Author's Notes: I'm going to make this short (if I can) but I want to thank dhh for pointing something out. Readers may have noticed that a lot of the dialogue has been taken directly from the series with a few changes (Hidama and Zabuza causing Itachi and Kisame to run off instead of Gai). What I'm trying to say is when I get to a chapter where the scenario will be the same I won't write it down.
In the anime Naruto is 12 but I'll be making him 13 for the sake of my story. Sure Naruto is small for his age but he'll hit a growth spurt much later on. And yes, the main pairing is Naruto and Kakashi but it won't be really evident until much later. Last note, if I skip over episodes well, you can't call it fanfiction if all you do is write down the entire series word for word and pass it as your own. So again thanks to dhh for the help and helpful criticism.
DarkRavie, love you for staying with me!! If you have any suggestions throw them in please!
Disclaimer/Warnings: From now on I will only post these on the first chapter. I don't want to fill up the chapters with these things and annoy you, the readers. Sound fair?
"Family Ties"
By: Beloved Shadow of Light
+ In Search of a New Hokage +
The large sannin looked down at his newest student and resisted the urge to sigh deeply. Ever since they left eh village the blonde brat was quiet. He didn't say a word and wasn't bouncing around like a three-year-old high on sugar. To be honest, it was quite unsettling. Then he opened his mouth and asked a few rather personal questions of his mother and the boy flatly told him to "keep his tongue still least he lose it". With his hand already in his weapon pouch the sannin got the picture and shut his trap.
'Besides, I'm not a hentai! I just appreciate the female form more than others,' he thought to himself. Thinking about that woman he could feel the blood rushing but was quickly pulled out of it when he heard a warning growl. "So! Bet you're excited about this trip, ne?" he asked with a nervous grin.
"..." Naruto ignored him, silently staring at the road.
"Hmm, you see we're looking for a very special lady. In fact, she used to be my teammate when I was your age."
Not a single peep.
"... okay... Oh and don't worry I haven't forgotten about that other jutsu I promised you! It's a great one, even better than Chidori!"
Blue eyes flashed, tanned hands tightening over the leather straps of his pack dangerously as he snorted.
'Kami this kid is a hard nut to crack!' the writer snorted. "C'mon gaki, this is gonna be a long trip but it'll go by faster if you just talk!"
"... Why did you bring me along?" came the cold question. "Zabuza is a great teacher that thanks to him I can create several Mizu Bushins while standing atop the hot springs, I can even fight them in a spar. Kakashi and Gai are helping me with my taijutsu in between missions. Okaasan is making me a better tracker and helping me move quieter, just like her. Even my brothers and sister train with me when we have time... but I'm forced to go with you on some fool's errand."
"This happens to be of great importance to Konoha, gaki! The woman we're looking for is a powerful sannin who is gonna be the Godaime Hokage!"
"Then why didn't you bring in ANBU or a jounin? Why me and not Sasuke?"
"Maa you're a rude gaki. You should feel honored that I'm teaching you anything but your parents are scarier than Yomi itself."
"This from someone who spends his life writing porn and spying on women in the bath houses!" he yelled. It was a good thing the two were alone on the empty roads because Naruto just couldn't take it anymore. Even since Gaara had been forced to transform the whole dynamics of the family were changing for the worse. He didn't know who to trust anymore.
"I told you I'm not a hentai! And I wanted to take you on because you remind me a lot of the Yondaime Hokage but now all I see in common in your blonde hair and stubbornness! He was never such a brat like you are!" the large man snapped before slapping his hands over his mouth. He had let his emotions get the better of him and shoved both of his big feet into his mouth at the same time. The hurtful and dejected look in the blonde's face made him so damn low...
"You're worse than Kakashi. At least he's looking past him to finally see me," he said coldly; turning he continued walking, trying to stop the tears from falling.
The writer tried to say something but reached out and grabbed the boy's shoulder but the sharp shriek of a kunai striking his wrist guard made his ears ring and force him to pull his arm back. "Naruto..."
"Don't touch me!! Every time I trust some stranger they stab me in the back and I get hurt!! Because of my damn team I almost lost my brother and sister!!" he shouted angrily, banishing the kunai tightly in his hand. Taking a few steps backwards he tuned and continued walking but kept the knife out. Jiraiya could only watch as the boy's shoulders shook with each step, the sobs barely being suppressed. With a heart heavier than lead he silently followed after him, knowing that he owed the boy an apology.
Watching the duo from a distance were the two Akatsuki members that had invaded the village earlier in search of their target. Having escaped the jounins the two managed to overhear some kids talking about a blonde boy going on a journey with a white-haired pervert to look for someone. Now they were atop a cliff side, watching the two from a relatively safe distance.
"It's too bad we couldn't catch the Jinchūriki when he was alone, but not like this. He's too strong," Kisame pointed out to his partner.
"Hai. If we both fought him, we would both be killed; or in a good case, we might kill him but we'd die along with him," Itachi agreed. "Even if we had more men, that result would not change.
"His caretaker is a legendary sannin. The prodigal son Konoha no Uchiha Clan and former Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū both seem petty before his name."
"Hai... but even the most strongest of opponents have a weakness." Silently Itachi stood and narrowed his eyes. They would not fail.
--
Shiruba calmly walked down the halls of the hokage mansion, a lit candle in her hands. No one was to be here until the next leader was chosen but no one knew of this secret passage save for the two council elders. And if they knew she was in here... well, she didn't want to go to jail even if it would be worth killing them.
The limestone walls were just as she remembered them. The air was a bit heavy from the disuse but she focused solely ahead. The last time she had been here was shortly after the death of her uncle, Senju Yasuo. But what no one knew was that he was her unofficial step-father and her mother's lover. The reason no one knew was that despite their great love for each other they both had too many enemies that would seek to hurt them through their family. She gave a short and dry chuckle at that.
