AN: Ok. This just isn't working.
I have rewritten this chapter 1,2,3,4…8? No, NINE F*&%ing times! (And now my inner nine tails is rampaging! GAH!)
And you know what?!
I GIVE UP!
And so this is getting posted tonight.
Ha, I bet a part of you thought "Noooo! D-: "
Haha, I'm not giving up on this story just yet. I've just hit a bit of a rough patch is all. Then there's life. And how busy it is.
Ahem. First off though I would like to apologize for taking so bloody long on this chapter and if it isn't my best quality. I was going to do something entirely different in the plot line but ended up moving that plot piece back (a lot) and decided to tweek it a bit more, so I had to go through redrafting for this section. Needless to say, I hope this chapter doesn't feel forced or have too many type-o's in it, but please let me know if something is bugging you. As always, please review. I appreciate the feedback so much. What you like, don't like, etc.
TIMELINE: they are about a year and three-four months from the start of cannon. So Naruto is going to be graduating around the time that Kumori gets back, more or less. She's been gone for about a month, meaning she's been in the Naruto-verse little more than two and a half months.
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Warnings: FOUL LANGUAGE. DEATH, blood, Drama, mild angst, tiny amounts of fluff, ninja bad-assery, plot twists (the usual)
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"Talking in Japanese(regular)"
"Talking in English"
Thoughts lalalaaaa
Writing tatataaaaa
This is Emphasis tada!
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Ch. 10 Enter, the Dragon
Earlier that day...
It had come out of nowhere when it happened. A near silent path was carried by the needles before they slid effortlessly into the delicate skin of Kumori's neck. Eyes widened in shock and pain she had fallen awkwardly in a heap on the empty street.
That should have been her first warning, but Kumori wasn't a fully trained ninja yet. She hadn't found the sudden lack of people in the area to be too odd. Well, yes it was odd, but she hadn't been able to discern that usually when the locals went into hiding, it meant that they knew something bad was about to happen.
The second warning for her should have been when two chakra signatures came within her range. Not that two chakra signatures where odd, but these signatures where stronger than average, and they were not at ground level. They ha appeared on a rooftop level meaning that they where ninja.
And the final warning should have been when the near silent sound of metal filled the air that any ninja could have picked up on, thier bodies automatically moving them from the flight of the weapon's path.
But Kumori wasn't a ninja. She was a sitting duck with only a tiny grasp on using her chakra with skill in hand to hand fighting.
They slid effortlessly, her eye went wide in shock before the poison began to ravage her body and THUD. Down she went. Writhing with pain and panic as the poison on the needles entered her system, Kumori gasped for air and groaned as she rolled across the ground ripping the needles from her neck in the process, the hot splash of blood coating her hand as she pressed her shaking digits to the wounds to keep them from bleeding more. Her finger tips where starting to tingle wildly from over breathing, her heart rate slowing as her body struggled to keep it high enough to stay conscious, hence the heightened breathing. Cold sweat sprang up and Kumori could feel her consciousness fluttering with her eyelids as they began to flutter shut. Then, darkness.
...
When Kumori's consciousness returned she dimly realized that her body was throbbing and that she was being carried, the sound of two footsteps near silent.
"Are you sure she's alive?" asked a hushed female's voice.
"Not for much longer if we leave that poison in her system. She must have been the one he was talking about if that didn't kill her right away." murmured the man carrying her.
"But where is the boy?" the woman whispered. The man sighed.
"She was traveling with a man with white hair. I didn't see any boy while on my shift." he murmured.
"Get back, while I take care of her traveling companion," murmured the woman as the man paused.
"What are you going to do?" whispered the man.
"Bring him a poisoned meal in a familiar form," she said as Kumori hear the familiar wooden clunk of the erhu case as the woman moved it around.
"Be careful, Kanna-nee," murmured the man.
"Always am, otouto (little brother.)" she murmured before retreating, the woman's chakra signature was soon out of range. Without further a due, Kumori had a knife in hand and the blade was pressed neatly against the man's neck, making him freeze in shock and alarm.
"You are going to move very slowly and you are going to do what I say or else," Kumori growled dangerously, inwardly glad that Jiraiya had insisted that she carry concealed weapons on her at all times. The man regarded her with wide eyes before a triumphant grin crossed his face.
"So you arethe one he was looking for!" he breathed making Kumori grit her teeth angrily.
"Why did you try to kill me? That poison was lethal," she snapped. She didn't know why these people where after her and she wanted answers for the unwarranted attack.
"But it didn'tkill you, did it?" countered the man with his grin still in place. Kumori frowned suspiciously.
"So?" she demanded.
"It means that you are the one we were sent to capture alive," murmured the man, this time more to himself then to her. Kumori's eyes widened before narrowing.
"And who would try to capture me?" she asked. The man didn't answer though. He was staring at her and Kumori found herself growing steadily more uncomfortable the the intensity she saw there.
He could see the tremor in her hand and the pale sickness that clung to her sweaty face. She wasn't going to be much of a fight against him but first he had to get out of this position.
Kumori yelped in shock when he suddenly tossed her, her arm jerking to the side in her surprise. There was a gurgling sound as she hit the ground. She scrambled to her feet in case of an attack but froze when her eyes landed on the man that was staggering in place, his hands frantically trying to stop the bleeding around his neck from where Kumori's blade had bit deeply into his skin. He hadn't been expecting that. There was so much blood, he couldn't stop it all. He hit his knees as blood loss began to take effect before he landed face first in the dirt. all too quickly his breathing stopped as Kumori gasped for air frantically, her nerves frayed with panic and disgust at the sight of death.
He was gone.
Shuddering with revulsion and primal fear at the realization that it could have been her lying there instead, Kumori shakily got to her feet before making her way to the body. He probably had something on him that would help her figure out what the hell was going on.
She paused upon closer examination of the man's shirt.
On the back of it, was the symbol for the Doku clan.
...
Kanna found the room she was looking for easily enough, though she paused slightly in the doorway at spotting the woman's traveling companion. More specifically she paused as she realized who it was. Cursing in her head at her misfortune to meet Jiraiya of the Sannin she continued into the room as if everything was normal, making small talk as she took the food the woman had bought and set it on the table before the Sannin who helped her set up their food before digging in. Soon the poison began to work. Kanna couldn't believe her luck as she smirked letting her transformation drop, starting to goad and lie about the men in the next town being hired to kill Jiraiya. This had been a coincidence after all. Still, she just couldn't believe she had gotten him so easily. Powerful men had fallen to less though so she supposed she shouldn't be too surprised, she thought to herself as he fell gasping to the floor, clearly dying.
Poof.
Kanna's eyes went wide in horror as she realized that it had been too easy. It had just been a clone. The air shimmered and the real toad sage appeared. Kanna's mouth went dry with horror. Racing towards the door the assassin skidded to a stop as it slid open to show the red head from earlier. She looked feral with how messy her short red hair was, eyes glowing a threatening blood red as the woman slowly began to unsheathe her wakizashi. The hair's on Kana's arms rose at the grinding sound of the blade slowly coming free from it's sheath. This red head meant business and at the moment Kanna found her more unnerving then the toad sage that was sitting there watching her with disinterested eyes. Kanna tried to flee but the woman was faster then Kanna had thought and her cry of pain ripped through the air as her Achilles tendon was severed. eyes widening with horror she realized that she would probably never walk again, much less run away from the two she was stuck with.
