Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or gain or will gain any profit from using the franchise's chars, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
Italics – Thoughts
Italics underline – second personalities talking/thinking
Bold Italics - Demons/Monsters/Spirits talking
Bold Italics underline – demon/monsters thinking
Bold - Demon influenced/curse-sealed person talking
Japanese words Glossary:
Jinchuuriki "Power of human sacrifice": It is a manner in which the containers of the tailed beasts have been called by the ninja world.
Nuke-nin Missing ninja
Baka – Idiot/Fool
Hentai – Pervert
Taijutsu Martial arts style/hand to hand style
Ninjutsu – name for the offensive ninja techniques
Genjutsu – name for illusionary ninja techniques
Takigakure – Hidden Waterfall
Iwagakure - Hidden Rock
Kami no Hippou - God's whip
Amatsudenkou no Susanoo - Susanoo's Heavenly Lightning
(Seven Weeks and a Day to Chuunin exams, 6 Days after Chapter 8).
(Ruins of Komaki, Former Waterfall Country)
The young man's eyes were narrowed thoughtfully, dark green reflecting the silvery rays of early moonlight. He was standing on a grassy hilltop, the soft evening breeze caressing his body with the tender smoothness of a lover's touch as he observed the haunting sight of the destruction in front of him. The city that was once heralded as one of the pearls of the continent was now nothing but a husk of burnt wood, suffocating black fume and shattered stone.
"I haven't seen things like this since the third great war…" the man thought grimly and ran a hair through long strands of spiky, dark brown. He exhaled loud and long into the empty air, white vapor escaping his nostrils and mouth. His head fell back as he shut his eyes as he rubbed his face within his hand, trying to think on who could have done such a thing.
The contours of his face were concealed by a large straw hat, only small bangs and stray strands of hair visible where even such a head piece could not conceal it length. A massive body fit just barely into a long sleeved, blue silk shirt and matching pants. Beside him stood a horse that was carrying a single massive sack on its back, the man standing but a scant foot beside it and both were seemingly mesmerized or perhaps horrified by it.
The stench of death the man had expected to find was none existent. It baffled the mind, a sight of such wide scale destruction should be littered with bodies of varying forms of decay and gore but so far he had yet to locate or smell a single body amongst the carnage. Whoever enacted the attack did not want to be discovered or tracked back to, which was the crux of the problem that was developing in the center of the continent; there was nobody to point a finger towards in blame.
The lack of tangible or even circumstantial evidence made the situation all the more volatile as the the bordering Hidden Villages of Fire, Grass and Rock that surrounded the waterfall country were becoming increasingly suspicious and hostile in an alarmingly fast rate. It was that precarious vacuum of power that set the ninja master to turn to his sources and glean whatever information he could about the full repercussions of the destruction of Takigakure, his station and constant mission as silent sentinel of his home village required he do no less.
He didn't often indulge in disguising himself beyond the 'Henge no Jutsu' or simple genjutsu but this was an exception as his informant was someone under constant surveillance. It would not serve the man to burn his sources on the account of lazy preparation and lack of attention and so he used all both genjutsu and physical disguises to maximize his assumed identity.
Though the man was a seasoned veteran and one of the sharpest ninjas on the continent it never hurt to be cautious, some foes were especially tenacious and resourceful when it came to espionage and he would not make things easier on them. He wasn't known as a legendary spy master for his roguishly handsome looks, though the ladies often were flattering regarding his physical appearance and quite, generous with their affections if he played his cards right.
Sharp eyes narrowed as he heard a shift of the grass beside him. He nonchalantly kept his gaze upon the broken husk of Komaki. "Long time no see, Hideo-san," he greeted the veteran ninja flippantly, though a wistful edge tickled his tongue.
A slender, young man of average height walked up to the brown haired man and took a place beside his horse. The man's face was concealed by a face mask, only a pair of dark brown eyes and some spots of bronze colored skin visible. The man was clad in a light, almost golden brown body suit with matching arm, shin and shoulder guards with a single sword strapped to his back - the signs of Iwa ANBU elite.
"Indeed, Jiraiya-sama…" a toneless, deep voice fell to silent undertone. The man's sharp eyes flickered to the side as the disguised toad hermit idly yawned and 'accidentally' pushed one of the sacks off his horse. It fell onto the ground with a heavy thud and spilled open, revealing it was full of potatoes. Hideo knelt beside it and stealthily slipped the scroll within it into his the pouch of his flack jacket as he knelt over and gathered all the vegetables back into the brown sack.
The 'farmer' murmured his thanks as he wiped his eyes and yawned, apologizing for his clumsiness before crossing his arms. "Our time is short, so let's cut to the chase. What's your boss' intake on the fall of Takigakure?" Jiraiya drilled Hideo quietly, maintaining his gaze on horizon thoughtfully. However, his masterful eyes flicked to examine his source; checking the man's body language and facial expressions for signs of lying or deceit should the man dare try and toy with him.
"Our new Tsuchikage, Ishimaru-sama, is extremely displeased with the situation and suspects all possible parties; though Konohagakure is paramount in his mind in particular. He finds the obsessively meticulous efforts to erase all physical evidence from the scene of the attacks both here and Takigakure an implication the attackers had something to hide…" The Iwa-ANBU informed neutrally.
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed as he rubbed his chin, that was indeed cause for concern, Iwagakure was notoriously zealous about internal security and was known to attack and destroy all parties it perceived as security risk - Hidden Whirlpool was just one of many examples of the Kagome's family xenophobic strategy. "Do you know what his next actions will be, Hideo?"
The man gave no verbal response but suddenly slapped Jiraiya on the shoulder and laughed audibly. He moved to shake Jiraiya's hand, stealthily slipping a small piece of paper with random kanji and numbers into the larger man's palm during the prolonged gesture.
Before Jiraiya could verbally question Hideo any further his disguised face twisted into a frown, brows furrowing over glaring eyes. He looked upwards as he heard the hoot of an owl, his eyes catching sight of a white bird in the distance. Jiraiya's hand rose and he cut Hideo's words of elaboration. "Yagura-san…?" his mind intoned the name of the sender.
"Hideo, I'm afraid something urgent has just come up and I must leave immediately. I will contact you if I need further information…" He informed in a tone that left no leeway for argument. His icy calm eyes watched neutrally as the now slightly miffed young man nodded begrudgingly and took off. Jiraiya did not worry too much about upsetting the boy, he knew better than to argue with the legendary ninja and the fact his payment was secured also helped ease his departure.
The toad hermit started walking, his horse in tow as the bird gradually came closer. Soon enough the bird landed on his outstretched hand and he stroked its head gently, "What's wrong, Yoruyabun?"
The owl's large eyes locked with his own "Jiraiya-sama…the Mistress is in trouble. Odd men have been asking questions and closing in on her location…she requires your counsel and assistance urgently!"
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed "Are we being watched?" He whispered and the creature's head turned around and peered into the darkness before shaking its head. The toad hermit nodded and licked his lower lip faintly. "Tell me everything…" he commanded softly and slapped the back of his horse lightly.
The steed's body exploded into a massive cloud of smoke and revealed a massive orange and black toad in a blue yukata. He made a single hand seal and his face, skin tone and hair reverted back to normal as he prepared to make way towards his next destination. Time was of the essence, he would send Sarutobi-sensei his report based on Hideo's encoded message once he examined it thoroughly, at the moment he only hoped he could reach the owl summoner in time.
(Meanwhile back in Konoha)
"Naruto! What the hell is the point of this exercise?!" The impatient and slightly winded tone of one Ino Yamanaka huffed.
The blonde teen was barely standing upright; her legs shaking with effort upon the water surface she stood upon. Attractive or not as Naruto stood there topless and drizzling water he was beginning to tick her off royally with his cheeky attitude. It wasn't fair! He was being personally trained by the legendary Copy-ninja and other sensei all the time, of course he's going to advance faster than Ino - that didn't mean he was entitled to tease her constantly. But she would knock him down a peg or two soon enough, she already had a plan.
