Disclaimer: Someone shit on the coats! Someone has shit on the coats! Or they might say, "I think someone has shit on the coats!" but you know…that I don't own Naruto or World of Warcraft, and that I did not in fact, shit on the coats. Or did I? I was just that guy who said, "What?" and then just blended back in. Like a ghost, I just disappeared, into the crowd. "What? I hope that wasn't my coat!"
Here's the next installment of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto!
It was supposed to take three days.
To reach the Sand, it was supposed to be three days of travel, if one considered the average speed of a shinobi and whether the weather conditions were apt or not.
However, for Naruto, Sakura, Tsuwabuki and Kakashi, it took only two.
Naruto had not taken the news Tsunade had delivered well.
"Gaara's been captured!" Naruto roared, as soon as Tsunade had finished telling him that Gaara was the Kazekage, and he had in fact, been captured.
The woman stared at him calmly for a moment, and then nodded softly. "Yes. Roughly ten hours ago, a message was sent from the Sand to us, describing a battle which had previously taken place between Gaara, the Kazekage of the Sand, and an unknown shinobi that used explosive summons, dressed in a black cloak with red clouds upon it—Akatsuki." Her own eyes narrowed slightly at this. She was not happy about it either, especially because Jiraiya had been right. He had, since Naruto had returned and even before, been telling Konoha's allies—the Waterfall, the Sand, and the Mist—that Akatsuki could attack at any time, and that their primary apparent goal was the capture of the jinchuuriki and the bijuu—the legendary sources of power that in the past, had been coveted by shinobi villages so much that they had fought wars over them. Jiraiya's information network hadn't revealed anything other than that they were preparing for something, and after nearly two years of lying low, they had surfaced again.
But nobody had expected it to be so sudden—or so direct. The worst fact in everyone's mind about the Akatsuki was that aside from two members—Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame, who had revealed their identities two years ago when they had attempted to capture Naruto—next to nothing was known about their members. There was only a number—nine. There were nine Akatsuki members, excluding Orochimaru, who had apparently once been a part of the group. In any case, it was impossible to prepare any sort of defense against them.
From the news she had received, Akatsuki had just capitalized on that fact, by capturing Gaara in the very village he ruled.
"The Sand has requested aid—and they have included a note from a…" she frowned. "High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque, who has specifically requested Uzumaki Naruto to be in the team sent."
Sakura looked at Naruto, who blinked at the name. "A friend of yours?" she asked.
Naruto nodded. "He's the king of the gnomes, in the other world." He frowned. "He must have gone to talk to Gaara about the Alliance. I didn't think Gaara would be Kazekage, though." His eyes flickered towards Tsunade, and he seemed to come to himself from a daydream. "We have to go now!" he shouted, desperately.
Tsunade nodded. "Your mission is self-explanatory—go to the Sand, find out as much as you can, and then track the Akatsuki members. Retrieve Sabaku no Gaara at all costs." Her eyes shifted towards Yamato, who stood by the door in the back. "I want you to stay here, Yamato."
Yamato blinked. "Hokage-sama?"
"You can take this chance to start preparing for the second part of your own mission. I don't want you leaving the village, not now. When Naruto returns, you'll resume his training."
"Of course," he said, with a small bow, though it did not hide the frown on his face.
"Kakashi," she said, looking at the silver-haired jounin. "Exercise the most extreme caution when dealing with these guys, especially when Naruto is there. I want under no circumstances for this to end up being a double rescue mission." She looked at Naruto then, with particular force. "And Naruto, I don't want you doing anything reckless. These guys are not to be underestimated or treated lightly, especially because you'll be one of their targets. If things look like they're about to go wrong, I don't want you there any longer than need be. Don't get yourself killed or worse, captured—that's an order. I'm sending you and your team because I know you guys are trustworthy. Don't do anything stupid, Naruto, which would put you in jeopardy. In this case, put your life before someone else's—that's not an order, Naruto." She sighed. "I want you to promise me that."
There was a long pause. Naruto stared at Tsunade a moment, slightly shocked by her words.
"Promise," she said again, her eyes narrowed and her voice carrying more force than before. Her hands had tightened, and it seemed that if he didn't respond, or responded poorly, she would react violently.
"Right," Naruto finally said. The boy's teeth were clenched and his fists were balled, and his eyes lowered to the ground. Tsunade knew that out of everything she could make him promise, that was the most testing of his philosophy. It was not in Naruto's nature to put his own life before someone else's, especially if that other person was a friend.
"Sakura," she then said, relaxing and looking at the girl, the one that out of the three she felt she knew the best. "Take care of them. I want both of them to come back in one piece."
"Yes," said Sakura, with a nod and a small smile.
"Get the hell out of here," she then said, waving them off. "You've got an S-Class Mission to complete."
When they had gone, she let her eyes and Hokage mask fall. Her forehead wrinkled with worry, and she gripped the desk with such force that her fingers bit into the wood. She had hated to make Naruto do that—make a promise, especially one that went against his own moral code. However, in this case, she couldn't afford to let him do whatever he felt like doing.
Not after he had just come back into their lives. Not when his life was in the most danger out of all of them.
'You'd better keep your promise, Naruto,' she thought to herself, knowing full well that he could not hear her.
'Please, keep your promise.'
They had quickly prepared themselves; after gathering a few day's supplies from their apartments, they had met by the gates—only to discover Benedictus waiting for them.
"Just come to say my goodbyes," he said, with a nod. "I will remain here, until you return. There is something bothering me here, and I cannot begin to understand what. Be safe, boy—I know that Kira would not wish to find her friend in pieces when I return to see her."
Naruto nodded. "Okay, old man." He tried to smile at him, but the biting worry in his stomach made it seem painful. Benedictus placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, and then walked away, leaving them alone.
"Hmm, what a nice old man," said Kakashi, offhandedly. His eyes flickered to Naruto. "Shall we get going?"
'Yes!'said Tsuwabuki, echoing Naruto's statement as the doors to the village opened, and they were off.
Later that night, after traveling well into it due to Naruto's worry, they stopped and made camp. Naruto then heard the full story behind Gaara's ascension to Kazekage.
"It was right after the Chuunin Exams," said Sakura, sitting next to the blonde by the small fire that they had built. "When I'd met him during them, he told me that he had planned to become Kazekage, and since you had left had been training as hard as possible to become worthy of that title." She gave a slight smile. "He's changed quite a bit, since you last saw him, Naruto. All of that anger is completely gone, and I think that's what everyone began to see. He'd even—he's even-- made some friends in the village." She giggled. "He took me to a ramen shop, a little like Ichiraku's, that was run by some nice girls who had taken quite the fancy to him.