"Now. Time to get started." Said the legendary Sannin as he stood, the red haired menace joining him by his side. Kanna, would be assassin of Jiraiya the Gallant could feel her stomach plummet as her eyes went wide with horror as she stared up at them as they looked down on her. Where they going to torture her?
"Do you want to do the honors?" Jiraiya asked in English as Kumori frowned slightly.
"I don't know how to interrogate ninja, and I don't know anything about torture," she said as Jiraiya nodded. The assassin Kanna stared, not understand. What where they saying?
"True. That's why I will be walking you through this," he said as Kumori sighed tiredly before nodded. "First though, I want to see what method you would use without my guidance," he said making the young woman pause, a thoughtful look on her face before it broke into a wide foxy grin.
"I think that I can come up with a way or two to get her to talk." Jiraiya grinned as the assassin looked nervously between the two of them, not sure what to make of the odd language she was hearing them speak in. After a moment Kumori grinned widely as she crouched so she could get closer to the downed assassin.
"We're going to have lots of fun together, you and I," she said with a happy smile as the dread began to climb in the assassin's gut. The flash of red eyes and fangs didn't help either.
"What are you doing?" the Kana, demanded fearfully as Kumori tied her hands and dragged the woman till she was sitting up with a grunt. Despite the scary face Kumori was putting on and the confidence she was giving off she didn't want to torture this woman, the one who had poisoned her with the help of that man. She was angry, yes, but there where better ways to get reliable information, and she didn't like the idea of getting to take her anger out on people like this. It might breed bad habits in the future and she didn't want to start thinking that this type of action was acceptable. It really wasn't, but she knew better to let her mask waver before the prisoner. It would be seen as weakness and only embolden the woman.
Then there was Jiraiya. She didn't want to seem weak to him either. He was a ninja after all, and he was considering taking her on as a student so she wasn't going to show how much this bothered her. That didn't mean that she was just going to torture the woman to try and impress him though, so she was going to have to come up with something else.
On the inside she was thinking up a storm. There had to be another way… She frowned at the woman as she thought for a minute pouring over ideas. Truth drugs where unlikely to find in a small town like this and there was the possibility that the woman would be immune to them anyways. The Doku Ryu, or Poison Dragon Clan was known for their many applications of both legal and dangerous substances and apothecaries got many of their higher end goods from the clan which was probably one of the reasons it had managed to spread so quickly and begin amassing resources so suddenly. That kind of trade however required specific lands to grow these herbs and poisons however, meaning they had to have a specific land where the cultivation was happening. Kumori shook her head pulling her thoughts back to the point.
"You'll never get anything from me!" the assassin suddenly spat out as Kumori frowned at the woman, eyes narrowing in warning, "You can torture me all you want and I will never give in! My clan will get here and see what you have done and then you'll both be d-!"
SMACK, cracked Kumori's hand across the woman's face with chakra enhanced strength. the woman was sent rolling across the tatami mats with a gasp as she raised a shaking hand to press it to her cheek, reflexive tears staring to fill her eyes. The wound was already swelling.
"Quiet. I am thinking. Interrupt without permission again and I will break a bone. Do it again and I will start cutting things off," growled Kumori, making sure she sounded annoyed and bored, hoping that the woman wouldn't push her to keep her word. Thankfully the blow had had enough force and the woman went back to glaring at both her and Jiraiya in thinly veiled fear. Jiraiya watched the proceedings with a careful eye as silence descended once more. Despite Kumori's facade, he could tell she was unusually grim, and the white haired man again found himself watching his student carefully though he was subtle about it. She hadn't jumped straight into harming this woman, leaving him to beleive that she was considering this carefully and trying to come up to the best solution for the proablem. After a couple more minutes he began to scribble away a few thoughts in his notebook. She would come to her own choice soon enough, and he would be waiting for when she did. Finally Kumori sighed and spoke.
"Use a genjutsu on her," Kumori finally muttered making Jiraiya look up at her, his expression neutral.
"This is the woman that poisoned you. I thought you might want to take a few cracks at her?" Jiraiya asked evenly as Kumori's eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips.
"No. That's not what this is about. We're after information, not revenge," she murmured. After a moment Jiraiya grinned to her surprise and ruffled her hair fondly.
"Hey!" she complained as she tried to straighten out the wild mess. She was too focused on her hair to see Jiraiya perform the hand seals and place his hand on the flinching assassin's forehead.
…
Jiraiya frowned as he thought over the information that he had managed to pry out of his would be assassin. The genjutsu had been designed to make her believe that she had been rescued. A bit cruel, but very effective. It was a higher level interrogation genjutsu that mostly relied on the victim's thoughts for it to seem realistic enough for the victim to give away information more freely. It didn't work on all the ninja he had used it on before and it was fairly limited in the sense that he usually had to be touching the person or in very close proximity for him to be able to use the genjutsu. Jiraiya sighed, wishing for a moment that he was better at those annoying illusions before he brushed the thought away and refocused on the matter at hand. Kumori remained respectfully quiet as she watched him carefully, a letter in hand. It looked like she was going to be sending one to Naruto soon.
From what he had been able to gather, the Doku clan was gathering men and supplies, yes, but not to kill or attack him. The supplies seemed to be going north towards the border between Hi no Kuni and some of the smaller nations, from Ame to the land of rice paddies. It didn't make any sense, but it seemed the clan was also being asked by their leader to search for something and to recruit men, though all the recruits where being sent to the land of rice.
It also seemed that for once his assassin hadn't been targeting him, the toad sage specifically, but had been sent to clean up a possible loose end, Kumori's travel seemed that the two assassins had been scouting the area and after spotting Kumori stalked her long enough to learn that she was traveling with someone. That wouldn't do. After all, a travel companion would have kicked up a fuss and drawn attention if their companion had suddenly just gone missing so for the sake of covering up their tracks the clan's member had come to kill him. It wasn't unheard of in some ninja villages but it was still a bit extreme. Why did they need to get rid of Kumori? Why did it require secrecy? Why try and kill her? Jiraiya's lips thinned as several ideas ran through his head, none of them good. He looked at Kumori to find that she was frowning at her letter as she scribbled a few things before looking at the assassin with a frown. Kanna, the would be slayer of the great toad sage of Mt. Myaboku was still unconscious from the affects of the genjutsu and Jiraiya hoped it would stay that way for a while. While he didn't enjoy killing he knew he was putting off what had to be done with the woman.
With a sigh he stood. He couldn't protect Kumori and do what needed to be done here in this area which seemed to be under the power of the Doku clan if what Kumori told him was true. In the ninja world, for streets to have cleared that quickly meant a great many things, none of them good. He and Kumori would have to leave and dispose of the woman quickly before they found themselves buried under a mountain of ninja intent on killing them. He had no doubt that they where actually closer to the main clan compound than he had originally thought. That meant that the clan was somewhere in this area... Jiraiya frowned deeper as he sighed, knowing that they where so close. If only he could sneak his way in...