Naruto, which was standing across her, grinned in a feral manner; His blue eyes crackling with electric mischief. "Kaka-sensei calls this endurance training…." His voice sing sang as he flipped a small pebble between his fingertips. "It helps your chakra control by keeping you water walking and helps your endurance by beating it the toughness into you with every successful hit. While your constant jumping and moving it like a work out that improves your chakra control and reserves." Naruto replied bemusedly and chuckled a bit evilly.
He enjoyed picking on his fellow blonde for a change. Usually it was her that was bossing him, Shikamaru and Chouji around during their joint D-rank missions and training sessions. However, on the rare occasions he had the 'upper hand' when he was the one sharing some of his training tips with her he let himself indulge into some delicious payback. They had been working on the exercise for the last hour, hence Ino's exhaustion and aggravation.
Naruto while kindly accepting Ino's invitation and request for a spar, joint training and dinner could not give her his full attention. "As least she doesn't have to know that…if she ever found out…" He shuddered inwardly and gulped nervously at the mere thought and so he chose the path of stealth and deception by creating a single shadow clone to spiriting it away to a distant location to read his mother's scroll while the original sparred and exchanged training tips with Ino.
He concentrated his efforts on studying the water element tips Kushina left behind, analyzing the Uzumaki's unique usage of the nature chakra in preparation for his upcoming training session with Kakashi tomorrow. The copy ninja promised they would begin water manipulation and so Naruto felt obliged to read ahead so he could surprise the copy ninja, that is at the occasion in which sensei showed up on time.
Kakashi had reverted back to being late as soon as he realized Naruto spent just as much time training in private with his mother's scroll and on occasion his family blade. Kakashi had simply replied when Naruto drilled him on the subject with a lame excuse and shrug of his shoulders. It ticked Naruto off but he surmised the silver haired ninja was aiming for a win-win situation by both indulging in his tardy habits and allowing Naruto to feel more independent and explore the inheritance left by Kushina so he accepted it begrudingly despite having grown to enjoy Kakashi being punctual for the short time that it had lasted.
"The Water element is one of the most useful and versatile of nature elements in an Uzumaki's arsenal. While It is considered the essence of life in all ancient lore but in the hands of a skilled Shinobi it can become a harbinger of death. I am a secondary water elemental user and I tell you this, water, wind and Shadow clones make for a very deadly combination in any battle…" Kushina echoed from the past.
"Anyhow, the Uzumaki clan has four primary branches for the water element's manipulation which once mastered gives the wielder a nearly endless variety of possible battle strategies. Of course always remember this element's usefulness and power depend on climate and humidity, I don't advise you try to summon a water dragon in the middle of the Wind Country's deserts for example…" Naruto's clone's eyes narrowed thoughtfully and he smirked a bit at his mother's remark.
"The first art is called 'Scalding Torrents' and it is uses elemental recomposition to create nearly boiling hot liquid. Our family uses it to turn armor into deathtraps and cause immense physical damage. Beware, Naruto. This is one of the harder arts of the water manipulation to master as you must simultaneously supercharge the water with chakra to change its temperature while also spatially reforming it to your chosen jutsu's requirements."
"The second art is called 'Freezing Blasts' and is similar to the previous art, only instead of scalding heat it brings the waters to nearly sub-zero temperatures that cause frostbite, impede motion and cause massive bodily arrest under the proper conditions. Like the previous art is considered one of our higher nature manipulation techniques as it requires the same amount of balance and effort between elemental and spatial manipulation."
"Our third art is the easier of the arts, the 'Crushing Waves', which creates torrents of crushing physical force out of bodies of water. It's mainly used to crush, drown or otherwise tear your opponent apart on one hand, or create powerful shields of swirling water on the other hand. It is nearly purely a spatial manipulation art with only minimal requirements of elemental recomposition as it mainly uses existing bodies of water but if you choose to magnify the liquid that already flowing through your veins or the moisture around you it becomes somewhat more difficult to master."
"The four and final art is the 'Blinding Mists', An art of gathering water from the moisture around you to create diversion veils, clones and at electrical conductive mist and puddles which are used in conjunction with the lightning chakra. It is an intermediate art as it varies in its weight of nature manipulation and spatial manipulation. I advise you to master the 'Blinding Mists' first in order to maximize the versatility and efficiency of the 'Crushing Waves' arts before you move to the more advanced arts."
With the explanatory passage done the clone was already bubbling with excitement at the possibilities. While it wasn't explosive as fire or impressive as lightning – water seemed like a very kick-ass element to the blonde. "The first exercise you should begin with is…" He was about to proceed when he heard Ino yelp painfully as a pebble hit her shoulder painfully.
The clone's blue eyes lifted from the scroll to snort and chuckle at how Ino was taking the 'training' the original was putting Ino through. The greatly bruised, weary and increasingly upset blonde seemed to have reached the end of her patience and that's when its amusement turned into trepidation. The blonde girl's eyebrow was twitching and her fists were shaking dangerously. "Oh oh…Here comes hurricane Yamanaka…"
"You said this was meant to help me, did you? And I suppose you just happen to be having fun throwing things at me while we're at it, don't you?" she asked suspiciously, her overly sweet and pleasant tone belying the upcoming danger she posed as her silvery blue eyes flickered with murderous impatience.
Naruto's sheepish expression and slightly embarrassed laugh was all she needed. "Oh, C'mon Ino! It's for your own good!" Naruto feebly tried to explain through small restrained fits of laughter as his fellow blonde rushed at him as quickly as she could. Her feet made small splashes as they tapped against the water, her sneering exhale the only reply Naruto received besides her amassing chakra.
The Uzumaki sighed softly and swerved his body sideways, dodging a sloppy punch before deflecting the follow up reverse swipe of her fist. His eyes danced with mirth as his voice shook with soft chuckles as he side stepped to the left to avoid a wild kick to his groin. As he did, he spun around his back foot and positioned himself behind her. With Ino's back exposed he immediately capitalized and sent a light tap between her shoulders blades, sending the smaller blonde stumbling forward and sinking into the icy waters with her concentration broken.
Ino sputtered and splashed about as she slowly resumed her 'water walking' stance. She was now drenched to the bone, her hair lying flatly in wild, chaotic disarray all over her shoulders, face and back, sticking to her skin and clothing alike quite comically. Her body trembled with every harsh pant and breath as she glanced over her shoulder, her back to Naruto.
The blonde was bolted in place momentarily at the icy glare that sent red flags flashing through his head and cut all semblance of humor. Naruto had seen various kunoichi throw men that look before, it was usually the prelude to massive amounts of bodily pain and so he did the only thing he could – beg. He lifted his hands in a placating manner "Oi! Ino-chan, what's with that look! I-I was just fooling around…" he said nervously. "Oh shit…she's seriously going to kill me!" he realized by the vindictive glee that filled her eyes.
Ino inwardly cackled as she ran through some rapid hand seals with her back turned. "Otou-san…Thanks for this little trick…and prepare to be humbled, Naruto no baka!" The blonde thought, her lips twisting into an evil grin as her chakra weaved through the proper motions and formation. "Genjutsu: Yurehoshi no Fukumen!" Ino's mind flashed with the designated illusion as her before Naruto's eyes her body flickered and vanished before his eyes.
The Uzumaki's eyes widened in realization as the world around him faded into hollow darkness that suffocated his senses. "Genjutsu…" he realized immediately with a light frown before his eyes flashed with pain as the darkness was suddenly pierced by endless spots of light that painfully invaded his eyes. He winced briefly as the lights started shooting around him, darting and flickering flashes of bright white leaving his eyes aching and spots crossing his vision. "So that's how you want to play, Ino-chan?"
