Author's Note: I am currently looking for a beta for this story. If anyone is interested in the position, please contact me as soon as possible.
Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever, owned anything related to Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto series.
Legend:
"A Human is talking."
'A Human is thinking.'
"A Demon or Summon is talking."
'A Demon or Summon is thinking.'
"A jutsu is being performed."
Chapter Six:
-Land of Mountains: Mt. Sobou-Hana-
After Fū had revealed herself to be another Jinchuriki, Utakata and Yugito had eased themselves out of their battle-ready stances. It gave each of them the chance to really look at Fū.
The Seven-Tails Jinchuriki was girl with short, spiky mint-green hair and orange-colored eyes. Her ninja outfit consisted of a short sleeveless white midriff shirt with fishnet armor underneath, long white armlets, and fishnet shorts with a white apron skirt over it.
She wore a scratched Hidden Waterfall forehead protector, classifying her as a Missing-Nin, above her elbow on her right arm. Fū also carried a cylindrical object in red wrappings on her back and had an orange hairclip in her hair.
Both Utakata and Yugito, being experienced Jonin, took in her appearance in a couple of seconds. Still slightly wary of her, they didn't put away their weapons but they did respond to Fū's question.
"My name is Utakata, the Jinchuriki of the Six-Tailed Slug. Behind me is my imouto, Amaru, the Jinchuriki of the Zero-Tailed Masked-Leech." Utakata said.
Hearing her name, Amaru peeked from behind Utakata's blue kimono. She, smiling, gave Fū a wave before ducking back behind her niisan.
"I am Yugito Nii, Jinchuriki of the Two-Tailed Monster-Cat." Yugito said.
Fū smiled before she began to walk towards them. When she had passed them, she turned around with a curious expression on her face.
"Are you going to stand around there all day like statues?" The green-haired girl asked. "We do have a place to be you know."
Amaru laughed, tugging on one of the sleeves of Utakata's kimono.
"I like her Utakata-niisan."
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-Land of Mountains: Outside Mt. Sobou-Hana-
As Han walked towards the moss-covered entrance into Mt. Sobou-Hana, he caught a flash of yellow in the corner of his eye.
Spinning around, steam rising from the furnace on his back, Han launched a volley of kunai knives at the yellow blue. He didn't wait to see if his enemy blocked the kunai or dodged them, instead he began running through hand-seals at a rapid pace.
Han saw the blur expertly deflect each and every kunai before it launched a massive waterball at him. Mentally cursing, he jumped to the side, barely avoiding the waterball.
"Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Technique." The blonde man announced, his hand raised towards the sky.
In an instant, a heavy mist descended onto this impromptu battlefield. Han quickly finished his series of hand-seals, smirking, before he spoke.
"Nice try. Boil Release: Steaming Murder." Han said.
Steam exploded from Han's furnace, heading out in all directions like a shockwave. Whatever this steam passed over began to melt. Even the boulders began to melt from the heat caused by this technique.
"Water Release: Protective Water Dome!"
'Gotcha you little rat.' Han thought.
Water and steamed clashed as Han's chakra-infused steam fought to melt the almost steel-like dome of water. The battle between the Three-Tail Jinchuriki, Yagura, and the Five-Tail Jinchuriki, Han, had begun.
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-Mt. Sobou-Hana: Valley of the Guardians-
As Naruto woke up, courtesy of some unsealed smelling salts, she groaned. She then opened her eyes to see Gaara kneeling beside her, sealing his smelling salts back into one of her scrolls.
"Ugh… What hit me? My head feels like it was run over by a merchant's cart." Naruto asked, rubbing her sore head.
Naruto heard Roshi laugh from somewhere behind her and, sitting up, turned to glare at the older man. However, before she could start yelling at Roshi, Gaara placed his hand on her shoulder.
She looked back and him and calmed down when she saw the concern in his eyes.
"You fell unconscious after confirming what Roshi informed us about the Uzumaki Clan and the Hidden Eddy Village." Gaara said.
"Oh, I remember now." Naruto replied, turning to look at Roshi. "How do you know about those things anyway?"
"I know 'bout those things because they were mentioned in History class back at the Academy back in the Hidden Stone Village. We went over some of the Clans in the Hidden Eddy Village and why it was allied with the Hidden Leaf Village. Didn't you guys go over it in your Academies?" Roshi explained with a confused expression on his face.
Naruto frowned.
"No. I remember that Mito Senju was mentioned to be the First Hokage's wife but there was nothing about the Hidden Eddy Village or any of is clans." Naruto responded.
"… That's weird." Roshi murmured before he turned to look at Gaara. "What 'bout you? Any mention of the Hidden Eddy Village or its clans?"
Gaara shook his head.
"Because of the budget problems that our Daimyo caused, we didn't get to cover all the subjects that would have been taught. The only history I learned about was the history of the Hidden Sand Village." Gaara said.
