Announcement: you're all cool. Well, except the guest who said the story was shitty because s/he didn't like the premise. S/he isn't cool.
But the rest of you readers are awesome.
Chapter Four:
Escalation
Kidomaru was having a bad day. Not bad as in 'pretty bad, but not the worst I've had', but bad as in 'fuck this can't get any worse'.
He and the rest of the Sound Four were currently outside the base, fighting with Orochimaru against the freaking Sandaime Hokage and two of his men. One was sick-looking guy wielding a sword who was good enough to hold his ground against the Sannin in a blade duel, whereas the other was a snake-summoning girl with apparently no sense of decency. Seriously, how could she fight with that attire?
Yet, it was the toughest battle Kidomaru had ever fought. Considerably worse than Kimimaro's legendary trashing.
In his case, it was a hopeless boss fight, but here… it must be the final boss, the gamer thought, shooting arrows at the enemy team while being protected by Jirobou's ramparts of earth. Meanwhile, both Sakon and Ukon were struggling with the snake girl, who was unleashing volley upon volley of explosive kunais at their faces, and Tayuya was preparing a sound-based genjutsu.
It should be noted all the Sound Four had unleashed the full power of the Cursed Seal. And then, the old Hokage is probably going to adopt a monstrous monkey-based super form… a final boss always does that shit.
Fortunately, Tayuya's illusion finally took effect by paralyzing the sword guy on place. Kidomaru instantly seized the opportunity by firing three arrows at his target's head, heart, and spine. The golden projectiles impacted with a sickening sound, forming bloody wounds. The man fell from the strikes, dead before he hit the ground.
"One down, two more to go," Kidomaru noted, finally feeling like a winner. I must have leveled up… "Now, gotta get more XP-"
An arrow covered with explosive seals hit Tayuya's back, causing a large blast.
For a second, the spider-man was at loss of words. "Wait, it wasn't me… so…" He turned around, as one blonde archer emerged from the base, switching from the bow to a strange device. "Oh come on, not new flunkies!"
Jirobou groaned and made hand-seals to crush the new threat… only to be cut into two dozen pieces by a masked ANBU, wielding a sword and wearing a cat mask. The Tanto was wrapped in wind, and would probably cut even stone.
"FUCK!" Tayuya swore, recovering from the sneak attack. As she moved her flute to her lips, her attacker activated his device, a long metal rod connected to his bag by a cable. In an instant, it unleashed a long, bright stream of fire at the girl, making her scream in agony as her clothes and skins started burning.
"Atlas' Secret Technique!" The blonde chuckled maniacally. "Ninja Barbecue!"
Yes, it was all about psychological warfare and Kidomaru knew damn well it was meant to be intimidating, but the hint of sadism in the guy's voice was all too real to ignore. That, and Sakon and Ukon were getting strangled to death by snakes, leaving the spider-man as the only guard still standing. Gotta escape, gotta escape-
At that moment, the masked ANBU noticed her dead teammate, her killing intent flaring fiercely. She stared at the golden arrows, then at Kidomaru's bow, and finally at his face.
I'm so screwe- Was his last thought before the sword of a very angry woman sliced him in half.
And it started so well, Orochimaru inwardly cursed, dodging a blow from his sensei's monkey staff. Pushing back the old geezer with a Wind jutsu, the Sannin wondered how the hell his teacher could have been informed of his presence in the Land of Rivers. A mole, he decided, there is a mole in Akatsuki. And what is Sasori doing-
Snakes sprung toward him, an attack he easily countered when his own reptiles emerged from his sleeve. "Anko-chan!" he chuckled at his former pupil. "How long has it been since we crossed path together? Twelve years?"
"It feels like a century for me… and far too long!" The lady threw a dozen kunai at his face. "You used me as a guinea pig!"
"What can I say? You weren't fit to serve as my new body, I had to go seek a better one! Can you imagine the time I lost because of you?" he shot back, trying to anger her in hopes she would slip up, while countering the projectiles with his Kusanagi. As expected, Anko snarled and entered the range of his control.
"Yes!" he shouted, activating the Cursed Seal on his student's neck…
And apparently failing, as Anko shot a fireball at him, unfazed. Creating a wall of earth as protection, the Sannin quickly guessed the reason of his failure. "You had Jiraiya place a seal to contain mine?"
"It was an experiment from Danzo, actually," Sarutobi said, leaping next to Anko and making hand seals. "Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
"Wind Release: Heaven's Breath!" the snake lady added, as the streams of wind and fire fused into a large, deadly inferno.
"Rashomon!" Orochimaru snarled, upon summoning the gigantic gate as protection. I have no choice, he thought, I will have to use the Edo Tens-
A cat-masked ANBU attacked from his left side, attempting a vertical slash that would have probably cut him in half, hadn't he been faster. Parrying with the Kusanagi, Orochimaru shattered her mask with a punch and prepared to behead the woman, while she was dizzied from the blow.
Unfortunately, Naruto-kun fired an arrow at his face, which he barely avoided. "Get away from her!" he shouted, upon preparing a second shot. The ANBU seized the opportunity to regain her momentum and prepare another strike.
