Birth of an Assassin: Heir to the Namikaze
Chapter 15
Training Begins, Trouble Brews
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Assassin's Creed or Naruto.
"Speaking"
'Thinking'
"Jutsu"
"Tailed Beast Speak"
Pairing: NaruxSaku
Assassin!Naruto
Hello everyone, finally back after preparing and leaving for University. I had to drive through five states to get here and its taken a while to get everything in order. Now that I am moved into my dorm though I am going to try and continue to update as often as possible, as writing and coming up with story ideas somewhat has to do with my future career (No, not a writer).
This time around we have a filler of sorts as it mainly centers around the month of training all the finalists receive to prepare for the Third Exam. It will also have a familiar face returning, but how will he be received by our Naruto? Will things turn out differently in the war with an assassin on Konoha's side? How long must we wait until his harem is finished?!
More to come.
000
The Creed
Stay your blade from innocents
See but be unseen
Never compromise the Assassins
Nothing is true, everything is permitted.
000
Konohagakure Outskirts
Namikaze Compound
000
"Let's go, Naruto!"
Without another word the assassin launched forward and assaulted the Jonin with his fists and legs. They parried and countered one another, almost on equal footing even with their difference in rank and age. Although Kakashi had experience from fighting his sensei, Naruto displayed his own uniqueness to the usual clan taijutsu that made it somewhat difficult for him to keep up a consistent defense.
Sakura watched them from the sidelines of their makeshift training ground, a small dirt patch off to the side of the main building. She had been hesitant to watch them train as the two genin were to fight one another, but the blonde insisted she attend as he planned to train her soon after. If anything she was surprised to see Kakashi allowed into the compound but assumed that Naruto trusted him enough.
Grabbing the outstretched wrist in the aftermath of a punch, Kakashi momentarily stopped the fight to make a point.
"Your taijutsu technique has a lot of speed and is difficult to defend against when there are few who have seen it displayed. However, you lack a strong defense and you are more focused on disarming and disabling an opponent, leading you to pull otherwise very powerful attacks."
Naruto broke his hold and backed up but found Kakashi pursuing him instead of hanging back. As soon as he landed, the teacher had a kunai at his neck from behind. It would seem the match was over when Kakashi let loose a silent sigh of relief, but Naruto remained tense.
"You must not assume your opponent's actions, always have a defense ready."
"It's not over."
Raising an eyebrow the man did not even get a chance to react when Naruto's arm turned into a blur and disarmed him of the blade. With another lightning fast motion the assassin's hidden blade was at his neck turning the tables.
Kakashi took a moment to analyze the technique even as Sakura stared, stupefied. It was not normal speed that allowed Naruto to pull it off and the technique could be attributed to many of his past endeavors. His speed, while not on par with Minato's, was faster than any normal shinobi because of the same reason.
"Figured it out yet?" The blonde taunted as Kakashi's eye widened.
"So you inherited that as well from your father. Jinton."
Naruto nodded, affirming his third affinity; an advanced nature, Jinton was a rare trait even among Namikaze that allowed the user to increase their speed to inhuman levels. Even to an experienced Jonin the user was like a blur of movement and while not an offensive power alone, when coupled with certain techniques made it very deadly.
"Swift Release is perfect for my technique as it can allow me to react to an opponent's sudden move or create a defense faster than an attack. You are right though that I shouldn't always rely on speed."
Taking the kunai that hung limp from the blonde's hand, Kakashi ended their training bout with a bit of a lesson for both combatants. Kakashi realized he still had much to learn of Naruto's abilities and that his potential was greater than what any could have predicted.
Even Naruto learned his limits though and what he had to work on. It was his hope that with this training he could improve on what he taught to Sakura as well, as her primary giver of training. He wanted her ready to fight anyone, even himself, for when the final exam came.
"Naruto, I'd like to teach you a technique that I think you can handle. Thanks to your lightning element, I can finally pass it onto someone who can put it to good use."
Intrigued, the two genin watched as Kakashi began to gather chakra into his right hand. It quickly turned white and sparked with electricity, tendrils of light began to trail from the palm of his hand. The most telling factor of the jutsu was its unique sound, it sounded like thousands of birds chirping at once.
"This is Chidori, a fitting name don't you think? It's very powerful and will improve your ability in close combat while giving you a new technique to use for assassinations. I have cut through many opponents with this alone."