'Like anyone could hurt us,' she thought to herself. But someone did; Nidaime Hokage had died of poisoning from someone he had trusted. The betrayer was executed and those that had sided with him with also executed and banned with only their clothes on their back. Medics tried their best but all they could do was add a few days to his life, more than enough time to make sure Goku was ready to take the title of Sandaime. Shiruba wiped away the tears that threaten to fall when she remembered him calling her to his room.
The room was dark with a single candle on the table next to the large bed. The large curtains had been pulled back to reveal the beautiful night-sky but the young girl didn't care to notice. The young lady had been in the room dozens of times before but it seemed so dark and cold, like a tomb. She hated it, shivering as she made her way to the bed. The scene was even worse when she saw that her father-figure lying so still, barely breathing; he looked like a living corpse. She frowned and turned to leave but his eyes opened and looked up at her, smiling.
"Shiruba-chan... you came..." he said in a voice barely above a whisper but hoarse and scratchy sounding. She smiled and carefully sat next to him, taking his hand in her own. She inwardly cringed at the icy coldness.
"Hai. You should be resting, Yasuo-oji..." she whispered, trying to hide the fact that she didn't want to see him like this.
"Tell me... I look terrible, ne?"
"Not too terrible..."
He chuckled though it was dry. He allowed her to help him sit up and drink some water from his glass at the side table before lying back down. "Shiruba, I won't be able to stay here for much longer but I want to give you something..."
"Why do you always give me gifts?" she asked with a soft smile. Though he wasn't her real father he always treated her as though he was. Her eyes widen when he pulled a wrapped bundle from beneath the covers and held it out to her. "Yasuo... I can't..."
"Onegai..." He didn't release it until she took it into her hand and watched as she unwrapped the gift. "I want you to take the sword as your own; you have the strongest gift of Raiton I have ever seen."
"But... But Takehiko-"
"Takehiko has my Suiton. Shiruba..." With some effort on his part he reached over and took her hands in his own, making her look at him. "Since Hidama came back with you in her arms, I wanted nothing more than to protect you both with every cell in my body, I knew I could never be your father but I still wanted to be there for you both... then Takehiko was born, but I never stopped calling you my musume."
Tears slowly fell as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him as tight as she dared. To have him still call her his daughter was the best gift she could have ever asked for. She always felt like she didn't belong in the family but all her fears had been for nothing. "Arigato chichi," she whispered.
He smiled and allowed himself a few tears as she carefully helped him lay back. "Promise me that no matter what you do or where you go, you will use the sword to protect those you care about."
Shiruba nodded as she wrapped the hilt in the scarf and tucked it into her folds of her sleeves. "I promise."
Two days later Yasuo died in his sleep. Medics said he had gone peacefully during the night so he felt nothing but the village mourned for the lost of their beloved kage. A few days later Sarutobi Goku was initiated into the role of Sandaime. But Shiruba was in the kage mansion and was standing in a hidden room that only a selected few knew about. Taking the sword from her coat she held it to her chest for a long time before hesitantly placing it next to a massive scroll full of forbidden jutsus, followed by a letter addressed to the hokage. She had left a similar letter with her family and friends before moving her hands into the necessary signs.
"Shunshin no Jutsu." Her body disappeared into a small swirl of smoke and dust only to reappear in an alley between two buildings. Making sure she had everything she walked out into the streets and then right out of the village. She looked back once but turned and continued her journey. "Gomen chichi... but I can't take it, not right now. 'Kaasan, I'll see you later."
'I kept the promise to okaasan, and now to keep the one to chichi.' Taking a deep breath she pushed at the wall and walked into the room where all secret items that only the hokage should know about were kept. She ignored everything and looked at the large scroll but she nearly dropped the candle when she saw the empty space next to the scroll.
Raijin Sword no Nidaime was missing.
So many emotions fought for dominance as she forced her body to take those few steps and reach out to touch the spot. A very faint outline was seen even through the dust but she could still smell the scent of the thief. Growling she raked her nails into the shelf, ignoring the deep scratches she made in the solid wood.
"When I find that teme that stole chichi's sword, I'm going to make him pay," she snarled, her eyes flickering to an enraged red-violet.
--
Sasuke charged down the streets, rage filling his heart. 'He's back in this village, and he's after Naruto. What's going on?' To say that he was eager to meet his brother after all these years was an understatement. He was still upset that the jounins knew he was here but never said anything; Kakashi had fought Itachi and lost but no one would stop him. He ran up a wall and began to jump from roof to roof, coming to the home where Naruto and his family lived. Jumping to the street he ran to the front gate, opening it and nearly ran into Sakura who dropped a box wrapped with a purple cloth patterned with a lilac flower pattern.
"Sasuke-kun..." she said softly but he quickly interrupted her.
"Where's Naruto?!" he demanded. She looked startled but answered him anyway.
"He's not home. I came by to give him some ohagi..." But the Uchiha ran off once he heard he wasn't home, leaving the kuniochi genin alone. He continued to charge down the streets, skidding to a stop at Ichiraku Ramen stand.
"Hey! Have you seen Naruto at all today?" he demanded of the owner immediately.
Teuchi frowned at the rude boy but thought back. "Hai, saw him earlier and then Jiraiya-san came by. They had ramen and got into an argument about some trip."
"Where?!"
"I think it was Otafuku Gai but I think they said something about taking the cattle-road," he answered. "Naruto didn't want to go but Jiraiya wouldn't give up until he said yes."
"Jiraiya?" Why did that name seem familiar?
"Hai! He's one of the three legendary sannin! He looks like a big, white-haired old man, though." That was all Sasuke needed before taking off. Teuchi grumbled about how he could have at least had a bowl of ramen as Ayame set a bowl before a customer at the bar.
"Watch it!" Konohamaru grumbled as he entered the stand with his two best friends and Iruka. "Gee, what's his rush?" he asked sourly.
"Maybe he has to go to the bathroom," Udon sniffed as he pulled himself onto a stool.
