TimeShifter: Ah, I misinterpreted your question last time then... Anyway, Ahito was meant as the bane whereas Kakashi and the line that led to him were meant as the boon. Again, my issue in presenting transparency. I've been working on that... The 'stranger' also couldn't be Orochimaru because it was near Konoha's inception. I'll let people guess for a while longer. Basuto is also much older; he's Yumiko's first son from a loving marriage. Gayt isn't...technically immortal. He's just got a really complicated history, and I want to leave him as a rather minor character for a while longer. I think I agree with you on the immortality issue, too. I intend to keep Yoshi and Sayumi on as minor characters. All my original characters fill a specific role I don't think is present, like a good, fully trained medical staff in this case (present company of Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura excluded). I will say this for Sayumi in concern for Naruto. I have no plans of making her go after him. She was brought in partially to counterbalance Yumiko. Sayumi is a smart, competent, respectable woman. Yumiko is an arrogant, vein, contemptible woman. As for the women 'after' Naruto now, I just love wrenches...and wanted a fangirl for him (Tsume). I think I mentioned how Rikka was supposed to break Hinata... If not, it's not important. The rest should be answered shortly. Now, I need to ponder my transparency issues...
samueltm2: I'm a little late on this chapter due to classes and evil retail work, sorry.
Chapter 11:
The Fat Lady Hates You
Inoichi turned to his teammates and best friends. "Shall we do the usual?" The grin that plastered his face showed a confidence befitting his proposal.
Shikaku jumped down from his roost atop the small guard shed. He answered as he rubbed the back of his head. "You're so troublesome, Inoichi."
Chouja chuckled as he patted the blond mentalist on the back. He failed to check his strength, so the elder blond was nearly sent flying. "You know something, right?"
Inoichi cleared his throat and regained his composure. He liked his friends, so he had gotten used to their bad habits. …he was one to talk. "Oh, a little of this, a little of that…"
Chouja shook his head. "A little vague, are we?" He thought as he rubbed his chin. "Well, I bet they all come home under their own power."
Shikaku sighed. "Optimistic as always… It's troublesome, but I think they'll be carrying Naruto back." He neglected to mention his reasoning. "Kid tends to go all out."
Inoichi eyed his friends carefully. "You two drove me into a hard spot…" He thought it over for a moment. "Well, I bet they have to drag a few home on stretchers. Chouji'll probably be among them since he'll use those Akimichi pills."
Chouja frowned. "That's not fair. Chouji-kun's gotten a lot stronger lately!" His friends shared a good hearted laugh as he pouted. He knew they didn't mean anything by it, but it was still kind of annoying. "Well, it's my turn to place a…"
"Wait…" The three turned to one of the chunin guards on duty. "You guys are placing bets…on the outcome of a mission?"
Shikaku shrugged. "Yeah, what's the harm in it?" He eyed them suspiciously. "It's troublesome, but do you guys want to join?"
Both chunin guards crossed their arms in front of them like giant x marks. The same one who spoke earlier answered. "No way! You can't make bets on Uzumaki! Too unpredictable!"
The three jonin shrugged, and Chouja replied. "Your loss." He turned back to his friends. "Anyway, I bet they capture 'em all alive."
Inoichi rubbed his forehead. "Man, you really are too optimistic. It's smarter to bet at least one of those guys kicks the bucket. I mean; at least four of them are out for blood."
Shikaku half-heartedly answered. "Yeah, I'm with you on this one. I think they'll keep the bare minimum alive for questioning. Only one is getting escorted here." With a lazy drawl, he continued after a moment to think. "It's troublesome, but we'll probably have to carry at least a few to the triage."
Inoichi crossed his arms and thought for a moment. "I hate to say it, but I bet we got called out here for nothing. Hokage-sama's just being overly cautious. Not a bad trait mind you, but we won't even be needed."
"Oh-ho…" Chouja slammed his fist into an awaiting hand. "I'm too optimistic, huh? I bet we'll have to restrain somebody to be escorted to ANBU Headquarters for interrogation."
The three jonin smirked and laid their hands in the center of the makeshift circle they formed. With a quick nod, they pushed their hands down and came to an agreement. The bets were made. They only needed to wait to find their results.
Neji looked to the cave entrance the opponent led them out of. It was strange, but he couldn't sense anything through the cave walls. Worse, his Byakugan couldn't penetrate either. As his frustration grew, he was interrupted by the shadow of a feminine figure. He looked up to see Tenten and her smiling face.
"Are you worried about Hinata?" He wondered if she enjoyed beating herself with the Obvious Stick. With a sigh, he merely nodded his head. The smile on her face only grew in response. "Then let's go!" Enthusiastically, she offered him her hand and refused to take no as an answer.
Reluctantly, he accepted. As he brushed himself off and straightened his clothes, he looked back to their opponent. He was uneasy leaving such a dangerous man alone and alive. He wanted ANBU to question him properly, so he turned to his teammate with a request. "You did remember to bring the parchments for sealing a captive's chakra and movement, correct?"
Reaching into her supply case, she produced the requested parchments. "Of course… Why do you ask? Hey!" Before she could respond, he grabbed them from her open palm and proceeded to restrain the downed man. She watched in mild confusion. "I thought you said he was down."