This is getting too complicated to deal with… besides, I have to secure my experiments, Orochimaru thought, dodging both a sword swing and a second arrow. Sensei, it will have to wait for another time… but I'm going to leave a mark of my passage.
"As you wish!" the Sannin snarled, upon closing the gap between him and the blonde with a Shunshin. Before the boy could blink, the missing-nin shoved the Kusanagi thought his chest, cutting through ribs and spilling blood. Then he callously tossed the body to the side. Now, if the Kyuubi wouldn't mind speeding up…
"Brat!" Anko roared, upon seeing her apprentice's state. Her killing intent increased and turned nearly unbearable. "You will pay for that, old asshole!"
"Yes, yes," Orochimaru snorted derisively, smirking when his plan started working. Red chakra surrounded the bloodied blonde, adopting the shape of a beast. "Maybe you focus on your apprentice first! Who knows, he might shed his skin, and turn into a fox!"
As expected, the group became more preoccupied by the Uzumaki than by Orochimaru, who vanished through the earth. "Next time…" he whispered, as Sarutobi rushed to Naruto's side. "Next time, old geezer…"
He was in a sewer. A fucking sewer. And he had one hell of a headache.
"Hello, is there someone here?" Naruto shouted, before arriving in front of a large, dark cage. "Hey, is this some kind of underground zoo?"
Claws nearly went past the bars, much to the blonde's amazement. "Pitiful maggot…" a deep, inhuman voice resonated, as two giant red eyes shined in the dark. "I would gladly kill you if I could get past this damnable seal…"
"Well, the feeling is mutual, asshole!" Naruto glared at what was most obviously the Kyuubi. "You ruined my life!"
"I saved it, arrogant worm!" The fox leaned its head against the bars, glaring at the teen. "Without my chakra you would be laying in your blood! So you will treat me with the respect I deserve!"
"Respect? Respect is earned, not given. And you've done nothing to earn respect from me. Your chakra sabotaged my body, you jerk!" Naruto pointed a finger at the beast. "And why did you do it, in the first place? To make me dependent on you? As revenge for being sealed? Answer me, you old fox!"
The creature stayed silent a few seconds, and then exploded into roaring laughter… and increased the volume once Naruto creased his eyebrows. After a long laugh, the beast calmed itself, and answered with the most derisive tone possible.
"To spite you."
Naruto's eyes snapped open at that comment, and he left the sewer for a white hospital room. "You furry little piece of-"
"Atlas, please do not finish that sentence as long as I am within earshot." Cat leaned her head over to lock eyes with her teammate. She had dropped the ANBU uniform and mask for a black, sleeved robe. "And please calm yourself. You are still weak."
"You should listen to your teammate, young man." Sarutobi Hiruzen opened the only windows, and then sat next to the blonde's bed, on a small chair. "Especially since you were under anesthesia not so long ago."
Naruto took his breath for a few seconds, dizzy and confused. After managing to calm himself, he stared at his limbs. He was wearing a hospital gown, and had bandages over his skin. "Where am I? And how long was I out?"
"You were comatose for around three days," the Hokage replied softly, "We are in Konoha's hospital. You were transferred here as fast as I could. Fortunately, your days aren't numbered."
"I remember a flash of red, pain, and… and power and blood." The memories were disjointed, as if he hadn't been in full control back then. "It was the Kyuubi's chakra, I think."
"When Orochimaru stabbed you, the seal responded by allowing the Kyuubi to send you some of its power." Cat took his hand gently. "Due to your… undeveloped chakra pathways… the process both caused internal damage and accelerated cellular multiplication. The chakra hurt and cured you at the same time, so... you must have lost a few years to live."
"Nice," the blonde deadpanned, slightly feeling uneasy about the physical contact.
"It was the lesser evil. The Kusanagi's poison is lethal, but fortunately, the Kyuubi's chakra expunged it from your bloodstream." The Hokage snorted. "However, your body was so tired it entered a state of deep sleep after the demon's chakra receded into the seal."
"I see… got to do some exercises," the ninja said upon pushing Cat's hand away and rose from his bed.
Sarutobi creased his eyebrows disapprovingly, as his protégé's feet touched the ground. "You should rest a bit more."
"Three days is already too long in my book," he shot back while doing some stretching. "What happened to Orochimaru? And Gecko? Did he-" Cat's depressed expression told it all, and Naruto suddenly realized she was dressed for mourning. "Oh shit… I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"It's nothing," the ANBU replied stoically. "It's… nothing."
Sarutobi's expression worsened. "Cat, would you kindly leave the two of us, and get some rest? You haven't slept enough, and I have to talk with the boy privately."
"As Hokage-sama wishes," she said with a sharp nod, bowing slightly before leaving the room and two men in silence.
The old man sighed, and brought his pipe out from under his robes. "She is deeply wounded. Those two were lovers, and Hayate Gekko's funeral happened this morning."
"I… I see…" Naruto lowered his eyes, upon learning the man's real name. "I didn't know this Hayate Gekko enough to befriend him, but… it's sad he's leaving a loved one behind." His eyes widened. "Wait, the funeral was this morning… how long had she been watching over me?"
"Since after she took an hour to mourn over his grave." Sarutobi lit his pipe. "You received your wounds saving her life, so it isn't that surprising."