"What is it?" Kumori suddenly asked. Jiraiya blinked as he was drawn from his thoughts by Kumori's question. He wouldn't be able to do any infiltration while he had a student in tow, Jiraiya acknowledged with a frown. It was too dangerous for them both. Kumori frowned from where she sat cross legged on the floor as she peered up at him. He sighed in resign before motioning for her to stand, offering her a hand. She took it and he hoisted her easily up before tossing her her travel pack. The faster they got out of here the better.
"We're going to have to leave. Pack quickly. I'll take care of this," he said as he jerked his head at the still unconscious woman. Kumori's lips thinned slightly as she looked down nodding. The unspoken understanding of his words was clear. He pat her on the shoulder in an attempt to comfort before hoisting the Clans woman to his shoulder and performing a set of hand seals. With a shimmer the two of them seemed to fade into thin air, hidden by a jutsu. It was Jiraiya's famous chamelon jutsu, that he usualy used to peep with on the hot springs. IT was surprisingly effective for a jutsu that had been created by Jiraiya as a child. If it weren't for the fact that Kumori could feel Jiraiya's chakra as it moved out the window and away from town she wouldn't have had any idea where he had gone. She sighed wistfully. She would see is she could get him to teach her that one. She quickly set about packing up their goods, a frown still etched over her face. This situation was troubling in many ways from being attacked, to killing again, and knowing that Jiraiya was going to have to do the same as soon as he had found a place to dispose of the woman's body.
Kumori slowed her work as she frowned, feeling remarkably out of place in that moment. This really was a kill or be killed world and it was a bit disconcerting that probably everyone that had showed her kindness in this world had killed someone at some point and time. The Hokage, Inoichi, Shikaku, they where all ninja. She had had to kill and she wasn't even one yet. Needless to say it was in the job description for ninja. Kakashi… all of them had done so except Naruto. But that was going to be changing soon, wasn't it?
Naruto had mentioned to her that he would be graduating sometime next year, hadn't he? He was only one year away for having to face a harder cruel world.
Kumori's teeth clenched in frustration and sad resign. She didn't want that to happen. The thought of Naruto having to do something like that at such a young age almost made her sick, but deep down, she knew that he really wouldn't have much of a choice if he wanted to be able to survive. With a sigh she resumed her packing. She needed to get this done first and then she could wonder about what the future would hold for them later.
...
"Why a ninja though? I mean, it's a very different life style, not to mention cultural change compared to your original civilian background." Jiraiya suddenly asked as he and Kumori reached the edge of the town, the both of them taking to the treetops easily. Kumori frowned quizzically at the man for a moment before returning her attention to the trees as she tried to gather her thoughts. She didn't know why Jiraiya was asking her this now after three and a half weeks of travel, but there was a lot that went into how she had come to her conclusions as to why she should be a ninja. She wanted to be able to tell it just right so that he would understand, though it made her curious why he had asked now of all times.
"Have you even been helpless before?" she asked slowly, still mulling over what she felt and how to tell him. Jiraiya nodded as he lept over a branch that was in his way, his eyes finding hers.
"Yes. It was a very unpleasant experience," he said, prompting Kumori to snort in amusement.
"Well… I know what it's like to be helpless on a long term basis. To have no choice in things, in the circumstances that dictate to your life. Before coming here and meeting the people from here, I constantly strove to make myself stronger; stronger in mind, in wit, and in knowledge. I had never really focused much on becoming physically strong before because it didn't apply to that… 'setting,' that place as much as it does here," she said, pointedly not mentioning her world for fear of eavesdroppers, "But here… that's mainly all there is. People can do just about anything with chakra," she said quietly as she kept pace with the man. "The main point is that I want to be able to protect what I care about here. I want to be able to have a hand in my fate. This world… it's brutal," she said her face twisting into a bitter grimace as Jiraiya's lips thinned. His memories gave him too many examples of brutality to be able to refute her words.
'To survive and flourish here, to protect and nourish what I care for… I'm going to have to become even more brutal. I'm going to need to be on the top of the food chain. Besides... what's more brutal then a ninja?" She said looking up to meet Jiraiya's gaze firmly, a dark gleam in her amethyst eyes. Jiraiya had no doubt that she would succeed with his help, and become a force to be reckoned with. This, as she had put it, was a brutal world, kill or be killed, and life was much too short, especially for ninja.
Originally Jiraiya had given bullshit excuses as to why he didn't want to train her, but he had had time to think it over these few weeks. Watching her grow and learn tenaciously through the pain and fatigue it had struck him that Kumori had the raw potential to become a monster shinobi.
She could already move at genin speeds because of the muscle tone that she had from her world and with chakra control and training she would only get faster. She had large chakra reserves, which meant she could become a Ninjutsu expert if she wanted, and her reserves were still growing. She already had some taijutsu training to fall back on, and Jiraiya had seen her use the simple but direct forms to hold her own against her civilian opponents.
He had not delusions that she would have a chance against a trained shinobi right now, but she could probably kick around a genin with some effort on her part, without the training. With devoted hard work and guts her potential was unknowable, especially with the Uzumaki blood coursing through her veins and her otherworldly body. No, he couldn't teach her just 'anything.' He knew she was crafty and resourceful, and he had to be sure that she wasn't going to use her power against the village if pushed. But first, he needed to confirm something that had been bugging him for a while that they just hadn't gotten to talking about just yet.
"Why did you run away?" Jiraiya asked quietly, tone soft but serious. Kumori looked over at her travel companion with an unreadable face as she watched him for a moment.
"I may have overreacted." She admitted quietly as Jiraiya snorted.
"May have?" he asked incredulously as she shot him a glare that made him go quiet. Indeed her reaction had bugged him off and on these past few weeks, uncertainty creeping up on him when she was gone too long .
"Yes. I was… as I said I was mildly under the impression that you weren't going follow the Hokage's orders and that you would just get rid of me eventually. I considered staying, but quickly dismissed it. The main reason I would even entertain the idea of traveling with you is if there was the chance of me being able to have a cover. Even if I can't stay in Konoha due to not having a skill that would be valued enough to not be thrown out after the council learns that I'm related to Naruto, at least I won't be too suspicious a character in this world. A person without a background invites curiosity and inquiry. With a background, I would be able to blend in and lead a more… peaceful life." she said face serious as Jiraiya regarded her seriously.
"I see... And of course I have to obey the Hokage. As does every ninja in the leaf. He is more lenient to his students, but in the end if he pushes, I would have no choice but to obey." She frowned thoughtfully as she regarded the Sannin.
"So if he truly commanded you... you would train me as a ninja... but only to the bare minimum that is required," she realized as Jiraiya grinned at Kumori's insight.
"Yes." He confirmed.
"Which is why he didn't. The Hokage wants you to train me for real, which is why he left the option to refuse open to you. It also means he believe that there is a chance that I could convince you otherwise," she said with a frown, deep in thought as Jiraiya grimaced slightly as they leaped over a fallen tree that was in their way before leveling out as they ran through the trees.
