Chapter 24: Naruto's recovery
Sorry about the last chapter everyone I hope you like this one. I'm amazed, I know that fanfiction readers care more about plot than how well something is written, but this is rediculous. It's not bad at all! (I'm talking about Naruto of the Shadow in case you were wondering).
Here it is-
Naruto woke up to a peaceful, yet irritating light which penetrated the window beside his bed. He went about his morning routines like any other day but unbeknownst to him this would not be any ordinary day. He reflected wearily upon the events that had transpired in the short days previous to the current time after he had finally come out of Anbu for a short vacation. Still, troubled over how he had treated Gaara- more like a close friend than a brother and for a reason the blonde couldn't quite explain it unnerved him.
Still he knew it would take some more time for him to get back to the personality he was before he left. And to be honest he wasn't sure whether he wanted to give up his new attitude at all. His emotionless logic helped him greatly in battle focussing him, and pushing him in training to work more efficiently not only harder. Unbeknownst to him was that his change would coming willingly or not.
He was standing on the top of the Namikaze mansion. The huge building that rocketed out of the sky, the house did not take up much space unlike the complexs the clans of the village lived in. Instead it was built upward and looked like a mini skyscraper. The building had six floors each floor colored depending on the things inside. For example the basement was painted completely black and in it was training equipment, weapons of all sorts, and mementos from battles both Naruto and Minato had fought in.
Naruto looked at the village with longing, one day he would be able to guide it. He was clad in ninja gear and armor all black save for his orange cloak which is father had given him upon his arrival, he wore the orange cloak more for the fact that some color made him stand out a little less in the village and secondly it was phscologically comforting to the people around him. Why? Naruto did not quite know, but he heeded his fathers kind advice and adorned the vestigial piece of clothing.
He was going to his classes today; first the torture and interrogation class with Ibiki and right after a foreign relations course. He made his way to the class in the Academy building. The class was an old empty seminar room that was used for speacial adult training sessions and it doubled as a meeting place for leaders of decision to meet and discuss budget expenture.
He was the first one in the empty classroom so he took a seat in the back. A place he had never sat before. In the academy he loved to sit in the front closer to the teacher and closer to the knowledge the teacher provided. He knew this class room be pretty small but as Ibiki walked in Naruto began to wonder if anyone else was signed up for the class.
"Well Naruto," The interogation expert began, "the other person who signed up for the class cancled last minute so it looks like it's just me and you. But first tell me Naruto you've been in the new section of Anbu and I've heard you now have taken a step out of your father's shadow. Is that an accurate analsis?" Ibiki looked at him intently as if the person standing before him was complete stranger and not someone thathe had workded with countless times.
"That is accurate in the sense that is is step so that I can walk beside him and not trail doggedly in his shadow. If I am to help the village I must grow on my own that's why I'm here." Naruto stated, knowing that Ibiki wanted him as far away from his father's policies as possible.
Ibiki pondered Naruto's answer but for a moment and then seeming satisfied walked to the door. "Well if that is true I'll help you take another step to walking next to him. However, what I will do is between you and me." The large man's dominating presence waited for a yes or no response. He knew Naruto had been in the Anbu, and he also knew from personal experience that member's of ANBU didn't lie to fellow countymen the boys word would be good eenough for him.
Naruto nodded and followed Konoha's toughest man out the doors.
Ibiki led Naruto to the torture and interogation building which two guards stood before. Ibiki nodded to them and they let him in with Naruto tagging along, not far behind. Ibiki pulled out a scroll and whipped it open in front of an extremely large door ten feet high and six feet wide. Once the scroll had unfolded to about ten feet in length he form hand signs in rapid succesion passing the normal ten seal mark then past twenty then thirty. Finally he slammed his palm against the door. "Open!" A huge wave of chakra shaking the door frame. Slowly the steel door began to open.
Naruto looked in awe as they stepped into a dimly lit corridor. It stretched maybe a hundred feet in both directions and every five feet or so the door to a cell would stand blood covered and strong, like an attentive guard.
