Quote the Speechless: "Hello Everyone out there in the Real World. It is I, your God, Quote the Speechless! I have decided to bestow upon you my blessing, ANOTHER CHAPTER!"
Zippo Mage: "All hail Sensei Quote, for his is the word we are addicted to."
Quote the Speechless: "Everyone I would like to introduce the great Zippo Mage. Nonsooth's computer has problems right now, so I am forced to send my chapters to this fellow." He pats Zippo Mage on the head.
Zippo Mage: Smiles like a lapdog. "I am happy to help. All in the name of furthering my addiction"
Quote the Speechless: "Ah yes, the perk of being my editor is that you get to see the chapter before hand. Doesn't that make you all jealous?"
Zippo Mage: Makes faces at the crowd from behind Quote's back.
Quote the Speechless: "Time to bestow the Glory! READ MY MINIONS READ!"
Zippo Mage: Throws his hands up in worship.
Zippo Mage: "Hmmm, mayhap it is time to start the cult of Speechless?"
Quote the Speechless: "Hmm, perhaps, perhaps..." He wonders off, thinking about it.
Legal: I don't own Naruto.
Chapter Eight - Siblings
Finally something took form in the fog, a small island, no more than a few feet across. At its center there was a small stone pillar, at the top of which there was a small shrine, within the shrine burned four blue flames. Carved on the top was a snake, wrapped around the peak of the shrine, four tails came down to the four corners.
"This is the shrine of the Four Tailed Demon Serpent, Shibi. We are here so that you may receive her blessing and be acknowledged as my successor. Take a white hair from your tail, place it in the dish between the candles, clap four times and call out her name." Naruto did as he was told. Taking a white hair from the tip of his tail he dropped it into the dish in between the four blue candles. He clapped four times and called out the name.
"What happens now," Naruto asked? He watched the single hair burn and the smoke drift off into the fog surrounding them.
"We wait, change back to your human form and rest," Kyuubi spoke calmly. "The call has gone out to her, she will recognize the chakra in the call, but she'll be coming from anywhere in the underwater world of oceans. My advice is to make yourself comfortable while you wait."
Naruto sat down and started to change back, it happened in almost perfect reverse order from how it started. First the tail disappeared and his ears moved back into position, his face became human and the fur disappeared, until finally he was sitting on the small island in just his boxers. He moved his forehead protector from his arm to his forehead.
He sat down in a meditative position and closed his eyes. He focused chakra to flow around his body, to keep him warm in the cool mist.
Sakura was exhausted. She had pretty good chakra control, and had managed to run quite high on the tree repeatedly. But now she was running low on power, she was lying back against the tree she had been running up, breathing hard and covered in scratches from branches that whipped her as she ran up the trunk. She looked over when she heard a grunt of exertion.
Sasuke had just landed, and was looking up at his latest mark. It was high, a good twenty feet above the last, and he was starting to feel the effects of all the chakra he was putting out, and the strain he was putting on his body. But it wasn't nearly enough to make him stop yet.
Sakura watched in awe as Sasuke started running up the tree again. He was so much stronger than her, braver than her, and cooler than her. She blushed as she watched him continue. But that also sparked off another memory, Naruto. Standing at the edge of the lake facing down a man that scared her so much she couldn't move. Then he showed strength they never knew that he had.
And now as far as she knew he was unconscious in that room, recovering from the strain of battle. She worried about him. Even Kakashi had said that he didn't know if or when Naruto would wake up, he had put a lot of strain on his body. She said to herself that she would check on him as soon as they returned to the house.
It was at this point that Sasuke landed again and spun around, ready for a fight. He lowered the kunai once Kakashi came from around the tree.
"Kakashi," Sakura got up. "How is Naruto?"
"Naruto is fine Sakura, in fact he's out doing an errand right now," Kakashi looked up at the trees, examining the kunai marks for how high they got.
"An errand," Sasuke said disbelieving? "Why isn't he training with us?"
"He is still recovering from the battle," Kakashi lied. Sakura believed him, but Sasuke was skeptical. "When he returns I'm sure he'll be ready for training."
"When will he be back," Sasuke asked suspiciously?
"Uh…" Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "Tonight? Maybe tomorrow? I… uh… don't really know when he'll be back. But he said he would try for tonight."
