"Thought"
"Demonic Voice"
"Bijuu thoughts"
Justu
XXXXXXX = Flashback
(A/N: Author Note)
Disclaimer: All rights reserved by the original creator this is a fan production.
On a side note thanks to everyone that favorite and followed my story as well as those who reviewed. I wanted put this chapter out after Christmas or after New Years but some asshole robbed me during Christmas and pretty much ruined the only holiday I've enjoyed since I was child and I've been running around trying to make sure my identity and cards aren't being used.
I had most of Ch.26 done so I got to put that out at least, but I was completely sapped of any motivation to write this chapter. I still don't feel up to snuff but I want to see this through to the end.
Sorry for venting.
Thanks to everyone who reads and enjoys my story. Seriously thanks to those of you who've read this far and have taken the time to favorite, follow, and review. I certain the story wouldn't have come so far without you.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Kinda late I know.
XXXxXXX
Chapter 27: Near the End
"Finally, after five long years we have found him," a small band of men, six in total, adorned with beads, wearing the traditional robes of Fire country monks stared up at the giant gates of Konoha. "Remember men the brighter these beads glow the closer we are to the Jinchuriki."
XXXxXXX
"Alright kid, how about some ice cream?"
"Yeah," Naruto laughed as Mei hurried on ahead. The two of them had a day out just like Naruto promised; playing in the park, pranking people in the park, making trade merchants look like idiots, riding the tigers in the Forest of Death, ignoring the tigers as they attack a squad of Jonin training in the Forest of Death, tricking some unlucky guy into the women's hot springs. All in all, a nice day out for siblings who are ninjas.
This wasn't the only nice day he has had either. After being cleared by the hospital Sakura had taken him out for ramen with no brain damage involved that ended with an innocent walk to her home and a chaste kiss in front of the door, well that's how it started.
"I always knew Sakura had a wild side," Naruto thought perversely. "Jiraiya does always say it's the tight asses that are the most fun."
"Wait, did he mean what I thought what he meant?"
"Big bro!"
"Huh? What?" Naruto stepped out of his pervert bubble and looked over to see Mei waving him over to the ice cream stall. Naruto smiled as Mei excitedly looked over all the flavors and soon both left with icy treats in hand.
The ice cream wasn't the only icy treat he had enjoyed. The day before he and Haku had enjoyed an actual date at an actual restaurant that ended with an actual good night kiss, instead of witnessing traumatizing kinky sex. And while the kiss hadn't gotten as intense as the one he had shared with Sakura, after the whole fiasco with Gaara and Sakura, simple was a nice change of pace.
"It is nice to see you two enjoying yourselves," Naruto and Mei turned around to see Tomoko smiling happily at them.
"And it's nice to see you," Naruto replied, "Actually it's just nice to have a calm day out with no one shouting at me, or attacking me, or blaming me for this and that."
"Yeah it's been awesome!" Mei shouted happily.
"That does sound nice Mei" Tomoko replied.
"Wait I thought you were training some academy students in marksmanship?" Naruto had never known Tomoko to shrug off responsibilities.
"Oh I was but the Hokage sent for me," Tomoko started, her brow furrowing into a frown. "The villagers were complaining about some troublemakers and the Hokage thought I would be the perfect person to bring them in."
"Oh," Naruto scratched his head awkwardly as he looked down at Mei, or the place Mei had been standing, "Mei?"
"It was all Big Bro's idea I tried to talk him out it Sis, but he wouldn't stop!" Naruto glared at the green haired girl making puppy dog eyes and pointing an accusing finger at him.
"Not very loyal but at least she's smart," Naruto muttered under his breath.
Of course Tomoko wasn't fooled my Mei's little show, "Mei you know I do not abide by liars."
"What? S-Sis?" Mei took a step back as Mei pulled out some rope, "No! Not the rope!" Naruto laughed as Mei attempted to run away but in flash found herself wrapped up like a nice present bow and all.
"Well Tomoko since you've got this under control I'm going to go enjoy the rest of my nice, calm day," Naruto said jovially.
"You can't Master," Tomoko said with a kind smile, the kind of kind smile that gives a person the creeps.
"Oh and why's that?"
"Because I've already nailed you to the floor," Tomoko answered kindly, pointing at his feet.
Following her finger Naruto saw a throwing knife embedded in each of his sandals, "How the hell?"