Ibiki faced Naruto and stretched out his arms, "This is my domain and where your lesson will begin." He entered room 38 as was labeled in white paint.
Ibiki walked up to the convict who sat tied to a chair blind folded. "Where am I?" the criminal plead pathetically.
Ibiki said nothing, but pressed his thumb on the man's throat and pushed forcefully. The convict whose clothes were in rags coughed spastically. "PLEASE! What do you want from me?" Tears were running down his cheeks.
"Tell me!" Ibiki commanded in a frightening gruff voice, "What is your relation to Akatsuki?"
"I'm a spy. I report to them whereabouts of certain individuals including the Hokage, Kakashi the sharingan user, and Naruto Namikaze."
Naruto did not show it but his heart skipped a beat. He did not know of any traitors in the village that worked for Akatuki.
"Do you have any associates in the village?" Ibiki demanded.
"Only one that I'm aware of, Otoga Masuta, we are not told of others in the organization." The man whimpered like a beaten dog. 'There are others?!' Naruto was shocked.
"Any thing else you'd like to tell us?"
"The only thing I know is that Akatsuki wants lord Hokage, and the Toad sannin dead, and are going to capture Naruto soon."
Ibiki frowned at the traitor, obviously sick at the man's disloyalty. Wordlessly he took the man's life slitting his throat and watching the imposter struggle.
He left the room and looked to see how Naruto was fairing. He was not surprised, but still he was pleased. The boy looked calm, angry but calm, the boy at been in ANBU and had most likely killed in most grotesque ways.
"You will learn hands on how to deal with the wretched creature we have in here. No one besides me, and my trusted workers no of this place. It is where I take the most evil of scum. The man you saw in there had not heard a single voice in a week. It does things to you, not knowing what's going on for a week. He probably thought he was in there for months."
Naruto watched Ibiki work for another hour, employing hundreds of techniques ranging from psychological dementia to hell like pain. After the hour he let Naruto try out what he had learned. After another hour the blonde left, but not before talking with Ibiki one last time.
"Naruto you have potential. You could be a master of physiological torture, yet I see you lack the hatred necessary to implement more violent techniques." Ibiki put his hand on the boy's shoulder expressing an unusual amount of affection. "You're different from your father, I see that. You have something he doesn't have, reason… You're the same age a brother I once had. I hope to see you back here soon."
Naruto nodded, trying to not make Ibiki any more uncomfortable than he already was. "Thank you for the instruction Ibiki, it was very beneficial." And with those final words the whiskered boy moved to his favorite place.
"Hello, Ayame." Naruto said greeting the ramen stand girl with a smile. For some reason he felt better after his class with Ibiki.
"Hey Naruto. Do you want the usual?"
The blonde haired boy nodded, "Yeah, but could you make it quick please? I have a foreign relation class to get to."
She smiled at the handsome blonde. "No problem, Naruto-kun." She moved to the back. "Hey dad! It's Naruto he wants the usual, but hurry it up."
"So Naruto it's been a while." Ayami said, "Have you been busy?"
Naruto rubbing the back of his head, "Yeah, I've been real busy. Why do you ask?"
"Well Ino has been here a couple times looking for you."
Naruto jumped at the bowl in front of him slurping it down madly. "You know where I was the last two years, and I've been off on a mission since I got back."
Ayami giggled. "Well Naruto. Ino is the one you should be talking to."
Naruto decided it would be a good time to leave. He thanked his waitress and handed her the money for the meal. Then walking slowly he headed back to the academy for his second class.
He found eight or nine other ninja in the classroom. The class went by slowly. It was pretty boring covering things Naruto already knew. He left to see Hinata leaning back against the wall opposite to the door.
"Hey, Naruto-kun," the girl exclaimed, greeting Naruto with a smile.
"Hey, Hinata." Naruto replied, smiling back, "what are you doing here?"
She brushed the hair that fell in front of her face back. "I came to ask you if you still wanted to come with me to Heiri's home. We leave tomorrow"
Naruto paused, "Yeah, I definitely do. I'll tell my dad."