Both of his students looked at him for a very long moment. Kakashi could not meet the eyes of either of them. That made Sakura worried, but more than a little suspicious, wondering what was really going on and where Naruto could be. Sasuke on the other hand became more suspicious and envious, thinking that Naruto was receiving special training of some kind.
Sasuke frowned and turned back to the tree, gathering Chakra he ran and started to climb as Kakashi had shown them. But when he started to loose his footing and made his slash, the mark was back down where his last was. His emotions made it harder for him to control his chakra and he didn't make any more progress the rest of the day he trained.
Sakura was affected in the same way, though with worry more than anger, but with her limited chakra supply along with emotion conflict she seemed to be doing worse as time passed.
Kakashi watched them, frowning at how they let their emotions get the better of them. But at the same time he was also worried about Naruto. Eventually when the sun was about to set he called an end to their training and said it was time for them to return to the house for dinner.
When they returned to the house there was still no sign from Naruto and their worry started to grow, but for more reasons than just Naruto. By the way Kakashi figured it Zabuza would be fully healed in less than a week and would probably try to make another attempt at Tazuna's life. Kakashi would remain with Tazuna during the day while the two young genin trained.
Furtive glances were made at the open spot left for Naruto, but not comments were made while they ate. Sakura most of all seemed worried about the fate of her teammate. Tazuna saw how worried she looked and reached over to put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't you worry," he said calmly. "He'll be alright. I have seen a will like his once before. He'll be back and stronger than ever."
"Who will," Inari, Tazuna's grandson asked? The little boy had said very little during the meal, but sounded genuinely curious about who they were talking about.
"You'll know him when you see him Inari," Tazuna replied.
Naruto in the mean time was trying to meditate. But it was getting harder with the more and more insistent growling of his stomach. Normally he would have dived down and caught a fish, but Kyuubi had warned him that it was a sacred area and would be very bad for him to kill one of the fish. Nightfall had come and if anything the fog had gotten thicker. There was no wind, no stars, not even shapes could be made out in the end less fog. The only thing he had to look at was the small stone shrine and four blue candles.
He was about to complain to Kyuubi about waiting for so long when a wail emerged from the fog, it sounded like a long drown out cry. Naruto sprang to his feet and looked around, for it was impossible to determine where the sound had come from. The sound became louder slowly, as if the source was approaching.
"Here she comes," Kyuubi said amusement in his voice. "Tell her to cut out the act and show herself."
"FOUTH SISTER," Naruto called into the fog. "SHOW YOURSELF! I WILL NOT PLAY YOUR GAMES!" Naruto tried to sound braver than he felt. It shocked him when the sound immediately stopped and a female voice emerged from the fog.
"Only a few beings have ever addressed me that way," the voice had an almost unnatural flow to it, amusement and curiosity evident in her tone. "You do not look like one of them," the voice got closer and Naruto faced the direction, starting to make out a shape in the fog. "But something about you does indeed remind me of one of them. And it was his chakra I sensed in the Call. Who are you boy?"
The figure fully emerged from the fog on the direct opposite side of the shrine from Naruto. She was taller than him, though that was not hard, and oddly enough, human. Naruto corrected himself when she stepped up to the side of the island, but not stepping onto the island its self, instead standing on the surface of the water, she was human looking. Long blue green hair spilled down her back and over her shoulders, covering her breasts, for she was wearing no clothing. Naruto was spared a nosebleed when he closed his eyes very quickly.
"I am Uzumaki Naruto," he said, eyes still closed. "Could you please put some clothes on?"
"Do you not find this form pleasing, human," she asked? She had light bubbling laughter that made Naruto blush. "Alright, I shall agree to your request."
There was another sound that Naruto could never quite explain. When it stopped he opened his eyes slowly. It was an improvement, though admittedly not much of one. What covered her now was what Naruto guessed was seaweed, put together to form some form of covering. As Naruto looked over her once again he noted that her skin was a light blue with patches of green scales. The features of her face were sharp and her eyes were round, much like a fish. Along her forearms, back and back of her legs were series of fins. Her hands and feet were webbed as well.
"Don't let her fool you," Kyuubi said. "In truth she is a Great Sea Serpent, Sinker of Ships, Creature of Legends, and the Empress of the Oceans. Now do as I told you."