"It was after I left that I received a letter from Temari-san, telling me that Gaara had been made Kazekage by the Council of Sunagakure." She smiled at the memory, and then looked at Naruto. The boy was staring at the fire, his eyes downcast. They then flickered up to meet hers, and Naruto tried to brighten.
"You inspired him, Naruto," said Sakura. "He wanted to become Kazekage because of you. He saw how you fought, and what you fought for, and realized that he had been wrong all this time. He did it to make amends to everyone he hurt, and everyone he terrified; but mostly to protect those who had become his friends, Naruto." She smiled sadly at him. "He did it because of what you showed him."
'In other words,' Tsuwabuki said, lying at Naruto's side, 'she's telling you to buck up and start prepping to kick ass. It's what you do best.'
Though the worry did not fade, Naruto allowed himself a small, true smile. He ruffled Tsuwabuki's head, saying "Stupid fox," in an affectionate tone, and then grinned a grin free of pain at Sakura. He suddenly felt better, and, as Sakura had hoped, even more determined to reach the Sand and find out where Gaara was.
They traveled all the next day, and well into the night—Naruto refused to stop, saying that the faster they got there, the easier it would be to keep Gaara's trail. Kakashi was a little surprised at this foresight, and conceded to it. They pressed on, and by noon the next day, the cavernous walls of the Sand village could be seen in the distance. It was mid-morning when they arrived. They were met at the entrance by familiar faces.
Mekkatorque smiled sadly when he saw Naruto, whose face was painted with a worry that easily matched Temari's. The young woman stood by the High Tinker, her eyes widening slightly when Naruto walked up. She was a little surprised by how much the boy had changed since she had last seen him. He had certainly grown taller—and gotten handsomer. She shook her head, and gave Naruto a slight bow to acknowledge his presence. Her eyes turned to Sakura, then, and she gave a half-smile.
"I wish I could say it was good to see you…" she said.
Sakura nodded. Her eyes drifted towards the others who had come to greet them. "Where's Kankuro?"
"The hospital," said Temari, her mouth thinning and her brow creasing with worry. "Gaara wasn't the only victim of the attack. We haven't been able to get a coherent word out of him—he's badly wounded. He's been poisoned with something none of our medic-nin's have been able to identify, much less cure, and if an antidote isn't found soon…" She grit her teeth, looking more wounded than if a blade had cut her arm off. "Just come. You're a medic-nin, right? Maybe you can help." She spun on her heel, and walked quickly away. Sakura went fast on her heels, while the rest followed at a slower pace.
Mekkatorque turned to Naruto, as they walked. "Before the attack came, he and I did meet, my boy. He was completely receptive of the idea, and I saw a similar determination beginning to burn in him by the end." His eyes became downcast. "I tried to aid him. I even thought I had, for a moment. But that man was immensely skilled, and caught me by surprise. I feel as if I have failed in my duty once again. Some alliance this has turned out to be, hmm?"
Naruto tried to offer a smile, or an encouraging word. But it didn't work. He couldn't manage even a flicker of either, and remained silent with fists clenched, as they walked. Mekkatorque watched the boy, and felt more guilt stab at his aged heart. He had failed far too many times in his life, he now knew. First his people, and now his friend. He heaved a great sigh.
Neither spoke for the rest of the walk.
Sakura held out a glowing hand, and laid it atop Kankuro's bandaged chest. She kept her eyes square on the area she was touching, and taking a long, slow breath, began to slowly draw her hand away. She took even rapider breaths and all at once jerked her hand away, pulled with it, contained within the green aura around her hand, a stream of the foulest, blackest fluid she had ever seen. When it came free of Kankuro's wound, even contained in the aura of her chakra, it stank vilely, like burning battery acid. She quickly gathered it into a sphere, and then placed it into a glass container on the young man's bedside table.
But she wasn't done. She quickly held her hands above the boy's flesh again, and after a few calming breaths, she let her chakra flow into him, repairing his wounded body as she moved her hands up and down his chest, over to his arms, up to his neck and head, and even down to his stomach and legs. Nobody spoke as she did this, some—such as Kakashi and Naruto—in awe of the display of skill, while others still worried that something would go wrong, or that she hadn't made it in time. She was extremely thorough, and did not stop moving from start to finish of her examination. Finally, she stepped back and let her hands fall in tandem with a deep exhale. She smiled sideways at Temari.
"It's okay. The poison's been drawn out and I was able to repair most of the damage it did. Whoever made it was a genius—it attacks both the central and the peripheral nervous systems, inducing paralysis in the limbs and eventually cardiac arrest and neural suffocation. It takes a long time, but it's extremely painful and destructive." She glanced back at the black, fluid that rested by his bedside. "He'll survive, but he won't be able to do much of anything for a few weeks. Nerves aren't the best healers, and that poison was extremely damaging to them. If I had come a day or so later, it would have been too late."
Temari gave the barest of nods as she walked over and knelt by her brother's bedside. "Thanks," she said, to Sakura. She reached over and placed a hand on Kankuro's forehead, feeling how cool it was compared to earlier, and brushing away a small errant lock of hair. "Moron," she muttered to the puppeteer. "You complete moron."
"Sorry…" he mumbled, startling everyone present, save Kakashi, and causing Temari to shoot to her feet. For a moment, relief and elation to see her bother able to speak brightened her face; it then degenerated into anger, born from love, and she promptly slapped Kankuro in the face.
"Ow!" the young man shouted, nearly sitting up before pain bereaved him of his motor functions, and he fell onto his back again, gasping. "OW!"
"Don't move, Kankuro-san," muttered Sakura, giving Temari a slight glare. "You're badly injured. You just spent nearly two days in an poison-induced delirium."
"'Course, you look like you've just spent two days in a bathtub full of your own sweat," said Naruto, finding in his own relief a small pocket of cheekiness.
"Naruto? That you…?" Kankuro muttered, looking up. He really did look bad—his skin was pale, clammy and drenched in sweat; his eyes were sunken and dried, as were his lips; his dark brown hair was matted and untidy, and he shook uncontrollably every so often. The bandages, wrapped as tight as a shirt around his torso and down one arm, looked in desperate need of changing. He squinted through the bright haze of the hospital room at Naruto's face that swum above him. "When the hell did you get here?"
"Just a few minutes ago," muttered Naruto. "We came about…Gaara."
At the name, Kankuro closed his eyes and turned away from Naruto, his face shrinking into a mask of despair.
"Kankuro-san," Kakashi suddenly said. He stood by the doorway, leaning against the frame and had been watching the scene passively. "We need you to tell us all you can about what happened. From what Temari-san said, you were attacked, and when she and Mekkatorque-san arrived with some reinforcements, you were already unconscious and severely injured."
Kankuro nodded. "I rushed into it. I got my ass kicked because I did something so absolutely stupid. No matter how hard I could have fought, I would have never been able to beat that guy."
