NARUTO
Nox Noctis Ingredior
The Aftermath
The invasion effectively went south when everybody lost their ability to do jutsu. Although there were many who felt that going head to head with just fists was a good idea, it would take far too long. Eventually, orders from the higher ups went out to all Sound and Suna forces and they pulled back when reinforcement shinobi and regular soldiers of the Land of Fire stationed at the village at the time moved in. Orochimaru was safely evacuated with the Sound Four, all of them pretty much traumatized by the merry chase which went up in numbering participants from ten pursuers upwards. But once they were out of the village, they were considered safe.
After watching the Sunagakure and Sound Forces pull back, Konohagakure went about securing the village. The Jonin back in the arena were able to catch a break from the sudden cease in ninjutsu and genjutsu capabilities, meaning Hikita was forced to pull back. He retreated alongside Eclipse, showing quite a bit of dexterity above all the others. ANBU was sent in pursuit of him, but they wound up empty handed when they lost him at the river leading out of the village. Seeing the enemy off and retreating onto the horizon meant that the shinobi that had been put under pressure could finally relax.
However, things weren't so peachy for a lot of other people.
Hiding deep in the forests outside of Konohagakure about twenty kilometers out, Hikita and Eclipse were camping out, resting from the failure of their assault. Of course, while the boy dressed in black was sitting cross-legged atop of a fallen tree, his team leader was hunched over a small stream, shockingly enough, throwing up.
Coughing and retching in agony, the man spat up not just his lunch, but also blood, which splattered over the grass and rocks beneath him. Gripping his sword impaled in the ground for support, the giant man panted heavily to catch his breath from his convulsions, not only breaking out into a horrible sweat, but also suffering a blurry vision.
With his ungloved left hand, he gripped his face and groaned, sick as ever.
"You're dying… Hikita-kun…" a soft voice spoke, the swordsman gasping and looking up in shock. Eclipse, also alerted to the new presence, glancing over to his left to see the shadow of a person dressed in black robes and a hood over her head standing in the shadows.
The rogue ninja also looked behind him to see the person in question walk out of the shadows, masked by the shadows of her hood, but her smile visible. The brown haired, giant of a swordsman tried to lift himself up and off of the ground, but was unable to due to the pain racking at his body. He coughed up more, hand over his mouth. When he removed it, he saw blood splattered over his hand.
"Yeah… it looks like it…" the man wheezed out, his voice rougher then usual.
The hooded woman walked up to him, and gently rested a hand on his big shoulder. Caressing him gently, she sighed and lowered her head a bit, sensing his troubles.
"You've lived for over a hundred years now; two hundred and twenty three years to be exact. You're getting old. Heh…" the mysterious figure exclaimed, shaking her head in amusement. "Being the seventh and only original member of the very first Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist still alive is a really heavy burden to carry, huh. It must be even harder, existing as just a shadow of your former self from all those years ago…"
"I remember…" Hikita chuckled, a small grin spreading across his lips as he spoke. "I remember meeting with the First Mizukage when I was only eleven years old. He took me up to the balcony overlooking our village… the leader of our village escorting me… of all people. When we reached the top, there were six other boys and girls my age, all of them lined up on the podium. When he stood before us… he smiled down at us, and said 'you… children of this great village, have been chosen to protect and carry on the future of our people. Your courage, and your willingness to safe guard our homes, will be measured in the burdens and responsibilities you will be carrying with you.' He then gave each of us one of his swords, the weapons of legend he himself used to conquer the lands and create Kirigakure… Kubikiri, Aries, Deity, Samahada, Fang, Unlearnt, Hiramekarei… they were his most precious treasures. Being just a kid, I was so proud and happy to be picked to protect our village…"
As he leant over, the woman behind him smiled as she listened. In spite of the great pain he felt as he spoke, he could still form coherent speech with his mouth.
"Out of all my friends and my comrades… I carried our village's weight as best as I could, for so many years. It may have been heavy and painful… but I still did so without question or complaint…" Hikita coughed again, gritting his teeth. "And I had lost so much…" Shaking his head, he opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder to the woman comforting and confiding in him. "I have carried my sword for over 223 years… doing justice for Kirigakure and its people…"
"And you still do…" She rubbed his back, feeling his scars heal up under her touch. "Did you kill any of the Jonin during your attack on Konohagakure…?"
"None…"
"Good…" she nodded her head. "You, Yagura-kun, Miki-chan and Eclipse-kun performed your jobs… perfectly…" The smile she wore was only matched by the appeared of her black Sharingan and the red tomoes spinning from under the shadows of her hood.
Hikita sighed and rose to his feet, wiping the stream of blood running from his lower lip against the back of his gauntlet. The woman looked up at him when he stood up, and he looked down at her with concern.
"Are you sure… it's going to work?"
