Disclaimer: I don't own, gain profit or have any rights of the Naruto Franchise, those rights go to Masashi Kishimoto
Beta-Approved by:Rasengan86
Reposted on: 07/05/09
Japanese words Glossary:
Jinchuuriki – 'Power of Human Sacrifice' – the term used for the containers of the tailed beasts.
Konohagakure – Hidden Leaf
Kumogakure – Hidden Cloud
Amegakure – Hidden Rain
Yuki no Kuni – Snow Country
Hi no Kuni - Fire Country
Iwagakure - Hidden Rock
Takigakure – Hidden Waterfall
Sunagakure – Hidden Sand
Kikaichuu – Destruction Bug/s
Inu – dog
Yondaime – The Fourth
Sandaime – The Third
Taijutsu – Hand to hand combat techniques
Genjutsu – Illusionary techinque/s
Kitsune – Fox
Kyuubi – Nine Tails
Kinjutsu – Forbidden technique
Bijuu – Tailed Beast/s
Kumo - Cloud
Kekkai Gekkai – Bloodline limit
Hakumei no Kuni – Twilight Country
(Name) – sama – Lord (name)
(Name) – san – honorific for an equal or colleague
(Name) – teme – An emphasized way of saying 'You!'
(Name) – Dono – a very formal term of addressing a noble
Nuke-nin – Missing ninja
Jyuuken – Gentle Fist, the taijutsu style of the Hyuuga clan.
(Three Days Later - Outskirts of Hi no Kuni - One Month and One day to the Chuunin Exams)
Teams Gai and Eight, sans Hinata, were escorted by a protective detail of ANBU on their way back to Konoha. After all, one could never take too many precautions when it came to Kumogakure and their lust for the Byakugan.
The Hokage's covert sentinels kept the genin away from Naruto once the field debriefing revealed that the Uzumaki's secret was potentially compromised. Their intuitive strategy was to minimize the damage by preventing the confused underage witnesses any interaction with the Jinchuuriki.
Naruto was thankful for the black ops agent's intervention as it bought him some time to think over his predicament. He knew that his first order of business was to formulate a coherent way to explain his burden but for the life of him he could not foresee any scenario that didn't end with him alienating some of the few friends he earned in the last couple of months.
The pace the Konoha shinobi traveled at was unrelentingly furious. There was a sense of urgency underlying their travel as any time the genin had expended their stamina or needed to sleep one of the ANBU would pitch in and carry them for a several hours until they recuperated.
The whole ordeal was suspicious and only increased the unease Shino felt towards Naruto as he was the one that was broken off purposefully from the rest of them and kept in the rear position along with Kurenai despite the lack of tactical advantage in the endeavor. That fact only served to solidify the Aburame's assumption that Naruto was regarded as a security risk.
He had shared his concerns with Kiba only to be chewed out by the anxious and confused Inu-nin. The feral ninja hated the sense of helplessness he was subjected to in light of Naruto's forced isolation from them. Moreover, Shino's insinuations offered him no comfort and only compounded upon his conflicted and guilt-stricken heart.
Naruto was his on and off friend for years now. It's true that they didn't see eye to eye on many an occasion due to the clash of their similarly boisterous personality. But transcending such frivolous arguments they both shared a deeper, instinctive understanding: pack mentality. Both genin believed that you always kept an eye on your own, a notion Kiba felt would soon be tested when they returned to Konoha proper.
Lee and Tenten had conversed frequently during the last couple of days and Lee's natural distaste towards his blonde peer only served to fuel his stubborn resolve to suspect the blonde that kept on criticizing him.
Tenten, ever the pragmatic and more level headed member of team Gai had convinced Lee to cooperate and remain on amicable terms with Naruto if only to be fair towards the one that saved them, even if she disliked him on a personal level to some extent for bullying Lee.
However, both agreed that they would not trust him fully until they were provided with proper evidence that proved he had no intention to ever turn his horrible power upon them.
Tenten had actually seen the worst of Naruto's youki influenced form so the Hyuuga could understand her apprehension to a degree, but Lee was being a hypocrite in Neji's opinion. On one hand he gave the Hyuuga a lot of latitude despite the way the bloodline wielder put him through almost a year of constant emotional and mental abuse. On the other hand the bushy brow genin he had no trouble on judging, mistrusting and fearing Naruto to some extent due to his prior antagonism with the blonde.
What's worst was that through all of their genin days he begged everyone to give him the benefit of the doubt and now that he conveniently found a reason to justify his own anger and bitterness towards Naruto's he capitalized on it big time despite the parallels between their situations that should've inspired sympathy.
Kurenai consoled the conflicted boy, assuring him Sarutobi would take care of things and that he did the right thing despite how things looked. The Yondaime's legacy had his doubts but her compassionate, non-judgmental disposition seemed to ease some of his woes and depression to some extent.
It was a painful spectacle for the genjutsu mistress. It was almost pitiful to see the dim, seemingly defeated aura that Naruto exuded as he surveyed and understood the grim atmosphere from isolated position. Say what you may about Uzumaki Naruto, but he was more observant than people gave him credit for when he wanted to.
She knew only two or three people that could possibly save the boy before he sank into despair – Kakashi, Iruka or Sarutobi and she sincerely hoped he met one of the above soon as she didn't feel anyone deserved to suffer like Naruto did.
When they reached Konoha, ANBU escorted them straight to the Hokage's office. There seemed to be some understanding between Gai and the ANBU as they shared a mutual nod. Kiba, Shino and Neji were allowed to enter along with Naruto and Kurenai whereas Gai joined ANBU and ushered Lee and Tenten out of the Hokage tower – escorting them to a far less pleasant and comfortable destination.
"Ah, you're all here. Good," Hiruzen greeted from his desk. The Hokage was clad in his usual formal ensemble, his trademark pipe in his mouth. Despite his jovial tone, there was a dark and cool gleam in his eyes and the fact he wasn't the only one in the room was another reason for concern.
Aburame Shibi, Hyuuga Hiashi and Inuzuka Tsume were all gathered within the room, standing beside the Hokage. The atmosphere in the room was tense and grim and the assorted genin stiffened under the weight of their clan heads' scrutinizing glares.
"This is bad…" Naruto realized. "Damn you, you fucking overgrown fur ball! Why do you have to complicate everything?"
"Naruto, it has come to my knowledge that you were forced to use your 'special' gift in the presence of your fellow genin to fulfill your mission, is this correct…?" Hiruzen asked grimly and bit on the edge of his pipe lightly.
The sun-kissed blonde nodded briefly, his eyes averted towards the ground as he kept his head bowed. His body was stiff and teeth grit tightly. His entire posture screamed with indignant frustration as he silently awaited the inevitable blow that was sure to come.
