The Will of Fire: Kindling the Flame

by Star of the West

Narumi Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Saburo Haruno have just graduated from the academy. They have now taken the first step on the path that will lead them into the adventure of a lifetime. The journey of team seven and their comrades has begun.

12. A Name

Narumi looked off to the side, where Ero-sennin was watching her intently. He nodded to her, and she took a deep breath, turning her attention back to the revolving pillars with their many arms.

Rising to her toes, she waited a moment, and then dashed forward. As she reached the edge of the moving thicket of poles, she turned slightly, going up on her toes and dropping her arms to her sides as she slipped in between two of the pillars.

Hugging close to the pole at her back, she moved with it, waiting as an arm from another pole swung towards her at waist height. When it came within range, she lightly dropped one palm on top of it, and vaulted over it with a half spin.

As she landed, she let the momentum of the spin carry her down, bending her knees, and dipping her torso forward until she was looking at the ground. Another arm whistled by above her back even as she continued the motion, coming up to face forward yet again.

Circling forward, she felt two incoming arms on either side of her, and dipped her torso forward again, planting both palms on the lower arm and lifting her legs to spin over it. As she did this, she kept her body flat against the lower arm, a bare breath of space separating her from it as the other arm swept across her back.

As she emerged from the small space temporarily created between the two arms, she rolled across the ground beneath yet another arm, and came up in time to spin with the bare side of one pole, flowing with it smoothly as she followed it around to face the last wave of movement.

Swaying from side to side, she evaded the arms around her smoothly, and was just about to break free when a shortened arm on the last pole swung around out of nowhere.

Turning as she moved, Narumi lifted her arms and arched her spine, feeling the brush of the earth pole against the back of her jacket. And then she was out, finishing her turn and coming softly to a halt, weight still balanced on the balls of her feet, body relaxed.

Taking a deep breath, she blinked and looked back at Jiraya. The white haired shinobi was laughing and clapping delightedly.

"Very good! You mastered it much more quickly than I thought you would!"

Narumi huffed, wiping a bit of sweat from her forehead and muttering under her breath.

"That's easy for you to say. You're not the one that spent four days being systematically beaten black and blue."

Jiraya ignored her muttered comment, grinning down at her broadly.

"So now, we'll be moving on to the next thing I wanted to teach you. This is a type of technique that will augment and take advantage of your abnormally large chakra reserves. Now that you can access your dormant reserves, you need to work on building them up. Also, you need to get used to drawing on large amounts of chakra at once with ease if you're going to properly utilize and take advantage of such large reserves."

The older shinobi's grin turned feral, dark eyes narrowing slightly as he squatted to look her in the eye.

"There are many techniques that will do this, but the one I'll be teaching you is the Kuchiyose no Jutsu."

Narumi blinked, leaning back on her heels, bracing her hands on her hips, and cocking her head curiously at the taller figure of her teacher.

"Kuchiyose?"

Jiraya nodded.

"You make a contract with an animal clan using your blood, after which you can summon them from their own plane of reality to ours in order to help you. It's a temporal-spatial jutsu of the highest caliber."

Narumi brightened with excitement, blue eyes lighting up eagerly

"That's so cool! Teach me!"

Jiraya frowned slightly, rubbing at his chin thoughtfully.

"Yes, but there's one last problem. To push the limits of your chakra, you'll need to use nearly all of it. If you don't do that, it won't build. But with your dormant reserves opened, just Kuchiyose won't do that. A bigger technique is unwise because it'll put too much strain on your body considering that you're still in the early stages of your growth."

The older shinobi's face cleared and he lit up.

"Well, we'll just have to use up part of your chakra before hand."

Narumi frowned up at him uncertainly, trying to think of something that would consume chakra. Then her face lit up, and she bounced excitedly, waving her arms.

"Ne, Ero-sennin! I know a technique like that!"

Jiraya blinked at her in surprise, and crossed his arms curiously.

"You do, huh?"

Narumi nodded excitedly, and dodged backwards, lifting her hands into the familiar cross-shaped hand sign.

"Kage bunshin!"

With puff of smoke, she found herself surrounded by an immense crowd of her own clones. They shifted around her, and wove her way through them to stand back in front of Jiraya as the clones watched.

"See, see?"

Jiraya seemed surprised, but a pleased smile was tugging at his mouth and he ruffled her hair.

"Not bad, Gaki! This'll even help with your taijutsu training."

Narumi shifted in confusion, dodging out from under the large hand mussing her hair, and squinting up at her teacher.

"What do you mean?"

Her face was creased in confusion as Jiraya chuckled and squatted in front of her.

"Listen up, Gaki. Kage Bunshin is a perfect technique for you. You're chakra reserves are so large that you can use it effectively in a way that very few shinobi can. And there are benefits that are unique to this jutsu."

Narumi shifted impatiently and wished that he would get to the point. But she knew from experience that Jiraya would not be rushed.

"When a Kage Bunshin disperses, it's experiences are transferred to you. Have you noticed that at all?"

Her mouth slid open in surprise, and the blonde stared wide-eyed at the tall man, who rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"Well, I suppose that's only normal for a genin. Anyway, the technique was originally developed for espionage purposes. The idea was that the clone would infiltrate, gather the necessary information, and then disperse, without the actual shinobi ever having to endanger their life."

Rocking back on his heels, Jiraya lifted one finger.

"However, in your case, we're applying it slightly differently. If you use the technique to train, you increase your potential to learn while dramatically cutting down on the time it takes. So if you use it to create two clones, and train for a day, when you disperse them it'll be like you trained for three days. Understand?"

Narumi furrowed her brow, cocked her head, and nodded, speaking slowly.

"What you're saying is that I can train more in less time..."

An idea struck her, and her eyes widened at the possibilities.

"Doesn't that mean I could turn a month of training into more?"

Jiraya's pleased grin was wide and bright as he laughed.

"Exactly, kid, exactly! Which is exactly what we'll be making use of!"

Then he stood, pointing behind her.

"But first things first, we've got to wear down some of your chakra. So you and the clones all get running. Use your chakra to enhance the speed and power of your movements, and make a new clone every time one disperses. I'll stop you when you're ready to move on."

Narumi scowled in exasperation and rolled her eyes at him. Then she and the clones turned and charged back into the poles, each one using chakra liberally throughout their bodies.

To her surprise, she had more difficulty with the movement now that she was using a greater level of speed and strength, and actually had to replace clones several times during the next two hours as they were slammed into poles or arms, causing them to disperse instantly.

Eventually her movements smoothed back out, and she fell back into the now familiar patterns of spherical movement, moving with the strikes of the earthen arms. She was sweating by now, and her breathing was coming hard.

It wasn't that she was physically tired exactly, but she could feel the tug of chakra being slowly drained from her coils. She sucked in a deep breath, and was about to slide back into the whirling mass of hardened earth when Jiraya called out from behind her.

"Alright, that's enough now."

Naruto grinned as the earth poles withdrew suddenly back into the ground with a cloud of dust. Closing her eyes against the gritty particles, she dispersed the clones, and collapsed onto her back, limbs splayed out as she waited for the dust to clear.

Jiraya's scent approached, flooding her nose with that strange combination of steel, ink, and oil. Cracking one eye open, she grinned up at him. His hands were braced on his hips, his head shading her eyes against the brightness of the late morning sun as he leaned over her with an answering grin.

"Alright, looks like it's finally time to move on."

Narumi rolled over and shot to her feet excitedly, forgetting her tiredness as she whooped.

"Sweet! Let's go!"

Jiraya straightened, his eyes gleaming as he shifted and widened his stance slightly.

"I'll show you how it works first."

He bit into the pad of his thumb and swiped it over his palm, flashing through hand signs and slamming it into the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A scrolling circle of arcane symbols with long spokes suddenly spread from beneath his hand. Narumi only had time for a bare glimpse of the seal before it was hidden by an explosion of smoke.

The smoke quickly cleared, revealing Jiraya crouched on the back of a toad as tall as Narumi was when she stood on her tiptoes. Leaning back to look at her teacher as he straightened, she grinned, eyes shining with excitement.

"Wow! So cool!"

The toad, a large orange and green creature with a string of prayer beads around its neck, suddenly opened its mouth, revealing a long scroll thicker than her own arm held in the coils of its tongue.

With a low croak, it unrolled its tongue, extending the scroll to Narumi, who took it carefully into her hands with wide eyes. Jiraya was looking inordinately pleased with himself as he nodded to the object she held.

"Open the scroll. It's the summoning contract of the toads, passed down from summoner to summoner, all the way to me."

Narumi glanced back and forth between him and the scroll, her mouth slightly open in awe. Swallowing she turned and laid it on the bank, unrolling it carefully. Normally she didn't care much about scrolls, but something about the idea of generations of powerful ninja having touched it made her want to handle it carefully.

As she unrolled it, she was confronted by names with handprints beneath them. Many, many names, all of them written in a dark red-brown substance that she recognized, it's dull scent both dusty and coppery. Old blood. But somehow, it wasn't as intimidating as such scents usually were. Instead, it was a scent rich with age and power. Shivers ran down her spine as she sucked in a lungful of the heavy smell.

