Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
A/N: Jeez… I love writing this story and I love using the jinchuriki, but this story has like writer's block cancer or something. It's challenging to write certain parts so that the story flows. Well, at least I got past it. I'm happy with how this chapter turned out. Enjoy.
Getting Adjusted
October tenth was supposed to be a day of celebration. It was when the village could pay their respects to the Yondaime and those who had fought with him to subdue the Kyuubi eight years ago. It was a day where people could choose to remember the heroes who sacrificed themselves for the village or a time where grieving families and loved ones could temporarily forget their sorrows and drown them with gallons of sake and laughing friends. While there were obvious feelings of melancholy and remorse everyone in the village was grateful and happy enough to lose themselves within the festivities and have a good old time.
Sarutobi let out a tired sigh as he glanced at the report again. The paper detailed the deaths of three chunin who had been killed, broken necks being the cause, by an unknown third party at Konoha's cemetery around 10:26pm on the date of October tenth during the anniversary of the Yondaime's death during the festival. The Hokage had been alerted by the cemetery's keeper early in the morning as he was returning from the celebrations. ANBU had been deployed and the autopsy had been reported immediately.
While no one had been found guilty yet, everyone in the council had been very quick to point fingers at a certain someone who just so happened to share a birthday on the same day as the festival.
Naruto Uzumaki.
That had been the first person who had been suspected of the murder of three ninja. The Hokage protested these groundless claims when the councilmen had brought it up. Their reasons for suspecting the Kyuubi container were something about the demon striking on the day of its defeat to get revenge, the monster finally succumbing to its true nature after all these years, or even something as ridiculous as calling upon evil demonic spirits to curse Konoha on the night of its defeat. Apparently the fact the murder had occurred in a graveyard had some sort of significance. Taking into account the victims had been found in front of Minato's grave hadn't helped things.
Sarutobi was quick to denounce these claims and immediately ordered a search throughout the village for any other suspects. Apparently, this also translated to "find the demon brat that did this" since many of the ninja deployed had only searched for Naruto.
The Hokage panicked when many reports later he found out that Naruto had disappeared.
He had sent out more ANBU, actually giving them specific orders to find the boy to quell his sudden doubts on the matter. Sarutobi wasn't the only one who panicked when those ANBU couldn't find the boy either.
Almost immediately a council meeting had been called to discuss the disappearance of the "demon".
The Hokage sank in his chair as his face collapsed into his hands. The man groaned in frustration as the thought back to that meeting that had taken place earlier that morning.
X.X.X.X.X
Hiruzen sat stoically in place as he listened to each of the council members throw accusations and theories at one another concerning Naruto's disappearance and the three chunins' murder. Most of the ninja and civilian council members were in a panic, though the majority of the clan heads attending were rather silent. Some of them looked did look rather worried though.
"It's obvious that the demon is behind this!" One councilman said, pounding his fist on the table. "After all these years of waiting it finally decided to strike!"
"Only now we can't find the brat…" Another councilwoman remarked suspiciously.
"We should've seen this coming. It was only a matter of time before that boy succumbed to the demon's influence!" Another councilman said, clearly distressed. "We should've killed it when we had the chance!"
"That's enough!" Sarutobi roared, slamming his fists down on the table with a resounding bang, causing every council member to immediately silence themselves. It was rare for the Hokage to get angry, but he was through with all these baseless accusations. "On what grounds do you blame Naruto? He is a child! How do you expect him to kill experienced ninja of this village?"
"It may not have been the child's doing!" One council member pointed out. "Only the Kyuubi could have done something like this!"
"If it had been the Kyuubi, why were only three ninja killed?" Sarutobi asked with a low tone. "Wouldn't this village be up in flames if the Kyuubi had been the one behind this?"
"T-That's…"
"Why are all of you so quick to blame Naruto when not one of you has concrete evidence that he was indeed the one who did it?" Sarutobi demanded. "Don't spout random accusations when you have nothing to base them on in the first place!"
"Hokage-sama, I don't think they're suggesting it was young Naruto who did this, but rather the demon inside him influenced him to do so." Kotaru, one of Sarutobi's old teammates who served as his advisor along with Homura, said neutrally. "While we have no proof that says the boy did commit the crime, we have no evidence to suggest that he didn't kill our ninja either."
"Why blame Naruto for this if there is no evidence that even relates to him?"
"Well, the fact of the matter is that Naruto has gone missing. And on the night of the Kyuubi's sealing… is that mere coincidence?" Homura asked from next to Kotaru. "The chance of this being some covert operation or sign of attack from another village is unlikely since none of the victims had really stood out. They were good ninja, but just regular chunin. And with Naruto's sudden disappearance, who else can we blame?"
Sarutobi remained silent. He couldn't deny what his friend was saying for two reasons. One, he was right in saying that Naruto had gone missing and that itself would definitely warrant suspicion given the boy's reputation and… condition. The second reason was that Hiruzen didn't want to bring any attention to the sudden visit he had received from a special guest a couple days ago.
The Mizukage couldn't have…
"What… what if the demon left?"
All eyes turned towards the same skittish council member who had spoken up. He cleared his throat when everyone's attention was on him and cracked a small, hopeful smile.
"Well, the demon-"
"Naruto." Sarutobi cut in, losing his patience.
"…If the boy has really disappeared, should we really spend all this time worrying about it?" The man asked. "While it is terrible that we've lost three fine chunin, the lack of casualties shows that the demon shouldn't be free or anything. If it rids us of the demon, should we even try to look for it?"
Sarutobi's eyes widened in disbelief at the councilman's words and his shock rose when most of the other members of the council were actually agreeing with his words! Naruto was missing and they were all that willing to just brush the matter under the table?
"Now hold on, this is the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko we're talking about." Shikaku Nara spoke up. "We can't just accept things just like that, can we?"
"I agree. Keeping an eye on the boy also means making sure that the Kyuubi stays sealed." Shibi Aburame added. "You can't expect our problems to disappear just because the container is gone."
While some of the council opened their mouths to form a rebuttal, Kotaru beat them to it.
"Fellow council members, there are many things we have to take into account here." Kotaru announced. "Shikaku and Shibi raise good points. The Kyuubi, even sealed, is a very dangerous entity and needs to be monitored closely to prevent it from breaking its seal. It is why Naruto, the container, lives with us in Konoha no only for our safety but for his own as well. We should do our utmost to make sure that the boy is found and determine whether or not he really is behind this murder. However, unless the Kyuubi has affected the boy like some of you claim, I find it highly doubtful that that's the case seeing as how he is a mere child."
"We cannot pretend Naruto doesn't exist. Ignoring him and the fact that he is indeed the jinchuriki of the nine-tailed fox will only threaten our village." Sarutobi said, nodding gratefully to Kotaru as he picked things up. "We'll send search parties out to look for the boy. It has only been a few days, and if he's left the village, he couldn't have gone far."
"I'll gather a list of ninja who are available and send them out." Homura said. "We'll get our best trackers to search for the boy."
"That would be for the best." The Hokage nodded at him. "I'll also set up a few teams to search for suspicious individuals within the village. Despite what most of you are saying…" Sarutobi glared a few councilmen who had been rather vocal in their accusations against Naruto. "We don't have any don't have any proof that the boy killed those ninja and it is possible that there may be a rogue within the village. Now, are there anymore questions or suggestions regarding this case?"
Sarutobi was relieved by the lack of response he got at first, but his hopes for an ending to this meeting were dashed when a civilian council member spoke up.
"Hokage-sama, hypothetically speaking, if we can't find the boy… what then?"