"You didn't fight the one Gaara did, then?" Kakashi asked as he walked up to the bed and staring down at Kankuro's prone form, his eye narrowed in intensity.
"No. I might have won against him, seeing as how Gaara and that gnome guy nearly did him in. The guy I fought was someone who even on my best day, thinking clearly and probably with Temari by my side, I wouldn't have been able to defeat—he broke my puppets and poisoned me before I even had a chance to attack him, and he didn't use any fancy tricks or jutsu to do it." He suddenly stopped, realizing that he had begun to wheeze and had begun to breath faster, panting such that he might as well have returned to the battlefield for those brief moments. "Luck would have it that the guy I fought was the one who had originally created my puppets.
"That bastard, Akasuna no Sasori."
"Finally," muttered Sasori, as they broke through the last of the lush flora, entering a large clearing. Before him and his partner was a towering waterfall which spilled into a clear, beautiful pool of water that teemed with life. A forest surrounded the pool, with towering emerald trees, so vibrant that they seemed freshly painted, and that shook slightly in the breeze or when a bird or small mammal moved within their foliage. Ferns and outgrowing plants on the ground formed a barrier around the crystal clear water of the pool, as if nature had intended to hide it away from the prying eyes of man forever. It seemed such a perfect place, untouched by everything; too perfect, in fact, and that was why it had been chosen.
Deidara guided his mount, upon which the prone body of Gaara of the Sand lay, down the slope to the pool and then across it. Deidara walked across the surface as if the water was solid as stone, with his partner, Sasori, walking silently behind in the same manner. The two stopped by the waterfall, which sprayed their faces with mist and wetted their finely woven cloaks. Deidara scowled at the waterfall, as if it had done him some great offense.
"Hey!" he snarled. "Open up, assholes…yeah!"
There was a moment of silence in which both Deidara and Sasori stared at the waterfall, seemingly expecting it to answer. And curiously enough, a moment later, it did.
A line shot through the middle of the falling water, at first a thick and barely noticeable as an ant among thousands of blades of grass, but soon widening and growing to the point where it split the waterfall into two. In the middle of this massive gap was a solid stone slab with a thin part down the middle—a door. On the door were dozens of black, nonsensical inscriptions that formed a perfectly defined circle. Kanji dotted the inside of the circle, mixing and combining with more inscriptions—it resembled, in the end, a giant black sun. As they watched, the inscriptions faded, and the door began to open with a rumbling sound. It split at the part, and the two stone slabs moved to the side, allowing just enough space for Sasori's wide form to walk through. Deidara went after him, his mount and its baggage landing and folding its wings to fit through the door and hop after him.
They entered a massive cavern, flooded with darkness. Immediately after Deidara's model cleared the doorway, the slabs shut again, and what little light had been offered was stolen away again. If it weren't for the fact that Deidara's eyes were quite used to such darkness, he would have complained some more.
"Did you get it?"
The voice shot from the blackness, striking Deidara and Sasori's ears with its intensity, but immediately soothing them with a charisma that neither could ever explain.
"Yeah," said Deidara, flicking a finger at his model, which dumped its cargo—Gaara's limp form—upon the ground in front of him, before disappearing in a whirl of white smoke and returning to his outstretched hand. "We got it. You didn't tell us there'd be gnomes there, though."
"Hmph. It wasn't expected. You came through anyways." It then changed slightly in its tone. "You seem bored, Sasori."
The large Akatsuki member snorted. "As if it was that obvious. Let's get this over with. I haven't had any fun in quite a while," he looked pointedly the darkness, as if he knew exactly where the voice came from, when there was no form or body visible, and the voice seemed to come from everywhere. "Even some annoying Sand puppeteer—who had the gall to use puppets I created—wasn't enough to relieve me of my boredom. I've been waiting for my assignment."
"You'll get it," said the voice, hinted with steel. "Then let's begin."
With those words, the darkness began to shift and move. It began to take shape, becoming seven hazy, vaguely human figures that seemed to be made from black smoke, save for the eyes—the eyes of each one were pearly white, and perfectly visible in the darkness. From the frightening, inanimate grey that stood in the middle, to the clearly visible crimson of Itachi's Sharingan, Deidara and Sasori could see all of their comrades, and knew them just from the eyes.
The middle, with the grey eyes that spiraled inwards, lifted an amorphous hand and thrust it to the ground. The cavern shook and echoed with a mighty rumbling—and from the blackness, a monstrous shape materialized, towering above them all. But unlike the seven black figures before it, it was real, made of solid, black stone and as large as a house. What the statue depicted, neither of the two Akatsuki members was quite sure. It was nothing more than a giant humanoid head and upper torso, with two massive arms rising up in front of it open as if ready to accept some great gift. But they were shackled together, as if whatever gift it might get was only fit for a prisoner. Its head was wreathed in thorny appendages, like the branches of a massive and awful tree, sealing it away in some unbreakable prison from which it would never escape. The statue's face was horrible and deformed; vaguely humanoid with blindfolded eyes and a mouth filled with sharp teeth, biting a large bit as a domesticated horse or ox might. Upon the great blindfold were nine eyes, closed in pain or rapture. At the ends of the arms the seven figures suddenly appeared upon, each on a different finger. It left but three unoccupied, two for Sasori and Deidara, and one for the missing member that they knew would never return.
"It'll take three days. We begin immediately. The Ichibi is the first of many," the man with the eyes of grey said.
Deidara and Sasori nodded, walking and shuffling past Gaara's body, which lay limp, and alone, on the cold ground. The grey-eyed shroud made a seal, and statue leapt to life, releasing the bit in its mouth and stretching the maw wide.
'Fuin Jutsu: Genryu Kyu Fujin.'
From the mouth exploded nine swirling forms—the purest of white yet illuminating nothing in the cavern. They were shaped like the heads of dragons, with mouths agape and snarling unheard. They converged around Gaara, lifting him into the air, enrobing him in white light.
And he awoke.
And he screamed.
The white was not purifying or lovely; it burned his flesh and filled his mind with nothingness. He could not think, and so he screamed with all his might, some part of him hoping that he would be heard.
But he wasn't.
He screamed and screamed, but he was alone in the world again.
"Chiyo-baasama," said Baki, falling to one knee as soon as he entered the small garden. He kneeled facing a pair of extremely old people, who sat at the edge of a pool. The first, an incredibly old man with shocking white hair and an oblong head covered in so much loose skin that he looked like a melted wax sculpture. Even his eyes were invisible, obscured beneath two large flaps of skin above his eyes. He was dressed in a black robe and had a small round hat fitted over the top of his head. He sat, clutching a fishing rod perfectly still in his hands, and humming something under his breath with a small, crooked smile on his face.
But Baki had not addressed the man, who he sat quietly while the one Baki had addressed, an aged woman, looked up and glared at the man.
