Hello hello readers, and welcome to chapter 2 of Suna no Hana, which means Sand Flower if you didn't know. This chapter will encompass some of Naruto's training, meeting the Kyuubi, and some more time with the sand siblings. I may or may not have Gaara join Naruto with his training. If he does start training with Goku, then it would be when he turns five at least, I believe that three or four is way too young. Five is too young, but it's only a year before they actually start the academy. I don't think I'll even have Naruto join the academy. He'll be receiving his training mainly from Goku.
Well on with the story!
"Human speech."
'Human thought.'
"Demon speech."
'Demon thought.'
Jutsu
Don't tell me if I'm dying cause I don't wanna know, if I can't see the sun maybe I should go, don't wake me cause I'm dreaming of angels on the moon, where everyone you know never leaves too soon.
- Thriving Ivory
Two months later found Naruto training intensively, struggling to keep up with his sensei's expectations. Little did Naruto know that Goku was surprised with how quickly Naruto seemed to improve. Every night he would go to bed tired and sore, unable to move his body, and the next day he would be energetic again, no sign of his earlier soreness or exhaustion present.
Every day and night Naruto laboured away, doing push ups, sit ups, crunches, pull ups, jumping jacks, and some other exercises. In the morning at Six O'clock he would wake up and run across the desert to the forest a few kilometers away. (Naruto and Goku lived outside of Suna and only went there for supplies.) He would bring scattered branches and felled trees back to their camp which would take him until about Eight O'clock. Naruto would make a small fire to cook whatever food Goku brought and they would eat in a relative silence.
After breakfast Goku would teach Naruto katas to his personal fighting style. Naruto seemed to be quite good at the katas, but something was holding him back. Following the katas would be lunch.
After lunch Naruto did his exercises which took him two hours. He did three repetitions of fifty for each one, increasing by five every week. After that, he had the rest of his day to himself, which he used both talking to Goku, and asking him questions, or in Suna playing with Temari and Gaara, Kankuro started to lighten up and didn't call Gaara a demon anymore, but he still refused to play with him.
Right now Naruto was currently learning something new, forgoing his kata training.
"Chi comes from the very energy the cells in your body produces. Using Chi is very draining and will make you very exhausted and hungry afterwards. The stronger you become physically, the more Chi you have access to." Goku explained to the five year old boy.
"Understand?" He asked.
"So, the more energy I have the more of this Chi stuff I can make?" Naruto asked.
Goku just nodded in response.
"Now, I'll show you how to make Chi. Raw Chi isn't very powerful, but it can be thrown like a ball, and it does pack a punch." Goku said; which just got our favorite hyperactive blonde excited.
Goku spread his feet shoulder length apart, placed his right hand in front of him gripping his wrist with his left hand. His hand tensed, before a bright yellow engulfed his hand. Naruto gaped at the sight of Chi being used.
"Sugoi."
Goku raised his hand and threw the yellow glowing ball at a nearby cactus, which proceeded to be destroyed. The blast left a small crater in the ground.
Naruto's eyes almost popped out of his head at seeing the amount of destruction one could do with a small ball of Chi.
"Now your turn."
Naruto spent the next few months learning how to use Chi. He didn't get anywhere during the first two weeks until Goku gave him some advice.
"Don't just imagine the Chi in your hand; imagine forcing the very energy of your cells into your hand. When you have it imagined, apply it."
A day after, Naruto managed to produce his very first ball of Chi. His sensei was impressed, but didn't show it. He pushed Naruto to make it quicker and bigger. After two months of constant practice, Naruto could make the ball of Chi in about a second. After another week of practicing making the ball bigger, Goku got Naruto to make the ball whatever size he wanted it.
"This will help you control how much Chi you put into your blasts. Now, give me one the size of your hand." Goku drilled Naruto.
After one last month of practice Naruto perfected his Chi blasts. Goku made Naruto practice them for at least ten minutes every night, but otherwise dedicated the time he used to work on Chi blasts, to katas and running laps around an Oasis Goku found a week earlier.
"Wake up kit."
Naruto's eyes snapped open and stared dead straight into the largest red eyes he's ever seen. The eyes belonged to a fox. A fox that had nine tails.
"Ahahah, you got balls kid. No one has ever looked me in the eyes without pissing their pants before." The fox said, chuckling in mirth.
"Who are you Mr. Fox sir?" Naruto asked him. "And where are we?"