"Well, Heiri-kun thinks it would be good to bring Ino-chan with us." She blushed to the confusion of our hero. She looked down to hide her face.
"Alright I'll ask if she would like to come with me." He answered. Hinata looked relieved.
"Well I'll see you later Naruto-kun." She jogged off looking back once waving at him. He watched her leave, 'God, she's beautiful'. He walked up to the wall practicing one of the new techniques he had learned. He placed his left hand on the wall and formed the snake seal with his right.
He grinned as he ended up on the other side of the wall. 'Well I have that technique down.'
He vanished in a furious wind implosion and appeared in his father's office. Minato looked up calmly, ninja were always appearing in his office in a startling fasion and he had managed to get used to it.
"Hey, Naruto, whatcha up to." Minato smiled at his son, a mixture of pride and whimsical concern, sparkling in his eyes.
Naruto grinned at his father's infectious smile before bringing himself to answer. "I'm just informing you that I'm going to visit Heiri for a couple days, if it's any longer than that I'll send you a message."
"When are you leaving?" Minato asked, glad his son was spending time with friends.
"Tomorrow."
"Well that sounds fun. Visit me before you leave alright?"
"Sure thing." Naruto replied, before turning to make for the door.
"How were your classes?"
"They were good Ibiki's was better. I learned a lot. I know you have work to do so I'll let you get to that." Naruto disappeared in a cloud of smoke dodging any more questions that might have been thrown his way.
Minato sighed, talking in a low voice "He's getting too old to spend any time with his old man."
"Teenagers!" Jiraiya grunted in a disapproving tone, "Or it could be that he hasn't quite figured himself out yet after his stay in ANBU." He sat down on the couch and let out a deep breath. "I've discovered Akatsuki is planning to capture Naruto within the coming month."
Minato stiffened. "Well… Heiri is a more than capable jounin and Hinata is near jounin level. Together I think they'll be alright. Naruto did defeat Sasori almost by himself." He shook his head, "I'm not sure. I beleive in Naruto but Akatsuki is made up of elite ninja."
Jiraiya nodded, "I'll follow him, I wouldn't my pupil dying. I'm still going for the record of raising the most Hokages." He let the cocky grin slip off his face replace with a much more serious expression. "Don't think you're not trusting Naruto. You only have one son it's foolish to take chances. In another year he'll be set to handle himself even with you. I gaurentee it."
Minato feigned shock. "Pass me? PSHHH!" He broke out laughing, insanely pleased by Jiraiya's remark, "Well then my wish will be forfilled."
Naruto
Naruto was on his way to Ino's house when he saw her sitting on a park bench with Hinata. Walking toward them he realized it was the same bench that he had met Hinata and Ino the few days prior.
"Hey," Naruto greeted the two girls. "So Ino, are you coming to Heiri's with me and Hinata?"
Ino's eyes widened at her friend they had just been talking about the blonde haired wonder but Hinata had not mentioned the trip to Ino.
"What are you talking about Naruto-kun?" Ino asked, hoping he was asking her to go with him to Heiri's for a romantic vacation.
"Heiri invited me and Hinata to go up and visit him and he suggested I invite you." Naruto answered honestly, completely missing Ino heartbroken look of rejection.
"I'd love to go with you Naruto." Ino said, weakly. Hinata looked horrified, 'Oh no. That was not supposed to happen. Poor Ino, I forgot Naruto is not very good at this sort of thing.'
"Great! Hinata, when are we leaving tomorrow?" Naruto asked.
"We're leaving at around noon, Naruto-kun. So, we can all meet at the main gate, then."
Naruto smiled, "Hopefully there will be enough time to get a bite to eat before we leave." He waved at the girls before heading into the busiest part of the village. Talking about food made him hungry.
He walked into a new restaurant to see Sai sitting by himself. Feeling bold the blue eyed teen walked over and sat in the booth across from him. "Hey there, Sai."