"What do you want?" she asked, narrowing her small, button black eyes, peeking out from behind similar flesh scraps. Her face was pale, wrinkled, bloated and covered in liver spots. Her nose was tiny and squashed and her hair was limp and ragged, the same white as the man's. Her mouth was creased into a faint line hidden among the wrinkles, and along with her eyes, created a reproving look that made Baki swallow. Dealing with Chiyo was like dealing with an angry snake—you made one sudden movement and your life could end in a flash. In her old age she had grown quite bitter and frighteningly cynical, making dealing with her always a chore. She was, however, the most senior member of the Sand aside from her brother, who sat opposite her on the pool, happily fishing away. She had served on the Council for quite a while, and had taken over a few duties of Kazekage after the death of the Yondaime—even going so far as to oversee theprevious Chuunin Exams. However, among the members of the Sand, she was one of the few most fiercely opposed to an alliance with Konoha.
It was understandable, however. She had lost a son to one of the most skilled Leaf-nin in the past war.
"We have information on who attacked Gaara and the Sand; Kankuro, who fought the perpetrator, was just cured by the Konoha shinobi, and…"
"You called Konoha?" she snapped. "Pathetic. To think that our own village has fallen so they cannot even ask their own for aid. What poison is there that I cannot cure?" She glared at Baki through her shrunken eyes. She was the only other person who could make him shiver, aside from Gaara.
"Forgive me, Chiyo-baasama. I was going to ask you, after the conventional medical techniques failed, but the Konoha-nin arrived earlier than expected, and were able to aid him just in time."
"I suppose you called the Slug-Lady, then?"
"No, a young girl, her apprentice. Haruno Sakura."
The name was familiar to Chiyo, but she didn't bother to try and recall. A Leaf-nin was a Leaf-nin.
"Then if he is cured, why have you come to me?"
Baki swallowed, and nodded. "The Akatsuki member who defeated Kankuro when he attempted to rescue Gaara-sama, has been identified. He is…" Baki swallowed again. "Akasuna no Sasori."
Chiyo's small eyes grew wider, and she turned her head slightly to look at him. "What?"
"It was Sasori," said Baki, again.
The old man was no longer smiling. He looked at Chiyo with a deep frown, and laid his fishing rod to the side, as Chiyo had. The old woman stood, her face set in a deep, powerful scowl.
Sasori.
The name once brought joy to her heart. He had been her very own grandson, to spoil and to cherish as grandmothers were allowed to. He had been a small, final hope that the world wasn't as terrible as it should have been, after her son and daughter-in-law had perished in the Great Shinobi Wars, thanks in part to that awful Hatake Sakumo. He had been something for her to hold on to in this world, something that allowed her to continue to fight and to help the Sand in every way she could. She had done it to make the Sand a better place for Sasori to live in. She had done it to make the world a little bit brighter, so Sasori would not have to stumble blindly through it. He had been an object for her give what little love she had left. And for a time, he had accepted this. He had acted much like he normally had, before the death of his parents. But that had not lasted. Sasori had begun to change, at first in barely noticeable ways that she thought odd, but perfectly understandable for a boy with no parents to guide him. He had stopped eating meat, for example. He had started to smile less. He shut himself in his room for a few hours each day and whatever he did Chiyo was too polite to ask about.
And then he had dug up his parents' corpses. And then he had taken them to his room, where he had stripped them of flesh and removed their innards. He had then built into the dried husks of their bodies, traps and weapons of the vilest sort, and had replaced their flesh with chakra-soaked wood. He had cut out their eyes, and put shiny glass orbs instead.
He had made them into his playthings. He had made them into puppets.
"So that's it, hmm?" She dusted off her robe, and began to hobble towards Baki. 'So that's where you've been, all this time, eh grandson? I've finally found you, then. Good. Maybe now I can set things right.' "The Konoha-nin, I'm assuming, are going to track Gaara, then?"
"Yes, they'll be going at dawn tomorrow, to track the Akatsuki. They have a good way to track them, it seems."
"Fine," she said.
"Are you going with them, sister?" the old man said, still at the pool, his eyes looking sadly towards her back.
"Yes," she said, smirking. "I think it's time that I give him a bit more love before I spear him through the heart. He's been alive far too long."
"HOKAGE-SAMA! WE HAVE RETURNED FROM OUR GREAT MISSION, REVELING IN THE POWER OF YOUTH!"
"Gai, you do that again, and I swear to whatever god there is that you'll never speak, or even walk, again."
Gai's gleaming teeth suddenly stopped gleaming, and the cool pose he had struck suddenly became weird and even in his eccentric mind, embarrassing. He took a step back, and gave a small bow to the woman who sat at the desk. Sweat began to roll down his face and neck, worried that if he spoke another word, she would act on her promise.
"I told you that was a bad idea," muttered Tenten as she walked by her bowing teacher. She quickly bowed to Tsunade. "Mission completed without complication, Hokage-sama."
Neji and Lee came in a moment after her. Lee was brimming with excitement, wanting to express himself in much the same way Gai had, but holding himself back after hearing Tsunade's threat. Neji just ignored the two.
"Good," said Tsunade. Neji walked forwards and placed on her desk the mission report, written in his neat and tidy print, as she had requested him to do, for she could not usually decipher Gai's unruly scrawl. She thought a moment, as they turned and prepared to leave. "I have some news, before you guys leave. Naruto's back."
They all turned their heads, in one simultaneous and eerie motion that made Tsunade shiver. Lee and Gai looked as if they had just beheld Heaven in all it's glory, and had just been declared its azure protectors; Neji's pupil-less eyes gleamed with sudden interest, as prospects for a rematch began to dance through his usually bland thoughts; and Tenten's were filled with amazement and joy, which was mostly directed towards the other two members of her team, for she did not know Naruto well enough to share their joy. She vowed, however, she would change that fact.
"Naruto-kun's back? HE HAS FINALLY RETURNED TO US?" roared Lee, pumping a fist into the air.
"Yeah," muttered Tsunade, suddenly wishing she hadn't said anything. "He came back a week or so ago. You missed him."
"He's on a mission?" asked Neji.
"Yeah. I would have asked you guys to go, if you were here," she said. "But you weren't. I was in need of a back up team that was ready and able to go."
Neji nodded. Tenten, however, asked, "Who did you send?"
"Team Eight. They had returned just the day I sent Naruto and his team off, so they were prepared. They were also just as interested in seeing Naruto." She then laced her fingers together on her desk, and narrowed her eyes, scowling.
"S-something wrong, Hokage-sama?" asked Tenten, noticing the woman's darkened features.
The woman looked up, seeing the worry on Tenten's face, and sat up. She shook her head. "No. Nothing's wrong. You're dismissed."