"Keh. Like I would train such a wimp," he muttered to himself as Kumori shot him a glare. It may have been said quietly but she had still managed to hear him, as he had planned.
"Oh? And what's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, eye narrowing. Jiraiya raised his hand as he began ticking off fingers as he spoke.
"First you ran away from the hospital. Then you ran away from me at the Inn. Then after saving your life from those bandits, you kicked me in the balls and took off like a bat out of hell," he said as Kumori scowled in irritation.
"I thought we already talked about this," she muttered as she adjusted her pack, fingers clenching tight around the straps in annoyance. Jiraiya noticed and decided to keep pushing. For the information he needed, it would be best for her to be angry with him.
"Well I'm not satisfied! I've seen too many cowards in my time to train one!" Jiraiya snapped angrily as Kumori leveled a glare at him. Was that what he really thought of her? It seemed he still didn't understand her or her motives for such action, and she was going to have to set him straight. She didn't like that tone he was using with her though and he better tread carefully with her, seeing as he was entering shaky ground with the red head. Jiraiya mentally congratulated himself on angering her as he saw her eyes begin to shift colors slightly, the barest hint of red entering them.
"You think I'm a coward or a weakling? What would you know about me? Didn't I stay to cover you when that assassin showed up?" she demanded irritably as Jiraiya snorted and crossed his arms. This next bit would probably push her the amount he needed.
"Oooh, of course. I forgot how complicated you must be," He said sarcastically, "That assassin wouldn't have been a problem to me. You only came back because without me,you don't have any chance at training ora meal ticket into Konoha. Besides it was a perfectly safe situation for you with methere, seeing how strong I am," he jibed. Jiraiya skidded to a stop on his branch as Kumori suddenly landed in front of him, face twisted with rage.
"Is that what you think? That I only came back for training? Well fuck you! And fuck your training too! How dare you put words in my mouth?! You don't know a fucking thing about me you conceited titty twisting ass hat! Do you know why I escaped that 'hospital?'" she spat.
"I wasn't being treated like a human with rights! They where taking blood whenever they please and not telling me a fucking thing despite my demands for answers! They where drugging my food at night so I wouldn't escape! There where people gurading the hallways during the day! I would have been beyond STUPID to have stayed!" She yelled while Jiraiya's mind was churning with this new information, his perception of her starting to change. So she had left for that reason? He found himself mentally agreeing that she should have escaped the hospital.
"Ok, I'll admit that escaping from the hospital was a good idea but that doesn't explain why you had to run off when i let you out-"
"-What the hell did you expect me to do after pulling that little stunt with the damn frog-"she snapped as she jabbed a finger in his face, causing Jiraiya's eyes to narrow dangerously despite the fact that he was calm.
"It's a toad-" he cut in sharply using his acting skills to appear the picture of annoyed and dismissive. Kumori's eyes began to bleed dark red as she swelled with furry.
"-I DON'T FUCKING CARE! IF I SEE THAT THING SO MUCH AS LOOK AT ME AGAIN, I'M GOING TO GUT IT, YOU HEAR?! I WAS TRAUMATIZED! I HATE FROGS NOW!" she roared, beyond furious. "And you have the fucking balls leftto insult me? And you have to askme why I left you?! Who wouldn't?! I don't think I kicked you hard enough if you're ballsy enough to demand that! No wonder you're alone!" she snapped heatedly as she crossed her arms.
Jiraiya took a deep breath as he tried to control his breathing and temper. He had instigated this conversation with the intent to provoke her to anger, but he had had no intention of getting angry himself. Despite this Jiraiya could feel his temper rising alarmingly fast with her. Annoyance was the main emotion. She didn't know anything aboiut him or why he was alone. It had been more by choice then by circumstance and he was tempted to set her straight. He could tell that threat to his toad summon was a real one and he had no doubt that if Kumori saw one of his toads start to come near her she would try to kill it, something that would get her beaten within an inch from her life if she succeeded.
"You touch one of those toads and you will regret it," he said darkly. Kumori's face twisted with fresh anger as she bared her teeth threateningly.
"Then never set them on me again. If you do… then you're responsible for what happens next." she growled as Jiraiya's jaw worked with restrained anger.
"That still doesn't explain why you ran the third time," he snapped angrily, wanting to get this conversation over with. His toad summons where one of the few constants that had been in his life since a young age, and threatening them had put Kumori on shaky ground with him. For an orphane with no family, they had been the closest thing he had found, as odd as it sounded. Kumori scoffed as she uncrossed her arms eyes gleaming red in her anger.
"Fine. I'll explain it out to you in a way you can understand since you're too slow to get it.
I ran because you can put me in that damn frog any time you want. You still can too. You didn-Don't like me. I get that. But that was such a dick move I can't even put it in words... And I ran the third time from you for the same reason. I didn't know what you wanted with or from me and I wasn't going to wait around and find out. I was afraid of what you might do once you caught me, and I was also very angry with you," She hissed before taking a deep breath to calm herself. Jiraiya swallowed as his throat constricted from her words a flare of guilt running through him. 'you still could...' she had said. Did she think that he was going to abuse his power over her? It may have just been three or so weeks but for her to think that of him kind of stung.
"What about now? Do you think that I would do that to you again?" he demanded making Kumori blink at his sudden change of tone, her eyes narrowing slightly as they flickered over his unreadable face.
"...I don't know." she said uncertainly as she looked away from him before shooting him a searching glance, eyes suspicious.
"Would you?" she demanded.
"Would I what?" he asked uncertainly.
"Ever stick me in that toad again? Or abuse your power over me?" she demanded, her face and tone serious though Jiraiya could still detect a note of melancholy and resign in her voice. It caused another flare of guilt and upset to run through him. He wasn't used to situations like this. He was used to dealing with people that could hold their own against him, not partially trained civilian with trust issues, and abuse insecurities. Oh wait... that was most of his spy network. Huh...
"Not consciously." Jiraiya admited with a sigh, deciding that honesty was the best course of action to take with her, "If you where in danger and I needed to get you out of there quickly, then yes I would put you in Gama ( the toad.) Other then that, no."
"Not even if i'm irritating you?" she fired back.
"No. I promise." Jiraiya said firmly, eyes boring into Kumori's dull red ones. He could tell that a lot of the fire had left her. A lull of silence fell heavy in the air between them as they watched each other, Kumori cautiously, Jiraiya searchingly.
"There is no shame in running." Kumori said suddenly, voice unwavering, "Some might call it cowardice to run from you. I call it folly to have stayed. You're much stronger than me. I wouldn't have had a chance." After a moment Jiraiya cleared his throat as he looked away, a bit uncomfortable. He couldn't really fault her for running any of those times. It seemed she wasn't as much of a flight risk as he had originally thought.
"Good. There are too many fools out there that allow their pride to put them in a stupid position. However, what are you going to do if you're faced with the same situation as a ninja? There will be times when you won't have the option of running form someone stronger, when you'll have to stay and fight," he said.