"It does hurt me to do this to you Master," the pleasant smile on her face as she tied his hands told Naruto the opposite.
"You know since I am you Master don't I get pass on things like this?"
"Normally," Tomoko replied as she pulled out the knives. "But what kind of elder sister would I be if I didn't teach Mei about taking responsibility for her actions?"
"A pretty cool one," Of course it is wonderful to have someone tell you not to this or that, not because it would cause trouble, but because they cared about what happens to you. Tomoko had been that for him since they met up all those years ago.
"Aww, Big Sis I already know about taking responsibility," Mei whined, struggling and wiggling on the floor as she tried to get free of the ropes, "It that thing that sucks and gets in the way of fun."
"See what I mean? Mei needs a positive role model," Tomoko chided dragging Mei to her feet and pulling them along. Naruto groaned as the not so wonderful aspect of having someone like Tomoko at his side came up. Now he was going to be dealing with this and that the rest of the day, probably some shouting, and definitely cleaning up his messes. He had already cleaned up plenty of his own messes and he wasn't looking forward to cleaning up more.
"Oh well win some, lose some," Naruto thought resigning himself to his fate, "Fair is fair kid. You get caught you pay the piper."
"Got it bro," Mei said astutely, "Next time try harder not to get caught."
"See Tomoko," Naruto smiled impishly, "that's almost positive change."
"Forgive me Master but I believe a punishment would be more sufficient for teaching Mei," Tomoko shot back.
"Well I can't argue with that," Naruto said casually. "But punishments don't really teach you right from wrong just that you made a mistake."
XXXxXXX
"Do you know a young man with blond hair, spiky?" one of the monks asked.
"Huh? That sounds like Naruto."
"Ah! Do you know where we could find him?"
"Well his sister and he have been making trouble all over town so just listen for some screaming and I'm sure it'll lead you right to them," Iruka answered happy to be of help. "Can I ask why?"
"Well this young man went out of his way to help us. We're just here to reward him for his troubles," The monk replied with a wide smile.
XXXxXXX
Naruto huffed as another little kid pointed him out to his mother who then proceeded to use him as a teaching moment about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, or whatever criminal activity was the talk of this town the week, "Tomoko think you could untie me. I don't really appreciate being a cautionary tale."
"I would but I don't want you running off," it wasn't often that Tomoko got to tease her Master but she always enjoyed milking those moments for all their worth, "besides thinks of all the young children who are now going to follow the letter of the law." She hummed a small tune as she gave him a small tug to hurry him forward.
"Come on sis untie us," Mei whined behind Naruto.
"Actually you should just untie me, the brat will probably just run away," Naruto groused.
"What? You traitor!"
"Sorry kid," Naruto said jokingly, "but you like to make trouble, just like me."
"I do not make trou-oomph!" Mei wiggled to her knees and glared at the man who ran into her. "Watch it."
"See what I mean kid?" Naruto sighed as he helped Mei up and spared a glance at the man. "Great and he's a monk. Sorry about her sir she didn't mean any disrespect."
"Oh that's quite alright," the monk replied indifferently as he took notice of his glowing beads. His eyes widened as he turned his gaze on Naruto, "If you'll excuse me I have business to attend to."
Naruto quirked an eyebrow at the man's retreating back before shrugging it off, "Mei try not to piss of the monks they have some pull with the Daimyo and I don't need Tsunade tearing me a new one."
XXXxXXX
The monk imposter quickly found one of compatriots and told him to inform their leader that he had found Naruto. "Their heading towards the Hokage Tower, go. When you get back with everyone, give the signal and I'll start the distraction."
The messenger nodded and ran off while the imposter headed off to tail Naruto. He followed them for ways becoming increasingly nervous as they got closer to the Tower. "Damn where are they, if he gets to the Tower we'll have to wait for another chance like this."
CAW! CAW!
The imposter muttered a grateful 'finally' under his breath and approached the trio, "Hey you three!"
"Great, Tsunade's going to have my ass for this," Naruto muttered under his breath.
XXXxXXX
Tsunade had been have a pretty easy day. The paperwork wasn't piled as high as usual; Shizune was at the hospital so she'd gotten to enjoy some afternoon sake; and besides Naruto's little spree of mayhem the village had been relatively quiet.
BOOM!
Tsunade looked at the giant plume of smoke rising in the village and sighed as she hung her head, "Of course."
Her secretary slammed her office door open shouting her head off, "LADY TSUNADE—!"