"She's worried," whispered Tenten, when they were out of the room, and walking down the hallway. "This mission must be dangerous…I've never seen her like that."
Gai made a small noise of agreement. For once, his eyes were narrowed into a look of gravity, and he seemed to be thinking hard. "Yes. I am thinking that this mission has very large consequences, and she is worried that she may have done something wrong. I'd say it was something to do with Naruto-kun."
"Why?" asked Tenten.
"Because out of all of those people, I would think there are only two of them she cares more about than just as a Hokage. While I do believe she is concerned for both, I think it is Naruto-kun she is most worried about—he has just returned, after all, and should something happen to him in such a short time…"
Tenten's stomach churned. Now she was worried as well. She glanced over at Neji and Lee, and saw that their faces were mixtures of the same seriousness and worry as Gai's. So they felt the same. 'No,' she thought. 'Definitely worse.' She didn't know Naruto as well as they did, and she knew that they would be far more concerned for him than she ever could be.
But for their sake, she worried too.
Kurenai glanced to the side as she leapt over a particularly large sand dune, landing in such a way that she hardly disturbed the soft ground beneath her. Hinata was close by on her right, her Byakugan active and searching. On her other side was Shino, silent and so shrouded in cloth it was difficult to tell what he was thinking. Ahead of her were Kiba and Akamaru, their noses constantly twitching for signs of their allies, most especially Naruto, whom they were very excited to see. They were two days into their pursuing of Team Seven, and were halfway across the desert. It was already getting dark, and Kurenai was thinking it was better to stop and continue tomorrow at dawn, for it would be very difficult to travel in the night, especially in the desert. She had been to the Sand only a few times in her career, but she had heard many things about the desert at night—most especially it's freezing temperatures.
"We'll stop for now," she finally said, ten minutes later when the sky was the color of dying coals in a fire pit, and the sun was half obscured by the seemingly endless horizon.
Kiba and Akamaru stopped, both looking extremely morose. Kurenai frowned at that. She could understand Kiba, but why Akamaru?
"He's been following a weird scent that went with Naruto," said Akamaru, when she had inquired as they began to unpack to set up camp. "It's female, and smells almost like a dog, but not. I can't for the life of me remember what smell it is, but I've smelt it before." He grinned, and mussed Akamaru's head. "He's pretty excited about it, the little letch."
Of course, there was nothing little about Akamaru any more. He reached up past Kiba's waist in height, and was almost twice as long as the boy, and rippled with powerful muscles like some giant predator whenever he moved. Kiba had taken great care of him. The boy himself had changed as much as his dog; he was taller and far more sturdily built, and hair was now visible with no hood to obscure it. His face was sharper and manlier, he was quieter, and he had rid himself of much of his earlier immaturity. He still, of course, had a penchant for teasing and could return to his former volume at the drop of a hat.
"We'll reach the Sand by tomorrow, then?" said Shino, sitting upon his unfurled sleeping bag and turning to face Kurenai, though she could not say if he was looking at her or not, with his sunglasses. Kurenai could not honestly say how much Shino had changed, other than he had gotten taller. His body was so covered—with two jackets, one with a hood that covered his head and the other with a collar that went up to his nose—that only a scrap of flesh was visible near his eyes.
"Yes," she said.
"B-but Naruto-kun and the rest have already made it…" said Hinata looking towards the horizon. From what Kiba and Akamaru had gleaned, Team Seven had only stopped once, somewhere in the forest, just under a day ago. That meant that they had braved the desert at night, in all its danger, without stopping. Kurenai would expect something like that from Naruto, but it was indeed surprising that Kakashi and Sakura had been able to keep up, or had even dared to try it. "Shouldn't we c-continue on? We would b-be able to meet them there. What if they have already left?"
"They would have arrived today," said Kurenai, with a small shake of her head. "Don't worry, Hinata. We'll catch up. It's better to be safe than sorry; we want to be there to help fight rather than be exhausted and liabilities. They'll probably wait until tomorrow to start, anyways. And use this day to rest and find out as much as they can about the actual battle. As fast as we need to move, there's no sense in missing vital information to aid them."
Hinata nodded, seeing her teacher's point. She brushed some of her now long, flowing hair—which she had grown for the past two years on what Kurenai thought was but a whim—and went to tend to the fire that Kiba had done a messy job of building.
Kurenai watched her team take care of the necessary duties for setting up their camp. All of them were silent, only speaking to say "thanks," or "could you pass me that?". It was unusual for them, who were generally so full of life; Kiba would usually be blabbing to Hinata about something, while the girl nodded politely and smiled kindly at everything he said, sometimes giggling when he said or did something funny. Shino, who was almost always silent, still added a life to the group by interjecting sarcastic and deadpan comments into Kiba's stories, making the dog-loving boy glare or shout at him. Their silence, she knew, was probably a result of Naruto's return. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts about what they would do or say when they met with the blonde again.
She smiled. For the last two years, though he had been gone, Naruto had played a central role in the shaping of Kiba, Shino and Hinata's personalities and fighting styles. He had been their motivation, their reason to train harder and harder every day. She had to admit that many of the stories reported by the frog had been amazing, and she could see how they would be inspired to train harder. Naruto had done so much in that time—literally saving a world—and had likely gained so much experience from it that they were afraid he'd be so powerful that he'd just pass them by. So they each had trained harder, with every one of Naruto's messages, to become as strong as the boy. They had even taken cues from him, and had begun developing their own techniques in ninjutsu and taijutsu. On the whole, she was more than impressed.
And now that he had returned, they have a chance to show him everything that they had done.
But she also knew that while excited, they were worried.
None of them were quite sure how much Gaara had meant to Naruto, but from they way Tsunade had described it, the new Kazekage was very important to Naruto. The way Naruto and his team had rushed to the Sand was further evidence of this. And from what Tsunade had said, Naruto was just as important as Gaara in this mission. She had not given details, but Kurenai knew it was about the Kyuubi.
She glanced towards the horizon, painted with fire and a cold veil of night, which was slowly descending upon the land. She gave a small shiver, and hoped that this mission would not be the last her team had with Naruto.
"You did well, Kankuro—snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, one might say," Kakashi said, lifting a small patch of dark cloth in front of him, and examining it with a pleased eye.
"Thanks," muttered Kankuro, from where he lay on the bed.
Kakashi turned to his remaining team member. Naruto sat on a chair between the door and Temari, yawning. Sakura had disappeared two hours earlier, taking with her the poison and a Sand medic-nin to the greenhouses, so she could fashion an antidote. She had said she would likely return late, because she had a feeling that the poison itself was very complicated. She must have been right, because it was already nightfall and she had not returned. Mekkatorque too had left, saying that he had to speak with his comrades about their trip home.
"I'm not going to be going with you," he had told Naruto, earlier. "There is no point."