With some further instruction Naruto began trying to harness it for himself. Although it took some time, Kakashi was amazed at how fast the assassin picked up the knowledge and applied it to the technique. With his level of chakra control he could easily replicate Raikiri with not too much practice.
"That's it, just maintain a steady flow of chakra. Use your other hand to steady your arm if you need to, it can be a bit unwieldy to move around with."
The ground crumbled and cracked underneath the lightning attack Naruto had formed, only serving to show off its power further. With the fury of a thousand birds of prey, Naruto slammed the technique into the ground showering them with dirt. It left a large crater that Kakashi quickly rectified with an earth technique.
"Well done, with a bit more practice it should be ready for the exam."
The blonde was hunched over, somewhat tired from the chakra usage. It would take some getting used to for him to properly handle the technique without such a dip in stamina. Nevertheless it was another jutsu he could add to his arsenal, so he gave a curt bow to his teacher.
"Thank you, Kakashi."
He received an eye smile in return.
"Don't mention it. That should be enough for today, at least between us..." Sakura realized it was her turn when their teacher turned and motioned for her to come forward.
With a nod, Naruto went from student to teacher and guided Sakura into a starting stance. For the first time in a while Kakashi took the sidelines and watched the blonde circle the girl, adjusting her pose and giving short snippets of advice as they began going through kenjutsu motions for her blade. Even though they were comfortable and happy around one another, he could see it in their eyes how seriously they took this time of training together.
He had no doubt both could take care of each other just fine. It would take that kind of unity to get them through their battle against one another and everything beyond in their ninja careers.
000
Many Hours Later..
000
'Ah..what a long day.'
Naruto entered his room, sliding the door closed behind him. It was small and sparse, a wooden floor covered only by a futon and small table for tea. In a methodical fashion much practiced since his earning the robes, he began to undress by removing his belt and leather vest. It was not long before all of his clothing was neatly put away leaving him with only his pants and bracer.
Never one to give up his weapon if he could help it, the blonde had just gotten used to sleeping with it. It didn't hurt the fact that with two sound shinobi residing in his home he still stayed on his guard. Thinking of his new charges he figured they had come out since Kakashi and Sakura returned to the village, no doubt beginning their guard duties.
Entrusting the night to them Naruto's body slowly went limp in bed, falling into a deep sleep.
000
In the forest surrounding the compound a slender figure darted through the brush. Their body was covered in a dark cloak, seen only by the faint moonlight that shone upon the eerie landscape. Even with the seals and genjutsu defenses in place, this person was able to navigate to their target easily and avoid detection showing that they were certainly more than an average ninja.
With a single leap they made it over the compound wall, taking a moment to scout the area. Quickly they scattered to an outlying shack for cover as the moon kept the courtyard well lit. As they leaned around the corner to plan out their next move their head twitched as a familiar sound was heard.
Senbon hit their target as the infiltrator was forced to fall back and was intercepted mid stride. Dosu and Kin approached the spy with caution but also with a familiar sense of pride in their ability to detect them. Since being abducted by the Namikaze and put on guard duty they had gotten familiar with the surrounding area and had detected the intruder not long after they hopped the wall, allowing the two to plan a counterattack.
Now with the hood ripped, the person's identity was revealed. Surprisingly, it was someone they knew.
"Tayuya?" Kin muttered, unsure if she was seeing right.
Dosu grunted, his eye glaring at the girl who was now his enemy. He had no feelings for her to begin with during their time in Otogakure together, now that she had showed up again he had no qualms of fighting her.
"What the hell are you two doing here?" The red head fired back, expecting them to be dead since disappearing in the second exam.
The bandaged boy cracked his neck and began to reveal his melody arm, revealing his intentions clearly to the still loyal Oto shinobi. Whatever they were doing in the Namikaze compound, it was clear they were not on her side anymore. Not that it mattered much though, they were weaklings in comparison to the Sound Four.
"I'm only going to say this once..leave now and you can walk away." His intimidation had the opposite effect as Tayuya did not even try to stifle a mocking laugh.
"Haha! What the fuck was that? Did you really think you could scare me? You fucking idiots couldn't kill a fly."
The tag team exchanged glances before Dosu got into a ready stance and Kin revealed her bell senbons to use against Tayuya. Narrowing her eyes, the assassin remembered both of their abilities and knew not to expect much in the way of resistance. They weren't even powerful enough to warrant her using her curse mark.
"I'm the master of genjutsu Kin, not you. Those won't work on me, remember?" She teased receiving a glare from the younger girl.