"Then someone is going to die." She said lowly as Jiraiya watched her intently, taking in every inch of her looking for deception and finding none. He noted that she never said her opponent was going to die.
"And you would be willing to die?" he demanded quietly. Kumori chuckled lowly.
"If it's worth it. If not," she shrugged making a shooing gesture her meaning clear. Jiraiya scowled.
"You can't always run away," he snapped causing the woman to bristle dangerously as she stepped closer into Jiraiya's personal space.
"Then I wouldn't have a choice now would I?" she snapped back, growing frustrated with his stupid questions.
"What's this really about?" she demanded irritably as Jiraiya scoffed.
"We're having a conversation on why you ran away," he fired back as Kumori huffed.
"I get that. But whats the purpose to your questions what are you trying to..." After a moment Kumori snorted, suddenly darkly amused before she shook her head as she realized what information Jiraiya had been fishing for and why he had been fishing for it.
"Ah. Flight risk. Got it." she said making Jiraiya blink in surprise at her.
"Now hold on, I never said-" he began.
"Whatever. Believe what you want. It's not like anything I can say will prove anything to you. You've already made up your mind about me," she said as she cut him off and started to walk again.
"What if I offered you training right now? To be my student after answering my questions?" Jiraiya called a bit concerned with her sudden dismissal of him. He didn't miss the fact that she was leaving without him, and it made him a bit nervous. She was sometimes an unpredictable character to him, her actions leaving him floundering in her wake. She hadn't given a warning the last three times she had run, something he had mentally commended her for though it had still been a pain. He didn't want to have to chase after her again, especially if she would be able to run off much easier now. Having to forcefully restrain her would only strain their taxed relationship even more. He knew that she would never let it go or live it down if he did so. If there was a way to ensure she would stay, then it might make his life a bit easier. Kumori paused to look over her shoulder. Her face was unreadable but her eyes were still red with her whirling emotions.
"I... would decline," she said seriously before returning her attention to the path. Jiraiya sigh, a bit more worried than before as he moved to catch up. She hadn't taken the bait. Perhaps she didn't care being called a coward, but it seemed she had great pride when it came to accepting help from others. Talking down to her, and belittling her seemed to put him in a dangerous place with her. She had humility, Jiraiya knew so it wasn't arrogance. She did ask me for training, and she does admit when she's wrong or doesn't know something, Jiraiya realized with a grimace as he watched her retreating back. In his bid to get some answers it seemed that perhaps he had gone too far.
...
The two seemed to sink into a deep silence as they traveled swiftly, their focus on moving as swiftly and as discretely as possible as they forwent the roads, instead opting to travel through pure wilderness via treetops. That and the fact that Kumori was now giving Jiraiya the cold shoulder, not in the mood to talk to him unless necessary.
The toad sage found it a bit unnerving but wise to leave the silence uninterrupted for now, giving her time to cool off before he tried to talk to her again. The two travelers used chakra excessively for the sake of speed, Jiraiya pushing a pace that they could maintain but that would eat up the miles. Only a dull ache showed how far Kumori had progressed so far with her tolerance to using chakra as they continued their punishing pace, miles sliding past as they moved, the rolling hills of southwest Hi no Kuni giving way to the high mountains and flat lands of south Hi no Kuni. It had been midday when they had left and they found themselves traversing into a mountain range by the time dusk had begun to set, the setting sun painting the mountains a rich red orange, leaving the sky dotted with pink and orange clouds against a deepening blue sky. Jiraiya began to slow, Kumori following his lead before he finally came to a standstill. She trotted to a stop, panting in an attempt to catch her breath. Jiraiya was breathing a bit harder than usual as well but he was already recovering quickly his breathing was starting to level out, the product of years of training.
"We should make our camp here for the night. I'll keep night watch," said Jiraiya as Kumori nodded tiredly, still not talking to him. She could barely keep her eyes open as it was, much less find the energy to have to deal with him right now. She really hoped that she would be able to recover from this quickly so that she wouldn't slow them down tomorrow.
Setting up camp was an unusually quiet affair, Jiraiya lost in his thoughts as he churned over what he had learned about the Doku clan, speculated over what it could mean and thought over his ward, Kumori. Dinner over and the bedrolls laid out, the camp descended into a further stillness as Kumori dropped off to sleep, clearly exhausted from their impromptu trek and the lingering effects of the poison that she had been hit with earlier that day. Jiraiya frowned as he looked across the fire where Kumori was sleeping, the gentle rise and fall of her chest the only sign that she was alive. His brow furrowed slightly more in concern as he took in her unusually pale skin, bruising shadows clear under her eyes. There was a slight sheen of sweat, giving the skin a clammy look and Jiraiya couldn't help but ponder how easily she would have been killed if she wasn't so resistant to poisons. She was living in a dangerous new world, and if her attackers had taken aim at her with kunai instead of poisoned senbon, then she wouldn't be alive and fairly well, sleeping across from him right now. She'd be dead. Jiraiya sighed deeply in resign before creating a couple of clones and sending them to go watch the perimeter. He wouldn't be able to think deeply if he was constantly looking over his shoulder.
With a tired groan he laid back, dark eyes flitting from star to star as he gazed up at the night sky, the air a bit too humid to be comfortable. He could tell that they were getting closer to the coast with how far they had traveled today. He couldn't put it off any more, he realized with a grimace. He was going to have to make his choice now as to whether or not he was going to start training her, despite his insecurities over whether or not she would be loyal to the village. That would take time to tell, time they didn't have.
It might already be too late, since there seemed to be people coming after her. She might not have time to accomplish any form of training before the next attack and there was no way I can be with her at all times to protect her if I'm supposed to keep any form of eye on my spy network, he thought moodily. He could keep a clone with her, but a shadow clone would only be able to be able to take one hint, while any other type of clone wouldn't allow him to relay back the information the clone had learned which might be vital for him to know of the situation at hand, to know if she was in trouble. After a minute Jiraiya huffed in annoyance. At this point it seems I've made up my mind, he noted moodily as he continued to examine the stars in the night sky.
Kumori was the kind of person that he would want to watch his back once he earner her trust and loyalty. She wasn't easily loyal, but he could tell from the way she had spoken of her closest friend, someone who was dead, that her loyalty and love ran deep. Kumori still respected her, and he had found after the last three or so weeks that her respect wasn't an easy thing to earn. Sure, she looked after him in her own mother hen sort of way, but Jiraiya figured that that was more of a default part of her character, as if she was used to having to deal with troublesome people that needed mothering. Sure she respected his right to have his own opinions, his privacy, etc, but that didn't mean that she respected the way he acted most of the time, or himself.
He was going to have to earn her loyalty, and earn her respect, teacher or not. She had too much pride and personal integrity to be easily swayed from what she believed in and for him to earn those rights without a fight. Thankfully she usually knew how far to push back against him and when to back off so she seemed to understand her boundaries but he had no doubt that she would make him work for it. He knew she had her head on right better than most people her age, and that she knew better than to give into foolishness or pettiness though she had a bit of a temper when provoked.