"Hello, Naruto-san." Sai greeted the whiskered boy. "I like something about you. I don't know what, but it reminds me of myself."
Naruto laughed. "Have you spent any time with anyone since you joined Sakura's team?"
He looked away. "I have not, people do not seem to like me a great deal. So I got some books to help better acquaint myself with my 'social side'. Sakura told me she hated me today."
Naruto frowned, "She doesn't mean that, Sai. Sakura just has a short temper, did you say anything to her before she said that."
Sai nodded. "We were talking about the traitor Sasuke." Naruto paled, this wasn't going to end well. "She was telling me that she missed him, and how he just wanted to save his brother. Then she said she loved him. And I asked her how she could love a pathetic wretch like Sasuke-teme."
He waited for Naruto's judgement. Naruto was fuming. "Sakura was opening up to you, to form a bond since you are her new teammate and you completely mocked her for it. How would you feel if someone insulted the person you love?"
Sai looked at Naruto in a new light. "I don't feel. I lost my sense for feeling a long time ago." He smiled at Naruto.
Naruto dealt with people like this before. Many ninja's in ANBU were unfeeling. That was why some ANBU, even though they were fantastic at there place in special ops., were made to become teacher's. Finding ninja who would actually be acceptable as teachers was not an easy job.
To Naruto's knowledge, ninja who gave up there emotions never got them back. "Sai, I think I understand. What I can recommend is more reading. As long as you keep reaching out to Sakura you can become friends with her."
"Thank you Naruto. I feel I have become close to you. This book says I should give a name to people who you find likeable. So I will call you 'Small Penis' from now on."
Naruto spit out the water that he had just brought to his mouth. "Please do not call me that, Sai. You give nick names that people like. That's just insulting."
Sai nodded scribbling down notes. Naruto watched the ninja in front of him with forlorn admiration. 'This is going to be a long meal'.
Naruto walked out of the restaurant an hour later, exhausted. Sai was desperate to learn even if his attitude didn't show it. Naruto didn't know if he could help him. Sure Naruto could be insightful when looking at how people treated others but he was an idiot when it came to actually dealing with others.
Jumping he landed on top of high rise. The stars were beginning to come out and though he was tired he wanted to look at them for a bit. He found a nice roof that had been transformed into a garden a bench conveniently placed in the center. He lay back on the wooden bench and looked up to watch the show. The actors emerged one by one each appearing in a different place with a glow about them.
Naruto yawned, wondering how long it would take for all the stars to appear. He tilted his head up to look back sensing a presence. "Hey Naruto," Shikamaru smirked looking down at his friend. "What are you doing in our spot?"
Naruto got up and looked around to see Chouji, Kiba, and Shino standing behind the genius. "Looking at the stars, what are all of you doing?"
"We always come here," Kiba exclaimed. "It's our chilling spot! We all come here when we don't have missions the following say and hang out."
"You're welcomed to join us," Chouji said, "But you can't have any chips. I didn't bring enough for this many people. I didn't know Shino was coming."
Kiba grinned at the guys, obviously planning something. He set the bag he was carrying down and pulled out two six packs of beer. "I brought the booze!"
Shikamaru brought a hand to his face rubbing his eyes wearily, "All right everyone let's guess how much of the first can Kiba will get through before he's smashed." Kiba obviously did not hear the sarcasm in his friend's voice as he took the joke as a direct challenge.
"Yeah? Well will see Shikamaru. But I met I can drink a whole six-pack and not get drunk."
"I challenge you!" Chouji said. Kiba was doomed, Akamichi's were known for being able to handle their booze. It had to do with their size of course, but no one ever brought that out.
Shikamaru let the two have their drink off with Shino watching mildly amused, to talk to Naruto.
"I heard you defeated an Akatsuki member virtually on your own." Shikamaru began, "You know there is a lot I don't understand about you Naruto. But I want to. Ino wants to as well."
Naruto waited for an explanation not sure what to make of Shikamaru's strategic words.
