Declaimer: I own nothing in this fanfic, but my created characters they abilities and Jutsu and that is about all I own "Goes to corner and starts crying"
Writing: Italic: thought, Bold: Bijuu or summoning speaking.
"I suppose it is only to be expected. You have my pity. There is no such thing as "truth" or "lies" in this world; there never has been. There is only plain, hard facts. And yet, all beings who exist in this world take only those "facts" that are convenient to them, and take them to be the "truth". They do so because they know no other way to live. However, for those powerless beings that make up the majority of this world it is those "facts" that are inconvenient for their own self-affirmation that make up the real "truth." - Aizen Sousuke
Arriving at the Hyuga manor, the first thing Naruto noticed was the guards. As he approached, they took notice of the boy and the figure on his back. "Halt," The Hyuga guards announced in unison. "What have you done to the Hyuga heir?" Furrowing his brow at the question, Naruto looked at Hinata and saw that she had fallen asleep. "Answer the question!" Turning his attention back to the guards, Naruto simply frowned as he spoke.
"I don't have time for this nonsense," Naruto barked back. The Hyuga stared at the boy in shock as he dug his feet into the ground. Activating their Byakugan, they saw chakra flaring into Naruto's feet. Releasing his chakra, Naruto jumped over the Hyuga guards and the compound's walls in one go. Not letting surprise get them, the guards charged Naruto. Taking off in a full sprint, Naruto ran through the Hyuga compound. During this, Hinata didn't even awaken, she only snuggled her face closer into Naruto's neck. Looking around, Naruto saw Hitomi tending to some flowers. Hearing the commotion, Hitomi turned her head around, but only to get surprised when Naruto appeared in front of her. "Hinata fell asleep on the way here." Gently laying the girl on the soft grass, Naruto took off once more, jumping over the next wall. Confused, Hitomi turned her eyes on Hinata and smiled. The girl wore a small smile of happiness as she brushed her daughters face. Returning to her flowers, Hitomi didn't bother looking at the guards who turned the corner a second later.
"It's quite alright he had permission to bring her here," Hitomi smiled at the two as she went into her home, but returned with two cups of tea. "But think you for trying to keep us safe." The two took the offered cups and watched as Hiashi's wife returned to her flowers.
"But shouldn't we pursue him," One of the guardsman asked earning a confused stare from Hitomi. "He looks dangerous."
"Oh, he is dangerous," Hitomi giggled as she stroked her daughter's hair. "But only in stealing my daughters heart."
XXX
Looking at the rubber ball in his hand, Naruto returned to his training area, but couldn't get the image of Hinata sleeping on his back out of his mind. Shaking his head, Naruto held the ball out in front of him, concentrating solely on it. As chakra began to flare in it, Naruto noticed the shadow above him, but chose to ignore it for now. As the ball reached it limit, it just sprung a leak. "Look either help or go away," Naruto spoke softly as he dropped the flattened ball to the ground. Retrieving another ball, Naruto noticed the shadow wasn't moving. Turning his head towards it, Naruto's eyes narrowed at the figure in the treetops. "Oh, that explains it." Jumping back, Naruto narrowly avoided a wave of sand trying to entrap him. Ducking and weaving, Naruto dropped the ball. Grabbing a handful of kunai from his pack on his side, Naruto threw them at the boy. The sand immediately defended Gaara. As Gaara was about to make the sand attack, he noticed the explosive tags on the kunai. The explosion rocked the tree Gaara was standing on, but as the smoke cleared, Naruto saw Gaara unharmed. "That is some tough sand you have there."
Gaara still didn't say anything for a few seconds. Seconds past as the two didn't budge an inch, but their eyes locked and wouldn't release. "You have a killer edge in your eyes," Gaara finally spoke as he teleported to the floor in a swirl of sand. "But there is kindness concealing it; smothering it."
"I don't kill unless I need to," Naruto's stance verified his words. He was in a perfect position to dodge and deflect Gaara's attacks, but with one quick adjustment, he would be an offensive stance.
"I guess we aren't alike," Gaara mumbled out as his sand slowly retreated back into his gourd.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Naruto closed his eyes. Gaara watched as Naruto's form was covered in a yellow chakra shroud, but it was behind Naruto that caught his eyes. It was a giant fox with nine-tails swinging behind him. "I can tell that you are a Jinchuriki as well." Instead of seeing a look of realization, Naruto saw rage hidden beneath Gaara's cool visage. Lifting his hand up, Gaara grabbed his head as a pained look came to view.