Behind her, Jiraya's voice rang out, his tone firm and encouraging.

"Write down your name using your blood, and put your handprint underneath. Then mould your chakra, and put your hand where you want to summon the toad. The seals are boar, dog, bird, monkey, and finally sheep."

Narumi ran her eyes over the scroll again as she punctured the pad of her right thumb with one of her unusually sharp canines. Reading through the names as she moved forward, her eyes flickered over Jiraya's name, and then hesitated. There was another name between his and the blank space for hers.

Namikaze Minato.

Frowning slightly, she hesitated, looking at the neat, but powerful strokes of the characters, and the fingerprints beneath it where spaced far apart, as if they'd belonged to a large hand. Irrationally, she had the sudden urge to press her own small hand against that larger handprint, feeling as if she should know the name above it.

Shaking herself, she shoved the notion to the back of her head. That was silly, she'd never heard that name before in her life. Before she could get any other strange ideas, she turned to the blank space, and pressed her bloody thumb to the scroll.

Ikuye-sensei had always said she had surprisingly good writing and drawing abilities, considering her marks in the other academic areas. Narumi had never thought much about it, but now she was proud of it. At the very least, her own characters didn't look shameful or silly next to the smooth power of the name beside them.

With great care, she inscribed her name, making sure to keep the lines of the strokes flowing and graceful, the characters shining a bright, wet red beside the darker red-brown of the other names. Once she finished, she carefully pressed her thumb to the other four fingers of her hand, and then firmly pressed her hand against the remaining space beneath her name.

When she lifted her hand away, she smiled in satisfaction, pleased with her signature.

"Okay, that's it right?"

Standing up, she turned to the side, and flashed through the seals that Jiraya had told her. Setting her jaw determinedly, she slammed her hand down onto the ground as he had done.

There was a very small puff of smoke, and she felt wriggling movement beneath her hand. Frowning in confusion when nothing appeared, Narumi drew back uncertainly. There on the riverbank was a thrashing tadpole, it's legs not even developed yet.

She stared at it for a long moment, mouth working as she beheld the less than impressive fruits of her effort. Jiraya burst out laughing, and she glared at him sharply, desperately hoping that her cheeks were hot from the sun, and not from the embarrassed blush that she was afraid had appeared.

"Oh shut up! More importantly what do I do? It needs water right?"

Her own words spurred her into horrified movement, and she quickly scooped the tiny thing up, splashing into the river and carefully submerging her cupped hands just enough that the tiny creature could circle the insides of her palms, but not enough that it could escape.

Jiraya just shook his head, desperately wrapping his arms around his stomach, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he roared with laughter. Narumi's head turned slowly to fix him with a narrow eyed glare.

After a long moment, the hermit got control of himself, sucking in large lungfuls of air as he wiped at his eyes.

"Just...just dismiss it. That's all you have to do. It's too young to leave on its own."

Narumi grimaced and shifted, cupping the tiny creature in one hand and lift the other into a concentration seal. After a moment, the orange and blue tadpole disappeared with a tiny burst of smoke, and Narumi straightened from her hunched position with a relieved sigh.

Absently wiping her dripping hands on the sides of her pants, she returned to the riverbank.

"I don't get it, what did I do wrong?"

Jiraya shrugged, his face-splitting grin receding to a friendly smirk.

"Try pouring more chakra into it."

Frowning, Narumi shoved a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and preformed the seal sequence again. And was rewarded with another tadpole.

Growling in frustration, she narrowed her eyes and threw herself into her training. For the rest of the afternoon, she spent her time flashing through hand seals, dashing into the river with a thrashing tadpole, and then returning to the bank to repeat the process.

Jiraya wandered off at some point, and sat with his back against a tree, brush flashing down the pages of his manuscript, eyes occasionally flickering to the black notebook he carried in his shirt.

Narumi snorted and ignored him, refusing to give up, pouring more and more chakra into the jutsu each time she went through the seals. As the day progressed, she ignored the grumbling of her stomach, suppressing her hunger in favor of training.

The sun began to sink, and the light turned bloody, but still Narumi continued her training. The summoning scroll had long since been rolled up and returned to the toad from whom she had received it, and she still had yet to summon anything more impressive than a tadpole that had developed its back legs.

By this time, she was feeling stretched in a way she never had before, her eyelids heavy enough that they were proving difficult to prop up. Her pants were soaked to the knee, and several golden strands had worked themselves free of her braid.

Slowly slogging through the river back to the bank after dismissing the latest tadpole, she sucked in a deep breath, and went through the seals again. Calling on her chakra, she moved to use the jutsu one last time.

Before she could complete the technique, the darkness hovering at the edges of her vision swooped in on her. Her senses dulled, and she had the sudden sense of weightlessness that usually accompanied falling.

She had not time to wonder what had just happened before she lost consciousness.

---

Three weeks later, Narumi found herself hunched over, hands braced on her knees as she panted desperately for air. She'd spent every day training hard, pouring out so much chakra that she would collapse instantly into sleep at the inn every night.

For all that work, she hadn't managed to summon anything that had fully developed beyond the tadpole stage. The best she'd gotten was a nearly there creature with a tail still attached.

Jiraya sighed heavily, eyeing her from where he sat, his voice slightly discouraged.

"Man, you're really not getting this at all, are you?"

Narumi sucked in another breath, glaring up at him fiercely.

"Shut up! It's not like I'm not working hard here! I'm doing my best!"

Jiraya nodded, offering her a small smile as he stood and walked over to where she leaned on her own knees.

"I know that. But you need to train like your life depends on it if you're going to master Kuchiyose before the finals."

Narumi huffed in frustration, straightening and crossing her arms indignantly.

"I am! Every day I mould my chakra like my life depends on it! Can't you give me more of a hint than that?"

Jiraya scratched his head absentmindedly, and he looked a bit conflicted, eyes wandering away from her face to fix on a stone by his foot.

"A hint, huh?"

Narumi's expression shifted from irritation to confusion as she watched the oddly grave expression on Jiraya's face.

"Ero-sennin?"

After a long moment, he seemed to come to a decision. When his dark eyes turned back to her, they were firm and resolute.

Jiraya sighed again, raked a hand through his hair, and then met her gaze seriously, all traces of playfulness fading away from his demeanor.

"Put your life on the line."

Narumi felt her eyes widen in surprise. Jiraya held her gaze, voice brisk as he addressed her.

"I'm not joking with you here. Can you still do it? Will you?"

Narumi shoved away her own surprise, lifted her chin, and tightened her jaw. Unconsciously, she tensed for battle, dropping her hands to form loose fists at her sides as blue met black in a tense gaze.

"Of course, 'ttebayo!"

Jiraya stood, his voice oddly mild as he looked at her.

"I see. Then follow me."

Turning he started calmly off through the woods. Narumi stared after him blankly in surprise. Then she scrambled up the bank to snatch her combat sandals and traveling pack from under the tree.

She'd continued to carry her things with her every day, and it looked like that was paying off. As she hurried after the broad back in front of her, she hopped first on one foot, and then the other, pulling on her sandals as she went.

They headed out onto the main road to Konoha, traveling back into the thick forest surrounding the village. Jiraya chattered excitedly to Narumi about his research, and what they'd eat when they got to the village.

Narumi frowned at him in confusion, and kicked him hard in the shins every time he tried to go into more detail about his novels.

They were about halfway back when she finally snapped irately at the taller shinobi beside her.

"Ero-sennin! What about training?"

The man fell silent and stopped. Then he turned to her with an odd expression. Before she could address him further, pain exploded in her solar plexus, and her breath was forced out of her.

Choking, her eyes widened. Jirayas fist was buried in her stomach, half hidden in the folds of her black t-shirt. Her body desperately tried to suck air back into her lungs, even as her vision grayed at the sides. Slowly, her eyes slid closed and her body went limp.

The last thing she was aware of before she lost consciousness was the sensation of being caught, and Jiraya's unusually apologetic voice murmuring over her.

"Don't be too angry with me over this, Minato."

---

When Narumi's eyes fluttered back open, she found herself stretched out on her back in the forest. Confused, she rolled to her feet, hand rising to smooth at her torso, even though she knew the Kyuubi would have long since healed the bruising.

"Wh-what? Where am I?"

Then her eyes focused on Jiraya, who was standing just in front of her. Frowning uneasily, she scolded him indignantly.

"Ero-sennin? What the hell?"

Jiraya's eyes were cool and hard as he stared down at her.

"The training ends here, Gaki."

Narumi shifted, uncertain and suddenly wary. It took all her willpower not to back away from the man. Something about the way he was looking down at her reminded her of the more dangerous figures among those who hated her back in the village.

"What do you mean? You promised to train me."

Jiraya ignored her reminder, never wavering or moving as he continued.

"Narumi. Die."

She stared at him, more wary than ever, a thousand instincts screaming at her to run. But at the same time, Ero-sennin was her teacher, and she trusted her teachers. Conflicted and nervous, she slowly backed up a couple of steps. Jiraya did not react to her movement.