"And you three all bore witness to this unnatural manifestation?" The spiritual pressure in the room became unbearable as the assortment of elite ninja all seemed to project their emotional duress over these proceedings when their clan member's acknowledged Sarutob's inquiry.
"I see…" Hiruzen murmured to himself and folded his hands together. "Neji, Kiba and Shino. Your respective clan heads have assured me you are trustworthy. Therefore at their bequest I have decided not to submit you to the Yamanaka family for memory modification like your peers."
Naruto's eyes widened as the implications were not lost to him. He was confused and scared but the only sign of turmoil the Uzumaki revealed was the slight tightening of his fists and scrunching of his nose. "So…I can't ever tell anyone, is that it, Old man? I thought that you…I don't understand! why would you do that to them – to me?"
"What I am about to reveal to you is S-class information. It is one of Konohagakure's darkest and most dangerous secrets so I will allow you to choose if you wish to bear it or not. Think carefully before you give me your final answer," he stressed in a meaningful manner.
Neji silver eyes flicked to his right, noticing how Naruto reacted and his eyebrows furrowed slightly through his nod of acknowledgment. "A burden worse than my own, was it? It appears that was no hollow statement. Naruto, your are much stronger than I initially thought..."
Shino remained silent, but his eyes narrowed beneath his sunglasses as he nodded. "It seems the dangers and secrets you bear are truly grim if Sarutobi-sama has resorted to memory wiping Tenten and Lee. I'm sorry, Naruto. It seems there is no denying the risk you represent."
Kiba for his part was more than a bit intimidated by the look on both his mother and the Hokage's faces. He gulped but nodded hesitantly, he wasn't about to be considered a coward or shy away from the truth especially since the others were willing to take the leap of faith.
"You were all raised on the stories of Yondaime-sama's grand victory in vanquishing the Kyuubi no Kistune in your youth. That is a lie." Sarutobi informed them tonelessly and cleared some ashes from his pipe, blowing some smoke to calm his nerves.
"Unlike the other Bijuu, the Kyuubi is a sentient entity of endless murderous chakra we humans call 'youki'. It could not be destroyed or wounded physically as its power made its skin nearly impenetrable, and even the rare wounds inflicted upon it healed almost instantly due to its regenerative abilities. Therefore, to save the village only one solution remained," the former 'God of Ninja' explained in a tense tone, the memories of that horrible night filling his mind.
The respective clan heads each shifted just barely, each ninja who survive the calamity of the demon fox bore scars that would never heal. Naruto's shoulders shook and he shut his eyes, feeling the weight of his peers questioning eyes fall upon him. It took all of his mental and emotional strength to contain the bitter, angry outburst welling within. He felt the sting of the tears threaten to fall from his tightly shut eyes as his sadness and bitterness suffocated him.
"He used a kinjutsu he developed to seal the spirit of the Kyuubi within a newborn baby at the price of his own life. That baby stands before you, a silent sentinel that holds back the malevolence of the Kyuubi at bay." the professor explained and gestured towards Naruto.
Hiruzen took a deep inhale, filling his lungs with soothing tobacco vapors before blowing it out. "What you bore witnesses to was a partial manifestation of the demon-fox's power. All containers, whom ninja have dubbed 'Jinchuuriki' can harness some of the unique powers akin to their demonic prisoner."
Naruto fared to open his eyes and cautiously turned his glance upon his peers. The Hyuuga bowed his head and his body followed, "I acknowledge your sacrifice and feel humbled by it, Uzumaki Naruto. I gladly accept the burden of knowledge and accept your earlier statement of our mutual comradeship with honor, if the offer still stands."
Even as the words left his mouth the Hyuuga felt they did not quite fit what he felt and what needed to be conveyed. The depth of his understanding and sympathy to his fellow seal bearer transcended verbal description – but he had to say something anyway. He noticed Hiashi's lips tilt upward momentarily in what seemed could be interpreted as approval but it could've been just a figment of the Hyuuga's imagination.
Kiba was overwhelmed by the bombshell the Hokage had just dropped upon him. His dark eyes were wide and full of surprise as his confused gaze fell upon Naruto. There was a hopeful, tentative vulnerability in those cerulean orbs that touched the Inuzuka on some subconscious level. It reminded him of the way Akamaru had first looked at him all those years ago – pack mentality kicked and Kiba knew what he had to do.
"Kyuubi or not, you're still Uzumaki Naruto!" Kiba declared heatedly. "You put your life on the line for us, you bleed with us, eat and sleep with us and that's what counts for me. As long as you keep loyal to the pack and the village, I've got your back."
Naruto's tension seemed to melt away and his eyes flickered with relief and gratitude, a different emotion eliciting the moisture gathering in his eyes. "They really...everybody really believes in me...are willing to..."
Shino pushed his glasses on the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "While I understand and sympathize with Uzumaki-san for his regrettable past and burden. I ask not to work with him in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, I question his ability as a ninja not due to his demonic symbiote. Rather I believe his lack of discipline and emotional control make him a liability and danger to his teammates; considering the destructiveness of his demonic abilities..."
"What?!" Naruto exploded out for the first time since he stepped into the room, cutting into Shino's words. "How can you say that! I used that power to save your life! I threw myself into a jutsu so you could escape with Hinata and save her and the Byakugan!" The Uzumaki's eyes narrowed into slit of azure full of barely constrained violence as he turned sharply to his bespectacled peer.
"Naruto! Control yourself at this instance! Shino has the right to express his opinion, as long as he bears in mind the gravity of his next statements." Sarutobi hissed out and slammed his hand against the table firmly. Though the reprimanding tone towards Naruto was apparent, so was the reality of the poorly veiled threat behind the Hokage's words.
"Uzumaki-san, though you contributed your part to the mission's success, you have also sabotaged yourself with you lack of restraint; just as you are doing once again, right now." He ignored the icy glare Neji shot him as well as the shocked and outraged expression on Kiba's face.
"More importantly, Naruto's presence is a natural deterrent to the Aburame kikaichuu and therefore we cannot fight properly in his vicinity. As long as he is part of the team I cannot perform properly as a ninja and I refuse to sacrifice my comrades and responsibilities for the sake of one ninja's misfortune, no matter how tragic the tale." The bespectacled boy pressed onwards in an infuriatingly harsh tone.
"Finally, the female bug that I tagged Neji with reported that Uzumaki-san nearly succumbed to a berserker-like blood lust after we escaped with Hinata."
Naruto shot a glance at Hiruzen and noticed how the old man's eyes narrowed warningly – commanding him to remain silent and so he held his tongue despite himself. "I should've known things were too good to be true. But, Shino...how could you, you bastard?! I thought you were my friend? I thought you of all people would understand the pain of being judged for what you contain and not what you are!"