"Mother is very angry with you," Gaara mumbled out as he took a step towards a Naruto. "She wants me to kill you." Naruto watched as the sand stopped going back into the gourd, but instead came sailing towards the boy. Readying himself to dodge, Naruto wasn't prepared for what happened next.
"Gaara, that's enough!"
The sand stopped a mere inch from Naruto. Looking towards the new voice, Naruto saw the Kazekage staring at his son; only this time the man was not wearing his hat. Noticing the same color hair, Naruto could only assume the two were related in some way. Gaara seemed conflicted at this point. Wanting to give in and kill Naruto or back off. The answer was given for him. Gold dust floated between Naruto and Gaara's sand forcing the sand user back. "We will finish this later." Gaara answered with a cruel look in his eyes. As Gaara vanished, Naruto looked at the Kazekage looking for answers, but the gold user just turned and walked away.
"I've seen that look before," Naruto called out, stopping the man. "The look of loneliness and despair, that's not a good way to help a Jinchuriki."
"Oh and how would you know anything about that?"
"Well, I guess you can say I had some good teachers," Naruto said without any amount of hesitation. The Kazekage turned his eyes towards Naruto and saw the boy wasn't giving anything away. "Nothing good can come from being raised from loneliness and hatred it only leads you to find comfort in the closest thing you can. For Jinchruiki the closet thing to us is their Bijuu." Shaking his head, the Kazekage looked ready to dismiss Naruto's words, but that was when Naruto appeared next to him. "Besides, all that a child needs is the trust and love of a parent and they can do anything. Maybe, you should give it a try." The Kazekage looked down at Naruto and stared into his eyes. What he saw was the faintest of images of a fox slowly looking at him, but dispite his surprise the Kazekage kept a cool face. "Listen to my words Kazekage. Love can be a powerful motivator, if you use it wisely, Gaara will be able to do many things, but if you don't show him any love, he will be just another monster." With that Naruto left, leaving the Kazekage behind.
XXX
Looking at his last rubber ball, Naruto bounced the ball on the ground as he walked the streets of Konoha. Deciding to take a nap, Naruto headed to his house in the Uchiha compound. On his way there, he noticed someone standing by his door. As he neared he saw that it was Yamato. One look was all Naruto needed to know what was on the man's mind. "I just can't take a break can I," Naruto complained, but let a smile slip through. "So you want to come inside." Naruto opened the door allowing his sensei to enter. After entering, Naruto noticed that neither Haku nor Suigetsu were here.
"I gave them their training instructions," Yamato answered seeing Naruto's confused look. "So how is your training going?" Naruto sat down and told Yamato about the deal he made with Jiraiya and how he was working on the Rasengan. After listening to Naruto's problem with the rubber ball and how Jiriaya was busy with his research, Yamato smiled slightly. "I think I know someone who could help you." Naruto was about to get excited, but stopped himself.
"Okay, what do you want," Naruto questioned. "If you knew the technique I'm talking about, then you must want something in exchange for this person's name."
"You never miss a beat," Yamato remarked with a sly smile. "I actually want to know one thing; what do you plan on doing too Neji?" The atmosphere dropped at that point. All the two did for the next few minutes were stare the other down.
"You don't need to bother yourself with that," Naruto finally responded as he stood up, but found wood branches restricting his movements.
"I'm your sensei and as such it's my responsibility to make sure my students don't do anything stupid," Yamato said with a harsh tone in his voice. "So I'll ask again, what do you plan on doing too Neji?"
"I already promised someone I wouldn't hurt the Hyuga, badly," Naruto response came in an undertone. "But I also promised to help him with his attitude. So for right now, I don't know what I'm going to do." Staring at Naruto, Yamato could tell he wasn't going to kill Neji, but that didn't mean the Hyuga wasn't going to pay. Sighing, Yamato's branches released the Uzumaki.
"Kakashi knows the Rasengan," Yamato said with a leveled tone. "He might be able to point you in the right direction. He should be at memorial stone at the third training ground." Nodding his head, Naruto walked towards the door, before Yamato's voice spoke up. "Oh, and good luck Naruto." Smiling at his sensei, Naruto left and headed towards the third training ground.
XXX
Kakashi stood still looking at the stone in silence. Naruto was sitting a few feet behind the man, allowing him the peace of remembering his lost comrades. After a few more moments of silence, Kakashi sighed and turned towards the blond ninja. Feigning surprise, the copy-ninja scratched his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, if I knew you were there I would've said something," Kakashi apologized with a nervous eye smile.
"It's alright Kakashi," Naruto said back as he stood up. "Sometimes we all need a break to remember are falling friends." Kakashi nodded his head at this and took out his book. "I actually came here for some help."
