Hiroto watched from his perch on a nearby building as Osamu arrived at the gate to wait for him. A feeling of sadness and guilt washed over him as it did any time he looked in on either of the Sakibou. As he had done with his other two he students, he observed the waiting genin for a good fifteen minutes before approaching them. It was a good way to see how they dealt with stress.
Masaru had been openly nervous and fidgety; constantly checking over his equipment and his seals. While it wasn't ideal that he would allow his emotions to show so easily, it was good that he managed to channel the nervous energy into a productive activity.
Hotaka had simply tried to work out the pent up energy by exerting himself. Hiroto worried his combat specialist was heading for early burnout, but he could enforce a strict training schedule on him to prevent that.
Osamu, unlike his taller friends, seemed to have no overt signs of nervousness. That didn't surprise him at all. Training under Kurenai for genjutsu and learning espionage techniques from his sister would make him a natural at blanking. It wasn't an easy feet to do at that age, but it looked as if the small boy had the personality for it.
He sat waiting patiently on a bench near the gate, watching as people went about their business. The large golden feline in his lap was a far cry from the tiny kitten Hiroto remembered. She actually looked larger than her sable counterpart, Mikazuki.
When he was satisfied he would glean no more information from passively watching Osamu analyze passers-by and idly stroking an unusually calm Yancha in his lap, he leapt from the building and approached the genin.
"Afternoon, Sensei," he greeted cordially, surprising Hiroto; he had been coming quietly from behind, "I suppose it would be pointless to ask how Hotaka and Masaru have done."
"It would," Hiroto confirmed with a frown. He was sure he had been as silent as he could be. Did the Sakibou share more traits with their familiars than just the eyes?
"Mind if I ask how you knew I was coming?" he finally decided to ask.
Osamu half turned and fixed a single amber eye, slitted in the afternoon sun, on him, "Nee-san told me I can reveal my abilities to my team, but I'm not officially on one yet, am I?"
Hiroto couldn't help but smirk in amusement, "Clever little bastard."
"I take it since we are meeting at the gate, the test is outside the village?" despite his cool outward demeanor, Hiroto could sense a tad bit of excitement and apprehension in the teen.
"Yes," Hiroto confirmed. He couldn't quite figure out why it seemed Osamu wasn't looking at him, bur rather, through him, "I know you are unable to perform boosting... can you tree hop?"
Osamu smiled in response, "My condition isn't as detrimental as you think, Sensei."
If he had even half the determination of Gai's little clone, that might hold true, "Follow me, then. Be sure to let me know if you start to fall behind."
XxXxXxX
It hadn't taken long for Natsumi to recognize that her son was the type that needed to be alone to work through his problems. It shouldn't have surprised her, considering the way he would shoo her off indignantly when she mockingly offered to help him with a particularly tough chemistry or physics problem.
So she had decided to make her weekly rounds a day early. Like clockwork, every week, she would go around to the various outlets and vendors that carried her popular wares. She would spot check the production quality of her goods right off the shelf. A faulty spring or a rusty gear could spell the doom of a whole team of shinobi.
As always, she never found a single fault. Her manufactory had some of the best and most loyal people working for it. They took her designs and figured out how to package them for mass production, and never seemed to let a faulty part through.
She entered one of her last stops for her walkabout to find the store owner in a heated argument with someone she generally avoided.
"What the hell!?" the orange clad blonde cried out, "I just need to restock cause I start missions tomorrow. Why are you being such a stubborn old goat?"
The proprietor did kind of look like a goat, now that she thought about it. His face was long, and he kept a pointed goatee on his chin while letting his short black hair hang loose and messy about his head.
"I have the right to refuse service to anybody," the indignant man behind the counter huffed, "Not get out of my store before I call for ANBU."
Natsumi grimaced inwardly. Here was a fresh shinobi trying to do the right thing by being ready for anything, and one of Konoha's citizens was flat out refusing to help him. Her evasion of Naruto was more for the bad memories he conjured than any unnaturally large monster that resided in his belly. She knew way too much about sealing to believe he was the fox. She could have just turned around and left, but something, perhaps old friendships, kept her there.
"Oi, Soji-san," she greeted as she hobbled up.
"Oh, Natsumi-san," he seemed honestly surprised by her appearance, "You're a day early this week."
She waved her hand dismissively, "Meh, got stir crazy. What's going on here?" she glance speculatively down at Naruto.
"I was just trying to get this trouble maker out of my shop?" he answered back icily.
"Oh?" Natsumi goaded him on innocently.
"Yes. He came barging in here demanding I sell him weapons," Natsumi couldn't believe how silly the civilians could get when it came to the jinchuuriki. Did they not understand he was protecting them by his very existence.
"Naruto-kun," she turned to him suddenly, and he jumped slightly in surprise at hearing his name, "That leaf plate... You got it a few days ago, right?"
"Yea..." he answered cautiously.
"Probably stole it," she heard Soji mutter under his breath.
"Pass Kakashi's infamous bell test?" she continued to grill him, ignoring the merchant.
"We did," he confirmed, giving her an untrusting look.
"Soji-san," she turned back to the shop keeper, "Under Article 214 of Konoha's peace time laws, you cannot refuse service to a full fledged shinobi of our village without good cause. You don't seem to have one."
