LEGEND: "…" speech
'…' thinking
(…) probably authors notes
italics will purely be flashbacks
- Scene change
Ang3l: And we are back with chapter 3. Here we get to meet Naruko's first companion. You'll see who it is. and as for the reviews this time around:
: i do plan on changing the picture. i just need to find the right one
Hunter801: thanks. i try to keep at least 8,000 or more words per chapter. i like long stories. I'm also trying to make Jiraiya a better godfather to Naruko. glad i'm able to do that.
marcoglas92: she will, don't worry. she is strong willed, if not stronger than canon Naruto. especially considering she has somebody to guide her and soon friends to be with her through thick and thin.
Spikesagitta: yeah. *sighs* i realize there are some pronoun errors and i will change them eventually. they are only there because this was originally supposed to be Naruto oriented. I changed it about halfway through the second chapter.
TheBeauty: thanks! glad you like it!
ForsakenUchiha: yeah i know. hehe. i'll get them changed eventually
animedevilluvyuri: damn that's a mouthful of a name to type. Tayuya will be here soon. as for Fuu, i'm not sure honestly.
Sandmaster: Thanks! I'm glad you like it. This is my first Naruko story and girl on gir story, so we'll see how it goes.
Ang3l: Thanks for the reviews guys! Always appreciated. Now over to Kurama with the disclaimer.
Kurama: ForsakenAng3l doesn't own Naruto or any of its characters. any OC's don't fall under that. Now on to the story. I want some action!
The rest of the trip to Mizu no Kuni was rather quiet for our duo. Naruko didn't leave the room they were in until the ship arrived at Mizu no Kuni. She hadn't said a word since the incident below decks and Jiraiya was getting worried. The moment they left the ship Jiraiya took Naruko in search of a ramen stand. He quickly found one and ordered for them.
Naruko silently thanked him before she slowly ate her food. Now Jiraiya was really worried. Naruko Uzumaki was not one to just slowly eat her ramen. "Hey cheer up, kiddo," he said softly and ruffled her hair. It had grown these last two years Jiraiya noticed. It was now just above her shoulders. "It's gonna be OK."
Naruko looked up at her Sensei. "Why are people so cruel?" she asked.
Jiraiya looked at his ramen in thought before shrugging and taking a bite. "Who knows," he said. "People, although intelligent, aren't the smartest beings that walk this earth. They see things they want and will go to any length to get it. Humans are selfish creatures."
"But why? What made them that way?" she asked as tears began to build up at the corners of her eyes.
"My guess is the pain of loss made humans the way they are," Jiraiya said thoughtfully. "When somebody feels that pain, they automatically want to cause the same pain to the person that caused them the pain originally. And when that happens the cycle of hatred takes over. People hate others, causing them to hate, and so on. That's why I made it my goal in life to bring peace to everybody in the world."
Naruko was wide eyed at her Sensei's goal in life. "How are you going to do that?" she asked.
Jiraiya shrugged. "I don't know, honestly. But if I can find a way I will. Even if I don't live to see it, I'll make sure to pass that ideal down to the next generation," he said in his sagely tone.
Naruko looked at her noodles before she wiped the tears away and nodded. "Alright I've decided," she said firmly.
Jiraiya raised his eyebrow. "Decided what?" he asked with a mouthful of food.
"I'm gonna help you achieve your dream. When I become Hokage I'm going to join the five great nations together under a single banner. This way there will be peace throughout the Elemental Nations," she said determined.
Jiraiya stared wide eyed at the girl. She had such a huge dream to accomplish, and for some reason Jiraiya knew that, come hell or high water, she would somehow make it come true. He smiled down at his student. "It seems the Will of Fire already burns brightly within you," he said softly.
She grinned up at him. It seemed that this little talk about her dreams brought the girl out of her funk. "So what sort of training are we going to be doing here, Ero Sennin?" she asked.
Jiraiya immediately sweat dropped at his nickname. The girl was never going to let that go. "Well I figured since Mizu no Kuni is water chakra oriented we could train your water affinity. We might not be able to get our hands of any good water Jutsu scrolls, but at least we could train your affinity for the element," he replied. "Once we leave here our next stop will be Taki no Kuni so you can finish with your Wind training."
Naruko nodded enthusiastically, she was ready for more training. "So are we going to go to Kirigakure?" she asked.
"Maybe. I doubt they would just let me roam through their village, even if I'm technically not affiliated with any village," he said. "We might be able to visit briefly."
"OK," she said and finished her ramen before jumping down off the stool she was sitting on. Jiraiya paid for the ramen and followed the girl out. The two of them walked out of the port town and into the land of Mizu no Kuni. As they traveled she continuously practiced using the only Fuuton Jutsu she knew. The girl kept blowing away random bushes and scattering wildlife. Occasionally the Jutsu would backfire and knock the girl to her back while nearly tripping Jiraiya.
"Fuuton: Daitoppa!" she called out and sent the blast forward. The wind rocketed towards a tree and suddenly curved upwards and collided with a rather large branch. The branch was busted apart and began to fall straight for Jiraiya's head. The man quickly knocked the tree away and turned to glare at Naruko.
"Alright gaki! I understand you want to master that Jutsu, but it's time to quit with it for a little bit. If you want to practice something while we walk, why not look at the scroll your father gave you and see if you can figure out the Rasengan," he said. "He should've sealed two different sets of balls within the scroll. One set is water balloons while the other are rubber balls."
She nodded and quickly unrolled the scroll Minato Namikaze left behind for her. She channeled chakra into one of the seals and a single water balloon popped out. "Hmm. To complete the first step of the Rasengan, you need to burst this water balloon with just your chakra by swirling it around. I don't understand Ero Sennin," she said.
Jiraiya sighed. "Let me see the balloon and I'll demonstrate ONE time for you. After that you're on your own for this Jutsu," he said.
Naruko tossed the balloon up to Jiraiya who caught it easily and held his hand out for Naruko to see. Jiraiya began to focus his chakra into his palm making the balloon start to shake. Soon the water inside of the balloon was swirling around in every random direction before the balloon burst apart. Naruko was wide eyed as she saw this. "And this is done using just my chakra?" she asked. Jiraiya nodded. "OK. From what I saw it seemed the chakra was moving around in random motions, but I doubt that was the case right?" She asked.
Jiraiya smirked. "Good eyes. It seemed random yes, but it was flowing randomly in a single direction. I want you to focus your chakra and then tell me which way it seems to rotate within your body," he said.
"What's that got to do with it?" she asked curiously.
"It's to see which way you need to spin the chakra in your hand. If you spin the chakra against the flow, it'll be that much harder to form the Jutsu. By going with the flow, it's easier to do," he explained.
Naruko nodded and closed her eyes and began to focus her chakra throughout her body. She felt the tug of the chakra then opened her eyes, they glowed crimson for a split second before going back to normal.
"Well, which way does your chakra flow?" he asked, taking note of the red eyes.
"Right. So I need to swirl the water in the balloon rapidly to the right?" she inquired.
"You got it. Now let's keep walking. I'd like to get to the nearest town as soon as possible," he said.
Naruko nodded and made nine clones to follow along with her. She handed each one a balloon and took one for herself before they all began to practice stage one to the Rasengan. She practiced this for the next four hours while they traveled. Once they arrived in the town, Naruko dispelled her clones after collecting the water balloons and walked with Jiraiya towards an inn.
She took all her clones memories in and tried to break the water balloon again. It looked like it was about to burst before going back to normal. "How long did it take Tou-San to get it right?" she asked Jiraiya after leaving the receptionist desk.