"Experience the fear of death, and use that to draw out the true potential of your chakra reserves. If you don't want to die, learn to stand and fight with your own power."

Stepping forward and reaching out, he flicked the center of her Hitae-ate, a movement that looked deceptively gentle. Narumi's eyes widened and she suddenly found herself flying backwards through the brush.

Clenching her eyes shut, she through up her arms, feeling twigs lash at the back of her protective jacket. In that moment, she was incredibly grateful that she wore the thicker, bulkier jumpsuit that she did.

Then she was hurtling out of the bushes and into open air. Opening her eyes, she found herself falling into a great gorge in the earth. A waterfall cascaded over one edge. Rock teeth protruded on either side of it, so there was no chance of her saving herself with her own chakra, and it was so deep that the bottom was shrouded in impenetrable darkness.

As her body arched down into the gaping trench, and its walls slowly blocked the forest from her view, time seemed to slow down. Narumi's eyes stretched so wide that it hurt, and her mouth gaped open in a soundless cry. Then the moment passed, and she was hurtling down into darkness, screaming as she went.

Fast, so fast. The rock teeth on the walls hurtled by her with blurring speed, and her braid whipped wildly behind her, her clothing flapping against her skin with enough force that each slap of orange cloth stung.

Her mind raced, and the grim level-headedness of battle clamped down on her mind, forcing back the panic and terror that tried to overwhelm her as adrenaline with no outlet flooded her system.

'I have to grab one of those teeth to stop my fall. I can't die here!'

Swiftly channeling chakra to her hands and feet, she angled her body so that she was closer to the jutting, dulled teeth of rock, and reached out to grab one. For a moment her hand closed over it, and she felt the giddy rush of victory.

Then as she tried to swing her weight around it, her hand slipped across the slick damp surface. In an instant, she was ripped off the rock by her own momentum, and found herself hurtling onward into the dark.

The attempt to grab the rock flung her around, and she found herself falling head first, wide eyes fixed with a sick fascination on the darkness below that she never seemed to quite reach.

Her stomach seemed to slide down into her toes, while her lungs felt as if they'd risen into her throat. Her own heartbeat thundered in her ears, and she was filled with a sudden and overwhelming certainty of one simple fact.

'I'm going to die.'

As if it had been whispered in her ear by some outside source, Narumi recoiled. Defiance burned through her, and her brows snapped down, jaw snapping closed and teeth gritting together.

Something shifted, and her mind felt clear and sharp, intensely focused. Dimly she reached for her chakra reserves, and realized that it was not enough. Narrowing her eyes, she shoved determinedly, reaching deeper and further.

Squinting her eyes shut, she reached desperately.

'Just a bit more. Just a little further!'

Suddenly she found herself on her knees in shallow water. Blinking her eyes open, she looked around and slowly stood up. She was standing in a dimly lit sewer that seemed somehow menacing.

She started to look around her in bewilderment. Before she could think much about the sudden shift, a deep, snarling growl echoed through the dripping corridors. Turning to look towards the sound, she faced down the corridor.

The sound came again, more drawn out and hissing this time. Narumi swallowed, eyes intent on the shadowed corridor. Whatever that was, it was large, and it was hostile. And it also didn't sound like any animal she was familiar with.

Instinctively, she scented the air, eyes flickering across the shifting shadows, hand drifting closer to her weapons pouch. The scent that filled her nostrils made her stiffen. Raging fire, earth, and burnt wood were overlaid with the scents of blood and metal. Not the comforting power-charged blood of the summoning scroll, or the clean kunai steel of Jiraya's scent.

No, this was the sickening black blood that oozed from a bad belly wound, one that spelled a slow and painful death for the shinobi who received it, and the rusted, corroded metal of twisted beams jutting from destroyed buildings.

All of it was wrapped in pure and utter RAGE. A blood-thirst so intense that it took Narumi's breath away, and nearly sent her to her knees. This was the scent of power and malice. This was dangerous.

Steeling herself, Narumi lifted her chin. She was a kunoichi of Konoha, and she would not back down in the face of danger. However she had gotten here, wherever here was, she would not be cowed.

Quickly she strode down towards the sound, splashing through the water as she turned off down a side corridor. Uneasily she realized that the feeling growing stronger as she walked further was familiar. She associated it with a chakra that she sometimes felt was running close beneath her skin when she was upset or angry.

The best example would have been with Mizuki and Orochimaru. Both times, violently angry red chakra had flowed thickly through her coils. That chakra always felt seductively powerful, but she was wary of it. When she felt it, her own chakra always seemed choked and restricted.

When she emerged from the end of the corridor, she found herself in an immense room, flooded with the sick yellow-green light that illuminated the corridors. The ceiling was impossibly tall. She had to crane her neck just to see it. And set before her was an enormous gate.

The gate was intricate, it's bars sturdy and strong looking. She could see no locking mechanism, but a slip of paper that looked small from this distance was plastered in the center of them where they met.

Narumi stared up at the gates with dread, the hissing growls louder and closer now. Somehow she knew that the growls, and the feeling of that strange red chakra lay beyond this gate. And she didn't want to be here with it.

A pair of slitted red eyes, and a mouthful of sharp fangs appeared behind the bars of the gate. Narumi stared, swallowing hard, and locking her knees to keep from backing away. The smallest of those teeth was at least twice her own height.

Sweat broke out on her forehead, beading at her temples and rolling down her cheeks. As red chakra billowed around the nearly invisible head hovering before her, Narumi set her jaw and thanked the kami that she was too frightened to tremble.

'Huge. It's huge. This...it can't be...'

A growling, echoing voice echoed around her, though the mouth never moved, and she could practically taste the gleeful menace behind the words.

"Girl, come here."

Backing up a single pace, Narumi slowly shook her head. The eyes narrowed, and a set of insanely large white claws suddenly struck out at her. Narumi's eyes shot wide open, and she fell back into a defensive crouch, though she didn't know what good it would do.

The claws were stopped by the gate before they could reach her, and they withdrew with a shriek of metal. The strike had been cobra quick, and Narumi shakily wondered what would have happened if she had answered the beckon and moved closer.

The voice came again, apparently unaffected by her refusal, or it's own failure to harm her.

"Unfortunately, the seal stops me from devouring you. It does not open. Truly a detestable creation."

Narumi felt the blood drain from her face, and her voice wavered as she confirmed what she already instinctively knew.

"You're...Kyuubi."

Inwardly her mind was racing as she tried to make sense of what she was experiencing.

'Did he somehow get out of me? No, it can't be! I would know! Is this a genjutsu?'

Her attention was drawn to the billowing crowd of orange-red chakra, and her breath caught in realization.

'That red chakra I've been feeling...it's his isn't it...'

The Kyuubi eyed her nearly gleefully, and it's voice was scornful and cruel in its amusement.

"Why did you come here?"

The voice grew distant, and then seemed to get more excited, greed entering it's tone as the shadowed head with its glowing eyes drawing closer to the bars than before.

"I see...your life is in danger. Well then, the answer is simple. Give me control, girl, and I will save you."

Narumi's eyes widened, and she suddenly realized where she was. A manifestation of her own mind that allowed her to speak to the Kyuubi. It had to be some sort of side effect of the seal the Yondaime had used to capture him.

Then her eyes narrowed, and aggression flooded her system. She glared back up at the fox, refusing to allow herself to give into her fear, and when she spoke her voice was sharp and strong.

"That's not how it works, furball!"

The Kyuubi growled slightly, though she thought there was a tone of surprise to it this time. She ignored that, and kept going, determined to re-take this situation.

"Hey, dumb fox! You're living in my body, aren't you? So use your chakra to pay rent, won't ya. Nothin's free you know."

The Kyuubi growled back at her, eyes blazing furiously.

"And why should I do that, puny wenchling?"

Narumi lifted her chin, and one corner of her mouth lifted in a predatory smirk.

"Because if you don't, I'm gonna die. And if I'm gonna die, I'm takin' you with me."

There was an instant of silence. Then the Kyuubi laughed, the mocking tone of the sound ricocheting off the bare concrete walls and causing ripples to issue from inside the cage.

"You have guts, wenchling, trying to blackmail me like that! More spine in you than those other females. Perhaps you have something of a vixen to you!"

Strange Laughter rumbled through the words, no less menacing or hungry for the amusement. Narumi shivered, furrowing her brow in confusion.

That heaving bright red chakra suddenly washed out of the cage, flowing through the water in a great wave and encircling her. Narumi watched it, alarmed, and hesitated, wondering if she should spring away from its advance.

Before she could, it swirled around her, seizing her ankles and flowing up her body until she was encased from shoulders to feet. The heat of it burned her skin, and it felt like a physical object, pressing in on her, constricting her chest and suffocating her.

Unwilling to show her fear or discomfort, she bit back the cry that tried to force its way from her throat, and bit the inside of her cheek. The Kyuubi continued, dark amusement roiling through its voice as the glowing eyes and gleaming teeth receded back into the darkness of its cage.

"Very well. As a reward for coming all this way, I'll give it to you!"