His eyes narrowed, "Ah yes. The 'Cloud Act' the Hokage pushed through so we couldn't throw out that damn..."
"Be very careful what you say next, Soji-san," her eyes narrowed dangerously and voice pitched low, "Hiroto-san is my son's Sensei, a jonin of the Leaf, and this boy's guardian."
The man paled a bit at her tone, but she swore she could pick up a faint whiff of urine after what she said next.
"I hear jinchuuriki's seals can slip a little when they get angry."
She saw Naruto gaping at her out of the corner of her eye.
"I ah... uh," Soji was at a loss for words.
"Have all of my products prepared for pick up by closing time, Soji-san," she let the air of menace drop suddenly, "I don't think I will be using your store as an outlet anymore."
At the sudden prospect of losing his best selling products, the businessman snapped out of his fear induced stupor, "You can't do that!"
Natsumi raised her cane and poked the end of it into his chest, "Oh I can, and I will. Any vendor that refuses service to a shinobi of Konoha isn't one I wish to associate my business with."
"The merchant's guild will hear about this!" he nearly yelled as his face turned a bright shade of red.
"Good," she countered with deathly calm, "Then I won't need to inform them so they can shut your shop down."
He began to stutter uncontrollably, but Natsumi ignored him and began to leave. On a whim she called out, "Naruto-kun, If you are in need of a good merchant for your supplies, I can introduce you to one."
"R-really!?" the disbelief in his voice was disheartening for her. Was he really so shunned?
"Hurry up, brat," she ordered gruffly, waving him through the door, "I ain't got all day."
XxXxXxX
Mayu pushed open her front door with a crutch and hobbled in. It had been good to catch up with Gai and hear all about his genin. Despite his worries over Neji's attitude, the Green Beast admitted they might be ready for chunin soon. It was things like that that really kept her going. Knowing that her students were rising stars did her heart good.
There was her own child as well. His amazing progress with Eiji's style was testament to a latent talent that he had only just begun to develop. Mayu didn't doubt that he would have gone farther faster with a fully able-bodied teacher.
Thinking of her boy and still feeling slightly tipsy from the few stiff drinks she'd had with Gai, she went in search of the dedicated child. He had told her that his test couldn't take more than a few hours based on his sensei's scheduling, and so she figured he would be home already.
As she made her way through the house, she began to think that perhaps he wasn't around. It was rare for the sun to be in the sky and Hotaka to not be training. It was all she could do to keep him from burning out. Despite that, she found him out back amongst the training equipment.
He was sitting on the grass up against one of the various posts, his eyes fixed on his hands. The warm feeling from her drinks fell away as she took in the burned sleeves of his gi and the fresh pink skin indicative of recent healing via chakra.
"Hota-kun," she ventured gently, not wanting to startle him.
"Hey, Kaa-san," his voice was unusually subdued. Not the regular zoned out tone he got when his mind wandered either. It was... sad.
"You pass your Sensei's test?" she dared to ask. Judging by his demeanor, she figured the answer was no. She was fully prepared for a good pep talk. After all... she hadn't made it on her first team.
"Yea," he gave a halfhearted smirk, "Sensei says I got a lot of potential. Masaru, too."
"Why the glum face, then?" she was thoroughly confused. When she had passed her second genin test, she had been ecstatic.
"Kaa-san, how many people have you killed?" he asked instead of answering her question.
It took her a minute to recover from the dark question. She lowered herself slowly to the ground next to him, her frozen legs out before her.
"Don't know, really," she finally answered, "I don't keep count like some. Would say it's over at least a hundred, though. Why do you ask?"
"Were they bad people?" he continued his line of difficult questions.
"I like to think the majority of them were," she returned in a subdued tone, "It helped me get through early on. Truth is, though, no one is all bad. Killing someone just prevents them from ever coming round."
He seemed to deflate a bit at that, "What if you knew they did something so awful that you can't help but feel that their death is necessary... even right?"
"Hotaka," she reached over and lifted his face by the chin to look directly into his eyes, "Why are you asking me all this? Does this have to do with your test today?"
He nodded, "We went to the prison Kaa-san," she did not like where this was headed.
"What happened there?" she strained to keep her voice level.
"I performed an execution," he admitted, casting his eyes down.
She saw red. Fifteen separate ways to end the life of Ryoukou Hiroto flitted through her mind; each worse than the last. She tried to return to an upright position, but found herself held down by a hand on the shoulder.
"Please don't, Kaa-san," her son's plaintive request brought her out of a maternal rage.
"He had you kill someone?" she ground out quietly. Judging by the look of fear in his eyes, she was leaking a fair amount of killing intent. She reigned it in with some effort.
He nodded timidly, "Sasuga Aito."
Her anger was quickly replaced by surprise, "The chakra savant that burned the family of five?"
"Yea..."
"Oh, Hotaka," she gathered him into her burly arms, "You should never feel guilty about the death of such a terrible person. Some people just don't deserve a second chance."
Her son began to shake, and she could feel the warm wetness of his tears on her bare arm, "That's the thing, Kaa-san. I don't feel guilty. When I found out what he did, I was happy I killed him. I... I think I'm broken."
She hugged him tighter, "Don't think like that, son. You aren't broken. You just don't feel remorse because of what he did."
"I'm afraid it will be like that every time," he sobbed out, "What if I start to like it? What if... what if I can't stop?"