"You know she's had a crush on you for a really long time. Believe me I know I'm her closest guy friend. You and her were so close until she started really liking you and then you left for all that training." He paused trying to think of what to say to the devilishly attractive blonde.
"Look, I think you're just a bit of an idiot and that's why you haven't done anything with that troublesome woman. But even so it's killing her that you don't feel anything for her so talk to her about it okay? And don't mention me. She'd kill me if she knew that I told you to talk to her about this." He placed his hands on the back of his head. "She talks to me about you all the time you know?"
Naruto looked shell shocked. He hadn't had a lot of time to think about things like relationships so the news about Ino both confused and intrigued him. He didn't respond, words didn't seem necessary, they didn't seem apropriate. He looked at the stars above them for guidance before he turned to see Kiba vomiting over the side of the building. He had made it through four cans in two minutes. But as he feel everyone knew he wasn't getting up. Chouji laughed, a deep hearty laugh before starting on his fourth. He would finish all six and still be able to walk he was a tank a little alchohol wouldn't shut him down.
Shikamaru looked up at the stars. "They're beautiful, but unmoving and that makes them less compassionate than clouds. Wouldn't you agree?"
Naruto smiled, 'Only Shikamaru would bring up clouds after midnight."
Eventually Naruto was the only one on the roof. The group had gradually dispersed after Shino had taken Kiba home and Chouji went out for some food. Naruto and Shikamaru had talked for a few hours but even he had gone to get some sleep.
He didn't want to sleep, he wanted to find the answers to all his questions.
-Main Gate 12:05 p.m.-
Naruto arrived late to greet his friends, ironic as he not gone to sleep the night before. "Sorry guys, I just grabbed some lunch." He missed Hinata giggling and Ino covering her eyes.
"Are you sure you're good to go on a full stomach? We're not going slow." Hinata asked.
Naruto laughed. "Let's go."
The group took off with Naruto in the lead.
-Cloud country 5:57 p.m.-
Naruto slid to a halt in front of the villages entrance. The village itself was situated on an elevated plain, he would guess it was close to a mile above Konoha's location to the earth. "Hinata, to be honest in all the time I've known him I've never been to Heiri's home. So I guess from here I'll follow you."
Hinata led the the two blondes through the main part of the village, where the busy villagers wasted moments of their time giving the three Konoha ninja peculiar looks. Finally the Hyuuga stopped in front of a small simple two story house. Naruto gaped at the home. "This is it? His father is the arrogant Raikage."
Hinata flashed Naruto a small smile. "Heiri moved out. He couldn't stand his sister and his father's antics so he left." She knocked on the front door and waited for Heiri to greet them leaving her two friends to marvel over Heiri's resolve.
Heiri beamed, as he saw who knocked on the door though panels of glass stretched a foot out on either side of the rectangular bulk of wood. Heiri's het black hair and calm eyes gave Naruto a sense of familiarty but so much was different. The boy had grown as much as Naruto did and stood at five' eleven, he was muscular to an almost sickening degree and he had a charismatic charm that nearly knocked the group back. Instantly Naruto knew something was wrong.
Heiri threw the door opened and enveloped all of them in a gigantic hug. Naruto grinned his friend was in a mood, a good one to be sure, but a mood none the less. Heiri winked at Hinata after kissing her cheek softly, the kiss hidden by the group hug. "Ino, Naruto how are you?" He ushered them into a room to the right which was filled with an odd assortment of chairs and couches.
Ino's eyes bulged. The room was built for comfort and the designer had not a single idea of what fashion was. Pasty couched paled horrificly against the colorful walls with portraits of famous ninja including one of Naruto's father and Naruto standing side by side. Gaara was on the wall too, flanked on one side by Naruto and on the other Heiri. Naruto was only minorly surprised to see that Heiri's own father and the Kazekage had not made it to the walls.
Heiri paced around the room energetically and before Ino cold ask who paid him to attempt to decorate the inside of his house he flashed Naruto a youthful reckless grin- and said the two words which had always meant the same thing as wanna talk.
Heiri nearly yelled, "Wanna fight?"