TimeShifter: You know... I forgot I never mentioned his new battle dress. The colors are the same as I described and the look is similar enough. I'll have to either have the opportunity to describe it from an enemy's perspective or something... As for Sabton, I don't know quite that much about the Japanese language (sorry to say), but I did go back and fix that mistake. As for the talk Hiashi and Kurenai had, that will come in due time. It should be before Chapter 10, probably closer to 5. I'm keeping that 'legacy' pretty well hidden, eh?
Chapter 3:
A Princess of Konoha
Kanaeru wore a smirk similar to Naruto's famous foxy grin. "Well, looks like everyone's getting along just fine." She clapped her hands to get everybody's attention. It worked. "I'm going to start your training right now, Naruto-kun." She was about to say something, likely directing Gayt, but she was cut short.
"What?!" Naruto screamed out. "Sakura-chan and Sasami-chan aren't here yet!" He pointed in the general direction they would arrive from. When he was awoken by the red-headed kunoichi this morning, he wasn't expecting to get right to training. He expected Hinata and Neji to be a bit early; they tended to practice some juuken as a warm-up.
"Eh?" Kanaeru gave him a long drawl like she didn't hear what she just heard. She walked towards him and placed her fists on her hips. "Did I just hear you disobeying your sensei, Naruto-kun?" Since he first met her, he was seeing for the first time her normally exuberant expression turn dark.
He vehemently shook his head. "N-No, Kanaeru-sensei!" Something was telling him to shut up and do whatever she said.
She immediately brightened back up and stood straight. "That's excellent news!" She continued what she was about to do early as if never interrupted. "Gayt, I'd like you to train with him until the medics get here. Hinata-chan and Neji-kun are in no condition to spar with Naruto-kun today."
She smiled, and he nodded. He looked to Naruto and bowed lightly. "It is an honor. I shall allow you the first strike. Please, Naruto-san, come at me with your strongest attack." His visible eye narrowed; though, it was hard to see under the shadows cast by his helmet.
Naruto pointed at Gayt like he was stupid and was about to say something until Kanaeru interrupted. "Ah, that's an excellent idea! We've heard so much about the Rasengan from Jiraiya-sama, but we haven't actually had the chance to see it yet." Her smile broadened. "Gayt, be sure not to move!" She was practically bouncing as she waved.
His eyes went wide, and he turned to his insane sensei. "You have no idea how powerful it is! It might ki-…" He was cut off by the murderous glower he was receiving from her, and he knew her unspoken command to 'do it.' He solemnly bowed his head and growled his frustration. After a moment, he made an all too familiar sign. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"
Behind him appeared a single clone. He held his hand back, and the clone prepared his hands over the original's palm. "Don't yell at me if he gets hurt." Contrary to his knowledge in Rasengan and its power, Kanaeru was glowing with anticipation and glee. Gayt was as impassive and hard to read as ever. The blue light rested on his shoulder. He licked his lips as he heard the familiar pops and whirs associated with his technique becoming whole and floating a hair's breadth over his exposed palm.
Naruto heard the familiar whoosh of displaced air as his clone dispersed. He prepared himself to run full force; though, he knew his opponent's command was to stay put. It seemed suicidal to him, but he concentrated on maintaining the power and rotation of his deadly technique. He closed his eyes and took in a breath. Against an adversary, such motions were unnecessary.
When he opened his eyes, he sprang forward. His body led with his arm falling behind, and his muscles tensed to spring forward. He felt every fiber, every tension. His left foot landed just in front of Gayt, and his right arm rushed forward with every ounce of energy he stored up going into the attack. As he was told, he was not holding back.
Naruto made a clean hit. Recalling all past uses of his most powerful technique, Gayt should have been sent flying, or he should have at least heard that armor start to crack. Something was better than nothing, but the latter seemed to be exactly what happened. Naruto thought back to when he first saw Gayt as he pumped more chakra into his Rasengan to keep it going.
His eyes narrowed. He still couldn't feel any chakra coming from the armor-clad man. After a moment, he heard something he never thought he would. "Kanaeru-sama, please catch Naruto-san. His jutsu is about to backfire." There was practically no emotion in his voice. One could barely make out the honest concern he held.
However, his words came to pass. Naruto felt his concentration slack for just a second. It shouldn't have meant anything, but something about how the very delicate threads of chakra…buckled boded ill. In an instant, Gayt was growing smaller to his vision. He knew that meant he was flying backwards, but he couldn't control his limbs. His arms and legs flailed helplessly in front of him as he arched forward.
He heard a gasp from Hinata. He heard the breath catch in Neji. He heard twigs snap and grass rustle. Then his arched back hit something soft, and that something soft landed with a hard thud against the trunk of a tree. He felt chakra surge a moment before impact. The tree jostled but, otherwise, showed no signs that two high-velocity ninja just struck it.
Naruto's vision blurred. Hinata and Neji were running up to him. He felt a warm hand on his cheek and a soothing voice. His eyelids closed, and he fell into unconsciousness.
He opened his eyes to a familiar feeling and smell. The water wasn't more than a centimeter or two deep, but it was enough to drench him. The sewer-like structure smelled dank, and it somehow reminded him of bloodied water. He stood and marched towards his destination. There was only one place to go in his subconscious.