"Now now, I'm sure Sasuke didn't mean to run into you," the chunin said as he nodded to the owner for his usual. "Have you seen Naruto lately?"
"Hai but he left already," the old man said as he went to the back to prepare the noodles.
"Left?"
"That's right. He left on a journey with a man called Jiraiya," Ayame smiled as she took the kids' orders. "I expect them to be back in a few days at the most." Iruka returned the smile as the trio next to him began to speak excited about their leader going on a super important secret mission but the chunin instructor was a bit worried. He sighed and nodded his thanks as the bowl of miso ramen was placed before him.
'He'll be alright. I'll treat him to ramen when he gets back.' Saying grace he began to eat, and yelling at Konohamaru to sip, not slurp the rich broth. No one seemed to notice a man dressed in forest green spandex making his way over the roofs of the buildings, dashing past the ramen stand and out of the village at a rapid pace.
--
Otafuku Gai was vastly different from Konoha with its multiple signs everywhere, people crowding the streets, mixing with the street performers and contests held by pretty ladies dressed in tight clothing. Naruto looked around, a bit taken back by the atmosphere. He hadn't been to a place like this; Hidama said towns like this brought too many unwanted memories and Zabuza didn't like being surrounded by so many people. He had said it made him uneasy.
"This town is strange," he said mostly to himself but Jiraiya heard him yet said nothing.
'Must be his first time,' he thought and directed him to a nice hotel with a rather serene air about it. Going to the clerk had paid for a room and turned to his student. For a moment, he was taken back by the look of peace on the blonde's face as he gazed at the water sculpture. The kid finally looked at ease and for a strong moment, he was reminded of his former student who got the same look on his face when he was at peace, as well. "Naruto." He winced when the look broke and eyes narrowed at him.
"Nani." He noticed the keys in his hand and the frown grew even more. "You said so yourself that we don't have time to stop so why are you renting a room?"
"We need to rest. Tsunade may or may not be here but it wouldn't hurt to take a break. Just listen to your sensei's orders."
"I don't have time to waste, I need to continue training."
"Just listen to your sensei's orders!" he yelled. Big mistake as the kunai came out again but the soft footsteps made them both turn and look. Walking by the entrance was a rather attractive lady, wearing a pair of heels with a dark strapless mini-dress. The simple earrings and chain around her neck and waist added to her natural beauty as she gracefully ran her hands through her brown hair. Looking over at them she smiled and winked, giving a cute giggle.
Naruto blinked, blushing a bit at the pretty girl but he found it a bit strange that he just didn't feel anything for her. He was thirteen years old so why wasn't he acting like boys his age? Jiraiya, was another matter. Grabbing his wrist he placed the key into his hand.
"Go to the room, mold some chakra, train, and go to sleep," he commanded.
"Tch." Yanking his hand from his grip he glared at him. "Don't forget to wear a condom, hentai." He walking into the hotel, missing the look of rage from his teacher but he didn't care. If all he was gonna do was fool around then he would train on his own. Going up the stairs and down the hall he entered their room, looked around, and frowned.
"What is this, the cheapest place in town?" he asked. He really wasn't sure what to expect but as least there was two single beds. If he had to share a bed he was personally going to throw the pervert out and go straight back to Konoha. Sighing heavily through his noise he sat on the bed farthest away from the door and went through his pack. He smiled as he remembered Haku helping him pack. If he or even Shiruba had his way they would have tried to shove his whole room into the small bag but all he did was bring was some clothes, a weapon-care kit, even a few medic supplies as well as his money pouch and his sketch pad. That had been a argument: Shiruba argued that the journey would take days and that he should do something in between training; Haku said it was too big to fit and that he wouldn't have time for that; Gaara finally told him to take his sketchbook. He really did love his siblings but sometimes they could be a bit much. As much as he wanted to start drawing he didn't. Setting the pack on the floor he moved to the center of the small bed and prepared himself for some meditation.
'Okay, I can do this I just, need to focus.' Making sure he was comfortable the genin made sure his back was straight and moved his hands so his right hand was atop the left, both palms facing up with the thumbs barely touching. Once in position he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, listening to all the sounds in the room and outside; even through the closed window he could everything going on in the streets below but little by litter the sounds seem to melt away, making it seem as though the volume of the world was slowly being lowered. With each breath he found his mind focusing, silently slipping into the meditation state. He could feel his natural chakra flow through every part of his body, circulating through every fiber but he could now feel that second chakra his mother told him about. Without realizing it, he began to follow it, finding himself falling deeper and deeper into his subconscious than he had ever gone before. The idea was a bit frightening but he could feel something call out to him.
'This feeling... it's the same one I got when I thought I was gonna die...' he thought to himself. The feeling grew and he found himself staring at a pair of tall gates with a tag but as he reached out a sharp knock on the door rudely pulled him away. With a sudden jolt he was pulled free from his meditative state. Unfortunately he was so shocked he leaned too far back and tumbled off the bed with a thump.
"Shimatta!" he growled, rubbing his head as he managed to pull himself up. The knocking came again and he growled even louder. "I'm coming!" Getting to his feet he couldn't help but smirk. It would seem that the self-proclaimed "super-pervert" didn't get every woman he set his eyes on.
'Serves him right.' He got to the door in time to hear the person on the other side knock for a third time. "I said I'm coming now wait!" he yelled, wrapping his hand around the handle and turning as he turned the lock. "You forget your key or-" He looked up at the figure in the black cloak and immediately his eyes locked on blood-red eyes. This, was not the ero-sannin.
The first thought to go through his head was that it was Sasuke but little by little the differences could be seen. For one thing, this guy was several feet taller than him or his teammate, possible around Kakashi's height. The longer he looked into those eyes, the more fear and anticipation he felt. Part of him wanted to slam the door and lock it then hide under the bed, another part wanted to tear into him for having dare try and challenge him, but another part was frozen to the spot, afraid to move, afraid to breath.