"Positive…"
"Mm-hmm…" the man sighed and hunched over, despite his attempts to act macho. In truth, he was still in great agony. "My body feels like it's been torn apart on the inside…" The swordsman emphasized this by clutching his chest, feeling his lungs tremor uncomfortably. "My chakra coils are screwed and my muscles and deteriorating…"
"Why are you so damaged?" the woman asked, with Eclipse still sitting over on his log, listening to the pair intently. "Is it because of your sword?"
Hikita chuckled and glanced down at the sword supporting him. "The reason the First Mizukage chose me to be the wielder of Deity… was because he was well aware of the costs associated with it, and saw me as the perfect candidate because of my unique bloodline."
Deity, the weapon in question, began to hum quietly indicating that its powers were returning to it. The man paid it little mind and continued talking.
"In fact, every one of the seven swords had a price needing to be paid… and that was usually owed in blood. The duel lightning swords Fang cut your chakra capacity in half, making you weak in order to keep its blades sharp. Samehada, the sword with a consciousness of its own, could attack its owner and choose its wielder any time it wanted to; a great risk to those lusting for its power. Then there was Aries, the weapon that cut your life-span in half in order to give the sword life and personality of its own. You literally shared a span of a hundred years between the two of you. Hiramekarei, unlike the other swords,ruined you by taking away one's self-confidence, and filling the wielder's existence with dread and misfortune."
Eclipse and the hooded Uchiha listened in carefully to every word the swordsman spoke as he leant against the tree for more support, still looking completely drained. It was a history they felt they needed to hear, as this was one of the only times they saw the man open up.
If they didn't listen, then Hikita would most likely walk off depressed again, and they would receive the full silent treatment from him… which was pretty sad… (In a bad way)
"The Executioner's Blade Kubikiri was a cursed sword. The original wielder of the sword only lived for ten years before being killed by his brother, and had his sword taken from him. The wielder of Kubikiri would only live for a few years of their life, before being replaced by their offspring or sibling, which was the price needing to be paid to carry it. The Momochi Clan, once the greatest clan in the history of Kirigakure, carried the sword on for decades, until their numbers were reduced to only one… Zabuza Momochi…" Hikita chuckled when he remembered his former, masked team member. "That sword really was the Executioner's Blade… since it would kill off its master in warrior's-death fashion at any time, anywhere. I always felt sorry for the poor bastard who wielded the weapon. Zabuza was the longest to ever carry that sword. That was until he had it stolen…"
"He was with Ryoko back in the village," Eclipse spoke up, looking over at his master with a stoic expression in play. "I sensed he had a different weapon with him when he faced us down…"
"Yeah. It's a disgrace for a kenjutsu master to lose their weapon in battle. But in Zabuza's case… it must be a huge relief for him. The cursed weapon has finally moved from his butchered family tree… to another's," the swordsman spoke, smirking at the irony. "The sword Unlearnt takes away one of the wielder's five senses as the price for being its master… something Kariya learned the hard way. The man lost his sense of touch… meaning when Zabuza killed him when the Hurricane of the Mist was protecting the Mizukage, he didn't know he was sliced in half till he was lying in a pool of his own blood…"
At that moment, a rustling in the bushes caught all of their attention, and Miki came striding towards them. Her parasol held above her, the white haired girl smiled at them as she approached, stopping beside her hooded client.
"Unlearnt took my sight away from me the moment I drew it from its scabbard," the blind girl said, looking around at them. "I knew the risks when I accepted the sword… and trained to make myself much stronger then I ever was without it…"
Hikita smirked at her. "Which is why you're better then Kariya ever was…" the swordsman nodded, before looking back towards the hooded Uchiha. "And finally… my sword Deity… is the most dangerous to use. It grants the wielder incredible power over gravity, literally defying it; but the one using it risks suffering the incredible rebound from the weapon. Whenever someone swings the sword, there is a ninety nine percent chance the wielder's body will be ripped to shreds from the inside out or even the outside in with the first attack. That is why I use it… and will be the only one to ever use it…" The man's smile fell as he spoke, looking away in shame, away from Miki and his hooded companion.
Miki blinked, tilting her head. "Hikita-sensei…"
The man frowned and looked away even more. "It was a fact I learned… when I tried to pass the weapon on to my daughter…"
The white haired girl regretted wanting to know beyond that.
Sighing, Hikita glanced back over, expression stoic, and exhausted bags seen under his eyes. "Until my job is done, I will not be returning to Kirigakure or handing my sword over to anyone. When I die; I take my weapon's abilities with me to my grave. That is the last thing the First Mizukage ever told me about the sword… that its curse will one day end, along with the others…" Pushing himself off of the tree, he stretched out and placed his hands on his hips, glancing back down at the woman beside him.
"So… how much longer do you have to live?" the Uchiha asked.