He stood back up and started walking towards the entrance. "It never hurts to be too cautious." He was almost to the cave entrance before she responded. Even with his eyes closed, he could easily read her. She shrugged, not really satisfied, and followed anyway. They both knew the key fact remained. They had friends and allies in danger.
It wasn't a long trek back to the spacious cavern where they first met the rogue Hyuuga, but the scene was vastly different. Tenten openly gaped in horror at the sight while Neji narrowed his eyes. Chouji and Suichi were in bad shape…but it looked like they had received some medical treatment. He held back a sigh of relief. At least it was a consolation prize.
Chouji was unconscious and snoring inside a crater. After checking his vitals and verifying he was indeed only sleeping, she quickly moved onto the sponsor for her mission. He smiled and greeted her, but she inspected his wounds nonetheless. Neji observed as he moved closer, but he edged towards where he sensed a large group.
Suichi's body had seen better days. Though partially healed, he still had deep gashes at each of his shoulders. From the looks of things, he was run through by his own blades. It was difficult to take in, but the two of them lost their battle against the rogue Hyuuga, badly.
Suichi spoke up in that formal, commanding tone of his. "Listen, don't worry about us. We'll be fine. Go help your friends. Hurry!" He wore a smile as Tenten nodded in response. He noted Neji's lack of formal acknowledgement, but the two teens quickly disappeared through the only passageway leading deeper into the enemy's lair.
As they ran, their hearts were pounding in their ears. They could feel the ebb and flow of chakra as combatants used technique after technique. They could hear the intensity of the battle as collisions between techniques exploded or metal met metal. They could feel power behind every blow as the surrounding walls shook and some stones tumbled free.
Then Neji froze. Tenten noticed and stopped. She urged him to continue, but he didn't hear. Something in his body told him of the immense danger he was rushing into, and only fools rush to their own deaths. He didn't know what it was; he never felt anything like it in his life. He just knew, with every fiber of his being, that continuing forward was very hazardous for their health.
Then, just as suddenly, the weight was lifted from his chest, and he could breath normally again. His knees shook, but he did not allow himself to fall. He closed his eyes and panted as he leaned against a wall, and a comforting hand rested on his shoulder.
When he opened his eyes, his Byakugan blazed forth. "I'm sorry about that, Tenten." He felt like his body was on fire as sweat flowed from every pore. "Let us go to Hinata-sama's aid." He pushed himself from the wall and continued forward.
She nodded, not asking the questions she wanted to ask. As she fell into step with him, he increased his speed. They were soon back to full speed, racing towards something powerful enough to leave the Hyuuga prodigy shaken. "Please guys, be okay…"
Tenten was grateful for what she saw when they finally arrived to help. They joined Shino and Ino near the entrance to the small alcove. She took a moment to survey the room. She was startled by the scene.
Daikichi, their sponsor's brother, lay on the floor. He fought to remain conscious, and blood still slowly seeped from his wound. She almost flinched at the sight of his entrails, but she knew it was the shinobi way of life. Needless to say, he looked about ready to push up daisies. She was just glad they remained inside.
Kanaeru and Gayt were in much better shape. The red-headed kunoichi had cuts along her sleeves, and her shoulders looked to be slowly healing. It was also obvious she was suffering from chakra exhaustion. The armored hulk, on the other hand, was significantly harder to read. He was kneeling…and panting. At least it looked like his armor shifted with his breath; it was hard to tell.
The final occupant in the room was the rogue Hyuuga. She was covered with Shino's kikaichu, a writhing mass over her back and shoulders. She was soaking wet and worn ragged. The vague smell of charred flesh emanated from her. She looked in no condition to fight.
The alcove looked worse for wear. Newly created pits decorated all surrounding walls. A door towards the center was ripped from its hinges and haphazardly thrown to the side. All in all, somebody did a nice little number to what might have once been a comely, comfortable room.
The brown-haired kunoichi also noted the smell of ozone only created by electricity or Raiton.
Neji saw a different story with his Byakugan. Daikichi was on Death's doorstep. Ino could fix that, though. Kanaeru was in no condition to fight, and Gayt was as unreadable as ever. Was his armor glowing differently than before? The sword had a shape kind of resembling the light fleck known as Star.
No, something about the alcove disturbed him. For starters, he couldn't see into the room the door was ripped from. Then there was that strange strain on Shino's chakra. Finally, the worst was the rogue Hyuuga. Her chakra just looked unhealthy.
His eyes narrowed at that. Why did her chakra look so unhealthy? Shino's kikaichu should have drained her of any chakra readily available for her to mold. He concentrated harder and saw the reason. She was drawing vital chakra away from her internal organs.
His gaze fell to the bug tamer when he flicked his wrists, and his kikaichu returned. "This isn't good…" Shino didn't elaborate as he deliberated with his returning scouts. He peered through his shaded glasses as Yumiko slowly inched her arms under her chest.
Not being one to go in without information, Neji queried the bug user for something of more substance. "What do you mean? Does she have too much chakra for your kikaichu?" He knew how much the Aburame loathed allowing their kikaichu to gorge themselves.
Shino shook his head. "No, they disdain chakra which tastes of blood." His eyebrows knitted themselves as his eyes narrowed. "If she persists, she will perish." It was a scenario he preferred to avoid. If he was right, she was the mastermind behind the whole incident.