She had no answer for that. Some shinobi did in fact begin to enjoy their bloody profession a bit too much. Judging by the way he was so worried about it, though, he probably wouldn't end up like that.
It was then, as she held her son, that she realized the true purpose of Hiroto's test. It wasn't just about the willingness to do one of their darkest jobs. It was about successfully dealing with the aftermath.
As much as she wanted to hurt the man at that moment, Mayu couldn't help but think that Ryoukou Hiroto was probably going to be the best damn Sensei of his generation.
XxXxXxX
Something about Osamu didn't jive right. Their current mode of movement, leaping and swinging through the forest, was perfectly possible without boosting, but the speed at which they were moving wasn't.
Anything with more chakra than was necessary for life could perform chakra assisted body enhancement, more commonly known as boosting, with relative ease. The act was almost instinctual for those who knew how to manipulate their internal energy. Even Lee, whose stunted tenketsu prevented him from releasing his chakra, could internalize the energy to enhance his speed, strength, or durability.
Osamu, however, shouldn't have been able to boost with his chakra. His files indicated that he was indeed incapable of the technique. Here he was, though, keeping pace with Hiroto, who had begun boosting a few minutes ago to see how fast his student could move with the handicap.
He began to up the ante to see where the limit was, or if it truly existed to begin with. Finally he began to pull ahead.
"Sensei," Osamu called out from behind him, "Can't move that fast."
Hiroto slowed back down, but kept his questions to himself. There was definitely something fishy here, but he doubted Osamu would provide any answers if confronted. Hiroto silently lamented the fact that he was so insensitive to chakra; otherwise, he would have simply sought out the chakra fluctuations that came with boosting.
It wasn't long after that they arrived at the prison. For the third time that day, Tonbo admitted Hiroto with one of his students. This was the kicker. If Osamu chose not to follow through, the team would be one short. It would also be a heavy blow to the Hokage's plans, but Hiroto would be adamant that he be dismissed from service.
He once again he went through the semi-choreographed conversation about chakra savants, but only made it a few sentences in before Osamu broke completely from the subject.
"I'm here to fight someone," he stated calmly, "maybe even kill a prisoner."
Hiroto was taken aback not so much by the sudden conclusion, but by how calmly he stated it. Before he could reply, Tonbo returned from his preparations.
"Osamu-kun," the blind man kept his tone neutral, "Before your hypothesis is confirmed or denied, can I ask how you came to such a conclusion?"
The genin frowned in thought, "It wasn't any one thing that tipped me off. More of a series of indicators that added up."
"Indulge me, please," Hiroto was interested as well, so he kept quiet.
"The first indicator was the prison itself," Osamu began in a lecturing tone he most likely copied from Iruka or Kurenai, "Just bringing a fresh genin here would be unusual."
"Not nearly enough for you to draw such a dire conclusion, though," Tonbo prompted.
"No," Osamu agreed, "The second red flag was your reaction to our arrival, Tonbo-san. You seemed sad, no... resigned. You do not like your role in this, but fulfill it either for friendship or village loyalties. I am guessing the latter."
"You got all that from seeing me for a few moments?" Tonbo couldn't keep a touch of incredulity from his voice.
"I have my ways," the genin answered cryptically.
"Still," Hiroto finally spoke up, "Tonbo-san could merely dislike his current duties."
Osamu nodded, "True enough, but when we came into this enclosure Yancha smelled blood."
"Not too surprising for a prison," Tonbo countered immediately, "There was a serious riot just last week. Resulted in four deaths."
"Yancha's nose is sensitive, but not sensitive enough to pick up that scent after the rain we had a few nights back," Hiroto swore that, despite the dire subject, Osamu was actually enjoying this, "That also wouldn't explain why I can smell the remnants of burnt meat. Were you having a barbecue?"
"You could say that," Tonbo muttered darkly. He had not enjoyed cleaning up that mess.
"You separated Masaru, Hotaka, and I so that we wouldn't feel any pressure from each other," Osamu went on, "I am guessing that they both went through with the test and passed."
Hiroto shook his head in amazement, "That's some pretty impressive attention to detail and deductive reasoning, but that doesn't mean you get to skip the test."
"I know that, Sensei," Osamu told him quietly, "I'm just not much of a fighter, so I wanted you to see what I'm really good at."
"So can you go through with an execution?" Hiroto asked him, "Your target is on death row."
"He did something bad enough to earn death," Osamu said to himself, "I don't suppose you'll tell me exactly what."
Hiroto shook his head, "Afraid not."
Osamu closed his eyes and leaned against the walkway's railing next to where his cat lay. He stayed that way for nearly a minute.
"No, Yancha. It isn't that simple," he said suddenly. Hiroto looked at Tonbo, who shrugged, "This isn't a hunt or territory dispute. Humans are different when it comes to killing. The majority of us don't enjoy it."
The feline got up and padded over to him, rubbing her head against his shoulder.
"I appreciate the sentiment," Osamu told her while scratching behind her ears, "But you can't do this for me. I have to do it on my own. Besides, how would you manage it at your size."
This time they heard an indignant growl out of her.
"Nee-san said I can't let you grow for at least another six months," he paused as if listening to her answer, "You may think you're full grown, but you could still grow another inch or two. You want to cause serious defects in your skeleton?"