Naruto expected to find Kyuubi in his massive kitsune form. He never expected him to be sitting on his side of an open gate in his human form. "Then again, I didn't know he had a human form until the Fourth decided to talk to him." He stopped on his usual spot half expecting to have to run away.
Kyuubi looked up to see his host standing where he expected him. "I hope you didn't come here asking me to help you fight that kousotsu, kit, 'cause I'm not about to." He saw the confused expression. "You're sparring that armored freak."
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "You don't have to be so rude." He paused for a moment as he considered something. "Though, I don't know how he managed to deflect my Rasengan." Worse than that, the power of his strongest technique was turned on him.
Kyuubi scoffed. "You really are stupid. When you wake up, just ask him!" He growled, frustration growing. "Why are you here anyway, kit?" He wasn't fully expecting a visit.
Naruto shrugged. "I dunno. I just wound up here after I…" He paused for a moment, eyes widening. "I hit something and fell unconscious!" He crossed his arms, closed his eyes, tilted his head, and tried to think. "I think somebody caught me…"
"Sit down, kit." Kyuubi was getting impatient. His host still seemed to be the same knucklehead he was used to after fifteen years, and he didn't obey at first just giving him an incredulous look. "I said sit down, so I mean sit down!" He quickly obeyed with a wide-eyed, dumbfounded expression. "There are some things I need to explain to you." He paused to watch the blond nod. "What do you remember from when the seal changed?"
Naruto scratched his cheek at that. He looked at the massive gates. They were wide open, and it looked like they swung in his direction and just stayed. He didn't feel any more or less chakra than usual, but he decided to blurt out his earlier assumption anyway. "Actually, I thought he seal broke…"
Kyuubi visibly twitched. "Did he really forget, or is he trying to annoy me?!" He made a guttural growl. "No, kit, the seal changed to say 'justice' because it was to judge me." He paused to think for a moment. His host was no expert on seals, but he apprenticed under one. "You remember when Jiraiya taught you the basics of Fuuin?"
Naruto leaned back slightly and again crossed his arms over his chest, per usual when he was thinking. "Yeah… I wasn't very good at it, but he said it was important for a shinobi to be at least aware of everything he could run across." He was surprised how easy it was to recall all his lessons.
Kyuubi smirked. "It seems the Fourth was a genius with seals; though, you probably knew that already." The blond genin nodded. "Well, the seal originally was meant to keep me separated from you and unwillingly share my chakra with you. This new seal might be called Fuuinkougi."
Naruto was skeptical. "Uh-huh, and what does an imperial court have to do with you being my eternal tormentor?" He had a feeling it was more accurate to say some unearthly tribunal was watching the bane of Konoha.
Of course, Kyuubi scoffed. "The fool sealed me with the Shinigami!" Then he muttered under his breath. "He had to use something I couldn't fight?" He heaved a sigh and returned his attention to the young man. "Fuuinkougi would be classified as a 'death' type seal."
Naruto pounded one hand in the other in understanding. "Oh, I remember when Ero-sennin taught me about that. Along with the 'blood' type, they make up the most powerful Fuuin." He sighed and looked downtrodden. "They also require a sacrifice to be made."
Kyuubi nodded. At least he didn't have to give remedial lessons. "Yeah, and I'm trapped by a 'death' seal now. I should have expected as much considering I swore revenge." A thought crossed his mind. "Tell me, kit; of everyone you've ever run across, who can you absolutely never forgive?" He included himself on that list of 'everyone' but left it hanging.
Naruto's face immediately darkened. He didn't hesitate. "Orochimaru and Akatsuki… They've hurt so many people…ruined so many live!" He was visibly trembling. He wasn't scared. He wanted revenge for all the pain and suffering they caused.
Kyuubi looked up and nearly rolled his eyes. "Well, looks like it's time to wake up. Say 'hi' to pinky for me." Naruto was about to ask a question, but his body dissolved as he regained consciousness. "I've heard humans suffer when they are forced to be alone. I wonder if the Namikaze considered that part of my punishment."
His eyes went wide when he felt a pulse, and he quickly stood. He looked around frantically. The feeling was unfamiliar, but something told him he should have felt a familiarity. He narrowed his eyes as he contemplated the possibilities. "It was definitely something in kit's chakra system…"
Tenten scratched her cheek as she looked at the mission file. "Not to seem rude, Hokage-sama, but why am I in charge of this mission?" She took a quick look at her teammates. Lee and Chouji made sense to her, but Ino seemed out of place.
Tsunade was resting her chin on tented hands. Her expression was decidedly neutral. "It's B-ranked, and I know you can handle it." Though her tone didn't betray it, she was confident in all of their abilities.
Tenten nervously giggled. She wasn't as confident as the Hokage silently was. "I don't mind protecting a village from bandits and supposed ninja, but wouldn't Gai or Neji make a better leader for this type of mission?" She hated to admit it, but she had never led a mission despite numerous solos.
Tsunade's eye twitched. She decided it was time for some of Hokage-style tough love. "Listen Tenten, you can't always rely on somebody else to take responsibility." The young kunoichi bowed her head. She opened her mouth to say something, but Tsunade continued. "You have the highest success rating on these types of missions, and you'll have appropriate back-up."