Yumiko pushed herself up and against the wall. Every muscle in her body ached, and she strained to push past the pain. She knew the ancient technique she was using was extremely dangerous. However, she was less concerned about her current body and more concerned about her essence, soul, spirit, or whatever whoever wanted to call it. Her children could find her a new body and perform the forbidden ceremony.
She eyed the newcomers with contempt. She knew Shino and Ino were matched against Basuto. She was certain his Kazanton was the perfect match against his kikaichu, and her mental abilities were too slow to be effective. They had also arrived shortly after Hinata. Were they the ones who freed her?
Her gaze traveled to Neji and Tenten, and her blood boiled upon seeing the Byakugan. They were matched against her youngest, Saiga. Though he still possessed his original body, his Hyougusoku should have been strong enough for any Hyuuga technique. Besides, the girl was only skilled in multitudes of weapons and limited summoning.
Her chakra spiked, and she molded it to activate her own Byakugan. She already knew Neji was from the branch by his covered forehead, but she was finally able to see it through the offset world of her enhanced vision. She sneered at him. If she was losing a body too soon, she may as well try to enlist new help.
"I am Hyuuga Yumiko." She made a point of jerking her head to clear her bangs away from her forehead. The leaf nin were surprised by the dull curse seal on her forehead, except for Neji. "I'm impressed you beat my sons, but I'm not about to lose to some wet-behind-the-ears rookies!" She could tell they were all at least chunin, but it didn't matter.
She set her icy glower on the lone jonin. "You're a Hyuuga from the branch. Don't you hate the main house?" His expression darkened, and she thought she had him. "Join me, and we'll punish those hypocrites! We'll destroy the main house! We'll destroy any who oppose us!" Her lips quivered in fanciful delight at thoughts of her revenge.
Neji closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if contemplating the proposal. With calm, unwavering voice, he answered. The rogue Hyuuga waited on baited breath. "I refuse." Nearby, the leaf nin chuckled. The answer was beyond obvious to them.
"W-Why?!" Yumiko stuttered out, wide eyed. His refusal made no sense. "Haven't they mocked you? …ridiculed you? Don't they deserve to be punished?!" She felt her concentration slip, and her chakra dipped for a moment. She knew her time was limited, so she prepared to mold a specific technique.
Neji opened his eyes with a smirk. "Perhaps they do." He watched a confident grin spread across her lips as if she had one. "Perhaps changing them is the greatest punishment there is to offer." Her face pressed into a firm frown. "Hinata-sama and Naruto-san have both made promises to change the Hyuuga, and both share the same nindo." He paused for dramatic effect. "They never go back on their word."
Yumiko's face contorted into an angry grimace as she had her fill of the mindless ants of Konoha. She flashed through hand seals far faster than her condition should allow and molded her chakra perfectly for a technique she invented after seeing Saiga's Hyougusoku. "Vermin… Raiton: Raigusoku!" Her hairs stood on end and clothes pulled taught as they were pushed from her body as her skin charged with electricity.
Neji noticed the change, but he couldn't notice something only those who had experienced it would. Raigusoku was very different from Yakedo. It didn't have the same fear-inducing effect or awesome power. Though no change was visibly evident except for the charged effect, she somehow looked more fearsome.
It did, however, look different to the Byakugan. Every tenketsu on her body lit up brightly. It was almost blinding. He resisted deactivating his enhanced vision as he lowered into his juuken stance. He knew he was in a dangerous situation, but he had to stop the rogue Hyuuga fast.
Hinata pouted when Naruto hardly even stirred. He smacked his lips like he was responding, but he was still trapped in the strange genjutsu. She was wondering how she was going to release him when she realized how close her face was too his. A blush spread across her cheeks as she slowly leaned down. "What am I doing?!"
Rikka looked up when she heard Hinata's voice roll across the sky. She was confused about the mention of the ramen and its stand…until Naruto's mind revealed the necessary details. She shook her head. The names of the ramen chef and his daughter were familiar; he'd thought of or mentioned them before. It was kind of hard to remember which with her abilities.
Kyuubi scoffed. "If I could take control of kit's body for a minute, I'd have some fun tormenting his potential vixen." He sniggered at the thought. How had his host missed the flowering beauty for so long?
Rikka blinked. "I don't understand. You can't?" It seemed strange to her. "He's unconscious…while unconscious. You might be sealed, but he can't do anything." She remembered the choker his human form wore.
He shook his head and contemplated what he felt like telling her. "Doesn't work that way. Anyway…" His gaze snapped to Naruto when he heard him slurp. He and Rikka watched as the blond salivated, sat up, and motioned like he was eating. They only needed one guess to know what was in the imaginary bowl, ramen.
Kyuubi looked up like he was complaining to the heavens. "For once, why can't I have things my way? Just one itsy-bitsy favor…" Rikka found his immature talk oddly humorous. "Let me tell the potential vixen to wake kit up with a kiss!" His plea almost sounded like a prayer.
As if on cue, Naruto's head rolled, and his eyes opened to the sky. After a moment, he blinked. "Eh, I thought I heard a pretty voice tell me my ramen was ready… It wasn't Ayame-neechan, either…" Slowly, his gaze fell to the slightly startled look Rikka wore…then the low chuckling of Kyuubi. "Why do I have all the luck?"