Her ears and tail drooped slightly and Hiroto could only guess she had lost the argument.
Finally, Osamu turned his gaze back to his teacher, "I will do it, Sensei. For my clan, I must."
XxXxXxX
"That was pretty awesome, lady!" Naruto gushed as they made their way down the street, "Do you really make all that cool stuff with the red gear on it?"
"Sure do," Natsumi sent a death glare at a couple that were looking at Naruto in disgust. They scurried away at the sight of it.
"Man..." the blonde sighed, "Nii-san won't let me touch the stuff. Says I'd kill myself."
Natsumi gave a half shrug, "My trap kits aren't toys, kid. I used 'em back in the last war against Kumo. Know what they call me up there?"
Naruto shook his head and looked up at her with wonder.
"They call me 'Faceless Death' cause they never saw me," she chuckled darkly, "Weren't for that damn Hiraishin of Minato's I would have the highest kill count in village history."
"Woah! Really!?" Naruto practically yelled, "Did you know the Yondaime?"
"Graduated with him," she confirmed, "Never would have thought he'd be Hokage at the time."
"So... why are you helping me?" he suddenly changed gears. His voice was quieter now, "You know what's in me, so..."
"Bah..." she scoffed, "You're just some kid unlucky enough to be born at the wrong time. You didn't do anything to this village but save it."
"Why don't more people think that?" she looked down at him to see him sulking.
"Some do," she explained, "but they are too afraid of the stigma of associating with you."
"What's a stigma?" he asked, completely coming out of his funk.
"Don't worry about it," she shook her head in exasperation. They continued to walk on in silence for a time. She began to turn them down side streets and back alleys until they came to a dead end. There was a ramshackle looking shop at the terminal point with no sign, only a huge assortment of weapons crowding around the door.
"Whoa..." Naruto was dumbstruck, "I've never seen this place."
"Coarse not, "Natsumi told him easily, "This place is protected by some serious genjutsu seals to hide its location from those who have never been here before."
"Why is that?" he was scratching his head.
"The proprietor provides all of the weapons for ANBU and is considered the greatest smith in the Land of Fire," she explained as they approached the door, "He also sells to Konoha's most loyal."
"What if he won't sell to me?" Naruto asked nervously, "Most other places won't."
Natsumi let the question hang. The truth was, she wasn't all that sure herself. She opened the door, causing a small bell to ring.
"Welcome," a deep but friendly voice greeted from somewhere in the forest of steel that was the interior of the store. Finally, a large man worked his way into view.
The proprietor might have been imposing if not for the easy and genuine smile on his face. He was tall, easily topping six feet, with a broad chest and bulging arms covered with tiny burn scars. He was wearing a set of thick leather pants and boots along with a heavy apron of similar material. His friendly face was smeared with a mixture of soot and sweat around his light brown eyes. He was wearing a bandana on his head, but tufts of brown hair were peeking out from it.
"Ah, Natsumi-san. Good to see..." his smile fell away when he spotted Naruto.
"Shuji-san, I want you to meet Uzumaki Naruto," her tone held a hint of warning in it, "He was having serious trouble obtaining proper supplies."
Naruto shifted uncomfortably under Shuji's gaze. Unlike most people who ignored him or sent him dirty looks, the smith's eyes were just sad. It was unnerving.
"If you don't want to bother with me, I can go," Naruto offered finally. He half turned to do just that, but Natsumi's cane stopped him.
"You don't need to do that, Naruto-kun," Shuji finally rumbled out, "It's just that my wife died the night you were born."
Naruto shuffled his feet. He understood the message behind those words, "I'm sorry for your loss, Shuji-san."
The smith nodded his acceptance and smiled again; though, it failed to reach his eyes, "Trouble with the other shop owners, eh?"
"Soji was trying to send him away empty handed," Natsumi explained to him, "And something tells me he hasn't had much luck elsewhere."
"Damned rats," Shuji muttered, "Well, in any case... I can get you outfitted easily enough. Were you looking to get a standard load-out, or perhaps a real weapon."
Naruto looked around at all of the various forms of metallic death, "You mean... You'll sell to me?"
"You kidding?" Shuji shuddered a bit, "You have any idea what Natsu here will do to me if I don't?"
Naruto looked at Natsumi, who had an evil grin on her face, and shuddered himself. He began to wander through the store and soon found it to be far larger than he first thought. Out of habit he kept his hands firmly at his sides lest Shuji think him stealing, but eventually he couldn't help himself.
He reached out for a ninja-to in a flat black sheath, "You really made all of these, Shuji-san?"
"Every metal weapon in here," the smith explained, "My daughter has a better feel for woodwork, so she makes the bows, staves, and cudgels."
Naruto placed the blade he was examining back as he found it, and took up a longbow. He tested the pull and found it almost impossible to bend.
"Easy with that," Shuji warned, "You can't just take a bow. Gotta test your strength and find the right pull weight."
"I think I should just get a basic load-out for now," Naruto finally said. He could feel gama-chan shrinking just looking at all the tempting weapons, "Maybe I should talk to Nii-san or Sensei before I get something larger."
"Good idea," the large man agreed with a smile, "I've got some ready made sets at the counter. They're 10,000 apiece. How many do you need?"
Naruto gaped at him, "10,000. B-but..."
