DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto.
"Common speech"
"Thoughts, emphasis"
"Contained individual's speech, significant jutsu"
"Contained individual's thoughts"
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Author's Note:
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I apologize for the lateness of this update. Work has kept me busy, and I didn't have time for writing this chapter until now.
Yes, I know the real name of the Fourth Hokage is Namikaze Minato and that Mariko is Konan. And yes, I know the supposed leader of Akatsuki is Madara, but I won't be changing that in this story…and with regards to his legacy, I will leave that for the story to tell.
And so we begin…
Naruto: Chapter 10 - Moving Forward
Akatsuki Lair…
"What the heck is going on, dattebayo?!" asked the clone.
"Just as I suspected," smiled Arashi mysteriously.
"Which is…?" asked the kitsune.
"Although the essence has been exchanged, corporeal form still has precedence."
"Therefore, if I summon a clone, since it is the boy's body, the clone will be that of him," stated the nine tails demon.
"Exactly," replied Arashi.
"Then answer me this: If corporeal form has precedence, and I used the boy's chakra to summon the clone, why is it that the clone's chakra running within him is that of mine?" asked Kyuubi.
The fourth Hokage frowned slightly, only just now noticing this fact. "I don't know. It could be that, because Naruto is imprisoned with your chakra. The jutsu uses your chakra to maintain the clone. Or, you could've messed up the jutsu…"
The kitsune's unblinking stare bore down on Arashi and stated, "Although I have no use for clones in battle, I know how to summon them."
"Pompous prick" thought Arashi.
"Cho…chotomate kudasai…" said the exasperated Naruto bunshin, as he was unable to follow the explanations. "What…what the heck happens now?! I'm so confused, dattebayo!"
Arashi looked at the clone and the demon now controlling the body of his son. "You both will need to learn how to use your new…chakra."
"Since I am now in control of the boy's body, why don't I just tear off the seal? It would simplify matters."
"If you do that, with the way things are, the both of you will die. For the seal to be released, it has to be Naruto, in his body, and of his own volition."
"Come, the both of you" continued Arashi, "We need to begin your training." And as he walked towards the main section of the cavern, he transformed back into his red-haired disguise without breaking stride.
The Naruto bunshin shifted uneasily for a moment, and followed suit.
The demon kitsune, eyes unfocused as he followed them, concentrated on the different sensations bombarding him now that he was in a human body.
It was foreign, and strange…
He felt weaker.
The minute amount of chakra the boy possessed left him feeling impotent…
He flexed his fingers one at a time, starting with his thumb and finally closing the hand to make a fist. The function of it was alien, and yet, easy to control…
He felt imbalanced and prone walking on two legs, rather than four. Not used to the exposure of his belly so openly…
He felt the cool currents of the wind against his bare skin, and was surprised that he no longer remembered how it felt against his fur…
He breathed in the stale air of the cavern, and noted how scents were less offensive…
He felt detached…
He felt freedom…
A few weeks later…
The nekomata container rose up from her slumber; the dancing flame of a candle urging her on.
She still felt slight traces of muscle trauma, but overall was feeling much more invigorated than before.
She made up her cot, and undressed to her underwear, the shirt and pants only a hindrance on what she was planning to do.
The coolness of the makeshift room caressed her skin, goose bumps appearing on naked flesh.
She raised her arms in front of her and slowly bent down, touching the floor.
Finding the necessary balance, she lifted her right leg, then her left.
She then sensed for any soreness inside her muscles as she completes the slow summersault, noting that her lower back and triceps needed a work out to remove the kinks.
She did a couple of warm ups before getting into the first stance of her kumiuchi kata. Her eyes glazing over as she imagined five enemies surround her, letting the conjured situation encompass her totally.
The one in front of her attacks with a punch aimed for the head. She blocks it with an upward thrust of the left forearm while taking one step back, she then grabs the enemy's wrist with her right hand, and proceeding to bend it, used the enemy's momentum to flip him, after which she dislocates the shoulder with a sudden pull.
Her breathe maintains to slow, deep ones as the remaining enemies proceed to attack her one by one. The enemy at the rear rushes forward. She crouches down and extends her left foot, gaining speed as she turns in the half-circle for the leg sweep.
Two more rush forward from her 3 and 6 o' clock. She does a side roll to her 9, executes a roundhouse kick to eliminate the threat from her 6, and spins around to the momentum of the kick, now facing her 3, the enemy still rushing towards her.