"I have two years… at the most…" Hikita replied. "The damage I'm receiving is getting worse with every month that passes, which is why I wear this…" He said this while raising his gauntlet and flashing his stolen stones to them. "The Stone of Gelel and the other gems extend my life span… but not indefinitely; the best it can do is help me cheat death for another month…"
The Uchiha nodded, smiling at him and reaching up, placing her hand on his cheek. "Your work will not be in vein…" She then turned towards Miki, watching the girl smile and nod up towards her. "You're done here, Miki-chan… thank you…"
The blind girl nodded and smiled, before holding her hand out. The hooded Uchiha pulled out a big envelope with the pay for the mission, which the girl took gingerly and pocketed it. Bowing thanks to the two, and then to Eclipse, Miki then headed off, leaving the scene without another word. After seeing her off, the hooded woman glanced back over to Hikita, her Sharingan eyes locking onto him.
"I will now fulfill my part and head down to the village. I foresee Itachi and Kisame are on their way, and I must be there in order to meet them." Hikita nodded back, watching as she prepared to leave. However, before she was able to walk off, one of his huge hands grabbed her arm and held her firm, the masked kunoichi looking over her shoulder at him.
"Shall I have Eclipse shadow you into the village?" Hikita asked, a light coloring on his cheeks catching the woman's attention.
Smiling underneath her hood, she turned around and gestured him to lean in. When he did, she placed her hands behind his head and kissed him on the lips. After a brief exchange of tenderness, she pulled away and smiled, watching him straighten up before she turned and walked off.
"I'll be fine, Hikita-kun…"
It took a full minute till she was completely out of sight, and when she was, Hikita turned his attention back to Eclipse, who was just staring at him from his log.
"We should head back to the Land of Grass… it'll be safer there…" the man stated, picking himself up and walking in the opposite direction that Miki and the Uchiha went in. Eclipse hopped off of the log, and followed after the man, the four gatherers leaving the area with no trace they were ever there, accept for the blood stains beside the stream.
Things appeared to be becoming very interesting…
One day after the invasion…
"I can't believe I'm back in here…" Naruto groaned, staring up at the ceiling of the hospital wing he was confined to, counting the holes in the panels above him. He was bandaged up for all the burns and such he received in his battle with the Three Tailed Giant Turtle, not to mention he was chakra exhausted again, meaning he could barely move again.
"Is it going to be like this every time I exhaust my chakra; my body just stops functioning all of a sudden?" the blonde asked himself, shaking his head, in spite of it being in a brace. "I hate myself sometimes…"
"Be grateful you have that kind of body, gaki," Anko spoke over from her bed on Naruto's right, the purple haired Jonin lying right by the window with her body in bandages too, her nose in stitches, and her leg and arm in a cast. "At least you didn't have to fight some tank of a swordsman that shrugged off whatever you threw at him and get tossed around like some rag doll…"
"That goes for all of us…" Kakashi spoke up, reading his Icha Icha comfortably in his bed across the walkway from them, sitting up with a towel wrapped around his face. His leg was in a cast and his arms were bandaged up from lightning burn. Not only was he hit by Raiton techniques unleashed by his opponent several times over, the masked Jonin's own attacks also rebounded off of his target and gave him flash marks all over him. "Be thankful that we're still alive…"
"Speak for yourself…" Asuma groaned, lying in his bed with his legs splayed out and bandaged from fire burns, and his chest exposed and wrapped up. His face had Band-Aids and patches making him look like some sort of Picasso nightmare, with an icepack on his crotch. "I wish I was dead right now. When people say ninja never fight fairly, they mean it…"
"I just don't know why they stuck us in the same room with that guy…" Kurenai spoke up, pointing towards Yagura lying in the bed not too far from them. The grey haired boy was unconscious, and in an intensive care state, wrapped up like a mummy with casts on his arms and legs, and linked up to I.V's. Naruto had really done a number on him. "Are you sure he's okay?"
"He's fine… just recovering from a mind-control episode and a hell of a lot of razor burn," Kakashi commented, turning a page. "I have to say, out of all the countries the Forth Mizukage could turn up in after he went missing for so many years; he turns up in Konohagakure. Heh… what are the odds?"
"This village has always been the center of attention throughout history," Anko muttered, sucking on the straw linked to her orange juice. "I mean, we've been on the receiving end of a lot of things; kidnapping attempts made by Kumo, wars waged against us by our own rogue ninja, ravaged by blonde menaces throughout history, plagued by perverts, it kind of all adds up after a while…"
"Hey!" Naruto shouted.
"I resent that!" Kakashi also called across.
"I… don't think she mentioned you in particular… Kakashi," Asuma chuckled. The silver haired Jonin took note of his blunder and quietly slunk back into his reading awkwardly.