Jiraiya rubbed his chin. "If I remember correctly I think it took your father 3 years to create. However, he died before he could complete it," Jiraiya said.
"What if I added wind chakra to the Rasengan?" Naruko asked.
Jiraiya's eyebrows rose slightly. "If you could do that and master it, you would have accomplished what your father tried to do before his death," he stated. "What made you think of that?"
Naruko shrugged. "Well you didn't say that the Rasengan was an elemental Jutsu so I figured an element could be added to it to make it stronger," she said.
Jiraiya chuckled. "Smart thinking. But you should worry about that after you master the Rasengan first. Once you've got the first two steps down, it should be easy for you to create a Rasengan in your hand. Especially being a girl, you naturally have better chakra control than males," the man said as they reached their room.
"Really? So kunoichi are super awesome!" Naruko exclaimed with a grin.
Jiraiya chuckled. "Yes. Yes they are," he said.
Naruko's grin only grew wider. "Hell yeah!" she cheered as she sat down on her bed. She quickly pulled out a change of clothes and then her fox plushie which she had named Aska. She always slept with the fox since the day she won it. Jiraiya chuckled at the girl.
"Alright gaki. Its time for some lunch. Let's go and find something good to eat," the man said as he dropping his bag to the floor.
"Dango?" Naruko asked. She had found a liking for it a few months back. It was good, although not as good as ramen. Nothing was as good as ramen.
Jiraiya shrugged. "Sure," he said and walked outside with Naruko in tow. She looked around and took in the sights of the town. Mizu no Kuni was a bit... bland. And humid, very humid. Summer in Mizu no Kuni was a complete drag for everybody. No matter what you did, you just couldn't keep from sweating.
"Ero Sennin," Naruko said. "This weather sucks."
Jiraiya wiped his brow. "That it does. I forgot what summers were like here. If I had remembered that I would've went to Taki no Kuni first," he said and wiped more sweat from his face.
Naruko growled low. "So you're saying we have to suffer in this humidity because your memory sucks?" she grumbled.
"What? Are you worried about your hair poofing out?" Jiraiya joked.
Naruko narrowed her eyes. "A real kunoichi wouldn't care what happens to their hair. Primping and preening it would only take away from training," she stated. Jiraiya nodded. She was going to make a fine kunoichi when she graduated from the academy.
"So then what's the problem?" he asked.
"I HATE THE HUMIDITY!" she yelled, earning a few stares from passerby and civilians shopping.
Jiraiya laughed. "Oh deal with it gaki," he grinned.
Naruko growled and unsealed a water balloon and threw it with all her might at the back of Jiraiya's head. Jiraiya, being the skilled shinobi he was, quickly turned his head and caught the water balloon in his teeth and narrowed his eyes slightly. (A/N. Just like the anime.) Naruko stared wide eyed and few people clapped at the show.
"Nice try gaki, but I'm more skilled than that," he said through clenched teeth.
Naruko smirked. "Then why haven't you caught the second one?" she asked confidently.
Jiraiya raised his eyebrow. He grabbed the balloon from his mouth then lifted up his other hand. It was holding another water balloon. "You mean the one your Kage Bunshin threw at me?" he asked.
If it was possible, Naruko's jaw would've hit the ground. She gawked at the man. 'So fast!' she thought. "Stupid Ero Sennin," she mumbled under her breath before continuing to find a dango shop.
Jiraiya smirked. "Keep talking and I'll have you running with a few hundred pounds worth of weights on your body," he warned.
Naruko immediately shut her mouth. She always wore about a hundred extra pounds of weights to help with her training, but making that a couple hundred would surely break the girl. She shuddered at the thought, before adjusting the seal bracelets on her wrists. Jiraiya had given them to her on her last birthday to help with training. The set of four, two bracelets and two anklets, was immediately put on the moment she got them, and she hadn't taken them off since. She could up the weight at any time or reduce it. Currently her max was a hundred pounds without tiring her out to much. Once a hundred felt too light, she would add another fifty pounds to them.
They soon found a dango shop and went inside. Naruko ordered three sweet and three spicy orders with a tea while Jiraiya settled with the house special, which consisted of a mixture of the different types of dango. The waitress quickly came back with their food and after some flirting and then the waitress "accidentally" spilling Jiraiya's very hot tea in his lap. Naruko covered her mouth to keep from laughing.
"That's what you get Ero Sennin," Naruko snickered. "You look like you're in pain there Sensei."
"Shut up gaki. It burns," Jiraiya said through clenched teeth.
Naruko smirked and chuckled before reaching to grab her cup. Before she grabbed it, however, the cup cracked. Naruko stopped herself and stared at the cup. It was a bad omen when the cup of tea you had cracked. Jiraiya looked at Naruko and then the cup. "I wouldn't worry too much about it," he said. "Unless you believe all that superstitious crap."
Naruko shook her head before downing the plate of dango, completely ignoring the tea. Once they finished lunch and paid, the two of them left to go find a suitable training area for a little while. Naruko, while Jiraiya searched, went back to the inn and continued with stage one of the Rasengan. She had 15 clones in the room all holding a water balloon. "Let's get this down so we can move on to the next stage," Naruko ordered.
"Right, Hime!" The clones all chorused together and began training again.
Jiraiya arrived a couple hours later. "Argh! What the hell!" Naruko yelled from the other side of the door before something crashed against the other side of the door. Jiraiya slid the door open just enough for him to poke his head through.
"What in the world are you doing?" he asked.
"I've almost got stage one complete. I just can't seem to get it right!" Naruko groaned. "I'm able to burst the balloon using two hands, but I just can't get it down to one hand."
Jiraiya stepped through the door and shut it behind him. "Did you say you can do it with two hands?" He asked.
Naruko nodded. "Watch," she grabbed the balloon in one hand and used her other hand to help swirl the water. The balloon burst in a matter of seconds. "I can do that, but now matter how hard I try, using one hand just doesn't cut it. I wonder if I could talk to Kyuubi about slowing his chakra flow down..." Naruko wondered aloud.
Jiraiya was about to say something but Naruko had already adopted a meditative sitting position.
Naruko opened her eyes and she was standing in the forest. "Hey Kyuubi!" she yelled.
The sound of growling and a few trees being snapped caused Naruko to quickly turn around. "What do you want brat?" the giant fox asked. It was standing at its full height, towering over the girl before it.
"I was wondering if you were able to stop your chakra flow into my system. I'm trying to learn the Rasengan and I think the amount of chakra I've got, plus add yours into the mix, is making it harder for me to complete the first stage of the training," she explained. "Don't stop it completely, but just make it small enough that it's not disrupting the flow of my chakra."
"What's in it for me? I enjoy watching you struggle," the fox growled. Naruko looked down in thought. "Can you see the outside world from in here?" she asked.
The Kyuubi lowered its head so that it was level with the girl. "No I can't. Why does that matter?" it asked.
"Well I was thinking maybe if I was able to let you see that, then you'd help. I'm sure you'd like to see the real world again. Right?" she inquired.
The fox was silent for a moment. "Why are you trying to help me?" it asked.
Naruko shrugged. "Why not?" she replied with her own question. "I'm sure at one time in your life you weren't filled with so much hate. I thought that if somebody showed you kindness it might break that shell of hatred."
The fox narrowed it's eyes. "You're a strange human," it said. "I guess I can help with that."
Naruko smiled up at the fox kindly. "OK. Now how do I let you see what I see?" she asked.
"Tear the corners of the seal off. It will give me access to your senses also giving you a power boost. When you do that I'll decrease my chakra flow until you get the hang of your Jutsu," the fox explained.