Jiraiya's eyes clouded over as he remembered how sick she had looked when she first staggered into the room after her attack. His heart had raced, concern, mingling with anger as she brushed him off before changing out of her blood splattered cloths and got into some ninja gear, muttering about how an assassin was coming for him. He recalled how whenever he tried to steady her she would push away.
Right now she was pretty much defenseless against ninja without him, and it left a sinking feeling in his gut as well as a growing mantel of responsibility on his shoulders.
She knewshe was defenseless. He knew she hated that now, and he also knew that it took great patience to follow a man with no promise of training when she could be out looking for another master. True there was the background thing that she had mentioned, but Jiraiya suspected that there was more to it than she was letting on. With a grunt Jiraiya got comfortable before letting his eyes slide shut. He would have to repair relations with her tomorrow before she would be willing to hear out his proposal. He hadn't expected her to be so temperamental, but then again, he didn't know her very well. It had only been a little more than three to four weeks. Jiraiya opened his eyes moodily as he gazed at the stars, mulling over how touchy she had been when pushed. She's got emotional baggage, he thought with a mild grimace. Perhaps it was time to look through the psyche eval that Inoichi had sent with him.
But not right now, Jiraiya thought sleepily as his breathing began to slow. He would begin tomorrow.
…
Kumori groaned as something shook her shoulder her eyes fluttering open to find Jiraiya's face in her line of sight, a smirk covering the older man's lips.
"Well well well, looks like Sleeping beauty is finally up. Are you ready?" he asked as she sat up groggily, taking in the predawn light and the morning dew that blanketed the ground around them. It was warm, the early morning air pleasantly crisp by balmy.
"Ready for what?" she asked before yawning widely, stretching with a satisfied groan. Her muscles to her pleasure where no longer hurting and she was feeling back to 100%. Thank goodness she recovered faster than average. Jiraiya chuckled before stooping to slip his hands up her arms, making her yelp in surprise when he plucked her right off the ground and stood her carefully on her feet before tossing her a set of cloths.
"For your first day of real training. Get dressed. You're in for a long day," he said as she blinked rapidly, her mind suddenly zooming into focus at his words. Hopeful, but a bit hesitant to ask him to confirm what he meant, she left the clearing to change swiftly, mind a buzz with possibilities.
Did he say training?! She thought excitedly as she began to scramble out of her sleep cloths, intent on dressing quickly. 'What if…' seemed to dance nonstop through her mind. What if he teaches me some cool jutsu? Oh, or what if he teaches me how to walk up the sides of building or on water like I saw him do that other day?! She finally gave up trying to speculate what he was thinking and instead decided that she would have to wait and find out. So far he had only taught her a couple chakra exercises that she had been practicing religiously, and some basic weapon use and hand to hand. Kumori was excited to see what he had in mind and she was already getting jittery. Kumori also couldn't help but wonder if he as going to start taking her training seriously now, after her attack. Maybe he would, but she didn't know how far he planned on taking her training.
But then again, this is Jiraiya we're talking about. He's probably going to teach me a little and expect me to be able to fend for myself from there, she thought, her excitement fading as quickly as it had come leaving her feeling a bit disappointed as the reality of things came into scope. Yeah, unreliable Jiraiya who was more excited about chasing skirts than he was running his own spy network. Much less teaching her. Kumori felt her mood blacken with a grimace as annoyance pushed against depression. After a moment she sighed. It would do no good to nag him to train her more either. She was lucky if he taught her anything, much less the basics.
Well, I suppose that I should just be grateful for whatever training I receive and not bug him about it, she thought with a slight grimace as she slid her ninja mesh armor on before putting her sleeveless kimono top on over her black shorts, bending to slide her ninja sandals on. No, she had not expectations for him anymore. Hopefully this wouldn't be too disappointing.
…
Jiraiya frowned in thought as he gazed across the empty clearing as he pondered over what he should be teaching Kumori.
Of course during their travels he had taken time to teacher her how to navigate using the stars and the sun, as well as certain landmarks in the areas that they traveled through. It turned out that she was actually fairly alright at reading a map and plotting a coarse the few times he had let he lead the way. He had also made a point to teach her a lot of the plants and trees as well as their names and properties as well as which ones where healing herbs and which ones where poisonous etc etc. They had had lessons in tracking as well as hunting for food and the like, though he believed at this point it might be a little moot since she had done so well by herself when she had run off. Still a bit of proper instruction in that area couldn't hurt for future reference.
Her chakra control was fairly alright for a beginner but she still needed more practice refining her control. Running chakra through the body's pathways was entirely different from pooling specific chakra amounts into extremities and holding the pool of chakra there or releasing chakra for jutsu. Under the stress she had been through the first time she used chakra enhanced strength, it was understandable that she would have begun circulating chakra much faster than normal mainly on instinct. Jutsu however where very different. She had been doing well with her chakra exercises, Jiraiya had noted. She seemed determined to get them right after he had showed them to her and she had been working on it whenever they had moved slowly enough or stopped in their travels and she was already improving. Her control would need to get much better though for what he had in mind for her. For now however, he was going to have to get her started on the basics. With that he went digging though his pack before unsealing several large Fuinjutsu scrolls from his pack as well as a set of brushes, and one of his larger packs of ink.
Jiraiya paused as he found his supplies, ready to compile a list of what needed to be taught and covered. He had never trained a student this way, but then again, there had never been such a time constraint as this. He had to cram in year's worth of ninja studies into a little less than a year or two. Needless to say, it was impossible. Jiraiya frowned as he began his list, intent on being thorough in her training. It wouldn't do well for her to miss something obvious and important.
Chakra control: exercises, usage and theory, and how to suppress your chakra signature, how to use and counter killing intent
Ninjutsu: jutsu, training, usage, chakra cost
Fuinjutsu: theory, calligraphy, application/usage, seals, etc.
Genjutsu: theory, how to break them, jutsus
Taijutsu: strength and conditioning, weight training, forms, hand to hand with and without weapons,
Weapons: weapon deflect-ment, weapon care and usage, best way to counter certain weapons, pros and cons of different kinds, close range, mid range, and long range weapons.
stealth and trapping: how to use and recognize traps, how to move without sound and without leaving hints of your presence.
Jiraiya paused before sighing wearily and subbing his face with his hands, feeling more than a little over whelmed. He had already taught all these things to six others, and all his students where dead and buried. To think all that training, all that time, all those connections and bonds to those students, where gone and severed. He had expected to have more time to teach these things a final time to Naruto, and he had thought that he would have more time than this. Just how the hell where they going to manage all of this? It was... Jiraiya paused as he frowned. No, there had to be a way to succeed though he didn't think that he would be able to use traditional training methods. Then again, this was a woman with an adult mind, not the developing mentality of a child that required more time to process and store information. She already had years of life experience, something that they would have to use to their maximum potential. Jiraiya's frown deepened as he began scribbling a quick list of things that would hold them back in her training, trying to figure out a way to make this go faster. Without solving these issues there would be no hope.
Strength. Reflexes. Experience. Practice. Time to do this all.