Kyuubi rolled his eyes. "My, I have never been so feared." His words were thick with sarcasm as he thought over the years. He hated the seal almost as much as he hated the Uchiha and Orochimaru. Well, at least it was less tormenting.
In a sudden bout of alertness, Naruto snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah, why am I still in this genjutsu?" He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes as he carefully thought. After what felt like an eternity to Rikka and Kyuubi, he came to a genius conclusion. "Oh well, I should just try releasing myself from it!"
If Kyuubi were in his human form, he'd have firmly planted his face in his palm. His host could be so dense at times. Rikka stared dumbly as he carefully crossed his hands and shaped his chakra as Jiraiya taught him. "Kai!" The world faded around him.
Before Hinata could react, Naruto bolted upright. Well, he was as upright as he could be with her hovering a scant few inches over him. He smacked his lips right into hers, and they shared an unintentional kiss. Their reactions were immediate and predictable.
Before she could fully register what happened, her skin turned crimson from head to toe. What remained of her breathing was rapid and shallow, and she struggled to not wrap her arms around him and force the kiss to become passionate. As thoughts rushed through her head, collided, and imploded in on themselves, she did what she was famous for. She fainted.
In the panic he was experiencing, her grasped her shoulders and pushed her away. He was a little rougher than he intended, but he thought he had done something terribly, terribly wrong. She was the Hyuuga heiress for crying out loud! He immediately started apologizing…only for her to pass out in his arms. Unconscious girl cuddling into his chest, he panicked at what it might look like to outside observers. "I am so dead!"
In his mindscape, Kyuubi was disappointed he no longer had anybody to gloat with.
Yumiko knew she didn't have long, so she rushed in with a juuken strike ready. She wanted to save her fellow Hyuuga for last. He was going to receive her copycat technique to the famous Hakke, and she didn't want him seeing it too early. She targeted the weakest of the group, Ino.
According to her daughter, Ino was from the Yamanaka clan. They were hated by the Kagennotsuki clan because they could break through psychic abilities and complete control genjutsu. They were not known for their taijutsu or anything else for that matter. The famous Ino-Shika-Cho team was created with Nara and Akimichi clan members to compensate for the weaknesses of each.
Yumiko smirked because neither Nara nor Akimichi were present. A member of the Aburame stood nearby, but his kikaichu didn't seem all that interested in her chakra. Tenten stood on the other side of Neji, and he was in a low stance which provided better leverage for counter attack than rushing to someone else's aid.
She threw a chakra-enhanced, open-palmed strike. Her aim was to use brute force to take out the girl's heart. The blond brat was hers! Her sight was focused on the look of abject terror her target was sure to be feeling. Then, her world turned upside down…literally. Her eyes widened as her back harshly landed against the floor. In a fit of pain, her body arched belly forward.
In seemingly practiced teamwork, Shino and Ino worked to neutralize the threat. The young Yamanaka may not be known for taijutsu, but she trained with Tsunade and Sakura for too many years to remain ignorant of effective parrying and countering techniques.
As soon as her older opponent dedicated herself to her strike, Ino used a simple jab to take out her elbow. Then she swept out her legs. Those feats accomplished, she used her lower position as leverage to continue Yumiko's momentum over her in flight. As she arched in pain, Shino played his part.
He knew his kikaichu would refuse to eat her chakra, but he had other uses besides his myriad of insects. As soon as her body began to flatten, he jumped into the air to deliver a bone-jarring knee kick to her stomach. He wanted her alive, so he didn't aim for her sternum. He could only hope it kept her down.
As soon as his knee landed in her gut, Yumiko lurched forward with that spot as a center point. Air was forced out of her lungs, and she couldn't immediately gasp for breath with her diaphragm pushed up as it was. Even as she felt bile rising in her throat, she knew her technique was about to retaliate.
Ino shook her arms as the numbness faded. She remembered their opponent using some technique a moment ago, and her body fluidly finished the counter without really thinking about it. She had made minimal contact, but her arms and one leg felt numb… Her eyes widened as she thought of the name for the technique and turned to Shino.
He leapt away, head downcast. His expression was impossible to read, but pain was evident as he grasped his knee. He eyed the rogue Hyuuga. He knew the technique used her Raiton nature to create a body armor, but he thought losing concentration in Ino's counter would disperse it. He sat up to warn his comrades only to see he was too late.
Tenten rushed ahead of Neji as soon as she saw Shino leap away in pain. She summoned a long pole weapon and aimed it at Yumiko's clavicle. The general idea was to keep her in so much pain that she couldn't move. The downed Hyuuga caught the incoming weapon, however, and she suddenly felt electricity rush through her body.
Yumiko smiled in satisfaction as the girl with a no-name clan convulsed with electricity running through her. Sure, it wasn't enough to kill or even visibly see without the Byakugan, but it was still satisfying. She stood just as Neji came within range to strike. She figured he was about to try a simple juuken strike, so she was going to let him. They would feel hopeless soon!
Neji saw what happened to Tenten, and inwardly he was furious. He narrowed his eyes and easily concentrated on further enhancing his vision. With practiced ease, he shifted into his deadliest attack. "Hakke Hyakunijuuhachishou!" He knew every hit would sting, but he felt closing her tenketsu was his top priority.