"Good job giving it to him, gaki!" Anko exclaimed, smirking at her student and holding a fist out to him. "Fighting the Three Tailed Giant Turtle all by your lonesome, now that's impressive…"
Naruto furrowed his brow at the woman. It took only a few seconds for his teacher to realize he couldn't move at all and grinned awkwardly.
"Oh… sorry…"
"Thanks anyway, Anko-sensei," Naruto replied, smiling. "What do you think that says about my skills at this point?"
"Definitely Jonin level if you can tackle on a Tailed Beast! It took the Second Mizukage from Kirigakure to step in to bring that thing down when its jinchuriki lost control all those years ago… and you just did his job all by yourself," Asuma chuckled. "You even managed to save a lot of villagers while you were at it…"
"If Gaara hadn't shown up when he did, I wouldn't have been able to do anything as far as picking up each one of those villagers in trouble with my shadow clones, and running like hell to escape the tsunami," Naruto chuckled. "I also did save the village from quite a bit of property damage."
"Well, you certainly showed great initiative on the battlefield, economic thinking, and displayed incredible strength in the face of great adversity," Kakashi eye smiled over at him. "Exactly what the Forth Hokage did when he saved the village from the Nine-Tailed Fox when it attacked…"
"BTW… fur ball is still pissed off at having half of his soul sucked out of him during the resealing process," Naruto pointed, giving the silver haired Jonin a grin. "I may be on good terms with the fox now, but I still get a mouthful from him during visiting hours…"
"Tell him I said hi," Kurenai smirked over at the boy, who smiled back. "But you did really well out there Naruto. You defended the Village Hidden in the Leaves, as well as saved a lot of lives…"
"How did my teammates do?" Naruto asked, looking around curiously. "Certainly they deserve a bit of credit, after the exams and everything…"
"Of course," Anko chuckled, scratching her nose, only to wince when it burned sharply at being touched. "Ow! I just heard earlier today… while they were wheeling me through the hospital, that Hinata had engaged some really scary looking, white haired girl in battle; one of the third party enemy ninja's. The Chunin I heard this from were in the middle of a battle with a platoon of Sound Ninja, when she suddenly came plowing through the frontlines, pursued by the bitch. While they fought, they cut down a lot of the enemy in their wake. I gotta say… Hinata really pulled through against that woman…"
"I heard she nearly died out there," Asuma said, nodding his head and gesturing to Kurenai. "But then I saw her later onwards, looking as fresh as a daisy and had a big smile on her face."
"It must have been a tie," Kurenai smiled. "I knew she'd pull through though."
"She was determined to fight Miki, since their match was put on hold. I heard from Sakura that she was really determined," Naruto shrugged. "Independent spirits, my teammates…"
"Oh. Sakura's match." Kakashi spoke up, lowering his book. "She did surprisingly well against Gaara. That fight could have gone either way if it kept going."
"Although Gaara would have most likely won, she still showed an exceptional increase in her skills and abilities after the short month," Kurenai pointed. "Her first fight against Tenten in the preliminaries was surprising; for her to be able to beat one of Gai's own students. She displayed remarkable agility and technique, as well as taking advantage of her surroundings to use freely at her disposal. Then she fought toe to toe with the Subaku no Gaara whom not even Neji, the best Genin in Konohagakure next to Naruto and Lee at the time, could beat."
"She also showed excellent ingenuity and resourcefulness in her training," Anko made that note too. "She has incredible potential to later surpass a kunoichi such as Kurenai or myself… maybe even Tsunade!"
"Lee has progressed far. I never knew he could be so physically strong and versed in taijutsu that he could still perform on the battlefield while unconscious," Asuma said, looking around at the others as he gave his personal review on the Genin. "There was also Kiba, who showed an uncanny deception and strategy level that could rival Naruto's, and he was able to bring down a high level ninja like Kankuro. I'd say that's shelving some of his direct fighting characteristics, and moving more into thinking first before acting."
"But then there is Ino, in her fight against a powerful opponent like Lee, she showed an almost phenomenal increase in her fighting style and physical strength, and put her brain to good use in a one-on-one battle," Kurenai cut in, wanting to point out that particular student. "Even though it was a close quarter fight, she made sure to put a lot of distance between herself and her opponent in order to think up a strategy that would work against someone way above her class."
"Exceptional team leaders are those who think ahead before they move, and put the safety of others above their own," Kakashi summarized, glancing round at his bedridden comrades. "Out of all the Genin that participated in the exams to display this level-headed thinking in the heat of battle, I'd say Ino, Naruto, Sakura, and Kiba, would make the cut. It's not just displaying great initiative and brute strength that makes an excellent Chunin, it's also the ability to outsmart your enemy, think around dangerous obstacles, and completing a mission with minimal risk to your comrades. I'd say all the Genin that participated can be classed in this category, but only a select few would most necessarily make it…"
"What with the invasion and everything, and the casualties we have suffered," Anko spoke up, looking out the window towards the village outside, which was now undergoing serious repairs. "I think the best course of action to take at this point, is to replenish our regular shinobi forces by promoting the more seasoned Genin to Chunin, in order to sure up our numbers. Not to mention we'll need every available hand to take on missions that ordinary Genin cannot perform…"
The Jonin could only agree with what the leader of Team 7 had to say, and soon enough, discussions on the reconstruction of the village began.