He quickly brought his hands together into a tiger seal and thrust his chakra out of his body violently "Kai!" The world exploded back into color and with it he noticed Ino was gone and he once more cursed his weakness to illusionary techniques, he would have to bridge that gap if he ever hoped to become an able ninja or overcome the likes or Uchiha Itachi or other threats to Konoha's safety in the future.
However, he knew the only reason she had ensnared him or gotten so close was because this was a friendly spar. Therefore he didn't berate himself too much but he did however complain. "That's cheating, Ino-chan!" He whined as he felt the cool touch of a Kunai against his neck.
"Really? I don't recall you ever stating genjutsu is forbidden in our spars, Naru-kun" her soft whisper melted into his ear. Burning hot lips tickled his ear as steamy pants dispersed against his naked skin, sending his chills down his spine as he gulped nervously. His body shuddered from more than just the breeze as he felt her arm sliding around his waist and her breasts and upper body pressing against his back. Electric flares shot him as he turned his gaze halfway towards her, his eyes a bit smoky and glazed, his words jammed in his throat as an odd tension and urge ensnared him, tugging his face closer to her own.
Ino blushed faintly as her lips tingled and her chest tensed painfully. Her hands shook and trembled as they shifted across his body and around the kunai. She gulped as hot breathing hit her lips and his commanding blue eyes locked with her own. He was so close, his lips tantalizingly close to her own and she could almost taste his tender softness against her mouth. But then she felt a sudden rush of panic and caution - It was too much, too soon and she wasn't ready and therefore before they could kiss she turned her head to her left and laughed shakily before she stepped back.
"I guess I win this time, which means dinner's on you! Naru-kun!" she chirped shakily, her voice trembling and breaths heavy from more than the cold, her adrenaline flushed body making it hard for her to detach from what had almost transpired and watched Naruto's body visibly relax and even sag lightly.
"I guess you're right, Ino-chan" he conceded with a small begrudging smile and shrugged his shoulders. He wore a slightly brittle smile as he walked over to the water bank and rendezvoused with his clone, which had sneaked to their location and put the scroll back into his jacket before it moved to get dressed and one thing distracted and echoed endlessly through his head. "What the hell was that?!.
He couldn't breathe, couldn't think or rip the sight of her half lidded eyes urging him closer. The feel of her skin, the tickle of her breath and almost erotically trembling pants were seared into his mind as he struggled to overcome the pressure in his lungs, the inability to breathe. "Kami...I almost...we almost...what am I supposed to do? Do I talk about? Do I try and kiss her? Gah! This is confusing! I'll have to ask Iruka-sensei..."
Ino tried to calm her racing heart as she skipped over to the other side of the bank and slipped on the overcoat she had started bringing ever since they had started training in the stream during the evenings and nights, the dark purple material banishing the cold but not the scent and feel of Naruto's skin "Damn it! You almost kissed him! Why the fuck didn't you do it? Ino no Baka!" she berated herself, confused, upset and emotionally overwhelmed by the situation and unsure how to deal with these wild feelings and conflicting yearnings.
She pouted to herself as she joined Naruto, both of them walking in relative silence for a while. She usually knew what she wanted, but Naruto was such a wild card she that he made the predictable chaos and the norm unknown. She would think things over soon before she made any decisions but for the moment couldn't contain herself any longer and decided to capitalize on her rare victory over her fellow blonde. "Ano...Naru-kun. " She cooed and attracted the somewhat distracted Uzumaki's attention. "I told you I could beat you if I really want to!" she boasted and bopped his hip with her own playfully.
Naruto nearly stumbled and glared at her, his arms folded behind his head. His blue eyes narrowed slightly as he pushed out a heavy sigh. "Well, I'll admit the genjutsu thing was kind of cool, but we both know you were just looking for a shot at groping at me, Ino-Hentai…" he teased her shrewdly and his previous 'mock' weariness shifted into a feral grin as he knowingly pushed the right button to set Ino off.
The blonde sputtered briefly before her own eyes narrowed dangerously. "As if! You were the one totally freezing on me just because I gave you some skin contact and whispered in your ear. Oh Naruuuuuuuuuuuuu-kun! Am I that much of a distraction..." she whisperd in a deeper, sultrier tone while batting her eyes teasingly, smirking at how Naruto blushed uncomfortably and murmured something inaudibly to himself.
"Hey! I'm a guy! I'm supposed to check out and get distracted by hot girls! Besides I wasn't the one with roaming hands and lips, Ino. What's your excuse, Ino no Hentai!" he accused heatedly while pointing at her, his eyes tinkling with mirth that overshadowed his supposedly enraged expression.
"Pervert? Me? How dare you! I'll have you know us girls check out guys too! Besides, just because I'm easy on the eyes doesn't mean you can just take a free peep show whenever you fancy, Naruto no baka!" The Yamanaka protested audibly and poked his chest with every harsh exclaim. Her lips twisted into a wider grin as she was sure of her verbal triumph "Besides, I wasn't groping you! I was winning in a spar by all means necessary, you sore loser!" she shouted and poked his chest.
"Excuses, Excuses! Any means necessary doesn't include molestation, Ino-chan! I thought you were a clan heir, what will the people think...?" Naruto questioned his fellow blonde cheekily and and smirked even wider. His remarks caused his fellow blonde to blush horribly and punch his shoulder with all her might while sputtering his name in an outraged manner. Naruto laughed off the pain and pushed her with his own hip, knocking her off balance and dodging the next punch easily.
She eventually calmed down and they shared some secret glances for a while as the woods started thinning with them getting closer to the urban districts. "Ne…Ino. Can I ask you a question?" Naruto's voice came out in an oddly solemn and uncertain whisper. He gulped as he watched Ino nod, his heartbeat racing and chest aching as he looked at her with oddly uncertain eyes, his cheeks slightly flushed and throat oddly dry.
Naruto was usually not one to question fortune but the way he and Ino were getting closer really scared him; he didn't know how to categorize or deal with the intensity of what he felt – everything was so new and confusing - he needed to know. "Wh-Why are you spending so much time with me…? I mean, you could have easily trained with Asuma-sensei, Shika, Chouji or…your dad" he inquired and averted his gaze from the way her light blue eyes shifted into confusion and slight surprise, already bracing himself for her realizing he's right and acting upon it.
"Why do you ask, Naru-kun? Don't you like being around me?" she counter-asked softly, her eyes narrowing slightly. There was a burning demand in her eyes, swirling deeply within her irises but beneath the steely determination and strength lay a brittle fragility.
"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I? It's just…nobody's ever asked me, I mean…" he stammered and bit his lower lip briefly. "Nobody...well you've ever asked to spend time with me for anything until recently. I was just wondering why…" his voice came out shakily, cautiously turning to look at Ino's now soft and slightly sad expression.
"Well…not many people our age really like being around me either…" Ino countered and her eyes were slightly moist, eliciting a frown and look of disbelief to cross Naruto's facial features. "Sure, I had 'friends' during the academy, but they didn't really like me and nobody keeps in touch. They liked the benefits of being my friend but now that we're graduates and they aren't they've all turned their backs on me. Except Sakura, Chouji and Shika…I-I don't have a lot of friends really…" she admitted quietly.
"So…Naruto, since you're my teammate now and I wanted to get to know you better. And I soon found out you're fun to be around. You make me laugh and you don't put me down for being bossy or talking too much. Plus you seem to actually like talking to me…so…so..." her voice murmured out the last part. "I knew it…he's going to think I'm a troublesome loud mouth too and try and brush me off too…"
Naruto watched how Ino's hands clasped tightly and her shoulders tensed through her narrative. Her eyes fell shut and she seemed to be bracing herself for something. "Of course I like being around you, Ino-chan! You're funny, talk as much as I do and are really smart! You don't insult me or hit me too much…and well you're just fun to be around so I'd have to be crazy to not like being around you, baka!" he chided Ino heatedly while grinning widely in an encouraging manner.