Here the fox had a smirk tracing his black lips.
"To answer your first question, I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the demon fox who attacked your home village, Konohagakure, the day you were born. We reside in your mindscape."
"Why are you in my mind Kyuubi?" Naruto asked the demon.
"The day I attacked, I was defeated by your Hokage. He couldn't kill me, and able instead sacrificed his life to seal me inside of you." The Kyuubi said almost pitifully. It was truly a shame thata child had to suffer the fate of being a Jinchuuriki.
"So that means I'm just like Gaara then? He has a demon inside him too." Naruto said.
"Yes. He has my brother, the one tailed racoon demon Shukaku sealed inside of him. If the bags around his eyes are any hint, he is sealed improperly and is influencing his mental state. Tell me, can Gaara sleep?"
"No, he was never to."
The Kyuubi decided to switch topics and get to the reason he called Naruto into his mindscape.
"Naruto, I want to offer you training. My container will not be weak. If I have to suffer being sealed inside you then I want you to be as strong as possible."
Naruto just gave a wide smile. "Sure Kyuubi, I'd love to get even more training."
"Now I can't train you physically, but every night I can teach you about politics, poisons and medicines, strategy, a few of my demon techniques, and anything else we can find." The Kyuubi said.
"So I won't get any rest at all?" Naruto asked.
"When you fall asleep and come into your mindscape, your body and mind will be resting. So you will receive rest, it'll just be like your… dreaming, just you remember everything."
"Alright, I'll be the strongest ninja in no time and kick everyone's butts" Naruto pumped his fist into the air. "Well, I'm going now Kyuubi, goodnight."
"Goodnight kit. Oh and before you go, I suggest you learn an instrument or something to curb your patience."
Naruto took the advice of the Kyuubi and asked Goku if he could go into Suna and grab an instrument. Goku asked him what he wanted, but Naruto said he didn't know and just wanted to look for one. Naruto didn't tell him about meeting the Kyuubi, deciding to keep that part secret.
It was seven years and three weeks later that Goku left Naruto to continue his travels. Naruto was now thirteen years old. He grew to be a healthy size, and his style changed. No longer did he wear that hideous bright orange jumpsuit. Now he wore an orange gi similar to the one Goku wore. The only difference was that the Kanji on the back and over the heart said Kurama.
Over the past two years, Naruto and the Kyuubi became friends, and the Kyuubi decided to tell Naruto his name, which was Kurama.
Currently Naruto was sitting in the park in Sunagakure beside Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. Three years ago Kankuro finally got over his dislike of Gaara that his father implanted into his head.
Naruto held a black guitar on his lap. Gaara was sitting at a drum set that he attained from a second hand music store. Kankuro held a second guitar on his lap that was red instead of black, and Temari just sat on the ground, waiting for the music to be played.
Kankuro started off the beginning with a guitar solo. Naruto opened his mouth and out came the lyrics.
Through it all – Spoken
I saw the storm, felt the wind begin to change
I saw the sky rip wide open
I looked away, hid my face from the world
Ran away from everything
But now I'm back for more
I heard the sound, saw the flashing light
Watched the day turn into night
I heard the sound, saw the flashing light
Watched the day turn into night
Through it all, we've been thrown in the fire
We've been lost in the flame - But we will rise from the ashes again
All our hearts have been broken, we´ve been burned by the flame
But we will rise from the ashes again
She watched the world as it slowly slipped away
Lost all her dreams in the ocean
She sees this face, feels this touch on her hand
Remembers when she had everything
One day she will again
I heard the sound saw the flashing lights
And watched the day turn into night
Through it all, we've been thrown in the fire
We've been lost in the flame - But we will rise from the ashes again
All our hearts have been broken, we´ve been burned by the flame
But we will rise from the ashes again
You are all that I have
Everything that I need
You're the one that I run to
Everything I believe
You are all that I have
Everything that I need
You're the one that I run to
Everything I believe
I believe
Through it all, we've been thrown in the fire
We've been lost in the flame - But we will rise from the ashes again
All our hearts have been broken, we´ve been burned by the flame
But we will rise from the ashes again
Naruto, Gaara, and Kankuro looked up after they were done playing and saw that they had attracted a crowd. They looked to each other and smiled, seeing an opportunity.
"We will be here holding a concert in two months. 200 ryo per person who attends." Temari shouted out, her eyes becoming dollar signs as she saw the smiles the three boys sported.