"I know, ANBU!" a squad appeared in front her desk. "Get you asses over there and find out what's going on!" With a quick salute the ANBU vanished as quickly as they appeared.
"This is going to be bad, I can feel it."
XXXxXXX
By the time the ANBU arrived the smoke had already cleared and shinobi were checking people for injuries and clearing the civilians out. The ANBU leader stepped forward, "Did anyone see what happened?"
A lot of the people looked at each other and muttered no's or shook their heads in the negative, until one girl stepped forward with some assistance from a Chunin, "I did."
"Identify yourself and tell us what happened."
"Taka, Tomoko and the one who did this was a Fire monk," Tomoko removed herself from the chunin, giving a small thank you for his help, before proceeding. "Although I'm sure now that he's an imposter. He used some form of flash grenade, whatever he packed into it was powerful but it was only as a distraction. His real objective was Uzumaki Naruto."
"What?" the ANBU grit his teeth as he wondered if this was another Akatsuki attack, "Falcon send message to tell Tsunade that Uzumaki has been taken, that we might be facing S-Class shinobi. Monkey, get over to the Barrier Squad, check for anyone leaving after this attack and get to Tsunade with that info. Wolf, see if you can get a trail on this imposter."
"Yes, sir," The ANBU moved with calm efficiency to see their order through. Tomoko looked around for her Mei wondering where the girl had gone off to. Mei had been right behind her when she stepped forward to explain the situation but now the green-hair troublemaker had disappeared.
"Where did that girl go?"
XXXxXXX
The group of false holy men leapt along the rooftops of Konoha the walls in their sights. Once they were over the walls they would be near the clear. It hadn't been easy setting up this little smash and grab, they hadn't been able to get a complete layout of the village and this was the only path they had been able been able to plan out with any certainty. Which is why they were surprised to run into a giant tree on the rooftop blocking their path.
"Where the hell did that come from!?" The leader ignored his comrades shouting and searched the ninja responsible. Whenever something odd like this happened it was always a ninja.
"Show yourself!"
"Aww, you're no fun," Mei complained as she leapt onto the rooftop behind them, a wooden staff in her hands. "But that's just fine; you guys taking my bro hasn't left me in the mood for games. Hand him over."
"This boy has things he must answer for," the leader said as the one carrying Naruto passed him onto another man. "If you intend to stop us we will respond in kind."
Mei raised her weapon as glared murderously at the man that stepped forward to stop her, "There isn't going to be anything kind about this, believe it."
"Master Daigo I will hold her off. Go!"
"Thank you Kato," The monks took off, forced to go around the tree due to the lack of space in the branches.
"Hey get back here!" Mei leapt after them but soon found her world spinning as she was tossed back to her spot on the roof. She stood and faced the man, Kato, now wary of him. "Who are you guys?"
"I am Kato a monk," Kato chuckled as he looked down at his clothes. "Obviously not one from the Land of Fire."
"Introductions huh, fine, I'm Mei a little girl," Mei smirked as she brandished her staff, "Obviously not a normal one." She flew right at him assaulting with lighting fast jabs of her staff but Kato dodged the strikes, took hold of the weapon, and attempted to break it. The result was a painful vibration running through both the fighters' palms.
"Oooh!" Both of them moaned in pain, shaking their hands to get rid of the stinging sensation. "And that's no ordinary staff."
"And since your hand isn't broken you're no ordinary monk," Mei spat back as she readied her staff again. This time it was Kato who started of fight moving in with quick strikes. Mei began to sweat as she struggled to block and dodge his attack. Whoever trained him was good, he moved with a fluidity and precision that made her feel like she was fending of two attackers.
Mei had enough and swung her staff giving Kato the opening he had been waiting for. Flipping over the staff Kato snapped his leg out and left a devastating shot on Mei's head. The spun backward gained her bearing quick enough to block another strike but not the next fist that caught her in the gut. Mei almost lost her focus when he caught her with a sweep but she used her staff as a pole and kicked him the chest. She rushed him with another jab assault.
"That move didn't work before!"
"I know," as she pulled back the front of her staff exploded into multiple ends, "Mokuton: Branching Out!" Kato grunted as the staff struck his guard and threw him back. He recovered as Mei swung her staff expanding it to reach him, but he rolled under it and reached Mei before she was ready lashing out with a vicious side kick.
