Foxfish
Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto
XxXxX
Ages:
Naruto and Isaribi and the Rooky Nine: 12
Anko: 22
Yamato: 24
Kakashi: 26
Third Hokage: 70
Gin- 15
Hyuuga Haran- 23
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Previously
"Sakura-chan, Naruto-san, and Isaribi-san have all sustained heave injuries. We can't safely guard them and Tazuna. As such the Chunin Team Thirty-Five will take over guarding Tazuna until the bridge is complete while we make out way back to Konoha with the medics."
Looking over the genin in front of him he asked, "Any questions?"
XxXxX
Now
The gates of Konoha came into view.
Kakashi was walking in front, with Kiba on the left and Sasuke on the right. Sakura was behind him, covered in bandages but still able to walk.
Behind team seven the medical team was split into two pairs with each of them carring a stretcher with a hood on the top, protecting the occupants from the sun. On the right was Isaribi and on the left was Naruto.
Reaching the gates, Kakashi spoke with the guards before ushering the rest of the party into the village.
"Kiba-kun, accompany Sakura-chan and the medical team to the hospital please, and after than you can go home. We will meet at the training ground in two days" said Kakashi before heading to the Hokage's tower to fill out a mission report.
With a sigh Kiba took off after Sakura and the medical team while Sasuke turned in the opposite direction to make his way home, his hands in his pockets.
Reaching the hospital, Naruto and Isaribi were taken directly to the Intensive Care ward while Sakura was ushered into an examination room. Instead of leaving right away, Kiba stuck around to check on Sakura.
"You feeling any better?" he asked as she sat down on the hospital bed.
"A little. It's still hurts when I move around too much, but those medics were able to heal the major injuries well enough. Well, I'm just lucky to be alive after being turned into a pincushion like that" said Sakura with a small laugh.
"Yea, Kakashi-sensei said that it seemed like that fake hunter-nin wasn't aiming to kill you…So, how do you think those two will make out?" asked Kiba nodding towards the door and the direction on the Intensive Care ward.
"Hard to say, they both were heavily injured… but he's got the demon to heal him and she probably has something too" said Sakura in a tone of voice that sounded like she was trying to convince herself of the fact.
"Yea, your right" said Kiba, his conviction, as well as his fear and hatred, clearer than his injured teammate.
XxXxX
At the Hokage's tower Kakashi was just finishing making his report. This mission would go down in history of just how much a seemingly simple mission can go to hell in a hand basket. Right now, all he wanted to do was go home, take a bath, and read some good Icha Icha.
Sarutobi just sat behind his desk, his pipe moving uneasily in his hands as he thought over the situation. The initial report from the medics said that, despite the injuries the genin had sustained, they will all make a full recovery in the next week.
Sakura was lucky that the Hunter-nin wasn't aiming to kill, Naruto had to Kyuubi to enable him to make a full recovery, and Isaribi seemingly inherited some of the Kyuubi's regenerative abilities.
"Naruto-kun was able to draw out three tails of energy, correct?" Seeing Kakashi nod Sarutobi continued, "And how much damage did he receive from the experience?"
Kakashi thought this over for a few seconds before answering in a mildly surprised tone of voice, "Now that I think about it, besides the chakra exhaustion, he received no damage at all. But how it that possible? I saw the Kyuubi flay men alive who go to close to it because of its chakra."
"Most likely it's because of the transformation he underwent. I wouldn't be surprised it Isaribi-chan could also stand the chakra too."
"What does this all mean for us?"
Putting his pit down and looking out the window with a smile, Sarutobi said, "It means that not only can Naruto call on the Kyuubi when needed, but he can also survive using it."
'We can use the Kyuubi to defend the village it once tried to destroy.'
XxXxX
Latter, in one on the rooms in the Intensive Care ward the figure in the bed began to stir.
Opening her eyes, Isaribi squinted at the lights. 'Why are the lights always so bright in a hospital…and right in your eyes for that matter?'