Naruko nodded and focused on the seal. The collar around the Kyuubi's neck glowed before becoming lines of kanji that floated towards Naruko. The kanji all morphed together into a large seal tag. She ripped all four corners off and immediately felt a rush of energy into her body. And just as quick as it came, the energy disappeared. The seal then went back to being a collar around the Kyuubi's neck.
"Ah. Much better. That damn thing isn't as tight anymore," it said.
"You're welcome," Naruko said with a smile. The fox merely nodded. "We can still be friends you know?"
"What do I have to gain by being friends with you?" It asked.
"Well I love to pull pranks, and foxes are mischievous. You could help me prank Konoha when we get back," she said with a grin.
The fox huffed. "I might take you up on that offer. Maybe. Now leave," it growled lightly.
"I'll see you later Kyuubi," Naruko said with a wave before she disappeared from the seal.
Kyuubi stared at the place where the girl had been just seconds before. "She reminds me a lot of you," it said to nobody in particular before laying down and closing its eyes.
Naruko opened her eyes and saw Jiraiya looking at her worried. "Umm Ero Sennin? Something wrong?" she asked.
"What did you do to the seal?" he asked in a serious tone.
"I allowed the Kyuubi to see and hear what I see and hear. In exchange for it nearly stopping the chakra flowing into my system," she said. "You said the bigger the chakra reserves, the harder the control right? Well I figured if I could get the Kyuubi to slow down it's chakra flow then I'd have an easier time getting stage one complete."
Jiraiya was astonished. Never in a million years would Jiraiya have ever thought that was possible. Especially with the most powerful Bijuu out there. "You're really something, you know that?" he asked.
Naruko grinned. "Alright! This time I'm going to get it one handed," she declared and grabbed the water balloon. She began to focus her chakra to swirl the water around. 'Faster! Faster!' she thought to herself. 'Almost there!' The balloon looked like it was about to burst. And sure enough in the next few seconds it did. Water went all over the floor and Naruko, but that didn't bother her. She grinned over at Jiraiya. "I got it!" she yelled and jumped up into the air. "I finally got it!"
Jiraiya smirked. "Well done Naruko. Now it's time to put the Rasengan training on hold. It's time for you to train your taijutsu and your physical body," he said. "I've found us a decent looking place to train for a while until we move on."
"How long are we going to stay in this town?" Naruko asked.
"I figure a couple of weeks, no longer than a month. If I can get access into Kirigakure soon we'll leave earlier," he replied.
Naruko nodded. "What kind of training are we going to do now Ero Sennin?" she asked."We are going to first work on your physical training for a week," he replied. "So get ready for a week of pure hell. Oh and you need to up your weights to 250 pounds total. Starting now."
Naruko nearly fell over at the thought of that. She was just getting comfortable with 100 and now she was supposed to add another 150 pounds. She swallowed and did as she was told, regrettably. She instantly felt the strain on her muscles as her knees nearly buckled out from under her.
"This sucks," she groaned as she stood up straight, slowly of course.
Jiraiya smirked. "Alright follow me gaki. No walking!" the man ordered as he jogged outside of the inn. Naruko struggled to keep up, having to nearly run to keep up with Jiraiya's jog. Her muscles screamed as she moved. Add the humidity to the mix and you've got a perfectly irritating beginning to the training. "Faster Naruko!" Jiraiya yelled from up ahead.
Naruko looked up and her eyes widened. Jiraiya was a good 50 yards ahead of her and was slowly moving further away. Naruko gritted her teeth and pushed forward. It took them a couple of hours to reach the area Jiraiya planned to train in, and by the time Naruko reached it she felt like death.
Jiraiya hadn't even broken a sweat while Naruko's shirt was soaked and her hair was stuck all over her face. "You're insane Ero Sennin," she panted.
"You ain't seen nothing yet," he said with an evil grin. "Now give me twenty laps around this clearing. GO!"
Naruko immediately began her jog around the clearing while Jiraiya went to find a nice shady tree to sit under and relax. Naruko glared at her Sensei and thought about tossing the first rock she could find at his head. She then realized that there was no way she would be able to pick said rock up and throw it hard enough to do any damage.
Once the twenty laps were done Naruko collapsed on the ground in front of Jiraiya. "That... Was... Awful!" she panted.
"That's only the warm up gaki. Now thirty sits up, thirty push ups, then find a tree branch you can reach and do ten pull ups. After that I want you to run up and down a tree for ten minutes then go to the water over there and try to use as much chakra as you can. Although with the amount you have, I highly doubt you'll be able to," Jiraiya ordered. "Oh. And make about fifty clones to help you with this." Naruko groaned and did as she was told and began the torture... Training... Hell. Take your pick.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to our blonde heroine, a young girl about the same age as Naruko was watching the blonde train from behind a tree. The girl had lightly tanned skin, dark brown eyes, and had long almost pink hair. She was wearing dark pants and normal sandals on her feet. Her top consisted of a simple shirt with a sash tied around her waist. She watched Naruko with complete curiosity, bordering on fascination.
Jiraiya knew she was there but ignored it, knowing she wasn't a threat. However, there was this nagging feeling that he simply couldn't shake. It was foreign to him, yet familiar all the same. Jiraiya eventually ignored it entirely and focus back on Naruko's training. "You can move faster than that!" he ordered.
It was dark and the moon had risen by the time Naruko finished her last exercise. She tried to move along with Jiraiya back to the inn, but her exhaustion got the better of her. Naruko took one step and fell forward, nearly smacking her face on the ground. Jiraiya caught her and picked the girl up and took her back to the inn.
This routine went on for a couple of weeks. Jiraiya would wake Naruko up early, have her run to the training area, then do the exercises he said. Every two days and the man would increase the numbers; while every four days the weight Naruko wore would be increased by fifty pounds. She went from wearing 250 pounds up to 400 and could easily run back and forth to the inn without falling over from exhaustion.
At the end of the second week Jiraiya had Naruko run to the training ground to do her exercises while he stayed in town for a little while. He was supposed to receive word today about going into Kiri for a few days to find somebody to train Naruko's water affinity. He sent a Kage Bunshin to follow silently behind Naruko as she trained. The girl no longer complained about the training, but instead powered through it every day without hesitation. Jiraiya's clone smirked as he watched her train. She had gotten into the habit of the intense training, which was exactly what Jiraiya wanted. He wasn't going to train a weak powered kunoichi, hell no. This girl would be his best student.
Jiraiya also had another reason as to why he stayed back in town and sent only a Kage Bunshin. The little redhead that always seemed to watch Naruko train had showed up every single day the last couple weeks. Jiraiya was curious as to what she was going to do so he hid up on a tree branch.
Naruko had just finished her push ups and was about to go over to a tree when she felt a presence behind her. She quickly whipped around and looked around.
"Who's there?" she called out. "Ero Sennin?"
No answer. She looked at all the trees surrounding her before shrugging and going back to the tree. She was about to step up onto the tree when she heard a twig snap. She immediately drew her kunai and turned. Her eyes scanned the entire area for a moment and was about to pass the sound off as wildlife until she caught a flash of red in her vision.
Naruko immediately rushed over to where the red was and waited behind the tree. She calmed her breathing before slowly turning and jumping around the tree. To say Naruko was surprised, was a bit of an understatement. When she saw the girl standing there and their eyes locked they both screamed loudly. Naruko jumped back and tripped over a root, falling on her ass. The other girl, however, jumped straight back into the tree she was hiding behind and smacked the back of her head against it. Her hands shot up to the sore spot.
"Fuck! What the hell is wrong with you?!" the girl shouted.