"Fourth Sister," Naruto addressed her again, using the name that Kyuubi had told him. "As I said, I am Uzumaki Naruto. The Ninth has selected me to be his successor." At this Shibi gave Naruto a long appraising look that made Naruto more than a little disturbed. "I ask that you call The Council of Nine."
"It has been many decades since the Council was last called," she said after a long moment's thought. "Prove to me that you are Ninth Brother, Kyuubi's heir and I will call them."
Naruto nodded, he had been told that she was probably going to ask for proof. He put his hands together and once again started to transform, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, expecting pain. Except that it didn't come, or to a much lesser degree than he expected. He still felt every change that occurred, and the tail still stung a little, but nothing actually hurt that much. When he opened his eyed and looked at the Serpent in human form his red eyes shone in the darkness, the only other source of light coming from the four candles.
Their eyes met and for a long moment neither of them blinked. Finally she nodded and slapped her hands together in front of her, muttering arcane words under her breath. The fog around them started to swirl, eight distortions appeared in a circle around them evenly spaced, she clapped again and the distortions solidified into mirrors made of water. Each mirror showed a different location, but the one thing each of them shared was there was a shrine at each one. The number of candles in each shrine varied, numbering from one, in a featureless desert, to nine, standing on a pedestal surrounded by burning lava.
"The call has been made," Shibi said. "Now we wait for my brothers and sisters to return to their shrines. This may take some time," she sounded apologetic, but she laughed when Naruto's stomach growl was the first response. "You are reminding me more and more of Ninth Brother, it is little wonder you were selected to be his Heir." With a flick of her wrist her fingernails grew long. She knelt down on the water and watched with unblinking eyes. After a moment her hand darted down into the water, there was a little struggle under the surface and she pulled up her hand only to have a fish pierced on the end of her nails. "You may eat this," and she tossed him the fish that he caught easily.
"Fourth sister, what is the meaning of this," a large eagle had landed on the shrine that appeared to be on the top of a mountain. Six candles burned in the shrine, and six long feathers drooped out of the eagle's tail. The voice was shrill, but full of mirth. "Did you call on us to show off your dinner guest?"
"No, Sixth Sister, this is of great importance to us all," Shibi replied to Rokubi, the Six Tailed Eagle Demon of the Mountains.
"I hope that is true," said a voice from the shrine in the forest. Sanbi, the Three Tailed Bear Demon of the Forests Lumbered out from the trees and sat in front of his shrine. "I didn't come here to watch someone stuff their face with grub."
"Did someone mention food," a ponderous low voice asked? They could barely make out the form of Nibi, the Two Tailed Demon Mole of the Caves from the light of the two candles in his shrine.
"Honestly," a prim female voice said as a white tiger walked into view for the shrine surrounded by snow. "Is food all you think about Second Brother?" Gobi, the Five Tailed White Tiger Demon of the Snows said as she sat down, looking at the other occupants of the mirrors.
"Now, now, no fighting," a kind voice said softly from over the seven candle shrine where the twilight stars twinkled and moon shown brightly. Nanabi, the Seven Tailed Bat Demon of the Night, the always kind mediator of arguments between the nine spoke as an elder to children, thought she was among her brothers and sisters.
"Then it seems that we are all here," another spoke from the land where the sun shown down as brightly as a summer day. Hachibi, the Eight Tailed Demon Lizard of the Day settled himself into place, light shining off his white scales as he lay in the brightness.
"All," questioned Sanbi? "I have yet to hear from First Brother, or Ninth Brother."
"You spend too much time in your Forests Third Brother or you would know," admonished Rokubi. "First Brother was captured some years ago, or so my winds tell me. And as for Ninth Brother, the humans claim to have killed him a little over a decade ago," it was at this point that she shifter he gaze away from the Eagle and onto Naruto. "But I doubt that is true, there was never a human or set of humans that could kill down our Strongest Sibling."
Naruto's tail twitched under the scrutiny of the Eagle Demon. His stomach growled and he realized that he still had a fish in his hands. He performed a quick ninjutsu and breathed out, a fox headed ribbon of fire went out of his mouth and wrapped around the fish, cooking it quickly. He then ate it quickly as all eyes of the most powerful set of Demons known to Man watched him. Shibi had slipped under the water for a moment, but when she rose again she was not the woman, but her true form, a long blue sea serpent that wrapped it's self around the small island with its shrine, four tails continuously disturbing the water.