In the week following…
"Naruto, you were amazing!"
"I never knew you were so strong, Naruto-kun!"
"What was it like fighting a giant turtle?"
"Are you really hurt?"
"Was it a really tough battle? They way you said it before wasn't that convincing… but everybody else said it looked bad!"
Out of all the people to come and visit the blonde on a day to day basis, the bedridden Genin never expected to content with the pushiness of Konohamaru and his two friends Moegi and Udon. All three of them flocked to his bed on visiting hours and bugged him for questions about his battle with the Tailed Beast, which spread faster then wild fire across the entire village in just a matter of days. As a result, a lot of the villagers' kids went to the hospital to try and get a glimpse of the blonde, but were forced to leave when they came in on mass. This left only small group visits from friends and family.
Though the Genin teams often came into see how their teachers were doing and such, Naruto also received warm congratulations from the residents at his place, quite a few random girls, fans and Konohamaru.
Ever since he ran into him several months ago, the boy would just happen to run into him while he was training on the fields provided, which was supernatural in retrospect…
The three academy students were bobbing up and down at the end of his bed while he sat cross-legged and his formed into a perfect hand seal, performing some chakra exercises with a stack of about thirty six books sitting on top of his head. At the same time, Naruto stared at the three gawking children, with Kakashi, Asuma and Kurenai laughing in the background. Anko had nodded off a while ago, snoring away in her corner.
"Listen, Konohamaru," Naruto groaned, smiling at him and his little troop. "I know you guys really, badly, want me to tell you the story… again, but I'm just not feeling up to it today…"
"Awwww…"
"But bro…"
"Okay… here's what I'm offering you. If you can get me… a bowl of Miso ramen in the next… hour or so, then tomorrow as a reward, when I get out of here, I promise I will tell you the story in full detail in front of all your friends! Deal?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow at the three kids.
"Deal!" The grandson of the Third Hokage exclaimed, giving the blonde the thumbs up. Naruto smiled and nodded, before watching the three kids run out excitedly.
"That is cruel and unusual… even for you, Naruto," Kurenai exclaimed, watching the kids run out of the hospital wing. "They really look up to you…"
"I already spent time with them three hours yesterday, it gets kind of exhausting," Naruto replied, going back to his exercises. "My first priority is getting better, so that I can go out and help with the repairs of Konoha. I can't let my teammates and friends do all the work…"
"Just relax for a bit, Naruto," Asuma said, chewing on a toothpick. "Have some fun while you're here…"
"Get too stressed and you won't live long, at least that's what the nurse keeps telling you," Kurenai shrugged. "You don't have to keep training yourself while you're in the hospital…"
Naruto sighed and lowered his hands to his sides, taking the books off of his head and setting them down. "I guess I can take it easy for a bit. These are mostly medical journals, anyway… there's a lot of balance in them…" He then looked over to where Yagura was lying. The Forth Mizukage was starting to look better, but he was still comatose from his ordeal. "I was hoping he would be up by now so I'd have another jinchuriki to talk to."
"You can talk to us more," Asuma removed the toothpick and grinned at him. "Anything on your mind you're interested in sharing with you teachers? Or is there something you want to ask that's been bugging you?"
Naruto looked up and rubbed his chin in thought. After a minute or so of careful thinking, the blonde then smiled and looked back down. "I have one question. What's behind Kakashi-sensei's mask…?"
"Oh God, not this again…" Kakashi groaned, lowering his book. His face was still covered by the towel bequeathed to him by the medical personnel at his request, and the fact that it was loose did not shake the interest of everyone, who all turned their attention to him. "Listen, I'm not hiding anything out of the ordinary under my mask."
"Then why do you wear a mask?" Kurenai queried curiously.
"Because I… I uhh…I… uhh… don't… like… showing my face in public," Kakashi shrugged.
"Why?" Asuma asked.