She performs a drop kick aimed for the kneecap, and as she lands, the last one attacks from above. She retreats to the right, still maintaining form, and delivers a chop to the base of the neck as he lands beside her, fracturing the vertebrae and paralyzing him.
She finishes the last sequence with a shout of triumph, laying waste to the last of her imaginary foes; sheen of perspiration now coating her sinewy body.
The body of a shinobi.
She grabs a towel from the closet in her room and wipes her body dry, after which, she takes a new set of clothes provided for her.
The Lady Mariko had told her before that her door would now remain unlocked, but the chakra-block seal would still be in place.
Although she protested, staking claims that she would be loyal to the organization, it still remained in place. If she put herself in her captor's position, she thought it a logical decision.
How can one really trust a captive to change allegiance so quickly, neh?
But she consoled herself to the fact that she could now have more space, and not be confined in her room which was starting to make her claustrophobic.
She just didn't like being caged.
So, she walked out of the room and into the cool passageway. The only direction she knew was that of the mess hall which the Lady Mariko had shown to her before.
The torches along the wall lit the way before her as she slowly made for her destination. Coming upon a fork, she was supposed to go right for the mess hall, but she heard noises on the left path. Wanting an escape from her solitude, the left path was chosen, hoping that the Lady Mariko was the one she heard training.
She neared the end of the passageway, and soon discovered that it led to a large chamber she had never been to; but what caught her breath were the people training there.
Right before her stood an army, probably a thousand strong, with the chamber barely having any room left.
And the skirmish within was chaotic.
She knew that these just had to be clones. What stumped her was the fact that these clones weren't mere illusions. She tried detecting for any signs of genjutsu, still not believing what her eyes were showing her.
Either it was one damn good genjutsu…or a much more advanced stage of bunshin no jutsu.
She settled on the latter, and concentrated on witnessing this spectacular event.
Her wandering eye soon focused on the center of the mob. There, surrounded by an overwhelming number of clones, stood the red-haired Akatsuki leader, and that Naruto kid…juvenile…man…whatever.
She noticed that this-one Naruto had a different attribute than all the other sea-mass of Naruto bunshins.
This Naruto had eyes of crimson, while all the other blonde haired doppelgangers had eyes of azure.
Weren't bunshins supposed to be an exact copy?
So…is it possible that there are three people fighting here? She discarded that, thinking it too far-fetched and assumed that it was just a glitch from the jutsu.
She shook these distractions from her head and continued her observation.
She naturally assumed that Kazama and the crimson-eyed blonde were teamed up against the clones, and as she looked on, wave after wave of clones charged at the pair, but were soon dispelled into clouds of smoke.
Yugito was impressed at the taijutsu skill the disguised Yondaime Hokage possessed, as the army was slowly being decimated to half its original number.
Minimal energy movement usage but with maximum damage requirement…
Precision strikes…
Impeccable form…
A master in his own right…
The crimson-eyed Naruto on the other hand had a peculiar fighting technique. He stayed close to the ground, in a compressed genuflect.
Only when an enemy neared did he lash out with two piercing fingers. She noted that the tips of these fingers seemed to have ethereal claws. He would sometimes go for a leg sweep, or target a kick at the kneecap, but would always return to that compressed form; keeping his center of gravity close to the floor.
Suddenly, the clones changed tack and stopped attacking simultaneously in groups, and the ensuing silence brought about a heavy veil of pressure.
"Amazing, isn't it?" asked the Lady Mariko.
Yugito, fully absorbed by the spectacle before her, had not noticed the Lady's approach.
"Yes. I have never seen anything quite like it before…"
"As to be expected. Master Kazama is unique in that aspect of battle. His tactics are different and totally unexpected."
"Yes…they are," Yugito replied. "I wonder if she knows that Kazama is really the Yondaime Hokage…"
"You must be hungry."
"A little bit."
"Mmm. This way please...let's leave the boys to play."
The Nibi container felt hesitant from having to leave as an audience, but basic necessity quietly urged her on. And as she followed the Lady Mariko, she could not help but keep a lingering gaze on the crimson-eyed jinchuuriki until her view of the spectacle disappeared when they rounded the corner.
Those eyes of fire kept coming back. She didn't know what it was, but his haunting gaze drew something from her.
What it was, she couldn't say. It was like a fleeting thought that just didn't want to be remembered, lest it be focused on, and discarded.