Jiraiya grit his teeth in mild frustration. The biggest issue he could see was the time limit. She was going to need lots, and I mean LOTS of practice. They was going to have to use some serious short cuts in her training if he wanted her to advance quickly, and the few he could think of was a gravitational seal. However she needed years of experience for most of the skills he needed to teach her, and there wasn't a way to cut around that corner. Jiraiya sighed, feeling a bit resigned. Either way, he needed her to be physically fast and strong as quickly as possible. For that a gravitational seal would help tremendously, along with her rapid healing, otherwise this would be pretty pointless.
A gravitation seal worked the same as weights would in improving body strength and core training, but gravitational seals affected every part of the body the same, whereas weights only targeted specific areas. The same with weights, the muscles would form tears and reform stronger than before which is how her healing would come into play, allowing her to advance her speed and strength faster then average since she would heal and recover faster. He would be able to increase the resistance of her seals much faster then an average person.
Jiraiya also knew that he could use chakra constraint seals to teach her how to summon specific amounts of chakra consistently to her hands for jutsu, which would help her learn how to summon specific amounts quickly and would speed up the training needed to learn to do so. He hummed in thought as the idea prompted him to think of what seals he should probably place on his apprentice.
Maybe an appearance altering seal like I have? he hummed thoughtfully. His seal had been fashioned after Tsunade's constant appearance changing jutsu. It would cover up any seals Kumori had on her as well as the appearance seal itself which might be helpful. It would work like a henge except it wouldn't break under contact and didn't require hand seals or concentration to maintain, and would work whether she was conscious or unconscious. He had had to use it before on many spying missions and it had been invaluable to him since it was near undetectable. She would need it after all the seals he was going to put on her or her appearance might draw a lot of attention. Oh, or a chakra masking seal? Not even most sensors would be able to find her. he thought with a hum of interest. She would be able to hide easily if they were split up and pursuers wouldn't be able to find her using her chakra signature, since she didn't know how to mask it yet.
Jiraiya was worried about how powerless Kumori was right now, and wanted to give her some means of keeping safe if he wasn't there. But what if he needed to find her and her suppression seal was on? Damn it, he thought with a weary sigh as he rubbed his forehead, feeling a stressed, his responsibility towards her starting to make itself known again.
His storage scroll caught his attention and he was pulled from his worry as he frowned at the large thing. Hmm, I probably need to get her one of these, he thought as he rolled the large seal shut before frowning. Maybe I could also put a storage seal on her. That way she would be able to carry things on her. However, I would have to key the seal to a specific scroll and then the scroll would have to seal the items in question. Jiraiya sighed grumpily. He would have to think this over. But later. He could hear Kumori nearing the clearing.
Maybe I should put a stealth seal on her too, he thought with a cringe. He shook his head in exasperation as she yelped when she tripped, at least until she learns how to be quiet.
"Finally. I was starting to think that you had been eaten or something," Jiraiya said with a grin as he stood, hands going to his hips as she drew closer into the clearing where he was. He was looking forward to the prospect of seeing how she would take to her training. She didn't say anything as she calmly came to a stop before him, her expression expectant. Jiraiya's face fell at her bland look and he frowned.
"What? Is that how you greet your teacher?" he demanded as he crossed his arms feeling a bit put out with how calmly and standoff-ish she was acting. Most of the time when he said he was going to teach her something she would turn into a hyperactive little kid that had had too much pocky or dango (sweets.)
"Morning Jiraiya-san," she said easily and Jiraiya's face fell into a deep frown. Ok. Not helping.
"Now that is no way to address your teacher. You will either address me as Sensei, Jiraiya-sensei or Shishou." He said firmly as her eyes widened in mild surprise. After a moment they went back to normal and her face went unreadable once more.
"Yes, Jiraiya-sensei." She said evenly. For some reason, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel even more irritated than before.
"I thought you wanted me to teach you. Yeesh, I would have thought that you had more enthusiasm in you than this." he demanded as Kumori took a step back in surprise at his outburst, though he didn't miss the sudden gleam of hope in her eyes. Ah, there it is, he thought with a hidden grin.
"But you're only teaching me a few basics... right?" she asked carefully. Jiraiya nearly face palmed in realization. Of course. She didn't understand how the situation had changed.
"Well congratulations kid. You've managed to earn a tiny bit of my respect and prove to me that you've got what it takes to make a fine ninja. For that you're now officially my student. Prove to me that you've got the guts to make it and I might even make you my apprentice," He said with a wide grin as Kumori's eyes went wide.
The silence that followed that statement was so absolute, Jiraiya found himself instinctively holding his breath as everything went deathly still. meanwhile Kumori's thoughts where flying a mile a minute.
"..."
He's
"..."
going
"..."
to teach
"..."
me?
"..."
"SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Then Kumori was shrieking in delight as she hit him in a flying hug. Jiraiya staggered in surprise before chuckling as she continued to squeal in delight, her eyes sparkling as she grinned up at him.
"Really?!" she demanded excitedly as he chuckled and ruffled her hair. The red strands were looking a bit wilder than normal at the moment, her eyes sparkling.
"Yeah, really. Now get off so we can start. We don't have long and we still need to cover some ground tonight." He said. Kumori pulled back as she beamed at him, her grin infectious. She couldn't wait to see what Master Jiraiya had in store for her.
...
"You want to what?" Kumori recoiled as she stared at Jiraiya who was looking at her expectantly, his brushes and ink in hand. She had been so excited about Jiraiya agreeing to teach her but she was more than a little wary of letting him put anything on her, especially something like a permanent seal. She had no idea how they worked and she was just supposed to let him put one on her? What if he did it wrong? What if there was more to the seal than he was telling her?
She wouldn't put it past him since Jiraiya seemed to be a bit wary of her trying to run away again. As if she didn't notice that he would check up on her if she had been gone for an hour whenever she went through town. He had gotten better about that with time but he would still go and make sure that she was still there before leaving. She knew his chakra signature too well by now to mistake it for another.
Kumori pursed her lips trying to think of something to say before sighing knowing that she was going to have to be forward with him.
"Listen, I don't feel comfortable getting seals put on me," she said with a cringe as Jiraiya frowned.
"But you need this Kumori. I'll admit this isn't conventional, but these seals are going to help us cut some corners with training and you'll be able to advance faster," he said as Kumori pursed her lips, torn. She trusted Jiraiya more than she trusted most, but she still didn't like this. After a minute with a grudging nod she resigned herself. Jiraiya grinned widely but paused when Kumori raised her hand to stop him.
"I'm putting a lot of trust into you right now Jiraiya." she warned, her voice taking on a slight edge and the Toad sage found his grin fading as he regarded the young woman before him seriously. He had to admit he had been expecting a lot more of a fight from her, because she didn't trust easily, and even with a good mood she was still a wary person. She was putting a bit of faith in him right now, and he had no doubt that she was testing him to see if he deserved it. With a firm nod he sat motioning for her to do the same.
"Alright. Now take of your cloths," he said face perfectly serious. Kumori blinked in shock.
"Wait, what?!"