"Shouldn't you avoid smoking in an hospital?" Naruto's eyes flickered toward the window. "And who else came to see me?"
The old man grinned like some affable grandfather. "It shall be our little secret. Anko visited you as many times as she could, along with Iruka, Gai's team came, Ayame too, and even Sasuke Uchiha."
Memories rushed to his mind, making the blonde panic. "Oh hell, I forgot! Orochimaru spoke of someone called Sasori, and said I was under 'our' radar. I think more than one missing-nin is involved, and they have been observing me long enough to know who I am friends with. Snaky threatened to kill them if I wasn't obedient! They may be in danger!"
Sarutobi scowled. "Counter-intelligence isn't what it used to be," he noted dryly. "I will do what is necessary to protect them. ANBU watchers should be good. I would ask that you reduce your social activities, but that may tip off the moles that you do care for them. Go ahead and visit the Ichirakus, your team, Gai's team, and maybe Iruka Umino and Uchiha Sasuke. The latter is already under closer surveillance by my men but please avoid everyone else. We wouldn't want a growing list of hostages."
Too true… "Then… how did you guess Orochimaru would-" He blinked. "You have moles among his men?"
"I have moles in every organization worth infiltrating, young man." Sarutobi released a cloud of smoke from his lips. "I see you guessed why I arrived so quickly to rescue you."
Narto nodded darkly. "I was a bait for the snake, wasn't I?"
"Yes," the old man replied bluntly. "I had been informed he was looking forward to sabotaging the Daimyo summit. Hence, I sent you to it. My student was too greedy to miss the opportunity of capturing a bijuu so easily, and too proud to realize it was all part of a grander plan. I didn't inform you, or anyone else on your team, because I was afraid Orochimaru might have seen through your acting. Whereas genuine surprise…"
Sarutobi glanced at the teen's belly. "Soon after your birth, one of my most trusted friends and one of our best seal crafters, Danzo, added a failsafe to the Yondaime's seal, allowing the two of us and my remaining teammates to track you, should you be abducted. Since Kumogakure has a penchant for kidnapping young Shinobi, we thought it would be for the best to keep a way to keep track of you, should the ANBU not be enough to protect you."
The old man narrowed his eyes. "I apologize for using you. But you must understand, it was a calculated risk. I never imagined my student would rather see you dead than not in his hands."
"Hey, you're the military commander, and we soldiers are supposed to take risks," Naruto replied, secretly preparing his revenge. "Yes, you used me as a bait, but I'm sure it was worth it. If I want to be in the ANBU, I have to expect being sacrificed for the big picture."
Sarutobi blinked. "You are taking this far-"
On a whim, Naruto attempted to kick the Sandaime between his legs… and hurt his feet. "Ouch!" He cursed, as the Hokage grinned ear to ear. "It feels like iron!"
"These are steel underpants," the old man corrected proudly. "You don't think you're the first who tried this dirty trick on me, do you? My baby grandson attempted that a week ago." He let go a disappointed sigh. "I expected a better prank from you."
"Sorry, I was in a rush." Naruto sat on his bed and massaged his foot. "I will do better next time. Yes, I'm angry to be turned into a pawn, but, since I'm pretty sure the plan paid off, I won't complain. You're the boss, it's your job to make difficult decisions."
"Unfortunately, a difficult choice is a possibility all ninjas can face," Sarutobi whispered sadly, "And if you are to serve in the ANBU, you will struggle with it your whole life. The plan was a heavy blow to Orochimaru's activities in the Land of Rivers. His private guard has been exterminated, his staff captured and being interrogated, and his installations secured. Unfortunately, my old student got away, and his research findings were smuggled away during the fighting."
Except that substance… Naruto kept to himself. He would have to give it to the Hokage if he were to talk, and he had plans for it. "Orochimaru all but admitted being the one who bombed the summit."
"Ah, so you were informed… truth to be told, even if I were to inform the Kazekage about it, without any evidence to back it up, he would not believe me. He thinks we caused the bombing and put the blame on Suna as a pretext to start a conflict or as a ploy to increase frontier taxes to further wrecking his land's economy." The Hokage snorted. "Diplomatic relationships are such a mess… with enough luck and efforts, we might avoid a conflict, but my student has successfully weakened the Konoha-Suna alliance."
Alright… "What do we do next?"
"I will take care of a delicate diplomatic crisis," the old man chuckled. "You, on the other hand, will take a break, until I find you a new mission to undertake. You will receive payment for an A-Rank mission due to your services… and an additional reward."
The teen raised his head in interest. "Which is?"
"I was told you asked Anko about… your heritage."
Time stopped for a split second, before Naruto found the strength to answer with a nod. "Why are you keeping it a secret?"
"Because I thought you didn't have the maturity yet to accept some… distasteful facts about your family." Sarutobi intertwined his fingers. "But… the more I see you, the more I think you are ready. However, I must warn you… you won't appreciate everything I'm about to reveal."
"I'm not some kid whining when told painful truth." Naruto crossed his arms. "Anko told me the home of the Uzumaki clan, the Land of Whirlpools, sank for no reason."
