Naruto follows Tadashi through the maze of stacked boxes and bottles. Several other ninja stood at stations filling several glass orbs with black powder. They would chance a glance every now and then to the two as they passed, but just as quickly go back to work. Naruto watched as Tadashi walked up to one of the bags of powder and picked up a small pinch. Tadashi tosses the powder to the ground causing loud bang. Naruto flinches a bit, then stares at the powder with a smile. Tadashi smiles down at Naruto.
"Powerful and flashy Jutsu's are used too often by ninja now days," Tadashi said with a smirk. "The most powerful Ninjutsu's are often the most explosive and simplest."
"As weapons?" Naruto asked as he took a pinch. Tadashi nodded his head with a smirk.
"Or distractions. Theatricality and deception are powerful agents to ninjas," Tadashi said as Naruto looked down at the black powder in his fingers. "To be a great warrior isn't enough. Flesh and blood, no matter how skilled, can be destroyed. You must become more than a man in the minds of your enemies."
Naruto smirked as he tossed the powder to the ground causing it to explode. Naruto turned and followed Tadashi as he walked towards another table. On the table were bundles of silk thread that the ninjas at the table was slowly braiding then wrapping, with an almost painstakingly pace, around what looked like small spool. The ninjas looked up slowly and then quickly returned to his work. Naruto looked at the fine black silk threads and studied them. Looking at them closely he noticed that they the threads were being braided into a single thread about the diameter of ninja wire. Tadashi picked up two rolls of finished thread and handed them to Naruto.
"Chakra enhanced silk wire," Tadashi explained as he handed him the two finished rolls. "You will be learning how to use them almost to a subconscious level. They can react to your chakra and mold around objects, using them you can move items out of the way, or with the proper leverage and chakra you can slice cleanly threw any item."
"What do you mea…" Naruto started but was wrapped up with the same silk. Naruto was launched backwards and slammed against the wall by the silk threads. They tightened and started to cut into Naruto releasing blood and causing him let out a muffled scream.
"This silk is lined with minerals that react to chakra better than any metal on this earth," Tadashi said as he walked closer. "You will learn to move the threads to react to your needs and wants. This thread, simple as it seems, is one of our greatest weapons. Are you ready to begin?"
"H-hai," Naruto mumbled out as the threads retreated back to Tadashi's forearms. The threads wrapped around his arms hiding in within his black greaves. Naruto stared in awe at the power and control Tadashi had over the threads. Tadashi just gave him a smirk as Naruto wiped the blood that was dripping from his check.
"Good," Tadashi said with a smile. "But first…We shall enlighten you of your day of your birth," Tadashi said with a smile. "Do you know of your parents?"
"N-no," Naruto said as he looked up at Tadashi with a hopeful look. Tadashi shook his head and knelt in front of the young blond. Placing a hand on his shoulder Tadashi smiled.
"Well," Tadashi said with a smile. "Let me tell you about them."
"We've been searching for two years now," Dog said quietly as she looked over at Iruka. Iruka was tending to the fire quietly with a solemn look on his face. "And now we might be running out of clues."
"Not completely true," Iruka said softly. "There is a rumor that a young blond was seen hiking through the hills of Mt. Youkai about the same time Naruto went missing. If only we heard that rumor before chasing after that bandit caravan, we wouldn't be miles past Suna."
"We are under the assumption he was kid napped," Dog said sternly. "It's only logical to chase down local bandits, and the way these guys fled land of fire it was only logical that they had something of importance."
"Yes I know it was protocol," Iruka complained. "I just…We need to find him. And when we do he won't be alone again. I should have said to hell with it a long time ago."
"What are you talking about?" Dog asked looking at him. For the first time in the last, almost a year now, Iruka bore an actual smile.
"The Hokage forbade anyone adopting Naruto," Iruka began. "But as soon as we find him, I'm bringing my little brother to a real home."
"That's very noble of you Iruka-san," Dog said with a whisper. "Surely the woman in your life wouldn't mind."
"Ah," Iruka started as he blushed under the fire light and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, no need to worry there. I don't have any women waiting for me back home. At least not yet…"
"Oh so the teacher has a crush?" Dog pestered on. She couldn't help but blush a bit. She now knew why Viper was so smitten over the academy teacher. He was a genuine, all around nice guy, and, not to mention the times she spied on him while he was in the river washing, hot. "Who is this lucky lady?"