Yumiko felt the blood drain from her face. How could he, a branch, know the prized Hakke?! His first few series of strikes did nothing to her defense, and she almost laughed at the pained expression he wore. Her eye twitched, however, when she realized something.
Her Raigusoku was fading. She quickly analyzed her body. Through some miracle or fluke, he managed to shut down a tenketsu or two. It was just enough to disrupt her technique without dispersing it, but it made things easier for him. As Tenten was able to get free and jump away, Neji entered his final series of strikes.
He smirked in satisfaction as several more tenketsu were closed off. His hands were so numb he was unable to push more chakra into them, but at least he would do more physical damage after her technique fell apart. With Yumiko forced against a wall, he rubbed his hands together to try to bring feeling back. "Let this battle be over…"
Yumiko panted as she surveyed her adversaries. They were tougher than she originally thought, but they were still Konoha ants. A quick analysis of her body told her what techniques she could and couldn't perform, and her most powerful were out. However, she suspected Neji, Tenten, and Shino were in no condition to continue fighting. As long as she could take out Ino, she could take her time with the rest.
Her head jerked to one side when she heard footsteps. She noticed two silhouettes coming from the room Naruto had been slumbering. She knew who the two forms could only be, and a smirk crept onto her lips as she felt certainty Rikka had completed her task. She then heard an odd whirling noise and couldn't quite figure out what it was.
Naruto carefully shook Hinata. "Hey, wake up Hina-chan." She stirred slightly under his gentle attempts. He sighed in relief. After a moment, he felt her hands clutch his jacket. When he looked down, he noticed a blush on her cheeks and her eyes clenched shut. A grin spread across his face. "Good! You're awake! Let's go, Hina-chan."
Hinata figured he didn't even notice it. Naruto, without hesitation, abbreviated her name and added a friendly address. She was so wrapped up in her fantasies that she barely noticed him stand. She quickly did the same, but she kept her head down to hide her blush and smile. "Naruto-kun called me Hina-chan!"
He molded his chakra and prepared the technique he was famous for. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" He was flanked by two Kage Bushin. His face was set in a stern and serious scowl. Yumiko, their 'generous' hostess, was going to pay. "Hey Hinata…" She almost looked dejected. "…let me take care of this."
She nodded with a confirmation noise, and he looked over his shoulder with a confident smirk. "I promise I'll get you out of here! Let's go home together!" He gave her a thumbs-up over his shoulder, and his Kage Bushin mirrored him.
Her eyes wide with delight; she tilted her head to one side with a bright smile and brighter blush. "Right!" She was determined, more than ever, to awaken his eyes to her. She may be an heiress, but she felt like being selfish in just one thing.
She watched in amazement as he gathered chakra and had his Kage Bushin help him shape and charge his famous Rasengan. She'd seen it several times before, but she'd never seen him add an element in. The familiar ball of chakra formed just above his palm, but small edges stretched outwards.
He smirked as he called the name. "Fuuton: Rasengan!" He nodded to her, and they proceeded to the open door. As the sounds of fighting became clearer, the Kage Bushin dispersed themselves. Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata approached the door, and they narrowed their eyes to protect against the sudden, extra light.
Shino nodded to Hinata when she emerged with Naruto, and he quickly eyed the readied Rasengan hovering over his open palm. Ino heaved a sigh of relief. She was the only one present who recognized his element-enhanced technique. Tenten and Neji gave the pair a questioning look, wondering if Yumiko locked them up together.
Their adversary stood confidently on shaky legs. She was certain the jinchuuriki was there to help her, and the shy heiress was likely just following her crush like a lost puppy. She could taste the sweet nectar of victory, and her chortle started deep in her throat…which she immediately sneered at because she was reminded of the taste of bile. The bug tamer was going to pay for her discomfort.
She turned to gloat only to feel killer intent focus in on her. In a cold sweat, she turned to the originator, and the color left her face. Naruto, her precious Naruto, was rushing toward her with his attack cocked and ready to go. She watched the ever approaching Fuuton with absolute dread.
The moment it impacted, her world turned white. Her vision burned as her Byakugan flickered off. The searing pain only amplified itself as her body instinctively activated her Raiton to drive it away. She knew from the beginning. He was the worst possible elemental matchup for her.
She fell to her knees, eyes blank. Her mouth hung open, jaw limp. She was blind, and she knew her current body was at its limit. Daikichi was in no position to help her. She didn't know the condition her children were in, and her other husband was dead. As she fell face first into the dirt, she closed her eyes believing everything had finally collapsed around her.
Naruto panted as he looked down at her. Even just the elementally enhanced Rasengan required a ton of concentration. He wasn't tired, but he needed to catch his breath. After a moment, he plopped his butt on the ground. He grinned as he looked around the room. "Hey guys, how's everybody doing?"
An irritated, blond chunin was about to answer, but a red-headed kunoichi giggled. "Well Naruto-kun, we'll be in a lot better shape once we get some medical treatment." Her eyes rested on Ino then Hinata. She had a feeling they both knew a thing or two about first aid treatment.
Ino nodded. "Right, I'll…" She paused when a hand rested on her shoulder for a split second. She turned to face Shino, and her face contorted into a questioning look.