"We are the Sand Brothers!" Naruto, Gaara, and Kankuro called out from the middle of the crowd.
After the crowd dispersed and Naruto sighed, in about two months, the day after the newly planned concert took place he would be leaving Suna and going back to Konoha. He managed to convince the old man back in Konoha to leave him here until he was of age to graduate from the academy.
He sighed once more and left the three sand siblings to their excited chatter.
Temari noticed his departure and followed after him. A couple minutes later they both ended up on the roof of their house.
"I have to leave in two months you know?" Naruto spoke, his hands held together behind his back as he looked down on the village.
Temari's eyes grew wide. "Why? Why do you have to leave?" Her hands balled into fists. "Are you really going to leave us?"
Naruto turned to look at her. "I don't want to leave, but I have to. I was only supposed to be here until I was old enough to join the academy but I managed to convince him to let me stay here until the day of graduation since I was being trained by Goku."
Temari kept her fists balled but she nodded her head slowly. She walked over to Naruto and gave him a hug. "Promise me that all of us, me, you, Kankuro, and Gaara will always be friends."
Naruto smiled. "Of course."
Today was the day of the Sand Brothers first concert. Almost the entire village showed up and was waiting for the band members to get on stage. They were soon appeased as the three boys made their way on stage.
"Hello everybody! Welcome to our first concert! The first song we will be playing is one that we made for one of our members. He has a terrible relationship with his father. Now let's get playing!" Naruto shouted into the microphone.
Gaara came to the front and took the guitar and microphone away from Naruto, who in turn went to the drums.
Perfect – Simple Plan
Hey dad, look at me
Think back and talk to me
Did I grow up according to plan
And do you think I'm wasting my time
Doing things I wanna do
But it hurts when you disapprove all along
And now I try hard to make it, I just wanna make you proud
I'm never gonna be good enough for you
Can't pretend that I'm alright
And you can't change me
Cause we lost it all
Nothing lasts forever
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
I try not to think about the pain I feel inside
Did you know you used to be my hero?
All the days you spend with me
Now seem so far away
And it feels like you don't care anymore
And now I try hard to make it, I just wanna make you proud
I'm never gonna be good enough for you
I can't stand another fight
And nothings alright
Cause we lost it all
Nothing lasts forever
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Nothings gonna change the things that you said
And nothings gonna make this right again
Please don't turn your back
I can't believe it's hard just to talk to you
But you don't understand
Cause we lost it all
Nothing lasts forever
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Cause we lost it all
Nothing lasts forever
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Gaara ended the song with a single guitar chord and the crowd went wild. The three band members gave each other a smile, and continued to play songs into the night.
Temari was behind the stage cheering them on and counting the money the money made that night.
It was the day after the concert, the day Naruto was due to return home. A Konoha Anbu was sent to escort Naruto back from Suna. This particular Anbu was Dog. Only one person wore the Dog mask and he retired from Anbu years ago after his sensei died. The mask was never given to anyone else, as no one could live up to the name of the Dog masked Anbu. This could only be the same person.
Dog walked to the Kazekage's house.
Half an hour later he arrived at the house. He knocked on the door and a blonde haired kid with whisker marks opened the door. His tired expression steeled when he saw exactly who it was.
Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro ran up to Naruto and saw the Anbu. Naruto asked the Anbu to give him an hour, to which the Anbu nodded and left.
Fifty-five minutes later saw Naruto packed and ready to go. Naruto bade the three sand sibling's goodbye and left the house. The Anbu was waiting at the edge of the property.
Naruto was almost out of Suna when he heard someone calling for him.
"Naruto! Wait!"
He looked behind himself and saw Temari running towards him.
She jumped and engulfed Naruto in a hug, toppling over the both of them.
Temari looked into Naruto's surprised eyes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Promise me you'll eventually come back to Suna."
There's the second chapter of Suna no Hana! I hope you enjoy it. If not, well just stop reading.
I'm looking for advice on how to improve my writing, not advice on where to take my story or anything like that, so if you have any advice then that'd be helpful.
Currently I am in Miami. It's pretty nice and warm here. Much better than the cold from back home. Yes, I am a Canadian eh.
I have three things to say about Canadians.
We don't live in igloos
We don't ride polar bears to school.
Some of us do say eh.
Well that's all for now!
Ja ne!