"Oh, and what would that be," Kakashi questioned as he looked up and caught the rubber ball.
"I need to make that pop," Naruto answered. Narrowing his eye at the ball, Kakashi immediately knew the jutsu Naruto was working on, but decided not to go on it.
"And why is that?"
"I just need it so I can go on to the next phase of my training."
Spinning the ball on one finger, Kakashi passed it back to the young genin. "Before I tell you anything I have one question," Kakashi said much to Naruto despair. "Where did you learn this Jutsu?"
"Jiraiya is teaching it to me," Naruto answered with zero hesitation in his voice. "Now could you please tell me how to make this thing pop?"
"I guess I can help you," Kakashi said as he gently closed his book. "You've got to push your chakra to its very limit and then keep going." Naruto just stared at Kakashi for a few seconds until Kakashi explained. "As you force chakra to build up at a certain point, that area will begin to hurt and burn. So you instinctively pull your chakra back, but that just causes the rubber ball to spring a leak. You need to push your chakra all the way, until it breaks." Naruto looked down at his hands, remembering how his hands hurt from the first time. Taking Kakashi's advice, Naruto departed the Jonin and left, but Kakashi stood in the same spot. "Okay, you can come out." Out of the shadows of the tree emerged an all too familiar Uchiha.
"So you give someone who isn't even on your team help," Sasuke muttered with anger in his voice. "But when I came for training you just brushed me aside, saying that I would be fine."
"And you will be," Kakashi said as he turned to his student. "If you keep your head, you'll be able to beat Haku." Kakashi watched as Sasuke's hands clenched until the knuckles were white, but the boy didn't act on his anger.
"So be it, Kakashi-sensei ," Sasuke said with disdain. Turning around, Sasuke walked away, without another word.
XXX
Sasuke cursed everything as he walked the forest. He couldn't understand why Kakashi wouldn't train him; it was his job after all. Hearing the breaking of branches, Sasuke turned around and saw Kabuto staring at him. "What do you want four-eyes," Sasuke growled out?
"My, what mean words," Kabuto uttered with a feigning hurt face. "And here I am going to offer my help to you." Kabuto turned and almost began to walk away, when Sasuke's voice rang.
"How can you help me," Sasuke questioned?"
"By showing you your other type," Kabuto said as he produced some chakra paper. "With this paper we can see what chakra types you have." Handing the paper to Sasuke, Kabuto watched the greed of power flow into his onyx eyes. Appling chakra, Kabuto watched as the paper caught fire, but then started to crinkle. "Well, now you have an affinity to both fire and lightning, too very destructive jutsu, but alas I don't posses those chakra types." Just one look told Kabuto that Sasuke was going to be busy for the month ahead. "Well, you have some training to do." Sasuke looked up as Kabuto vanished.
"Lightning chakra," Sasuke mind went a buzz with the different possibilities. "Now, let's see what I can do with this."
XXX
"Pushing your chakra to it's absolute limit and then beyond," Naruto sat on the Hokage's mountain, holding his rubber ball up to the falling sun. Despite his tired body, Naruto felt a new surge of energy flow through him. Standing up, he held the ball away from his body. Concentrating solely on it, Naruto held the ball between two hands as it began to glow once more. This time ignoring the pain in his palms, Naruto continued on. Jiraiya watched with fascination as the ball continued to glow.
"This kid is something," Jiraiya thought with a smile, but then the glow in the ball began to fade. "But not even I could get this part done in just two days." Just when Jiraiya thought the ball was going to spring a leak, the glow came back, more fiercer then ever. Gritting his teeth against the pain from his burning palms, Naruto gave his chakra one last push. The ball suddenly exploded into a wave chakra that dug itself into the ground. Flung back from the explosion, Naruto was caught by Jiraiya. Looking down at his student, he saw the burns on Naruto's palms slowly begin to heal. "What did you do?" Naruto looked up at Jiraiya with a pained grin on his face.
"I think I pass this part of the training," Naruto said, but cringed from the pain in his hands. Jiraiya looked at the spot Naruto was standing in and saw a small indention of where he stood.
"His chakra is that dense," Jiraiya thought, looking back to the Uzumaki. "Or is that because of Kyubi." Before Jiraiya could ask anything, Naruto tried to stand.
"So what's next," Naruto managed to mutter, but fell back.
"Not so fast kid," Jiraiya scolded as he caught the exhausted boy. "You may have large chakra supplies, but even you can't keep this up. Besides, you wasted enough on just trying to pop the rubber ball."