"My lady, what do you know of that man that is with Master Kazama?"
"He is a jinchuuriki just like yourself…"
"Oh… and which bijuu does he contain?"
"He houses the most powerful bijuu of all…the nine tails."
Shock and respect could be seen from the eyes of the other jinchuuriki. She recalled during her younger years, the tedious struggle it took just from going insane. The mental strain of focusing on the daily variances of life while having to listen to the ranting of a two-tailed bijuu took its toll.
There were times where she just wanted to end it all, but it was her duty…her burden to bear. She was told by her Uncle Raikage of the sacrifices of her mother, and of many other Kumo Shinobi to imprison the mighty beast.
But was she given a choice?
Had someone stopped to ask her if she wanted this burden?
With all due respect to the people and to her mother, she did not want this…they had decided it for her. And deep within her heart, she bore a grudge against them.
It will never be spoken of, but it is there.
And so she was left to wonder, whether this other jinchuuriki had secrets of his own…grudges yet to be avenged…
Maybe…just maybe…they could make their way out of this darkness…together.
Training Cavern…
"Well done, Naruto. You have come very far in a very short amount of time."
"Thank you. This was the training method taught by Kakashi-sensei…"
"Yes. I understand the concept. It was ingenious of him to think of it. If you calculate the time we've been training using his method, you've been training here for 10 years already…"
"Yeah…I guess…"
Kazama sensed something amiss within his son, and wanted to divulge it without the prying ears of the nine tails.
"Kyuubi, may I…"
"Fire Shadow Arashi, I want you to call me Kitsune."
A raised eyebrow was the initial reply. "Very well…Kitsune, may I speak with Naruto alone?"
"Of course. If you will point out another section of this cavern for me to continue training, I will be on my way."
"Arigato gozaimasu…the path to the left will lead you to the library section. It is quite spacious."
The Kitsune nodded in reply and made his way.
Upon entering, he noticed the Nekomata container perusing a book. He silently walked towards her, all the while, admiring the grace and poise with which she stood.
"Anata-no namae wa?" What is your name?
Yugito, startled by the new presence looked over her shoulder.
There he was. Him, with that calm unblinking gaze.
Where did he go off asking for her name just like that when he didn't even offer his first?
Wait…
he did…
Naruto, wasn't it?
"Watashi no namae wa Nii Yugito desu…" It's Nii Yugito
"...Yoroshiku onegaishimasu…Are wan nan desu ka?" …Pleased to meet you…what is that?
She looked at him in a questioning fashion and said, "Hon…" A book…
"…Suki desu ka?" …Do you like it?
"Suki desu." I do.
"Naze desu ka?" Why?
She shrugged in reply, not really knowing what to say. It was …a book. Why ask so many questions about a book?
"I'm sorry. I guess what I'm trying to get to is, I would like it if we were friends…"
"I've got plenty of friends."
"I don't have any."
"Well, I can see why."
"…I didn't mean to offend you just now. I'm sometimes…not quite at home around … people.
I get too immersed in…whatever it is I do, and I end up alienating any companions I have along the way... I don't seem to have developed …--"
"Yes?"
"I have a certain promise to fulfill, and it will take up most of my time. But sometimes I…speculate…that I haven't left room for…anything else in this journey."
"Hmmm. I'm sorry to say I know what you mean."
Somehow, a companionable silence befell the two. She hadn't noticed that along the conversation, their bodies had inched closer together. And it amplified the magnetism of his unblinking gaze. Crimson eyes. How they mystified her so.
"Well, um…I have to go get some rest." And she began to walk away.
"Good night, Yugito."
She stopped and without looking back at him asked, "How do you know the time? We are too entombed to tell."
"I just do."
"Good night to you, Naruto…"
Glossary:
Otogakure – Hidden Sound Village
Kumogakure – Hidden Cloud Village
Taki no Kuni – Waterfall Country
Sunagakure no sato – Hidden Village of the Sand
Konohagakure no Sato – Hidden Village of the Leaf
Kaze no Kuni – Wind Country
Akatsuki – Red Dawn
Kata – a series of movements and techniques practiced in a pattern to instill discipline on mind and body.
Kumiuchi kata – empty hand/ grappling kata.
Nemokata – demon cat.
From here on out, if I say Naruto, I refer to the kage bunshin. If I say Kyuubi or Kitsune, I refer to the Kyuubi now controlling Naruto's body.