Tenten sighed in resignation. "I understand, Hokage-sama." She looked at her peers, not quite liking the idea of seeing them as subordinates. "May I speak freely, Hokage-sama?" Like Neji, she believed a serious situation warranted a serious and respectful attitude.
Tsunade almost growled at how overly polite the young kunoichi was being. She knew it was influence from Neji, and it may have also been some sort of rebellion against Gai. She didn't mind the latter. "Just don't tell my you're refusing this mission."
Tenten held back a snicker. She knew she was probably being too serious and polite, but she wanted information. "I understand my role as a short to mid ranged fighter. I can quickly see the battle situation and make judgment calls from a distance. Lee and Chouji excel at hand-to-hand combat."
She paused to glance at Ino. She trusted the younger blond, but… "I'm finding it difficult to place Ino in any battle plan." She took a deep breath. She didn't' want to offend Ino, but she was honestly having difficulty seeing it. "I understand the Yamanaka's skill with Shintenshin, and that can come in handy. However…"
Ino interrupted her commander for the mission. "Excuse me; you aren't forgetting that I'm a pretty decent mid to long range fighter." She paused to display her wide smirk. "Are you?" She displayed her confidence by closing her eyes, flailing one hand in the air, and resting the other on her hip. "I mean; I did earn chonin the same way as anybody else, in the arena."
Tenten had to admit to that. She opened her mouth to retort that Ino won by making her opponent beat himself senseless, but Chouji chimed in first. "She can handle herself if we get into a fight, but we should also think about any 'what if' scenarios." He left the thought hanging to see if she would catch on.
Tenten was stunned for a second, and her mouth hung agape for a split second. She let the thought process. "'What if' we capture an enemy and the rest get away?" Her mouth smoothed into her confident smirk. "Of course!" She almost had to laugh at the simplicity of it. "Thanks Chouji, and I'm sorry Ino." They waved it off.
Tsunade coughed to get their attention and slid the folder closer to Tenten. When the slightly embarrassed team leader to the mission file, she leaned back in her chair and turned it slightly. She watched a small bird fly by as she issued her orders. "You leave in one hour. If at all possible, bring one or more of any enemy ninja back with you. I'm sorry, but unless there is a missing nin among them it will not affect your pay." She paused to look at them and ensure they all understood. "Dismissed."
The four politely bowed and quickly left. They had to get to their respective homes to supply themselves before meeting at the gate. Tenten was curious if she could handle the mission properly. It was simple enough, but it wasn't a B-rank she could handle by herself. As she raced toward her house, she hoped she didn't mess up as team leader.
He opened his eyes and let out a groan as he regained consciousness. The first thing he saw was a hand over his eyes. Then he heard a voice he had thought of as melodic since first entering Konoha Academy. "Oh, he's waking up. I was wondering when he would; I couldn't find anything wrong with him." The hand pulled away, and he saw it belonged to the voice, Sakura.
He rubbed his forehead as he sat up, and he saw a figure standing just a foot or two away; he couldn't tell. As he connected the feet to the legs to the…hips and followed to her face, he couldn't help but blush. Hinata stood with her hands over her chest. "Oh Naruto-kun, are you okay?" The look of worry was obvious on her face.
He was about to answer when he heard somebody making a commotion. He looked past Hinata to see Sasame verbally assaulting Kanaeru and Gayt for causing him harm. He shook his head before looking back to Hinata finding that familiar warmth in his cheeks. He rubbed the back of his neck not entirely sure what he was embarrassed more about. "Yeah, I'm fine. Must have gotten the wind knocked out of me harder than I thought." He put on his overconfident smile.
Sasame heard Naruto and turned around. She was about to rush over to him and catch him in a tackling hug, but she was stopped by a gentle hand on her shoulder. Kanaeru didn't even look at her as she passed her and removed her hand from the medic's shoulder. She approached Naruto as Neji was helping him back to his feet. She smiled as Naruto tried to brush Neji off, but the older ninja refused.
She hardened her expression to look at Naruto. "I hope you learned something from that." She received cold glowers from everybody present, except Gayt of course; he knew what she was trying to accomplish. Even if she couldn't see it, she knew Star wasn't complaining either. She continued as if nothing were out of order. "Rasengan is your strongest jutsu."
Naruto groaned. He didn't know where she was going with this, but his strongest technique was his original Fuuton: Rasenshuriken followed by his enhanced Fuuton: Rasengan and then Oudama Rasengan. A part of him wanted to brag about that, but another part of him realized Kanaeru was a foreign ninja and shouldn't be told. The latter won out, and he continued to listen.
She looked at Gayt. "An experienced ninja knows when to utilize his jutsu." She paused for a moment. "Gayt is a special case. I wanted you to use Rasengan on him to prove a point. Just because a jutsu is your strongest doesn't mean it's your best." She smirked when she saw the sparkle in Naruto's eyes. He was curious with a spark of understanding.
Kanaeru nodded and turned her full attention back to him, and she continued. "I know who has trained you and when. They've concentrated on getting past your knuckleheaded exterior to retrain what was lost in the academy." She put her hands on her hips. "I want you to get these words etched into your thick skull. Don't hold back!"