"What's wrong with me?" Naruko yelled back, getting to her feet. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Why were you hiding back here?"
"That's none of your fucking business blondie!" the redhead yelled back.
Naruko and the girl glared daggers at each other for a moment, you'd almost think you saw sparks between them. "Well if you aren't here for anything, I'm going back to my training then," Naruko finally spoke and turned away from the girl. "You're welcome to join me if you'd like."
The girl opened her mouth to speak but no words came out when the blonde walked passed her. "Hey I wasn't done!" she shouted.
Naruko looked over her shoulder. "Well if you're going to yell, you might as well do it over here in the clearing," Naruko called out to her. "It's less crowded than in the trees."
The girl watched Naruko walk away and was completely baffled at the blonde girl. Most people would've gotten angry at her just for being around them. But this girl seemed different. It was almost as though they were the same. The red head sighed and decided to walk out into the clearing to watch Naruko, who had proceeded to start running up and down a tree."I'm Naruko by the way," the blonde said suddenly right beside the redhead. The other girl jumped away quickly.
"How the hell did you get over here so fast?! Weren't you just... Over... There?" she asked slowly as she then realized that the girl, or should I say girls, that were running on the trees were all Kage Bunshin.
"Kage Bunshin," Naruko explained. "They help with my training."
The redhead looked over at the blonde and studied her. Most people would be tensed and ready to attack or flee when around her, but this blonde was completely relaxed. Like she didn't have a care in the world at the moment. "Why aren't you running from me?" she asked.
Naruko looked over at her puzzled. "What do you mean Red?" she asked.
The girl glared at the nickname. "It's Tayuya. Not red," she growled. "And I mean, everybody I come into contact with seems to hate me for some reason or another. So why don't you?"
"Tayuya huh? I like it," Naruko smiled at the girl. "And I don't really know. You don't seem that bad to me." Naruko smiled sadly at the ground. "Or maybe it's cause we're the same."
Tayuya looked confused. "What the fuck do you mean by that?" she asked almost angrily. "What would you know?"
"I've been hated almost all my life. Ever since the day I was born, the people of my village hated me and wouldn't explain why. I didn't have anybody at all," she said softly. "Until Ero Sennin rescued me from being killed by a group of villagers hell bent on "killing the demon of Konoha."
Tayuya was wide eyed. This random girl had lived a life almost exactly like hers. Alone, nobody to care for her. Nobody to show her love. Only hate. "Wait what do you mean demon? How are you a fucking demon?" Tayuya asked.
"Ever heard of the Kyuubi no Yoko?" Naruko asked.
Tayuya nodded. "A little bit. I heard that it attacked Konohagakure almost eight years ago. Why?" she asked.
"Well it's sealed inside of me, making me it's jinchuriki," Naruko said almost casually. Normally Naruko wouldn't tell anybody this kind of delicate information. But Tayuya seemed to be one person who could truly understand her.
"Fuck," was all Tayuya said. "That's fucking crazy. How do you not freak out about something like that?"
Naruko shrugged. "Fuzzball may look mean, but I'm sure on the inside he's caring. Especially to people that he gives respect for," she said.
Tayuya watched Naruko closely. "So what are you a shinobi or something?" she asked.
Naruko nodded. "In training. I'm on a 7 year long training trip with Ero Sennin to become a great shinobi. When we go back to Konoha, I'll be one of the top graduates from the academy. At least that's what Ero Sennin says," she explained. "What about you? I can sense you've got quite a bit of chakra."
Tayuya shook her head. "No. I would like to be one day though," she said quietly.
Naruko grinned. "Then why not train with me! I'm sure if we asked Ero Sennin he wouldn't mind bringing you along for our training. You don't have a village do you?" Naruto asked curiously.
Tayuya shook her head. "No. Not like it fucking matters anyway," she said bitterly.
Naruko's grin only widened. "Then it's perfect! Since you don't have a village, you can become a shinobi with me back in Konoha!" she exclaimed excitedly.
Tayuya looked up with almost hope in her eyes. "You're not trying to pull some sort of fucking trick are you?" she asked cautiously.
Naruko shook her head vigorously. "No way! I think it's a great idea! And this way we've each got somebody who isn't an old perv to talk to," Naruko grinned.
"Who's an old perv?" Jiraiya's clone suddenly said from the tree right above the girls. They both screamed and jump back, Naruko in front of Tayuya with her kunai drawn. She easily deflected both shuriken thrown at her and tossed her own back in retaliation.
Jiraiya caught them both through the holes in the center of the stars and had them spinning on his fingers. "Good reflexes gaki, still a little slow on your throwing though," he coached. "And I see your little watcher finally showed herself."
"Huh?" Naruko asked.
"What the fuck do you mean old man?" Tayuya growled.
"I mean I noticed you a couple weeks ago when Naruko first started training," he said. "Also I got word from Kiri. We're able to go in for a couple days but that's it. And we'll be leaving Mizu no Kuni after we leave Kirigakure."
"How come so quick?" Naruko asked.
"Something about possible civil war. I really don't want to be caught in the crossfire," the man explained. "And before you even ask, it's up to her if she wants to come or not." Jiraiya looked over at Tayuya.
Naruko turned and grinned at her. "Well? You want to come with us?" she asked.
Tayuya was silent for a moment. "I think it'll be good for the both of you," Jiraiya said. "That's my personal opinion."
Tayuya looked at Jiraiya then to Naruko. She swallowed and nodded lightly. "Sure why not. At least I'll be able to get out of this hell hole," she said.
If Naruko's grin could've got any wider it would've. She immediately hugged Tayuya tightly. "Yay! Somebody besides Ero Sennin to talk to!" she exclaimed.
"Get the fuck off blondie! You're too close!" Tayuya shouted and tried to pry Naruko off. However, due to Naruko's intense training the last two weeks her strength went through the roof.
Naruko let go and grinned, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Sorry. It's just I've never really had any friends before," she said. "Well one but I only met her briefly before we left Konoha." Naruko smiled as she remembered her first friend and subconsciously fingered her necklace under her shirt.
"Well we can be friends but none of that hugging shit," Tayuya said sternly.
Naruko grinned. "No promises, Tayuya-chan," Naruko said with a wink.
Tayuya quickly sent her fist into the top of Naruko's head. "Do NOT call me Tayuya-chan!" she growled.
Naruko nursed her injured head and grinned at Tayuya. "Whatever," she smirked.
Jiraiya smiled. "Alright, we'll come back to town so you can pack your things up. Do you have anything Tayuya?" he asked.
Tayuya shook her head. "Just what I'm wearing," she said quietly.
"That's OK! You can borrow some of my clothes when we get back," Naruko offered.
Tayuya was shocked, even though she refused to show it. Naruko was truly a different person than what Tayuya was used to. It made her feel... Warm on the inside. Tayuya hated that. She wasn't a mushy person. At all.
"Well, I'll see you two back at the inn," Jiraiya said then disappeared in a poof of smoke.
"Damn Ero Sennin," Naruko grumbled. Naruko then remembered her Kage Bunshin still training. "Alright ladies! Time to go!" she ordered loudly to them.
"Right, Hime!" they all chorused and began dispelling one at a time.
"Hime?" Tayuya asked.
Naruko just shrugged and rubbed her temples, worrying the headache. "That's just what they call me," she said. "Don't know why. Anyway let's go!"
Tayuya just nodded and followed Naruko back into town. She made sure to keep her head down and away from the eyes of any passerby. Naruko looked over at the redhead knowing exactly what she was feeling.
Naruko nudged her shoulder lightly. "Hey cheer up. Things are going to get better now! Promise," she reassured.