Sitting up in bed, her chest felt sore and she could feel the new scales moving under the bandages. Looking to the window she let out a gasp as pain shot through her chest.
"You should really take it easy gaki, you can't heal as fast as Naru-kun" came a voice to her left.
Allowing herself to fall back down onto the bed, Isaribi tilted her head to the sound of the voice. Sitting on one of the chairs, dressed in her fishnet and trench coat outfit was Anko.
"How long have you been sitting there?" asked Isaribi as she glanced over at the woman who was as much an older sister as she was her mentor and hero figure.
"Oh, about an hour or two" said Anko, a little tired as she leaned back in her chair. "You should have heard yourself in your sleep, saying 'Oh Naruto-kun' and 'Lower' as well as some other things" laughed Anko with a mischievous grin, enjoying the blush spreading across the younger girl's face.
"Y-you lie" stuttered a flustered Isaribi.
"Maybe, maybe not" smiled Anko before her face became more serious. "How do you feel?"
"My chest is still sore, but besides that, I feel fine."
"Do you want to try walking around a bit?" asked Anko getting up from her chair and going to Isaribi's bedside.
"Yea, sure. Is it ok though? I clearly remember the doctors not liking patients getting up right away."
"True, but who has ever listened to what they say" responded Anko as he helped Isaribi get out of bed.
Getting out of bed Isaribi took a few tentative steps before she had to reach out and hold onto Anko for support.
"Careful" commanded Anko. "You've been out for a while and are still healing."
"Yes Anko-sama" responded Isaribi in a sarcastic tone of voice.
"Now, now, is that the kind of treatment I get for trying to help you out" fake pouted Anko. "Well then, I will just leave."
As she began to move away, Isaribi tightened her grip on Anko's arm.
"Not funny."
"Lighten up, it was so funny" laughed Anko as she grinned at Isaribi.
To two lapsed back into silence as Isaribi regained her stability on her legs.
"How's Naruto-kun?" she asked as she sat down on the chair by the window.
"He's in about the same condition you are in right now" responded Anko as she took her seat by the bed. "He woke up this morning while I was still on duty and was brought before the Hokage and the council."
"Why?" cried a started Isaribi. "He's not in trouble, is he?"
"Not necessarily. They wanted to check on the Kyuubi's seal to make sure it wasn't damaged and to…discuses what happened."
"He didn't hurt anyone important! Those men he killed where Gato's thugs. If anything he should be praised for getting ride of them" stated Isaribi in a huff.
"That's not the issue. It's more how he killed them. According to Kakashi's report, he lost control and if it wasn't for you he would have attacked Team 7."
"The council and the Hokage will probably stress the importance of controlling the demon and only using its power to kill the enemy."
Seeing that Isaribi was still worrying Anko got up and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry. He's not going to be punished, and besides, Yamato-kun is with him. If anything, he will be assigned to work with Yamato-kun to control the Kyuubi."
"Why- oh, it's because Yamato-kun's mokuton abilities can control the Kyuubi."
"Right you are. Now let's see about getting you out of this joint, shall we?"
XxXxX
As Naruto left the council chambers along with Yamato, he let out a sigh of relief. All he had to do was give a report of the mission, including the parts about the contact with the Kyuubi, and then sit through a boring lecture about control and comrades and stuff.
Honestly when he found out about the summons the worst case scenarios came to mind, from imprisonment, to experimentation, to even being permanently placed on the frontlines in some suicidal position.
But no, instead his 'punishment' was that he now had to work with Yamato on controlling the Kyuubi's chakra. In fact the council seamed pleased by the fact that he could control the Kyuubi up to a certain extent and even after that to come out of the experience unharmed.
That, in of it's self, freaked Naruto out to no end. He had never met the council in person before but he had always expected them to hate him like the rest of the villagers. But they didn't, or if they did they didn't show it.