The standoff did not last long before Dosu launched forward in a low stance, melody arm out toward the red head. Kin threw her senbon to distract Tayuya and cover her partner, but they were easily evaded by the nimble shinobi. Luckily her attack thrust the Oto shinobi toward Dosu and in range of his attack, allowing him to release an inaudible sound wave right at her.
With quick thinking and no small amount of finesse, Tayuya rolled on the ground and grabbed one of the special senbon for her own use. Now with Dosu hurtling toward her she brought up the weapon and hit the bell to bring forth her own sound wave, amplifying it with her chakra. The two invisible forces met in the middle and an explosion sent dust and dirt flying in both directions.
At first confident she had defeated the boy, the red head quickly backpedaled when he darted forward through and tried to grab her. Narrowly avoiding him by leaping into the air she was forced to take out her flute and deflect kunai that Kin threw at her as she came back down. Sliding across the dirt she found herself right in front of the building she was supposed to investigate but unable to because of the two traitors.
"Looks like its time to play a melody.." As she prepared to play her deadly instrument she was stopped in her tracks when the sliding door behind her opened.
"What is the meaning of this?" A powerful, stern voice hit her from behind and froze her in her tracks.
Somewhat frightened as well, Dosu and Kin quickly addressed their new leader.
"Namikaze-dono, we were trying to apprehend this intruder when she began to fight us."
'Namikaze..dono? What the fuck is going on here?' Tayuya dared not look behind her but still her mind raced to connect the dots.
Orochimaru hadn't been very specific in who she was investigating, just where to look for him. If this Namikaze was the one she was supposed to spy on she wondered just how powerful he was to have Orochimaru's interest. The possibility of him being stronger than her made ice run up her spine.
"Who is she?" Naruto asked as he had suspected someone would come to investigate him with Orochimaru's presence.
"Tayuya of the Sound Four, one of Orochimaru's entourage. She is a genjutsu user and is very deadly with that flute, be careful."
Sensing a presence right behind her, Tayuya's head finally began to turn to face her target with heavy trepidation. She was able to see blonde hair and piercing blue eyes before the words he uttered made her forget everything but her ability to run.
He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, with no suggestive or chilling tone attached. Just a question that he felt she already knew the answer to.
"Do you wish to die, Tayuya-san?"
As soon as he said it she leaped forward in a desperate attempt to get some distance between them, but it was futile. Naruto was right behind her as she leaped over the gate and into the forest, forcing her to turn and block his blade with her instrument. The two engaged in a quick and awkward battle in the forest, one scared read head using a flute to block attacks from a half naked blonde assassin.
It was no laughing matter to either of the participants as Naruto knew that she had found his compound and was there because of Orochimaru. As it was, he could not allow her to escape.
Tayuya had her back against the wall as she fumbled through the night, narrowly avoiding and parrying the blonde's attacks. It was wearing on her though and he was beginning to connect with the tattered remains of her cloak as well as cuts on her arms. Just to survive and escape she might have to use her cursed mark. No one had forced her to do that before and it frightened her.
"Give up!" Naruto's blade connected with her flute, giving him the chance to kick her in the stomach and send her flying back into a tree.
"..Shut up..asshole!" Taking a moment to catch her breath she turned and ran up the tree, beginning to play her melody as she went.
Noticing monsters appear on the upper branches Naruto hesitated to give chase. It was then that his charges revealed themselves, throwing explosive kunai and sending the Doki flying.
Dosu flew through the air above the assassin, launching a sound attack at two of the beasts. Kin had already begun distracting the other under his guidance, allowing the Namikaze his chance to pursue.
"Go, we can handle these illusions!"
Without any further exchange Naruto ran up the tree in pursuit of Tayuya, finding her on a higher branch manipulating her servants. Even with her lauded abilities and place in the Sound Four, she was no match in detecting an assassin as he snuck behind her without making a single sound. Believing Naruto to still be fighting her creations, she was soon at a loss of words as a blade touched her throat freezing her playing mid-note.
"It's over."
Indeed, as she stopped playing the Doki disappeared giving the two shinobi below a chance to collect themselves. Lowering the instrument from her mouth, the agitated girl growled at her loss. How embarrassing was it that she couldn't even sense him approach from behind?
Taking the moment of reprieve to look her over, he had to admit he found her attractive. Why he continued to run into fiery red heads he had no idea, but it seemed they only continued to captivate his attention one way or the other. Although he would have preferred meeting in a less hostile way, he sensed that this would be assassin was much more than a simple servant of Orochimaru.