Narumi's eyes snapped open, and she was once again hurtling into the mercifully clean and unthreatening blackness of the gorge. Wind whistled past her ears, howling at her as she passed, but she couldn't be bothered to care.

Though she was aware that her life was in danger, the paralyzing terror was gone, and her mind was clear. Power roiled through her, fierce and chaotic. The red chakra tried to fight her, to take over her and smother out her own chakra.

Grimly, she bit down on the pad of her thumb, and forced the red chakra back, taming it and grasping it firmly. She would control this! Harness it and turn it to her own purposes. When she felt she had it, she flashed through the hand signs that she'd been struggling with for the past three weeks.

Thrusting her hand with it's bloody thumb out in front of her, fingers spread as if she was bracing them against something, she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Chakra flooded from her hand in a dome shape. First her own blue, and then when that ran out, the tamed roiling of the red chakra. Her eyes slitted as she saw it emerge, and she tightened her control of the technique, wary of rebellion.

Then the danger was past, and there was a huge explosion of white smoke beneath and around her. Enormous webbed limbs shot out, crashing into the walls and crushing stone teeth as the toad braced itself spread eagled in the gorge.

Downward movement halted, and Narumi found herself kneeling atop a broad, dull orange surface. It was smooth and a little damp, with strange lumps here and there. An alarmed, booming voice suddenly rumbled out from beneath her in an alarmed tone, and the sound was almost comforting after the menacing hiss of the Kyuubi.

"Where the hell am I?"

Narumi felt her mouth slide open as she took in the size of the toad she was perched on. When she found her tongue, she couldn't help voicing her awe.

"Whoa, you're huge!"

Then her brow furrowed, and she leaned forward, crawling on hands and knees to peer over at the left arm and leg braced firmly against the crumbled remains of what had been clusters of rock teeth.

Looking over her shoulder, she spotted a broad blue expanse of what she vaguely recognized as a ridiculously large haori. Blinking uncertainly, she frowned.

"This is a toad...right?"

Crawling over to a large ridge she could see on her right, she leaned over it. Her stomach pressed against the ridge as she hung almost entirely upside down, her braid dangling down beyond her head as she stared down into a large yellow eye with a rectangular pupil.

The eye rolled up to look at her, and for a long moment they stayed like that. Idly, she noticed that she could see her entire reflection in the glossy yellow surface beneath her, and wondered why her mouth was gaping open so widely.

The rumbling voice came again as the toad lifted its head. The sudden shift threw her to the side, and she found herself sitting on his nose, facing the two great eyes that had to nearly cross to see her.

"Oi, girl!"

The eyes narrowed, and his voice was scolding and irritated as well as slightly rough and abrasive.

"Are you the one? Whose head do you think you're prancing around on? I am the Toad Boss, Gamabunta-sama, you fool!"

With a final shout, he knocked her from his nose, and released a stream of air that sent her flying along his pipe. Narumi yelped, skidding across the pole and catching the edge of the bowl.

"What-what's with this guy?"

Suddenly the pipe tipped up, and she found herself staring down, impressed, as he balanced it on his tongue, peering up the shaft at her where she clung to the brass bowl.

"I haven't breathed the air of the outside world in years, and all of the sudden there's a weird, noisy girl-child on my head!"

Sounding distinctly displeased, he began roaring up the gorge, though he was careful not to jar her from her perch. Narumi was impressed that he could speak so clearly and loudly while balancing the long pipe on his tongue.

"OI! Jiraya! Where are you! What's the meaning of this!"

There was a long moment of silence while the Toad waited for a response. When none came, it roared indignantly, even more irate than before.

"Jiraya! Come out, you idiot!"

When nothing happened, Gamabunta shifted his gaze to Narumi, inclining the pipe closer to his face as he peered at her. She yelped slightly, tightening her chakra infused grip on the metal of the pipe.

"Oi, girl."

She swallowed, and answered in her best Ikuye-sensei-is-going-to-kill-me-if-I-don't-behave voice.

"Yes?"

The toads tone was grave, and she was relieved he wasn't shouting anymore.

"Where's Jiraya?"

Narumi blinked, feeling a bit dazed and tentatively questioned him.

"Um...who?"

The pipe tilted closer, and her grip became slightly more perilous. The pipe jostled just a bit, and she found herself dropped unceremoniously unto the Toads nose again.

"That perverted old man who calls himself the Toad Sage."

She blinked, sitting up and staring back at Gamabunta, mind still feeling a bit numb. Then a light flashed on as she remembered her teachers self-introduction when she'd first discovered him at the hot springs. She stared at the toad, speechless.

'Scary, definitely scary.'

The toad frowned at her, and then spoke up again in it's gruff voice.

"Well, where is he? If you do as I say, I'll make you my subordinate. SO ANSWER ME!"

The sudden roar took her off guard, and she instinctively threw up an arm to shield her face. Alarmed, she addressed him loudly, instantly, and fervently.

"Yes, sir! The Ero-Sennin is at the top of this cliff, Toad-boss sir!"

Apparently appeased, he tilted his head back, and looked past her towards the top of the gorge, his voice thoughtful.

"The top, huh?"

Narumi swallowed, and then shakily spoke up.

"A-Ano...may I ask something, Boss sir?"

His head dropped again, and his eyes redirected to focus on her.

"What is it?"

She crossed her legs nervously, bracing her hands on her ankles in her usual position, and resisting the urge to squeak.

"Um...what business do you have with Ero-sennin?"

The toad sounded indignant and annoyed when he answered a touch more loudly.

"That's what I want to know! That perverted geezer, why did he summon me to a place like this? What is he up to?"

Narumi blinked, and her eyes widened.

"AH! But..."

The toads eyes swiveled back to her again, and though his manner of speaking was still rough, it didn't sound as alarming as it had before.

"What?"

Narumi rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, cheeks flushing slightly as she grinned nervously at him.

"I'm the one who summoned you, Toad boss sir. I fell off this cliff, so I was hoping something would help me. Sir!"

She finished this explanation with a respectful shout, and a swift salute. The large yellow eyes narrowed, and focused more intently on her as the Toad grunted in what sounded like astonished disbelief.

Then he threw back his head and roared with laughter.

"That was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

Now his gaze was slightly amused.

"A small girl-child like you could never summon me!"

Narumi squeaked indignantly, leaning forward as she objected.

"I'm telling the truth! I really did summon you!"

He burst out laughing again, and Narumi moved up to one knee, glaring at him angrily. What was so funny anyway? She'd worked hard for this! His laughter continued loud and long, and she finally decided she'd had enough. Surging to her feet and bracing her hands on her hips, she snarled at him.

"Hey you stupid Toad! I DID summon you! Doesn't that make me your mistress or something?"

The laughter stopped abruptly, and yellow eyes met blue in a clash of wills.

"What did you say? Do you even know who you're talking to? You aren't even old enough to drink yet, and you claim to be MY mistress? Do you want me to kill you?"

The toads long pale tongue suddenly shot out and curved around, wrapping around her and tossing her up onto his head again. Narumi yelped, turning as she landed so that she was facing the same direction as the Toad, and instinctively bracing herself as he adjusted himself.

Then he leapt. Gamabunta jumped straight up with such power and speed that they rose up through the gorge as fast as Narumi had fallen down it. Maybe faster. She went to one knee, resting a clenched fist on her upright knee, and bracing the other hand on Gamabunta's head, staring upwards as the slice of blue sky above them drew closer and closer.

Then they were out, soaring into the sky with the power of the jump. Gamabunta spread his limbs as they reached the apex of their flight and began to descend. As they did, Narumi felt herself start to lift from his back, her braid and jacket almost levitating as they swirled around her.

Alarmed, she quickly channeled chakra into her feet and hands to hold her to the giant Toads head.

Then they were shooting down through the sky, and crashing into the forest beside the gorge. There was a great crash, and Narumi was dimly aware that several trees were crushed beneath them, or at least knocked down, as the giant toad landed on top of them. The blast wave from their landing scent a dramatic rippling wave through the surrounding greenery, and Narumi watched it in amazement.

The impact threw her off her balance, and she tumbled from the toads head. Quickly she scrambled to her feet and turned. And stared. Before her was a truly gigantic dull orange and red toad, easily bigger than the hokage tower. It wore a blue haori, a large ragged scar ran down across its face across it's right eye that was quite similar to Kakashi-sensei's, and a pipe protruded from its mouth.

Awed, she couldn't help blurting out her reaction.

"Wow! Amazing..."

Gamabunta roared with laughter, and leaned down so that his face was close to her again, nudging her torso hard with his nose, his tone jovially amused.

"Hey girl! Even if I assume that you summoned me, I"m not gonna accept a kid who falls off my back so easily."

Sitting back up, he looked around, seemingly calm, before looking back at her.

"Now then, I haven't been out here in a while. So if Jiraya has no business with me, I'll just hang around here for a while."

Turning slowly away from her, he made as if to move away into the forest. Narumi took a step forward, calling out.

"H-hey! Wait a minute!"

Gamabunta scoffed, voice scolding.