"Don't underestimate me," Naruto growled out as he struggled to his feet. "I still have plenty of chakra left." Jiraiya shook his head and gently placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"Take a rest Naruto," Jiraiya said with a firm voice. "You still have plenty of time left to learn the last step and then perfect the Rasengan, but for now take a break." Naruto looked like he was about to oppose, but exhaustion soon set in. Jiraiya watched as Naruto slowly slipped away; until he was gone. "You sure are a very interesting genin." Jiraiya picked the boy up and gently carried him down the mountain and towards the Uchiha compound.
XXX
As Kabuto entered the dark cabin, he found Orochimaru sitting in the corner with only one flickering candle to light the room. Bowing to his master, Kabuto looked at him to see a wicked grin on his face. "I take it young Sasuke is on his quest for more jutsu," Orochimaru said with that same snake slither about it.
"Yes," Kabuto answered. "He is a fire and lightning user." Nodding his head, Orochimaru threw Kabuto a small scroll.
"Give that to him tomorrow," Orochimaru said.
Placing the scroll inside his pack, Kabuto stood up, but didn't move. "I have a question, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto asked, only to earn him a chuckle from the snake.
"You want to know why I'm helping dear Sasuke," Orochimaru answered with a knowing glint in his eyes. "Well, mostly it is out of curiosity to see how far he can go, but the main reason is that this will get him on the road to more power. That in turn will only drive him to me further." Accepting this, Kabuto left leaving the Sannin in darkness.
XXX
Darui stared down at Banrai who was whistling a happy tune. The Kumo team had been walking back to Kumo for two days and was near their destination. "This has been on mind for a while now, Banrai," Darui said as his student stopped whistling only and stared at his sensei. "Tsukino brought something to my attention that worries me." Makaze flinched, thinking this was about him, but what got a surprise. "You surrender in two different occasions, but you could've put up a much bigger fight. So why did you give up so easily." Banrai shrugged as he continued his walk towards Kumo.
"I don't know what to tell you sensei," Banrai said with an ease to his voice. "I just wasn't feeling it those two fights." Putting a firm hand on Banrai's shoulder, Darui turned the boy around.
"You and I both know that's a lie," Darui accused, but only got a smile from his student. "Tell me the truth." Darui and Banrai just stared the other down; until Banrai began to laugh.
"The truth is sensei, this is all a lie," Banrai stated with a dead look in his eyes gesturing to himself. "I could've hurt Naruto, but I choose not to. Not because I like him, but because he is beneath me." This confused Darui and the rest of his team. Laughing at their confused faces, Banrai just looked towards the sky. "You all thought I was the calm and leveled individual, but you all don't know the true me. I don't care about those weaker then me, if you are weaker then you don't interest me, but if you are stronger or at least equal to me, then you interest me."
"So what you actually saying is you let Naruto go, not because of freewill, but because you think he is weaker then you."
"I don't think he is weaker then me, I know he is weaker then me."
"Oh and how did you come up with that," Darui asked getting annoyed at his student.
"Because of his fight," Banrai gestured towards Makaze at this point. "He could barely stand up to this weakling."
"Weakling," Makaze yelled out! Turning a tired eye to his teammate, Banrai easily dodged the boy's kunai, but Banrai kept a lazy eye on the blade as it turned towards him. Ducking under it, Banrai grabbed the blade before disappearing in a burst of speed.
"That speed," Darui turned just in time to see Banrai appear behind Makaze.
"You are beneath me," Banrai whispered into Makaze's ear as he pressed the kunai into the boy's back. Just as Makaze turned his head, Banrai delivered a swift kick into the boy's back. Darui caught the boy just as a kunai landed between his feet. Looking up, Darui saw that Banrai was wearing a small, almost malicious grin on his face, as if this was his birthday. "This is great! None of you caught on to my act!"
"I'll make sure the Rai-," Darui was interrupted by Banrai's insane laughter. "What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing it's just that it's kind of cute when you try and act tuff," Banrai's eyes seemed to pierce their way into Darui as the two stared the other down. "You go ahead and tell the Raikage what I did and we will see who has the last laugh!" With that Banrai turned around and walked towards Kumo, chuckling all the way. All Makaze, Tsukino, and Darui did was watch as their teammate left them over the horizon.
The true nature of the thunder is revealed! Anyway, next two or three chapters is going to be around the finals and then the invasion. Also, there is a reason I didn't show or even hint at Dosu's death or leave of absence. He has a part to play and I can't explain it, but I felt he was always given the short end of the stick, even in my stories. I've got a lot of plans set for the future. So I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.