The Aburame turned his gaze onto Naruto and quirked a slender brow. "Is it not true that you had to visibly hold yourself back from attacking Neji and Tenten when you lost yourself to your power, Naruto?"
Before Naruto could reply scathingly and further damage his position, Neji came to his rescue. "Hokage-sama, I must protest!" Neji interjected. "Aburame-san is exaggerating in his recount."
"Naruto never turned on either me or Tenten. While it's true that he was find it difficult to speak or move properly, can you blame him? The heat of the Kyuubi's chakra was burning the muscle, skin and nerves off his body," Neji clarified in an honest and firm tone.
Neji elaborated further in a shrewd tone. "Besides, Naruto's killer intent and attention were directed solely upon the enemy. He put his life and body on the line to protect us and stop the Kumo kunoichi from escaping and seeking out Hinata."
"Finally, Naruto did manage to suppress and control the Kyuubi's power and regained full coherence and it is only due to Naruto, Tenten and I's joint collaboration and Naruto's plan that we even survived in the end."
Shino crossed his arms and coughed into his hand "Be as that may, I won't trust Uzumaki-san and fight at his side him until he proves my concerns are not longer necessary. While I vow on my clan's honor and life that I will not jeopardize Konohagakure's or Naruto's security with this newfound knowledge, I hope you will not ostracize me for sticking to my beliefs."
The room fell into a tense and awe struck silence, all inhabitants of the room unable to breath as Sarutobi's killer intent spiked violently. The aging professor locked glaciers of molten brown upon the Aburame heir and coughed to garner his attention.
Hiashi and Tsume both glanced at their fellow clan head, wondering if the enigmatic Aburame would come to his son's rescue. It took only a moment for the bespectacled elite to interject before Hiruzen could chew out his son for his insolence.
"Hokage-sama, although I concur with some of my son's assertions, I must say that I disagree with him on the danger this young man poses. To say so implies that Yondaime Hokage was a man prone to sloppy work."
The Aburame patriarch interjected sharply, cutting into his son's words. While he had some reservations regarding the Uzumaki, now was not the time to voice them. He had to save face before Shino could create more political damage than he already did. "A ridiculous statement in many ways as Yondaime-sama did not make such blatant mistakes."
Naruto felt some of the tension leave his body as Shino's father curbed the blow Shino dealt him, though he doubted there was true kindness or support behind it. He watched Hiruzen chew on his pipe further before nodding his concurrence and turning his ageless eyes on the bespectacled genin. "Aburame-san, I leave the job of reprimanding your son for disregarding my predecessor's work and mettle up to you."
Shibi nodded grimly as Sarutobi continued. "The three of you are dismissed. Take your individual children and debrief them. As for you, Naruto, please remain here – there is something we must discuss." The three clan heads bowed to Sarutobi and left with their children in tow.
Naruto waited for the door to snap shut behind him before shutting his eyes, preparing for the inevitable. The Hokage wasted no time and immediately heaved out a mighty sigh before rubbing his eyes wearily.
"I am not going to punish you, Naruto." Hiruzen murmured and watched the blonde's eyes snap open in shock. The Hokage raised a hand to silence Naruto's questions and coughed lightly. "But I am concerned with the dangers posed by the Kyuubi influencing you when your emotions are heightened."
The Uzumaki bowed his head, "I don't know how it happened…I saw Hinata take the blow and I got angry. But I didn't expect it to get that far. I immediately tried to calm down but it already started forcing its power through me. Things were so desperate that I didn't stop because it was the only way I thought I could save them…I-I'm sorry, I know I screwed up, I'm so sorry, old man!"
Sarutobi shook his head. "While there is no doubt your choices are questionable, it isn't your fault entirely," he admitted. "You have had a difficult childhood and, suffered the recent trauma of a comrade dying to protect you and had Sakura betray you at your moment of need. I admit that I had underestimated how deeply these scars may have damaged you."
He gave Naruto a meaningful look. "This will not repeat itself," Hiruzen stated firmly and rubbed his beard. "Kakashi is on his way back from a mission. When he returns I will make it my business to make sure he works with you on training you in the art of emotional restraint and conditioning."
Naruto felt relieved but at the same time scared of the premise of how the Copy ninja would see to his 'emotional conditioning'. "I hate to admit it, but they're all right. I've been sloppy and careless and I almost let that bastard-fox get the better of me. Damn it! I won't let him ruin my life, not after all the things I've lost and sacrificed to get this far!"
"Naruto, you must understand that though you are your own person at the same time you also contain the possibly most dangerous entity in the world within you," The Third Hokage explained. "I have not stressed the responsibility of containing the Kyuubi to you until now and I apologize for that. Please try and understand that the Kyuubi's power is a double-edged sword. It is both an asset and danger to both you and the village at any given time and it is time you accept the full gravity of your burden."
The blonde Jinchuuriki grit his teeth and nodded stiffly. He was ashamed and mortified at the whole scenario and it shook him to the core. He would accept Kakashi's grueling training and grow from it, not just for himself, but for the precious people he endangered every time he lost control and those he lost for exposing his dangerous secret.
He would bear his burden, but keep it a secret only to be used in dire times, less he once more see people eye him with undulated horror and fear – like he was some monster. "Even though Neji and Kiba are alright with it they probably only listened to reason because the old man forced them to. Otherwise they would also be looking at me with those panicked, fearful eyes. I can't ever tell anyone if I can help it…I won't be able to deal with my precious people looking at me with those horrible eyes!"
Outside the Hokage tower, the three clan heads parted to their respective ways with their kin in tow. Shibi and Shino traversed the urban district in complete silence, a foreboding tension surrounding the Aburame patriarch.
The moment they stepped into the forests, heading towards the clan compound Shibi abruptly paused on a branch. Shino followed his lead and turned his gaze to his father. He watching as the Aburame Patriarch turned fully and appraised him darkly."That was a disgraceful show, Shino. I thought I raised you better than that."
The bespectacled genin visibly flinched beneath his collar. Though his father's voice was low, its tone and glacier like quality cut deeper than the loudest of shouts. "Otou-san, I don't understand, why you are so upset? I was merely looking out for the best interests of my teammates, my clan and village. You did not see Uzumaki's transformation or felt the fox's aura."
"Is that so? Let me remind you I've seen and felt the Kyuubi in all its horrifying glory. I know its powers better than you likely ever will." he retorted sharply and shook his head in disappointment. "Your rationale leaves little to be desired, my son."
"B-but, how could you have fought the demon then? My Kikaichuu panicked in the presence of only a small portion of its power?" he inquired quietly in a somewhat confused and unsettled manner.