"Go home and sleep, girl-child! You can't even handle being my subordinate."

Laughing, he started to crawl away through the forest. Narumi glared after him with desperate indignation. Her dander up, she growled out a curse and dashed after him, and leapt onto his back.

Without losing her momentum, she dashed up the slope of his haori, and flipped over his head, somersaulting through the air to land on his nose, and spinning around to face him with a fierce glare. Surprised, the Toad reared back and stared at her.

"Wha..? What are you trying to do, kid?"

Narumi scowled determinedly up at him, fire blazing in her blue eyes.

"If you're not going to accept that I summoned you if I fall off you're back, then I'll just stay here all day and not fall off, 'ttebayo!"

Turning her back on him, she plopped down cross-legged on his nose, and crossed her arms over her chest. Gamabunta's voice was questioning.

"What?"

Narumi twisted around to glare at his slightly amused tone, gaze hard and sharp from behind the fall of her bright bangs.

"And I'll make you accept me as your Mistress, 'ttebayo. Watch me!"

Gamabunta reared back angrily, roaring at her.

"You stupid kid! I was being nice to you, and now you've gotten impudent!"

Thrashing his head back and forth, up and down, he bellowed irately at her.

"Fall! Fall off!"

Grimly, she rolled to one knee, and did as she'd done when they were falling, using chakra in her hands and feet to cling to his skin. Gritting her teeth, she flung her head back and yelled up at him, doing her best to ignore the dizzying swing of the land beneath her.

"I'm not gonna fall, 'ttebayo!"

When she wasn't flung from her perch, Gamabunta charged off to one side through the trees, still thrashing his head violently. Narumi grimly clung on, and locked her jaw, doing her level best to suppress the roiling nausea rising in her gut.

The came in sight of a large lake, and Gamabunta leapt high into the air, plummeting into it with a huge splash. Narumi held her breath determinedly as the great Toad sank to the floor of the lake and squatted there.

He shook his head again, and Narumi had to hold on even more tightly as the water tried to drag her from her chosen place. After a long moment, he sprang up, and burst from the surface of the lake with another powerful jump.

As they cleared the water, Narumi dragged in a deep breath, exhaled, and managed another one before they were plunging back beneath the surface. This time, however, he broke the surface fairly quickly, using his strong legs to speed back and forth across the lake, and this time it was the wind she had to fight.

The day dragged slowly on, until finally it was sunset. Narumi had run out of chakra sometime later in the day, and was now clinging grimly to the edge of the hoari Gamabunta wore. Glancing at the horizon, she shouted at the Toad who was leaping through the forest at high speed.

"It's almost sunset! If I stay on all day you have to acknowledge me!"

Gamabunta growled at her, though he was no longer shouting and bellowing.

"I never agreed to that, you decided it on your own!"

Narumi scowled determinedly, tightening her fists in the folds of heavy cloth beneath her.

"I'm not gonna fall off, 'ttebayo!"

A few minutes later, Gamabunta came to a halt, holding more still than he had since she'd first made her declaration. Panting for breath, she lifted her head and looked around dazedly, wondering if it was over as her arms trembled from the tight grip she'd maintained for so long.

Gamabunta turned and looked over his shoulder at her.

"Girl, what's your name?"

Surging up on her hands and knees, even as she kept her hands fisted in the Haori, she grinned ferociously at him.

"Narumi! Narumi Uzumaki!"

He looked at her for a long moment.

"Narumi Uzumaki, huh?"

Turning away, he crouched down, and she tensed even as his amused voice rumbled back to her.

"Narumi, don't blame me if you die!"

Then he leapt into the air, higher and harder than ever before. The force of the wind rushing past them, slammed Narumi hard against his back, and the cloth she'd secured her braid with tore off, her hair rapidly unweaving to swirl and snap in the wind.

When they came down, she was surprised to find them at the base of the waterfall that poured into the very stretch of river where she'd been training for the past three weeks and four days. They'd come all the way back to the hot spring town.

The force of the landing had flung her to the side, and she could feel herself sliding off. Rising to her knees even as she felt her balance loosing out, she growled.

"I won't fall! Just a little more!"

Lifting her hands into the cross shaped hand sign, she summoned ten shadow clones. The clones appeared on Gamabunta's head and back, surging forward to catch her arms and haul her back up.

Blinking, Narumi stumbled forward across his head and onto his nose, landing heavily on her hands and knees. Looking up, she found the sun sliding beneath the horizon. Giddy triumph blossomed in her chest, and she leapt up, pumping her fist into the air with a loud whoop.

"See that, Boss! I stayed on your back! I...I did it..."

As she spoke, the last of her energy faded away, and she fell backwards from her perch. She was still conscious, but she couldn't seem to find the energy to move. She was distantly aware of her own disappointment. She'd almost made it.

Before she could hit the water, Gamabunta opened his mouth. His long tongue shot out, and caught her before she could make it halfway to the ground. She blinked exhaustedly up at him as the long tongue gently coiled around her and lifted her back up.

When he spoke, the gruff voice was kind, and affectionate.

"That's too bad. You almost made it to the end of the day."

Gently , he laid her atop his head, and as she blinked up at the sky, her eyelids felt incredibly heavy. She was so, so tired.

'I wonder if it'd be alright to sleep on Boss' head?'

Before she could ponder the suggestion more, she saw the summoning scroll that she'd signed three weeks ago come spinning down from the top of the waterfall. Rolling over, she peered exhaustedly down at where it lay.

It had rolled open, and Gamabunta was staring at it. Narumi looked at her own name for a long minute, sprawling down the creamy parchment in a fluid series of deep red strokes stopped at five small finger prints. Then she sighed and let her eyes close. She'd just rest her eyes. Just for a minute.

---

Narumi surged up gasping, eyes wide open as she looked wildly around her. Gamabunta! If she could just stay on his head...

When her eyes met sterile white surfaces, and her nose was flooded with the scents of old blood and disinfectant, she frowned. The hospital? Why was she back here? What had happened?

She looked idly down at herself, and found that she'd been changed into a deep blue tank top and loose black shorts, and her hair was unbound again. Frowning irately, she snagged her hair tie from the bedside table, and swiftly wove her hair back into a loose braid, trying to remember what had happened as she worked.

The last thing she remembered was closing her eyes for a moment on Gamabunta's head, and feeling incredibly tired. She wondered if Ero-sennin had brought her to the hospital after whatever had happened to her.

But she didn't feel like she'd been wounded at all. Normally, even if the Kyuubi healed her injuries almost instantly, she'd feel a phantom ache in the area for a while afterward. And if it was an injury large enough to put her in the hospital, she ought to feel something.

Instead, she just felt like she'd woken up from a very long sleep. Shrugging, she rolled her shoulders back and tossed her braid across her shoulder blades.

Just as she was beginning to feel really frustrated, the door to her room slid open, and she found herself looking up at Shika. The dark eyed girl blinked at her in surprise, and then grinned easily.

"Hey, Narumi-chan! You're finally up!"

Narumi stared at her in bewilderment, shifting so that she was sitting cross-legged on the narrow bed, and furrowed her brow at her friend.

"Shika? Why am I here?"

The Nara girl walked over to lean casually on the foot of the blondes bed, and Narumi noticed a can in her hand, the sides still beaded with perspiration. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught site of a half finished shogi game on the table beside her. Shika must have been sitting with her for a while.

"I'm the one who should be asking you that. You've been asleep for three days straight. The nurse said it was chakra exhaustion."

Shika's dark brows arched elegantly upwards, expression half concerned, half intrigued.

"Mind telling me what you were doing that you managed to drain your chakra that far?"

Narumi understood her friends expression better now. Almost everyone at the Academy had always immidiatly assumed that the blonde was weak and lazy, destined to remain so and to fall behind the others her age.

Shika had never been like that. Not even once. Since they had started learning their very first nin- and taijutsu basics, she had never looked down on her. Narumi had asked her about it once, and the Nara had muttered something about stupidly high chakra reserves.

Narumi shook the thoughts from her head, and returned Shika's earlier grin with the same mischievous, secretive edge that had always stolen over her face during the preparation and execution of a particularly brilliant prank.

"Just training."

Shika snorted, but pressed the issue no further, merely muttering a single word under her breath.

"Troublesome."

Narumi blinked, rubbing the back of her head and looking around in confusion.

"Ne, ne! Shika-chan, where's Ero-sennin?"

Shika had just opened her can and taken a long drink as the blonde queried her. Her eyes shot wide open, and she choked, yanking the can away from her mouth and spluttering as she stared wide-eyed at the other kunoichi.

"What? What are you talking about?"

Narumi blinked in surprise and gestured wildly with her arms, scrambling up to stand on the bed so as to better communicate the mans height.

"Ero-sennin! You know, the guy with white hair longer than Ikuye-sensei who's always saying that he's a super pervert!"

Shika stared up the girl dazedly, amusement and shock mixing together in her eyes.

"You mean that Jiraya guy?"

Narumi nodded enthusiastically, and Shika shrugged.

"He was here for the first day or so. Then he said that he had places to be, and to tell you good job when you woke up."