"What makes you think we won't be able to find him?" Inochi asked, arching an eyebrow at the man who spoke.
"N-Nothing. I'm just saying, is all…" The man trailed off. "What would we do in that situation?"
Everyone turned towards their Hokage, waiting for an answer. The man silently sat in his seat, thinking the situation over in his head.
He could answer Inochi's question if he wanted to. Why shouldn't they be able to find Naruto?
But Sarutobi was willing to keep his own suspicions a secret if it meant preventing a war between two villages.
"…If we can't find Naruto Uzumaki then… we'll have to accept that." The Hokage said finally. "As long as he doesn't cause trouble for us… then there's no reason for us to spend more time searching for him than is needed."
Sarutobi sighed when nobody responded to this and rose to his feet.
"This council meeting is adjourned."
The council members talked and conversed amongst themselves as they walked out of the room. Sarutobi stood where he was until he was sure all the members had left.
"It would be a shame if we really lost him."
Sarutobi turned when he heard that familiar voice. Danzo stood near the door, giving the Hokage an expressionless look.
"To lose a weapon with that much potential… it would really be a shame."
The old war hawk left before he could see Sarutobi's expression of anger and digust.
X.X.X.X.X
Sarutobi sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He turned towards the window that overlooked Konohagakure. It was late at night and most of the village was probably asleep, and he was probably the only one who worrying about just how much Naruto's disappearance could affect the village.
It wasn't the boy's disappearance that would actually affect Konoha. Sarutobi let out a dry, self-deprecating chuckle when he realized the very likely possibility of the village's pariah and residential demon's disappearance would cause many to rejoice. No, it was the circumstances of Naruto's disappearance that worried the Hokage. The only other culprit behind the deaths of three chunin…
The Mizukage of Kirigakure, Yagura.
Sarutobi had kept his meeting with the man a secret, and now he was glad that he did. Of course it was unusual for another Kage to visit a foreign village, especially when there was no treaty of peace between them, so Sarutobi was probably the only one who knew of the Mizukage's unannounced arrival and of what they discussed.
Yagura had wanted to take Naruto away from the village to train him in controlling the Kyuubi.
The Mizukage was… cold, direct, and unfeeling if Hiruzen had to put it into words. He was even more stoic that Hiashi, Shibi, or certain members of the council. Sarutobi knew that his personality was probably due to his connection with the Sanbi and his jinchuriki status, but it wasn't something he had a right to question. Even still, when the man had suddenly showed up a couple days ago during the Yondaime's Memorial festival and volunteered to train Naruto, Sarutobi couldn't help but wonder what his motives were. Surely the man had known what a foolish request that was.
Though… Yagura's reaction to Naruto's treatment and Sarutobi's reasons for keeping the boy unaware of his jinchuriki status had been a bit of a surprise. In the few times he had met with the young Kage, Sarutobi had rarely ever seen the man get so worked up. The Mizukage had been offended by how Sarutobi was handling Naruto's situation and how he had chosen to tell the villagers but keep the jinchuriki himself unaware.
But Sarutobi had his reasons! The boy deserved a chance to grow up being normal rather than thinking all the villagers' mistreatment was justified just because he was a jinchuriki. What if Naruto was frightened by the prospect? If the boy knew of such a burden who knows how it would've affected him. He had made sure the children of the villager's were unaware so Naruto could be given a chance to gain friends. He had done what he could and tried to do his best for Naruto!
"…No matter how many times I tell myself that, I still can't quite believe it myself." Sarutobi said softly.
He had tried to make the best out of Naruto's bad situation and failed. The boy had shouldered the village's greatest burden and became a jinchuriki. He became the village pariah and didn't even know why…
If… if his suspicions were correct and Yagura really was behind those chunins' deaths and had kidnapped Naruto, what could he do? Would he release that information and risk starting a war between Konoha and Kirigakure? Or would he keep silent, accept the fact that Naruto was gone, and leave things be for the sake of the village…?
Sarutobi rubbed his temples in frustration. As if the Uchiha massacre hadn't been bad enough and now something like this happens? He felt like screaming.
The Hokage made a note to send a messenger hawk to Kirigakure in the morning. Even if some were willing to ignore and embrace Naruto's disappearance, he wouldn't just let things slide so easily.
X.X.X.X.X
Naruto smiled giddily to himself as he snuggled deeper into the warmth that surrounded him. He just felt so comfortable! The covers were soft, the mattress was cushiony and firm and the sheets were clean. Even after waking up the boy had decided to abuse this new pleasure and wrapped himself up within his bed sheets. He had never known that beds could feel this good before. He almost felt like crying when he compared the bed he was resting in now to the stiff, uncomfortable, musty one that had been in his old apartment.
The jinchuriki grinned happily to himself. He had almost thought that all of this had been a dream. He couldn't express his joy in words when he found out that he had indeed been given a brand new, comfortable home and a new friend when he woke up.
The boy wouldn't have minded staying in bed all day were it not for his stomach demanding some morning nutrition. Naruto rubbed his arms against the warm sheets a few times before kicking the covers off his body. The boy jumped to the floor and walked over to Gaara's bed.
"Hey, Gaara! Wake up! Let's go get some breakfast."
It was a new day! A new experience! Naruto wanted nothing more than to share it with his newest friend!
"Zzzzzzz…"
Gaara didn't respond. The younger boy had a content smile on his face as his head sank into his pillow. Naruto's grinned widened as he enthusiastically shook the boy.
"C'mon, Gaara! It's morning! Time to wake up!"
"Mmph… grnsml… wanlf…" The Ichibi container mumbled unintelligibly as his body turned over.
Naruto wasn't one to be deterred. He immediately crawled onto Gaara's bed and started jumping up and down on the mattress, causing the boy's body to bounce and shake.
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Naruto laughed as he jumped on the mattress.
"Gugh… huh…? Ah!" Gaara roused a bit before finally shooting up from his sleeping position. When he was sure he wasn't in the middle of some earthquake, he stared at the boy in front of him with surprise and a small amount of fear after Naruto had stopped jumping. "N-Naruto…? W-What are you doing…?"
"I'm waking you up!" Naruto replied cheerfully as he climbed off the bed. "I was wondering if you wanted to go have breakfast with me."
Gaara blinked, still trying to get over the shock of being woken up in such a manner. After regaining his train of thought and realizing that his friend was asking him to have breakfast with him, Gaara allowed a shy smile to rise onto his face.
"Okay…" Gaara nodded.
"Great!" Naruto smiled, grabbing the boy's hand and almost physically dragging the smaller boy from the bed. Gaara was able to grab his teddy just before Naruto pulled him out of the bed and out the door and downstairs towards the kitchen.
This was all so new to the Ichibi container. He had little to no contact from anyone outside his family and had never met anyone as excitable as Naruto Uzumaki. The boy seemed completely at ease around him and wasn't afraid to get near him or touch him like others were. It had been the same with Yagura when he had comforted the boy and brought him to Kirigakure. Though, thanks to Yagura properly modifying his seal, Gaara's sand no longer followed him around and was being kept in a gourd that Yagura had put in his room. Gaara was a complete stranger to affection, so he was still trying to learn how he should respond to it.
He wasn't about to give it up though. He was ready to kill if it meant he could keep experiencing it.
"I can't believe how nice everything looks." Naruto said as they entered the kitchen. "My old house never had anything like this."
"Yeah." Gaara agreed absentmindedly, feeling like he should respond to that. He had to admit, he certainly preferred this new house as opposed to the one in Suna. It had a much more welcome atmosphere to it.