"You know for an ANBU you're pretty nosey," Iruka said crossly. Dog gave a girlish chuckle as her dogs yipped at her side sensing something.
"And she doesn't need to be pestering you anyway," Said a new voice. Viper appeared on the other side of the fire with a dead sand cat flung over her shoulder. She tossed it to the ground and walked calmly over to her make shift chair. "Dog, could you do the honor's?"
"Hai Viper," Dog got up to clean and skin the animal.
"She wasn't bothering you too much, was she?" Viper asked above a whisper. Iruka looked over at her and smiled.
"No Viper-san," Iruka said as he turned towards the ANBU. "She wasn't a bother."
"Good," Viper said curtly. She glanced over at Iruka quickly then back at the fire. After what felt like hours Viper huffed and looked over at Iruka. "So who is the lucky lady?"
"There is one," Iruka said softly. "She's beyond intimidating and has earned quite the reputation by being so. But for some reason I'm drawn to her. I've only seen her in passing and have barely talked to her, but still. I can't help myself. She is just beyond beautiful, from her eyes, to her hair. It's just….if only she knew who I was."
"Sounds like one heck of a women," Viper said as she looked away. He was talking about the Ice Queen herself, Kurenai Yuhi, the women of every man's dreams. She gritted her teeth a bit at hearing his explanation.
"She sure is," Iruka said as he looked up at the stars. Then just above a whisper Viper almost lost her cool when she heard him. "The Snake Mistress of Konoha isn't like any other woman out there."
"HAHAHA!" Dog's laughter was heard from nearby. Viper snapped out of her shock and launched herself towards Dog. Iruka just shrugged it off and continued to poke the logs in the fire, thoughts on the Purple haired kunoichi back home drifted throughout his mind.
Naruto and Tadashi circled each other on a frozen pond. Over the last two years Naruto had been beaten to within an inch of his life, and from the ashes he was reborn, he was stronger, faster, and becoming increasingly smarter as the days went by. Naruto, under Tadashi's watch, was given the Black Hand's standard ninja wear. He was sporting a black kimono with a dark black sash wrapped around his waist. Under the extra-long sleeves were two onyx black gauntlets with three large scallops. Wrapped around the gauntlets, hidden in the cracks was his ninja thread. Naruto had to go through the most insane chakra control exercises in order to even wield the chakra threads. He spent many nights fighting the effects of hypothermia from failing to walk on water using chakra, they would train on the frozen pond. Naruto smirked remembering finally being able to take his first steps across the icy water, only for Tadashi to toss a rock into the still water disrupting it. Naruto's chakra support fell, and so did he, straight to the bottom of the freezing pond. Naruto was brought out of his thinking as Tadashi charged forward with a sword strike.
"Shit," Naruto mumbled as he caught the sword strike with his own. Naruto jumped back creating space and flicked out his left hand.
From under his Kimono sleeve shot out three strands of thread like a whip of destruction. The strands ripped through the thick ice creating buckles in the pond causing them to jut out of the surface like spikes. The strands wrapped themselves around Tadashi's sword, much to his surprise, and with a fierce tug, Naruto ripped the sword out of his hands causing it to slide to into one of the cracks falling to the depths of the pond.
"Mind your surroundings," Tadashi said sagely.
Tadashi smirked at his young apprentice as he stood on one of the massive breaks in the ice. Naruto flicked his left hand back and his thread returned to his gauntlet and he readied himself with his sword.
"Your village treats you like a demon," Tadashi taunted as Naruto's anger started to surface. "It's not your fault….It was your fathers."
Tadashi smirked as Naruto jumped off the ice block with a war cry and swung his sword in a sweeping arc. Tadashi deflected the blow with his gauntlet pushing Naruto to his side. Naruto skidded across the ice, it creaking under his weight as bubbles could be seen through the thin ice.
"Anger doesn't change the fact that your father sealed the demon inside of you," Tadashi said as he watched Naruto began to seethe with anger.
They stared at each other, both having steam rising from their bodies. Naruto watched as Tadashi went on the offensive and jumped forward, using his gauntlet as his weapon, causing Naruto to deflect his attack with the sword.
"What choice did he have?" Naruto yelled. Tadashi smirked causing Naruto to become even more enraged.
"Would that have been your choice?" Tadashi asked.
"I've been training to take out demons," Naruto yelled. "Since you told me about my parents all you've done was train me to become a more than a demon."