'He has the sharingan just like Sasuke... but who is he?' he asked himself.
The next several moments seemed to be a blur. It felt like he was forced to watch as his body moved of its own accord, with his soul along for the ride. Even when Sasuke had appeared and tried to use Chidori against his anisan the blonde couldn't move. Whatever hold on him had lessen that he tried to gather the red chakra around himself, feeling it pike but thanks to intense training drilled into him by his family he threw himself back away from the massive sword. Unfortunately he felt as though a massive portion of his chakra had been stolen, leaving the rest at an unstable mess. Then that toad appeared to protect him and the connection was broken long enough for him to voice his displeasure at his perverted mentor.
"Then why did you chase after her like some hormonal teen?" he snapped angrily, dazing between Kisame, Itachi, and Sasuke. He heard his supposed mentor take a deep breath to yell at him but stopped him before he could start. "In case you haven't noticed, you're late and Sasuke is hurt. Do something, ero-sannin!" He wanted to see if the dark-haired boy was alright but he knew that even if he managed to side-step the swordsman he would have to worry about Itachi. He moved much too fast to be seen and he didn't even know if he had any weapons hidden on his person beneath the cloak. He looked up at those cruel red eyes and growled deeply, grinding his teeth to the point of pain. "Why are you after me?" he demanded.
Itachi quietly stared at the young boy, taking in his expression-filled eyes. He was taken back by his eyes that he felt compelled to answer his question. "Our mission was to abduct you, Naruto. We were chosen by those that run Akatsuki, our organization."
"Akatsuki... red moon..." he whispered. Everything seemed to move in a blur once more, repeating the name over and over in his mind by the time he retained his focus was when Sasuke's back collided with the hall down the far end of the hallway. He made to run towards his teammate but stopped immediately when Kisame blocked his way with his sword.
"I think this should be settled between brothers," he grinned. The blonde could only growl as he watched Itachi slowly make his way over to Sasuke, lifting him up by the collar of his outfit and slamming his back into the wall. He was sure words were being exchanged but he didn't realize he was moving until he heard the raven-haired boy cry out in pain, as though he was being tortured on the spot.
"Yamero yo!" he shouted, making it pass Kisame and running right for the Uchiha brothers.
"Nani?!" With a growl Hoshigaki took off after the blonde, Samehada held at his side that he forgot he was suppose to be keeping an eye on the legendary sage.
"Ninjutsu, Gamaguchi Shibari!!" Forcing his chakra into the walls all around them they began to transform into flesh. Naruto skidded to a halt, staring at their surroundings as Kisame was literally pulled to a halt. Even Itachi removed his hand as Sasuke was--quite literally--sucked into the wall. "You two are out of luck, for you are now inside my stomach!" Jiraiya grinned. "I summoned the esophagus of a gigantic frog from the Myōboku Mountain's rock inn. And since you two are wanted criminals, then you'll just be food for the Iwagama!!" Sure enough the stomach muscles began to slowly wrap around the sharkskin sword and around their feet, trying to digestive them alive.
Itachi called for a retreat and both criminals ran. Naruto ignored Jiraiya's call and ran to his teammate. Finding him alive but badly injured. He looked down the hall the two had run down, watching as the muscles closed in around them but just as they were heading for a dead end he was blinded by a flash of light and could smell burning flesh. Opening his eyes he saw that a hole had been burned out in the wall but the flames were black. He frowned and stared at the flames intently before turning his attention away and pulled his teammate free. Carefully sitting him against the wall he looked Sasuke over, ignoring the way the flesh receded so the walls and floor retuned to normal. All he could wonder was what had Itachi done to him mentally? What had he told him? What did the genin see that the rest of them couldn't? And what could drive a man to kill his entire clan but leave his brother alive?
With the black flames sealed away Jiraiya turned to the two young boys. He frowned as he realized that he had been fooled big time and that if the younger Uchiha hadn't come, it would have been disastrous. He didn't think Naruto would have gone with them but this was the first time he had ever been under the influence of the Copy Wheel Eye.
'I have got to take his training more seriously. If they're going after him so soon... then we don't have a lot of time left.' He sighed heavily, scratching the back of his head. Just as he was about to say something a kunai split the air, the tip embedding itself on the far wall. He stared at it with a dumbfound look on his face before he heard a rather familiar shout.
"Dainamikku Entorii!!" He looked up in time to see Maito Gai come sailing through the air and kick him directly in the face, sending one stunned sannin flying into the wall.
--
Kisame and Itachi ran as fast as they could from the town, knowing that the sannin wasn't following but they wanted to put as much distance between them as possible. However, Hoshigaki Kisame was not happy.
"Why did we have to run away? We could've-"
There is no need to hurry with Naruto at his current level," his partner interrupted. "Also, I need to rest myself for a while."
"... I told you to be careful. If he finds out-" He just sighed to himself at the limits his partner had pushed himself. To use his eyes so much in only one day was really taxing on him. He gave a start though when he felt his ring pulse and knew that Itachi felt it as well. Taking a final leap from the water they ran into the woods and paused at a clearing. They didn't have to wait long as one of the trees seem to move and a strange figure wearing an identical cloak separated himself from the tree and stood before them. The massive leaves that resembled jaws slowly opened to reveal the two-toned face of another comrade of theirs, one they didn't see very often.
"Zetsu-san. What brings you here?" Itachi asked, wincing as the crimson in his eyes faded to black.
"They sent me," the white side of his face said with unblinking yellow eyes. He noticed the wince but didn't move as he continued to speak in a low tone. "You have failed in your mission and the one known as the gama sannin knows of Akatsuki."
"Not like we were expecting him to be protecting the gaki," Kisame argued yet flinched when the gaze was turned on him.
"You were damn lucky, Hoshigaki. You and Uchiha know the rules for getting captured," the black side argued with a hunger that scared even those two. But Itachi shook off the fear of being devoured by the former Kuso nin.
"I'm sure you were given orders or else we would already be dead."