Tayuya simply nodded at her as they walked into the inn and up to Naruko's room. The two girls walked inside and found Jiraiya sitting at the table talking a Kirigakure shinobi. The man wore the standard Kiri shinobi outfit, which consisted of a pinstriped material worn as bracers on his arms and greaves that merged into his sandals. Underneath that he wore a plain black shirt and gray pants. A Kiri Jonin flak jacket was worn over his top, signifying his rank. His headband was on the side of his head and slightly tilted. He also wore bandages over most of his face that hung loosely around the bottom of his neck. On his back was a giant sword that was nearly as tall as he was.
"Naruko, Tayuya. Meet our guide for the few days we'll be staying in Kiri. Zabuza Momochi," Jiraiya introduced the man.
He looked the two girls over then back to Jiraiya. "Alright we're leaving in five minutes," Zabuza said. His voice was deep and throaty.
Jiraiya nodded. "Hurry up you two," he said.
Naruko and Tayuya nodded and rushed over to Naruko's bed. She grabbed a couple changes of clothes and handed one to Tayuya. "You can wear these," she said with a smile.
Tayuya nodded. "Thanks," she mumbled and went to the bathroom to change. Tayuya came back out a couple minutes later wearing a black shirt with a small fox curled up in the top center of the back and a pair of black shorts.
"Looks good," Naruko commented and went into the bathroom to change herself. Her quick moving caused her to miss Tayuya's small blush. When Naruko came back out, she had put on some dark blue shorts and a black shirt with two orange stripes going down the left side parallel to each other. She grabbed the rest of her clothes and put her bag on her back. "We're ready Ero Sennin," Naruko said enthusiastically. She made sure to stay away from Zabuza, even if she did want to check out his sword more.
Zabuza nearly questioned the nickname, but decided to leave well enough alone. "Alright, it'll take us the rest of the day to get there since you two can't move at shinobi speeds yet. Let's go," he said and walked out the door.
Naruko and Tayuya followed Jiraiya out the door and out into the open air. Naruko and Tayuya talked the entire time they were walking. Or rather Naruko talked, while Tayuya said very little. She was quite the reserved little girl. It would take some time for her to open up to anybody.
The trip to Kirigakure was rather uneventful. Nobody tried to rob them, and any moron who thought they had a snowballs chance in hell of it was quickly sent scurrying away from a wave of killer intent sent from Zabuza. The first time that happened, Naruko and Tayuya nearly fainted from the pressure, but were quickly brought out of their stupors courtesy of Jiraiya tapping their shoulders. After that Jiraiya kindly asked the swordsman to not project killing intent completely outward like that anymore.
As they drew closer to Kiri, Jiraiya drew some rope out. He had Naruko and Tayuya tie themselves together then tied the other end to himself so they didn't get lost in the much thicker mist. The girls were relieved when they finally saw Kirigakure through the mist, Naruko especially. The humidity was really making the girl angry.
"Finally," the blonde grumbled. She looked up and saw the moon staring to rise. "So where are we going to stay at?"
"I'll show you guys to your sleeping accommodations. Tomorrow morning there will be somebody to escort you around the village. You're not allowed in the Mizukage's building unless called upon or it's an emergency. You can have access to some of our scrolls, but don't expect to see our entire selection of shinobi scrolls," Zabuza said. "Oh, and no funny business while you're staying here. At all."
Jiraiya nodded then turned to Naruko. "No pranks gaki," he warned.
Naruko gave a mock hurt look. "I would never do something like that while in a foreign village Ero Sennin. Just so long as you stay out of the hot springs," she countered.
Jiraiya nearly tripped over his feet when she said that. He cleared his throat. "You want me to double your training gaki?" he asked.
Naruko swallowed and shook her head quickly. "No thanks! Your training is already hell enough," she said quickly.
Tayuya looked over at Naruko. "What's the deal with the hot springs?" she asked curiously.
"Ero Sennin is a pervert and likes to peep on women in the hot springs," Naruko said almost casually.
"Hey! I am NOT a pervert, gaki," Jiraiya said sternly. He turned around and struck a ridiculous pose with his feet far apart and one arm in front of him with his palm out towards the girls while the other was up in the air. Almost like a mock Juken stance. "I'm a SUPER pervert!" he declared proudly.
Naruko sweat dropped, Zabuza looked amazed that the man would openly admit to that, and Tayuya looked like she wanted to rip the mans balls off.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Tayuya yelled. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
Jiraiya shrugged. "Do you want my personal opinion or my doctors?" he asked sarcastically.
Tayuya glared at the man. "Just stay the fuck away from me, creep," she warned.
Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "Your too young for me gaki," he stated.
"Enough already. You can go declare your perverseness later," Zabuza said.
"Hey," Naruko called out to get Zabuza's attention. He turned his head to acknowledge her. "Is it hard to wield that sword?" she asked.
Zabuza looked over his shoulder at the girl admiring his weapon. "For you maybe, but I've been using this sword since before you were probably even a thought in your parents minds," he said.
"Does it have a name?" Naruko asked.
"Why the fuck would a sword have a name?" Tayuya asked.
"Lots of swords have names. Usually they are named for the actions the wielder did while using the blade," Naruko explained.
Zabuza chuckled. "Smart kid. Yes it has a name. This is Kubokiribocho, The Executioners Sword," he told her.
Naruko's eyes widened. "Then you must be one of the Seven Ninja Swordsman!" Naruko exclaimed. She warily stepped up to Zabuza, but keeping close to Jiraiya.
He nodded. "That I am. You're pretty knowledgeable on things kid," the man said.
"It's part of my lessons from Ero Sennin. Did you know that the seven swords aren't actually from Kirigakure?" She asked, gaining a small bit more confidence around him.
Zabuza would've raised his eyebrow if he had any. "Oh really? Then where are the swords from?" he challenged.
"Uzushiogakure. My clan forged them long ago. Then they were stolen before the destruction of Uzushio during the Second Shinobi War. Along with the scrolls of how they were forged and how to fix them," she explained. "Although the materials used to make them originally were lost, there are still a couple than can be acquired. But not enough to recreate any of the swords."
To say Zabuza was impressed would be an understatement. His eyes widened slightly, but he kept his composure. "Your clan? You're an Uzumaki?" he asked.
Naruko nodded up at the man. "The last that I know of," she said sadly.
Zabuza almost felt pity for the girl, but didn't show it. "You're correct about the swords getting stolen. As for the scrolls, however, they were never recovered. I'm not entirely sure myself, but I think they were either destroyed or sealed deep within Uzushio. Deep enough where nobody could ever get to them," he said.
Naruko looked at the sword for a moment. "I'd love to have a weapon like that one day," she said.
Zabuza chuckled. "Well if your around when I die you can have your family's sword back to do with what you wish," he said. Naruko smiled slightly at Zabuza.
"So are you going to be our escort for the next few days?" she asked.
"No. There will be another Kiri shinobi escorting you three," he replied.
"Dang. I was hoping to ask you more about kenjutsu," she said. Even if she didn't trust the man, it still wouldn't hurt to learn something about the art.
"Why would you want to ask me about kenjutsu?" Zabuza asked curiously.
"You're a Ninja Swordsman of Kirigakure. The seven of you are said to be the most powerful sword wielders in the entire elemental nations. They way I see it is to ask the best for advice," she said.
Jiraiya smiled proudly at his goddaughter. She was still his student through and through, but the want to learn different styles of fighting that he couldn't teach was a good thing to have. Even if he was a little bit jealous, he was very proud of the girl.