"Training is nothing," Tadashi started. "The will to take control is everything. Your father protected to city with his life by damming yours. He thought it was a noble thing, to save countless of lives by destroying yours, his only son. Your father didn't understand the nature of people, especially in the village. Villages like Konoha are on their death throes, behind the facade of calm and prosperous, is a chaotic and grotesque village that is decaying behind its leaders eyes. Your Hokage doesn't even see what's happening… The question I have for you is, is it too late? Can Konoha be saved?"
Naruto charged forward and swiped his sword only for Tadashi to lock it in with his gauntlet. Naruto kicked out and connected with Tadashi's knee kicking it sideways. Tadashi fell to one knee, giving Naruto a clear shot at Tadashi's face. Naruto jumped on the opportunity and swung his left arm out in a spinning punch, connecting the back of his fist across Tadashi's face. Tadashi fell to the floor and Naruto placed his blade on Tadashi's throat.
"YEILD!" Naruto panted out. "I won! Holy Shit I won!"
"You gave up your ground," Tadashi said calmly as he slammed his gauntlet into the ice under Naruto's feet. Naruto fell straight into the icy abyss below.
Naruto grumbled as they walked up to a giant cliff wall. Naruto stared at Tadashi as he jumped up, without chakra, and used his spiked gauntlet to grip into the wall. Tadashi looked down at Naruto who smiled up at him.
"What are you seeking Naruto?" Tadashi asked.
"To become something more," Naruto said. "I can not do that as Naruto Uzumaki. They will never accept me for what I am. I need to become something more."
"Perhaps you can beat my record," Tadashi said with a smirk. "No use of chakra."
"How long?" Naruto asked as he jumped up above Tadashi. He looked down after locking his arms into place on the ice wall. Tadashi just smirked and looked reminiscent for a moment.
"Two days," Tadashi said with a smirk. "This test is not to see how quickly you can climb the wall, but how slowly. A true ninja is thought to be invisible. You can use jutsu's to blend in with your surroundings, but to be truly invisible, that requires patience."
Tadashi slowly reaches up to another handhold and slowly pulled himself up. Naruto stared at the man then looked up at the top of the cliff. Two days, for what should only take him minutes. Naruto was truly baffled. Naruto just shook his head as he slowly reached for a handhold.
"Mt. Youkai," Dog said as they made their way towards the base of the mountain. It took them almost three months to get there and it seemed like a last hope."Can't say this is a honeymoon spot but hey, the view is nice."
"Let's just clear this area," Viper said with a huff.
"Easy Viper," Iruka said with a calm smile causing her to glance at him. "This is the best lead we've had on Naruto for the past year. We can't waste it."
"You're right," Viper said with defeated sigh.
"Now I will scout ahead," Iruka said with a smile. "You two head to that town and ask around."
"Since when do we take orders form a lowly chunnin?" Viper asked crossing her arms and tilting her head. Iruka smiled at her and she melted under his gaze. "Whatever, let's go Dog!"
Iruka jumped ahead and made his way up the snowy mountain and scanned the area. He sighed as he didn't see any sign of the blond in question and continued upwards towards the peak. Iruka was almost at the peak when he felt a sharp stab in the back of his neck. He reached back and pulled out a small needle before his world went dark.
Naruto and Tadashi cling to the wall just short of the roof. Three days and they just now reached the top. They look towards one another and they can see the agony on each other's face. Sweat-drenched and straining under the agony of their muscles screaming in protest, Tadashi slowly reaches up and pulls himself up. Naruto almost lets out a cry of joy as reaches up as well. Naruto felt his strength leave him as his hold on the stone slips and he starts to fall. Tadashi's movement is quick and almost unaffected by the three days of agony, as he quickly grabs Naruto's arm and slings him upward. Naruto and Tadashi lay on the roof staring at the setting sun. Both in agony, Tadashi turns to Naruto and puts a hand on his shoulder. Naruto looks back at his Master and smiles.
"You are ready," Tadashi said with a smile. Naruto just nods then passes out from exhaustion.
Naruto follows Tadashi into the throne room. There on a small table was the same flower that he brought almost three years ago. Naruto looked at the dried flower as Tadashi picks it up. He slowly rotates in front of Naruto and smiles. They walk over to an altar where a small stone bowl and a grinder are waiting. Tadashi drops the flower into the bowl and grinds it to dust before dumping it into a small cup that is bowling with water. The cup begins to smoke slightly and Tadashi turns to Naruto.