"So what now? You gonna kill me? Then make it quick motherfucker, because I hate waitin'." Somewhat surprised by her foul mouth, he hesitated in what he planned to do.
Should he kill her? Or could she be of more use than that?
Feeling the blade leave her, Tayuya could do nothing but stare at her captor with surprise. What was he thinking? He had her right where he wanted so why was he giving up?
"I won't kill you, you aren't the one I want."
Dumbfounded, she couldn't help but spit out the first thing that came to mind.
"What the fuck does that mean?!"
"Tell Orochimaru I am going to kill him, and that none of his ninja are powerful enough to handle me. He can come himself next time."
Not believing his audacity but also not wanting to push her luck, Tayuya backed away as Naruto did. As soon as she felt that he was genuine in letting her go she ran off into the night, leaving the three behind to their own devices. Dosu and Kin reunited with the Namikaze in the compound, catching him before he again retired to his bed chambers.
"Are you sure that was a good idea, just letting her go? She could lead more of them back here.." Dosu could not see the logic in Naruto's plan, even if he didn't seem so concerned.
"There are many seals and defenses around this place to ensure its discovery is very difficult, if not impossible. Even if she were to bring more, they would not survive like she did. It means she is powerful, more powerful than your average shinobi."
They couldn't argue with that, even if she liked to brag and exacerbate her place as second in command it was still well merited. Her skill with genjutsu and traps must have been one let her escape the surrounding forest without coming to harm and navigating her way to the compound itself. Without that same power any she would try to bring would surely fall to the Namikaze's defenses.
With no further argument, Naruto returned inside to sleep. He still had much to do within a single month's time and what little sleep he could get was precious.
000
Many Days Later..
000
Konohagakure
Gates
000
"Ah, good ol' Konoha. Good to be back in my usual stomping grounds!"
An old man strode through the front gate with no small amount of pride to be home again. With his book writing taking him around the world it had been so long since he had been given the pleasure of returning home. Thinking of all the new women to come of age and peep on only served to get him more excited. He looked up to see the Hokage monument spanning most of his view and that was when he remembered his apprentice.
'Minato..' His unmistakable spiky hair gave him away, and it brought back melancholy memories for the sannin. 'I wish we could have been left with better terms, but I will make it up to you by watching out for your son.'
Jiraiya's face became somewhat serious as his thoughts drifted to Naruto. He had never seen him before and it would be very difficult finding him if he knew Minato. With luck though he could speak some sense to him before the Namikaze got their claws on him. The last thing such a prodigy needed was to be dragged down as a martyr like his father.
"First thing, check in with the Hokage. Maybe he can tell me where to start."
Arriving in front of the large red building he quickly made his way up to his old teacher's office. Being recognized by a few ninja he gave some lighthearted waves and smiles before seeing the Hokage. Busy at work, the old man did not seem all that surprised to see Jiraiya nor happy about it.
"It seems you finally return."
"Yeah..I was getting homesick."
Their eyes met and it was immediately obvious that was not true. His ulterior motive already discovered the sannin shrugged in an effort to alleviate the tension.
"You expected me to avoid him forever?"
Hiruzen began to smoke from his pipe, allowing the conversation to serve as a distraction from paperwork. His mood did not improve however, worrying Jiraiya.
"I expected you to show some tact..whatever plans you have for Naruto, they won't go the way you hope."
His student's eyes narrowed on the conclusion he was attempting to reveal. It was unfortunate that Minato and Jiraiya had such a falling out over the Namikaze, but Sarutobi could not side with either. In the case of Naruto though, he felt that if Jiriaya were to push his teachings onto the boy it would not be just unfair but make the situation worse.
"So, Minato chose to indoctrinate him too?"
"Watch your tongue Jiraiya, that is his son and regardless of how you disagree with the assassins, they are in his blood. He showed no wishes to stop the initiation or training."
The explanation only served to make him more angry.
"Because he wasn't given a choice in the first place I bet. Where is he? I'll try and salvage the mess before Minato really does screw up his only child."
"Jiraiya, don't do this. It is his choice!"
The younger man began to leave, leaving his teacher with a few harsh words.
"It isn't a choice until he is given more than one option. I'm going to give him a way out."