Shrugging, the dark haired girl reached back to adjust her hairband so that it pulled her hair more tightly back.

"He also said to tell you to kick butt in the finals."

Narumi blinked down at the Nara, and then a slow grin spread across her face. Laughing, she plopped down on the side of the bed and kicked her bare feet in the air. Feeling like she was brimming with confidence and chakra both, she pumped her fist in the air.

"Of course, 'ttebayo!"

Just as she said that, her stomach growled loudly, reminding her that she'd most likely been fed intravenously for the past three days, and her body wanted some real food.

Shika shook her head, and picked up a basket from the floor. It was filled with ripe fruit. Peaches, apples, and other in-season fruits. Narumi lit up, and Shika shrugged.

"I figured you'd be hungry when you woke up, and ramen all the time is bad for you."

Narumi huffed and looked away.

"I do not eat ramen all the time. Besides, it's great!"

Shika merely made a non-committal sound and grabbed an apple from the basket, crunching into it lazily. Narumi yelped indignantly and snatched a juicy looking peach.

"Hey! No fair eating without me!"

Shika merely flapped a hand at her, taking another bite of apple. Narumi stuck her tongue out at her friend, and then sank her teeth into the peach. Fresh, sweet juice and the firm, succulent flesh of the fruit filled her mouth with cool, delicious flavor.

Her eyes slid half closed as she chewed and swallowed, sighing happily.

"Oooh. That's yummy!"

Shika rolled her eyes, and jabbed Narumi teasingly in the arm.

"Don't sound so surprised."

Narumi opened her mouth to answer, and then frowned. Something was odd. It had been bothering her for a while, probably ever since she woke up.

At first it was barely noticeable, like a stirring at the back of her neck. But it had grown in her mind steadily, until it was like an unreachable itch. And the worst part was, she couldn't put her finger on what was bothering her.

Shika lowered her apple and frowned back at her friend, eyes narrowing.

"What is it?"

Narumi shook her head absently, and instinctively took in a deep breath. Something about the scent? Yes and no.

There was definitely something there, but the whole building was practically soaked in antiseptic and disinfectant, and the stringent smells covered up the subtle nuances of scent that held the answers she was looking for.

Turning aside from the problem of the scent, Narumi shifted to her other senses. While she was not stupid or slow the way most of the residents of Konoha believed, she did tend to rely more on her body and her instincts when she had a problem to solve. Thinking usually came after, to develop a plan for whatever action her instincts told her to take.

Listening hard, she cocked her head, eyes sliding closed as she focused, the hand holding her peach falling lightly to rest on her knee. Something about the sound of the hospital bothered her.

Shoving away the sound of Shika breathing, and her own heartbeat, she listened closer. Then her eyes snapped open, and she stared at her friend in confused surprise. There was no sound of footsteps or movement.

"I can't hear anyone out in the hall."

Shika raised an eyebrow at the oddly serious expression on Narumi's face, and then scratched the back of her head idly, the movement less habitual than Narumi's rubbing at her neck.

"Well, I guess I didn't really see anyone in the hall when I went to the snack machine. I checked the nurses station, and they left a sign saying they went for lunch."

When the Nara let her voice fade questioningly, the blonde shrugged uncomfortably. "I just...feel like there's something odd."

Shika's intelligent eyes narrowed, and then she nodded. Kunoichi trusted their instincts, to a higher degree even than male shinobi. If Narumi was feeling uneasy, Shika would be on alert. Especially considering that Narumi was normally so confident, and the village was currently hosting foreign shinobi practically by the droves.

Narumi shifted, and decided it was time to turn the conversation away from just how on edge she felt right now.

"So, Lee had to fight Gaara, right? How'd that go?"

Shika suddenly froze, eyes narrowing slightly and shoulders stiffening.

"You haven't heard?"

Narumi cocked her head, puzzled.

"Heard what?"

Shika sighed, leaning back slightly in her chair, and shoving her hands in her pockets. She'd donned her more comfortable civilian clothes rather than the form-fitting kunoichi garb Inori had purchased for her.

"About Lee. He put up a good fight but Gaara can somehow control sand. I've never seen anything like it. I don't think it's even a jutsu. Anyway, Gaara crushed his arm and his leg. They're saying he may not be able to continue as a shinobi."

Narumi felt like someone had thrown ice on her, a sudden chill washing across her skin and settling in the pit of her stomach, heavy and cold. When she spoke, her voice was sharp and defiant.

"What? That's stupid. Lee would never let anything like that keep him down."

Nodding decisively, she scrambled off the bed, and took another bite of the peach, ignoring the trail of sticky juice trickling over her fingers. She took a minute to swallow, and then hooked her arm around Shika's, heading for the door as the Nara yelped and snatched at the basket.

"Come on, let's go share the fruit with Lee."

Shika's expression was somewhat exasperated as she sighed, half protesting as she allowed herself to be pulled down the eerily empty hall of the hospital by her barefoot friend.

"I'm not sure the nurses will appreciate..."

Narumi snorted, lifting her peach high over her head as if brandishing a weapon.

"If they give us trouble, we'll attack them with fruit bombs and force them to retreat, 'ttebayo! Konoha shinobi do not abandon comrades to eat hospital food alone!"

Shika rolled her eyes and followed her exuberant friend, muttering quietly under her breath.

"Troublesome."

Halfway down the hall, Narumi turned to look over her shoulder sheepishly at the darker kunoichi behind her.

"Ne, Shika? Do you know where Lee's room is?"

Shika rolled her eyes at the other girl and took the lead.

"Sheesh. How troublesome."

They headed up two flights of stairs and were almost to the end of the hall when a wave of intense sakki hit them. Both girls froze for an instant, eyes going wide. Narumi caught her breath, recognition racing through her.

This sakki, the feel of the chakra that accompanied it. Both had a distinctly red tint in her mind. A red tint that she now associated with the raging presence of the Kyuubi. Her eyes widened further, as recognition was followed by realization.

Chakra and sakki, both tainted by the presence of a Bijuu, but not a Bijuu itself. The presence, the blood thirst, all were too weak for that. She knew the strength of a Bijuu's presence now that she had encountered the Kyuubi.

That meant only one thing. Suddenly desperate longing and curiosity washed over her, feeling like living creatures clawing at her gut. Whoever was generating all this was someone like her. Someone who would understand.

Before she could think too deeply about this though, she found the room that the chakra was leaking from. Lee's room. Suddenly her half formed thoughts of finding a friend from whom she wouldn't have to keep secrets left her.

The whole inner debate took less than half a second. Striding forward, she slid the door open swiftly, and her eyes widened.

Tousled red hair, pale teal eyes rimmed with black, dull desert clothing, a gourd held to a back by a long white sash. Sabaku no Gaara stood over Lee, who lay sleeping in his bed.

The red head was holding his hand out over the other boy like a claw, and sand writhed around the Konoha genins form. Gaara's eyes were bloodshot, and his scent was sharply spiked with the metallic tint that had put her on edge before.

Shika had recovered from the shock of the sakki slower than Narumi, probably due to her lack of resistance to Bijuu level killing intent. Even in this diluted form, it was quite nearly on par with Orochimaru's.

The Nara shook off the last of her numbness, and swiftly came up beside Narumi. The two of them stepped into the room together, and Shika crouched, pressing her hands together.

In less than a moment, she had Gaara ensnared in her families Kagemane Jutsu. Narumi strode forward, scowling, blue eyes snapping with fire, anger pumping through her veins.

Right now, what she was looking at was a foreign shinobi. A foreign shinobi who was standing over one of her defenseless and wounded comrades, with the clear intent to harm. She wouldn't stand for it!

Her voice was hot with fury as she snapped over her shoulder at her friend. The sand was already withdrawing back into the gourd, and Gaara's attention was firmly on the two of them now.

"Let it go, Shika."

The dark kunoichi nodded once, releasing the Suna-nin's shadow. Gaara started to turn towards them, his eyes narrow and angry. Narumi ignored his expression, and she reached him too fast for him to defend himself properly.

Cocking her fist back, she twisted her body around, and threw her strength into the punch, striking him squarely and solidly across the face. Not enough of it to break his neck, or even his jaw, but enough to make him hurt. And probably bruise.

"Bastard! What do you think you're doing?"

Her angry shouts bounced off the hard surfaces of the tile and white painted walls.

Strange teal eyes turned back to her, and she met them fearlessly. The boy looked oddly calm for someone who just moments ago had been oozing such ferocious sakki. Especially considering that she'd just punched him.

A strange spider-webbing pattern of cracks was spreading across his cheek from the place where she'd struck him, and sand trickled slowly from the apparent cracks in his face.

Narumi glared. Her knuckles still stung from that. He could at least have the decency to be upset about being hit! Shika moved up beside her so that they were standing shoulder to shoulder across from the boy.

Shika's posture was relaxed and at ease, her hands shoved contentedly in her pockets, her shoulders slumped. However, her brown eyes were alert and intent, scanning Gaara quickly.

Narumi was tense, balanced on the balls of her feet, body slightly turned so as to present a smaller target, arms held slightly away from her sides and knees somewhat bent as she glared at the boy from behind her bright bangs.