He stood favoring his injured knee a little before he indicated Yumiko with a dip of his head. "It's best if ANBU interrogates her." She nodded at the implied meaning. The rest of them could wait; they were in no danger. He turned his attention to Hinata. "Can you do anything for the samurai?"
Hinata was standing next to Naruto, making sure he was okay, when she heard her teammate's question. She looked to the fallen samurai and thought for a moment. It looked to her like a blade had run him clean through, and his blood was settling poorly. She nodded her head. "I-I can try."
Shino leaned against a wall; his task completed. It was worth it to bring Yumiko and Daikichi in for questioning. He was less sure about the 'sons' she spoke of. He figured it would be pointless to just kill them, but he didn't know how much information they could give. He was less certain that they held any useful information.
He looked to Neji, and they shared a silent moment of understanding. With only Hinata and Ino healing, it would be a while before they were ready to move out. As soon as they were healed enough, they had to make sure the prisoners were gathered at a central location and restrained completely. They were also worried about three they hadn't seen yet.
The hours passed without further incident. Neji collected Saiga while Shino gathered Basuto. The brothers had regained consciousness while they were away, but they hadn't been able to escape their bindings. They even made idle threats until they saw their mother and Daikichi. The sight had effectively shut them up.
While Hinata and Ino worked on treating Chouji and Suichi, Naruto wandered over to a strange accessory decorating the odd living room. It looked like a massive tube surrounded by a velvet curtain. Why would there be a curtain inside a cave? He stared at it for several long moments with a sense of déjà vu. Something about it seemed…familiar.
He gripped one side of the curtain and hesitantly opened it. The sight on the other side made him blush, push the curtain closed once more, and turn around babbling something about a naked girl, not seeing, and some apologies.
Curiosity striking him, Neji approached Naruto and the unusual decoration. The blond tried to stop him, still babbling incoherently. When he drew the curtain, he was at once aghast and angry. He turned an icy glower towards Yumiko. The girl, like her sons, had ashen eyes.
When he turned his attention back to the pale girl, he was surprised to see her staring vehemently back at him. A voice spoke up in his head. Naruto, also hearing the voice, suddenly recognized her. "Are you going to gape at me all day? Either take me captive like you're thinking or kill me."
Several pairs of eyes fell on the eight year old girl. They were surprised someone so young would talk like that. Of the leaf nin, only Naruto and Hinata knew the truth. The young girl was actually older than any of them. The girl looked annoyed, but it wasn't because people could see her bare body.
Kanaeru approached and shooed Neji and Naruto away. She very simply replied to their questioning looks. "No peeking…" A smirk crossed her lips as she let the implication sink in. The boys had the decency to blush and turn away, and she felt enough amusement to giggle.
They rejoined Shino and Gayt. Neji was the first to speak. "Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee haven't returned yet. I doubt they'd still be fighting after so many hours, but it's still not safe to assume anything. We don't know their opponent's strengths." He paused. The main reason they hadn't gone immediately to look for their missing comrades was injury and lack of chakra. "Are you recovered enough to search?"
He was fully planning on joining them, and they nodded. They were confident the powerful shinobi were still alive, but they could be injured. There was also the possibility their opponent was still alive. If the strengths of their other adversaries was any indication, caution was the best policy.
The scene Shizune and her team arrived to was appalling. An elder shinobi lied dead and surrounded by Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee. Hana's eyes went wide as she rushed to her little brother and his canine companion. As neither she nor her own canine companion smelled anyone else nearby, she felt confident enough to administer immediate aid.
Sakura, Sayumi, and Yoshi were less confident. Sakura and Yoshi drew kunai while Sayumi drew needles between each finger. Shizune, however, quickly calmed their nerves. "If Hana was willing to move in like that, we're safe. Yoshi, you stay with her and help with treatment. Sakura and Sayumi, you're with me."
The young medics nodded and quickly fulfilled their objectives. Yoshi moved in to aid Tsume while Sakura and Sayumi fell into step with Shizune. Their mission had only just begun, and it looked like they had arrived just in time.
Hana turned to her help as she set Kiba's head on her lap and used her medical training to probe his condition. She indicated Lee. "You help that young pup. I'll handle this stupid pup and Akamaru. Be careful, it looks like they've been poisoned." It was the first thing she noticed. Their nails and lips were blue like there wasn't enough oxygen circulating.
Yoshi nodded and knelt beside Lee. He observed the same symptoms as his senior. With fluid movements, he molded his chakra, and a green hue covered his open hands. As he pressed his hands over the green-clad shinobi's heart, he frowned. "Hana-senpai, I can't sense any foreign substances in his body."
Hana frowned. She agreed with his analysis, but it didn't make any sense. Were they missing something? "Yeah, you're right. We'll administer aid to their physical injuries and wait for Shizune and Sakura to return. They have more experience with poisons." She ran her fingers through her brother's hair. "Please be all right my otouto pup."
Shizune, Sakura, and Sayumi stopped abruptly when they almost ran into Naruto, Neji, Shino, and Gayt. For a long three seconds, they were frozen where they stood as everyone soaked in the new information.
For the medics, it meant the group sent into Housekiyama was most likely safe. If the two groups teamed up, they had Ino to administer first aid to any injured. From the looks of things, they were rushing outside the cave to search for their missing comrades.