Ino's eyes snapped open and she looked at him for a while, seeking deception or a practical joke but finding none. "Naruto…If you're a monster then I don't want to know other men…" she thought, her breathing a bit erratic and shaky as her chest ached once more. Her eyes watered just a bit as her lips twitch into a genuine, gentle smile. She then decided to try and show her appreciation to how sweet and kind his words were.
Naruto felt his heartbeat racing as she stepped close and then stood on her tiptoes. His eyes widened and cheeks burned hotly as soft, moist lips brushed against his cheek, the slightly prolonged contact sending electric sparks through his skin. Before he could grasp what was happening small arms wrapped tightly around his waist and her slightly moist and soft body pressed against is own; her face nestled in the crook of his neck as she hugged him. The Uzumaki heir didn't know quite what to do, how to contain the emotions exploding within him so he wrapped his arms around her and tried to somehow breathe, though it was becoming increasingly difficult.
"Thank you, Naruto. Nobody's ever said anything so sweet to me before…" she whispered into his ear "It feels warm, safe like this…" she thought and her smile widened against him as she shut her eyes briefly and shared the silent embrace with Naruto. Warring emotions flooding her as she looked up at him and the earlier urge to kiss him tantalized her again but once more she untangled herself from him as pulled back; though for another reason this time as both blondes heard something move in the bushes.
The moment was gone and so both blondes blushed when they looked at each other before looking away and trying to calm down. They were at lost of words for a while before Ino sighed and grabbed his hand, slipping her fingers into his own and started dragging him away bodily. "Hey! I know you can't keep your eyes off me, Naru-kun. But do try to contain yourself, I'm hungry!"
When they entered the city proper Naruto's eyes darted around stealthily; gazing upon the cold and violent eyes glaring at him with hatred, venom and outright contempt. Ever since Sasuke's death the whole atmosphere towards him within the civilian population of village had steadily taken a turn from varying degrees of icy indifference, lack of acknowledgment and otherwise neutrality of the past to burning, irrational hatred and barely constrained violence that was just teeming under the surface.
The whole civilian merchant guild had boycotted him and threatened to pull restraining orders on him should he ever step near their shops again and so Naruto was forced to situate Shinobi populated stores, restaurants and coffee shops alone. It saddened and angered Naruto to see how hostile most of his home had become and some part of him felt hatred and contempt at their blind, petty bigotry but then he realized being like them would make him no better than them.
Furthermore, he could relate to their blind hatred and irrational reactions once he recalled his own reactions to Sasuke's death at Haku's hands. The blonde had lost control and had unleashed the Youki of the Kyuubi without any regards for the consequences if only to alleviate his grief, thirst for vengeance and violence. It gave Naruto perspective and he couldn't imagine how it felt to lose your entire family, all your friends and teachers in a blink of an eye and then being left with a bloody reminder.
It didn't make things right, it didn't justify his tormented youth but it made Naruto more inclined to understand and some day forgive these people and not sink into the depths of vengeful bitterness. He would prove he was better than that, somehow and he would earn their respect and make up for his 'tenant's' sins; that would be much sweeter than getting it for free or killing people and spreading more despair and agony throughout the village.
He was making serious steps in garnering the respect of the Shinobi population and he noticed that people were looking at him differently, less critically and angrily and with more consideration and curiosity that inspired confidence in the young blonde Jinchuuriki. While most of the civilians were increasingly hostile and hateful he found those he worked for regularly during D-Rank missions were a bit less hostile towards him and the Shinobi population far more sympathetic to his cause ever since the council seemed to sanction him and he was known as Kakashi's apprentice.
Therefore he could now purchase food and equipment a bit more easily and for lowers prices than he was used to, a fact Gama-chan was always happy about. Kakashi-sensei had assured him he had taken care of his finances and together they had withdrew and then deposited his money in a shinobi-run bank that was under the supervision of the advisory council and the third homage.
Somehow those old men and woman did not inspire much confidence in Naruto so he had taken to splitting his pay into half and keeping a portion of it on his person at all times just in case, though surprisingly enough so far no anomalies in his finances occurred. While he was used to being isolated and rejected, there was now a far more worrying and painful fact that Naruto had to deal with - There were no less than fifteen failed attempts at his life during the duration since Sasuke's demise alone from what he could tell.
His village had never actively sought his death to his knowledge and so he had learned to somehow accept their hatred. But this complicated things and made Naruto edgy, what if one of their attempts would once hurt one of his precious people? He would never forgive the villagers if that happened, it was one thing to hurt and abuse Naruto, but nobody harmed his precious people - nobody.
Currently, He was able to thwart this new and alarming phenomenon mostly by avoiding the situation entirely as he had learned from years of experience of avoiding danger during his childhood. The rest of his assailants were dealt with promptly by his various teachers and tutors with extreme prejudice. The Uzumaki guessed there were probably more assassination attempts set against him but the constant ANBU detail that followed him whenever he was somewhere populated seemed to deal with said attempts.
Also the blonde he noticed that an alarming amount of shopkeepers and merchants that were notoriously cruel and hateful towards him were missing and with each one that disappeared the crowd seemed more wary to approach him than to insult and hate him blatantly. Naruto's eyes narrowed faintly as his sharp ears caught footsteps creeping behind them and he felt chakra gathering and for a moment he was prepared to protect Ino when he felt the air shift. When he glanced over his shoulder, the alley behind him was empty "Thank you, ANBU-san. That one makes it Sixteen …?"
"Ne, Naru-kun. Why can't we going somewhere else but Ichiraku …?" Ino complained through a small pout. While she grew to love the new cuisine introduced by the ever kind Teuchi-san and sweet Ayame-san she wanted something else for a change; something a bit more special and fancy than the usual. She was a girl and liked to be pampered from time to time and she had won the spar so she deserved a treat.
Naruto pouted just as much, "Oh come on, Ino-chan! You know the old man loves you and besides it's Yakitori night…I know how much you like Kalamari and Crab..." he argued evasively and pouted at her pleadingly while his eyes flickered with a bit of uncertainty and desperation from the brief glimpse Ino caught.
"Why are you so afraid…Naru-kun?" she wondered and idly remembered how uncertain and evasive her father was when she asked him why everyone was so hostile towards Naruto once. The way his eyes flickered with regret, his body tensed and voice shifted belied a great emotional weight regarding the subject but he was even more tight lipped over the subject than he was about Sakura's recent changes and so Ino was once more stumped.
Just what was it about Naruto that made everyone edgy and uncomfortable? It always irked the blonde bombshell to see how people glared at him. But Naruto just grinned in that goofy, though at times fake, way of his and pulled her onwards and distracted her with idly chatter, jokes or his quite effective and at times cruel teasing that always invoked her own anger and teasing instincts - but he wasn't fooling anyone, especially not someone like Ino.
Sakura had eagerly supplied her with dark whispers of conspiracies and his true nature and while she put little stock in such ludicrous sounding claims normally, she had to admit the way people treated him was somewhat hard to explain otherwise. "Sakura's has to be wrong, there's no way Naru-kun is a monster. But then why does every civilian we pass by look at him like he's the second coming of the Kyuubi…?" she thought worriedly, unaware of the irony of how close her statement was to the truth.
Naruto then tugged on her hand gently; yapping away happily about training ideas for their next meeting and the taste of heavenly ramen.
(Meanwhile, elsewhere in Konoha)
Sakura stood silently in the plateau of training ground sixteen, waiting for her teacher to arrive. The area was arid and located at the feet of the Hokage Mountain. A long stream crisscrossed through the dry land and several tall trees decorated the barren landscape here and there. Danzou had instructed her to not return to his halls for the time being unless she was specifically summoned by one of his agents. He gave no explanation for this sudden change and told Sakura he would leave her instructions where to meet her various instructors every morning with one of his subordinates.
Sakura gratefully accepted the change in scenery, the dank and lifeless caverns had become quite boring in comparison to the rich nature of Konoha's landscape. Sakura gleefully embraced the feel of the fresh air and tender sunlight against her increasingly pale skin tone. Sakura's body was still somewhat chemically unstable but she had recently learned a technique that helped her stabilize her body.