"A reason called Bijuu." The Hokage lit his pipe and brought it to his lips. "The Uzumaki and Uzushiogakure had developed sealing arts with the potential of calling entities like the Shinigami, or binding the Kyuubi, and foreign countries had grown afraid of them. The Sanbi, the Three-Tailed Turtle, destroyed Uzu with a gigantic tidal wave. I am convinced the Third Mizukage released the beast for this purpose, although I cannot prove it. Where there was once a proud Nation and people, only floating ruins and eternal whirlpools remained."
"So the Yondaime did indeed copy their techniques?"
"He was taught these techniques by your mother, Kushina Uzumaki." Naruto's eyes widened at the name. "She was one of the few survivors of the disaster, and she came to live in Konoha later. She was a close friend of Minato Namikaze, and…" The old man dropped the bomb.
"And she was the Kyuubi's former prison."
The former- "She was a Jinchuuriki?"
"As was Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the First Hokage." Sarutobi shrugged his shoulders. "Uzumaki and Senju had close bonds, before both clans nearly died out. Hashirama's wife followed him to the Valley of the End, and when Madara Uchiha controlled the Kyuubi to kill his rival, she had it sealed in herself. Later, at the end of her life, she passed the burden to your mother in secret. Few in the Shinobi world were aware of this."
The Sandaime nodded. "Uzumaki are gifted with a strong life force and longevity. As such, they make the perfect containers for the Tailed Beasts. I cannot be sure you inherited this blessing, yet, the family curse was passed to you when you were born."
"But… if my mother was the previous container…" Naruto trailed off. "Then… how did it escape?"
"The seal was weakened during her childbirth," Sarutobi said. "I cannot be sure of what truly happened, due to a lack of living witnesses, but it appears the seal broke soon after your birth, and the Kyuubi was unleashed upon our city. The Yondaime was overseeing your birth, and managed to seal the beast into you before it could destroy all of Konoha… at the cost of his life."
Sarutobi carefully left out some details about the other side of Naruto's family. The ninja was still recovering, and too much information might cause him to commit thoughtless actions.
"So… my mother was a Jinchuuriki… must explain I couldn't find anything on her by myself." Naruto raised his eyes. "Do you have… a photo? A picture?"
"I have a few I was keeping for you, when you were of age. Come to my office tomorrow, and I will give them to you… along with her dossier." Sarutobi sighed. "Since her home was destroyed during the Kyuubi's rampage, I am afraid it's the last mementos we have from her."
Although he was angry at the man to have withheld this information for so long, Naruto realized something was amiss with the Sandaime's explanations. "The fact my mother was the former prison of the Kyuubi's prison does not strike me as distasteful. I mean, if she was willing to run the risk of releasing the beast by bearing me, she must have loved me a lot!"
Sarutobi smiled kindly. "Indeed. She loved you with all her heart." He placed his pipe on his lap, his expression turning serious. "As for the distasteful facts… you are not the only descendant of the Uzumaki still alive to this day. There is another confirmed as such. Your cousin, actually."
Naruto froze. "Another… I... I still have a living relative?"
"You share the same grandfather," Sarutobi explained, scowling. "But… he is a renowned war criminal and mass-murderer wanted across the continent. I was afraid if you were informed too early, you might foolishly try seeking him out for knowledge I did not have… and face a terrible fate for your trouble."
"War criminal?" The fact his only relative still alive belonged to such kind was shameful, and painful. "Would you mind… giving me his name?"
"You have been too careless, Orochimaru. And why did you harm the Uzumaki? You were supposed to keep him safe until I could speak with him."
The Sannin snorted at his partner. If he had come faster to the base, none of this debacle would have happened. "I was curious about Anko, and I wanted to make clear we had the means of causing him pain, should he defy us. I couldn't guess my old sensei had put a tracker on him. As for the wound, I wished to see if he could be of use to us, by tapping into the Bijuu's chakra."
Sasori narrowed his eyes dangerously. "You have wasted some of our aces," he complained, "You have revealed sensitive information that should have stayed between the two of us. Especially the Samsara, the bomb, and the fact we have eyes in Konoha. Pain will be very, very angry."
Although Orochimaru couldn't care less about his superior's comfort, Leader was a force to be feared and handled with care. "On the contrary, it will benefit us," he replied, "Konoha will think we placed the bomb on our own… and as such, will not suspect the Kazekage of being in our pocket. The invasion will be facilitated."
"This is a risky game you are playing," the puppeteer countered, "It could have gone wrong in many ways."
"There is no victory without risk. One must know how and when to gamble... unlike my old teammate." Orochimaru crossed his arms. "As for our eyes in Konoha… Sarutobi-sensei will drive himself paranoid trying to identify them, without success. In the same way Leader will be obsessed with finding Konoha's mole."
Sasori nodded gravely. "Only the ten rings were aware we intended to attack the summit. Meaning at least one of them is a traitor. The two of us, Zetsu, Leader and Konan are above suspicions, I cannot see Deidara or Kisame doing it… Kakuzu, Itachi, and Tobi are the most likely suspects. I will investigate further."
The Sannin smiled inwardly at the 'above suspicions' comment, since they were all wanted war criminals and traitors, but didn't comment. "As for Samsara… Naruto-kun won't say anything. He stole the substance from my lab."
The puppeteer's head jerked to the side, much to Orochimaru's morbid amusement. "You believe he might keep it for himself?"