Shuji frowned at the reaction, "I know it seems a bit steep, but my work is the best in the village. I might be willing to give a bulk discount for a large order..."
Naruto shook his head, "No! I've been charged twice that for practice gear. Nii-san too."
The smith scowled, "I can't believe those fools. Cheating a child for something out of his control," his face softened and he sighed, "Well... I can at least make sure you are decently equipped."
"Thank you, Shuji-san," Naruto wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket to prevent the water in his eyes from going down his cheeks, "Can I get four sets, so I can give a couple to my Nii-san."
"You talking about Ryoukou Hiroto?" Shuji inquired curiously. At Naruto's nod he took on a pensive look.
Finally after nearly a minute of deliberation, "I'll give you the two for yourself. Bring your Nii-san by here, and I'll sell to him directly."
"Wow, really!" Naruto was jumping up and down now, "This is awesome."
He turned to thank Natsumi, but she was already gone.
Outside she leaned against the wall of the alley and allowed some very rare tears to fall. Being around him was harder than she thought.
She managed to get control of her emotions before hobbling back towards home. She needed to check on her own knucklehead.
XxXxXxX
Osamu could tell right away that his enemy was insane. There was no other way he could explain the wildly fluctuating red aura he saw. The prisoner, Haru according to Tonbo, seemed to oscillate back and forth from pure rage to deep depression over the course of a mere minute. Under the other emotions was a constant and pervasive guilt.
Haru wasn't too tall, but he did look strong. Perhaps he had been a dock worker or farmer. His watery blue eyes were half hidden by his wild straw colored hair, but Osamu could see a terrible desperation in them. He'd torn off the sleeves of his beige prison uniform, and there were numerous ragged scratch marks up and down his arms.
"Are you here to release me?" Haru's crazed eyes fixed on Osamu, "Please release me."
"I can't let you go," Osamu sounded slightly apologetic, "I am here to kill you for your crimes."
Haru's dull eyes brightened and he fell to his knees. Osamu saw his aura begin to level out, and a new emotion appeared... hope, "Finally. I can be released."
It seemed the prisoner was ready to die for his crimes. Osamu cringed at the idea of killing someone who wouldn't defend themselves, but he took out a kunai and walked forward anyway. He had earned death through his own actions. What did it matter whether he accepted it or not?
As Osamu closed in, he saw tears streaking down the man's face. The whole situation was becoming a tad surreal. He stopped in front of Haru who lifted his head to expose the vulnerable blood vessels of the neck.
"May I be forgiven for my crimes..." he whispered, closing his eyes.
Osamu lifted his kunai and placed it just under Haru's left earlobe. He planned to open a gash from ear to ear so the man would bleed out faster. He couldn't help but hesitate when he saw something odd pass through his victim's aura. He could have sworn a streak of sickly yellow had passed through the vibrant red.
"NO!" Haru screamed. He snagged Osamu's arm, who immediately tried to slip away. Haru's hand was like a vice, though, and the genin found himself trapped. The crazed man jerked Osamu's hand back towards his neck, trying to finish himself.
Osamu saw the yellow shoot back through Haru's aura like puss bursting from an infected wound. The prisoner's muscles locked up, stopping him from killing himself.
"You should know better by now, Haru," he seemed to chide himself as his aura shifted completely to the yellowish color. He looked at Osamu and smiled wickedly, "What shall I do with you?"
Osamu didn't think twice. He lunged at the arm holding his own and sank his oversized fangs into the meaty wrist and jerked his head. He pulled back with a small chunk of flesh in his teeth. With a cry of surprise and pain, Haru loosened his grip. Osamu was able to slip away, but had to drop his kunai in the process. He spit the chunk of flesh away and wiped the blood trickling down his chin on his arm wraps.
"Savage little fucker," the prisoner said with a grin as he got to his feet, "I like that. You might be fun."
Osamu's sensitive ears picked up Tonbo and his sensei discussing his foolish mistake in trusting Haru's intent to die. It irked him a little, but they couldn't see what he did. He had seen a myriad of subtle variations on both yellow and red, some approaching orange, but he had yet to witness the color changing. This new aura also felt... tainted.
"Sensei," Osamu called up to Hiroto while keeping his eyes firmly fixed on Haru, "There is something very wrong with this man."
"I know, Osamu-kun," Hiroto sounded a bit exasperated, "That's part of the reason he's on death row."
Haru was stalking forward now, that nasty grin still plastered on his face. He suddenly darted forward, moving far faster than anyone should. It was thanks to Osamu's motion sensitive eyes that he could keep up at all. He leapt straight up nearly fifteen feet as Haru slammed his fist where he had just stood. A small crater let him know that a single blow like that would kill him.
He came down onto Haru's head as he was recovering from the wild attack. He allowed the full force of his fall come to bear before leaping off, covering half the pit in a single bound.
"That's not what I meant, Sensei," Osamu finally managed to reply.
Before he could elaborate further, Haru was on him again. His charge was less reckless this time, and Osamu knew his last trick would be countered, and retreat would only get him herded into a corner. All he could do was stand his ground.
A fist came at his face, so he ducked it. He then twisted to the side to avoid the knee that was rising to catch him mid dodge. He ended up on his back and had to roll to avoid the vicious stomp that would have crushed his chest.