"They could not," he stated blandly and sighed. "I, and the rest of the Aburame Clan, fought without them in that battle. Is that it, Shino? You found a situation where the Kikaichuu cannot be used, and blame the boy for it?" he asked severely, the gravity of the situation becoming much less savory to the Kikaichuu master.
Shino started and felt a knot in his chest tighten as his lips became dry. "N-no father, I simply know that I am ill equipped to perform my duties without them. I thought that."
He shut his eyes beneath his glasses "I don't want to feel useless…I don't want to lose my friends because I was too weak and helpless," the Aburame heir thought, though wisely kept his thoughts to himself.
"You are Ill-equipped without them? Your mother is not of our Clan. She married into it, and never had our powers. Are you saying that her lack of a Kekkai Gekkai makes your mother a lesser ninja?" he asked, very calmly, though his tone belied his displeasure with the line of thought.
"No father, but most of our clan's abilities are based on working with our allies..." Shino tried to explain, his heart starting to pound. He had never seen his father this upset, nor had he been drilled so viciously by his father's merciless logic.
"That may be true, but many were the times I had to fight without them. So will you. A ninja must adapt, not look for someone to blame." he explained in a softer tone and put a hand on the genin's shoulder, though the timbre in his voice hinted to the disappointment and sadness he felt over his son's choices and beliefs.
"I understand, father. But I still believe what I said. While I sympathize with Naruto on a personal level, he's a risk to our internal security no matter how you twist the facts. At least as he is now" Shino concluded and was surprised to feel his father's hand tense around his shoulder.
"Shino, even if you were right, and I'm not saying that you are. The choices made regarding Uzumaki-san are in Sandaime's hands and he has never let us down before. We have to trust Sarutobi-sama's judgment. Or do you somehow fashion yourself more capable than the Hokage in deciding who deserves to be a ninja and who is dangerous to our village?" he asked his son sharply and then the full gravity of his earlier debacle dawned upon Shino.
"Finally you understand just how presumptuous your words were when we were in the tower. I cannot accept your blind dependence our your allies, it is time for change, Shino. However, do not be concerned, you will have plenty of time to ponder the pros and cons of your decisions and beliefs when your mother and I formulate a proper punishment for insulting the current and previous Hokage in public."
At the same time Shino was being reprimanded by his father, Neji escorted Hiashi back to the Hyuuga clan compound. The two Hyuuga walked in a comfortable silence, the usual tension that ran between uncle and nephew absent as both were too preoccupied by the shocking turn of events in the Hokage's office.
Neji observed silently as his fellow branch members bowed their heads in humility as Hiashi passed through the gates before smiling faintly at the prodigal branch member. "I used to think my fellow seal bearers all hated Hiashi-sama and the main family unconditionally. But now that I observe things objectively I can see there is a certain shred of respect and understanding in their eyes. Have I truly been so blind for so long?"
The clan head led the Hyuuga prodigy to his study, pausing only for a moment to murmur something to one of the branch members attending the garden. Said female Hyuuga nodded nimbly, bowed and took off.
When they entered Hiashi's study he sat on the tatami mat and motioned Neji to sit before him. The young genin obeyed and inhaled deeply, preparing himself for what her surmised would be a very thorough interrogation regarding the mission that ended up with Hinata's injury.
"Relax, Neji. I have been fully briefed by both ANBU and Hokage-sama regarding the turn of events that transpired during your mission," Hiashi assured the somewhat nervous genius in a calm and smooth tone.
"Hiashi-dono, I do not understand..." Neji questioned in a somewhat silent tone, his silver eyes narrowed in confusion.
"Neji, I owe you an explanation regarding the questionable characteristics of your mission. I assume you were suspicious on why I and Sarutobi-sama would send you and Hinata so close to the Lightning country am I correct?"
Neji nodded cautiously "Permission to speak freely, Hiashi-sama."
Hiashi murmured a quick 'granted' and his nephew quickly recalled his reservations regarding the mission as he brought up them up before Gai and his concerns that Kumo may repeat such a tactics soon considering it was so close to succeeding this time.
Hiashi's lips twitched, his eyebrow quirking slightly "Do you honestly think Hokage-sama and more importantly the Hyuuga clan would risk both the Byakugan and the heiress so carelessly?"
Neji remained silent, incriminating the doubtful and suspicious thoughts he once held. The elder Hyuuga proceed, his face smoothing out to a grim expression. "The entire mission was a farce to lure out a cell of Cloud agents that have been planning to abduct one of our kin for the last two months," Hiashi revealed.
"I cooperated with Hokage-sama and we stationed several of our own around the perimeter to capture the Cloud operatives. It so happens that during our counter-intelligence actions we discovered that several of our own ANBU had defected and were assisting Kumo in their infiltration efforts by passing them patrol routes and timetables." His white eyes narrowed dangerously.
"You must understand that Kumogakure has grown both powerful and apparently arrogant in the last couple of years. With the recent instability of the region and Hakumei no Kuni's growing dependence on their services we knew they would try something like this and acted."
"It was imperative to crush their ambitions now and show them that Konoha will not allow the transgression repeat itself. Especially now considering every one of our political moves is being monitored by Iwagakure – the slightest sign of weakness will only encourage them to attack us. Hinata herself agreed that it was justified to put her life and future on the line for the good of the village and the Hyuuga clan."
"So...will I have to give my life to placate those bastards this time. So you and Hokage-sama can play with the lives of the branch clan, like you did back then?" Neji asked in a tight tone, biting his lower lip and shutting his eyes to try and calm down.
"Neji, The tragedy that befell our clan back then will not repeat itself – ever again!" Hiashi retorted fiercely and his Byakugan flared with his rare display of emotion.
The future of the branch family was taken aback by the violence behind Hiashi's exclaim and the killer intent leaking from the usually aloof and calm man. "I will personally fight tooth and nail to protect the clan and all its members, be they branch or main family. The Hyuuga will not bleed for Cloud's ambition a second time."
"I understand, Hiashi-dono. I apologize for my insolence..." Neji drawled out in a calm, yet somewhat resigned manner – prepared to face his punishment for speaking out of place. "I have only heard of the agony of the seal...this may serve a good test run to prepare for a time in the future where I may be forced to act..."
Hiashi brushed off Neji's gesture "It is understandable and I will not punish you as I granted you the right to speak freely. However, I feel responsible for the hatred you feel towards your family and it is time I finally rectify the situation."
Neji's face belied his confusion, shock and just a bit of fear as Hiashi unexpectedly reached into his robe and procured an old looking scroll. "I should have had the courage to give this to you long ago. But I feared it would tarnish your father's image in your eyes, however I cannot in good conscience conceal the truth of that day any longer..."