"If he informs Sarutobi, the substance will be confiscated, and all his hopes of gaining chakra of his own will die as well. If he informs Sarutobi without telling he has the substance, my sensei will grow suspicious." Orochimaru smirked. "He is obviously affected by his shortcomings… it's only a matter of time before he tries the drug on himself, gets addicted and comes begging us for more."
"Uzumaki cells are used in the serum, along with your special enzymes, so we cannot guess what kind of side-effects might happen with him," Sasori noted. "Regardless, until we have found a way to remove Naruto's tracker, we aren't to start any action against him. Better focus on the other Jinchuuriki… and on further testing the Samsara."
Orochimaru grinned wickedly. "I have the perfect test candidate ready…"
After leaving the hospital and getting his clothes, bag, and weaponry back, Naruto moved to visit Konoha's memorial, and pay his last respects to Gekko's soul. Afterward, he wandered aimlessly, thinking about what to do next. He should visit Cat, that was obvious. She was probably depressed about her loss and emotional support would probably be appreciated.
The problem was… he had no idea where she lived.
"Finally awake," Sasuke's voice resonated, as the boy jumped in front of him. The Uchiha was covered with bruises, but his face contained a hint of happiness at seeing his rival standing.
"I was playing sleeping beauty, and waited for a princess to wake me up with a kiss. So far, I have been unlucky," Naruto deadpanned. "As you can see my latest mission roughed me up a bit."
"Not so much as mine," Sasuke shrugged. "I've got the feeling we're going to compete for the most astonishing story."
And they did compete. Although Naruto left out some details and pretended he and his sensei had simply been caught in the crossfire of a military operation.
"So, let's make it clear in my mind," Naruto began, once the Uchiha finished. "The bridge builder you escorted lied about the mission? In fact, he was targeted by some powerful businessman who had taken over the Land of Waves by installing a blockade? And Sai managed to send a message to Konoha about the situation with an animated painting?" Sasuke nodded. "And Gato sent Zabuza of the Mist, one of the most notorious missing-nin from Kiri, to kill Tazuna? And your team managed to beat him on your first meeting, before an accomplice disguised as a hunter-nin faked his death? And that same hunter-nin was a boy looking like a girl called Haku, and he could use an ice-based bloodline limit?"
"He approached me passing for a civilian," Sasuke shrugged. "I managed to see past his act with the Sharingan analyzing his body movements and… we talked about… our respective pasts. He had a pretty shitty life, and in the end, I let him go."
Naruto didn't voice the fact he would have probably killed the boy to avoid further problems, but let the Uchiha continue. "He and Zabuza attacked the bridge later, but Team 8 and 10 had arrived by the time And then, predictably, you wasted these two."
"Kakashi managed to kill Zabuza with a ball of lightning, while Kurenai was trapping him in a genjutsu. All genin ganged up on Haku, and although he almost killed Ino and Chouji, you, fighting against your pity for the boy, managed to kill him with a fireball. Then Gato got the bright idea to crash the party with an army of mercenary to kill everybody. And predictably, the jounin butchered them all without breaking a sweat."
"You should have seen it. I almost felt bad for the guys, to be honest." Sasuke shrugged. "The bridge was finished and called 'the Great Leaf's Bridge' for our trouble."
"Mmmm… it's definitively a more astonishing story than mine."
"Depends. You participated in an operation against the second greatest missing-nin of the Leaf, killed one member of his private guard, got stabbed by Orochimaru defending an ANBU and managed to live the tale about it," Sasuke resumed. "It's a lot more impressive."
"Well, to be truthful, I kind of shot that girl in the back and burned her alive two seconds later. Had it been a straight duel, I think she would have kicked my ass. And getting stabbed is nothing to brag-" He stopped, upon noticing a familiar pink-haired girl approaching. "Oi, Sakura-san! How are you?"
"Naruto-san…" Her displeasure was clear. Judging by her eyes moving at Sasuke, she had probably planned to hang out with him and been surprised by the blonde presence. "I am fine, thanks…"
"Still angry at me for defeating you?" Naruto guessed, causing her to scowl. "Nothing personal, it was a bet, and I had something to gain out of it. I had nothing against you."
"It's not to me you should say that," she complained angrily, "It's to Hinata."
It actually made the blonde blink. "What about Hinata? She just fainted on the spot before I could do anything…"
Sakura stared at him blankly. "You have no idea she has a crush on you, do you?"
Naruto laughed at that… and stopped upon realizing she was serious. "Oh come on! She, the Hyuuga heiress, having a crush on me? The no-name dropout?" Suddenly, the fainting made sense… the girl had a abysmal lack of confidence in herself, and certainly, the fact he even approached her had been too much to bear.
"Yes," Haruno confirmed, "The one girl that had a crush on you. And due to her loss to a no-name dropout, I was told her clan was punishing her with extra training."
Naruto paled. "So, I humiliated a girl with no confidence who had a crush on me… and I didn't realize it until now…"
"Dumbass," Sasuke summed it up nicely.
The Hyuuga compound was a nice place where to live, in Hiashi's not-so-humble opinion. It was large, peaceful, with a huge garden, ponds, and training grounds. Only Hyuuga were allowed entry into this sanctuary away from the troubles inherent to great cities.