Neji planted his face firmly in his palm. "I don't' think you have to worry about that." He relaxed and leaned against the tree right behind him. "Naruto's always rushing into things head-long." He smirked and looked to the blond genin. "He seems to inspire everybody to do their best with that attitude of his."
Naruto stood and stumbled slightly. Hinata gasped, but he rubbed the back of his neck to show he was all right. He felt warmth that she was so concerned for him, but he knew he was a fast healer. He turned to Kanaeru and Gayt. "If it's okay, I want to try sparring with Gayt."
Kanaeru's smirk grew to cover her entire face. "That's exactly what I was planning." Hinata, Sakura, and Sasame gave her disbelieving looks. She ignored them. "I wanted Hinata to watch with her Byakugan, but she's completely wiped out. That'll have to wait until tomorrow." She directed Naruto and Gayt towards each other and to a small clearing. "You can begin any time."
Naruto charged Gayt. The latter reached his hand out to his side and tightened it into a unyielding fist. As Naruto watched, a light washed over his hand. As Star rested on his shoulder, a vague sword seemed to form in the tight grip Gayt held.
Tenten waited at the main gate, surprised at who was late. She looked at Chouji and Ino. They arrived at practically the same time. She didn't understand how Lee was late. He was usually so punctual. With a sigh, she calculated the position of the sun in the sky. As she did, she heard footsteps rushing their way. "At least he isn't terribly late." She recognized his chakra signature, put on an angry scowl, and prepared to chew him out.
Lee came to a stop just outside a polite distance and bowed deeply. "I am sorry Tenten-san! I did not mean to be late! It is terribly un-youthful! However, it is also un-youthful to not stop to aid somebody in need. It was a tough choice, but I helped this nice, old lady get her bags into her house before I rushed right over."
Tenten felt her eye twitch. She couldn't be mad at him for that! Besides punctuality, he also never lied. Failing to build up sufficient anger for lack of a reason, she let out an exasperated sigh. "Yeah, it's okay Lee." She looked to Chouji and Ino; they nodded in understanding and agreement. "Let's go."
The four were quickly on their way to one of the mining villages surrounding Housekiyama. Producing some of the rarest and most valuable gemstones in all Fire, the numerous villages often fell under attack. The Daimyo assigned a samurai family, the Kumorigachi. They were fiercely loyal and handled most problems, but they still had a treasury set aside specifically for hiring shinobi from Konoha.
Tenten wasn't surprised when Kumorigachi Suichi petitioned for a mission. She was surprised the samurai couldn't handle such a low threat that B-rank was enough to cover it. She knew she had no right to dispute the situation. An important client requested help from Konoha. She was going to fulfill the mission to the best of her abilities.
They arrived in less than two hours, and their client was waiting at the gate to the main village. Tenten and her team quickly bowed as a show of respect to the older man and current head of the samurai family. He dressed traditionally and even wore his hair in the traditional style. His hair and eyes were dark, and he was slim from constant training. He wore his daishou blades on his left hip.
After a brief moment, Tenten raised her head to address their client. "We are here to accept the mission to defend Housekiyama from reported bandits and unknown ninja. We are honored to meet the keeper of this land, Kumorigachi-sama." She made sure to keep her tone level and respectful.
Suichi nodded in acceptance. He wanted more, but he expected exactly this. He only sent the funds for a B-rank mission. He barely even felt the need to petition Konoha for what was happening. He heaved a heavy breath. "Thank you for your prompt response. Frankly speaking, I didn't even want to hire Konoha for this." Worried they might be offended, he continued. "Don't get me wrong, I…"
Lee interrupted him, pumping his fist in the air and calling out with his usual exuberance. "Yosh! In this springtime of youth, we must do everything we can to protect this fine country! We accept whatever mission you give us in order to display our youth and strength of will! There is no need to apologize or thank us. We will carry out whatever it is you want us to do, and your youthfulness will prove valuable to you!"
Tenten slapped her forehead, shaken out of her serious demeanor. "Lee, I oughta send you back to the village right now! We are speaking to Kumorigachi-sama, the respected head of the samurai house here! You can't just…" Her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth. Turning back to her client, she bowed deeply feeling her face red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Kumorigachi-sama! I didn't mean to speak out of turn."
Suichi couldn't help but laugh. "Please, you can call me Suichi-san." He paused to look at Lee for a moment. "I like his energy…" He paused to scratch his chin. "Though, I could swear he's familiar somehow." He waved the thought off. "Anyway, I'll explain myself better at my house. Please, follow me."
They followed the samurai, not fully knowing what to expect. Ino turned to Chouji and whispered to him while being careful to cover her mouth. "What do you think so far, Chouji? I've heard they've never paid for anything less than an A-rank mission before." She was careful to take in the sights. The people seemed friendly, smiling and waving as they were.
Chouji crossed his arms over his chest as he walked next to his long-time friend and teammate. He was paying more attention to the smell of food in the air than the friendly attitudes of the villagers. "Yeah, I was thinking about that, too." They didn't spend all that time around Shikamaru for nothing. "Maybe Suichi-san doesn't know what to expect and is just being cautious."