"Food, food, food…" Naruto muttered to himself and he searched for the pantry door. As he trekked through the kitchen, a familiar smell filtered into his nostrils.
Naruto's eyes widened when he recognized the scent.
Turning towards the table, Naruto felt his mouth water when he saw the big bowl of ramen sitting on the dining table. Almost forgetting that he was dragging Gaara behind him, Naruto quickly trudged over to the table and took a seat. Gaara took the one next to him, staring at the steaming bowl of noodles curiously. Why was it sitting uneaten like this? No one else was around.
Naruto seemed to ignore everything else around him as he took a whiff of the ramen and saw stars. It smelled delicious! Since so many shops turned him away, Naruto had practically lived off the ramen he'd gotten from convenient stores and more recently Ichiraku's. Thusly, he had developed a taste and respect for ramen that boarded on obsession. Almost immediately the young boy could see that this shoyu ramen was formidable, and it was rare to see it since Naruto more familiar with miso and pork ramen. Pillowy, soft, curly yellow egg noodles were submerged in a supreme soup complimented by dried sardines, pork knuckle, and chicken bones. To top it off, a hardboiled egg and a few spices he picked out had been added to the dish, completing a beautiful picture.
"Naruto, did you hear that?" Gaara asked when he heard something similar to a flushing toilet.
Naruto, oblivious to the world around him, took the chopsticks that sat next to the bowl, uttered a quick thanks, and brought some noodles to his lips.
His would be totally accurate to say his tastebuds had an orgasm right then and there.
Before Naruto could revel and appreciate such high quality ramen, a low voice broke his thoughts.
"Why the hell are you eating my food?"
Naruto stiffened when he noticed the shadow that had fallen over him and how Gaara was staring behind him with a fearful expression. Naruto turned around in his seat and looked up.
And up.
Han crossed his arms as he scowled down at the blond haired twerp that was enjoying his meal. He shot a quick glare at the red head who cowered back before redirecting his gaze back to the silent blond.
"Well?" The Gobi container asked, snarling as he leaned over the Kyuubi container.
Naruto shook in place as the tall jinchuriki tower above him. The boy was really intimidating, and that sneer made him look really scary. Still, Naruto was hungry, and after tasting that ramen, Naruto wasn't scared enough to not ask where he had gotten it.
"S-Sorry. It was just sitting there so…" Naruto trailed off. "Um, where did you get it?"
If they really had that kind of ramen in pantry, he was ready to start worshiping Yagura as a god if he was doing this much for them and providing them with such good ramen.
"I didn't get it from anywhere. I made it." Han said, rolling his eyes.
Naruto's eyes widened and his mouth dropped in shock.
Okay, he'd start worshipping the tall, scary teenager instead.
"REALLY?" Naruto exclaimed, standing up in his chair so he could face the older container. Even then, he barely reached the Gobi container's chest.
"Yeah…" Han said slowly, arching an eyebrow at the unadulterated awe and hero-worship in the boy's eyes. "…So I'm guessing you really like ramen, huh?"
"DO I?" Naruto grinned, forgetting how intimidating the teen was. "Ramen is the best! It's the greatest food ever made! And you make it taste so GOOD!"
Despite himself, Han allowed an arrogant smirk rise to his face. He knew how good a cook he was, and ramen was just one of his many specialties. A lesser known fact about the Gobi container was that despite all appearances, cooking was actually a hobby. Having nothing to eat but crap for most of his early childhood, Han took it upon himself to learn how to make good food for himself since no one else would ever be willing to do so. Next to killing, training and forging his armor, cooking had been something he practiced in his spare time over the years.
In short, Han could cook and he was damn good at it. Seeing this annoying brat appreciate the fact helped inflate his ego.
It didn't mean that the praise made him any friendlier though.
"Glad you like it. Now get out of my chair." Han said bluntly as he shoved the boy to the ground.
The moment gone, Han's face settled back into a frown as Naruto yelped and fell to the floor. Gaara quickly rushed to the boy's side and helped him up as Han took a seat and ate his meal.
"Naruto, are you okay?" Gaara asked worriedly.
"It's fine." Naruto waved him off. He could something like that off easy. Compared to how the villager's treated him, a light shove was nothing. Not one to be discouraged and clouded with thoughts of amazing ramen and that there was a chef who could rival Ichiraku's sitting next to him, Naruto approached Han with a bright smile. "So do you always eat ramen for breakfast?"
"No." Han answered.
"Is it your favorite food?"
"No."
"How'd you cook the noodles? They had really good texture!"
"…"
"The soup was good too. Did you make that yourself too?"
"…"
"Seriously, it was some of the best ramen I've ever had! Could you teach me how to make it sometime?"
Han growled under his breath. Clearly his silent treatment wasn't getting through to the kid. Turning towards the boy he gave him an unfriendly glare.
"What do you want from me, brat?" Han scowled.
"Some ramen!" Naruto declared without shame.
"And you want me to make it for you?" Han smiled. Naruto completely missed his mocking tone.
"Yeah!" Naruto nodded vigorously.
"Forget it." Han promptly refused, turning back towards his meal.
"What? C'mon, please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No…"
"Please, please?"
"NO."
"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please-"
Han's chopsticks snapped in half when the blond brat continued to beg him. Gaara noticed the look of annoyance on his face and tried to make Naruto be quiet, but the boy ignored him and kept on begging. Just as Han turned to shut up the source of his ire, another person voiced his plea.
"Please make ramen for us, Han-kun…?"
Han's eyes bulged and he almost fell out of his chair when Roshi whispered the words into his ear. Naruto and Gaara jumped in surprise when they noticed the red haired man standing next to Han. The Gobi container stared at Roshi with open shock as the man just smiled at the three of them.
"Roshi-san!" Naruto grinned at the man.
"Since when were you here?" Han sputtered.
"Since just now." Roshi smiled as he plucked the broken chopsticks from Han's fingers and used them to sample the ramen for himself. He smirked and ruffled Han's hair. "My compliments to the chef."
"Get off!" Han demanded, pushing his hand off his head.
"Yo! What's that I smell~?"
"Dammit. Not him too." Han thought as he felt a migraine coming on.
"Bee-san!" Naruto grinned when he saw the Hachibi container enter the kitchen. The older boy grinned when Naruto waved at him.
"Yo, Naruto! And Gaara too!" Bee grinned as he approached the duo. He glanced at the bowl in front of Han and smiled at the Gobi container who glared back. "You cookin' for us today, dude?"
"No." Han deadpanned. "I was-"
"Bee?"
The five containers turned to see Yugito and Fu standing near the entrance to the kitchen. Yugito looked surprised at the amount of people present while Fu yawned and seemed to be nodding off every so often. Han groaned when Utakata joined them, his face one of surprise when he too noticed the amount of people in the room. It had been such a good morning too. Han had woken up early, spent some time working on his armor near the hot springs out back, and had cooked up some ramen to fill him up for the morning. Now, annoyance and annoyance was filling up the room and ruining his otherwise perfect morning.
"Well, looks like everyone is here." Roshi smiled, breaking the silence. "And just in time too! Han-kun was just about to make us breakfast."
"What? Old man, don't think for a second that I-"
"Han-san is a really good cook!" Naruto broke in, happy that Han was going to make them breakfast. "His ramen is the best!"
"Ramen for breakfast?" Yugito asked, scrunching her nose in slight disgust. "Is that proper?"
"I cook whatever I'm feeling in the mood for, and I wanted ramen." Han broke in, feeling the need to defend his choice of meal. "If you don't like it cook something else."