"No matter what you say, I'm not showing you my face." The man crossed his arms to assert his position. However, when he looked up again, he saw Naruto, Asuma and Kurenai advancing on him, all three of them in walking condition and quite eager to jump him and remove the face cloth. The masked Jonin now felt quite insignificant and backed away from them as they approached his bed. "Uhh… actually… on second thought…"
"I'm glad to see you're up and about, Naruto," a voice sounded from the doorway, causing the three people out of their beds to look around. When they did, they saw the Third Hokage standing at the doorway, accompanied by Ryoko, Mia, the Mizukage, and Yamato, the man surprisingly out of his ANBU uniform and wearing the standard Jonin attire today. The Third smiled when he saw all attention in the room turn to him. "Good to know that you're able to leave the hospital early…"
"Huh…?" Naruto was about to respond, but then turned back to Kakashi, with Asuma and Kurenai doing the same. They were disappointed when they saw that the masked Nin had used a substitution technique and bailed out of the room at the last second; replacing himself with a pillow. Sighing, the three of them lumbered back to their beds and returned their focus to the village leaders at their door.
"What's up, old man?" Asuma asked, sitting himself down on the edge of his mattress. "I'd hate to think you're just here on business…"
"No, not really… this is both personal and business related," Hiruzen exclaimed, walking in with the others. Mei Terumi smiled when she approached Naruto's bed and sat herself down on the one next to his, Ryoko also joining, propping her sword at her side and leaning against it with her huge characteristic smile in play.
"We got a full report of what you did out there from the Chunin who were at the scene, brat," the swordswoman spoke up, grinning. "Nice work…"
"You were able to bring down Yagura when he was in full Tailed Beast mode. That is really impressive," Mei smiled, looking the boy over, quite surprised at seeing how young he actually was up close. "There hasn't been a shinobi in years that could go toe to toe with our former Kage, and a single Genin from the Village Hidden in the Leaves actually manages to beat him."
"Glad to see I'm being appreciated for my work," Naruto grinned bashfully and placed his hands behind his head. "He was really strong. I didn't think I was going to make it about half way through the fight, but I managed to pull through in the end…"
"I'm also surprised to see that it was someone so young. That really speaks a lot about your potential," Mei exclaimed, reaching out and ruffling his hair. "The Hokage didn't mention you were such a cute little guy either…"
The blonde sweat-dropped. "Cute…?"
"Now, now Mei-chan, we discussed this before," Ryoko chuckled, sitting down on the bed next to Naruto and wrapping her arm around him. "We agreed that I would be the one marrying him in the future…"
"When did we agree on this?" Naruto shouted, looking a bit bewildered.
"Mizukage-sama, please," Hiruzen chuckled, strolling forward with his hands still behind his back. Mei smiled up at the old man as he approached Naruto, and came to stand in front of him and Ryoko, all of them now with their attention set on Konoha's distinguished leader. "I'm sorry this can't be done in a more formal manner, Naruto, but after the attempted invasion of Konohagakure by Sunagakure and Otogakure, we need to work fast in order to get this village and its shinobi back up to speed…"
"Since the Village Hidden in the Sand is without a Kazekage for the time being, under the unanimous agreement of Suna's High Council, the Hidden Sand has offered Konohagakure its full surrender," Mei stated, folding her legs as she looked around at all those present in the room, who were listening intently to the report. "Just yesterday, an alliance was signed between Konohagakure, Kirigakure and Sunagakure. I am happy to say that the three villages have made peace…"
"That's great!" Naruto exclaimed. Pleasant looks were also worn by the Jonin present in the room.
"That's not all," Hiruzen smiled, clearing his throat. "In order to get our military strength back up to full speed, and consecutively stabilize the village's shaken infrastructure and economy, we'll need a lot of Chunin to fill in the gaps left by those who have unfortunately passed away in the wake of the surprise attack. Hence, the delegates and judges of the Chunin Exams have reached their decisions on the Genin who will be promoted."
"They agreed that Ino Yamanaka and Kiba Inuzuka should be promoted," Mei stated, nodding her head to the blonde haired boy. "In light of the outcomes of their rounds, they have shown to be capable field thinkers and strategists, ideal for team leaders of the Hidden Leaf…"
"Sakura Haruno and Hinata Hyuuga will also be promoted to Chunin," Hiruzen exclaimed. "They acted within the bounds of their abilities, fought economically, and defended the village admirably, not to mention the various missions they participated in as Team 7 has earned them a lot of credit…"
"Lee's stellar performance in combat earned him a lot of praise from the distinguished guests in the audience," Mei stated. "He really got the crowd going with his display, but his abilities also spoke well for themselves. We've also decided to promote him to Chunin, a position which will be really flexible for him."
"Lee has a lot of roles we need him to fill in here in the village. He'll help with teaching taijutsu to the students at the academy, and to the Genin who have lost their team captains. We'll also put him on a rotation basis between team member and team leader, at his sensei's consent, till everything straightens up around here," the Third said.
"Good for him. He deserves it," Asuma smiled. "Lee's presence at the academy should really lighten things up."
"We've also decided to promote you to Jonin, Naruto," Mei exclaimed, raising her hand towards the blonde. "Congratulations…"
Grinning from ear to ear, the newly promoted Genin shook hands with the young Mizukage. At that very moment of contact with one of the big five, he felt lighter then air, a swell of excitement bubbling up inside of him; something he hadn't felt in ages.