She had secretly studied some medical scrolls she had procured from her biology and anatomy teacher 'Tiger' in the last couple of days. The ancient medical texts were surprisingly simple, accurate and easy to understand and so with a little imagination and creativity she she could now partially control her body's enzyme and digestive functions and thus ease the after effects of Danzou's medical pills.
The direct after-effect was her ability to sleep properly which led to a higher concentration span and calmer and less volatile disposition. The blessed additional bonus was she had now crafted a slightly more balanced relationship with her alter ego, now that the imbalance in her hormones and chemical composition was somewhat bearable and so the two facets of the fractured mind had reached a symbiotic bond between them and regularly corresponded - no longer battling for supremacy over the body they shared.
They had reached an agreement that her alter ego would confide, offer advice and help the original persona to analyze things from within and would only be allowed to usurp control in situations in which the original Sakura could not rein her emotions, fears or confusion. This new bond of split minds led to another shocking discovery, her alter ego had partial control over her chakra network and was thus was the perfect tool to help Sakura repel Genjutsu assaults.
The moment the illusion entrapped the red haired kunoichi the other personality could usurp and disrupt the flow of her chakra and thus shatter the offensive genjutsu – Sakura had yet to test the limits of this new ability she discovered and devised but she surmised it would definitely help her overcome low to mid level illusions.
These two discoveries she kept in secret as there was no trusting her 'master' with such information. He would only nod and then find another impassable hurdle for her to try and scale and Sakura had enough on her plate. A good kunoichi always kept her cards close to her chest and only revealed them when the situation required it.
Additionally, Sakura's mastery over the viper style had increased under Anko's watchful eyes and bruising fingers. The ability to dodge, evade and counterattack was literally beaten into the younger girl, strike by strike. Sakura liked to believe she had become somewhat adequate in the taijutsu style and even Anko had given her a passable grade the other day. Sakura readily admitted Danzou's medicine pills also had a large part in her rapid growth, her speed, increased flexibility, growth of muscle tone were all credited to the accelerated cellular regeneration and metabolic functions, otherwise she wouldn't have grown half as fast as she had up until now.
However, Sakura was somewhat at loss at her own level as she had yet to test her mettle against someone of her age group. However, if she compared herself now to what she was before Sasuke-kun's demise it was like morning and night – she was now a quite able kunoichi.
Her taijutsu while not perfect was accurate and deadly on the occassions she managed to execute the motions properly. She was stronger, faster and more accurate by light-years than she was in the past. Her scholastic knowledge in anatomy and chemistry gave her a unique and advanced ability to maim, poison and otherwise kill her foes in ways it would take most of her peers quite a while to grasp. More importantly she was used to experiencing massive amounts of pain that no normal genin should be used to.
Therefore Danzou had deemed her ready enough to begin studying two arts that would truly make a perfect tool – Genjutsu and Ninjutsu. Danzou had told her that the elusive Mitarashi Anko would from hereon out only tutor her on seldom occasions from now on as he had other plans in mind for her in these two new branches of the ninja arts. The war hawk had taken the opportunity to test her elemental chakra elements.
The moment Sakura channeled her life force through the seemingly innocent slip of paper it immediately crumpled into a small ball, revealing her powerful affinity towards the lightning element. The one eyed veteran had silently nodded and told her he would introduce her to her next tutor and so there Sakura was, waiting for yet another psycho or emotionless drone to push her to her limits.
"Where the hell is he/she?!" Sakura inwardly complained right before a metallic sound filtered through her ears and she rolled aside. Green eyes narrowed as she launched her body sideways with a chakra propelled thrust, leaping away just as something slammed fiercely into the ground she once situated. The collision kicked up a cloud of dust and she felt and heard the ground split under it's force, her body now on high alert in preparation for battle.
"Your awareness is mediocre at best. I've successfully been watching you for the last fifteen minutes but the fact you managed to dodge that attack successfully means you aren't a lost cause and I can still salvage something out of you, girl." A gruff and somewhat impatient bark came from behind her, accompanied by the sound of jingling chains. Her eyes followed the sight of a long, black chain being dragged across the dry earth and her eyes fell upon who was most likely her teacher. "Why do all the powerful ninjas have to be such freaks and psychos?"
The owner of the disgruntled remark was a short, spiky haired man of dark complexion. The man's left eye was missing, the slit sewn shut and marred by an ugly scar where it had been obviously cut out by a blade. His other, good eye was however was colored in a shocking shade of green that clashed with his dark black hair. The man was clean shaved and his skin revealed ugly scars of burning, cutting and bruising across his left cheek, lower neck and chin that told the tale of many battles and obvious experience of being tortured.
His headband was not on his person but he bore the ANBU tattoo on his left shoulder, a silent token of his old position within Konoha's ranks. The man was clad in a dark, black and green camouflage body suit and upper body armor. That seemed normal enough, what was odd about him was that he had several long chains of dark chrome steel wrapped around his waist, arms, forearms and chest with two loose ends dangling from his fingertips.
"My name's Shoujiro Retsu" His slightly off-key voice whistled out through obviously damaged vocal cords. "They call me 'Kami no Hippou' and due to Danzou's meddling I've been forced to crash course your sorry ass through the basics of lightning manipulation and the 'Amatsudenkou no Susanoo', my personal weapon style." His words belied his displeasure, the dark timbres of anger, impatience and violent dissatisfaction revealing that much.
Sakura's eyes widened, she remembered Anko's first introduction and her body shuddered with momentary fear and trepidation. "Stop shitting in your pants, girl. I ain't got time for this bullshit. Listen carefully as I'll only explain the basics once," Retsu barked out impatiently and sneered at the red haired kunoichi dangerously. Sakura bit her lower lip and nodded meekly as the scarred ninja opened his left palm.
"The lightning element is one of the easier elements to master as it is nearly completely an internal element." He exclaimed and his fingers clenched tightly in a claw like stance for a brief moment before a flash of light ensued and crackling tongues of lightning danced between his fingertips. "I'll tell you right now so you don't waste my time with stupid questions. Yes, some people can externally create lightning but there are only a handful of people on the continent that either have the sheer chakra capacity, talent or innate genetic condition that allows them to create electricity out of thin air; you are not and will not be one of them." The dismissal in hiss quite blatantly reflected how poorly he thought of her.
"Everyone always underestimates us! Let them sneer and spit at us now, Sakura-chan. One day we'll show him, we'll show all of them!" The inner persona promised darkly as Sakura's green eyes shifted from intimidated into burning emeralds of compacted malice that patiently sized up the man before them.
"Do you have a problem with my deduction, girl?" Retsu questioned blandly and his left hand flipped over, palm now facing upwards. Before Sakura could even comprehend what was happening the chrome chain around his left forearm flashed with blue life-force before exploding forth in blurry speed and wrapping around her neck. Sakura choked and her hands grasped the suffocating steel desperately, breathing impossible as it constricted tighter around her pale skin.
"You who live pampered amongst the civilians of this lively village, protected from the ugliness of death, treachery and suffering off the backs of people like me should not dare question my words. Arrogant fools like you: those who know nothing yet think they know everything disgust me and are always quickest to fall on the battlefield…"
The red haired kunoichi choked for air, her eyes beginning to roll as thought was nearly impossible and the world started to blur. "Fucking…bastard…" Sakura thought as she approached the bliss of silent oblivion. Before she died from asphyxiation his hand twitched briefly and the chakra enforced chain forced Sakura down, pulling her to the ground and slamming her face into the hard, heated earth.
"When I am talking, you will listen. When I am deducing, you will not argue. I have no patience for insolence, it makes me angry and when I get angry, I have an unquenchable thirst for blood…" he stated and released her. As Sakura coughed for air, lungs burning and throat hoarse Retsu nonchalantly continued his earlier speech, content he now had Sakura's undivided attention.