"Now, now, Yugito-chan. Don't be picky." Roshi smiled. "A little variety in one's morning routine makes life interesting."
"I'm not opposed to it." Utakata shrugged, not really caring what was served.
"Food." Fu ordered like it was a demand.
"Well, is it really okay, Han-san?" Yugito asked, turning towards the one who she assumed would do the cooking.
Han hesitated when all seven pairs of eyes turned towards him. He had no problems turning down just Naruto and Gaara. He could reject Roshi easily. There was no way he'd cook for the annoying Hachibi container willingly. But with every single one of his roommates looking at him like this…
"…Fine." Han sighed. In the face of all this expectation, he just couldn't bring himself to give a shit anymore. "Don't expect anything too extravagant though."
"Yay!" Naruto cheered, quickly taking a seat. "Ramen!"
"Are you really okay with cooking for all of us, Han-san?" Yugito asked uncertainly.
"It's not like anything I say will matter otherwise." Han said sourly, glaring at Roshi when the man smirked at him. "Just don't get used to it. This won't be a regular thing."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Yugito asked, a little guilty that he was the only one cooking. "I can make a few side dishes. If you need help with anything…"
"Just get some more spices from the panty." Han sighed, taking out a carrier scroll and summoning up some already made noodles and ingredients, much to everyone's surprise. "What I've got on me won't be enough to flavor everything."
"Okay! I'll make some gyoza to go with it too!" Yugito smiled as she went to rummage through the pantry.
"I'll cook some rice." Roshi offered as he took out a pot from one of the cupboards.
Han resisted the urge to punch that annoying smile off Yonbi container's face.
X.X.X.X.X
Yagura glanced around the compound a few times as he entered the complex where the rest of the jinchuriki were staying. It was encouraging to see none of the houses had been broken or receive any reports of disruptive behavior last night. That was a good sign, wasn't it? As the Mizukage entered the main house, a pleasant smell wafted through the air around him. Could it be breakfast? Curious about what the smell was and the various voices coming from the kitchen, Yagura headed that way.
The sight that greeted him was surprising.
All of the jinchuriki were gathered around the large dining table that could easily fit the eight living containers plus a few guests. Yagura was surprised to see the table mostly full and that all of the jinchuriki were having breakfast together. He was a little amused to see the breakfast of choice, but everyone on the table seemed to enjoy it. The kitchen was also filled with the voices of the jinchuriki as they conversed amongst themselves. Roshi and Bee were talking about something of interest as Gaara and Naruto listened in rapt attention. The amount of empty bowls stacked next to Naruto was also a little shocking. Yugito was trying to keep Fu from eating too fast. The smaller girl's cheeks were swelled with the contents of her breakfast as she tried to stuff more and more food into her mouth. It made the Nanabi container look like a chipmunk if Yagura had to make a comparison. Utakata kept one chair between himself and Naruto who sat on his right. The boy was eating so messily he had gotten some contents of his breakfast on the table around him, and Utakata didn't want to stain his robes. Han just quickly sat at the end of the table while trying his best to ignore the people around him as he ate the meal he cooked.
"Ah… Fu-chan, you could slow down a bit, you know…" Yugito cautioned as more ramen disappeared inside the girl's mouth. The Nibi container jumped when the girl's chopstick's shot out and dived into her own bowl of ramen and took it for herself.
"We have quite a few eaters here, don't we?" Utakata commented with some amusement as Fu shoved away her empty bowl and pulled Yugito's closer. The Rokubi container had already finished his meal as one bowl of ramen was more than enough for him.
"I-I just don't want her to choke, is all…" Yugito said as she watched Fu eat. She wasn't as messy as Naruto, but everything in front of her just seemed to… disappear. The way Fu ate was rather cute in Yugito's opinion.
"More." Fu demanded as she held out her empty bowl and swallowed her food with one gulp.
"There is no more." Han sighed exasperatedly. "You and that blonde brat ate everything already.
Seriously, he didn't think he'd waste everything he had on these people! Now he knew why their pantry and refrigerator was stuffed with so much food. They were supplied with about a month of food, but at the rate some of these people ate it wouldn't even last a week! Those noodles took time to make, as did the soup. If they were looking forward to more, Han was going disappoint a lot of people at this table.
Not that he ever planned on cooking for anyone other than himself again, mind you.
"You can have mine if you want…" Gaara said quietly as he pushed his half eaten bowl towards Fu. He jumped when it disappeared and appeared in front of Fu. She had almost taken his hand!
"Hey, Fu-chan, what do you say to Gaara-kun?" Yugito asked.
Fu paused in her meal and raised her head a bit. She gave Yugito a confused look.
"Why would I say anything to him?" Fu asked before continuing with her meal.
Yugito sighed. Fu was definitely a stranger to a lot of things she had previously considered common knowledge to most. She definitely lacked table manners, that's for sure. At least she wasn't as messy as Naruto.
"Ah, that was the best!" Naruto grinned as he finished off his last bowl. "I'm stuffed!"
"Where does it go?" Gaara asked his friend in wonder at he stared at the ten bowls stacked next to Naruto.
"We've got a man here who really loves his ramen." Bee chuckled. "He can put away ten bowls like it was common!
"Hehe, ramen is the best breakfast ever!" Naruto grinned as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
"I wouldn't go so far to say that…" Utakata said lightly as he pushed his empty bowl away. He smiled towards Han. "It was a good meal though."
"It'll be the last one you get from me." Han declared with finality.
"I'm still hungry." Fu pouted as she set aside her seventh bowl. While she hadn't eaten as much ramen as Naruto did, she had certainly eaten more food. Empty bowls of gyoza and rice also surrounded the minty haired girl.
"Here you go." Roshi smiled as he handed the girl some more rice. Fu took it without a thank you. Roshi didn't mind though. "Well, isn't this a nice way to spend the morning? We should all eat together like this more often. Don't you agree, Yagura-san?"
Everyone in the room turned towards the new guest who stood near the entrance to the kitchen. Yagura nodded towards them all in greeting as he approached the table.
"I'm happy to see all of you getting along so well." Yagura said. "I had been worried that it would take more time for you all to get used to each other."
"It's better to get along rather than fight if we're going to be here for a while." Roshi said conversationally. He turned towards the other jinchuriki with a friendly smile. "Isn't that right, guys?"
A chorus of agreements or annoyed mumbles served as a reply.
"We would have saved you some food if we had known you were coming, Mizukage-sama." Yugito said, trying her best to sound respectful.
"Han made us ramen!" Naruto proclaimed with a smile.
"Under protest…" Han grumbled.
"Hm… is that so?" Yagura murmured, surprised that the Gobi container had done so. He had probably been forced into somehow if that was the case. "And don't worry, Yugito-san. I've already had something to eat so you don't need to worry about that."
"Is there a reason you've come to see us so early in the morning, Mizukage-sama?" Utakata asked.
"Yes." Yagura nodded in affirmation to Utakata's question. "I'd like to begin your training as soon as possible. However, before we get started on that, there are a few people I'd like you all to meet since they will also be a part of your training. Meet me outside in a half hour so that we may go and see them."
Without saying anymore, the Mizukage turned on his heel and exited the house. The group of jinchuriki sat in silence before Naruto decided to speak up.
"So does this mean we're going to learn how to be ninja?" Naruto asked, turning to Roshi for an answer.
"I don't know about that. We're all here so we can learn to control our demons." Roshi smiled. "But I'm sure Yagura-san will teach you a thing or two about being a ninja if you ask him."