Zabuza smirked under the bandages around his face. "Tell you what. I'll give you one of the kenjutsu scrolls I learned from. That way you still learn from the best," he said and pulled a scroll from his jacket. He handed it to Naruko. "Good luck with that," he said.
Naruko was wide eyed as she slowly took the scroll and unrolled it slightly to see what it contained. With her attention now shifted away from anything other than the scroll, she nearly ran into Jiraiya. "Read that later, gaki," he said after lightly hitting her on the head.
"Here's where you three will be staying," Zabuza said as they came up to an inn. "Oh and before I forget, here is a pass that will allow you into our library and give you access to some basic scrolls." He handed Jiraiya a small scroll.
Jiraiya placed it inside his kimono top. "Thank you Zabuza-san," he said with a polite bow.
"Thanks for the scroll Zabuza-san," Naruko said with a bow.
Zabuza chuckled lightly. "Stay alive kid. Perhaps we'll meet one day again in the future," he said and ruffled her hair, making the girl flinch slightly, before he walked off into the village.
Jiraiya looked at Naruko with a little worry. "You alright kiddo?" he asked.
She nodded. "I'm fine," she replied. "I guess not all people are cruel. I still don't trust him though."
Jiraiya chuckled. "That's a healthy feeling to have about any shinobi you don't know," he said. "Still though, I'm surprised you got him to give you that scroll. How do you make people like you so much?"
Naruko shrugged. "I don't know. I just do," she shrugged. "It's a good thing I'm like that or I wouldn't have gotten this," she lifted the scroll up. "Or met Tayuya-chan!" she draped her arm across Tayuya's shoulders with a grin.
"Arm off blondie. You're too fucking close," she growled and took Naruko's arm off her. "I told you I don't like all that mushy bullshit."
Naruko grinned at her before the three of them got a room and went up stairs to their room. "We've only got two beds," Jiraiya said. "You two can take them while I take the couch."
Naruko shook her head. "If you want a bed Ero Sennin, you can have mine. I don't mind sleeping on the couch," she said.
Jiraiya smiled and shook his head. "You've got the same kindness your mother would show to people. But I'm fine with the couch just keep the bed," he said and dropped his bag by the couch. "Well get some rest. Tomorrow we'll go get Tayuya some more clothes to wear then go over to the library. Tayuya?" Jiraiya said getting the redheads attention.
"What?" she asked.
"I can tell you've got a decent amount of chakra in your system. Do you want to train with Naruko under my guidance?" He asked.
Tayuya looked over at the man curiously. "What's in it for me?" She asked skeptically.
"You can learn to defend yourself, become a kunoichi, make more friends," he said. "It's up to you if you want to train with one of the Legendary Sannin or not." Jiraiya left it at that as he laid down in the couch.
Tayuya looked over at him then at Naruko. The blonde grinned and nodded. "You should train with me!" she exclaimed. "Then you can be a super cool kunoichi like me!"
Tayuya was silent for a moment. She turned back to Jiraiya. "I'm in," she said. "But no bullshit."
Jiraiya chuckled. "Don't worry. Like I said earlier, you're too young," he said and laid down on the couch and fell asleep.
"Are you excited for tomorrow?" Naruko asked.
Tayuya shrugged. "I don't know. I've never really thought about becoming a kunoichi. But it's better than the alternative I guess..." she said quietly as she sat down on the bed.
Naruko went and sat down beside her. "What's the alternative?" the blonde asked.
"Just a bunch of fucking bullshit. Nobody ever treated me like a fucking human being. I was always the "cursed child" or "demon bitch," Tayuya mumbled and pulled her legs up to her chest. "Nobody ever cared for me. Not even my parents..."
"Did you know them?" Naruko asked suddenly. "Your parents I mean."
Tayuya whipped her head around. "Of course I knew them! What the fuck kinda question is that?" she growled.
Naruko looked down and smiled sadly, dropping her mask of happiness. Her emotions coming to the surface on this rare occasion. She rarely even let Jiraiya see this side of her, even if she knew that he knew her façade was all an act. "My parents died on the day I was born so I never knew them. I only know about them because of Ero Sennin," she said quietly.
Tayuya was shocked, her eyes wide as dinner plates and her mouth hung open slightly. She turned away from Naruko and looked down. "I'm sorry. Suddenly my problems seem completely inferior," the redhead said.
Naruko nudged Tayuya's shoulder. "They aren't inferior. And besides I've come to terms with the hand fate dealt me. I decided a long time ago that I wouldn't cry about things like that anymore and become stronger," Naruko said with a genuine smile, not her usual grin or the fake smile she gave to everybody.
Tayuya blushed lightly. She was about to speak again but Naruko stopped her by speaking first. "Plus I've also been in the same situation you were in. Being called a demon and bitch. The villagers all treated me like trash, I was thrown out of the orphanage at four and had to live on the streets for two months before Jiji found me. Even after he got me a place to stay and gave me a monthly living allowance, it was still never enough. I was always overcharged for food except for things that were expired or that nobody would ever eat," she said.
"Wow. Suddenly my shitty life doesn't seem so bad," Tayuya said. "I'm sorry Naruko."
Naruko shrugged and looked out the window. The moon was barely visible through the mist. "It's fine. I got over it these last two years," she said.
"How?" Tayuya asked. "How could you get over something that fucking horrible?"
"If I didn't and decided to take revenge on the villagers who did me wrong, then I would just be proving them right. They would win," she said simply. "I want to prove to them that I'm not the demon they think I am. And I'll do that by becoming the Hokage."
"That's a pretty fucked up way of thinking. But to each her own, I guess," Tayuya said.
"Do you have a dream for the future?" Naruko asked.
Tayuya shook her head. "Just surviving to the next day. I've never really had any dreams ever since..." she trailed off and looked down.
"Since what?" Naruko urged.
"Since I was forced to leave my home," she said quietly.
"Why'd you have to leave?"
"It's a long fucking story..." Tayuya mumbled. "I'd rather not talk about it."
Naruko nodded. "OK. Just know that I'm here if you ever need to talk," she said and got up to go to her bed.
Tayuya grabbed her hand quickly stopping her. Naruko turned around and looked at the redhead. Tayuya had turned her head. "Can I sleep with you?" she asked quietly. "I've just never liked fucking sleeping alone. And I'm…"
"Afraid of the dark?" Naruko guessed. Tayuya nodded silently. "Sure!" the blonde said with a smile.
Tayuya looked up and left a small smile grace her lips, but she quickly let it disappear. "Thanks blondie," she mumbled and got into bed after Naruko laid down. She scooted next to Naruko and shivered slightly.
"Anytime Red," Naruko winked and pulled the covers up to their necks. "It's kinda like having a sleepover!" Naruko exclaimed.
"I guess. I've never had one," Tayuya said.
"Me either," Naruko said. She grabbed Tayuya's hands in hers. "It's cold at night."
"Yeah, no shit," Tayuya agreed and scooted closer to the blonde. "Hey Naruko?"
"Yeah Tayuya?" Naruko asked.
"Thanks for bringing me with you two," she said quietly.
"You're welcome," Naruko yawned. "I'm tired."
Tayuya nodded. "Me too," she said sleepily, her eyelids drooping. "Goodnight Blondie."
"Goodnight Red," Naruko said. She fell asleep shortly after and nuzzled closer to Tayuya.
The redhead was about to push her away but decided she was too tired to try and fell asleep herself. The two girls curled up closer to each other then finally settled into a comfortable position.
Jiraiya, who had been awake the entire time, smiled at the two girls. He knew Naruko was happy to be training out here with him, but having another girl her age would definitely be good for her. He chuckled to himself before letting sleep finally overtake him.