"It's an honor, ma'am…"
Ryoko chuckled and nudged him, pressing the boy up against her when she wrapped her arm around him again. She pressed his face up against one of her well endowed breasts as a result, which caused him to blush insanely red. "You fought a hard battle out there. Don't think your abilities and efforts wouldn't pay off some day, brat!"
"You displayed an exceptional level of responsibility and leadership in the heat of battle, and showed strengths and skills far above that of a Chunin level shinobi," the Hokage exclaimed, pulling out a folded up green vest from behind him and handing it to the blonde. Naruto took it and looked down at the standard Jonin attire in awe, smiling when he felt the vest under his touch. "You have also received a lot of credit for incapacitating the Three Tails' jinchuriki, whom will now be returned to Kirigakure."
"Once Yagura regains consciousness, I'll have him placed as my advisor in village matters, and also put him under protection for the coming year," Mei stated, nodding her head. "Times are changing, and protection of our village's civilians and treasures will become one of our top priorities."
"Can't have a village without its people," Naruto exclaimed, smiling up at the two village leaders. Mei nodded her head; glad he was able to pick up on the most basic of leadership idealism. Ryoko also grinned, while the Third Hokage gave the blonde a pat on the shoulder. Asuma and Kurenai were also watching from the sidelines, looking pleased and feeling proud for the young Genin.
He's certainly showed a lot in the past year to earn this respect from such highly distinguished individuals.
"There's also, going to be a small change in the system of leadership around Konohagakure," Sarutobi said, as Mei stood up and walked around to go check on Yagura. Ryoko also joined her so that they could share some more time to talk, while discussing issues in terms of both villages' shinobi. Hiruzen cleared his throat as he stood before Naruto, giving him an analytical look over as the blonde listened in. "In light of the invasion that has taken place, and the danger Orochimaru poses, I have come to the decision that I can no longer function as an adequate leader of this village…"
"W-What? But… old-man Third…" Naruto was about to protest, but Sarutobi raised his hand to silence any and all objections, particularly towards Kurenai and Asuma, who were also about to stand to the matter.
"I'm an old man, as you have so often and so eloquently put it Naruto; one who is reaching the end of his generation of shinobi," Hiruzen nodded, letting out a sigh. "I was hoping to be fully retired by now, and living in my estate with what is left of my family. But things haven't gone that way. But now, it's time I decided on my successor…"
"Well…" Naruto cleared his throat, looking down briefly in thought. Hesitant, he looked up at his role model and boss, who he had considered a grandfather throughout a majority of his life. "W-Who did you have in mind?"
"Jiraiya wouldn't accept the position, and I didn't expect him to, and Kakashi Hatake is still too green for the job. In spite of what other people might have to say about his skills and adequacy, I believe he is still too young, and taking my job isn't something he himself finds tasteful," Hiruzen stated, rubbing his chin as he spoke. "Frankly, Kakashi would be my second choice in this matter. However, Jiraiya has agreed to find me the number one candidate who is suitable for the position, which, incidentally, is also your first mission as a Jonin."
"What is it?"
"I want you to go with Jiraiya, and two other teammates of your choice, and find my other former student Tsunade," the Third Hokage said, placing his hands behind him again and looking down at the blonde seriously. "The shinobi and civilian council have agreed she would make the perfect Hokage in my stead. I myself, fully agree on that decision…"
"So, you expect me to leave…?"
"As soon as possible," Hiruzen smiled. "Tsunade is hard to catch, and you'll need all the time you need to find her."
"I'll leave tomorrow," Naruto exclaimed, rising to his feet, clenching his vest to his chest. "We'll bring her back. She and I have a history, so if all goes well, we'll have her sitting at your desk in the tower by the end of the week."
"Glad to hear," Hiruzen patted him on the shoulder again, before turning hell and heading over towards Asuma and Kurenai to check on them.
So far, this day wasn't going so bad after all…
Later that afternoon…
"To Naruto and his glorious ascent into manhood," Kiba exclaimed, raising a glass of sake to his best bud sitting across the table from him, who had a sullen look on his face. Although everyone else present at the table raised their glasses to him, the blonde wasn't too enthusiastic with replying to Kiba's rather ballsy toast.
"I'll… make a note to smash your face in the next time we spar… Kiba…" Naruto groaned, raising his glass rather reluctantly an exchanging pleasantries with the chiming of beverages.
The Rookie Nine had all gathered together for a celebratory night out, to commemorate all those who have been promoted. Though the main highlight of the evening was in fact Naruto being promoted to Jonin, he himself personally felt more inclined to celebrate his teammates' leap to Chunin, and instead held his glass up to Sakura and Hinata, above himself. The pink haired kunoichi and the Hyuuga sat on either side of him, overjoyed to finally see him out of the hospital and in his Jonin gear, still wearing his trench coat over the vest and his straw hat sitting beside him.