"You think?" Naruto asked hopefully.
"We should probably clean up first before we get going though." Utakata said.
"Yeah, I'll leave you guys to it then." Han said as he got up from the table.
"Hey! You trying to skip out on us?" Bee accused.
"No. I was the one who cooked the meal so you are going to clean up the mess." Han bit back as he glowered at the Hachibi container. He left the room before the argument could continue. Roshi grabbed Bee's shoulder when the teen started after him.
"Now, now, Bee-kun. Han-kun was kind enough to make us breakfast. Cleaning up isn't too much to ask for as a thank you, is it?"
"That doesn't mean he has to be such a prick about it." Bee frowned.
Roshi chuckled to himself as the other containers barring Han started to clean up. Fu and Naruto pouted to themselves and the only reason Fu hadn't followed Han was because Yugito had held onto her arm and forced her to help out. Gaara looked lost before Utakata ordered him to start collecting the bowls. It was a rocky start for them, and probably the only time they'd manage to share a breakfast together, but it meant that the jinchuriki were capable of living with one another.
The question was how long could they stand it?
X.X.X.X.X
Naruto smiled to himself as he took in his surroundings. Yagura had taken them to a large clearing just behind the Mizukage's tower. A clear lake bordered by trees stretched out in front of them. A morning mist settled over the lake and the grass was wet with dew. A couple training posts could be spotted here and there, but other than that the place was vacant.
He liked this place. Kirigakure was getting better and better by the minute.
Some people were already there to greet the assembled jinchuriki. Some of the other container recognized Ao immediately, but there was another woman standing next him who nobody had seen before. There were a few other strangers standing around that none of the jinchuriki recognized. Well, at least Utakata recognized them. The wielder of the Kubikiribocho stood off to the side leaning against a tree while the Nuibari wielder was locked in combat with a teen who was holding the Kiba Boltswords, weapons that Utakata immediately recognized. The Rokubi visibly flinched when he noticed the red haired woman talking with a long blue haired woman while another boy was seen coming out of the forest while dragging something large behind him. The boy had short blue hair and was wearing some kind of headphone attachments that Utakata assumed kept his glasses in place. However, this boy and the teenager who was fighting the Nuibari Swordsman did not have armbands of the Seven Swordsmen, which meant that they were not part of Kiri's elite group. If that was true, why was a non-member holding Kiba?
A sudden realization dawned on Utakata just then. If Mizukage wanted to introduce them to the Seven Swordsmen then did that mean they were the ones going to take part in their training?
Naruto, never the stranger, waved cheerfully to the two adults.
"Hi!" The boy grinned as he ran up to the boy who was struggling with dragging that big bandaged thing behind him. "Need help with that?"
Chojuro nearly jumped out of his skin when he was suddenly addressed by an unfamiliar voice. The Mist genin turned around to see a younger blond haired kid walking up to him with a happy smile on his face.
"W-Who are you?" Chojuro asked confusedly.
"I'm Naruto! I'm from Konoha, my favorite color is orange, I like ramen, and I want to be a ninja!"
"Konoha?" Chojuro thought to himself. He glanced behind Naruto to see seven more unfamiliar faces. Some looked close to his own age. The boy felt his confusion increase. "So these are the people Mizukage-sama said he would help train? I expected someone older than this…"
"What's your name? Are you a ninja?"
Chojuro glanced down to see where Naruto was pointing. The genin had his headband made into something he could wear around his waist like a belt. The four lines carved into the protector proved his affiliation to the Kirigakure.
"Ah, my name is Chojuro, and yes, I'm a genin who proudly serves my country and Mizukage." Chojuro answered respectfully.
"That's so cool!" Naruto gushed, surprising Chojuro with his excitement.
"…It's really not a big deal." The meeker boy replied uncomfortably.
"Oh, Chojuro, you made it!" Mei smiled, walking over to her apprentice. "I got worried when I noticed you weren't following me anymore."
"Um, you kind of just left me behind, Mei-sensei…" Chojuro muttered quietly. He wasn't strong enough to carry Hiramekarei like it was nothing yet. It took him a while to drag it all the way to the meeting place without help.
"Thank you for carrying it all the way here for me." Mei smiled as she grabbed one of the two hilts and casually lifted it onto her back. She rubbed her student's hair affectionately.
"I-It was nothing…" Chojuro smiled, ducking his head to hide his blush.
"Ahem!"
Everyone turned towards Ao when he cleared his throat. Kushimaru and Raiga stopped sparring immediately and Ameyuri took her two swords back from her student after they had stopped. Ao glared at their audience while the green haired woman gestured to Yagura.
"Mizukage-sama wishes to speak." Mai announced.
"Thank you all for meeting me here today." Yagura nodded to his ninja in thanks before he turned towards his fellow jinchuriki. He gestured to Ao and Mai. "As mentioned before, there are several people who I want to introduce you to today. These two are my advisors as well as two of Kirigakure's elite ninja. It would be preferable if you all got to know them since if there is ever a time when you need something from me and I am unavailable, you would go to these two instead."
"Ao Saizen." The blue haired man said, nodding towards the jinchuriki.
"Mai Gekidoku." The woman smiled, bowing as she introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."
"Thank you for having us." Roshi smiled back.
"I hope we won't be too much trouble." Yugito added, giving the duo a quick bow.
"Oh, they're so polite." Mai grinned. She gave Yagura a coy look. "The way you described them earlier made them sound so unfriendly."
"Some of us are just a little shy." Roshi quipped. "Don't let it bother you too much."
"So how exactly are these two supposed to help us?" Bee asked curiously. "It's not like they know about our… needs, right?"
"Believe it or not, these two are actually quite familiar with bijuu and jinchuriki." Yagura answered, surprising everyone when he casually brought up the subject. "They helped me research and study my own demon when I was younger and struggling to control it. Any advice they give should be taken to heart. And keep in mind that anyone I introduce you to today knows about the bijuu and your status as jinchuriki, so don't be afraid to talk about it."
"But… won't you be training us too, Yagura-san?" Yugito asked.
"Yugito, while I will try to devote some of my time to train you all I am still the Mizukage and my duties to the village must come first." Yagura said stoically. "Unfortunately, that means I won't be around to train any of you as often as you may like. That is why I have assigned both Ao and Mai to be your overseers during your training. They will train you all to the best of their abilities and don't be afraid to ask them for anything you need. In return, I expect all of you to show them the utmost respect and listen to what they say, understood?"
Ao and Mai took note of the jinchuriki who nodded and those who simply rolled their eyes and scoffed. It was a good way to see which of the container would be more difficult to deal with.
"Though, just the two of them aren't enough to teach the eight of you." Yagura continued. "That is why I'm assigning each of you a personal teacher who will not only train with you, but who will take the time to teach you about Kirigakure and certain things you should know."
"Wait, you mean you're giving us… a sensei?" Utakata muttered distastefully, almost choking on the word. His eyes widened when he turned towards the swordsmen. "Wait, you not going to…?"
"Your assumption is correct, Utakata." Yagura nodded. He gestured towards the four assembled swordsmen and their students standing by. "I have assigned one of the Seven Swordsmen to each one of you as your sensei. They will help teach you about what you need to know during your stay in Kirigakure and provide you with training. You need only to ask. Not only that, but should any of you become unstable, I believe any one of them to be more than capable of handling such a situation."
"Leashing us already?" Han sneered.
"A precaution. I know how dangerous bijuu are and making sure your demons are controlled is the whole reason I brought you here." Yagura replied levelly. "I only wish to help. Anything I do is for your own safety, whether you believe it or not."