Zetsu nodded as he gazed at them each in turn. "Hai. You are to return with me to headquarters, no questions asked and no side trips."
"They also wanna know why you were stupid enough to use Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu right after the other," the black side interrupted.
"... It was unforeseen."
"Whatever. But you better have a good explanation by the time we get there, or else." Without preparing them the ground silently swallowed them up and with barely a stir, the three Akatsuki members were gone, leaving nothing behind to show they had been there to begin with.
--
Naruto moved at a steady pace as did Jiraiya, the tow continuing their journey after Gai apologized for striking the sannin and taking Sasuke back to Konoha so he could get treatment for his injuries. It was then did the old pervert reveal to him who they were looking for but the blonde didn't care. His hand drifted to his stomach as he thought back to Itachi's words.
'They knew about the fox, and I know they were after it and not me. But... why are they after him? Why are people so close-minded that they can't see that I'm not the demon? Why did the Yondaime Hokage seal it in me? Why did he attack Konoha in the first place?' He frowned as he clutched at his stomach tighter. 'Why can't anyone seem to answer my questions?'
The sannin looked back when he heard the blonde stopped and saw him gripping his stomach. He frowned, thinking he was worried and decided to try and reassure him. "I don't know why Akatsuki is after the kyūbi but rest assure I'll protect you."
"You made a promise to Gaara that you wouldn't let anything happen and because of your libido Sasuke got hurt, by his own brother." A verbal slap in the face made his blood run cold. All too calm blue eyes looked up at him, emptiness staring back at him. "Don't do me any favors." And just like before he walked past him and continued their journey for the next town, a place called Crater City. For him, the sooner they found this Tsunade person the sooner they could go back to Konoha and the sooner he could go back to real training with his parents. He wanted to get stronger but to better protect those he cared about. And, to protect the kitsune sealed within him.
Whether he heard it or not there was a very soft rumble in the far back of his mind. A rumble that sounded like a very soft growl but if one strained their hearing just right, they would be able to tell that it was a very rough purring. Behind a sealed gate eyes red as fire opened, catching the blonde's thoughts before silently drifting shut once more.
--
An adorable pink pig made soft noises as he sniffed at the air, his leash being held by a rather busty looking woman wearing a green coat with the kanji of "kake" on her back. A dark-haired lady dressed in a dark yukata dress stood at her side, looking up at a building they lay before them.
"Okay, we'll go here," she said with a smirk.
The dark haired woman was confused but taking a closer look at the sign of the town and she fell back, a shocked look on her face. 'This place is full of gambling houses!!' she freaked. Even the small pink pig oinked in concern, falling back a few steps.
'Here we go again...' he thought to himself sadly.
The trio walked up the tall set of stairs, entering the town and passing by buildings before the blonde stopped at one with the sign surrounded by images of dice. With a smirk she stopped in front of it with determination. The young lady looked up and once more, had another freak out.
"T-This place has the highest wager requirement...!!" she said with shock.
"Don't get so scared," the busty woman said and entered the building. "Let's go."
"Onegai wait!" She had no choice but to follow but she had a sinking feeling that this would not end well.
They walked down the halls before entering one of the gambling dens. All the men working the table looked up, wondering who she was but the man at the end looked up and his eyes widen. He knew who she was even as she placed the large briefcase on the table and opened it up to reveal it full of cash.
"I want all of this converted into chips," she told them with a smirk. The man gasped at the amount of money. In the doorway the pretty young lady squeezed the pet pig tightly in her arms, shocked that she was going to use the money the blonde borrowed to gamble yet again.
One of the men, Jantō, leaned over to the head croupier and asked who she was. "You don't know?" Sōzo asked him before smirking himself. "This lady has a nickname."
"Nickname...?" One by one the men noticed the jade necklace hanging around her neck and the tiny diamond on her forehead. One by one they began smirking as the realization of who this woman was and what she was known as in the world of gambling. This just made the girl with the girl panic even more and wanting nothing more than to take the money and run.
"Hai. She's known as... the Legendary Sucker."
--
Crater City was in full swing of their festivals with shops and stalls dressed in bright banners. The streets were crowded with many people there seemed to be barely any room to walk from store to store. Kids happily ran down the streets, wearing masks of bright and colorful faces. Pets happily chased after them, barking and tails wagging as the excitement fueled their bodies. People chatted and laughed as they told stories and jokes, eating the delicious foods coming from the stalls. Girls clustered in small group as they were their festival finest, talking adamantly about some accessories they had seen or about their current crushes. For Naruto, it was a bit overwhelming.
"Wow... this is the first time I've seen a festival this big!" he exclaimed as he looked around. He even saw a few street performers making a bit of coin as they danced or played instruments.
Jiraiya smiled, happy that the kid had stopped glaring at him but he knew the blonde hadn't been forgiven just yet. "We're gonna be staying here for a while so enjoy your day while you can. Tomorrow the real training starts!"
The blonde didn't listen and made to wander around but whirled when he felt a hand try and dig into his pack. "What the hell are you doing?!" he demanded angrily, causing a few people to look at him and wander about his outburst.
"I want you to give me your wallet." He tried to ignore the glare and made to reach for the pack but froze when he felt the sharp edge of a kunai pressed a bit too close to his lower stomach. "Gaki-"
"First, my name is Naruto. Not gaki, not dobe so learn it, use it," he growl low enough for only the sannin to hear. "Second, I don't trust you with my life much less my money so I'm not handing anything over to you."
He swallowed and slowly leaned back but the kunai was still held tightly in view for him to see. "I just want to warn you about the three taboos of a shinobi," he began but was interrupted by a bark of a laugh. "What?"
"I wasn't born yesterday, hentai. I'm thirteen so I'm too young to drink, I'm not a pervert like you, and I wasn't stupid enough to bring all my money with me." With a well-practiced move he placed the kunai back in its hiding place and backed away. Giving him one more glare he turned and blended into the crowd, leaving his mentor with a dejected look on his face.