000
Konohagakure Outskirts
Namikaze Compound
000
Surmising the best place to start was the old Namikaze compound, Jiraiya hopped the wall but was somewhat careful to remain in hiding. It wouldn't do well to surprise Minato's son or intrude on whatever he was doing, especially with the subject he had to bring up.
The sounds of battle brought his attention to the center of the structure where two figures were fighting in close combat. His eyes widened as they recognized the two, but he began to glare when he saw what Naruto was wearing.
Kakashi and Naruto fought against one another again with simple taijutsu, each using their own unique style. It wasn't long before the blonde chose to up the stakes and began to gather lightning chakra in his hand, forcing Kakashi to do the same. Just as they were about to continue, a loud voice rang out that caused them and the observing Sakura to stop and stare.
"So, Minato really did drag you into the robes did he?"
Naruto was incensed that this person dare insult his father with such impolite speech, not to mention the fact he was trespassing. He didn't seem familiar and he had not seen him around Konoha so he could not put a name to the face. It was clear he was an older gentleman that somehow knew his father though and he did not seem that fond of him.
He looked at Kakashi, with the surprised look on his face as well it seemed like this person must have been a rare sight to even older shinobi.
"Jiraiya-sama? What are you doing here?"
'Jiraiya? That name sounds familiar..'
"I don't know who you are but I don't appreciate you trespassing in my clan's home and insulting my father. Leave, now." His tone was not one to argue, but Jiraiya ignored it.
"Just like Minato, trying to hide behind the 'clan' and its 'rules'. Listen Naruto, you won't become a strong shinobi if you let your clan's rules hold you back. Let me teach you the way of a ninja, something your father never really understood."
His insolence caused Naruto scowl and it was clear to both Kakashi and Sakura that the situation was getting out of hand. If the situation wasn't defused soon then the two would end up fighting one another.
'Jiraiya..my father mentioned him before. He respected him, but realized they could not see eye to eye, so he decided it was best to end their relationship. Clearly it was Jiraiya that was the one that would not see reason, not the other way around.'
"My father may have respected you, but I can't give the same respect with the way you speak about my family as if we are nothing. If you dare say another word against the Creed, to which I have sworn my life to uphold, I will fight you right here!"
He entered a challenging stance waiting for the obvious result. Before Jiraiya could respond Kakashi entered between the two of them with his hands up in an attempt to dissuade them from violence.
"Jiraiya-sama, under Konoha law you must respect a clan head's wishes to leave his premises. Even if you were Minato-sensei's teacher, it doesn't give you the right to tell his son what to do. Talking to him like this will only hurt your cause so please.." His voice trailed off as Jiraiya did not seem any more considerate of the situation but he did seem defeated in one sense.
"I can see there is no talking to you right now. I'll give it some time so perhaps you can see the right path to pick, the one your father chose to ignore."
Naruto did not respond as the Sannin disappeared, and he only became further annoyed with the looks of concern from his fellows. To allow someone like that to anger him was one thing but even then, it wasn't like it was the end of the world that he denied his help. No matter how much power he could receive in return for following Jiraiya, he would not turn his back on the Creed to do it.
'Refusing help from Jiraiya of the Sannin..I hope Naruto made the right choice.' Kakashi muttered, unsure of what to think of the brief but tense spat.
He wasn't sure he could make the same decision, knowing the kinds of enemies they would be facing in the near future. Perhaps the Hokage could shed more light on the conflict, he decided to go see him as soon as possible. For now though, he had to continue to train Naruto and ensure he and Sakura were ready for whatever would come with the third exam.
000
"Finally...I thought they would never leave."
Dosu said in an annoyed tone as he and Kin came out of Naruto's house, just after watching Kakashi and Sakura leave. To ensure there was no trouble they made sure to hide during the times when the two visited the compound, even without Naruto explicitly saying to. That was another thing they were beginning to suffer from, doing things for him and each other even when they weren't asked.
It was somewhat unsettling after the grueling environment they were used to living in. Without fear of immediate punishment or surveillance they felt oddly at comfort and expanded their interests and willingness to do things for each other. Whether it was from the Namikaze's influence or something they always had inside of them, Dosu did not know.
At the same time, they weren't in a hurry to return to their old patterns.
"Will you be taking a rest, Namikaze-dono?" Kin asked as Naruto approached them, quietly in a tone she hoped would not bring any unwanted attention from the powerful assassin.
"Of course not, training isn't over."