"Why the hell not?" Naruto had cried. "You're strong, so why—"
"But I'm not strong enough to aid you. That man proved it. I am strong, yes, but as time has shown, I am far past my prime. I could not stop Sicco and I could not stop that man from taking Gaara. Thus, there is no use for me to get in the way." Naruto again had tried to protest, but Mekkatorque had made it final.
"I will remain, of course, until you have returned Gaara. I will not abandon this place yet. I have offered instead to help increase the security of the Sand, and intend to do so to the greatest effect possible. And I have something for you, as well; that I hope will aid you in your mission. I must complete it tonight, and shall have it for you tomorrow. Think of it as a way for me to be there without making trouble for you. I so wish I could help Gaara in person, but as the results of the previous battle dictate, I am nothing but a liability." He had smiled sadly at Naruto.
"Dumb ass," Naruto had said, smacking the man on the head. "Where the hell is the gnome king that I fought beside in Gnomeregan! It's not like you to be such a weakling!"
"I am merely being practical," the gnome had said, a little offended. "And he has not gone anywhere. I just think—"
"No you didn't! You'd be much better off coming with us! And I bet Gaara would as well. You should—"
"I am sorry, Naruto," said Mekkatorque, with a finality. "But I know my limits. That man was stronger than I, and without my battle suit I would just become a piece of weaponry for them to use against you. I understand what you are trying to say, and I hate myself for it as well! For this alliance to work, I must take responsibility and lend aid to those who need it! But what aid can I give? I have seen the skills that you employ in battle, Naruto. If there are others who possess the same potential as you do, then I know I would not be able to match them. I have naught but my machines in battle, and I am not used to the sort of fights you and your people are. I am just not strong enough. The battle I witnessed before was a testament to that!" His eyes went soft, and he looked at Naruto with such despair that the blonde thought he might cry.
"I can only offer what help I can. I am sorry. I am an inventor, a ruler, but I am not a fighter proper. Please understand this. It is a shame to my people and myself that I cannot go with you to rescue Gaara, but I have no choice. I can only stay here, and make sure his city is protected.
"I am sorry."
Naruto had gone silent for a while after that, sitting moodily on the chair as he contemplated Mekkatorque's words. He had left a few times, presumably to find food, and upon returning the most recent time had seemed a bit better. Kakashi had said nothing of the conversation, the entire time he had been with the blonde. He silently agreed with the gnome, however. He decided that by the end, Naruto did too.
"So you're going to use Pakkun and your dogs to find the scent?" Naruto asked in the present, yawning.
"And Tsuwabuki, I'm hoping," said Kakashi, glancing at the fox that lay aside Naruto's chair, apparently asleep. "Is her nose good?"
"Better than Pakkun's, probably," Naruto said, with a slight smile. Tsuwabuki flickered her silvery tail and seemed to agree. Kakashi nodded.
"Okay," he said. There's no point in going anywhere else. We'll start tomorrow at first light, so try to get some sleep."
Naruto nodded. "I'll try." He had pushed back most of the worry that had been at the forefront of his mind for the past few days by talking with Kankuro and Temari, and did not look forwards to sleep. Sleep would bring dreams, and his current state of mind, likely nightmares.
Kakashi nodded. "Good."
Sakura meanwhile, yawned widely and stood to stretch from the rough, wooden chair she sat on. She was in the greenhouse, just behind the hospital, and was silently reveling in her ability. Before her on the desk were three small vials, each filled with a light blue liquid—it surprised her how such a pretty color could be derived from such a disgusting one, remembering what the poison had looked like. The desk was messy and covered in her quickly scrawled calculations, and she lamented that she had to clean up after herself. She looked towards the door, where the medic-nin, Aiko, stood dozing. He had been very patient with her, and had stayed the entire time, directing her to the herbs she had needed.
She sighed, and began to gather the papers together, as well as attempting to salvage what was left of the herbs. She gave the table a single wipe down with a damp cloth, and then gathered the three little vials full of antidote and slipped them into her weapon's pouch.
She turned to go, and came immediately face to face with a hunched, black form that stood not two feet in front of her.
She did not have time to give a yell, so she did what a proper shinobi would—she thrust her hand out, attempting to catch her stalker in the face and knock him back. However, the figure darted back, and snapped in a grouchy, old voice, "Stop, foolish girl!"
She did. "Who are…?" she began, before she was interrupted by a gasp from Aiko, who stood immediately to attention.
"Chiyo-baasama!" he cried. He immediately bowed to the shrunken woman before Sakura.
"I swear, how the mighty have fallen," Chiyo muttered, glancing coldly at the medic-nin. "Can't even hear an old woman hobbling a foot from him." She looked at Sakura, her eyes sweeping up and down her form. She thought she had recognized the name.
"You're from the Chuunin Exam," said Chiyo. "The one with the special, if extremely dangerous, technique."
Sakura gradually relaxed. "Ah…yes, I suppose. Who are you?"
"Chiyo," the woman said. "I thought I might find you here. Have you finished analyzing my grandson's poison?"
'Grandson's…?' Sakura thought. "Yes. I've made several antidotes as well."
They had only been in the Sand for a few hours, and she had already created an antidote? Chiyo hid her surprise. It would not do to look foolish in front of the enemy. "I see. Then you have done my job for me." She turned. "Where is Kankuro? I have to see him. I also must speak with your team leader." She began to hobble away, leaving Sakura thoroughly confused, and unable to do much but follow.
"Um, excuse me, Chiyo-baasama; why do you need to see Kakashi-sensei?"
"If Kakashi is your leader, than that is because I wish to discuss the plan of action tomorrow. Perhaps you haven't heard. I'm going to be going with you and your team."
Sakura stopped. "What?" she asked, before her manners came back to her and she asked, "But why, ma'am?"
"Drop the 'ma'am', girl, I'm too old for such a thing. That title belongs to middle-aged mothers." She looked behind her. "Because the one who attacked Kankuro was my grandson. I haven't seen him in a while, so I'd though it best to pay him a visit before I kick the bucket. There is no more reason than that."
Sakura stared at the back of the woman as they walked. They had entered the main hallway of the hospital, and needed to be on the second floor, as that was where Kankuro's room was, and likely where Kakashi and Naruto would be. Chiyo seemed to know this, and pushed the stair door open, not bothering to stop and hold it for Sakura.
"Your grandson, then, made that poison?" Sakura asked.
"Yes."
"I almost didn't figure it out. It's utterly amazing how complicated it is. It's a derivative of scorpion venom, but it's clearly artificial because it causes intense pain and lasts a lot longer than scorpion venoms do. It's designed to cause pain, not to kill quickly."