Walking next to him similar thought were going through Yamato's head.
He was already planning on working with the boy to control the demon, but this was just sooner than expected. What concerned him was the reaction of the council.
They were a little too happy and nice to Naruto. Like kids who are looking at a toy they know they're going to get for their birthday.
Glancing at Naruto, Yamato thought, 'well to them, you have just become that ultimate toy they've always wanted.'
The jinchuuriki next to him was becoming the ultimate tool for the village, and he didn't even realize it. Already his unique bloodline was valuable, but add that with the power of the Kyuubi… It's a good thing that Naruto showed it's possible for him to control that power, or in the very least, survive it. If not… Yamato shuddered at what they might do.
"Do you think Isaribi is awake yet?" asked Naruto, breaking the silence between the two.
"Hum? Oh yes. Anko took her home a few hours ago after she woke up. I called the hospital while you were going one-on-one with the Hokage at the end" responded Yamato as he was brought out of his revelations.
"So, I guess we should head home too, hu?
Nodding his head Yamato didn't verbally respond, choosing to instead place his hand on the boy's shoulder and in a swirl of leaves, they were off.
XxXxX
In a few days the two had recovered enough to resume active duties. Getting up early that morning they made their way to the training ground to meet up with Haran-sense and Gin.
Arriving they found Gin already sitting under the tree reading a scroll but Haran-sense was no where in sight.
Raising his head as the two approached, Gin said, "Ah, so you're back! Heard that you to got the crap beaten out of you, hu?" Smiling playfully he continued, "Looks like you two still need me around to save ya, hu?"
Naruto let out a chuckle and responded, "And if you went up against the guy we did you wouldn't be in one piece, so hu! (sticking tong out)"
"Haha, yea, ya probably right. Meeting the business end of one of the seven swordsmen of the Mist, that's an experience I can happily live without. Must of left some interesting scars to remember it by, though."
"Not really on me" said Naruto.
"I have a faint line of new scales, but I will probably disappear as they age" said Isaribi.
"It's a good thing you two had those chest armors on, or else you both might have been killed" said Gin as he got up from the base of the tree. "By the way, what happened to them?"
"Mine got completely destroyed" said Isaribi.
"So did mine, but it didn't help that much for me anyway" said Naruto as he rubbed his shoulder.
"That's what you get for going all gun-hoe on an A-rank missing-nin" said Gin as he lightly hit Naruto on the back of his head.
"Yea yea, whatever."
"So, did you two get new armor, or are you going to stick to the ninja wire fishnet shirts the rest of us wear?"
"That armor is expensive and hard to come by, so yea, it's the fishnet armor for us" said Isaribi pulling on her jacket a little.
The group was quiet for a minute, but soon a grin spread across Gin's face.
"Hahaha, You two better be careful when you take your jackets off and go swimming now!" laughed Gin. Seeing that they didn't catch the joke, Gin continued, "Because someone will think they've got two great fish in their nets! Get it? You're part fish and wearing fishnet! Ha!"
"Har har har, very funny" half heartedly glared Isaribi.
"Ow, lighten up you two, it was so funny."
"As usual your humor Gin-kun leaves much to be desired" came a voice from the trees above them.
Looking up the two genin and one chunin saw Haran standing upside down on the tree branch.
Dropping down in front of the group, Haran he handed two pieces of paper into Naruto and Isaribi's hands.
"These are forms for the chunin exams that starts tomorrow. Do you want to take them?"
Briefly Naruto and Isaribi exchanged glances before they both nodded.
"Good" handing them both pens he waited until they finished filling the forms out before continuing. "Since Gin-kun here is already a chunin you will need a third team member. Come on out now!"
From behind a tree steeped a boy around the same age as Gin with silver hair and glasses, "Hello, my name is Kabuto. It's very nice to meet you."
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I know this chapter is short compared to my others, but now the chunin exams start!
Get read for action, mayhem, blood, and violence!!