A burst of his chakra, partially formed with no hand signs, dazzled Haru with nonexistent lights long enough for him to gain his feet and retreat. He flew through a set of hand seals to weave a more complex illusion.
"Mouten no Jutsu," he whispered quietly to help shape the chakra properly. He had never produced genjutsu in such a tense situation and figured he could use all the help he could get.
Haru shook his head and looked around, "Where did you go, you little bastard?"
Osamu kept silent and began to circle his enemy. He drew a few kunai in his right hand and began to throw them with his left. One managed to go halfway to the ring in Haru's right calf. The other two only grazed his side as he rolled away.
"Where are you?" he sounded more angry than anything, but Osamu saw an undercurrent of fear run through the sickly yellow of his aura. He didn't seem to be hampered by his injuries, though.
Haru began to laugh suddenly, a burst of confidence running through the yellow glow about him, "I get it... the genjutsu causes a blank in my vision where ever you are."
He charged in Osamu's general direction, but was off by a few feet, slamming his fist into the wall and sending a web of cracks through the stone, "Gah! The spot's bigger than you are, then."
Osamu finally decided to risk making noise. He couldn't help but feel there was something terribly wrong with this man, and that it need to be researched.
"Sensei... his aura isn't right," Osamu called up, "It's tainted or something."
He didn't receive an immediate answer from Hiroto, but Haru seemed ecstatic at that bit of information.
"So you're one of them Spirit Talkers that Master is afraid of," he burst out happily, "Man, am I lucky. First I off this poor fools family cause his daughter can talk to dead people, then Konoha is so kind as to bring me another to slaughter."
Osamu's face fixed into a rictus of cold anger, "You murdered his whole family?"
"Yea!" Haru seemed excited to share, "Best part is he thinks it's his fault. I've had a great time tormenting him with it."
The way he was talking gave Osamu an idea of what was going on here, but he still wasn't sure.
"My Nee-san is going to draw you out, spirit," Osamu promised to see if it elicited a confirming reaction, "Then she is going to torment you in ways that can't be experienced with flesh."
Haru just started laughing, "There's nothing she or anyone can do to me that'll top Master."
"We'll see," Osamu countered.
"Wanna hear something funny?" the possessed man asked. He answered before hearing a reply, "I'm not limited to this body's natural abilities. KAI!"
"SHIT!" Osamu managed to leap away from the sudden chakra enhanced charge, but was unprepared and ended up in a tumble.
He managed to gain his feet quickly, but Haru was already halfway to him again, grinning evilly. He wasn't fast enough to get away this time. The sudden obscurement of Haru's face by a golden furred back broken by a wide black stripe made Osamu smile.
XxXxXxX
Yancha watched nervously from her perch on the walkway railing as her human squared off with the strange prisoner. His sudden acceptance of his own impending death confused her thoroughly. Despite her superior intelligence and deep connection to one of the species, humans continued to confound her by their actions.
She saw the suddenly shifting aura, and felt a thrum of alarm from Osamu. She began to purr in distress to see him trapped, but chose to see if he could escape on his own. She might not always be around to look out for him, and the two older humans looked ready to intervene if his life was in real danger.
Her purring went from distressed to happy when she saw him make use of part of his unusual anatomy to escape. His fangs and other biological anomalies might have made him a freak amongst his species, but they also gave him some nasty advantages.
"You may want consider sending him to the academy in any case," the blind man commented to the tiger painted individual, "that was a terrible mistake."
She grew angry at his tone, and her tail began to swish back and forth. He didn't know what had truly transpired down there. Honestly she didn't know either, but she could feel Osamu had an idea.
"Perhaps," Hiroto hedged, "He's still young. Experience will be a better teacher than any remedial courses."
"Sensei," Osamu called up to Hiroto, "There is something very wrong with this man."
"I know, Osamu-kun," Hiroto replied a bit exasperated, "That's part of the reason he's on death row."
Haru charged then, but Osamu was far too nimble to be caught by such a straightforward attack.
"That's not what I meant, Sensei," he called back up.
Yancha looked back at Hiroto and saw he was watching the fight with a great deal of intensity. His hands were deforming the metal railing where he was gripping them. Did this man have such a vested interest in her human?
"Tonbo-san, you said Haru completely confessed to his crimes," his eyes remained fixed on Osamu, "Why did you suggest him for this?"
Tonbo shrugged, "He's killed two other inmates that attacked him. He admitted he was able to boost with his chakra. I figured he would be as good a test as the last two."
"He seemed ready to die a moment ago. Why would he defend himself against the other prisoners?" Hiroto asked seriously.
Tonbo turned as if to look directly at the jonin, "He seems willing enough to live right now."
Hiroto shook his head, "No... his body language is all different than it was at first. You can't see the subtleties, but its like he's a different person."
"You think the boy knows what he is talking about?" Tonbo seemed a bit incredulous.
Hiroto nodded, "Possibly... his clan was known in Lightning for their unusual abilities. Seeing spirits, reading auras, and the like."
Yancha perked up at that information. Zuki had told her the clan wasn't well known outside of the mountains it was from. Was this the shinobi from Kumogakure that Ren had been so worried about?
"Sensei... his aura isn't right," Osamu broke his silence finally, "It's tainted or something."
That seemed to catch his attention, "Just like her," he muttered.