...,,,...,,,...,,,
Naruto sighed as he slumped at his desk, a mix between being wistful and irritated. It had been a month since his Nee-chan had left and the loneliness that used to haunt him was back. The first day without her there had been the hardest. He had walked in to find her things missing after school and not a word from her, the silence stiflingly familiar. He had streaked off to the Hokage's office forgoing the irritated secretary and snuck in so that he could demand to know where his nee-chan was. The Hokage had apologetically explained that she had been rushed off by her new teacher or she would have said goodbye. Then he got a note from her, explaining how she had a new teacher who was annoying and how she was missed him and would see him before he knew it. It had filled him with warmth, but that had been three weeks ago. Where was she now? What was she doing? Naruto frowned as started to sulk, his worse temper increasing. Listening to Iruka-sensei droning on and on and on. After a moment he perked up with a wide grin. He could feel a prank coming on.
...
"Naruto," growled Iruka eye twitching as he stalked through the village. Where was that brat? Iruka ignored the stares and snickers his appearance was causing.
...,,,...,,,
Naruto grinned mischievously as he watched some of the people he had gotten with paint stalk past searching for him. Looks like he had given them the slip. A hand landed on his shoulder and Naruto yelped turning to find a silver hired jonin wearing a face mask standing behind him, lone eye twinkling in amusement. Oh, its that guy that was there when the Hokage met nee-chan, Naruto though as he recognized Kakashi.
"Looks like you've been getting into trouble," said Kakashi as Naruto eyed the man a bit uncertainly. Kakashi grinned before grabbing the kids shoulder so he could shunshin them to the Hokage's office. The boy yelped as he landed on his behind before bounding to his feet with a glare.
"Hey! what do you think you're doing 'ttebayo!" Kakashi merely grinned and disappeared with a wave.
"Getting into trouble again I see?" said the Hokage from behind him as Naruto began to laugh nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. The Hokage merely chuckled before holding up a letter. Immediately Naruto's eyes went wide and he scrambled to get to his feet.
"Is that-" the boy began. The Hokage grinned.
"Yes. I think she also sent you something to keep you occupied," said the Hokage with a grin as Naruto eagerly tore into the letter. Naruto grinned as he read through in before frowning at the weird markings on the bottom of the page. Following the instructions in the letter he pushed some chakra into the seal.
Poof!
There was a poof of smoke and Naruto's eyes widened at the scrolls and packages that appeared, each neatly labeled. He picked up the note that was on top of the pile of goodies and began to read.
Dear Naruto,
It's me again! Since I'm not there, I decided to send you a few things. ^_^ On top of the roof of the apartment on the left side past the water tower is a small plot of earth that I had prepared. I had to leave however before being able to use it but in Package-1 are some seeds that I have collected in my travels. There are a few easy to grow fruits and lots of veggies. There are a few harder to grow plants however which is why I sent you a scroll on gardening. I want to see if you can do it! I know you can, but it takes a lot of hard work, and consistent care. If you're have difficulties, then go and see if you can find someone to help you with it. A ninja must be well versed in many thing, have the discipline needed to be consistent and must be able to clear thier mind. Gardening might help you in these aspects since i noticed how well you take care of your plank Mr. Ukki. ^_^
In Package-2 I got you some new cloths! Haha, sorry, I couldn't help it. You're a growing boy so I know the other ones are getting a bit small. I'll probably send more later when i get the chance. Jiraiya decided to take me on as a full student so my training is going to get really tough soon. My body is already crying out in agony and we're just getting started! Haha, i'm sure i'll get much stronger though. So make sure to keep eating right, or you'll stay short forever! Plenty of veggies and vitamins, etc. (i sent some in package-4 by the way.) In Package-3 are a few scrolls that I think that you'll like. They are notes I made on the Taijutsu that I was teaching you, and there should be a couple of jutsu for you to learn. Can't have you slacking off now can we! Make sure to keep up with the stretches and tumbles I taught you! I'll be testing you when I get back. If you do good we'll get you a bowl of supreme ramen from Ichiraku! ;) Also, in Package-4 I sent you a few snacks that are in the area! I thought you'd like to try the different specialties of different places. Aright, in Package-5 there will be a small allowance. These are emergency funds only, and I won't be able to send this very often so make sure to store them under the floorboard in your room under the bedside table. (Everyone checks under the bed first so not there. X-P ) You never know when you'll need it so spend it wisely and save it even more wisely! Missing you! Wish you where here!
P.S. If you do really good in your training I'll help you pull an EPIC prank.
With love,
Uzumaki Kumori
P.P.S. feel free to write back. ;)
Naruto blinked before smacking himself in the head feeling like an idiot. Of course he had only gotten one letter from her in the past three weeks. She had been waiting for him to write back. The Hokage looked on in amusement as the boy shook his head and began to tear into the packages. Hiruzen's eyes went wide as he read over the discarded letters.
The last thing we need is another prankster, much less someone helping Naruto, he thought with a grimace as Naruto frowned at the package in his hand.
"Hey, wait a second, she didn't mention anything about a Package-6," he said as he began to open in. The Hokage's eyes went wide with realization and horror as he spotted the seal on the side.
"Wait, Nar-!"
POOF
The boy yelped as he fell back, covered head to toe in orange paint. The Hokage couldn't help but smirk.
"Well, it looks like you've just gotten a taste of your own medicine my boy," he said with a chuckle as Naruto continued to gasp in shock as the thick cold paint began to ooze through his hair cloths and shoes. After a second he began to shake, his head lowered and the Hokage's eyes widened with alarm, worried that the boy was about to cry. Naruto threw back his head as he howled with laughter making Hiruzen release a breath in relief.
"Hahahaha, that was great! Oh, that's why she sent new cloths! Hahaha, I bet this stuff is permanent and is going to take a few days to wash off!" at this Hiruzen's face fell, his eyes going to the orange paint that was all over his office now.
"Hehe, looks like I'm going to have to step up my game!" Naruto said, brandishing the book that had been in package-6. The Hokage paled slightly.
The front cover of 'Uzumaki pranking-I mean Trapping volume 1 by Uzumaki Kumori' gleamed back. Gathering up his new things Naruto ran off down the hallway leaving an orange trail after him, the Hokage groaning as he stared at the mess. He could tell: this was just the beginning.
...
It was pretty much silent as they walked. An awkward silence. Jiraiya coughed. Kumori grit her teeth a vein throbbing in her forehead.
"They aren't thatsmall," he finally said. Kumori roared and he yelped, taking off at a dead run the red head hot on his heels despite the resistance seal that was making it hard for her to move much less run.
AN:
Short chapter, but it was going to be soooooo much longer. This story is about having a plot however so I got rid of a bunch on minutia.
The point of this chapter is to highlight the fact that Kumori might have a leg up in this world, but she's got her work cut out for her if she wants to become a ninja, in a lot of ways. It is also to point out that Jiraiya is going to have to figure out ways to cut corners with her training and with her skills if he wants her to get stronger. You notice in the show that ninja seem to learn in leaps and bounds? Well with her she's going to do the same, but she's not going to be perfect everything. Like everyone she's going to have strengths and weaknesses, and she's going to have to work hard to become the ninja she has to be if she's going to be able to survive. I will be leaving a more detailed note on how seals work, and how Kumori is able to advance rapidly in later chapters.