Hiashi, head of the Hyuuga clan, was currently overseeing his eldest daughter's session while drinking some tea. Hinata was sparring against Neji… and loosing badly. Not that it was surprising. Hizashi's son was a genius, and Hiashi's daughter… a constant disappointment.
After her humiliating defeat against the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki, Hiashi had increased the pace of her training and took all her free time away. In his mind, he had been too lenient with her, and should have pushed her harder. The fact he had focused too long on Hanabi had left him blind to his eldest child's shortcomings, and he intended to correct that.
If a teen without chakra could defeat her so easily, then she would get killed quickly on the field, and Hiashi wouldn't lose a family member. Ever again.
The session could have gone peacefully… but then a blonde cockroach crashed it without warning.
"Excuse me," the Uzumaki scoffed, appearing out of nowhere. "Can I interrupt this for a few minutes?"
Hiashi glanced briefly at the teen in anger. How could he have passed the security so easily? What were the guards doing? "What do you want, Uzumaki?" he asked icily, while Hinata suddenly stared down like a beaten puppy, and Neji exchanged polite nods with the newcomer.
"I would like to apologize to your daughter for what happened last time we crossed paths," he replied, bowing deeply before Hinata, much to her shock. "Please excuse me. It wasn't nice on my part."
While his daughter was too astonished to reply anything and blushed heavily, Hiashi glared at him. "You attacked my daughter in broad daylight, for a bet, of all things. Be happy the Hokage convinced me not to take actions against you for this."
The blonde cringed. "Er… alright."
"It is good you realized your mistake, but you should be punished for your immature behavior, and learn to consider the consequences of your actions. As a father, I will give you this lesson." Hiashi set his tea aside. "Since you have illegally entered clan grounds, I, as the Clan Head, challenge you to a duel."
If the blonde was surprised or intimidated, he didn't show it. In fact, he seemed to expect it. "Where and when?" he asked.
"In two hours, at the stadium for the Chuunin exams," the Clan Head replied, intending to punish him in front of as many people as he could. "Refusing to be present will equal to a surrender."
"No way," Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Clan Head or not, I'm going to-"
"Hiashi-sama," Neji cut in, "May I be allowed to speak with this dropout before the fight?"
Hiashi nodded and dismissed them both with a hand gesture. The Hyuuga prodigy took upon himself to bring back his rival to the gate, before speaking bluntly. "Surrender. You cannot win."
"Of course I can," Naruto replied infuriated. "He's a Clan Head, yes, but he's all about the Gentle Fist. Against me, this is-"
"It will be useless until he decides to target the organs," the prodigy shot back. "Due to your lack of chakra pathway system, none of us Hyuuga can paralyze you or defeat you by closing your tenketsu… but we can surgically inject our chakra in your organs without relying on the pathways. It is far less precise, and as such, more dangerous."
Naruto scowled but said nothing, letting his friend continue. "Without a pathway to direct our chakra, these strikes cause internal damage which can be permanent. Hiashi will not hesitate to resort to this when he realizes he cannot defeat you the cleaner way. Hence, since he's a jounin, surrender, or your entire career might end in two hours."
The blonde's expression had progressively worsened. "You can do that too, isn't it," he accused him, "You were holding back all along! Why?"
"For the same reason I hold back against Lee and Tenten: because I might accidentally cripple you permanently if I get too careless." Neji locked eyes with his friend. "Look, you're a failure… but you are also dear to my heart. It won't be my fate to end you."
Naruto stayed silent, before grinning. "Ah… so you do care about me!" The blonde gave him a light tap to the back. "Well, then… I will have to go straight to plan B."
Neji blinked in surprise. "Plan B?"
"By this point, you should know I never have just one plan." He glared at the genin. "Make no mistake, our conversation isn't over. Once I have beaten your uncle, you and I will fight, and we will see who's the strongest… and this time, no holding back."
"Oi, Dosu," Zaku snorted, upon seeing the town. "That's the place Orochimaru-sama asked us to burn? It's not that important-looking."
"You're missing the big picture." Had the idiot forgotten this city was under Suna's jurisdiction? The bandaged genin searched inside his bag. "I waited years for this moment…" Now, it was his turn to burn people. It's payback time, tree-huggers… you should have killed me when you had the chance, instead of burning my skin and leaving me to rot… 'cause I'm going to make your life miserable.
"How many ninjas are stationed here?" Kin asked, sounding worried.
"Three dozen, mostly Genin on permission and a few Chuunin," Dosu snorted, bringing out a Konoha-headband and a syringe. He put the former on his forehead, and prepared the latter. "At the first sign of trouble, the news will reach Suna in a heartbeat."
"And… it's only the three of us?" Zaku paled. "That's insane."
"No," Dosu corrected, injecting the ooze-like product into his veins. "It's only me. You two are just here to warn me should reinforcements come."
As he felt the 'Samsara' filling his body, Dosu groaned. "Just watch… and learn."
Much to Naruto's surprise, not many people were present at the stadium. He had expected at least a hundred people present merely to see the hated Kyuubi reborn humiliated, and they were three dozen at best. Sarutobi, who had Perry sitting on his lap, an old one-armed man sitting next to him, team Gai, team 7, team 8, team 10, Cat, and finally, Anko.