"This...Father!" Neji inwardly reeled as he read his father's final correspondence. The foundations of his hatred, the roots of his anger all shook under the weight of unavoidable truth – his father had sacrificed himself on his own volition against Hiashi's own insistence. "This is...then why did you let me hate you and Hinata for so long, Hiashi-sama? Was it some twisted form of self punishment – parallel to my own hopeless ambition to be free?"
Both Hyuuga sat in silence for a long time, each reminiscing over Hizashi. The silence shattered as the door slid open and Hinata entered the room, her arm bandaged and held in a sling. Ger blood stained bandages were visible beneath her loose robes, reminding all of the wounds she sustained. "Y-you summoned me, Otou-san?"
Hiashi shut his eyes and nodded, watching silently as Neji inhaled shakily. Both men assumed a stony mask of indifference to hide their warring emotions as Hinata took a seat beside Neji after greeting him with a small nod and murmur of his name.
"You two are the key to uniting this clan's future. Only your cooperation can redeem the honor of our ancestors. It is time I discuss the future of the clan with both of you as well as reveal my plans for your individual and joint training..."
(Elsewhere, underground Roots Compound somewhere beneath Konohagakure)
Sakura was in lack of other words – nervous as hell. The red haired kunoichi was seated within Danzou's chambers in his underground compound. She and team ten had evacuated the premises of Fukoka as soon as Chouji had been bandaged up and stable enough for traveling.
On the way back she caught sight of Asuma and Shikamaru exchange some words, their expressions grim. The Sarutobi clan heir had carried the unconscious Aoi all the way back to Konoha whereas Ino and Shikamaru assisted Chouji.
The moment she arrived on Konoha soil Asuma had dismissed her rather coldly. Sakura hadn't had even a moment's respite to contemplate her next move when Danzou's operatives seized her and 'escorted' her to the Roots underground compound.
Danzou refused to meet with her for the time being and she had been incarcerated in a small room with a washing basin and toilet and was told to remain there until further notice. An indeterminate amount of time had passed since then. Sakura was unable to assess the passing of time and she had fallen asleep and woken up several times as she waited.
"I told you working around Danzou's orders would get us in trouble, Sakura-chan! It's been forever since we've been here and who knows what he's planning..." Inner-Sakura chided the external Sakura scathingly.
"I did what I felt was right! I wasn't about to murder Ino like crimson-eyes or expose myself by killing Chouji in front of Shikamaru! I would've been found out for sure! Besides, Danzou-teme can kiss my ass! He shouldn't have anything to complain about as I did what needed to be done. Chouji's injury will bench him for at least a month or two, removing him from a realistic ability to participate in the Chuunin exams..." Sakura defended her decision to choose a more merciful and humane way to follow her secondary mission parameters.
The door creaked and whined as it was pulled open slowly. The schizophrenic femme's eyes snapped towards the doorway, glacier green flickering with nervousness and fear as the crippled form of her 'master' wobbled into the room.
"Haruno Sakura," the elder ninja greeted her in his usual monotone. Before Sakura could stammer a reply he reached into his robes and took out a file, tossing it before her. "Do not speak, I have no time or patience for your excuses."
His dismissive words caused a torrent of warring emotions to compact in the girl's chest: Anger, fear and most of all hatred. "You failed to fulfill your mission. While you did pass on the message to my contact in Fukoka and managed to vacate a place for yourself in the chuunin exams the three clan heirs live whereas I explicitly ordered one of them be killed."
Sakura opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by the war hawk slamming his cane against the cold earth forcefully. "Not only did you fail in that regard but you have attracted both the suspicion and contempt of both Nara Shikamaru and Sarutobi Asuma – thus defeating the whole point of the mission."
"Danzou-sama! I could not afford to kill the Akimichi! Shikamaru would've gleaned my mission and convinced Asuma to execute me for treason!" Sakura called out desperately, ignoring his order to remain silent while rising to her feet.
The leader of Roots remained silent and stepped aside from the doorway. He pointed at her with his cane and two of his ANBU operatives burst into the room and seized Sakura. The teen was unable to resist their speed and strength as they overpowered her pinned her to the ground.
The cold floor stung against her cheek as they held her down forcefully, leaving her face only inches from the folder Danzou had discarded moments earlier. "I warned you not to disobey me," Danzou reminded his tool and knelt beside her, carefully opening the folder.
"You bastard! What have you done?!" Sakura screamed and struggled in vain her captors' arms. Her usually icy green eyes ablaze with wild, homicidal emotion at the sight of her mother's bruised and beaten form tied in chains in a prison cell.
The master manipulator didn't miss a beat and elaborated in infuriating monotone."Your mother, Haruno Ayumi has been indicted in co-conspiring to assassinate one of Konohagakure's shinobi. The interrogation branch of ANBU has collected sufficient evidence of financial transactions made in her behalf that are linked to an attempt to hire of a foreign ninja to deal with Uzumaki Naruto."
"Sarutobi Hiruzen has commanded her be arraigned, tried and executed for mutiny and conspiracy for murdering an active shinobi," Danzou informed Sakura, ignoring her screaming and profanities. "However, I have spirited her away to one of my hidden compounds where she is being kept away from ANBU...for now"
"She lives at my whim, she dies at my whim. The next time you decide to try and work around my orders I will not be as merciful. I told you once, and this is the only time I will remind you again. If I give you a command you will follow it to the letter – you are my tool, to use or to discard; do you understand?"
Sakura's eyes stung with bitter tears as she nodded slowly, bowing her head to hide her grit teeth and hateful expression. "One last thing, If you by some chance think you may lean on the assistance of Sarutobi. Know that he will not assist or believe you considering I've left no evidence, your mother is a criminal and you have tried to kill Naruto twice and are now suspected in trying to kill another genin. Furthermore, if you even consider such treason – your mother will die and I will make sure to bring you down with her..."
Danzou then turned to leave the room "Take this filth back to her home, I have an important meeting to attend," he instructed his agents; the sound of cane tapping following his departure.
(Fifty Minutes Later, Hokage Tower)
Sarutobi Hiruzen was quite displeased by this turn of events. He inhaled deeply and blew a ring of smoke out of his trusty pipe. He bit on the edge of his pipe as he finished scribbling the final encoded symbols in the message he intended for Jiraiya.
"It is fortunate he is in Amegakure," the Hokage murmured to himself. His mind was heavy with concerns of the rapidly destabilizing continent but more so by the bizarre turn of events that happened within his very walls.
The nuke-nin, Rokushou Aoi and his co-conspirators had suffered a massive brain seizure the moment they were questioned over who it was that commanded they traffic in chakra sensitive civilians. The whole situation was a cause for concern, the last time such abductions and disappearances occurred in the fire country his treacherous pupil Orochimaru had used them for his vile experiments.