While Naruto, Sakura and Hinata sat on their end, Ino sat next to Sakura on her right, sharing a rather pleasant conversation with her in spite of being in a competitive streak to gain Naruto's affections. Shikamaru sat on the bleach blonde's other side yapping it up with Naruto, and Choji following right after, eating nonchalantly. Gai's Team had also joined in the celebration, with Tenten happily talking across to Naruto and Lee booming loudly about youth, even though he wasn't in a drunken stupor. Neji, aside from his teammates' boisterous moods, instead enjoyed his meal in his own enclosed world. Kiba sat at the other long end of the table alongside Shino and Sasuke, both of them, though joining in with the cheers and toasts, focusing more on what they were eating and drinking then talking. Needless to say, the more stoic members of the teams were caught up in their own time.
"To youth!" Lee shouted happily, holding up his iced tea. "Everyone will eventually move on, as the torch from the previous generation will be passed on to this one! BUT YOUTH SHALL ALWAYS REMAIN WITH YOU! LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST! LET EVERY DAY BRING MORE JOY AND GOOD HEALTH TO ALL YOUR LIVES!" The bushy browed Chunin made this proclamation while hugging his teammate Neji, who tried to shimmy away from the disturbingly energetic individual.
"Lee… keep your voice down, you're scaring the straights!" Neji snapped.
"It never gets old with your teammates, does it?" Naruto asked Tenten curiously, while engrossed in the affectionate embrace of Lee with a terrified Hyuuga, pushing the teen's face away from his. Though it was more like brotherly love, it was still hilarious to see Neji like this.
"No… this is pretty much routine for us," the shuriken user exclaimed, also turning to look. "It usually goes down like this between Lee and sensei, but in our team leader's absence, Neji often fills in for him. He obviously doesn't like it…"
"I know that Gai and Lee can create a beachside property all to themselves when they embrace in that God awful genjutsu that is so perfect you can skip stones across the water and get attacked by seagulls. But what happens between Neji and Lee?" Sakura asked. Tenten smirked and pointed over.
"Just watch and wait…"
At that moment, Lee rose to his feet and pointed upwards in a random direction, and all of a sudden the entire dining table and the people eating around it suddenly found themselves on top of a cliff, looking up at the stars with a crescent moon. Everyone, including Team 7 became confounded when they felt grass scratching their knees and not the smooth material supplied by the restaurant they were in.
"Neji! You must look far over the horizon, because that's where the future is! Our youth shall take us all the way over that horizon to something new and exciting! With every step, with every skip, with every bound, we shall propel ourselves further then that!" Lee shouted, tears in his eyes as he had his arm wrapped around Neji's head. Unknown to bushy brows, he was unintentionally strangling Neji under his grip. "LET OUR LIVES EXPLODE TOGETHER!"
At that instant, fireworks shot up out of nowhere and began exploding all over the sky in amazing, bright colors. Ino, Kiba and Naruto actually applauded at the quality of the genjutsu Lee managed to produce.
"Wow, that's pretty cool," Sasuke murmured, watching as a series of rockets shot up all at once and, with a loud clap of thunder, exploded into a magnificent flower in the skies above them.
"Look at the stars," Shino said, his glasses flashing as he and a couple of the other shinobi present checked out the constellations present. "Orion, Sagittarius, the Northern Star…"
"Even a constellation that is surprisingly rearranged to create Lee and Gai-sensei smiling over our heads," Sakura pointed. When they all turned, the group spotted the glowing teacher and student grinning characteristically down at them, thumbs up, and the brightest stars creating the gleam in their teeth.
"A-Amazing…"
"Other then the fact that the photo realistic quality is a little bit off, the elk and the eagle are positioned incorrectly and…," Shikamaru grumbled, running his finger over the night sky painted behind him. When he removed the finger, he found out it actually was paint and looked down at the dark blue stain on his fingertip, "…the background hasn't dried off yet, it's still conceptually impressive."
Just as everyone was in the middle of admiring the new scenery, it all went downhill when one of the fireworks rockets suddenly hit the invisible ceiling, bounced off and ripped through the air between the people around the table, before exploding inside the restraint. The blast of sparks scared the shit out of the other patrons and effectively dispelled the illusion.
"Oops…" Lee fell back down to the ground, taking Neji with him, who was still struggling to break loose. "Gai-sensei said for me not to display my youthfulness indoors…"
"HEY!" the manager of the restaurant came around, carrying a large clever with him and looking pissed. "Enough with your shenanigans you lot, you're scaring the other customers!"
"Sorry…" Everyone mumbled and bowed apologetically.
TO BE CONTINUED…