"As I was saying, Lightning Chakra is easiest to master as all you have to do is learn to feel your own bio-electric energy." Retsu instructed and reached for his side pouch and procured a scroll. It landed next to Sakura's face after he threw it lazily next to her. "I've written down where the main electric nodes are situated. You will spend three hours a day trying to create static energy by channeling your chakra through each and one of them. Once you successfully access every one of them you will try and simultaneously activate them all." He commanded.
"Once you have successfully attuned your chakra to your body's own electrical output, I will teach you some simple chakra manipulation techniques that will allow you to amplify and spatially recompose your chakra." The veteran ninja explained his training methodology and was about to continue when his eye narrowed thoughtfully.
"Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi…?" he called out and turned to gaze at a nearby tree, catching the sight of aloof Jounin as it filtered through his perpetual vision. Retsu would never forget the scent of the genius elite that had rescued him from the clutches of Kumo-nin interrogators during the skirmishes nearly eight years earlier. "You're late…but I suppose it's to be expected from you, Hatake" Retsu deadpanned with a sigh.
The silver haired Jounin shrugged his shoulders as he walked over towards Sakura and Retsu. "Ma ma, I'm sorry Retsu-san. I was helping this old lady across the street when I was invited over for some tea, I just couldn't insult the elderly woman, what kind of a shinobi would I be if I did?" he excused his behavior with yet another lame excuse that was legendary amongst his peers.
"Tch, have you disabled of Danzou's recon squad…?" The scarred lightning user asked the sharingan wielder and received an affirmative nod. Kakashi's visible eye gazed sharply at his former subordinate as she cautiously eyed him with fear, nervousness and confusion.
"Thank you, Retsu-san. I owe you." Kakashi pointed out and the chain wielder snorted and smirked crookedly.
Kakashi had secretly passed on the world amongst the Jounin population that if anyone received one on one instruction with Sakura he wanted assistance on getting her into a one on one situation where he could finally talk to his former student away from prying eyes. He hadn't even approached Anko on the subject as the snake mistress was under constant surveillance by Danzou for more than just her tutoring of Sakura and it would be too much of a risk to involve the infamous snake summoner with her own personal mission from the Sandaime Hokage.
"There are no debts between comrades, Hatake" he dismissed Kakashi's exclaim and disappeared into the nearby foliage, giving the copy ninja some privacy with Sakura.
That comment was rather curious, as Naruto had been taking his debt to Sasuke quite seriously and had started researching in preparation of facing the last of the Uchiha, Itachi in the future. Iruka had revealed to Kakashi in confidence that Naruto was dedicating almost an hour of every one of their literary lessons to read on the Sharingan and Uchiha clan's history and part in legendary battles and wars of old.
The public information on the ancient clan was quite useless as Naruto had revealed to Kakashi only earlier this morning. And so after they had both analyzed the known abilities of the bloodline limit they concluded Naruto's main weakness was the genjutsu abilities of the Sharingan eye. Kakashi was rather confident that his apprentice would eventually overcome the precognitive abilities of the doujutsu with his shadow clones abilities and prodigal ninjutsu potential.
Naruto had revealed that Kurenai had taught him on the various ways to counter and detect Genjutsu. He complained before Kakashi that his ability to disrupt his own chakra was limited due to his inability to suppress it and his chakra control would probably never reach the level where he could control each individual tenketsu due to his Youki influenced chakra reserves . However the blonde had not given up and asked Kakashi to help him with genjutsu countering.
The Copy Ninja was reluctant at first but in the end they both agreed Naruto would have to deal with illusions on the field in the future. Therefore Kakashi and he had decided that they would spend an entire hour every other day with Kakashi using genjutsu on Naruto during their spars or at random with the blonde ninja being forced to learn to detect and try to break free.
It would most likely have varying degrees of success but it was a start, something Kakashi hoped he could achieve here and now with Sakura as well. It was thus fortunate one of his old ANBU buddies had been approached by Danzou and coerced into assisting her studies. Finally Kakashi had the opportunity to talk with Sakura and perhaps bridge the gap Sasuke's death left between them.
"It's been a while, Sakura." Kakashi greeted neutrally and watched the now red haired girl slowly rise to her feet, her green eyes flickering with uncertainty. The silver haired Jounin sighed softly as she was obvious under the impression he was a threat to her. "Sorry I took me so long to approach you. But seeing as you pulled that restraining order against me it took a while…" The copy-nin explained himself off handedly and watched Sakura's reaction closely, his dark brown eye narrowing with what seemed to be a fragile patience that could shatter into violence at any moment.
"Restraining order…?" Sakura mouthed in a confused and fearful tone, her eyes darting from side to side as her teeth nibbled unto her lower lip. Her green eyes flashed with brief comprehension and she seemed conflicted before the caution shifted into icy indifference. "Yeah, what of it? Why are you here...?" her tone spat out impatiently. Sakura's body language and pitiful attempt at deception revealed before the silver haired ninja answers to several questions that had irked him for many weeks.
The first was the origins and speedy access Danzou had to a restraining order. It had irked Kakashi and now he knew it was obviously a falsified document as the prodigal ninjutsu user had initially suspected. Sandaime had alluded as much when they conversed over the subject but was helpless against the signed document just as much as Kakashi was. Haruno Azumi must have been easily convinced to sign the document when told it would guard her daughter from associating with Naruto and forging Sakura's signature was child's play for someone of Danzou's skill.
Discrediting the document would be impossible as Sakura was almost never approachable and breaking that tremulous neutrality would make her a liability and thus her life would become forfeit – Danzou never left loose ends. Therefore Kakashi had been in a 'Catch 22' situation up until now, unable to pierce the wall of mystery and lies Danzou erected around his activities - he had lost the battle with the war hawk over Sakura's trust before it even began.
The second was that Sakura's mental capacity seemed dangerously wild in comparison to her days under his command. Kakashi had always suspected she wasn't exactly stable from her violent outbursts, mood swings and secret inner monologues but she seemed generally docile and in control of herself in most times so he trusted her psychological profiling. However, it was now quite obvious she was contracting a severe case of schizophrenia. The way the gleam in her eyes, body language and vocal quirks all changed with baffling suddenness all proved his suspicions correct - though he wasn't sure if the controlled and contained manner she displayed was reason for concern or relief.
Kakashi would have to approach Sarutobi-sama about this as he had seen what happened if such mental distress was not treated with medication and therapy, it often spiraled into dangerous sociopathic behavior patterns and even homicidal urges and he owed Sakura to at least try to save her from her fate. "Sakura, I am not your enemy…" Kakashi tried to reason with her quietly and watched Sakura scoff at him openly, her teeth grit and eyes two burning green slits of hostility. "I only wish to help you, it isn't too late. I can help you reconcile with Naruto and we can get through this…be a team once more."
"No!" Sakura shouted and waved her hand across her body "Fuck you, you bastard! I know what you did…" her voice oozed with venom and hatred, green eyes glowing with violence. "You sold me out to protect him! You told them I'm unstable so they could get rid of me! You fucking abandoned me to Danzou and took him instead! I hate you! You fucking hypo…"
Kakashi's single eye shut briefly before it snapped open and gleamed with dangerous coldness. "Know you place, Genin." he commanded flatly, pulling rank and cutting through her derogatory and insulting words, unwilling to be talked to in such a manner by anyone, not even her. "She's beyond lost to me. I was complacent, time has not been kind to her and Danzou's inhumane training methods and her own guilt and hatred have festered beyond control…" Kakashi realized and turned his back on the now convulsing and panting young girl.
"I will not tolerate such language, Sakura. Not from you or anyone. For your information I only tried to get your professional help to deal with the trauma of that mission. I never asked or willed for you to be dismissed or taken from my care. However, I see and know reasoning with you is useless as you don't believe me." Kakashi's voice fell into a flat, neutral tone, glancing at how Sakura struggled to combat the paralyzing power of his murderous intent.