She nodded. She couldn't help but agree with him. "You don't think he was expecting Hokage-sama to send a jonin despite the mission statement?" He nodded to her question, and she sighed in response. "I know Shikamaru's not here, but this is troublesome." They both chuckled, but further discussion was immediately halted.
The four stared at the gates surrounding the estate they arrived at. The samurai lord beckoned them enter as a servant slid the door open for him. They quickly followed, and the same servant closed the door and retreated to retrieve hot, green tea. Suichi took his rightful spot at the highest point in the room, and Tenten and her team sat where they were motioned to.
They sat in silence until the servant returned with a steaming kettle and five tea cups. He first served his master before moving on to the guests. Once all were served, the servant left. A final clack from the sliding door announced his departure. Suichi took a sip of his tea and eyed the youths to ensure they followed suit. They did to be polite.
When he lowered his tea cup from his lips, he finally spoke. "This particular group of bandits is not new to us. We have successfully fought them off our lands before. They usually are not any trouble to us." He took a couple sips of his tea. "However, they have grown more daring, and we recently found out why…"
Suichi and two other samurai stood before the main mine entrance. Suichi wore his brown, sleeved shirt while his subordinates wore dark-blue. They were surrounded by the corpses of a dozen or so bandits. They never bothered to count half-hour they'd been fighting. They were barely winded, but the sweat upon their brow told of the effort they were putting forth.
"These bandits are pitiful as ever." The samurai wielding a complex bow stated. "This was a bold move, but nothing more. They aren't even well organized." He notched an arrow and let it fly. He struck the unfortunate bandit in the shoulder that quickly dropped the weapon he was holding in his now useless hand.
"Suichi-sama, this is the largest attack we've seen." The samurai wielding a katana with both hands wrapped tightly around its grip. He gracefully moved to slice and arrow screaming towards them. "Don't you think it odd they choose now to attack us?"
Suichi didn't say anything. It was odd that they attack while the four strongest were patrolling the village clear on the other side of the mountain. It was the lowest producing town of their province, but it was important to ensure the farming village was also well protected.
A bandit blindly rushed in with a two-bladed axe. Suichi could tell these bandits were use to intimidating with size and numbers. "It's too bad for them that tactic won't work here!" He nimbly moved his wakizashi to slice the wood pommel off the bottom of the axe's grip before swiftly angling the slice to just above the bandit's hand.
In response, the bandit stumbled forward with a cry of pain. The first slice cut a tendon and several blood vessels in his wrist. In the instant before his hand became useless, the axe head fell and sliced his foot. The bandit knew he was having a bad day, and his life was forfeit. Suichi expertly plunged his katana into the bandit's gut, angled up, and twisted. The bandit fell dead and eviscerated.
They heard a bellowing laughter and three, loud claps. Out of the shadows stepped a woman with large irises and no pupils to be seen. She hid in the shadows, so they barely made out event hat feature. They narrowed their eyes to try to discern her more clearly, but she shifted her arm, and the samurai using the bow fell dead with a kunai sticking out of his neck.
Suichi face contorted into obvious anger. He was barely containing his rage. He knew, in battle, out of control emotions lost the fight. She merely raised her hand to her mouth and chortled in a high-pitch voice that would make the dead turn over in their graves. She snapped her fingers, and the bandits turned and ran away. "Poor samurai-sama, we're done playing for today." In a flash, she was gone.
Suichi was visibly shaking with anger by the end of his tale. "The man that woman killed was my brother, Daikichi." His voice cracked in his momentary weakness. "She did it easily and without hesitation. I know my strongest warriors can handle her, but I have an uneasy feeling she is not the lone ninja among the bandits. I've heard certain reports." He noticed Tenten had a question, so he motioned for her to speak.
She bowed politely before looking him in the eyes. "Were you able to see anything else, anything at all, about this woman?" She had a sinking suspicion, but she wasn't going to act on hunches. If they were able to see large irises with no discernable pupils in the shadows, a special doujutsu was only one of a few possibilities.
Sadly, Suichi shook his head. "We could only tell the assailant was a woman from her voice." He sighed in sadness and frustration. "She wore what might be considered unflattering clothes. They were very baggy, easily hiding all of her features. I can't even say how tall she was or how much she might have weighed. She left no tracks, and it's possible to stand on something to appear taller. Plus, you shinobi have other methods of hiding your identity…"
Ino threw her hands up in irritation. "You can't even confirm what you saw or heard if the enemy used a Henge! What's worse, you might have been trapped in a genjutsu. We really don't have any leads to go on." She was obviously frustrated, and a warning eye from Tenten did nothing to water down her ire.
Suichi nodded. "I'm afraid you are correct. It is why I specifically requested that a Yamanaka be included. On a previous raid, we managed to capture one of the bandits." He looked at the others present. "I imagine the Akimichi will be useful with the terrain around here." He had no reason to doubt the other two the Hokage chose, but he wasn't familiar with their clans.
Tenten rose. She had a mission, and she had all the information available. She turned to Ino, Chouji, and Lee. "Ino, you go with Chouji to see the prisoner. Lee and I will start patrolling the village and mine entrance. We don't know what we might find, so keep your mind open for any ideas." Ino and Chouji nodded and quickly left.