Things seemed to go downhill from there. It wasn't until Haru broke Osamu's genjutsu that she knew he was in over his head. She tamped her haunches and waited for the right moment. Her powers weren't fully mature yet, and if she had to go too far, she would be useless from the disorentation afterward.
There. Osamu had tumbled out of the last charge and was a bit too slow in gaining his feet. She let her instincts guide her as she launched from the rail. Haru was about ten feet from Osamu and closing fast, and she wouldn't get there in time. At least if she were normal.
With a burst of her chakra and an instant of vertigo, she was suddenly right in front of Haru's face. Her momentum had been preserved, and he was suddenly flailing as she began to claw savagely at his face. She managed to get good purchase with her fore-claws in his scalp and began to kick her back feet as fast as she could just as Zuki had taught her. Unlike when she play-fought with her older cousin, she had her long rear claws fully extended.
Haru finally managed to get a hold of her tail, and she retracted her claws and allowed herself to be slung away. Another jaunt prevented a nasty impact with the wall, and she skidded to a halt in the dirt. She reeled drunkenly to her feet; that last one had been a bit much for her. She just hoped her intervention would be enough.
XxXxXxX
Hiroto was still considering stopping the test to get a better understanding of what was going on when Yancha leapt in. He was about to shunshin in front of Osamu when he saw the feline wasn't going to make it, but her sudden jaunt through space stopped him cold.
"Did she just... teleport?" Tonbo asked in amazement.
"I think she did," Hiroto replied in the same tone.
Yancha left Haru's face a bloody mess. She had managed to deal some serious damage to one of his eyes, and it refused to open. The rest of his face had deep lines of angry red leeking blood, and he looked furious when he whipped her off by the tail. Another jaunt through space prevented her from slamming into the wall, and she skidded to a halt on the ground.
Haru ignored the feline and decided to go straight for Osamu. The boy was now ready, a kunai in his left hand.
"Time to end this, you little shit," Haru sneered.
A burst of chakra, so strong even the insensitive Hiroto felt it, came off of Haru.
"HIROTO!" Tonbo yelled, but the jonin needed no prompting. This enemy was far more powerful than he seemed, and Osamu was in terrible danger.
Haru vanished from sight as Hiroto leapt into the pit. Even in the time slowing battle trance, he couldn't track the prisoner.
He watched in horror as Haru appeared in front of Osamu with a hand around his left wrist already. He wasn't going to make it. He was going to fail at the one thing he had originally come to Konoha to do.
XxXxXxX
Osamu couldn't believe the speed that Haru had just moved at. He could feel a strong grip on his wrist, but before the pressure could break it, bright red bloomed within the yellowish aura. Without thinking, Osamu began to pour unshaped, but spiritually supercharged chakra into Haru with only one intention. To help that red aura take back control.
"NO!" he screamed, "I WON'T LET YOU KILL ANYONE ELSE WITH MY BODY!"
The red completely overtook the yellow, and with a look of immense gratitude, Haru pulled Osamu's hand to his neck. He forced the kunai into his own flesh, and then tore a ragged gash across his throat. Blood gushed from the wound and soaked Osamu's arm.
Haru released the teen as he fell to the ground convulsing. His blood continued to gush out for what seemed an eternity to Osamu, but that look of gratitude never left Haru's face. Before the light faded from his eyes, he managed to mouth two words silently.
'Thank you.'
XxXxXxX
It wasn't until arriving back in Konoha that Hiroto broke the silence. As much as Osamu needed time to come to terms with Haru's death, it was imperative he know what happened back there.
"You said his aura was tainted?" he prompted.
Osamu continued to stare ahead as they walked. He was unconsciously rubbing his right hand over his now bare left forearm. Hiroto was just about to inquire again when Osamu spoke.
"I've never seen it change color before," his face screwed up in confusion, "At first it was bright red, like a burning coal. Then, it turned a nasty shade of yellow."
"You mentioned your Nee-san drawing out a spirit..." Hiroto continued to prod.
Osamu nodded, "It was only a guess, but I think he was possessed. I'm not sure by what, though."
Hiroto deliberated very seriously on what to do next. This wasn't his first brush with something like this. Twice before he had dealt with seemingly possessed people. This was one area where his vast store of knowledge failed him. He knew little of spirits other than stories and legends. He needed expert advice, but the only experts he knew of were the very people he didn't want to explain things to. There was a very real possibility of a threat to Konoha, though.
"There are some things we need to discuss, Osamu-kun," he finally decided.
"Is this about you being from Kumo?" Osamu looked up at him, his expression unreadable.
"How did..." the genin interrupted him by pointing to the feline draped around his shoulders.
"Yancha, guessed you were from there after hearing some things you said during my test," he explained. Despite his efforts, he shuddered at mentioning the grisly act.
Hiroto made a note to be more careful how he spoke around animals in the future, "There's more to it than that. We need privacy."
XxXxXxX
Osamu leaned back against the flank of a sleeping puma mulling over the story he had just heard. A cougar was stretched out next to him emitting a bass thrum of a purr, and Yancha was curled in his lap. The great cats had come to him instantly when they had entered the garden. They seemed to pick up on his distress, and sought to comfort him in their own small way.
Hiroto sat in the grass nearby, stroking the fur of a tigress that had taken an instant liking to him. He watched with veiled apprehension to hear the teens judgment.