"Fucking bastard! Who does he think he is? He's just trying to convince us to forgive him for backstabbing us. He's trying to protect his new pet, that monster...he's trying to make us abandon our ambitions! Don't listen to him, he never listened to you, remember Sakura-chan? How he was with us back then...?" The dominant persona of the red haired kunoichi was uncertain despite her alter-ego's words at first as her former sensei begin walking away.
Then she looked at things from a different angle. "He's giving up on me, he doesn't believe in me. He never did! At first he trusted Sasuke-kun over me and Naruto and now he trusts the monster over me. I was never anyone he put faith or effort into…well then, I don't need bastards like that fucking around with me, good riddance!" she concluded and once more, screening out the early days in favor of the implications of that one mission that changed everything .
It was something she had become accustomed to in order to safe guard her sanity under Danzou's pressure and keep her resolve and hatred burning less she break. "As if! You never cared about me! I know you only ever cared about Sasuke-kun and now that monster, Naruto! I won't be tricked by you or him ever again!" Sakura spat out in a shaky, emotional tone. Her green eyes shut to hide gathering tears of regret and sorrow as she reminisced on how pathetic, weak and alone she felt on team Kakashi only several months ago.
With her former sensei's laziness and aloof attitude towards teaching, Sasuke's constant dismissal to concentrate on revenge and Naruto's grating, whiny behavior Sakura felt she had no solace on team seven. She could have relented to the advances of her blonde teammate and she did start opening up to him on that mission when he approached her for training tips and complimented her - it was perhaps the first step towards change.
However, the brief reprise in her isolation would not help erase the image of his burning crimson eyes and clawed hands tearing through the masked mist ninja with indifference that chilled her to the bone. He was supposed to be her pillar of support if something ever happened to Sasuke and then he revealed himself to be another liar in disguise, a monster hiding in the visage of a fool waiting to slaughter her when the time was opportune. She now knew with chilling certaintly that nobody would ever be there for her, she would always alone, always had been alone in her quest to become a kunoichi. But in her isolation she would triumph and gather the strength required to vindicate herself; nobody would stand in her path - nobody.
"I am sorry things have come to this, Sakura. I will not approach you again. Then again, you will not remember this conversation either…" Kakashi promised tonelessly before pulling back his headband and revealing Obito's eye while shutting his own eye. "I'm sorry Sakura, but Danzou must not know of this conversation and you are better off unaware of my connection to Retsu…" Kakashi inwardly apologized. Magen: Shoukyoboushi no Yomi" Kakashi manipulated the chakra through his old teammate's eyes into his own unique illusionary jutsu.
Sakura's head exploded into intense pain that caused her hands to whip to her sides, her vision clouded by a dark, distorted vision of the world flooded with the sound of demonic laughter and flashing monstrous faces. Screams filled the grounds as the young kunoichi fell to her knees, sobbing and hysterically begging for it to stop before she slumped unconscious.
Kakashi sighed and shut his eye walked away, his heart heavy with the weight of yet another failure on his part; it would be his last it was the last thing he ever did.
(Several Hours later, ANBU headquarters)
Morino Ibiki was not surprised when he received his orders for the day. It was not uncommon for Sarutobi-sama to commission an interrogation of a foreign agent. However it was surprising to the scarred special Jounin to have the Hokage attend in person and not wait for the written report.
However, strange things were not something of an anomaly in Konoha lately. First Uchiha Sasuke was killed in the line of duty. Secondly, the Hokage had activated the 'Tenchi' contingency plan to hunt down and capture foreign agents which tightened the internal security measures throughout the village. Finally, Mitarashi Anko decides to bind with the snake clan, an ordeal Ibiki had the misfortune of witnessing.
His spine still crawled from the unsettling ritual and Anko's raw screaming and convulsing and he hoped whatever happened to the special Jounin wouldn't scar her fragile psyche any further; he'd hate to have to entertain her in ANBU torture cells instead of their regular table at 'Magoichi's'.
A/N: This is where Act two: 'Shattered Innocence and Blood-stained Snakeskin' of my side story fic (which is now posted separately) 'Origins of Madness' is situated. It should be read for an in-depth glimpse at Anko's ritual and Orochimaru's past – It will be posted during the weekend and then I will concentrate almost solely on 'The Point of Divergence' for a while.
Ibiki's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he picked up a suitcase and stepped out of his personal chambers. He traversed the faceless, dark corridors of ANBU's underground headquarters silently. He wordlessly ignoring the other ANBU and Jounin that he crossed by, focusing his mind on the task ahead. The Counter-Intelligence and Interrogation specialist always shut off the world before beginning on of his sessions. He needed the utmost concentration and utter detachment from emotion, distractions and mundane details if he was to temporarily relinquish his humanity and enter the state of mind that allowed him to commit the acts of inhumane physical and psychological harm he was so legendary for.
The room was octagonal, its surface covered by layer of layer rusting metal. The aging alloy was stained with stains of blood and other such bodily fluids and carrying the age old scent of decay, gore and worst. The Splash patterns painting the upon metallic surface were there for a reason, the victim would sit there and begin imaging just what was going to happen to him, beginning his psychological torture even before Ibiki's masterful hands could get to work.
Flickering Neon lights irritated the eyes as they bathed the room in flashes of bright light and then engulfed it in shadows anew in repetitive, maddening cycles. In the center of the poorly lit room, within a circle of chakra suppressing seals sat a single, bald man. He tied to a metallic chair, completely naked; his golden complexion marred with old battle scars and his Iwa headband lying beside his clothes at the far corner of the room.
"You're early, Sarutobi-sama" Ibiki greeted and bowed humbly before his leader as he shut the steel door behind him. The Third silently bowed his head, tilting his hat in acknowledgment.
The Hokage was sitting in a wooden chair leaning against one the eight walls of the quite horrifying looking room. He didn't seem bothered by its gruesome appearence, scent or lightning - unsurprising as he had visited and partook in such interrogations many times in the past, he had long since dulled his heart to such things. "I could not concentrate on my paperwork while I know this scum was lurking about my village…" he informed Ibiki icily, his voice reverberating around the room.
Ibiki nodded and smirked faintly as he placed his suitcase on a nearby table and flipped it open. The fact the bound man had not moved a muscle or acknowledged either man or their comments was a telltale sign he was a veteran and would not break under conventional methods – All the more interesting for Ibiki as he could now apply more creative methods. Ibiki flipped his briefcase open and revealed an assortment of various tools of torture, needles and small bottles of drugs. The bandanna clad man took a needle and a small vial of clear, green liquid and filled the syringe halfway full. "Who hired you?"
The man remained tight lipped and expressionless and Ibiki nodded knowingly as he tapped the syringe several times before popping it gently into the man's jugular. Ibiki waited for several moments after pulling the needle out and soon enough the man's eyes widened faintly and he started blinking away tears.
"What…what is this…?" the man thought as his eyes started itching and burning. He coughed as mucus, bile and saliva clogged his throat, nearly bring about a fit vomiting but not quite enough to bring the upheaval his stomach. He gasped for air and soon found blood was rushing to his temples as deafening pounding thumped through his temples. He trembled as his muscles convulsed and slackened erratically.
"You must be wondering what I gave you. Don't worry, it won't kill you but it will gradually get worst if you don't cooperate. Have you ever heard of the 'liquid man' syndrome?" Ibiki asked the bound man in a paralyzing monotone as he took his time to remove several long acupuncture needles from his set.
"If you must know, soon you will lose your ability to control your gastronomic functions and release all forms of bodily waste from all possible crevices. Also the enzymes in this drug will keep adrenaline pumping through your body so you won't be able to lose consciousness until I decide you've earned that reprieve." Ibiki explained and watched the man's eyes flash with burning hatred - eliciting a smirk on Ibiki's his lips.