Oh, and all the parents of the genin he beat. And Kiba's sister. It was hard to miss her.
"He's the guy who kicked your ass?" Hana Inuzuka asked her brother. "He's cute, but he doesn't look that tough."
"Sis!" Kiba whined, while Akamaru growled. "He looks harmless, but he's a sneaky, cheating, arrogant bastard!"
"Technically, it is not arrogance, since he beat all of us," Shino noted. "He is stronger than you."
Sai nodded. "Your dog is smarter than you, if you truly expected him to play fair," he said, exemplifying his lack of social skills by angering Kiba even further.
"Oi, brat!" Anko shouted. "I bet one million ryo on your ass! So you better show the stuff you're made of!"
"I'm with you, Naruto-kun!" Lee jumped in place.
"Lee!" Gai clenched his fist. "We must ignite the fires in him with our encouragements. Louder!"
Tenten cringed, quickly imitated by all of Team 10. "Are they always like that?" Ino asked their teammate, who nodded in a depressed manner.
Finally, Hiashi entered the stadium, and, as expected, he hadn't activated the Byakugan. Perfect, the blonde thought, as the man walked into the trap, completely unaware he had lost the fight before it started. Now, Let's get this party started…
"Before we start, Hokage-sama," Naruto shouted, attracting everyone's attention, "I would like to ask something to my honored opponent."
There were some words in the audience, and the old man nodded. Naruto locked eyes with his opponent. "Would you mind activating your Byakugan to defeat me? Think of it as a last request."
Hiashi said no word, but gave a sharp nod. "Ready?" The Hokage asked. "Start!"
Silently, veins pulsated around Hiashi's eyes…
And he paled in horror.
"Here are my conditions, and they aren't negotiable: first you surrender. Second, you swear on the Hokage's head to take no further actions against me. And thirdly, you cease to push your daughter around for having been defeated by a an opponent that just beat you. You have five minutes before I activate them. And don't try anything rash. I will detonate them if you even fake trying to close the gap. And since this is a duel recognized by the Hokage, I will walk away free if you die or are maimed. Think wisely. Think quickly." He would have asked him to remove the seal on Neji's head as well if he could... but if Naruto were to ask too much, Hiashi would probably refuse. It will be for another time.
While Hiashi's pure fury and killing intent entertained Naruto to no end, the reactions of the assistance topped it. "What?" was the most common word. Sarutobi merely smiled, and the one-armed man nodded sharply.
"Told you he would win without lifting a finger," Anko gloated to Kurenai.
"I see," Cat was the first to catch on. "Ingenious."
"What happened?" Ino wondered, frowning in confusion.
"Easy," Shikaku Nara sneezed, having guessed the second Hiashi paled. "He trapped the field before the match began. Dirty, but smart."
"Hinata," Shino whispered softly, "Could you activate your Byakugan please? Tell us what your father is seeing."
The girl shyly nodded and obeyed. The second her bloodline kicked in, she gasped. "Hun-" she took her breath. "Hundreds… explosive tags… and… dynamite…"
"You guys can't see it because they are under two feat of earth, but this entire arena save the area surrounding my current location is trapped with explosives… and if they detonate, which I can cause at will with a remote detonator hidden under my heel, the entire field will blow up, while I will be relatively unharmed." Naruto smiled. "So, Hyuuga-sama, what do you decide?"
"This… this is cheating…" Sakura whispered, before her eyes widened. "Wait, how did he manage to place them without it being noticeable?"
"Certainly he got some assistance," Kakashi eyed Anko, who grinned wickedly. "I see... you used a Doton technique to hide them underground?"
"Hey, there is no law against being helped trapping a field with explosives one hour and half before a match begins," Naruto made a mock reverence, "I'm a mere law-abiding citizen. It's not my fault if my opponent didn't think outside the box and wasn't careful enough to activate his Byakugan beforehand. As for cheating… we're Shinobi. The only law is to win… and I did. The Kaiten's activation time is slower than the detonation, meaning at best you will lose a leg trying to resist."
Hiashi radiated killing intent… and then calmed himself, briefly narrowed his eyes, and adopted a stoic expression. "Indeed," he admitted, much to Naruto's surprise, "My hubris took the better of me. I should have remembered you were a Shinobi, and that all Shinobi are to be feared… no matter how young they are. I will take this as a lesson of humility."
Then, he bowed, albeit only slightly.
The importance of the gesture wasn't lost on Naruto, whose jaw dropped. The reactions in the audiencewere similar. "I hereby surrender," Hiashi said, upon straightening up, "And swear on the Hokage not to take any action against you, and to be less strict with daughter from now on… for I understand now she had no chance against you from the very beginning. I see why Sandaime-sama respects you so much."
"Er… thank you…" was the only answer Naruto managed to muster. Damn… I didn't see it coming…
Sarutobi started clapping, quickly imitated by everyone else. Then, Hiashi used a shunshin to appear next to the Hokage, and they, along with the one-armed man, began to discuss. With a hand gesture, the old man invited Anko and Cat to join them. Alright… I got the feeling this is going to blow up in my face… the blonde thought, upon leaving the field and taking the detonator with him.