But this didn't seem like his former student's style, especially considering he had plenty of such chakra sensitive individuals in his reputed base of operations in either the Rice field country or Tea country.
It mattered not though, Hanzou the Salamander was growing brazen and this incident would prove an ample opportunity to warn him just this once that breaching their alliance would end miserably for the Amekage. "Take this to Jiraiya, tell him to inform Hanzou I will not accept this transgression and he had better retreat his forces and stop his constant provocations."
The toad bowed its head and made a hand seal, "No problem, pops. Thanks for the snack!" With that said the amphibian familiar exploded into a cloud of smoke.
The situation with Kumogakure was far easier to deal with. The Yondaime Raikage was proud and powerful but he was a reasonable man that didn't seem inclined to drag his nation into war like his predecessors. "He could be building up his nations strength to strike at us when we least expect it but I doubt it. Even if was building his strength he's more likely to turn on Ishimaru than join him as those two have been waging small scaled skirmishes for the last three months."
He had already sent a message to the Daimyo of Kaminari no Kuni with his demand that Kumogakure pay reparations and formally apologize for their transgression. When said monies would be paid Hiruzen would release their prisoners.
Speaking of which one of the prisoners, the female Kumo jounin had been detained in a small ANBU compound in Hakumei no Kuni for medical treatment for several hours. Hiruzen was concerned as his ANBU had yet to report back to him, but he would give them another day before sending a recovery unit to try and locate them.
Meanwhile, those prisoners' who were still being interrogated revealed that they were working independently in order to regain the favor of the Raikage after their clan head had failed to kidnap Hyuuga Hinata six years ago. Regardless, Konohagakure could use their blunder to force Kumo to abstain from interfering in a possible conflict with Iwa.
Before he could further ponder the quite disturbing evidence Anko and Kakashi had alluded to in their latest encoded message the door opened and the form of his long time rival and political rival hobbled in calmly. "You summoned me, Sarutobi?" the war hawk inquired in his usual monotone.
"Take a seat, Danzou. There is a...situation involving Haruno Sakura." Danzou's dark eye narrowed faintly as he took a seat. The two men sat in silence for a tense few minutes before the forms of Sarutobi Asuma and Maito Gai entered the room as well.
The two elite greeted Sarutobi humbly and shared a curious glance with one another, wondering just how the other man was involved in what they thought was a discussion over each of their own politically charged missions.
The two jounin both seemed surprised and uncomfortable with the presence of the enigmatic leader of Roots. But this confusion was light in comparison to the sudden arrival of the patriarch of the Hyuuga clan.
The Hyuuga's face was set in his usual stony countenance except for the fact his eyes seemed far colder and violent than usual. "Hyuuga-dono, while I have already made my decision regarding the reshuffling of the genin teams in preparation for the chuunin exam, your requested audience on such short notice has piqued my interest. As all parties gathered here stand to be effected by my decision I will let you lay down your case before I deliver the final judgment," Hiruzen informed the assortment of elite ninja.
Hiashi's nodded his head gratefully before turning his gaze to Gai and speaking in a bone chilling tone full of icy indifference. "To be blunt, Hokage-sama, I demand Neji be removed from Gai tutelage effective immediately."
Gai's eyes widened in shock and his head snapped to gaze into the hollow glaciers of silver. "With all due respect, Hyuuga-sama, I do not think it is your place to question my ability as your nephew's commander, not without a proper explanation for this sudden demand," Gai replied calmly, though his eyes flickered with tension.
"He does have a point, Hyuuga-dono, if you would please elaborate to the reason for this sudden demand," Sarutobi requested, though his tone and look belied the demand behind it.
"I glossed over the blatant disregard to Nidaime-sama's training regime but obeyed your command when you told me not to interfere with passing Rock Lee despite his lacking under the premise that the boy would not cause any harm," Hiashi explained patiently and his eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Imagine my surprise when I recently learned from Neji that Gai has been assisting the boy in improving his taijutsu training, on the expense of his teammates time. That I could somehow ignore had it not been the fact these one on one sessions were mainly specialization taijutsu training meant to counter and overcome the Jyuuken-fu," Hiashi explained, the insulting manner of referral to Gai by his first name not lost to anyone gathered in the room.
Asuma sighed to himself, "I warned Gai that favoring that kid would get him in trouble one of these days. It was only a matter of time before the Hyuuga got impatient with his favorism." The Sarutobi heir watched the way Gai stiffened, his usual boisterous mask melting into a cold expression – a feeling of foreboding filling his chest.
"I resent your accusation and insult to my honor, Hiashi. My training methods and time delegation are my own business, not yours. Rest assured your nephew has been progressing quite impressively despite my supposed 'favorism'."
"Do not insult my intelligence with such hollow excuses, Gai." Hiashi retorted in a firm manner and crossed his arms, "Neji has improved due to his own merit and efforts, his innate talent and the private training with his female teammate. How do you explain the fact Neji has not learned one ninjutsu, chakra control exercise or taijutsu technique that is not Hyuuga oriented since he has come under your wing almost one year ago?"
Gai was quite ready to inform the Hyuuga on how he had helped correct Neji's stances, teach him stamina and speed exercises and that it was Hiashi's own policy that made Neji look down on conventional techniques. However when Hiruzen coughed politely, his face somewhat grim – Gai held back and crossed his arms to calm himself down.
"It seems I miscalculated how much Gai would be willing to do for a boy similar to himself." The Hokage sighed as he saw little way to maneuver out of the situation with the compounding amount of evidence. He took a long inhale from his pipe before breaking into a violent fit of coughs which left many of the rooms inhabitants uncomfortable and one elder inhabitant in particular scornful.
"During the mission to Hakumei no Kuni, Lee was given a logical command to evacuate and protect both the wounded Hinata and the Byakugan from falling into Kumo's hands. Instead the boy's ego driven rivalry with Neji and Uzumaki Naruto drove him to charge a Jounin with taijutsu! Therefore, as the proxy of the entire Hyuuga clan, I refuse to further jeopardize our secrets, Neji's health and future." Hiashi finished in a tone that ignited an indignant flame within the elite taijutsu master's eyes.
Gai spat out despite himself, unable to remain silent anymore "They are genin, Hiashi! Not ANBU and the rivalry they have cultivated pushes them forward – not backwards! I demand that you not paint him nor me as an anti-Hyuuga activists. I am a loyal jounin of the leaf and Lee is my precious subordinate and I will not accept this insult to my integrity and honor," Gai hissed in an uncommonly threatening manner.
Hiashi snorted at Gai's threat, brushing it aside and giving the man he respected so little on a personal level only a modicum of his attention before he bowed low before Hiruzen and spoke his next words in a softer, more humble manner. "I apologize for my bluntness," was the partial apology the Hyuuga offered and it was directed more towards the rest of the occupants in the room than to Gai.