He had told Osamu everything about the night that had changed both their lives so much. Osamu had listened and kept his face mostly neutral through the whole story. There were a few grimaces and looks of anger at certain points, but they vanished quickly.
It had been both a relief, and a terrible disappointment that Ren had not been present to hear. He knew she would find out eventually now that Osamu knew, but he would have liked to let the truth out to both of them at once. At the same time, Ren was old enough to remember that night, and he dreaded what she truly thought of him.
"Amazing," Osamu finally said, "To think the man who saved our lives has been here this whole time."
Hiroto frowned. He had expected something... different.
Osamu apparently picked up on his confusion, "What? You expected anger, resentment... retribution maybe?"
"Well..." he had tried to avoid those thoughts to be honest, "Yea. Kinda."
Osamu shook his head ruefully, "You saved us. You broke one of the greatest taboos to do it, too."
He had never really thought along those lines. He just shrugged and gave a weak smile.
"You really saw Kaa-san when she..." Osamu choked up a little, but his eyes finished the question for him.
Hiroto nodded sadly. Before he could say anything, they heard a door closing.
"Osa-kun," Ren's voice carried through the house, "I'm home. Are you back from your test yet?"
"Out here, Nee-san," Osamu called out to her.
The jonin that had seen countless small scale battles, had almost died to save another on multiple occasions, seized up at the thought of finally confronting the girl he had saved. Osamu had been easier. He had no memories of that night and had admitted that Ren was rather tight-lipped on details. His was the first real account of that night that the younger Sakibou had heard.
His indecision on what to do found him still sitting, scratching behind the ears of the content tigress. Ren exited the back of the house and came to a stop staring directly at him. This was the first close look he had gotten of Ren in nearly thirteen years. Despite his uneasiness around her, he found himself noting how beautiful she had become.
"Nee-san, this is my new Sensei, Ryoukou Hiroto," Osamu introduced. Silence reigned after those words, and soon the great cats around the garden began to become agitated from the palpable tension.
"Osa-kun... this man is..." she began to say.
"From Kumogakure," the younger sibling finished for her, "I know. He told me himself."
"And you let him into our home!?" her voice cracked near the end, "He could be a spy for all you know!"
Hiroto rocked back on his proverbial heels. He had expected a negative reaction from her, but not one so... impersonal. Then it hit him; she didn't recognize him. After all these years, she couldn't match his face to the one that had told her to flee. The irony almost made him laugh.
"I understand your trepidation, Ren-san," he said instead. He stood up to be sure he could move quickly in case her obvious dislike of him became more physical, "My defection was actually a result of many things, but the attack on your clan was the final straw."
She narrowed her eyes at him, "Your service record doesn't start until nearly a year-and-a-half later."
He really did have to hold back a laugh at that. She had incomplete information. His service had only been just over ten years because he hadn't been a real citizen for that first year-and-a-half.
Before he could formulate an answer for that, Osamu came to his defense, "Show some respect, Nee-san. This man is a jonin. They don't just give that rank away. The Hokage has to trust him."
The adults gaped at Osamu, but it was Ren who spoke first, "Otouto, he..."
"No, Ren," the lack of his familial address stopped her dead, "He is a Konoha shinobi now. He is my assigned Sensei, and I trust him."
Those three words, 'I trust him', from a Sakibou sent a thrum of happiness through Hiroto like he hadn't felt in a long time.
"How can you?" Ren had finally found her voice again, but she was quieter now.
"You know I can see people in ways no one else can," he explained simply, "His soul is bare to me. It may be he is from Kumo, but he doesn't mean us any harm."
She bit her lower lip in thought.
"Please, Nee-san," Osamu's tone became plaintive. He was still a little brother seeking the approval of his elder sibling, "I need you to trust me on this."
It was then that Hiroto realized the boy had no intention of retelling his story. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.
Ren sighed in defeat, "Okay, Osa-kun."
She turned to Hiroto before continuing, "But if he ever betrays that trust, I will hurt him in ways that he can't imagine."
He nodded his head once to her and move to leave, "Osamu-kun. Meet at Training Ground Eighteen at six hundred hours day after tomorrow."
He heard a sound of assent come from his genin as he left. After he had gotten out the front door he allowed his muscles to relax. He had to admit; the frightened little girl had become a frightening woman.
Whew. That was a long one. I hope there aren't too many errors. I finished a bit too late for a another to do a sweep for me. I did one myself, but I am currently very tired from lack of sleep. It was a toss-up whether to delay it a day or not. I decided against it to remind myself that two weeks is plenty of time for me to write 8k words. Especially when I'm still on my holiday break.
Feel free to harangue me for any glaring errors you find to really drive the point home.
Sakibou Osamu
Rank: Genin
Gender: Male
Birth Date: September 27
Hair: Black
Eyes: Amber
Height: 4' 10" (147 cm)
Weight: 95 lbs (43 kg)
Sakibou Osamu is the youngest surviving member of a once powerful clan. He is named after the clan's founder, and like him carries the kekkei genkai Kononkyou. He is determined to help his sister bring their clan back to its former glory.
Mouten (Blind Spot)
Type: Genjutsu (Visual)
Rank: C
Effect: The target develops a blank spot in their vision where the user is. The spot is large enough that the exact location of the user is hard to pinpoint, but it is still possible to find their general position.