With a sigh, Tenten turned to Suichi. "If you don't mind Suichi-san, I need all information routed directly through me. I realize you're the mountain's keeper and our client, but…" She stopped as he held up his hand.
He nodded as he lowered his hand. "I understand. I have worked with shinobi before. You follow a command structure I'm familiar with. Please, do what you think is necessary. We are all loyal to Fire and the Daimyo." He motioned their permission to depart.
She politely bowed and left with Lee. They had a job to do in Housekiyama. She didn't know what to expect. She figured the first thing to do was check the main entrance to the mines where the enemy ninja was first spotted. They were heading there as she thought over the practically nonexistent information they had.
They were hours away from Konoha, and Tsume was easily the most excited. Much to the dismay of Mori and Hishu, she was blathering on and on about her idol, Uzumaki Naruto. Among the few things they could agree upon, they just wanted her to shut up about the 'savior' of Suna. They weren't entirely convinced he was, but their own heroes swore up and down he really did save Gaara.
They may have wished for it, but, when she actually stopped, they looked back to her in concern. Before they could act, Temari caught her. Tsume was grasping her head and mumbling incoherently. Though still holding the young kunoichi, she was helping her brother look around for possible hostiles.
After a moment, Kankuro was certain nobody was around. He turned to his sister and Tsume. "What's going on? I haven't seen you do anything like that since…" He thought for a moment and rethought his statement. "Well, you only do that when you sense too much chakra."
Tsume regained her footing, but Temari stayed close just in case. She looked at Kankuro. "I don't know, Kankuro-sensei." She rubbed the bridge of her nose as she indicated the general area around them. "I can't even tell where it's coming from. It feels…familiar, though." She couldn't place it, but something in the back of her mind sent shivers up and down her spine.
Temari and Kankuro nodded to each other. The older puppet user spoke their silent agreement to his team. "Okay, we don't know what Tsume sensed, so we'll take it slow. We're near Konoha, and they should know we're coming. You genin need to stay alert and proceed with caution. Keep your eyes on us and each other, and we're moving silently from now on."
The genin nodded in understanding. They resumed as silently as they could. It was hardest for Hishu. Both Tsume and Mori had better chakra control, and their specialties included stealth. However, nobody was nearby to observe their efforts at stealth. The path was clear straight to Konoha.
Shikamaru stood before the Hokage with an incredulous look on his face. He stared at the mission file he held in his hands after she handed it to him. In his opinion, it was C-rank at best, but she just told him it was A-rank. "I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but I thought I was already assigned an S-rank mission." He looked at her. "First you stop me from going on a mission with Ino and Chouji. Now, you're asking me to take a second mission? This is troublesome."
Tsunade was hardly paying him any attention. She took to rocking her chair slightly halfway through his muted tirade. She might have been calmed by the birds chirping outside if not for the need to actually talk to him. "This mission relates to your current mission. For logistic reasons, I need to keep it separate on the books. Besides…" She opened a knowing eye to watch his reaction. "…Temari's being escorted by Kankuro's team to personally deliver the message." She added special emphasis to push her point.
Her all perceiving eye caught him stiffen slightly. He inwardly berated himself as he swallowed an extra-large lump in his throat. He sighed. "Troublesome…" Putting his hands in his pocket, he slouched and tried to look as impassive as possible. "I suppose you want me to show that troublesome woman around town again. You're always putting her in my care." He paused for a moment. "Any idea what this information's about?"
Tsunade looked him straight in the eyes. She knew how smart he was, and she had a feeling he already knew about Naruto's tenant. Still, she wasn't about to tell him. When she answered, she was straight and to the point. "Akatsuki."
Shikamaru sighed again. "Of course, Naruto again." He nodded his understanding. "Understood Hokage-sama, I'll do my best." He turned to walk out her office. He was stopped at the door.
"I know you will, Shikamaru. I trust your skills." She smirked as he mumbled something and walked out. She was sure it was about how 'troublesome' it all was. When the door closed, she barely held in her laughter. She found his affection for the 'troublesome' sand nin cute. She stared out her window wondering how Naruto was doing.
Kanaeru watched Naruto and Gayt spar. The blond genin was proving a far more interesting match than she expected. Behind her, Hinata and Neji watched with Byakugan active. Sakura and Sasame were obviously anxious and constantly ready to administer emergency aid. Over the course of the past few days, Naruto managed to overexert and injure himself several times.
Naruto charged Gayt only to notice the armored behemoth prepare his right arm. Knowing what that meant, he ducked low and withdrew a kunai. A short-handled halberd seemingly materialized. The blond genin saved himself from certain injury with his quick thinking, but he was thrown back by the force of the top-heavy half-poleax. Inwardly, he counted. "That's one."
He was always amazed by the weapons the kousotsu utilized. He was used to it, but he only ever saw three weapons. He always saw a sword of some sort. It seemed to be the favored weapon. The second was usually a strong axe or bizarre drill. The third was unpredictable. He's seen poleaxes, claws, gauntlets, and even another sword, axe, or drill. Sometimes, the weapons themselves seemed to have unique properties.