For the drained shinobi and kousotsu, it was a relief to see allies arrive as backup from Konoha. Neji was the first to break the silence with a question heavy on his and Tenten's teams' minds. "Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee… Are they okay?" He was familiar with Shizune and Sakura, but Sayumi was new. As such, he could only hope more arrived with them and were administering aid.
"Yes." They sighed a collective sigh of relief, except Gayt for his own reasons, as they all felt a burden lift from their shoulders. Shizune continued with her own question. "Where are the others? Are they further inside?"
Neji nodded. "Yes, Hinata-sama and Ino are still administering first aid." He paused. "Chouji seems to have received something similar to Hakke, so he's in the worst shape." Shizune and Sakura narrowed their eyes, and he knew they were worried about the plump young man.
They rushed back to the open space decorated like a living room. They didn't have time to take in the scene before Shizune was delivered orders. "Ino, Hinata, report the situation. Sakura, Sayumi, take over their patients." The response was immediate as the chunin followed orders.
Shizune noticed how exhausted Hinata looked, so she turned to Ino expecting answers. The young Yamanaka didn't disappoint. "Shizune-senpai, we started treatment almost two hours ago." She couldn't tell for sure because they were inside a cave and couldn't read the sun's position. "We have four, primary patients. Two are allies Suichi-san and Chouji."
Shizune looked over Ino's shoulders as the blond girl indicated them. Sakura was treating Chouji, and her scowl indicated how badly injured he was. Sayumi was treating obviously deep wounds on Suichi's shoulders. The Yamanaka continued. "The other two are enemies, Daikichi and Yumiko."
Again, Shizune analyzed the indicated persons. Daikichi held similar features to Suichi, likely a relative. He had a nasty wound to the gut, but it looked like he was stabilized. Yumiko, on the other hand, was impossible to read. Physically, she looked fine. "What are their conditions?"
Ino hesitated for a moment. She didn't know how to explain Yumiko, and she was still upset over how bad Chouji seemed. "Hinata treated Chouji after she found out some of his tenketsu were closed. She's administered necessary aid and juuken strikes. Suichi has several severed blood vessels and nerves going into his arms, and his shoulder joints are a shattered. I don't know if he'll ever be able to use his arms again."
Shizune looked to Sayumi again. She had an astounding level of chakra control, but she also had a certain gift with anatomy. Sakura was more experienced, but she was certain the tomboy could at least partially restore the Kumorigachi leader's arms. However, Chouji's condition explained Hinata's fatigue. She had to concentrate on expertly reopening tenketsu while healing physical injuries.
Ino continued even as Shizune internally noted and sorted the necessary information. "Daikichi was run through by Gayt's heavy blade. He's stable, but his chakra network is a mess. He can't mold chakra, but he was…doing something. I can't really explain it, but I don't think he'll be waking up any time soon."
Shizune was truly surprised by the information, even if she didn't show it. In a samurai family, members were never taught how to mold chakra. As with any living thing, they still produced chakra naturally. Was he trying something so dangerous without training? She was unaware the Kumorigachi were even capable of molding chakra.
Ino's next analysis held a hint of venom. "Yumiko used some jutsu to force more chakra into her body than it should have been able to handle. After Naruto used his Rasengan to disable her, we found she was in a vegetative state. She's holding on for now, but we don't know if it'll last. Shino and Neji said something about drawing chakra away from vital life functions to have one, last shot at finishing us."
Shizune was alarmed by the news, but it wasn't anything new. Some shinobi got so caught up in their own egotism that they refused to lose. She figured the situation with Yumiko was no different. She probably refused to acknowledge defeat, so she used the last vestiges of her strength to take out her enemies.
One thing was bothering her, though. She looked to Naruto who was walking circles around the room. He was followed by a young girl who only wore a jacket over her frail frame. She pointed to the scene that started actually shortly after they entered the living room; she just didn't want to address it at first. "What's with that?"
Ino blinked and looked over. She almost forgot about the young girl, Rikka as they found her name to be. After Kanaeru wrapped a jacket over the small girl to cover her, she just seemed to follow Naruto around. She was harmless according to him and Hinata, so they left well enough alone. "I don't…really know…" She trailed off just as confused.
Hinata smiled and finally spoke up. "Oh, she just doesn't want to be left alone." If it were Naruto, her lack of stutter would have been a surprise. However, most of her comrades knew her confidence showed growth over the years, and she could often speak with nary a slip.
Shizune had to ask, though. "Who is the girl, then? Is she from Housekiyama?" She was certain she wasn't from Konoha. She was also curious about the ashen eyes. It seemed two other prisoners also had ashen eyes.
Hinata half-heartedly sighed. The answer probably wouldn't go over very well without a lot of explanation. "Well, she's Yumiko's daughter…" She was right.
"What?!" Shizune practically yelled into the young kunoichi's ears. Every conscious person looked at her, startled if allied or suspicious if not. She quickly pulled her for a private conversation. "Why is an enemy wandering freely?"
Sheepishly, Hinata scratched her cheek in a similar fashion to her crush. "Well…she's harmless." The look from the senior medic told her to elaborate. "She really doesn't have any techniques she can use on her own to attack us, and she's really curious about Naruto. Besides, Yumiko wanted Naruto and me alive for her own, dubious reasons."