"I am not surprised," said Chiyo. "Sasori doesn't care much for his victims, so he probably designed it in mind so once someone was poisoned, they'd be unable to do anything while he killed their comrades, or simply left them to inevitably die." She gave a cold snort and pushed the next door open violently, making Sakura jump from the bang it made.
"You're quite talented, girl. I should have supposed that, however, after hearing about the creation of that jutsu of yours. I didn't think it was possible for such a technique to exist." Chiyo's words were hardly praising. She sounded as if she was spitting the same poison that Sakura had just found an antidote to.
Sakura reddened at the words, and said nothing more. It was obvious Chiyo did not want to talk to her. She only spoke next to tell Chiyo what room Kankuro was in, just as they passed it. Chiyo nodded and pushed the door open, walking into the room.
"You!" she suddenly screamed, seeing a shock of white hair and remembering all at once the man who had killed her son.
Kakashi spun, just barely missing a kunai in the gut. Chiyo, still clutching the gleaming knife, hissed and slashed at Kakashi again, only to be blocked this time—not by the jounin, but by a young blonde wielding a glowing short sword.
"Oi! What the hell's the big idea?" Naruto cried, shoving Chiyo back and holding Magni's Pride up in an offensive position, glaring at her.
"Chiyo-baasama!" both Kankuro and Temari cried. Temari stood straight up and Kankuro attempted to as well, but a sudden tremor sent him back into his pillow, gasping in pain.
Chiyo glared at Kakashi for a moment, and suddenly noticed the differences. He was clearly not Hatake Sakumo, with the lazy, glossy eye and the slouched forehead protector. Even the posture was different—more relaxed, even when ready to fight. She remembered also at that moment that Sakumo was long dead.
"You're not him," she said. "Forgive me. I was having a 'senior moment'." She had the grace to look embarrassed.
Kakashi relaxed. "No problem," he said.
"Who're you?" Naruto asked, glaring at the woman as he sheathed his sword.
"She's a medic-nin," said Sakura, before Chiyo could answer for herself. "She knows about Sasori."
"I should," Chiyo said, "seeing as I'm his grandmother."
Kakashi blinked. "Is that so?" He glanced at Kankuro. "I suppose that would also explain why you're here. Do you have information for us?"
"No, I've come to tell you I'm coming with you."
Temari and Kankuro gaped.
"You are?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow.
Chiyo glared at him. "Who might you be, brat? You've got quite the tongue to speak to your elders as such."
"You're the one who attacked my teacher, lady," Naruto said.
"And apologized."
"Sorry, then. Uzumaki Naruto," he said. "Gaara's friend."
Chiyo stared weirdly at the boy for a second, as if disbelieving that such a word existed where Gaara was concerned. She then shook her head, and turned to Kakashi.
"I have some business with my grandson, so I've opted to join you in your search. I'm surprised nobody has said anything to you."
"Nobody's been in all day," said Kakashi, with a shrug. "They've been busy with the Council, from what I've been told. We haven't moved, as there really is no point."
"You really intend to go, Chiyo-baasama? What about Ebizo-jiisama, is he going as well?" asked Temari.
"No," Chiyo said, thinking of her brother. "He's staying. There's only point in one of us going. He's not much of a fighter, anymore, either. I intend to deal with Sasori myself." She then frowned. "Why do you ask?"
Temari sighed, and jerked a hand over her shoulder. Lying sound asleep in one of the chairs was the old man from the pool. He was snoring loudly, and had tipped his little cap to cover his eyes.
Chiyo sweat dropped. "When did he get here?"
"About two hours ago," said Kankuro. "Looking for you."
"Hmph, moron, I had other things to do before I came here," she said, when in fact she had done the very same thing her brother was doing now.
"Ahh," said Kakashi, nodding. "If you're coming, then I suppose you should tell us all you can about Sasori."
"I haven't seen him, or even heard of him, in twenty years. All I can tell you since is that he's insane, and has an incredible talent for both poisons and puppets." She snorted. "Both of which you can tell from what information you have already, so in that regard, I'm essentially useless. But I'll know more when we get there. Do you have a way of tracking him?"
"Yes," said Kakashi, holding up a scrap of black cloth, and nodding in Tsuwabuki's direction. "The best tracking nose, according to Naruto."
"Nah," said Naruto, "according to her."
'And don't you forget it.'
"Fine then," said Chiyo. "Goodbye. You'd best be ready in the morning, for I have no doubt that Sasori has become terribly strong in the past two decades, and will take all of your power to defeat." She snorted, and turned around, barking at Ebizo to wake up and follow her.
"I can't believe I'm siding with Konoha-nin," she said, audibly to the rest of the group before she and the lethargic old man disappeared through the door.
"What a weird old lady," muttered Naruto. "What the hell's wrong with her?"
Temari watched the woman go. "A lot, Naruto. She's had a tough life." She took a shuddering breath. "We'd better get some rest. We'll be leaving in the morning."
"You're coming too?" asked Sakura, looking away from the door that Chiyo had just left through.
"If I can," said Temari. "For some reason I don't think Chiyo-baasama will let me. I think this means more to her than a lot in the past few years. She essentially dropped out of the politics and everything since…" She trailed off and lowered her eyes, confusing those who didn't know of what she spoke of (which amounted to all but Kankuro). "…Since around fifteen years ago. The Council has roped her into overseeing a few things since the Yondaime's death, such as the previous Chuunin Exam, but otherwise, she's remained strictly out of the Sand's affairs. She once played an incredible role in them, and was regarded as one of the most skilled fighters in the Sand." She glanced at Sakura. "She was a constant enemy of Tsunade-sama during the past War, due to the fact that Tsunade-sama would continually develop antidotes to her most powerful poisons." She sighed. "She's probably the best person for you to have."
"Let's hope so," said Kakashi, softly. "Everyone get some rest. It wouldn't do to nod off in the middle of a battle."
"So you're bringing those two, sister?"
"Yes. It will be some irony for him, won't it? It's time we brought the family back together."
"Be safe, Chiyo."
"Hmph. You should know that word can't be used for old codgers like us, brother. The time for safety has passed. Whatever happens now will happen, and I will do nothing to stop it. I only hope I die taking that fool with me."
Dawn came, and as the sun rose from its bed of darkness and earth, it saw Naruto, Tsuwabuki, Sakura, Kakashi and Chiyo at the gates of the Sand, a small crowd of people seeing them off.
Temari had guessed correctly. No sooner than she had announced her intentions to go along did Chiyo tell her to stay put.
"You'll need to defend this place from the foreigners," she had said, glancing at Mekkatorque as she said this. She was not particularly shocked by the news of the Alliance, but then again, she didn't particularly care. She was far too old to be surprised by the emergence of another world, and far too disinterested in politics to bother about the consequences of the Alliance. She had been briefly introduced to Mekkatorque on the way to the gate, and found the old gnome an agreeable fellow whom she could tolerate. She didn't seem to notice, or even care, about his non-humanity, a fact that Mekkatorque found delightful.