Han scowled but said nothing more. Yagura nodded before turning towards Ao and Mai.
"I trust that you two can take it from here?"
"You can count on us." Mai smiled. "You don't have to worry about being late for your date with that stack of documents."
"Don't remind me." Yagura sighed, thinking of all the paperwork he still needed to catch up on.
"Yo! Are you leaving when you're supposed to be teaching?" Bee demanded.
"I only wanted to introduce you to your teachers and let you know who you'll be working with. Nothing more. I'm giving all of you an opportunity to get adjusted before I begin your actual training." Yagura replied tonelessly. "You are all free to do as you will after Mai and Ao have dismissed you. Until then, do as they say and don't cause any trouble."
Without saying any more, Yagura disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Man, that ain't cool." Bee pouted. "Leaving us like that…"
"Don't hold it against him. Our Mizukage will often busy himself trying to take care of the village." Mai smiled.
"He's doing a great job of it so far if some of those rumors are to be believed." Han smirked. "I actually kind of like the nickname your Mizukage earned this place."
"What nickname?" Naruto asked curiously.
"That's not important." Ao broke in swiftly, giving the Gobi container a hard look. "During your stay in Kirigakure you will show the Mizukage proper respect, and anything he has ever done has been for the sake of the village. Keep in mind that most of those rumors have been grossly exaggerated."
"So the Purges were all an accident then?" Han asked mockingly. "Is that what you're saying?"
"Han-kun…" Roshi whispered. "Please try not to agitate the people who are helping us."
"I don't need their help, and I don't follow anyone's orders if I don't want to." Han bit back as he turned away from the group and headed out of the forest.
"Where do you think you're going?" Ao demanded.
"What? I came here, I was introduced to you and the swordsmen, and that's all that's needed, right? If there's nothing else then I'm out of here." Han scowled.
"We haven't said you could leave yet." Mai said, glaring at the Gobi container.
"And I should care, why…?" Han chuckled. He pointed to the swordsmen who were also giving him distasteful looks. "I'm not interested in having a teacher telling me what to do. Yagura gave me a quiet place to work uninterrupted as was our agreement, so I'll follow his orders to a certain extent, but I'm not a Kirigakure ninja so I have no obligation to listen to you guys if I don't want to. I've got more important things to do anyway."
"We will be reporting this to the Mizukage." Mai warned him.
The woman chuckled darkly with slight amusement as Han flipped her the bird before disappearing into the forest. As she started after him Ao grabbed her shoulder.
"We'll deal with it if the problem persists." Ao muttered, still glaring into the forest. "For now, we have seven people who are still here."
"True…" Mai agreed quietly as she stepped back into place. She clapped her hands together cheerfully to shake off her anger. "Well, I suppose we'll ignore Han-kun for now."
"Is that really okay?" Yugito asked uncertainly, appalled by Han's behavior and abrupt departure.
"It's fine. We have more important business to attend to anyway." Ao insisted.
"What are the Purges?" Fu suddenly asked, tilting her head curiously.
"I said that's not important." Ao stressed as he gestured to the swordsmen. He started talking again before any more questions could be asked. "Now, for those of you who don't know, the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist is a group of seven ninja who are Kirigakure's strongest warriors. Not only are the ninja themselves famous, but the swords they wield are known throughout the land as some of the greatest blades ever forged. You should consider yourselves privileged to be given the opportunity to be taught by any one of them."
"Swordsmen… sweet." Bee grinned, excited since he had been training with swords himself.
"I believe names should be enough for now since I'm sure you'll all get a chance to know them on a more personal level, given enough time." Mai smiled. She gestured to Mei. "Wielder of the Twinsword Hiramekarei, Mei Terumi."
"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Mei smiled to the jinchuriki. She gestured towards Chojuro. "This is my student, Chojuro. He shows a lot of promise and someday I'll pass the Hiramekarei onto him. Say hello to the nice people, Chojuro."
"H-Hi…" The boy waved uneasily.
"Ameyuri Ringo, wielder of the Boltswords, Kiba." Mai continued, gesturing to the small woman with long blue hair.
"I look forward to working with you all." The woman said politely as she gave the group a bow. She gestured to the teen standing next to her. "This is Raiga Kurosuki, my own apprentice and possible successor to the Kiba swords."
"Possible?" Raiga sputtered incredulously.
"Possible." Ameyuri repeated with a small smile.
"Kushimaru Kuriarare, wielder of the Longsword, Nuibari." Mai said, gesturing to the tall, skinny man with the ANBU mask.
"Charmed, I'm sure." The man said. "I've never taken on a student before, so I hope we'll get along."
The guy was probably the only one taller than Han.
"Zabuza Momochi, wielder of the Seversword, Kubikiribocho." Mai went on, pointing to the man with bandages around his face who was leaning against a tree.
"Tch… I can't believe I'm expected to take on a brat for real." Zabuza muttered to himself. "As if Gozu and Meizu weren't annoying enough already…"
"And while there are seven swordmen… I only count four." Mai trailed off. "Which brings us to the question… where are the other three members?"
As if on cue, another man with an eye patch over one eye emerged from the forest. Everyone immediately recognized the armband with the emblem of the Swordsmen tied to his arm.
"Jinpachi Munashi, wielder of the Blastsword, Shibaki." Mai announced with a smile as the man gave a small bow.
"I apologize for my tardiness, Mai-san." Jinpachi said. "I was forcibly detained."
"Oh? Care to tell us why?" Ao asked skeptically. "And where are Jinin and Kisame?"
"Kisame's whereabouts are unknown. He's probably off on some personal errand or another, like usual." Jinpachi replied, earning a frustrated groan from Ao. "As for Jinin, he was helping me with the problem that is the reason for my late arrival."
"And the problem is?" Ao demanded impatiently.
"It's Tuesday, Ao-san." Jinpachi stated simply.
This brief explanation confused the jinchuriki. What did knowing the day have to do with anything? To their surprise, Ao, Mai and the other swordsmen nodded as if those three words were enough to explain everything.
"Ah, dammit…" Ao cursed as he rubbed his temples. "I guess that's why you don't have the Shibaki on you right now…"
"I am ashamed to admit that he took it from me… again…" Jinpachi admitted with a hint of embarrassment in his tone.
"Son of a… those two troublemakers…" Ao cussed under his breath. "Let's go hurry and take care of it."
"At once, Ao-san."
Both he and Jinpachi disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Um, are we missing something here?" Roshi asked with a smile even though it was clear the man was puzzled. "What does the fact it's Tuesday have to do with anything?"
"Ah, I suppose that's the first thing they should know about Kirigakure, huh?" Kushimaru said conversationally.
"You have to give them props though for always managing to steal them though." Ameyuri pointed out with a smile.
"I thought it was pretty funny the way they got Kubikiribocho from Zabuza two weeks ago." Mei laughed.
"Hey! I told you that was a fluke!" Zabuza protested.
"I don't get it… what are they arguing about?" Naruto wondered as the four swordsmen began to argue.
"Ah, well, there are two people who constantly cause the swordsmen trouble by stealing their swords on different days of the week." Chojuro explained. "It's been a recurring thing for a couple years now."
"Two people who steal the swords? I've never heard of this." Utakata said.
"That's because is would be embarrassing for the most powerful ninja in Kirigakure if rumor got around that their swords were so easily stolen." Chojuro explained with a small smile.
"Are these people really that strong?" Yugito asked in awe.