"That is correct Sixth Sister, they could not kill him," Naruto spoke, turning to address them all. "But like First Brother, they have managed to capture him." Naruto went on to explain to them his full story. They sat and listened to him, it was eerie at first for him, to have them all watching him with their individual piercing looks, but he continued. They made various responses though out the story, they were disgusted with his treatment as a boy growing up, amused by the idea of the ninja academy, appreciative of the assistance of his friends and teachers that supported him. All that and more Naruto saw through his Demon Eyes as he looked at them, listening as he told them his life leading up to that point.
"What is it that you wish of us, young one," the whispering voice of Nanabi questioned?
"I have been instructed to come before you and ask to take your tests to receive your blessings to become the full Ninth," Naruto replied, as Kyuubi had instructed him.
"Hmm," Sanbi rubbed his chin thoughtfully with the back of his massive paw. "What you ask is difficult. You may have been granted demon form, but even I can tell that you are human, and no human has ever taken the tests for succession before. With Ichibi still missing along with the fact that you are not a true demon, I am not sure if you actually can pass the tests to become our Ninth Brother." There were mumbled agreements from the other demons present.
"Oh, hush, all of you, look at Ichibi's shrine for a moment," Hachibi spoke, looking Past Naruto and at the Shrine of the First Brother. They all turned to look. A sandstorm had kicked up in the desert, shapes and spirals formed in the winds and the other demons watched in silence. Naruto looked but could not see what they were looking at. For a moment it appeared that a creature was taking shape in the storm. Its exact shape could not be made out but it distinctly looked at Naruto and nodded. "It seems that even though our First Brother could not make it, his sands have answered for him. He acknowledges this human boy and will let him take his test."
"I must say that I am curious to see how this human boy fairs," Gobi spoke, her curiosity evident in her tone. "I second the vote for him to take the tests."
"Humph," Nibi grumbled a little around in his darkness. "I don't see the harm in letting him try. What say the rest of you?" The mole looked around at the rest of his siblings who each nodded in turn until finally he came to Nanabi.
"Child, you are so young," she watched Naruto from her twilight world. "Are you sure this is what you want? Why not think about it some more and come back when you are sure?"
"Brothers, Sisters, I have had little I could ever look forward to. But this chance has presented itself to me, and I will take it. I will pass your tests. I will become the Ninth Brother." Naruto spoke with determination, he had been unsure at first, the task seemed daunting, and the danger quite real. But as he spoke and told his story he realized that it was not what Kyuubi wanted that drove him to this, it was his own desire. Kyuubi had only opened the door to the opportunity.
"Ninth Brother chose well," Nanabi said, pride in her aged voice. "You have that same fire in your soul, I know you will pass them, and I await your time on this Council."
With that each of the Great Demons took an item and started to chant. Nibi took a geode that started to glow in the cavern. Sanbi took a leaf from a tree that glowed green. Shibi took a scale. Gobi chanted over a large snowflake. Rokubi took a feather that spun in the air as she chanted. Nanabi seemed to hold a patch of darkness between her two clawed hands as Hachibi seemed to be holding a small star. Suddenly the chanting stopped and all eyes focused on Naruto, a chakra fire surrounded each of them, they spoke in unison.
"By These Seals We Will Watch You During The Next Human Year," Each Item that the demons chanted over floated forward and passed through the mirrors. Naruto looked and saw a symbol etched into each of the items. He recognized them as being the sign for each demon. "Through Your Action Or InactionOver The Next Year, You Will Pass Or Fail The Tests." The items were glowing brightly now, so it was impossible to tell what the original item was. They floated in front of Naruto and started spinning together, and then all of a sudden they flew out and struck Naruto in the stomach, each item striking a different spot around the original seal that bound Kyuubi to him. "Good Luck."
And slowly the mirrors faded and the Great Demon's along with them. Naruto wasn't watching however. He was lying on the ground in front of the small shrine clutching his belly where he had been struck. He felt like he had been punched in the stomach seven times with burning fists. Slowly the pain faded, he slumped against the ground and lost consciousness. His body slowly changed back to his human form. Evenly spaced around the central seal placed on him at his birth there were new seals. A geode, leaf, scale, snowflake, feather, moon and sun, he only one missing from the circle was the mark of the sand demon.
