the people in the room stared at the empty space trying to figure out how a child with no ninja training could pull the wool so far over their heads, give them a super wedgie and then goose them and no one catch it. All that could be heard of the two would be the insane sounding laughter that filled the village as the duo ran out of the gates and into the forest.
A.N. – How did y'all like this one? I basically stayed up all night writing the last part and reading over it again to correct any errors, so if you don't like it here's a tissue go cry me a river. But I do have good news the next chapter will be when the hero of the story finally become the Harbinger and he travels the world. I will try to increase the length of the chapters but don't complain if I can't. Until next time.
p.s.: A.N. - REVIEW OR I'LL SICK THE JUUBI ON YOU!