Jiraiya woke first the next morning. He stretched his back and received a few wonderful cracks. He yawned and went into the bathroom and did his morning routine. As he walked out of the bathroom, he noticed the girls. They had shifted in their sleep and Naruko was laying her head on Tayuya's chest while Tayuya had her arms wrapped around the blonde.
He smirked. If only he had a camera, this would make perfect blackmail material later on. He shook his head and decided to let them sleep as he grabbed breakfast. It consisted of a couple bagels and cream cheese.
At that point Tayuya woke up. She opened her eyes slowly and grumbled a few choice curses under her breath. "Fuck mornings," she groaned. She stretched and went to move off the bed, but found that was currently impossible. Her first thought was that she was tied down, but quickly shoved that thought away. Well until she realized that she actually was tied down, only it was with a pair of arms. She looked down and saw a head of blonde hair in her face.
Tayuya then remembered why Naruko was this close to her. "Hey blondie," she said and shook Naruko lightly.
Naruko groaned sleepily and turned her head, tightening her grip on Tayuya. "Five more minutes..." the blonde mumbled, still asleep.
"Blondie! Get the fuck off!" Tayuya growled and tried to push Naruko off her. She, however, completely underestimated Naruko's strength. The blonde held tight to Tayuya. "Hey! Super Perv, come help me with this!"
Jiraiya laughed. "I'm actually finding it quite entertaining," he grinned.
"I will cut your nuts off in your sleep! Fucking help me!" she yelled. Naruko hugged her tighter. "The training you put her through is cutting off my ability to fucking breath!"
Jiraiya laughed and stood up. "You're going to smack yourself in the forehead when you see how easy this is," he told the redhead. The man leaned down to Naruko's ear. "Naruko. The ramen shops are closing forever," he whispered loud enough for Tayuya to hear.
"Like that'll fucking wor-" she was cut off as Naruko shot up out of bed completely awake.
"What?! They can't just close all the ramen shops! That's the food of Kami! NOOO!" She yelled.
"Holy shit. That actually worked," Tayuya said stunned. Her mouth hung open.
Jiraiya chuckled. "She falls for it every time," he laughed. His face was then met with his new best friend, one of Naruko's bracelet weights. It was still at 400 pounds. Jiraiya fell over hard and gripped his nose.
"Ero Sennin! You ass! Don't joke around like that with me!" Naruko yelled. "I don't know what I would do if every ramen stand across the elemental nations just suddenly closed up. That's too horrible to even think about!" She shivered at the thought of never eating that wonderful delicacy ever again.
"Are you really that obsessed with ramen?" Tayuya asked.
Naruko nodded. "Yep! It's the greatest food ever, but I only get it when I complete my training. Like when I figured out the Kage Bunshin," she said with a smile. "Oh yeah. I still need to finish stage two for the Rasengan!"
"Alright, well you do that today. I'm going to go to the library here and get some scrolls for you to use. Tayuya, here," Jiraiya said and tossed her a scroll.
"What's this for?" she asked.
"That's for you to start your training. That scroll describes the basics of chakra and how to mold it. There's also a storage seal on there so you can start controlling your chakra. Once you've got that figured out you can start tree walking then move to water walking," he explained. "You two stay here and don't leave unless you absolutely have to. I'll be back a little later."
"OK Ero Sennin!" Naruko said and grabbed the scroll her father left to her. She then made 15 clones as Jiraiya left. She handed each clone the second ball for the Rasengan training.
"That's a lot of clones," Tayuya commented.
"Thanks. I can make way more though!" Naruko grinned. "It sure surprised Ero Sennin when I first figured out the Jutsu. I made over four hundred."
Tayuya nearly dropped he scroll she was holding. "Over four hundred?! Holy shit! Are you some kind of fucking chakra powerhouse or something?!" she yelled.
"I'm the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko. And I'm also an Uzumaki. Both factors give me immense chakra. But because of that it's harder for me to do Justus," Naruko explained.
Tayuya shook her head. "That's just fucking crazy," she said.
Naruko shrugged. "I guess so. I've never really thought about it," she said. "Well anyway, we should start training."
"Maybe I should've mentioned that I already know how to use chakra somewhat," Tayuya thought out loud.
Naruko shrugged. "Can you do the henge, kawarimi, or the Bunshin?" the blonde asked.
"I have a hard time doing them. I don't know why though," Tayuya said.
"Maybe you have a lot of chakra like me!" Naruko exclaimed.
"I doubt that. I'm nothing special," Tayuya scoffed.
Naruko just shrugged. "I don't believe that," she said.
Tayuya was about to retort, but a sudden blast of wind knocking her over stopped any words from coming.
"I got it! Finally!" one of the Naruko clones exclaimed. "Here you go Hime!" She dispelled in a burst of smoke.
The real Naruko took the memories in and nodded. "Alright ladies, we'll work on the final stage later. For now calligraphy and studying on fuinjutsu," she ordered.
"Yes, Hime!" The remaining clones chorused.
"What the fuck was that about?!" Tayuya exclaimed.
"That was the fruits of my labor on the Rasengan," she said. "I've been trying to get stage two down for a while now, and my clone finally got it. I'll show you." Naruko unsealed a water balloon then a rubber ball after. "Stage one is getting this water balloon to burst using my chakra," she explained and held up the water balloon away from the table and scrolls. She focused her chakra to move around and the water balloon began to move around erratically before finally bursting.
"That's stage one. Stage two is getting this rubber ball to burst. It's significantly harder to do because there is only air inside of the ball," she said and began to focus her chakra. The rubber ball began to move around a lot as the air was forced to move in every random direction. After a few moments the ball exploded causing a large gust of wind to blow through the room. Naruko nearly fell back as did Tayuya.
"That's fucking powerful!" Tayuya exclaimed.
"This was my fathers Jutsu that he created. I plan on adding my chakra elements to it later to make a bigger more powerful version," she said.
"Wait did you say "elements"? What the hell kinda girl are you?" Tayuya asked loudly, or rather screamed.
Naruko dug her finger in her ear to clear it out from Tayuya's outburst. "I'm an Uzumaki. According to Ero Sennin, the Uzumaki clan was know to have two or three different chakra natures. Usually water, wind, and lightning. Wind was a rare one though," she explained. "Ero Sennin thinks I got it from my father."
Tayuya shook her head. "Incredible," she said. "I'm hungry. Do we have any food in here?"
Naruko shook her head. "Sorry no. We'll have to go get some," she replied. "And Ero Sennin said only go outside when absolutely necessary. I see this as necessary! Let's go!" Naruko jumped up and grabbed her hoodie and grabbed the money she had. "Stir fry sound good?" she asked the redhead.
Tayuya nodded. "Why not," she said with a shrug and followed Naruko out the door.
Before she shut the door, Naruko turned around and looked out the window for a moment. She could've sworn somebody was watching her just now but she shook the feeling off. However, she had no idea how right she had been. Across the street on the rooftop of a building was a Kiri shinobi, an ANBU by his state of dress.
"I've found "Project Turtle". What course of action should I take?" he said into a microphone attached to an earpiece.
"Follow her and don't let her out of your sight," the voice on the other end came. It was distorted, but had a rather odd sound to it anyway. Almost serpentine in nature.
"She's with another girl. A blonde about the same age. What should I do about that one?" the ANBU asked.
"If she proves a problem, dispose of her," the voice said.
"Of course. And what about Jiraiya?" The man asked.
"Make sure he's not around. His escort should be enough to keep him busy today. Also when you feel as though you can get "Project Turtle" without any problems, take her," the voice said. "That's an order. I don't need that experiment getting back to Konoha."