Upon reaching the spectator seats, he was quickly welcomed by Gai's team and team 7. "Impressive showing, Naruto!" Gai shouted loudly. "See, Kakashi! I have won our bet!"
"Did you say something?" the copy-nin asked, his nose in a Icha Icha book. "I wasn't listening."
As Gai went into a long tirade about how he was the only one taking their 'youthful rivalry' seriously, Naruto gave a light tap on Neji's back. "Why not tomorrow?"
The Hyuuga smirked. "I will check the field beforehand."
"Congratulations, Naruto-kun!" Lee gave him a thumb up. "You were awesome."
"Congratulations on using my explosives," Tenten smirked. "You must have wasted most of your stock here."
"Who cares? I can get new ones… oh, and the flamethrower is awesome." Naruto grinned wickedly. "Nothing can beat the scent of fires in the morning."
"You sound like a psycho," Sasuke sneezed. "Still it-"
"STUDENT!" Anko shouted for all to hear, leaping in front of the blonde, and hugging him. "I'm promoted! Promoted, you hear me!"
"Promoted?" the genin repeated. "You're a jounin, how can-" Ah… the ANBU. She must have been promoted to ANBU. "Congratulations, crazy sensei!"
"Congratulations for your victory, Naruto Uzumaki," Cat added, upon using a shunshin to appear next to him, "No doubt you will earn your promotion soon enough."
Damn, they're such show-offs- His eyes snapped wide. "… did you say my promotion?"
Anko chuckled, upon tightening her embrace. "You thought you could beat a jounin in front of the Hokage and not be considered for promotion?"
"Hiashi-sama told the Hokage someone with your skills shouldn't stay a genin any longer, and Sandaime-sama agreed." Cat locked eyes with him. "Danzo Shimura, the ANBU commander, said he was favorably impressed by your 'Shinobi view of a fight' and that he had 'underestimated your potential', and said he would consider adding his vote to the proposition. You might become a Chuunin of Konoha very soon, although you will stay under Anko-san's tutelage as part of a two-man squad regardless of your rank."
Between the shock of the news and the lack of air caused by Anko's hugging, Naruto didn't find the strength to react beside short nods.
"Alright, let's go to the nearest bar to celebrate!" the snake lady released her student, who fell on the ground, gasping for air. "My pay!"
Sarutobi watched, amused, as Anko seized her apprentice in happiness. "I am surprised you finally accepted her promotion," he told Danzo, once the two away from everybody else.
"Since my experimental seal can contain Orochimaru's, I see no reason to exclude her anymore." Danzo adopted a calculating look. "Imagine if we manage to pierce the secret of the Cursed Seal. By combining it with my own, we could-"
"I refuse to sacrifice nine of our Shinobi for one success," Sarutobi cut in, "Especially since the side-effects are… unpleasant."
"Point taken." Danzo observed Naruto. "I admit… I underestimated his potential. If he could learn true discipline, he would become a welcome addition to our forces… eventually."
Sarutobi raised an eyebrow, and his old friend elaborated. "He has the intelligence, I will not deny it, and quite inventive... but he lacks wisdom, and is blind to the consequences of his actions in the long run. He is lucky Hiashi is wise enough to take his loss well, or your protegee might have suffered retributions no matter the man's promises. He needs more maturity and foresight, and I am afraid Mitarashi will not teach it to him. We cannot allow him to become a Chuunin until he wises up, but... I am no longer opposed to a future promotion."
"Hence, why you accepted Anko's entry in the ANBU," Sarutobi guessed. "As her apprentice, he will inevitably spend time with the group's members."
"Oh, I had a better idea in mind." The war hawk smiled. It was brief, and out of character, putting the Sandaime on edge. "Akatsuki has become a threat too large to be ignored. It needs… special attention." He turned to face the Hokage.
"I think it is time we create a new division."
Fires were consuming the city, and smoke filled Zaku's lungs. Yet, it could barely hide the scent of fresh blood and burning flesh.
Then, crossing the gates, he returned. He was barely recognizable, his clothes were red and dirtied, and his breath was heavy, but it was him.
"Dosu…" Zaku shyly asked. "Are you… are you alright?"
"Zaku…" the monstrosity grinned, with fangs instead of teeth. "I'm just getting started."
A/N: thanks ABitterPill for betaing.
Before anyone ask on the Uzumaki's slightly altered history and Danzo being ANBU Commander... this story is AU. Although in this case, it's more about expanding things canon stayed vague on. As for Naruto's living relative, it is a canon major character and I believe I dropped a few hints already. Guess who it is.
For Atlas!Naruto's main flaw, it is, ironically, shortsightedness, among other things. It's going to hurt him later. As for the fights... due to his fighting style, he either wins quickly if he is prepared, or loses quickly. He isn't made for long shounen fights, but for ambushes, trapping, sniping, poisoning... aka closer to a real life ninja than the mercenaries they're portrayed as in canon.
I am also going to focus on minor characters and develop them, like Yugao, Dosu, the Jinchuuriki, and others later. I believe they have a lot untapped potential fanfics rarely exploit.
Next chapter is going to explain a few things, like the Kazekage's motivations and the consequences of Akatsuki's actions.
Would you kindly review? It fuels my motivation.