Angrily she shouted at him again, though Shika's warning glance kept her from lunging at the boy again. Foreign or not, attacker or not, it would be stupid to just charge in at him. Especially considering he had beat Lee, who Narumi knew was probably the top taijutsu user in the current crop of genin.

"Hey! Did you hear me? What did you try to do to Lee?"

The Suna genin stared cooly back at the two agitated kunoichi, and then spoke in a flat, dead voice. As if the answer was obvious, and he didn't particularly care if they knew or not.

"I tried to kill him."

Both girls stiffened, Shika sliding back half a step, and Narumi widening her eyes before leaning forward slightly, tilting her chin down as if she were leaning into a strong wind.

Instantly, Shika moved to restrain him again. It wasn't very difficult thanks to the abundance of shadows created by the setting sun streaming in through the window. Once she had him, she spoke, voice sharp and precise, with an undercurrent of anger.

No Konoha-nin, no matter how laid back, would not feel anger when seeing an injured comrade threatened by an outsider.

"Why would you need to do that, exactly? You've already won the match. Lee's no longer a participant in the exams. Do you have some sort of personal grudge against him?"

Gaara didn't even shrug, apparently un-phased by the fact that he had once again lost control of his own body.

"No, I don't. I'm just going to kill him because I want him to die."

Narumi slid forward a couple of steps, gravitating towards Lee's bed, and growling at the red haired boy in front of them.

"LIke we'd ever let that happen! You're just a selfish brat!"

Narumi could see that Shika was tense, but the other girls voice and stance remained relaxed, masking her unease from all but those who knew her well.

"Yes. Nothing but an egocentric boy."

Gaara's dull eyes slid over to lock gazes with Narumi, and she lifted her chin, staring challengingly back at him. His flat voice floated across the space between them, devoid of any emotion or infliction.

"If you get in my way, I'll kill you too."

Hissing in anger, blue eyes narrowing to mere slits, Narumi barred her teeth at him in a feral snarl.

"Just try it, bastard! I'll PULVERIZE you!"

Shika cleared her throat, a confident smirk spreading across her face as she caught Gaara's attention.

"I saw your match with that guy on the bed you know. I'll acknowledge that you're pretty strong. But then again, so am I, and so is this girl here. Two against one is not great odds. You're the one at a disadvantage here..."

With a slow shrug, she allowed her smirk to turn lazy, never breaking eye contact with the red haired boy who had turned slightly to face them both.

"...though I guess, if you listen to us, we could let you go."

Gaara ignored the Nara's words, expression not even twitching as he leaned forward, his voice a bit lower and more menacing, but otherwise unchanged.

"I'll only say this one more time. Get in my way and I'll kill you."

Narumi snorted, lifting her chin and crossing her arms, lips curling back in a half threatening smirk that bared her abnormally sharp canines.

"Huh! You can't kill me, 'ttebayo!"

Shika whipped her head around, hissing worriedly at her friend, eyes concerned and alarmed as she scolded the blonde.

"Narumi! Stop provoking him! The guy's a monster!"

Narumi merely rocked back on her heels, smirk morphing into a full out menacing grin.

"I'm not scared of him. I've already got a real monster inside me! I won't lose to this kid."

Shika shook her head, and looked heavenward as if asking for patience.

"Narumi! That doesn't even make sense! Just leave it and quit antagonizing him!"

Gaara, however, looked somewhat intrigued. For a moment, faded teal eyes locked with vibrant blue, and then his eyes were sliding closed, and he as speaking to her.

"A monster, huh? Then I guess you could say that I'm the same. My father sealed the Ichibi, the Bijuu of the desert, into me before I was born, and I killed my mother when I came into this world."

Shika's scent told Narumi she was confused and apprehensive, but the blonde ignored it, focused on the boy in front of her as his eyes slid open to lock onto her gaze.

"I was a monster from the day I was born."

Narumi's eyes widened very, very slightly, and her nostrils flared, taking his scent in slowly and tentatively, though she didn't relax or move towards him. So she was right, then. Gaara was like her, a Jinchuriki.

She didn't know how she felt about that. All she knew was that it was important.

Shika forced out a grim chuckle. "Huh. How twisted. That's not the way a parent should love their child."

Gaara's scent took on a dangerous edge, that metallic scent growing stronger, and Narumi began to be uneasy. She eyed her fellow jinchuriki carefully as his eyes bored into Shika.

"Love? Don't judge me by your ideals."

Narumi gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes, staring hard at the boy, her blood rising. He ignored her, still focused on Shika, who held him secure and motionless with her Kagemane.

"Family? To me, those people are just lumps of meat, linked by hatred and the common desire to kill. I stole my mothers life for the sake of my own existence, and was created for the purpose of being the perfect weapon of my village. Nothing more, nothing less. That is what I believed, until I was six years old."

Narumi stared wide eyed at him, breath hissing back and forth through her teeth in harsh pants. She didn't think she would like what came next. Hell, she knew she wouldn't. She knew what it was like to be jinchuriki. To be hated.

"When I was six, my father, the Kazekage, decided that I was too dangerous to live. So he ordered me killed. In the six years since then, I have survived constant assassination attempts."

The expression on his face was slightly crazed, and fear entered Shika's scent. When Narumi glanced at her, she could see that despite the firm set of her friends jaw, she was feeling a bit sick.

The blonde snorted slightly. It was bad alright. But it wasn't beyond the scope of her imagination, and it didn't shock her like it did Shika. After all, hadn't there been times when she'd wondered what would happen to her if O-jiji got angry one day, and stopped protecting her from the villagers on her birthday, the anniversary of the Kyuubi attack?

Shika gritted her teeth, narrowed her eyes, and growled disbelievingly at the boy in front of her.

"Didn't you just say that the Kazekage trained you to exist for your village? Then how...why...?"

Gaara tilted his head, bloodshot eyes too wide, a strange grin stretching his face unnaturally in a way that sent shudders down Narumi's spine. She wished Teruyoshi were here. The older Suna-nin had seemed to be able to calm his younger brother, appease him.

"After I turned six, they decided my emotions and mind were too unstable, and that I was a threat to the village. So I was classified as a dangerous being. I became a relic of a dark past they wish to forget. I could no longer exist for the village."

Tilting his head forward, he smirked slowly up at them, and Narumi's instincts screamed at her to attack. Dangerous. He felt too dangerous to stand idly in his presence, despite the fact that he was thoroughly restrained by the Nara family jutsu.

"So why do I exist? What is my purpose? Everyone needs something to live for don't they? Else you might as well be dead. I lost mine. For a long time I couldn't find it."

From her place by the door, Shika sucked in a sharp breath, her voice confused and alarmed.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Narumi felt a bead of sweat roll down her temple, and pressed her lips together grimly, conflicted emotions raging through her body. 'I understand. I don't like it, but I do. This guy...he's just like me.'

Gaara's eyes slid around so that he was looking at her, and she wondered if he realized what she was. If he also knew how alike they were, how much she understood of what he was saying. Of the things that no one else could understand.

"And then I found it. I exist to kill everyone other than myself. This is what I learned from killing those who would kill me, those sent by the man who sired me. I fight only for myself, and love only myself. As long as there are people for me to kill, I will exist."

Narumi was vaguely aware of Shika in the background, and the scent of her terror. But she was almost entirely focused on the boy in front of her. Her fists had gone slack, and she was staring at him dazedly, her mind echoing with his words.

'I was alone too. I didn't know the reason for my existence. I was hated. I wondered why I was even here a couple of times. He and I...we're the same. But...but in the end, Ikuye-sensei acknowledged me. She showed me how to exist, how to live!'

The blonde swallowed, sick horror filling the pit of her stomach and forcing acidic bile to the top of her throat, sweat sliding down her temples, the small of her back, across her abdomen, and between her breasts.

'But this guy...he's been alone this whole time. And this is the result. If it hadn't been for Ikuye-sensei, would I have been like this?'

Shuddering, she clenched her fists even tighter than before, the skin of her palms squeaking slightly as the blood was forced from her knuckles. She swallowed again, forcing down the urge to vomit, blinking hard, and clenching her teeth.

'I won't back down! Not now! My reason for living is different than his. I have to protect my comrades, my precious people! Just like Ikuye-sensei and Kakashi-sensei taught me. And he's threatening them.'

Just as this thought crossed her mind, sand surged up in a great wave around him, flowing through the air like ribbon through water. Shika started backwards with a curse, releasing her apparently ineffective Kagemane and calling out sharply.

"Narumi!"

The other kunoichi didn't need the prompt. She was already in motion, determinedly shooting between Gaara and Lee. She was closest to him now, and as such became the redheads first target.

He turned towards her, his eyes twitching oddly as sand surged towards her, and his crazed voice echoed slightly in her ears.

"Let me prove..."

Narumi's hand went instinctively to her weapons holster, only to find it missing, her fingers brushing at nothing but the soft, loose cloth of the shorts she'd woken up in. Desperately, she started to lift her hands into the sign for Kage Bunshin, hoping she could take the Suna-nin ought through the sheer weight of numbers.