The short-handled halberd was a first, so Naruto decided discretion was the better part of valor. He leapt to the cover of a tree branch to evaluate his situation, leaving a Kage Bushin behind for distraction. He decided to observe the clone and rely on what it learned and transferred to him before jumping back into the battle.
It didn't take long. Gayt was an exceptional warrior, and he was able to cleave the clone clean in two in only three movements and without wasted breath. He looked around the area for his sparring partner. Another thing the blond genin noticed over the past few days was that neither could sense the other. Naruto didn't know why, but Gayt couldn't sense him any better than the other way around.
Jumping down from his hiding place, he ran through a few hand signs. He concentrated all his will on his target. "Fuuton: …" Gayt turned to face Naruto. "…Kazeken!" He cut his arm horizontally in front of his body, sending a powerful shockwave of slicing air forward.
Gayt raised his hand and aimed his open palm at the approaching technique. Naruto knew what was coming next. Star lined up behind him at a precise forty-five degree angle. She glowed brightly, and he called out his own technique. "Mizu Hashira." All around him, columns of water rose.
Naruto groaned as Kazeken struck Mizu Hashira. Though several pillars of the latter collapsed, the former completely disintegrated. Gayt pressed his advantage by commanding the remaining Mizu Hashira to circle around to his front, and he rushed his opponent. The blond genin retaliated by launching several move Kazeken. The battle of techniques ended in a draw, and Naruto found himself defending with a kunai against a three-pronged main gauche.
Naruto narrowed his eyes. He never saw Gayt 'release' his first weapon. He was forced to add to his count ahead of schedule. "That's two… He's already used a poleax and a dagger." His eyes went wide as he noticed a crack forming in his kunai. He jumped back before the dagger could finish cutting through. As he stared down his opponent, his eyes drifted to his destroyed weapon. "Glad these things are so cheap…"
Hinata was openly gaping at the display. Neji shifted his gaze to her from time to time wondering if she saw something he didn't. He was the first to admit the little 'spars' between Naruto and Gayt were nothing short of amazing, but he didn't see anything to be so awestruck about. To him, the kousotsu seemed to be using nothing more than advanced ninjutsu.
Hinata saw something different. She saw Gayt drawing on an energy source she could scarcely believe. He seemed to be drawing energy from everything around him. She never saw chakra exertion like it before. She wondered if Neji had because he was showing little to no reaction to it. To her, Mizu Hashira formed from almost nothing. Like Naruto's Kazeken, more ninjutsu required a source. Gayt's technique showed almost no use of the water around him.
Sakura watched intently. Neither Naruto nor Gayt seemed to be showing any signs of exhaustion. They both had unheard of stamina. She barely stopped herself from gawking at the display before her. To her, it seemed both had an incredible reserve of chakra. She understood Naruto; he held the Kyuubi no Kitsune within his body. Gayt was the mystery.
Sasame held an expression between excitement and anxiousness. Naruto was doing well, but Gayt was easily holding him off. She knew from past experiences that the kousotsu usually ended up not requiring medical attention. At least he always waved off their help. She felt, however, Star might have used an unseen technique to fix anything which might have gone wrong.
Naruto charged Gayt once again. He reached into his jacket, collected shuriken between each finger, and flung them. His opponent held his hand out and pointed his forefinger, middle finger, and thumb at the blond genin, and Star lined up level to the plain of his arm. Naruto's eyes went wide, and he rolled to his right. "Hibana Yari."
A velvet bolt of electricity stretched from Gayt's outstretched fingers. It arced to each shuriken and stopped them all. They fell to the ground, and the electricity flowed to neutralize the built up charge. Naruto just stared at the spot he just stood. "That…would have hurt." He looked up when he heard clapping.
Kanaeru approached the two. "That's enough. It's time to go to the main gate to see that old sage and see off Naruto." She was grinning ear to ear; though, she was willing to admit to herself she was going to miss the squirt. Behind her, she heard shuffling feet. The other four were following her, and she felt Hinata and Neji deactivate their Byakugan.
Naruto looked up with a wide grin and affirmative noise. Before anybody could say anything, he was already rapidly moving towards the main gate and the training he knew he was going to receive. Sakura rushed after him yelling about patience. Sasame just went running. Hinata and Neji took a moment before also giving chase. Kanaeru grinned and waved for Gayt to follow.
Hiashi was waiting outside the gates leading to the Hokage tower when Tsunade exited. She wasn't surprised to see him, and he quickly fell into step with her. He knew where she was heading. He followed to be a sort of support for his daughter seeing Naruto off. Over the past few weeks, the youths had grown incredibly close. Not just his daughter and the jinchuuriki, he was thinking of everybody they trained with.
Tsunade addressed Hiashi as she walked. "I hope you're doing well this morning." He barely nodded but remained silent. "Have you and Kanaeru been getting along." She didn't know what to expect as an answer.
He scrunched his face slightly. "It has been interesting to catch up on the past few years." He wondered if seventeen years really constituted 'few' in the grand scope of things. Nonetheless, it was interesting. "We had a few interesting discussions."
She frowned at that. The last few 'interesting discussions' she witnessed involved Hyuuga seals and Uchiha benefits. The two seemed to mix like oil and water. "I see. Has she talked to you about revealing Naruto's past?" She was interested in that point at least.