"Did that boy just call him a pervert?"
"He was digging into his pack. Maybe he's a thief, too."
"What's a cute thing like him traveling with an ugly old man?"
"Maybe they're related?"
"Iie the blonde is so kawaii! If he was a few years older I'd ask him on a date!"
"Good things can't come from a man like that who travels alone with a young boy."
These were only a few whispers from the crowd that were close enough to hear the exchange and Jiraiya was the victim of more than one evil eye looking at him. He gave a nervous smile but men glared at him and girls made sure to stay away. Sighing he decided to go and enjoy himself the only way he knew how.
'So much for enjoying myself,' Naruto thought to himself bitterly as he found a bench and sat down with a sigh. Moving his pack from his shoulders he set it between his feet, taking a moment to rub his hands over his face. He gave a choking laugh even as he tried his best not to break down. How much longer was he going to keep this stupid mask on? It had been years since Hidama had taken him from Konoha but there were still people who knew who he was; the harsh words hurt but none of them dared to throw anything at him but would that have been better? Physical wounds healed but unfortunately emotionally wounds were much harder to deal with.
"Grrr!"
"Hmm?" He looked down and blinked as he saw a small puppy tugging at his pant's leg with his teeth. It was an adorable thing with short but floppy ears and a wagging tail. A soft brown color he slowly reached out and picked the small pup up, noting its dark markings along its paws, ears and face. "Whacha doing, little guy?" he asked, smiling as the puppy was not trying to nip at his fingers. "You're still young but someone lost you." He shifted the dark blue collar to find a gleaming tag. "Shirako."
"Mister! You found my puppy!" The blonde looked up as a young boy wearing a nice looking shirt and pants, different shades of blue. The puppy barked and squirmed in the blonde's lap before being handed to the little boy where he enthusiastically licked his face. "Shirako! Don't run off next time!"
"You're both lucky," Naruto smiled and scratched the puppy's ears. "But maybe you should get back to your parents. They might be looking for you now."
"Okay. Argiato mister!" With a somewhat clumsy bow the little boy ran off, laughing happily as his pet continued to lick at his face, tag wagging happily. Naruto smiled as he watched them leave before wandering the village. He was going to enjoy himself damnit. He grinned to himself when his stomach gave a rumble.
"Onaka ga suite imasu." Smiling he pulled his frog purse from his pack and set off to get something to eat but there was so many good foods. "I'll just try everything!" Potatoes with butter. Apricot candy. Yakitori. Okonomiyaki. Chocolate-covered bananas. He tried them all but he soon realized maybe he ahd gotten a bit too much to eat after all. "Onaka ga ippai desu," he groaned but smiled and got to his feet. "Time to work it off."
The ball went whizzing through the air and knocked down the rest of the battles that had been stacked up. The crowd clapped and cheered as Naruto took another prize from the stupified man. Shuriken practice really did come in handy before he decided to leave the small cage and ended up giving most of the prizes to the children that were too young to play. Their parents smiled and thanked him for his kindness. Wishing them a good time he treid another booth but failed miserably in trying to catch a goldfish. He pouted when a little girl caught a pretty calico one but when she tried to give it to him he just smiled and told her it would be better if she kept it.
"You should try and give this one a friend to swim with," he smiled and paid for her next game. "Good luck!"
"Arigato!" she smiled, waving to him. Sure enough, she was soon the proud owner of one calico and one black goldfish. For the first time in a long time the young Uzumaki boy felt happy, enjoying himself more than he ever had before. Once he had finsihed checking out the games and playing a majority of them he got something to drink and sat on a bench where he could watch people. He even pulled out his sketchbook and began drawing people either walking by or whatever came to mind. A young girl who had grown curious came over and asked to see what he was drawing. When he showed her the drawing he had done of her she smiled and asked if he would draw her portrait. Before he knew it he had a small group of people asking the same thing, offering to pay him for the stunning drawings. No one outside the family had taken a strong interest in his art but he was never one to really flaunt it. Before he knew it he had earned enough money to make his frog purse bulge slightly but was forced to stop when he ran out of paper. Someone offered to buy him a new sketchbook but he explained that he had to meet up with someone. More groans of disappointment of those that weren't able to get their portrait done he promised that if they found themselves in Konoha to be sure to look him up. Now with a bag full of taiyaki, takoyaki, onigiri, and a large order of yakisoba he went in search of his mentor. But where was he going to find Jiraiya? He quietly munched on his ikayaki as he held an adult-sized order in his other hand that he had bought for the old pervert.
'I don't know where to begin looking,' he thought to himself, sihging but paused whne he heard ladies laughing but he also caught the deep laughter of his mentor. Frowning he followed it and lifted the curtains of a building and peered inside. Oh how he wished he hadn't.
Jiraiya was sitting on a large chair, two scantily dressed women sitting on either side with his arms around them, their faces flushed from the amount of sake bottles littering the low table before them. The old man stopped laughing when he noticed the blonde boy looking in. He saw the anger and disappointment in his eyes that he knew he was busted. He pulled himself away from the girls, to go after him and explain but the kid turned and ran right into a guy in a fancy looking suit. The sauce on the squid left a stain on the pristine suit. That's when hell seemed to break loose.
"Look what you did!!" one of the men yelled at the blonde. "What are you going to do about this, baka gaki?!"
Naruto blinked and gave a modest bow. "Gomen, I didn't see you there."
"You put a stain on Gantetsu'sdesigner suit, a very expensive piece of clothing! You owe him 100,00 for the damage!!"
"That much for a jacket??" Unheard of! What, could that damn thing protect him from any and all incoming attacks like Gaara's sand!?
"Even if it is a designer label it's pretty cheap looking," Jiraiya pointed out as he got to his feet, staring at the man. He knew that squid was meant for him and regardless of being an ass Naruto was still his student. And some fathead was not going to insult him like that.