Shika was racing towards her, but wouldn't make it in time. Before the sand could hit though, a strong voice rang out from the doorway.

"That's enough."

All three genin froze. Gaara's eyes slid over to the door, and Shika whipped her head around to stare over her shoulder, obviously unwilling to present Gaara with an opportunity as tempting as an unguarded back.

When Narumi followed their gaze, she found Maito Gai in all his green, spandex covered glory. He was staring at them with a remarkably calm, if serious and disapproving, face.

"The main matches are being held tomorrow. There's no need to get hasty and disqualify yourselves now."

As the green beast of Konoha advanced into the room, Gaara clutched at his head, staring wildly at the man and backing up a pace. The sand, which had been hovering over all three Konoha genin, including Lee, withdrew suddenly and swiftly, flowing back into the gourd.

Gaara made a pained noise, his fingers twisting painfully in his own hair. Then he seemed to still, getting a hold of himself and glaring at the room at large. The moment passed so quickly, Narumi almost thought she might have imagined it.

Turning away from the two girls, the Suna-nin stalked towards the door, the fingers of one hand still tangled in his hair, holding his head as if he had a headache. Before he left, he stopped in the doorframe, glaring ferociously back over his shoulder at the girls.

"I will kill you guys for sure. You just wait."

And then he was gone, pacing slowly from the room with control in every line of his body, even to the calm and disturbingly level tone he used to threaten them.

Narumi stared after him, eyes wide, fists trembling slightly, adrenaline coursing through her system at a fierce pace. The bloody tint of the dying sunlight painting the room makes it all too easy to picture Lee and Shika's blood splattered across the floor and bed.

Narumi clenched her hands tighter, gritting her teeth so strongly that it hurts. She wouldn't have been able to fight that sand. Even with shadow clones, she knew that she wouldn't have been able to protect both her comrades. Maybe not even one of them.

'I'm still weak. Much too weak.'

She barely heard Gai-sensei speaking to her and Shika, escorting them to the nurses station so that Narumi could retrieve her clothing and gear, and then sending them both on their way.

She was assured back to her room, where she numbly changed back into her mission garb, returning the hospital clothing to the nurse before wandering out into the street. Shika had gone home after she'd been assured that Narumi was fit to be released.

Narumi wandered through the darkened streets of Konoha, thinking hard. Before she realized it, she found herself standing in front of the door to her apartment. Blinking, she slipped her hand into her pocket and fumbled her key out.

Sliding it into the lock, she slipped into the entryway of her tiny apartment, closing the door firmly behind her and flipping the lock back. Leaning back against the door, she tangled a hand in her bangs, resting the heel of her hand against the smooth metal plate of her hitae-ate.

After a minute, she pushed away from the door, yanked her feet from her sandals, and made her way to the bedroom. Staring at her bed, she frowned. Reaching up, she pulled her hitae-ate from her forehead.

Using her free hand, she stripped out of her gear, laying it aside before stepping out of her clothes and changing into her pajamas. All the time she was changing, she kept her Hitae-ate clenched firmly in her hand.

Walking over to the bed, she sprawled across it on her back, and lifted the smooth cloth above her. Looking at it intently, she ran the fingertips of her free hand over the deep groves of the spiral in the center of the leaf symbol.

Slowly, she lowered it to her chest, pressing the symbol face down against her heart, feeling the beat of her blood in the depths of her chest. Her eyes slid closed, and she envisioned a fiery Konoha symbol hanging before her, the spiral in the center burning bright blue.

"Tomorrow. It's tomorrow."

Sighing, she opened her eyes, and turned her head to look out the window at the stars twinkling high above the village she'd sworn her life, blood, and loyalty to. Her thoughts drifted to the red haired Suna Jinchuriki.

Her eyes hardened, and her hand tightened on the hitae-ate. The next beat of her heart seemed to thunder against her chest, as if resonating with the strength of her feeling, and the symbol pressed into her flesh through the thin material of her shirt.

"I could have been that. But I'm not. I'm Kunoichi of Konoha. Always and forever."

---

A/N: Hey guys!

Not only did I survive finals week, my update is only a couple days late! (Sorry about that, but it was the best I could do)! Really am quite proud of this!

Okay, on to the reviews (By the way, thank you guys so much! This is the most reviews I've ever gotten from an update, and it really made for a bright spot during my week!)
To jayley, yeah, this was definitely from Korra. I did my best to research actual martial arts training methods, but it was really hard to find what I was looking for. And then I saw that episode of "Legend of Korra" and it was like "Dude, that is EXACTLY what I was looking for!" So yeah. Wish I had something else for you guys, but that's as deep as it goes. As to the pervert thing, they're not actually perverts in the truest sense of the word. Not one of them would actually touch Narumi. Ero-sennin...well that's just how he is. Not to worry though! Kakashi is here to break limbs if she gets in any real trouble! (And he will. With extreme prejudice.)
To 10-iz4, I was happy to hear from you again (^_^). Yep, Ebisu is just too perfect for comic relief to change that role. I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter!
To Bored and Sleep with Waffles, I'm really glad you've liked Kakashi. I know there aren't many people who are overly fond of Kakashi, but I've always sort of seen him as the papa bear type, even when you look at original cannon. And I can only see that growing exponentially if he is dealing with not his sensei's only son, but his only daughter. So yeah. When she does get to the bombshell-falling-in-love stage...there's gonna be one heck of a gatekeeper. Heh heh heh. Jiraya is largely unchanged at this point, but he does have a girl to deal with instead of a boy. So that will be fun. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter (^0^)/".
To Zandamh, wow, I think this is one of the best compliments I've ever received. Really, thank you so much. I am very happy to hear that you enjoy the story so much, and I'll do my best to keep it that way. I'm glad to hear you liked Ebisu. While I was quite determined to have him keep going with comic relief, the man does have a sense of honor about 'shamelessness'. I just couldn't see him taking Narumi's innocence lightly.
To Ceralyn, I prefer Jiraya to Ebisu as well! Also, I'm also watching and really enjoying the new "Legend of Korra" series. Awesome isn't she? I hope you continue to enjoy my story!
To Zelga Lim Li, yeah, Saburo is not in love with Sasuke. Sorry. Cannot give anything further away about that part of the story...sorry (^_-). One gender I can clarify...Itachi is still a man. Yep. Not a girl. That would just feel...so wrong...
To firehottie, so glad to hear from you! Always love to know that someone truly likes the stories. Getting your review was what gave me the push to finish up the last bit of this chapter as quickly as I did, so thank you for that! Hope you liked the most recent chapter!

So! On to the explanations!

Jiraya is a bit rough with her at this point, because he knows that the seal Minato used is designed to allow her to use the Kyuubi's chakra. So he wanted to push her into mastering it. Really, I think he's underestimating the Bijuu a bit, but his intentions were good. Though really, I can't see him getting that punch past Minato. In his defense, he felt like it was necessary...but yeah. Probably not his best idea to get on the yondaime's bad side.

The Kyuubi interaction! Kyuubi is pretty much the same. However, he expects less from her because she is a girl. Mainly because he sees human women as weak, even the kunoichi. But Narumi managed to surprise him a bit. He doesn't respect or like her per se. But he does think she has a bit more potential than the other human women he's encountered. That is to say, even Narumi's mother, Kushina, cowered a bit when she first encountered him in her mind-scape.

Gamabunta. He also takes her a bit less seriously at first because she's a girl. But because she stuck with him in the end, he respects her more for it than he would if she was a guy. He also really does think of her as his 'subordinate' at this point, and feels very protective towards her because she's a girl. He was, in fact, the one who took her to the hospital after she passed out, and also shared some of his chakra with her to make recovery easier for her. And yeah, he recognizes whose daughter she is.

When she wakes up in the hospital with Shika, that's because Shika is really quite protective of her. Shika is, of course, really smart. She figured out a long, long time ago that Narumi wasn't actually stupid. Just not classroom oriented. So she actually thinks Narumi has quite a bit of potential, which started her watching her friend more closely. Which led her to figuring out there was something going on. She doesn't know about the Kyuubi, but she does know that people hate her, and that's made her quite protective of her. So yeah, that's why she was there. Saburo isn't because he wasn't told she's there. He's a bit out of the loop, because he's off trying to get stronger

The interaction with Gaara. Gaara is still pretty much the same at this point. Narumi is not. She is more level-headed, and she's more introspective. Because she's more introspective, she's already thought about what she's fighting for, and what she's willing to die for. She's a little more scared about Gaara, because she knows just how easy it would have been for her to be that. Which is terrifying for her. Which is why she has to take some time to remind herself of what she is, and what she's decided to be.

She also has a deep empathy for Gaara, and identifies with him strongly. While she loves her village and her comrades, she also feels that if they not on such opposite sides, she could have a strong friendship with him. She also really wants to have a friend who she feels like could understand and accept anything and everything she could ever say. And on some levels, she feels like the only person she could be that open with, is another jinchuriki.

Hope that helps explain things. Please do read and review for me!