They looked at one another, not understanding what he meant. As soon as he made the gesture to join him they entered the arena and soon found out what he meant. He wasn't only training himself and his apprentice, Naruto wanted to train them as well. Surprised, the two quickly found themselves going through the same regime as observed earlier, even with the same tone and attention he had gifted to the pink haired girl.
Dosu watched Naruto instruct Kin on her senbon weapons, not understanding. Why did he do the things he did? He could have killed them or just ignored their existence, and of all things he was training them.
'Who are you, Naruto Namikaze..'
000
Konohagakure
Hokage Office
000
"Minato was my student, it should only be right for me to train his son!"
"That is up to Naruto and his current teacher Kakashi to decide, not you Jiraiya."
Placing a hand on his forehead in a vain attempt to calm the growing headache, Jiraiya could see he would not be training the blonde any time soon without the Hokage's help. Sarutobi seemed dead set on leaving it up to the younger boy even though it was clear it was too late to just leave it up to him to choose. Since he had already been inducted the best he could do was train him and influence him in the same way Minato did, but with the way of shinobi.
Kakashi entered the room with a silent cue and showed his stance on the subject by standing close to the Hokage. He was still conflicted on whether it was the right choice, but Naruto had made his decision. As his old caretaker and teacher it was up to him to respect that and convey his wishes properly to the stubborn sannin.
"Naruto made it clear he wished to follow in his father's footsteps. Regardless of whether you think it the right choice or not, it is not in your best interests to pursue the matter further. You will only come to blows with him, should you meet again."
An accusing finger landed on the Jonin and he became the new target.
"I heard everything from the Hokage, you are just as much at fault for leaving him there at the compound. He was young and vulnerable, he needed flesh and blood not some lost will of the Namikaze. It's nonsense!"
"It isn't nonsense to him, and that is what matters. He is a strong shinobi and a very talented assassin, if not for his father he would not be where he is now."
Jiraiya merely crossed his arms in response to Hiruzen's flattery. It remained to be seen how far that path could take him, just as Minato had found an obstacle he could not overcome so would his son. His judgment would be clouded by the Creed and his duties would conflict with that of the village, tearing them apart.
"I'll keep my distance, but I will be keeping an eye on him. It's up to you to teach him something useful Kakashi, don't let him close his mind any further or else he will never grow strong."
"I fully intend to train my student until he is stronger than anything I can hope to beat, Jiraiya."
Satisfied or not, the sage took his leave. The tension did not leave with him though and an awkward silence remained with the two men still left behind.
"Hokage-sama.."
"It's fine Kakashi..have a little faith in Naruto. His father made the same choice and did not regret it, wherever he ends up will be because of his choice. All we can do is watch over him for now."
Kakashi took solace in the fact his teacher, Naruto's father made the same choice. Minato had always struck him as a powerful shinobi, regardless of his clan. If that was what Naruto was aiming for, he had no objections.
000
Some Weeks Later..
000
Konohagakure
Hospital
000
Naruto held a brisk pace as he walked through the halls. As always he received stares from all those he passed, nurse and patient alike, because of his clothing. This time though the eyes did not linger on his robes but on the bouquet of flowers he held for a certain person he was coming to visit.
Having made it a habit to see Karin almost every day of the month of his training and her recovery, he had made sure to get flowers for the day she was to be ready to leave the hospital. She promised to stick around for his usual visit before returning to her group and preparing for the final exam. It was his hope that with this final meeting that it would in turn bring them closer to seeing each other again in the future.
He had high hopes they would not be seeing each other for the last time. There was still good in Karin, and he was determined to see her embrace it.
Arriving at the correct door, he opened it to be greeted by an empty bed. Confused he approached the room still filled with medical equipment and all of her information gathered over the last few weeks. Did something come up that she was forced to leave early? The finals were tomorrow..
'No, she wouldn't leave without a reason.'
It was then that he noticed a small piece of paper left behind on her bed, cold from being empty for too long. Already he surmised what it would read, but his hands still just slightly trembled as they tried to open the folded note. Upon reading its contents the blonde dropped both it and the flowers to the ground without so much as a single word.
Hesitating for a moment he turned on his heel and left for the last time. Not at all what he had hoped for his anxiety for the meeting was all but lost. Instead, anger and disgust welled inside of him threatening to burst out should he have chosen to pursue. Logic won, he would go back to his original idea of Karin; a spy, someone not to be trusted.