"What did you say, teme?" the balding bigmouth yelled at him. "You better not mess with us, if you know what's good for you. Gantetsu is an ex-chunin from Iwagakure. He's also known as a Yami-Nin sannin for his skills!"
Both Jiraiya and Naruto looked at him with a bored look. Now the blonde had never heard of something by that title nor did he think this fool had any ninja training what-so-ever. The other man cleaned his ear with his pinkie, giving him a doubtful look.
"Never heard of you."
"What did you say?!" Growling at the lack of respect he charged at them, not caring about his supposed designer coat stained with barbeque sauce from earlier. "I'll show you what pain really is!!"
"Naruto." Holding his hand out he focused his chakra, causing it to swirl it in his hand. "Watch carefully." Once the fool was close enough he rammed his hand into his stomach. The moron seemed to struggling, digging his feet into the floor but in a rather comedic sort of way he literally went spinning out of control right out of the brothel (and into the bald loudmouth), across the street, and smashed into a cart full of water balloons. Jiraiya slowly made his way towards them as the blonde silently trailed after him. "You bakas are lucky I didn't kill you but you're weak," he commented.
The supposed chunin struggled to lift his head, looking at the big man with the white hair and groaned. "You... are you one... of the sannin...?" he asked.
The sannin looked at the damage and nodded to the still in shock elderly that happened to be a bit too close. "Gomen about the damage but-" He looked over at the man in the now ruined designer coat said he would pay for the repairs before falling unconscious. "But this should cover for the damage to your cart, and I'd like to buy all the balloons you happen to have."
"H-Hai..."
The blonde moved closer and peered at the strange way the shirt beneath the jacket had bunched up, as though someone had grabbed it but twisted it. 'That jutsu... I could feel something, but what? What was that?'
"Naruto. Let's go, its time we began your training."
"Hai." Today marked the first day of training for the technique known as the Rasengan for one thirteen-year-old genin, Uzumaki Naruto.
--
Orochimaru cried out in blood-chilling pain as his arms continued to burn with the fires of hell. Nothing seemed to help in the least, especially when that idiot medic at his side asked if he was alright then told him to take his medicine. He glared angrily at him before letting his blood splatter along the side table, the floor, and the bed sheets before falling limply to the ground. For a moment, the pain in his arms subsided but it would only be a matter of time before the pain began anew once more.
The door slid open and Kabuto silently entered the room, glancing at the bloody mess his master had made yet again. "I'm beginning to lose count how many times I've cleaned your room, Orochimaru-sama," he said as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "You really should take your medicine."
"I don't need that shit... even if you made it..." he hissed behind clenched teeth, glaring at his bandaged and useless arms before him. "This burning pain in my arms... I never expected it to be this painful...!"
"It is the curse of the Sandaime Hokage, after all."
"Damare with your useless prattle. Did you find the person I'm searching for?"
"Hai. She's at a place called Tanzuka Gai."
"Tanzuka Gai..." His grimace turned to a smirk. It wasn't that far away so he would be able to go and get her himself. But his lackey seemed adamant in giving his opinion.
"But she's known as one of the legendary sannin. It will not be easy to capture her." He was taken back when his master began to chuckle to himself.
"They say... the best medicine is the most bitter." Just knowing that she was so close seemed to make the pain bearable but he also knew that someone else would be looking for her. He had to ensure that he would find her first. Demanding help from Kabuto he changed his clothing, the sleeves hiding most of his bandaged arms from view, and together the two left his underground lair and made their journey to Tanzuka. Unfortunately it took them a day and a night to finally reach it and once he fell to his knees, cursing his dead sensei but by the following day they arrived.
"There is it. But they may be a chance that she won't agree to help," Kabtuo told the injured hebi sannin.
"That is not your problem," was all he said as he turned to the trail that would lead them into the city itself.
In a casino lights were flashing and sirens heard even outside, proclaiming a winner. The brown-eyed blonde stared in shock as the three "7" flashed at her, the sound of coins rapidly filling the bin and even causing some to spill onto the floor. Her traveling companion and pet pig began to cheer happily but while anyone else would have joined them she didn't like it. She never won anything!
"Unusual things do happen, Tsunade-sama!" she said happily.
"It was just a fluke." She tried it again and before she knew it, she had several buckets full of her winnings from the single machine alone. She had gathered quite a crowd around her, saying how they wished they had some of her luck that no one noticed how a deep frown marred her youthful appearance.
'I have a bad feeling about this,' she bitterly thought to herself. After a while she cashed out her large winnings and left the Pachinko. It was only then did the young woman called Shizune noticed that the busty blonde hadn't said anything or showed any signs of enjoyment.
"Tsunade-sama, wait. What's wrong? It's a miracle you won so much but you don't seem very happy," she replied.
The woman paused, looking around their surroundings then looked at her over her shoulder. "I have a bad feeling about this place. Let's leave, right now."
"Huh? But we just arrived and we haven't seen the castle yet. It's suppose to be quite a tourist attraction."
"Then go see it so we can leave," she snapped and walked off.
"W-Wait, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune cried out, clutching their bags tighter as she ran after her, the pig, Tonton, following close behind.
--
Naruto panted hard for breath as he stared up at the clear blue skies. He could see why Shikamaru enjoyed watching the clouds but he had to continue his training. Grunting he made to sit up but doubled over in pain and fell onto his side. He had pushed himself past his limitations and his body was not happy about it.
'Kami... it hurts, and I don't have any chakra left...' he groaned, curling up slightly. Around him lay the remains of the rubber balls Jiraiya had him train with when he mastered the use of the water balloons in only a day. These were harder to burst and yes while he was making progress but not the type that was to be expected of him.
From the shadow of the trees the gama sannin watched, taking into account just how much his student had come. He smiled at the memory of his former student learning the same jutsu, how he pushed and pushed even past his own limitations before pushing some more. Already the kid was proving to be a natural as he sailed through the first step so quickly and was so far into the second step. If he could just focus a bit more he would finally achieve the desired effect.