"However, I stand behind my request fully and so does my clan. None the less, as always, the Hyuuga clan respects your authority Hokage-sama and we make no demands regarding Lee or Gai other that Neji be reassigned where he will not be exposed to them. Therefore, considering that Hinata will only recover close if not during the chuunin exams, I propose Neji be placed under Kurenai's tutelage where his Byakugan can fill in for my daughter's absence."
"I understand your concerns, Hyuuga-dono, I will put them into consideration and inform you on my final verdict," the Hokage informed the clan head and dismissed him from the rest of the discussion that did not concern him. The Byakugan master bowed and left the room, a tense silence left in his wake.
"Gai, while I do not agree with all of Hiashi's accusations, I am inclined to agree with him regarding the mortification at Lee's decision during the mission as well as the knowledge of you training him to specialize in countering the Jyuuken. What would happen if those two fight in the chuunin exams and Lee inadvertently exposes the vulnerabilities of the Jyuuken before the other villages?"
"However, we shall discuss this fully later once I have analyzed the information and I will allow you to refute the accusations and make your point." Hiruzen dismissed the subject and turned to his son, coughing heavily for a moment or two before proceeding, "I understand you also have qualms with another teacher's genin, Asuma."
"Yes, I request that should the decision be brought up to NOT place Haruno Sakura under my wing. During our mission she showed signs of mental and emotional imbalance and hostility towards Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji."
Danzou coughed lightly, his mind already racing to formulate the plan that would forward his agenda best. "This is excellent, Hyuuga has allied itself with Uzumaki and thus if I place Sakura with those two genin which are less familiar with the container they will be less inclined to alienate Sakura and impede on her upcoming mission for Roots. Not to mention placing her in a reconnaissance based team would make her mission all that much harder..."
"I have no qualms with your objection, Asuma. On a professional basis I find it much more beneficial to my be under Maito-san's tutelage. She is versed in various genjutsu so she has no need for the assistance of Kurenai, nor is there any reason to add an additional genjutsu and stealth based member to team 10 considering it contains a Yamanaka," Danzou surprised everyone in the room.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed a fraction "What are you up to, Danzou?" he wondered though he realized that despite his reservations with making a decision that coincided with rival's agenda, he saw little alternatives without creating unwarranted discord amongst the jounin-sensei and teams themselves. He waited for several moments before folding his hands together and taking a deep, somewhat wheezing breath.
"Very well, these will be the temporary team placements until the end of the chuunin selection exams upon which they will be reevaluated and changed upon requirement. Uzumaki Naruto will replace Akimichi Chouji on team 10, Haruno Sakura will replace Hyuuga Neji who will be placed under team eight in Hyuuga Hinata's stead."
"But, Hokage-sama!" Gai protested and Hiruzen slammed his hand against the table forcefully. The Hokage was upset, impatient and displeased by how his elite were bickering and how complacent and unaware he had become in his old age. The shame he knew his predecessors would feel for some of his most recent decisions not lost to him.
Therefore he decided it was time to assert his position and remind everyone while he was kind and forgiving he was still Hokage and his word was law. "Gai, my decision is final though you will have a chance to refute and clear your and Lee's name as I stated before. Need I remind you how tentative Lee's graduation was in the first place? You know how easily Hyuuga-dono can convince the clan heads to change their initial allowance in his case and petition for him taking the original academy graduation test – a test he will be unable to pass."
Gai gulped and bowed his head, realizing he was out of place and murmured an apology. Hiruzen sighed heavily, his breathe wheezing as he covered his mouth through another fit of coughs before dismissing everyone.
"This meeting has been most informative, Sarutobi. It seems like it soon the time will be ripe to remove the biggest blight upon our great tree of Konoha – once and for all..." Danzou thought as he wobbled out of the room, his lips twisted in a satisfied smirk.
(Meanwhile in the River Country)
The God Realm of the six paths stood within the depths of Akatsuki's base. His orange hair seemed to glow in the torch light. The currently invincible Rinnegan user displeased with the current tension amassing around the continent.
If the villages were preparing for war, they would amass their armies and bring out their own S-rank ninjas out of retirement or hiding – this would only make his job of collecting the tailed beasts all that harder.
It was all that accursed snake's fault, it seemed that Pein should have listened to Itachi's advice when the Uchiha had told him to hunt down the snake before he could do any damage to their cause. Though their original schedule to commencing their plan was two to three years into the future anyway, it didn't mean they could let Orochimaru run unchecked and delay their plans even further.
It was unfortunate he didn't purify that pathetic fool when he had the chance. Now tracking down the slippery sannin was nearly impossible. Never the matter, let the fool play his little games, his time would come.
It was unfortunate his agents within Hanzou's ranks had been captured by Konohagakure but they had served their purpose. They had collected a sufficient amount of chakra sensitive people whom Pein could use to finish the development of his newest Rinnegan technique.
An additional bonus would most likely derive from the political backlash of Konoha accusing the bastard tyrant of the Rain country of breaching the alliance between leaf and Rain. Though nobody would get to kill Hanzou except him, Yahiko's murder was his and his alone to mete justice against.
He channeled his chakra and pressed his index finger against the ring on his finger, transmitting his life-force imprint through all the rings of subordinates. The kanji on his ring flared in violet. "Report," he commanded and waited for only a few moments.
The disembodied silhouettes of Itachi and Kisame formed before him. Soon after the forms of Zetsu, Sasori, Deidara, Kakuzu and Hidan all followed suit, standing before him in a half circle. Konan stepped into cavern and took a place to Pein's right.
"Itachi, Kisame, Orochimaru has overstepped his boundaries by destroying Takigakure. He is obviously intent on creating global discord to impede our efforts and alert the villages to our presence – I cannot allow it – Kill him."
Kisame grinned toothily and hefted Samahada on his shoulder "Now that's a mission to my liking, leader-sama. One snake-skin wallet coming right up!" The shark man promised in a feral tone full of homicidal glee.
Itachi smirked behind the collar of his cloak, quite pleased to finally be granted permission to remove the repulsive snake from the land of the living; "Understood."
"Zetsu, you are to begin gathering intelligence on any war efforts taken by Iwagakure and Kumogakure and report back to me. Try to find out how strong their Jinchuuriki are and what their abilities are," The piercing wearing shinobi elaborated on his next orders before turning to the remaining Akatsuki once Zetsu disappeared.
"Deidara, Sasori, bring me the Rokubi. Kakuzu, Hidan, bring the Nibi, it is best to strike now before the tension escalates into preperations for a full blown war. Konan and myself shall prepare containment cells for them here." Pein commanded and crossed his arms as the rest of Akatsuki obeyed and went off to their respective missions.