"Understood, my lord," the ANBU said before cutting off the radio and following after the two girls, making sure to keep out of sight.
Meanwhile down below on the streets and completely unaware of the imminent threat, the two girls were walking around Kiri. Naruko stopped a few times in front of some sword shops and looked at the weapons with interest, but shook her head every time. She had taken an interest in kenjutsu when she was reading one of the scrolls from the Uzumaki clan half a year back and had been looking for a sword to use. Of course she would prefer to have one of her families old swords, but Kiri currently had possession of them and she wasn't about to steal one from a highly trained shinobi.
"What's your fascination with swords?" Tayuya asked as she left the window of another store.
"I want to learn my families kenjutsu eventually. So I need a really good sword to use. What's you fascination with musical instruments?" Naruko teased.
Tayuya flushed. "W-what the fuck are you talking about blondie?!" she growled.
Naruko laughed. "I saw you staring into the windows of the few musical stores we pass. Do you play anything?" Naruko asked curiously.
Tayuya nodded. "I can play the flute. I was taught a long time ago by somebody very close to me," she said quietly.
"Who was it?" Naruko asked curiously.
Tayuya looked away. "It was just somebody close to me, that's it!" she snapped.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad. It was just a question," Naruko said. "But whenever you feel like talking about it, I'll be right here beside you." Naruko smiled.
Tayuya didn't say anything in response. The two continued walking until they found a restaurant and went in. They ordered their food and then sat back in their chairs to wait. "I wonder what chakra nature you have," Naruko wondered aloud. "It would be cool if you had fire! Then we could do collaboration Jutsu with my wind!"
"Is training and making new Jutsu all you ever fucking think about?" Tayuya asked.
Naruko shrugged. "I guess so. I've never really had any other hobbies," she said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.
"Oh," Tayuya said.
Their food came and they dug in promptly. Naruto was eating – actually no, eating is the wrong word for the way she eats; inhaling would be a much better term – her food rather quickly that she didn't notice the new patron enter the restaurant.
The man had his focus solely on Naruko and Tayuya as he entered. "Capture of "Project Turtle" is a go," he said quietly and walked over to the girls.
Naruko looked up and was immediately on the defensive as the man drew a kunai from his back. Naruko quickly grabbed her own kunai and jumped up to stand protectively in front of Tayuya. "Who the hell are you?!" she yelled as the man took a stance then disappeared only to appear directly behind her. He swung his hand down and chopped her in the back of the neck, knocking the blonde girl out in an instant.
He turned to face Tayuya only to find her gone and the Naruko behind him dispel in a cloud of smoke. "Kage Bunshin," he said to himself before leaving the restaurant. He quickly found the girls disappearing down an alleyway and followed after them on the rooftops. He waited until they turned down a dead end alley before dropping down silently behind them.
Naruko and Tayuya stopped in front of the wood fence blocking their path. Naruko gritted her teeth and turned to go back the other way but found the path blocked by the ANBU.
"What do you want with us?!" Naruko asked as she drew a second kunai.
"I only want her," he pointed to Tayuya.
Tayuya took a small step back while Naruko took a step forward and in front of the other girl. "Like I would just let you take the first friend I've ever really had away like that," she said and tossed both kunai before making a few hand signs. "Futon: Daitoppa!" she called out and used the wind to propel the blades forward quickly.
The ANBU, caught off guard that an eight-year-old could use wind jutsu, quickly deflected the incoming kunai with his tanto before charging forward. Naruko was already trying to create a Rasengan in her hand but had to abandon it entirely as the man was on her in seconds. She grabbed Tayuya and tried to run passed him but was kicked hard in the side into the wall.
"You're a nuisance blondie," he said coldly before he turned to Tayuya. "and you're coming with me," he finished before jumping behind her and knocking her out. He picked her up off the ground and turned to see Naruko standing up, holding her side.
"I won't let you take her away," she growled panting lightly. Her eyes had changed from cerulean blue to blood red with slits for pupils.
The ANBU scoffed and charged Naruko with blinding speeds. Naruko was glad for the training Jiraiya had put her through at that moment as she dodged back form the kick aimed for her chest. She jumped up and onto the wall before pushing off and swinging a roundhouse kick for his head. The ANBU merely leaned back before catching the fist sent after the spinning momentum. He lifted the girl up easily and slammed her on the ground hard before bringing her back up to eye level and releasing his grip on her wrist. The ANBU quickly spun around and kicked the girl hard in the gut, sending her flying into the wall hard.
Naruko coughed up blood as she collided with the wall and slid to the ground in a heap. She opened her eyes and looked up at him through the stars that swam in her vision. "N-no..." she coughed out. "Don't take her..." she groaned and tried to stand but fell back to the ground.
The ANBU said nothing but gave the girl a blank look from behind his mask. He turned away from Naruko and jumped up onto the rooftops and disappeared from sight.
Naruko tried to call out for him to stop but couldn't find the energy. The man had put a lot of power behind that kick and she could feel it through her whole chest and gut. She tried to stand one more time before falling back to the ground. Her vision going dark. "Tayuya-chan..." she groaned out before unconsciousness overtook her.
In an abandoned building on the poorer side of Kirigakure, a man was waiting at his desk while checking over some paperwork. He looked up when he felt a new presence enter the dimly lit building. "Project Turtle is back in our possession I'm assuming," he said. The man's voice was slick and dangerous. It would make anybody who heard it think of a snake.
The ANBU merely set Tayuya on the ground and nodded. "Yes. Her blonde companion proved to be a little bit of a pain, but it was dealt with," he said emotionlessly.
"It's to expected of Jiraiya's student. But nevertheless, we've got what we wanted," the other man said as he stood up and walked out of the shadows over the Tayuya, the light just barely allowing some of his facial features to be seen. The most notable of those were his piercing, dangerous yellow eyes and the purple marking next to them. He smile sickeningly down at the redhead.
"Finally, the Sanbi no Kyodaigame is back with us again. With this we will be able to start the civil war early," he said before chuckling darkly as the ANBU carried Tayuya to a hidden room.
The snake-like man look up to a window and grinned. "Perhaps I'll see you again my old friend, Jiraiya," he mused to himself before following the ANBU into the room.
Ang3l: Well I bet you weren't expecting that of Tayuya. And I'm sure you all know who the other man is who wanted Tayuya. The question is: What does he want with the Three-tails Jinchuriki exactly?
Kurama: You said it was to start the civil war early, dumbass.
Ang3l: I did. But that doesn't mean those are his only plans for Tayuya. You never know what that snake bastard is thinking.
Kurama: *scoffs* Either way, when will I get to kill somebody?
Ang3l: Probably next chapter buddy. Just hang tight.
Kurama: Good. I'm tired of waiting and my claws thirst for blood.
Ang3l: Kurama, you're drooling over the thought of killing somebody.
Kurama: *quickly wipes his mouth* Anyway…
Ang3l: See you guys next chapter. Here's a little sneak preview
"TAYUYA!" Naruko screamed as her body became shrouded in red bubbling chakra. Long gone were her soft cerulean blue eyes and kind smile. Instead they were replaced with blood red slitted eyes and a feral snarl. The whisker marks on her face had darkened and her teeth were much sharper. Streaks of red found their way into Naruko's bangs and through some of her twin ponytails. Her nails increased in length and sharpness while she took on a more animalistic fighting stance. "Get the fuck away from her!" she roared, her voice deeper and more demonic. Not giving them a chance to act she roared again, sending a blast of wind at her opponent, before charging forward. The force of her charge cracked the ground behind her as she jumped up, claws raised to kill.