"Uuh!" Mei smirked as her the other end of her staff expanded and caught him the gut. Kato rolled to his feet and rushed her again. His ferocious assault quickly wiped the smirk off her face as he moved even faster. She struck at his head but he ducked under while delivering kick to her ribs. Kato struck with his right but she deflected the blow only to receiver another to her ribs. She tried to return the favor but he let himself fall back and caught her with a drop kick to the gut. She nearly stumbled off the roof but managed to catch herself.
Mei glared at Kato holding her side, "Alright enough of the taijustu! Mokuton: Animation of Nature!" The tree behind Kato shook before the branches flew at him. Kato leaped around and over the branches like monkey, infuriating Mei with his smirk. Too angry to see that Kato was just buying his comrades time Mei kept lashing out not noticing the damage she was doing to the roof beneath her.
CRACK!
"What the heeeeeeeee—!" Mei cried out as the floor gave out. Kato sighed in relief as she dropped out of sight, not wasting the opportunity he began to make his way around the tree.
WHOOSH!
Kato's hand snapped out and caught the arrow inches from his face, "You won't catch me off guard!"
SHLICK!
"Uh!" Kato struggled to move but he felt stiffer than a statue.
"We're shinobi off guard is sort of our thing," the ANBU spared him a glance, glad to see his needle doing its job, before he shouted; "Taka is the girl safe?"
"Yeah I'm safe," Mei shouted as she pulled herself over the edge of the roof, Tomoko checking her over. "Get off me sis we have to go after those bastards!"
"You're not going anywhere kid," the squad leader said leaving no room for argument, but Mei never liked being given orders.
"I'm going after bro and you can't stop me scale face!" Dragon sighed as he hoped the girl couldn't hold a grudge.
"Which way did they go?"
"Southeast, my tree got in the way and they went around. Seemed pretty ticked off about it but they started going around so their way out must be that way," Mei finished as she stood up.
"Good, stay here."
"Don't order me ar-uh!" Tomoko caught Mei as the girl went stiff a needle in her neck.
"She's not going to forget that," Tomoko said as she laid Mei on the ground, "but you're right she's too angry right now."
"Lucky me. Come on we have to move," Dragon paused as he heard some static from his earpiece. "Report."
"Dragon the imposters haven't made it to the barrier yet, over."
"Good, we're on their tail heading southeast. We've also captured one of them send someone to pick him up, tell them to look for the giant tree. Over and out." Dragon nodded to Tomoko and both of them moved out leaving an angry Mei behind.
Tomoko spared a guilty glance back at her sister knowing how she must feel, "Don't worry Master I'm coming."
The ANBU who came to pick them both up would find an infuriated landlord raving about weird ninja magic.
"Who's going to pay for my roof!?"
XXXxXXX
Tsunade clenched her fist in rage as Wolf delivered the news, "Grab Kakashi and join Dragon. We are not losing Naruto."
"Yes, ma'am!" Tsunade fell back into her chair with a huff angry that she couldn't be out there. Before she could start guessing who these men could be the window open and in slipped her most annoying pervert.
"Hey Tsunade what all the hubbub about?" Jiraiya asked, wondering if her bad luck had spread to the village. Not that he would voice those thoughts, he did like breath with tube after all.
"Someone's taken Naruto."
"What? The Akatsuki!?"
"I don't know but their wearing monk robes, not those cloaks."
"We'll sort that out later. I'll have him back here in a flash," Jiraiya said hoping his unlucky streak with apprentices wouldn't continue.
"Expect Kakashi and one of my ANBU to be joining you. Be careful Akatsuki or not they might have a few surprises," she didn't want to lose any or her people so soon, especially not Naruto or Jiraiya.
"Don't worry Tsunade I'm the great Jiraiya, so powerful men bow to me and children dry their tears in my presence" Jiraiya replied cocky as ever before a perverted grin and deep blush came over his face. "Besides I still have to get some glorious research to do."
Tsunade growled as the pervert did what he did best, "Just go before I kill you myself you perverted old fool!"
"Ha Ha Ha the great Jiraiya is off!" and with that the illustrious Toad Sage leapt out the window laughing his head off.
Tsunade shook her head at her teammates antic, "Be careful you old fool I have a bad feeling about this…"
XXXxXXX
I know, I know I said this would be the last chapter but it was getting to long and I wanted to get this out in January. The next chapter is the end for sure.
Really it is.
I swear.
For reals.
Go away.
But come back for the next chapter!