"Drink in your fears," Tadashi said as he steps back. Naruto leans his head forward and inhales a large bit of smoke.
Naruto's head is now scrambling with images of him being chased by mobs of people. Naruto quickly shakes his head and looks up at Tadashi who grins as he pulls up his mask. Only his eyes can be seen as he steps back into the area. Suddenly multiple ninja appear creating a wall of perfectly poised men. Naruto staggers a bit as he too raises his mask and calmly walks through the rows of ninja.
"To conquer fear you must become fear," Tadashi's voice echoes throughout the throne room. "You must bask in another man's fear, and men fear most what they can not see!"
A sword flashes from his right and slices cleanly through his kimono before he can roll to safety. Naruto glances down at the cut and looks back up at the many ninja. Naruto spins on his leg his senses completely fogged from the flower. The ninjas move in unison, creating a new set of walls that mess with Naruto's head.
"It is not enough to be a man," Tadashi's voice comes again. Naruto slowly starts to move up a row of ninja's waiting for his next attack. "You have to become an idea…A terrible thought…A wraith!"
The ninja nearest to Naruto turns and slashes out at him. It's Tadashi, but this time Naruto was ready. He parried the strike, but before he could go on the offensive the Ninja's all move again, hiding Tadashi in the sea of black. Naruto turns as another wall of ninja move and a small box is reviled.
"Face your fear," Tadashi's voiced.
Naruto slowly approaches the box and opens it slowly. Naruto is confronted with the fiery image of the Demon in side of him. The Fox laughs menacingly as it reaches forward to devour Naruto. Naruto stares at his worst fear when he hears Tadashi leap towards him. Naruto reacts and lashes out with his own sword. Tadashi block his attack and falls back into line and disappears in the sea of black cladded ninja. Naruto huffs and looks at the ninja around him. He uses his sword to create several cuts in different ninja's arms and falls back.
"Become one with the darkness," Tadashi said as he closed in on his prey. Tadashi kick him to one knee and places his sword to his neck. He wrenches the mask off the ninja and smirks.
"You cannot leave any sigh…" Tadashi started but felt the cold blade rest on his neck.
"I haven't," Naruto said with a smug smile. Tadashi smiled as he rose to his feet and placed a proud hand on his shoulder. At the front of the throne room The Shadow stands and begins to clap.
"We have purged you of your fear," He said in a slow and dreary tone. "You are ready to lead these men. You are ready to become a member of the Black Hand. You have one final test…Bring in the intruder!"
"What's going on?" Naruto asked as Tadashi turned to him and smiled.
"You are to lead these men to Konoha," Tadashi said. "You will need their help."
"Help with what?" Naruto asked. "What's going on?"
"You came here after your own village left you to die," Tadashi started as there was a bit of commotion behind them. "You will go back and calm your birthright. As the son of a Hokage you will be ideally placed…"
"For what?" Naruto asked his heart racing a bit as a shout was heard. Naruto looked over and saw a brown haired man being dragged into the center of the room. The man was still struggling but was in a severely weakened state.
"To help us destroy your village." Tadashi said as if Naruto knew the whole time. Naruto took a subconscious step back.
"What?!" Naruto yelled in outrage.
"When Konoha falls," Tadashi said as he looked at the man now kneeling before them. "Then other villages will fall in short order, end all this tyranny that the Hidden Villages have caused."
"You can't believe this," Naruto asked staring at his mentor. "After everything you taught me, to truly destroy Konoha."
"You will do as instructed," Tadashi said. "The first blood shall be shed here...with this Leaf Nin."
Naruto slowly turned to see the man that was knelt before him. Naruto's jaw hit the floor as he stared into the shining eyes of his old sensei. Iruka gave him a half-hearted grin over his bruised face.
"Hey little brother," Iruka choked out as tears of joy fell from his eyes. "You've grown…"
Hello Everyone,
Sooooo most of ya got what i was basing this off of, and to be honest i have to say that i wasn't expecting the amount of reviews. So i guess i had to do another chapter to see if you guys would continue to enjoy it. I have to say that i wasn't really expecting much from this one but hey, you guys seemed to enjoy it a bit so i will try and keep ya happy. So as always Read, Review and Enjoy. Oh and i will be open to suggestions on which batman villain to bring into this story for extra meat.
Thanks again!
Take-It-Easy