Roshi slapped his hand on his forehead, muttering about how "kids should know their history". Gaara and Naruto wisely backed away from the old man.
"Hey? Is anybody here? Hello?" An unfamiliar, childish voice called.
Naruto, Gaara, and Roshi turned around to see a quartet of people standing at the entrance of the valley. The one that had spoken, a red-haired girl, was standing behind a tall male wearing a blue kimono.
"There are three others over there, behind the statue of the One-Tailed Tanuki." The blonde-haired girl in black clothing reported.
Knowing their cover was blown, the three Jinchuriki approached the other group. A tense silence hung in the air as the two parties examined each other, looking to see if the other group would be much of a threat.
"Hi!" The little, red-haired girl said. "My name is Amaru! This is my niisan, Utakata-niisan, and Yugito-oneesan. Over there is Fū-oneesan."
Naruto smiled at the little girl, kneeling to ruffle little Amaru's hair.
"Hello Amaru. My name is Naruto Uzumaki. Next to me are my friends, Gaara of the Desert and Roshi." Naruto said.
"Hey! Don't mess with my hair; Utakata-niisan said to keep it nice." Amaru protested.
And just like that, the tense atmosphere around the group of Jinchuriki was broken. Laughter fell from their lips as they watched an irate Amaru rant towards Naruto.
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-Land of Mountains: Outside of Mt. Sobou-Hana-
As Han dodged a blow from the blonde-haired man's staff-like weapon, both combatants heard somebody start clapping. Surprised, they both turned to look at the newcomer.
Standing before them was a dark-skinned man with a muscular build. He had white hair and a goatee on his face. On his right shoulder, he had the tattoo of the kanji for "iron", and on his left cheek, he has the tattoo of a bull's horn.
This man wore oval-shaped sunglasses and a white colored forehead protector. He also wore the Hidden Cloud Village's standard strap-over-one-shoulder flak jacket and a long, red-rope belt tied around his waist, standard arm and shin guards, ninja sandals, and a white scarf around his neck.
This white-haired man also carried seven swords on his back. A couple of scrolls were attached to his belt, one with the kanji for "notebook" while the other carried the kanji for "supplies".
"You guys shouldn't be fighting here! We're all brothers in this place called near!" The white-haired man said.
Han's eyes narrowed at the man's odd, irritating manner of speech as his steam slowly returned to his furnace. He had known, thanks to his Tailed Beast, that his opponent was a fellow Jinchuriki.
He simply didn't care that that blonde-haired man was a Jinchuriki. He had originally thought that the man was an assassin, hired by old man Onoki, but as the fight went on, it became something of a sparring match.
It was also a chance to test his skills against someone who didn't die within the first five minutes of battle with him.
Han turned away from the muscular, dark-skinned man and started walking towards the moss-covered entrance of Mt. Sobou-Hana. He heard footsteps, telling him that someone was following him.
He hoped that it wasn't that man with the tattoos. He wouldn't be responsible for his reactions if that man was following him.
"Hey! Where do you two think you're going? You finished fighting in less than a day?" The muscular man shouted.
Han increased his pace.
XXXXXXXXXX
-Mt. Sobou-Hana: Valley of the Guardians-
"So, Naruto, where do you and Gaara come from?" Yugito asked. "I noticed that you were the only two of us that doesn't wear a forehead protector, so I was curious."
"Well… I come from the Hidden Leaf Village. Gaara here comes from the Hidden Sand." Naruto responded.
Even as Yugito nodded to Naruto's answer, Amaru was tilting her head, confused.
"Do you carry your forehead protectors with you like Utakata-niisan?" Amaru asked.
Naruto's smile dimmed.
"I threw my forehead protector away when my village banished me Amaru. To me that headband represented all of the hatred the civilians held towards me. It represented the corruption of the First Hokage's "Will of Fire"." Naruto responded.
Before anyone could do anything, Amaru launched herself at Naruto. She attached herself to Naruto's midsection before she looked up and wiped a tear away from Naruto's cheek.
Naruto hadn't even realised that she had been crying.
"Don't cry Naruto-oneesan. If we cry we let the meanies that hurt us win." Amaru said.
Author's Note:
Name: Gaara.
Rank: Chunin.
Classification: Jinchuriki
Current Occupation(s): None.
Gender: Male
Chakra Nature(s): Wind.
Known jutsu:
Armor of Sand
Desert Suspension
Feigning Sleep Technique
Sand Binding Coffin
Sand Binding Prison
Sand Clone Technique
Shield of Sand
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Name: Amaru
Rank: Academy Student.
Classification: Jinchuriki.
Current Occupation(s): None.
Gender: Female.
Chakra Nature(s): Fire.
Known jutsu:
Body Replacement Technique
Clone Technique
Rope Escape Technique
Transformation Technique