A gentle breeze drifted through the clearing, cooling sweaty flesh. With a weary sigh Naruto rolled onto his back, his chest rising and falling with each breathe. The breeze felt good against the mesh shirt, ruffling his hair. It was the perfect spot to take a nap but he dragged his eyes open when he felt something land on his forehead. Reaching up to look at a leaf.
"Hey Iruka-jikei... how come the symbol for the village is a spiral and a leaf?" the blonde asked as he gazed at his headband.
"Well, back when the village was founded shinobi used a leaf to help hone their concentration," he began to explain. "It was said that the Shodaime came up with the idea and because of his training and later on decided to use it to represent their village.
"Really?" The chunin nodded with a smile. "How does it work?"
"Watch." Removing his own headband he placed a leaf on his forehead. Even with a wind moving the leaf never stirred. "Its an exercise that requires one to concentrated all their chakra to focus and mold it, keeping it from moving. But the second step it to have the leaf to spin in place yet make sure you don't let it fall off, ignoring everything so it doesn't distract you. It's said that one who can do this is recognized as a Konoha ninja." He plucked the leaf off, twirling it between his fingers. "The kids aren't really interested in stuff like this but it's a part of history and we should never forget that."
"..." A gentle wind blew the leaf free as he smiled at the memory. He also remembered the same thing his mother did except she would continuously rolled two small bells in her armored hand an hour a day, rolling them clockwise then counter-clockwise. She had said it was not only to help strength her hand and arm but it allowed her to focus and meditate better. Looking at the tiny swirl Jiraiya had painted in the center of his palm he licked his thumb and smeared it so it resembled the Konoha symbol on his hitachi.
"Just gotta concentrate," he told himself. With a grunt he was back on his feet, a new ball in his hand. "Concentrate, Naruto. You can do this." His eyes closed as he began to gather the chakra, focusing intently on the swirling leaf symbol. "Concentrate...! Focus!" The insides of the ball began to bulge as more chakra was pushed in; he could see the blueness enter and slowly began to move into a counter-clockwise direction, building more and more.
"Now!!" Snapping his eyes opened his moved his hand rapidly, pushing more and more into the ball that a wind began to pick up all around him. He kept pushing at it until at the final moment, the ball exploded as did the ground beneath his feet. Sadly he was already so weary and tired the force of it threw him back several yards before he was stopped by a strong hand. He had finally achieved the second step in learning the Rasengan.
The sannin nodded with amazement at the short amount of time his student had taken to his training, even with barely any help from him. "You did it, kid." But Naruto didn't answer him. The poor boy had passed out and his hands were bleeding badly. 'The concentration he had was enough that his own chakra just about burnt his hands... you're something else, Naruto.' Silently he wrapped the boy's hands and pulling his jacket on he picked him up on his back and headed off. The third step would have to wait until they located Tsunade. Unfortunately for them, someone else found her before they could.
Author's Notes: I'll be honest, its not easy trying to keep from using the anime and manga too much! I think, well I'm doing better. It wasn't until I had written nearly word for word of Sasuke finding out Itachi was in the village and the fight between the brothers that I stopped myself and went back to edit the stuff everyone already knows about out. And before anyone says something yes I know Naruto seems OOC but I did say I was going to try and let others see what he really acts like without his mask. And the thing about the two bells is true; they're called meditation balls. I have and use them because I'm prone to injuring my wrists in one way or another. It really helps me out but I still have to wear a splint when it gets really bad.
Anyway! I think I had fun with the food stuff. I was looking up names of foods that one might see during a festival and I found a website with pictures. I got hungry just looking at them too! Some of you may not remember but I put down that Naruto has a talent for drawing, similar to Gaara's talent of playing his flute, and even Haku's handy talent of being a good medic. They're just normal boys (so to speak) but we're all good at something. I just wanna hug the blonde :D If anyone is interested in the link about the foods I used please go here, just be sure to remove the spaces or else it won't work: japan-guide . com / e / e2035 . html
Next up, Naruto finally meets Tsunade but when she calls being a hokage as a worthless gamble our blonde hurricane demands she takes it back or he'll make her eat her words. It's a fight one doesn't want to miss but has this young genin crossed the line? Wait and read, my friends.
But here's a small note. I despise Tsunade more than any other character I have seen in my whole life of watching anime and reading manga. Any and all insults I throw at her in the story are actually words I have used in public when the topic is that thing.
Raijin: God of Lightning
Raiton: Lightning Element
chichi: father
musume: daughter
ohagi: rice cake covered with bean jam, soybean flour, or ground sesame
Otafuku Gai: Homely Women Town
anisan: older brother
Akatsuki: Red Moon ("Aka" means "red", "tsuki" means "moon" so no the group's name DOES NOT mean "red dawn" as I was lead to believe)
Gamaguchi Shibari: Toad Mouth Binding
Iwagama: Rock toad
Dainamikku Entorii: Dynamic Entry
kake: gambling
Onaka ga suite imasu: I am hungry
Yakitori: grilled chicken pieces on skewers
Okonomiyaki: a mix between pizza and pancake. Various ingredients such as seafood, vegetables, and meat can be mixed with the dough and placed on the okonomiyaki as topping
Onaka ga ippai desu: I am full
taiyaki: a fish-shaped pastry that is filled with red bean paste, chocolate, or meat
takoyaki: Japanese dumplings made of batter, diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, konnyaku, and green onion.
onigiri: rice balls made of cooked rice and usually wrapped in nori (seaweed). They are slightly salted and often contain some additional food in the center, such as umeboshi (pickled Japanese plum), katsuobushi (dried bonito shavings), tuna or salmon.
yakisoba: fried or deep fried Chinese style noodles served with vegetables, meat and ginger
ikayaki: a whole baked squid on a stick
Iwagakure: Hidden Rock
Rasengan: Spiral Sphere
Pachinko: Pinball Parlor