Shizune sighed. "I'm getting a full report later, right?" Of course, she knew the 'full report' she'd hear would be as Tsunade's assistant, but she didn't care. She wanted the whole mess taken care of, and Hinata's confirming nod was enough for the moment.
She quickly set her face in seriousness and took command. "Ino, Hinata, assist Sakura and Sayumi or treat Daikichi. I'll look at Yumiko's condition. Dismissed." The medics set to their jobs as rapidly as they could. They wanted to be on their way back to Konoha within the hour, and they couldn't if they delayed.
Hana looked to the sun to calculate the time. They could make it back to Konoha before nightfall if they left soon. She was worried about the strange condition her little brother, his canine companion, and Lee were in. She and Yoshi finished treating the physical problems a while ago.
Shizune took the rest of the medical team inside the cave over half an hour prior. When she heard soft padding approaching the portal, she looked up to see everybody else she had been expecting to see exit with the other three members of the medical team. They had four prisoners, two unconscious. Oddly, there was a young, pale girl following Naruto like some lost puppy…and clutching her only cover tightly to her body.
Shizune was surprised to see Hana and Yoshi still attending to their patients. "I wasn't expecting you two to still be treating them… After seeing Chouji and Suichi's conditions, I was certain you'd come in to check on us." She noticed the blue tinge to their lips a moment after she spoke.
Hana sighed. She was hoping to be able to treat even one of them for the poison before the rest arrived, but it was her defeat. "Yoshi and I can't find any substance, but they act like they've been poisoned."
Shizune, Sakura, and Sayumi rushed the three, ailing shinobi. They were the experts on poison, so they knew they had to rush to action. They had no idea how long the three had been out, but they knew one thing. If they were still unconscious while physically fine, it was bad enough to keep them under.
Rikka grabbed Naruto's arm, not really caring that her jacket flapped open a little. It was Kanaeru who forced her to wear it. She stared down at her father's form while keeping her distance. When she finally spoke, she drew everybody's attention. "It's my otou-san's doing. It's chakra poisoning, a lot of it."
The medics looked up with differing expression. Yoshi was curious about whom the girl was, and he was intrigued about how she clung to a boy considered so dangerous. Hana growled fiercely believing the girl may want to finish her father's job. Sakura wondered just how many people Naruto would leave an impression on.
The poison users had different thoughts. Shizune and Sayumi were used to using their chakra to create poisons, but they had no experience with anything quite to the level Rikka was talking about. They couldn't detect any substance, and they were unaware of any clan talents or kekkei genkai capable of such a feat. Of course, they were far from all-knowing.
Rikka decided to elaborate. "I'm sure otou-san saw his defeat as imminent, so he used his last-ditch attack. He expelled his built-up chakra poisoning to ensure his enemies went down with him." Again, stunned eyes locked on her. Only a few knew her true age.
Shizune recovered quickest. "Do you know how to treat it?" She held hope that somebody would know the secret to saving Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee. Her expression was sullen with the response.
Rikka shook her head. "It eventually kills us as it builds in our bodies, and we Kagennotsuki consider it a natural death. He used a clan kinjutsu, and no records exist on it ever being treated."
Kagennotsuki was a clan name a few present were keenly aware of. Neji, like Hinata, was taught to be wary around them from a young age. Ino remembered her father's warnings when it came to dealing with them. The clan name also made Kanaeru, Shizune, Sakura, and Sayumi realize why it wasn't so easy to treat.
Shizune made a command decision. "We have to get back to Konoha, fast." She calculated the situation. Kiba, Akamaru, Lee, Daikichi, and Yumiko needed to be carried back. Rikka probably couldn't move very fast on her own, and she wasn't leaving Naruto's side any time soon. The rest were at least healthy enough to hurry back.
They weren't finished just yet, and they needed to get back to Konoha. She made a command decision. "Naruto, use your Kage Bushin to help us move faster. You stay with Neji, Shino, Tenten, Kanaeru, and Gayt to escort the prisoners. The rest of us will rush ahead to Konoha with the patients.
Okay, Konohamaru officially laid the hurt! Who knew Naruto had such per...er...clever training methods? Sadly, it seems now Shizune's about to kick the bucket. Does Kishimoto hate his fans? Oh well, I got a few ideas and a few laughs. Who knew Pein's control network worked very similar to the kekkei genkai I dreamed up for the Kagennotsuki 'psychic' abilities, only without chakra transmitters and recievers.
If anybody can't tell, the chapter title is inspired by the saying, "It isn't over until the fat lady sings."
I'm a little late on this one because of finals. They may not have sneaked up on me, but they were more involved than I thought they would be. I'll be taking Christmas week off concerning this fan fiction, so I can rest a bit and finish a chapter for my FMA fan fiction.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I'll 'see' you back January 11 with the next chapter!
As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.
Story Word Count: 8,030
Story Page Count: 17
Terms and Jutsu:
Raiton: Raigusoku - Lightning Element: Lightning Armor: A high level technique, Raigusoku charges the user's skin with electricity. It retaliates against any attack made to the user and is especially effective in deflecting Hakke strikes and metallic weapons.
Edition 2.0: Chapter 10 and Chapter 11 have been edited to reflect a naming error brought to my attention. Hana is the name of Kiba's sister, not Tsume who is his mother. Thanks.