Shibi's tails came out from the water and wrapped around the form of Naruto. He was lifted up and carried through the air as she started to swim, going back the mangrove forest where she dropped off Naruto.
"You will do quite nicely Uzumaki Naruto," she said to herself as she swam back off into the fog. "Don't disappoint us."
Kakashi was helping clean up the meal when he felt it. He put the plates down on the counter and headed for the door. A moment later Sakura and Sasuke had felt it as well and rushed to their teacher's side. A tremendous Chakra could be felt to the west. It was so strong it could be felt miles away, but there was no malevolence in it that could be felt, no killing intent.
"Kakashi Sensei…" Sakura whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
"I know Sakura, we all feel it," he was nervous, such a strong Chakra could not be human. The source of the chakra continued to approach until it stopped some distance away, on the other side of the island. After a moment, it turned and went back the way that it had come until it faded completely from their senses. "Sakura, Sasuke, stay here, I'm going to investigate." He disappeared in a moment and left the two Genin.
"Sasuke," Sakura spoke after a long moment of neither of them moving, just watching where Kakashi had disappeared. "Do… do you think Naruto had something to do with that?"
"No," he replied after a moment. "Nothing in that Chakra felt anything like Naruto's chakra." But both remained suspicious, something was going on, something big, and Naruto was right at the center of it from what they could tell.
Tazuna came out a little while later and looked at the two of them. They appeared to be standing guard, from what he had no idea.
"What is going on," the old man questioned hesitantly?
"We don't know," Sasuke replied. "We felt something. Our teacher went to check out what it was. He should be back soon." There was a long silence while he digested this information.
"Naruto," he questioned? When they didn't reply he sighed and shook his head slowly. "I hope that boy is alright," he said to himself as he went back inside.
Twenty minutes later Kakashi jumped out of a tree and landed on the porch. Sakura rushed over to him, but stopped half way when she saw what he was holding in his arms. Naruto, apparently unconscious yet again, was being carried by Kakashi for the second time into Tazuna's House.
Kakashi took Naruto back to the room he had left that morning and lay him down. Sasuke and Sakura had followed him but said nothing. They watched as he checked Naruto over. He had brought Naruto back dressed only in his boxers. The rest of clothes were in a separate pile.
"I found him like this on the Western Shore, he was lying on the mangrove roots," he obviously knew they were there. As he stood to get a blanket Sakura and Sasuke saw many marks around a central spiral on Naruto's belly. Some of them resembled seals, but others looked like nothing they had seen before. Even as they tried to understand what they were looking at the seals started to disappear. All that remained was the spiral and seven odd looking symbols. It was at this point that Kakashi returned. He paused when he saw that many of the symbols had disappeared, but he started to put the blanket over Naruto none the less.
It was when Kakashi was tucking Naruto in that he started to stir. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He looked blurrily at Kakashi, and then turned his head to the door where Sasuke and Sakura were, it was at that point that he realized where he was and he opened his mouth to speak. Kakashi leaned down to listen. When Naruto was done he sat up and thought for a moment.
"What did he say," a worried Sakura asked? "Is he alright?"
"Oh don't worry about him," Kakashi said cheerfully. "He just wanted to know if there were any of Tsunami's dumplings left, and I'm trying to remember."
"Idiots," Sasuke murmured. And Sakura knew that everything would be fine.
"We saved two for Naruto," Tazuna said from behind the two Genin at the door. "I'll go heat them up for him," and the old man headed to the kitchen.
Naruto tried to sit up and just managed with Kakashi's help. He was quickly regaining his strength. He stretched his arms popping a few joints as he did so, though he didn't seem to mind the sound Sakura flinched at each one. Naruto reached up to scratch the back of his head, he looked down and noticed the new marks on his belly, and he smiled at them and let his other hand brush over them slowly.
"Naruto…" he looked up at Sakura. "What are those? I've never seen them before." He took a moment to think about a suitable answer to her question.
"Mementoes, from my Brothers and Sisters," he replied cryptically.
"I didn't know you had any family, I mean…" Sakura fumbled, feeling she had just put her foot in her mouth.