"Are you sure it is wise to expose our hand to early in the game, Nagato?" Konan inquired quietly as soon as she was sure the two of them were alone. The blue hair kunoichi tensed as the rinnegan reanimated body of her old teammate turned its eerie eyes upon her.
"It is a risk we will have to take. A war is on the horizon and we must utilize this chance before the nations start waging war. For the time being even if we don't succeed, the continent is too unstable for any of the villages to pursue us with a substantial fighting force without risking a war with one of their neighbours. This will not be true for long - so time is of the essence." Pein reassured Konan and turned to step deeper into the cavern. "It begins, now..."
(Meanwhile, back in Konohagakure)
Naruto's normally vibrant blue eyes gleamed with a sickly, stagnant shade as he walked through the streets of Konoha. He walked with his head bowed, his hands tucked deep in his pockets. "Damn it. I forgot to ask what I'm supposed to do until Kakashi-sensei gets back from his mission?"
His talk with the old man had ended in a somewhat placating manner, but no amount of reassurance or forgiveness could erase the shame and self loathing the Uzumaki felt. He had vowed to grow strong and protect his precious people, to make sure the death of Sasuke would not repeat itself – but was the cost truly worth it?
At the end of the day, had it not been for the monster within him, that jutsu would have killed him and that is where the crux of his problem lay. On one hand he hated his prisoner for all the misery it had caused him and Konohagakure in general, but at the same time there was no denying the Kyuubi was right – Naruto would have died twice over without its regenerative abilities.
The blonde genin bit his lower lip and clenched his fists within his pockets, "Damn it, I'm still not strong enough! Even with my training I still can't brush off the shadow of your curse, bastard-fox!" He shut his eyes briefly, his body tensing further as bitterness and hatred burned within his veins "I won't let you ruin me...I WILL grow strong, powerful enough to not rely on YOU..."
The Uzumaki snapped his eyes open, catching his reflection in the window of a nearby shop and his heart constricted at what he saw. He caught a glimpse of himself of his grinning reflection, sharp predatory teeth accented by a pair of burning crimson eyes. Deep, rolling laughter seemed to taunt him, echoing his ears. "NO!" Naruto thought and shut his eyes tightly.
When his eyes opened anew his normal reflection started back at him, though the tense and somewhat violent expression it took was of little comfort. He panted heavily and noticed that the civilians around him seemed to edge away from his stormy disposition. "Stop it, damn it!"
"Geez, what's up with that face, Naruto? Is everything alright?" the slightly nasally voice of Nara Shikamaru called from his right, tearing him away from his internal conflict. Naruto's seemed confused for a moment, somewhat lost at how to react before he offered a small, faint smile. "I'm sorry, Shikamaru. I've just got a lot on my mind."
The Nara heir nodded and inhaled deeply, his face pensive as he stood in silence for a couple of moments. "This is so troublesome," he thought and pondered just how one confronts his friend about finding out said friend's darkest and more sordid secret. "I can imagine, I heard my dad say you, Neji and Tenten took down a Kumo Jounin; that's pretty impressive"
Naruto's posture stiffened and he averted his eyes to the ground "It was nothing. We got lucky, that's all. It wasn't such a big deal," he said in a somewhat evasive and uncomfortable manner. The pineapple haired ninja's eyes widened faintly – having half expected Naruto to grin widely and boast about the battle.
Shikamaru could only assume the reason for the blonde's distress had something to do with his tenant. It had been troublesome but in the end he manages to sort through all the possible half truths and clues he had gleaned over Naruto's link to the Kyuubi and reached a most bone chilling realization: His friend was one of the Jinchuuriki.
It was easy to fit all the pieces together once Sakura's testimony supplied the piece of evidence. It started with the fact he was one of the only orphans never adopted, the way people all ignored or refused to acknowledge his existence and shot him those cold and dismissive glares. It continued with Naruto illogical chakra capacity and stamina and then the demonic characteristics he assumed – crimson eyes and youki.
But the most crucial piece of information he lacked actually came from seeking information on the other Bijuu. There was little to no lore over the Kyuubi itself but apparently during the second and third Shinobi wars both Sunagakure and Iwagakure had employed the use of human weapons – the harnesses of the demons' powers.
"Oh c'mon, the future Hokage can afford to sulk about and scare people with his killer intent," Shikamaru offered with a smirk. "C'mon Naruto, I'm meeting Ino and Chouji for lunch, why don't you join us and tell us about your mission?"
Naruto sighed and shook his head, "Thanks for the invite, Shikamaru, but I'll have to take a rain check on that. I got to think over some stuff and I'm not that hungry."
Shikamaru frowned and shrugged his shoulders, approaching Naruto until they were shoulder to shoulder. "You don't have to carry your burdens alone anymore, no matter how 'monstrous' they supposedly are, that's what friends are for." the Nara mused and winked to the blonde before sauntering off. "If you change your mind we'll be at the barbecue restaurant."
Cerulean eyes widened as Naruto whirled around, gaping at the Nara's back "Y-you..." Naruto stammered as he watched the clan heir walk off, lifting his arm in a farewell gesture. "He knows! B-but he doesn't care, just like Kiba and Neji..."
He considered taking him up on his offer but decided against it in the end as he headed towards training field Sixty. He needed to work off all of the stress and tension that had been mounting within him for all these last couple of days.
The training area was a grassy plateau with little vegetation and some trees that lay on the bank of lake of crystal clear water. It was here Kakashi had started teaching him the fundamental techniques required to attempt the manipulation of the water element. The most basic of them being meditation and concentration exercises, endeavors that Naruto needed desperately at the moment.
The Uzumaki walked over to a nearby tree and reached for the zipper of his jacket. "What the hell?" he thought as the wood creaked and shifted unnaturally. Naruto somersaulted backwards, avoiding three sharpened branches from piercing him.
He watched as the form of an ANBU burst from within the confines of the tree. The armored black ops agent was wearing a bear mask, dark brown eyes glaring icily into Naruto's somewhat confused azure.
"What the hell are you doing?" Naruto demanded heatedly as he summoned some shadow clones, spreading them out the moment the cloud of smoke dispersed. The ANBU raced through some lightning fast hand seals, his prey having little time to react as massive branches rose from the ground. The Jinchuuriki's original body managed to avoid the carnage of the flexible and agile appendages with the help of his clones that were regrettably pierced, crushed and shattered in quick succession.
Every memory of phantom pain imprinted into the blonde's memory, making him frown. "Was that...Splinters I felt during the last clone's dispel? Is he using real wood?" The Uzumaki crouched forward slightly and reached for the hilt of Bofuudoki
"Obeying my orders," was the silent reply the man supplied as he charged forth.