"Um… I wouldn't say that they're really just strong. They're really smart and cunning, more like." Chojuro said.
"They're pranksters." Mai smiled, walking over to the group.
"Pranksters…?" Gaara asked.
"Yes. Pranksters with dreams of becoming two of the Seven Swordsmen in the near future." Mai smiled.
"And these guys are smart enough to successfully steal the famous swords from the Seven Swordsmen?" Utakata asked incredulously. "You have got to be kidding me."
Mai laughed to herself as an idea suddenly popped into her head.
"Well, why don't we go see their handiwork for ourselves?" Mai suggested loudly, getting the bickering swordsmen's attention. "Be sure to keep a tight grip on your weapons."
Each of the swordsmen clenched the hilt of their swords, almost making their knuckles go white with how tightly they squeezed.
X.X.X.X.X
As they got closer to their destination, several blasting noises could be heard nearby. It was like explosions were setting off somewhere.
"Are we close to a minefield or something?" Bee asked.
"Not exactly." Mai smiled as she led the group of jinchuriki and Mist swordsmen to the Seven Swordsmen's personal training grounds. "Since it's Tuesday, that means it was the Shibaki's turn to get stolen."
"There's a reason it's called the Blastsword." Ameyuri explained as they walked along. "If you think about that, it's not surprising to hear so many explosions go off at once."
"So a sword is causing all of this?" Bee asked in wonder. "Do the swords have special abilities or something that let's them do stuff like that?"
"They do." Mai smiled. "Just think of their names as clues as to what they can do. Though it'll be easier to understand if you all see it firsthand."
"Nice rapping." Bee complimented, earning a slightly confused look from Mai.
Eventually they came out into a large clearing, and the sight that met them surprised them all.
"Wow…" Naruto gaped as he saw what was occurring before his eyes.
Ao, Jinpachi, and another swordsman were fighting against two brothers. The training ground had nearly collapsed due to collateral damage. The jinchuriki were rather surprised by the damage to the surrounding area, though Mai and swordsmen didn't seem too perturbed by it.
"Dammit boy, give back that sword!" Jinin shouted as he rushed towards the lean, white haired teen wielding the Shibaki.
Mangetsu Hozuki smirked as he saw Jinin raise the axe part of the Kabutowari up. He immediately struck the ground in front of him with the Blastsword, letting loose an explosion that sent Jinin flying backwards.
"Suiton: Mizurappa!"
Ao launched a torrent of water towards Mangetsu as he saw Jinin get repelled. The white haired man teen just smirked as he swung the sword forward right into the torrent, causing the water to explode like a wave around him. Mangetsu smirked as the water showed him a bit as it passed over his head.
It wasn't like water attacks could hurt him, but it looked cool when the water exploded like that.
"Nii-san! Let me have a turn with the sword already!"
Mangetsu frowned and pushed away his kid brother when the boy made a reach for it.
"No way. If I give it to you you'll just lose it again." Mangetsu argued as he bopped him on the head. "Let the master have fun for a while."
"But you always hog the swords! I almost never get to use them!" Suigetsu whined.
"That's because you always drop them! You've got butterfingers!"
"I do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Impact!"
"Shit!"
Mangetsu jumped out of the way when he heard Jinin's shout and saw his hammer coming down on them. Suigetsu wasn't so fast.
The earth exploded with a loud crash when the Kabutowari came down on Suigetsu's head.
"Oh my gosh! He killed him!" Yugito gasped.
"He's fine." Kushimaru sighed. "It's their damn bloodline that makes these guys so annoying…"
Everyone stared down at Jinin when Kushimaru pointed to where he was standing. The water beneath the man's feet was… moving?"
Naruto, Gaara, Yugito, and Fu jumped when a head suddenly popped out from the puddle.
"You ass! Why didn't you warn me?" Suigetsu shouted at his brother as his head reconstituted.
"Even if I had you'd have been too damn slow to dodge it anyway!" Mangetsu shouted back. "Geez, you're fucking useless!"
"Am not!"
"Are so!"
"I am not!"
"Are so!"
"This is rather entertaining." Roshi chuckled as he watched the show.
"Isn't it?" Mai giggled to herself as she watched the brothers shout at each other.
"Who are those two guys?" Naruto asked curiously.
"The Hozuki brothers, Mangetsu and Suigetsu." Mai said, pointing to each of them as she gave their names. "They're the only remaining members of the Hozuki Clan, whose Kekkai Genkai allowed them to turn their bodies into liquid. As you can see, because of this technique it makes them rather difficult to hit… or catch, for that matter."
"Are they even ninja?" Utakata asked.
"Though they aren't official Kirigakure ninja, I have them do odd jobs here and there as punishment for stealing the swords every once in a while." Mai answered.
"Even if you describe him as a prankster, Mangetsu wields that sword expertly." Roshi noted as he continued to watch the fight.
"He's had lots of practice." Mai smiled. "Mangetsu is very cunning. A prodigy too. Not only can he wield Shibaki, but he has also mastered the Kubikiribocho and Hiramekarei as well."
"Suigetsu isn't anywhere near his older brother's skill level though." Zabuza added. "The only sword he can use with some form of skill is my own, but even then he's not that good at it."
"But you've trained the boy before, haven't you Zabuza-san." Mai stated rather than asked.
"Tch…" Zabuza glared at the woman but didn't deny it.
"You guys… seem rather casual about all of this." Yugito said. "Shouldn't you be more alarmed that someone is using your swords?"
"It's good practice to fight them." Kushimaru shrugged. "Plus, if one of us dies, while have a replacement. Mangetsu is like a substitute member. It's a win-win thing."
Yugito refrained from pointing out how strange and morbid that reason was.
"It isn't as bad as you think, Yugito-chan." Mai assured her. "I'm actually responsible for keeping an eye on those two. They just like the challenge and the attention, plus they always return the swords. It's nothing you should get worked up about."
"You say that they're bloodline users?" Roshi asked with a smile. "Perhaps all those rumors about the Mizukage hating Kekkai Genkai were exaggerated after all?"
Mai gave the man a harsh glare, prompting the Yonbi container to shut his trap. The woman sighed to herself as she watched Mangetsu evade Jinpachi.
"Yagura had his reasons… not that anyone else would understand that…" Mai thought to herself.
"Ha! I've really gotten a feel for this thing." Mangetsu laughed as he swung the blade around. He smirked at Jinpachi who glared at him from across the field. "What's the matter? Jealous that I can use your sword better than you?"
Mangetsu, in his taunting, failed to notice Ao appear behind him.
"That's enough."
Mangetsu's eyes widened when Ao's hand came down on his outstretched arm like a sword and severed the limb from his body. His dismembered arm dispersed into water and Jinin grabbed the Blastsword before it hit the ground. Jinpachi walked over to his fellow swordsman and retrieved the Shibaki.
"Tch. Dammit." Mangetsu pouted as his arm reconstituted. He felt his leg give out when his brother kicked him in the shin. "Hey! What's the idea?"
"I didn't even get to use the sword this time!" Suigetsu said angrily. "Shibaki is the fun one too!"
"Yeah. Nothing's more fun than making random things go 'boom'." Mangetsu agreed as the two of them chuckled together. He smiled and ruffled his brother's hair. "I'll tell you what. Tomorrow, you get first dibs."
"Really?"
"Yeah. But if you lose it right off the bat your sword wielding privileges are revoked for the rest of the week."
"WHAT?"
"Speaking of which…" Mangetsu trailed off and faced the audience who had been watching. Ameyuri flinched when Mangetsu pointed and smirked at her. "Tomorrow is Wednesday."