"Don't worry though, these needles will keep your jaw lax and open so you don't choke on your own vomit and I have a trauma team on standby if you somehow do suffocate despite my better efforts." Ibiki explained and carefully pierced the man's skin, two needles sticking from behind his lower jaw and two just beside his ears. The man coughed and wheezed as his jaw went lax and Ibiki carefully pried it open as he had stated earlier.
"You are going to eventually answer my questions, spare yourself the needless pain and suffering and just talk now." The interrogator offered as he waited patiently for his torture methods to break the man's spirit.
Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes flickered with cold indifference as he watched the proceedings neutrally. While he wasn't a fan of bloodshed or needless violence, he knew he could not be lax with enemy agents, especially those that attacked his ninjas in the midst of his own home. The man was not a free agent, he was a registered ninja of Iwagakure and that meant someone had paid for an A or S rank mission, someone with both resources and the knowledge of Naruto's importance or at the very least his condition as Jinchuuriki - Sarutobi needed to know who and why.
Sarutobi had finally decided to crack down on those whom aimed to harm Naruto in the wake of the death of Sasuke. This was due to the realization that for the last fifteen years his lax and pacifistic behavior had caused a series of disasterous mistakes. First he had allowed Orochimaru to flee and thus become a most dangerous power set against Konoha, one only Jiraiya and Tsunade could contend with currently. Secondly he had allowed the village to emotionally cripple and abuse Naruto from childhood and Anko from the moment she was recovered from the sea country for the sake of the status quo, he had purposefully turned the blind eye as he didn't want to get his hands dirty with the political ramifications and because he was old - he was just too tired.
But not anymore, he would not allow more sins to compound upon past mistakes, this time he chose to quell the hostility with zero tolerance in the sake of redeeming himself just a bit after so many years of criminal neutrality. On the very first day his ANBU incarcerated and interrogated thirteen civilians due to attempts at embezzlement with Naruto's funds, arson attempts and breaking and entering into his home and dealt with three cases of attempted assault on Naruto's person by now former genin of the leaf. His message via ANBU rang clear 'Mess with my ninja and you will pay.'
The civilians were logical enough to not attack a ninja directly and were more content at allowing 'accidents' to occur or attempt to poison the blonde. They were discovered and intercepted by his many Jounin instructors and their names were brought before ANBU and thus they were dealth with. Sporadic ninja assassination attempts were promptly dealt with by ANBU whom shadowed Naruto's every move within the village when he was unsupervised.
Some people apparently were far more stubborn, tenacious and crafty and so ANBU were kept more busy than normal for the last couple of months in protecting Naruto and dealing with those who wished harm, be it physical or financial. Sarutobi could not force the people to accept Naruto and so the emotional rejection, insults and now open hatred kept on wearing on the poor boy's heart but there was no battle without loss and suffering, he could not do anything - even if he was Hokage.
The finances for such a task force to fulfill his will had come out of Sarutobi's own pocket as he felt he had been lax with Naruto's security and life for far too long and personally owed the boy something. His epiphany had some when Jiraiya had angrily confronted him with accusations and angry remarks the last time they shared words only several months earlier and had forcefully awakened both his guilt and anger from their long time slumber. These emotions had forced the old man to admit he could no longer turn a blind eye to the travesty his people were committing – at least whenever they crossed the line and actively sought to harm Naruto.
While the average civilian and all the shinobi population seemed to get the message and reverted back to their previous, varying degrees of either poorly-veiled hostility or neutrality and indifference; it seemed the higher powers of Konoha's financial district were more crafty and cunning. Sarutobi never could pin any of the assassination attempts on them as their agents were mostly local and could easily be blamed for being impartial and trying to drag down political enemies or rivals.
But this man, he was the missing link and final mistake those men would ever commit. By hiring a foreign agent these men had supplied Hiruzen with all the evidence he needed to prove their guilt as nobody could claim an Iwa-nin had any personal interest in Naruto - this would put a stop to this madness once and for all - with blood and steel. "He seems uncooperative, I suggest you loosen his tongue some more, Ibiki. Use that jutsu – I will not rest until the threat upon our ninja is removed"
"As you wish, Sandaime-sama" the special Jounin intoned and for a brief moment he pitied the poor sap in the chair, the man had no idea what was in store for him. The notion vanished quickly as this scum was an enemy, he deserved no mercy and with that the interrogator made a long hand seal sequence while gathering his chakra into his body. The bound man thrashed wildly as he guessed what would come next would be unpleasant to say at least "Magen: Kuudouseirei no Akumu"
The man's teary eyes shut tightly as soon as the world around him distorted and he watched his tormentor shut his eyes and seemingly concentrate intensely. He gasped and choked out a pant as his searing pain flashed through his arm, something biting into his skin. Two brown eyes snapped open widely and filled with disbelief and fear.
"Murderer…" a familiar voice screamed in his left ear and his dark brown eyes glared into the ethereal form of his first kill, the young woman's eyes burning with hatred. The man watched the specter's fingernails drag over his skin, leaving long traces of liquid torment in her wake as well as deep lacerations that bled out rivulets of crimson.
"It's our turn to kill you, bastard!"Another voice joined in from his right ear and his eyes darted towards the new voice only to see a spectral form of one of his more recent kills bite into his neck. He convulsed and coughed out wildly, his eyes widening with horror as the many dozens of spirits of his victims throughout his ninja carrier all materialized and started screaming in a bone-chilling cacophony.
The spirits all cursed audibly, accusing him venomously in a ringing echo or madness as they clawed at him hungrily; seeking to slake their vengeful desires. The pain was indescribable, it was never-ending but unconsciousness would not arrive, that damned drug saw to that. He couldn't take it anymore, he couldn't deal with it. "MAKE IT STOP! I'LL TALK! JUST MAKE IT FUCKING STOP!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, his tone hoarse and trembling with horror and pleading.
Even his battle hardened spirit quickly diminished with all his sins haunting his psyche. Ibiki's chakra quenched itself and the illusion vanished abruptly, revealing before the prisoner's wide and teary eyes the interrogator neutrally reaching for the syringe once more. "Who hired you?"
Sarutobi and Ibiki debriefed the quivering mass of paranoid fear, intense duress and sobbing despair before ANBU took him away, he would situate one of their containment cells until his release could be negotiated with the Tsuchikage. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage in negotiating a non-aggression pact with Ishimaru over the new situation.
So his own civilian council was plotting to eliminate one of his ninja right under his nose. This was beyond bending the rules, this was mutiny and a direct attack against Konoha's, Hiruzen's military authority, their sin would not go unpunished – their lives were forfeit and this madness would stop - permanently.
Jutsu list:
Henge no Jutsu - Transformation technique – Basic E-rank jutsu that allows the user to change his appearance to fit someone whom he chooses. Vocal mimickery is also possible if said person is known to the user. Light contact with dispel said jutsu.
Genjutsu: Yurehoshi no Fukumen – Illusionary technique: Veil of the FlickeringStars – A low level genjutsu technique that delves the victim in an endless sea of darkness where he is surrounding by flashing stars that confuse, distract and otherwise blind him/her.
Magen: Shoukyoboushi no Yomi - Demonic illusion: Erasing eye of the Underworld – A powerful Illusion technique invented by the Hatake Kakashi using the innate powers of mental manipulation employed by Obito's Sharingan. The Jutsu overflows the brain of a weaker mind with Kakashi's chakra and causes short term memory loss, confusion and unconsciousness.
Magen: Kuudouseirei no Akumu – Demonic Illusion: Hollow Spirit Nightmare – A forbidden A-genjutsu that weaves intricate and very high level illusion to destroy all hopes of resistance from its victims. It was originally invented by the snake sannin Orochimaru when he was still loyal to Konoha.
It is a very cruel, specialized technique used for torturing Shinobi that makes the user envision that vengeful spirits of the people he's killed are clawing at his body, each touch invoking intense physical and mental duress as they whisper accusation and damnations in his mind endlessly.
It is useless against those that are already insane or partially so and those that have sociopathic and homicidal tendencies and have lost the ability to feel guilt or remorse.