He shook his head. "She's more interested in learning about Naruto before revealing too much more information to him. To her, he still seems in the dark about his tenant and whatever happened when the seal…" He paused to come up with the right words and failed. "…did whatever."
She nodded. The scroll just had to mysteriously disappear after Naruto touched it, and it affected him somehow. "At least he doesn't seem to be in any danger. That accursed fox did end up helping him, too." She was wondering what, exactly, what was going on.
After a few moments of relatively minor chit-chat, Hiashi made a curious noise. Tsunade looked to the main gate to see Shikamaru lazily leaning against the guard post. He was watching the clouds float by completely ignoring the guard talking to him. She rolled her eyes. He was surprisingly predictable. She was about to call out to get his attention when she heard several, loud whooshes.
She looked up to see the smoke clearing and a very proud Kanaeru holding her hand out in a victory sign. Her usual grin was plastered to her face as she watched Naruto and the rest catching up to her. Gayt was silently standing beside her. "Hah! I beat all you slowpokes!" The genin, chunin, and lone jonin were quickly beside her catching their breath.
Kanaeru then pointed to the gate where a lone, elderly frog waited. He appeared to be holding back a smile as he watched the sumitsuki act like a child. She turned to face him with as serious an expression as she could muster. "Hey, you promise you won't be hurting the boy? I've got 'im nice and trained for you, so you better not mess 'im up!"
The sagely toad laughed. "Oh, he'll be getting hurt all right. Even that tadpole Jiraiya found the training difficult and only partially mastered it, and he was one of my best pupils." He looked to Naruto. He owed this favor to at least two humans whom made a contract with the toads. Jiraiya and Minato, after all, made a pact with Gamabunta…and kept the big oaf safe.
He hopped over to Naruto who was a little dumbstruck to learn that his sensei for the past three years couldn't even finish the hermit training. Worse, he even found it difficult. He wasn't rethinking the decision to take the training. In fact, he felt the words only reinforced what he was already thinking. "This is definitely going to be worth it!" He almost jumped in the air.
The toad sage quickly brought him back down to earth with a swift swing of his cane. Naruto exhaled as his chest was violently attacked. "Calm down tadpole." He turned to Kanaeru. "Is there anything I need to know before I talk him?" He ignored the confused look Naruto wore.
She scratched her chin as she watched the clouds. She could feel that even Shikamaru was listening. "Nothing too important. He's been sparring against Gayt, so he's already got some experience." She giggled and turned her full attention to the toad. "Though, I doubt he'll even recognize it for some time."
He nodded and was about to speak before a bold of lightning landed right next to Hinata. From the lightning seemed to emerge a shinobi wearing a hitai-ate from Kumo. In fact, he made a point to look directly at all the leaf nin before grabbing the Hyuuga heiress. He wrapped on arm around her shoulders to cover her mouth and the other around her waist to stop her movements.
Her eyes went wide in horror as she tried to scream out. She was unprepared and felt the chakra drain from her body before a blinding flash forced everybody to look away. Only the toad sage and Gayt saw the lightning bolt arc away carrying away the unknown shinobi and Hinata. Kanaeru felt everything but was still stunned.
Naruto was in shock as he stared at the empty spot she stood. "Hinata!" He screamed her name long and loud as the thunder clapped from the enemy technique.
Honestly, did any of you see this coming? Be honest, now. You can think about this until the next chapter. Tenten's mission is not irrelevant. I'm interested to see what kind of guesses I'll get as to the relevance of anything. Please enjoy!
As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.
Story Word Count: 8,062
Story Page Count: 16.5
Terms and Jutsu:
Fuuin - Sealing Technique: You can take a wild guess.
Rasengan, Oudama Rasengan, Fuuton: Rasengan, and Fuuton Rasenshuriken - Spiraling Sphere, Great Ball Spiraling Sphere, Wind Release: Spiraling Sphere, and Wind Release: Spiraling Shuriken: Naruto's signature, offensive move(s). In order, they are A-rank, S-rank, S-rank, and Kinjutsu.
Kinjutsu - Forbidden Technique: These are techniques either forbidden to teach until a shinobi reaches a certain level or completely forbidden to use. Kage Bushin is the former while Rasenshuriken is the latter.
Fuuinkougi - Sealed Imperial Court: Kyuubi is currently sealed within Naruto by the word 'justice' threatening to tear his soul asunder with one, wrong move.
Daishou - Big and Small: In loose meaning, a warrior using the daishou style of combat often wields one long blade and one short blade, such as a katana and wakizashi
Henge - Transformation: A very basic technique, Henge alters the user's appearance to whatever was thought of.
Fuuton: Kazeken - Wind Release: Wind Blade: A mid-level wind technique, Kazeken sends a cutting wind towards a single target.
Mizu Hashira - Water Pillar: Gayt kindly translated the name of his attack from his language. Mizu Hashira causes several columns of water to rise from the ground to surround his body on all sides. The attack moves with him for several seconds, so it can be used both offensively and defensively.
Hibana Yari - Spark Spear: Gayt kindly translated the name of his attack from his language. Hibana Yari sends a high-intensity bolt of lightning capable of piercing to several targets directly in front of him. The attack stuns and damages all caught in its velvet hue.