"So it is." Ameyuri sighed.
"Oh… Kiba…" Suigetsu deflated when he remembered which sword they practiced with on Wednesdays. Figures his brother would give him first dibs on his least favorite sword.
Electricity and their water bodies didn't mix too well.
"Don't think we'll let you steal the sword so easily!" Raiga proclaimed as he comically shook his fist at the Hozuki brothers.
"Whatever." Mangetsu waved him off as he grabbed Suigetsu and took off. "So long, suckers!"
Naruto and the others only noticed the river nearby only after Mangetsu and Suigetsu jump into it. The brothers let the stream carry their liquefied bodies away.
"Cool…" Naruto muttered as he stared at the river.
"Gah, Jinpachi! How could you let your sword get stolen so easily?" Jinin scolded as he sealed away the Kabutowari in a carrier scroll. "It's a lot of trouble to get it back once those two steal it, you know?"
"…I wasn't complaining when they did the same to you yesterday." Jinpachi pointed out as he too sealed away his sword.
Jinin blushed with embarrassment and looked away. His eyebrows rose when he noticed the group of unfamiliar faces standing next to Mai and the other swordsmen.
"Who're they?" Jinin asked Ao as he stepped forward next to them.
"They are the people whom you were supposed to introduce yourselves to earlier this morning." Ao sighed. "Though, I suppose your failure to show up on time can be overlooked since you were helping Jinpachi deal with the Hozuki brothers."
"Eh? Er, I mean… of course! The meeting! I definitely didn't forget! Just helping out my comrade!" Jinin laughed to himself. "Wahahaha!"
Mai giggled as the man gave himself away while Ao palmed his forehead. The man was forgetful at the worst of times.
"Anyway, I suppose I should introduce myself!" Jinin said loudly. "My name is Jinin Akebino, proud member of the Seven Swordsmen and wielder of the Bluntsword, Kabutowari! I'm a man who's honored to serve the Mizukage, and I'm happy to meet all of you!"
"He's loud…" Fu grumbled as Gaara nodded in agreement.
"So, I am to take on one of these guys as my student, huh?" Jinin asked with a wide smile. "Finally decided to choose a successor for me?"
"No, Jinin-san. You're just supposed to keep an eye on one of them and answer any questions they might have." Ao explained. "Right now, we're helping them get adjusted since many of them are strangers to Kirigakure's environment."
"Can you teach me how to be a ninja?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Of course I can!" Jinin proclaimed, ignoring Ao. He gestured to his fellow swordsmen. "Any one of my comrades can do so if that's what you want! Do you want to be a ninja, boy?"
"Yeah! I want to become a ninja so I can accomplish my dream!" Naruto smiled proudly.
"So you have a dream! That's good!" Jinin smiled. "Every aspiring ninja should have a goal in life and a dream that keeps them going!"
"Too true, Jinin-san."
Naruto yelped when a new voice suddenly spoke up. Mai's eyes narrowed at the man who was suddenly standing next to the boy. The jinchuriki were rather surprised by his appearance. Blue skin, sharp teeth, gills… he looked like a shark.
"Kisame…"
"Hello, Mai-san." Kisame gave a toothy smile as placed Samehada onto his back and dropped the body he had been carrying in front of her. Mai arched an eyebrow at the body before looking back at him.
"Kajika…?"
"Ah, yeah, funny that. I was out for a walk and suddenly he and his team attacked me! Go figure. Naturally, I defended myself and things kinda escalated from there." Kisame said, sounding polite yet mocking at the same time.
"…And his teammates?" Mai asked.
"Like I said, I defended myself." Kisame smiled.
Mai sighed as she nudged Kajika's body. He was dead and obviously so was his team. The credibility of Kisame's story could be dealt with later.
"I don't suppose you remembered your appointment this morning?"
"Meeting the jinchuriki? Yeah, I thought I'd be back in time for that but… things happened, y'know?" Kisame smiled. He turned towards the assembled group. "Hm… lots of foreign ninja here. You sure this is wise?"
"It was the Mizukage's decision to bring them all here." Ao interjected.
"Ah, well then I suppose that's what's best then." Kisame grinned. He raised one blue hand. "Yo! The name's Kisame Hoshigaki. I use the Greatsword Samehada in combat and I love a good fight. My favorite foods are shrimp and crab, though my least favorite is shark fin soup."
Some of the swordsmen rolled their eyes at the predictable answer.
"Anyway, it's good to meet all of you. I'm sure our time together will be… an experience."
"Your skin is blue." Fu pointed out.
"Yeah… I'm a little insecure about that myself." Kisame admitted with a shrug. His easygoing smile returned to his face. "So, which one of them is mine?"
"Right, thank you for reminding me, Kisame." Ao said, stepping forward. "Now that you've all be introduced to those who will be training you, I believe it's time for each of you to actually know who your sensei is. Take your time getting to know them and work at whatever pace your comfortable with."
"And if they can't keep up, then that's their problem." Zabuza smirked underneath his bandages.
"Ao-san, there are eight of us if we include Han. Doesn't that mean one of us won't have a sensei?" Yugito asked.
Utakata smiled to himself, silently hoping he would be the one without a sensei.
"The odd one out will still participate in training, but will have the privilege of training with the Mizukage himself." Ao replied, surprising some of the jinchuriki. "Now, as for who each of you are assigned to…"
The jinchuriki glanced at the assembled group of swordsmen, wondering which one they would have to call "Sensei" from now on.
A/N: Yes. Done. And I'm very satisfied. I think I can move things along easier from here. And don't worry, you'll see who gets who in the next chapter. What did you guys think?
So as mentioned before, I'm going to take a lot of time to develop characters we haven't seen much of in the manga/anime, which is pretty much all of the Jinchuriki/Swordsmen. I'm trying my best to establish characters for each person, and I'm having great fun doing so. Some of you should have an idea of how certain characters act and present themselves, but there's going to be a lot more in depth soon. You'll learn about the jinchurikis' past a what made them who they are and what their dreams for the future are if they have any. A few bonds will also be forged in the next chapter as well.
Things to expect: More characters will be showing up soon. I can't have Naruto and co. just interact with the swordsmen only. I'll need to add some more characters to move things along. I wish Kirigakure had more characters for me to use… but an OC here or there should fix things up just fine. Minor characters in the manga such as Mei, Chojuro, the Hozuki brothers etc. will obviously have a much larger role in the story. The Swordsman, as you can see, will also have a much more active role in the jinchuriki's lives. Who knows… maybe a few residents from other villages will come for a visit…?
In fact, in the next chapter, Kakashi and a friend of his will also be making an appearance. I also plan to have Haku, Zabuza's loyal tool in the canon manga/anime appear at some point. HAKU WILL BE A GIRL THOUGH. She will always be a girl to me.
Things you should be aware of: Ao's last name is just the last name of his voice actor. Bee and A are BLOOD-RELATED in this fic. Raiga, Ameyuri's apprentice, appears IN THE ANIME so he isn't an OC for those of you who didn't known who he was. Kajika was from an OVA. This story DOESN'T COMPLETELY FOLLOW CANON, though some scenarios may be the same. Don't complain if certain events are altered.
So ask any questions you guys have if you're curious and I'll fill you in if it doesn't spoil the story. I plan to make Omakes for this story after a few more chapters have gone by and feel free to give suggestions for those. Think of it as an opportunity to play with the characters. Thanks for reading and I'll try to get the next chapter of AON up sooner. Have a good one.
Kiiam