At the entrance, Temari walked up to Naruto, and echoed the words that Kankuro had told him that morning.
"Bring back my brother, Naruto. Promise me."
Naruto smiled at her, and thrust out a thumb, upturned.
"It's a promise," Naruto said.
"Intruders."
"Two teams from Konoha, coming from the Sand. The Kyuubi boy is among them, as is an old woman, a man with white hair, and woman with red eyes, and several little Leaf brats."
The shadow with grey eyes snorted. "It doesn't matter. We'll just send somebody to stop them. I have a jutsu perfect for it, if Sasori will lend me the use of his subordinates, which have no use anymore."
"Fine," the puppeteer said, dispassionately.
"If it's the jutsu I think you're thinking of, can I go? I've been wanting to work off some—"
"No. I won't be using that one, it's too revealing. I can't risk more of you being exposed to Konoha so early on. I'll be using a much better jutsu for this situation. Don't worry, you'll get your chance."
"Dammit."
"We still have a day to go. We can't afford to be interrupted."
"Then do it. They sicken me, anyways, the fools."
They made hardly a sound as they flew through the forest, leaping from tree to tree, or when no trees existed, bounding through clearings and leaping off the surfaces of rivers and ponds. They had been traveling all day, following the trail Tsuwabuki, Pakkun, Akamaru, and even Kiba, could smell from a mile away. Kiba could only describe it as a moldy, coppery smell, like a waterlogged tree drenched in years of blood. But as they traveled, it got stronger and the trail became clearer. It would end, Kakashi felt, somewhere in the River Country; it was a small region of land, so sparsely populated that it really had no business being called a country at all. It was mostly just forest, but got its name from the seven rivers that flowed through it, at points even crossing each other, and even at one point merging to form a single larger river as it flowed out of the country. It was a very beautiful place, they noted as they crossed it.
But most of them were far too focused to care for the scenery.
The meeting between the two teams had been quick and in a way, anticlimactic for those who had been hoping for more. They had met halfway across the desert, when Kiba had caught a fresh scent that had led them right to Team Seven, plus their tagalong. Reintroductions had needed to be short; yet though they had only seen each other and spoken a few words of greeting, none of them felt cheated.
Naruto was more than glad to see his friends. He was ecstatic. He was bordering euphoric, for but a moment. He had been waiting to for quite a while to catch any hint of them, and now that he had seen them, he had been allowed a brief moment of joy and relief. They had all shared a moment of humor, as well, when Akamaru found out that Tsuwabuki was a fox—even as they traveled, he would still whimper with regret every time the vixen caught his eye. Kiba would have a field day when the mission was over in teasing his partner.
When that was over, and knowing that they would be by his side for the remainder of the mission, he had reassumed his determined mind, and had told everyone that they had to hurry. Kiba's wide, dog-like grin had faded and he had nodded seriously; Shino had nodded, his face undecipherable; and Hinata's blushing face had immediately cleared, and Naruto saw the face that had fought Neji during the Chuunin Exams. They had left, but even so since then, a small piece of Naruto continued to celebrate every time Hinata, Shino, Kiba or even Kurenai crossed into his field of vision; and if he caught their eye, he would grin and nod, and get either similar action (from Kiba), an unknown action (from Shino), or a slight embarrassed action (from Hinata).
It was a few hours before dusk when Tsuwabuki, Akamaru, and Pakkun shouted back to their respective owners, that they smelt something ahead.
"A man," mumbled Pakkun. They had stopped in the middle of the forest, yards away from the edge of a clearing. Hinata took a deep breath, and with a final deep breath, activated her Byakugan—her eyes became severe and completely white, veins throbbed at the sides, and she could suddenly see the world.
"It is a man," she said, softly. "He is wearing a Sand-forehead protector, with a line through it, and a cloak made of black and red."
Chiyo's heart thumped. 'Sasori…' she thought. 'So you've come to greet your old grandma, hmm?'
Kakashi glanced at the old woman. "Yours?"
"We won't know until we go," she said, roughly. "It is one man—unless those noses and that bloodline are lying, of course." She began to walk forwards with great, determined strides, her eyes narrowed towards the clearing. Kakashi told Kurenai with a look to stay put and wait for a signal. There was no point in all of them being revealed. Kurenai gave a soft nod, and gestured to her team to move back, and stay hidden. When Kakashi glanced back, they were gone.
Chiyo stepped into the clearing. The ground was leafless and brown, and the area was covered by foliage—the sky was not visible. It was like a small bubble in the midst of the forest, surrounded by everything but containing none of it.
In the middle stood a man. A man that Chiyo instantly knew was not Sasori. However, she was shocked to see him there, standing and staring at her and Team Seven with small, placid, emotionless eyes.
"You…" she muttered, narrowing her eyes.
The man stepped forwards. "Chiyo-baasama…? Why are you here?"
"Perhaps you could answer me the same thing…
"Yura."
Done.
Yes. I know it sucks. I know that if you've read the manga, you've probably read this chapter. I'm sorry. It will get better the next two chapters. I promise. Really, I do. I'm sorry to torture you with this.
But I still think we need to have a little chat.
Now, I have not complained for a while about this. I had no need to. You guys, despite me not getting the most reviews in the world, were telling me that I was doing a good job, or a bad job, and so I've born with it for a while. But I've found that in recent chapters (excluding the first, of course, which was monumental and I've never gotten that many reviews in a chapter—good job, guys!) I've received very few reviews.
So few, that I'm wondering if you guys are happy with this story.
Don't get worried. I'm not a dumbass who'd stop a story because of reviews. I'm going to continue, but I'd like to have at least some feedback. It'd be nice if you guys could, even with a word or two, tell me if the chapter or the entire story is up to snuff, or if you're feeling particularly generous, what I can do to make it better.
That's what I want to do…make this story better, so you guys enjoy it more.
That said. Sorry about that. I've just been wondering about it for a while, and felt I had to get it off my chest…sorry. I hope that didn't offend anybody (though I don't know why it would), and I hope you guys aren't disappointed in my review grobbling. I honestly thought I'd gotten it out of my system. It seems I haven't, so this is probably the last one. SORRY!
Now that that's over, here's the scoop—I'll be taking my first ever college exams in two weeks, so that means that once I get back to school, I'll have a lot of studying to do. That doesn't mean I won't have time for this story, but I'm letting you know that the next chapter might be a little late. I'll make it up to you after exams, when I have two more weeks free to do whatever I want.
So until then, hope you guys enjoy New Year's! Drink a bottle of champagne for me (unless you prefer cider, of course)!
Seeya next week, hopefully
General Grievous
Clap hands.
-Noz