"It's alright, I just found them today, that's why I was away," he replied, calmly, a far away look in his eyes. "Four sisters," he pointed to the scale, snowflake, feather and moon. "And four brothers," he pointed to geode, leaf, and sun. "I still have to find my last brother," he pointed to the empty spot. "But that is them, and this is me," he put his hand on the large spiral in the middle. He then reached over and started to get dressed, pulling on his shirt and pants, leaving the Fox pendant in the open because they had all seen it.
It was at this point that Tazuna came back with a small plate and two dumplings. He also brought a cup of tea. He handed them to Naruto. "So, did you have an adventure today," He asked as the boy took the plate from his hands.
"Oh yes, did I ever," Naruto started to eat. They waited expectantly, but Naruto only seemed interested in the delicious Dumplings.
"Well? Aren't you going to tell us what happened," Sasuke asked rudely when Naruto reached for the second dumpling.
"Can't," Naruto popped it into his mouth.
"What do you mean," Sakura asked him?
"I can't tell you what happened," Naruto said slowly after he had finished the second dumpling.
"Can't or won't," Sasuke was starting to loose his temper, but Naruto only laughed.
"Both, what happened is between family, so don't ask again," Naruto drank the tea and yawned. "Besides I'm tired, I've gone through a lot today, I'll see you guys in the morning," and with that he lay down, pulling the blanket up to his head.
Sasuke started to object, but Kakashi stopped him by putting his hand on his shoulder. They all left, and Naruto fell into a deep sleep, not even Kyuubi interrupted his rest that night.
"Kakashi sensei, what is going on," Sasuke asked as soon as the door was closed to Naruto's room. "Naruto's been acting weird and I think you know why."
Kakashi sighed, he knew that eventually it would come to something like this, thought he had hoped that it would come later. But Naruto's behavior and obvious changes had sped it up greatly.
"Nothing is simple or easy when it comes to Naruto. I honestly have no idea what happened today. But I can't force Naruto to tell anything he doesn't want to. You'll have to ask him, and accept what answers he gives until he's ready," Kakashi lectured, but he could see that Sasuke was not satisfied at all. "Look, I probably shouldn't tell you this, but Naruto had a very hard childhood. He's lived in an orphanage most of his life, never known any family or kindness."
Sakura had heard that Naruto didn't have parents, but the rest of what Kakashi told her was new.
"But Wait," a thought occurred to her. "What about his 'brothers and sisters' aren't they his family?"
"I have no proof, and no actual idea who they are," Kakashi said slowly. "But if there are actually eight of them, and Naruto is the Ninth, then… well, let's just be happy that we only have Zabuza to face, and not one of them," Kakashi yawed theatrically. "I've probably said too much. Anyway, I'm going to take a leaf from Naruto's book and head to bed." He turned and headed down the hall to where his room was. "Don't think too much about what I said, just go to bed, get all the rest you can, there's going to be more training tomorrow."
Reluctantly Sasuke and Sakura went off to their guest rooms; each wondering different things about the same person.
Sasuke wondered about what happened during the day, the strange marks on Naruto as well as his 'brothers and sisters.' Kakashi seemed to think they were stronger than Zabuza, and he was glad not to be facing them. Could they really be so strong as to scare their teacher? And if so, then what did that make Naruto? The questions seemed to be forever mounting wherever Naruto was concerned.
Sakura seemed to be worried more about Naruto's past than about what happened during the day. She had only known that he grew up with no parents, the fact that he came from an orphanage changed things. She had heard how children were treated in such facilities, and it became clear to her why Naruto didn't speak of his past. She didn't expect Naruto to answer many questions, so she vowed to herself that she would find out about his past, it may help explain his behavior now.
Kakashi on the other hand had giggled himself to sleep reading one of his novels.
Quote the Speechless: He laughs manically. "I'll be none of you were expecting THAT!"
Zippo Mage: O.O "Dude..."
Quote the Speechless: Basks in the glory. "Yes, I am a Great Creative Genius."
Zippo Mage: "Riiiight. Maybe I shouldn't have been so fanatical about all of this before..." Looks sidelong at Quote.
Quote the Speechless: "Well then, maybe I should find another editor." Looks out at the Audience. "Anyone interested?"
Zippo Mage: "But...But..."
Quote the Speechless: He laughs more and walks off stage.