The door shut quietly, not even it could betray the feelings the blonde held inside. Her note lay idle and she was long gone, but the words would remain etched in his head for some time until fate chose they meet again.
Then, he would be ready.
I'm sorry, I guess you were wrong about me.
Karin
000
Konohagakure
Arena
000
Cheers erupted as Naruto and Sakura walked onto the arena floor to join the rest of the participating genin. They kept their distance from the others to keep up appearances and not attract attention. Sasuke was also alone, now wearing a black Uchiha outfit that they had not seen on him before. The time they were apart did not seem to heal the wounds of conflict between the two as neither did not so much as glance.
One oddity was that their proctor, Hayate, was not present. Instead another Jonin was attending for him and he did not seem all that excited about the job placed on him. He rolled a senbon around in his mouth, impatiently waiting for the festivities to begin as the last of the contestants entered the arena.
Shikamaru took little solace in how many Leaf fellows joined him as he knew they would be forced to fight if he won. If he didn't win against the Suna girl though, he knew he would not hear the end of it from the others. Resigned to being screwed either way the boy kicked the ground and cursed under his breath waiting for his match to get done already.
Kankuro and Temari fidgeted nervously, it felt odd without Gaara joining them. Because of her early elimination they were forced to change their plans, something which worried them and their teacher. There was no telling how the jinchuuriki girl would react to the fights even from her distance in the stands. With that in their minds they glanced up toward their teacher and sister, watching them from high above.
Gaara stood by the rail while Baki remained seated relatively close behind. She had surprisingly been able to keep herself calm for the most part during the month which meant they were ready to proceed with the new plan. With luck her anger would not get the better of her until Baki was able to properly get her in place for transformation.
The only problem was that she insisted to be allowed to watch the battles which was the one thing the Jonin was afraid of. If she triggered the transformation too early the entire invasion could fail.
'Steady Gaara..' He eyed her with a careful glare one of which was ignored by her as she watched the events unfold down below.
Her senses allowed her to pick up on the conversation as the Leaf Jonin explained the rules for the final round. That was not what she was focused on instead she had her eyes only on the assassin. Every move he made and every word he whispered to his pink headed partner, she wanted to know. There was only one conclusion to this situation that she could foresee and it would end with blood, his blood.
'Naruto Namikaze..I will enjoy killing you and everyone who tries to stop me.' For making her relive that memory and embarrassing her, she would not let that go.
The crowd only got louder as the genin were dismissed to the viewing box while Shikamaru and Temari stayed behind for the first match. Snack vendors roamed the aisles calling out their delicious treats while the nobles laid all their fortunes on the table for lucrative betting. Not only was it an entertaining show to watch shinobi beat each other up but it could also make a lot of money if everything went well.
In particular, a Kusa feudal lord noticed Naruto and Sakura enter the arena and motioned for his men behind to leave. He had a particularly large investment in the Namikaze and wanted to make sure everything went well. From his father he had learned having muscle helped solve problems much easier than words.
000
Naruto and Sakura trailed behind the others as they headed up to their designated waiting area. They were not speaking to one another as both had a lot on their minds. Sakura still worried how her match against him would go while Naruto was still considering Orochimaru and the problems he had with the man's red heads.
Their thoughts were interrupted when two cloaked Kusa shinobi stopped them. They turned to look at Sakura who was just as confused as Naruto, although he started to catch on as they began to speak.
"We need to give a message to the girl Namikaze. It won't take long."
Naruto stepped between them and Sakura, making it clear he wouldn't leave. Not understanding the girl let her boyfriend speak for her in hopes of understanding what these two men wanted with her.
"You two shouldn't be here. Return to the stands with your lord and let him know the match will be handled fairly."
They smiled, realizing that words wouldn't be enough. It was why they took the job apart from the pay, they just couldn't stay away from a good fight.
"Well, if we must-"
"Sakura!"
"Right!"
Before they could finish their threat the two genin launched forward and hit the two men in their stomachs, knocking the air out of their lungs. Sakura jumped into the air and launched a kick to the side of the man's face sending him flying into the wall; Naruto took the man's face in his hand threw him to the ground with enough force to knock him unconscious.
As if nothing happened, the two dusted themselves off and continued on. The pink head was disgusted that someone was betting on their match and a little disappointed she was bet against, but looking to her partner she knew why. Her only hope that Naruto's idea of how their match would go really did happen as she was not looking forward to fighting him, if anything for the bruises she would no doubt incur.
000
Temari is the victor of the first round.
000
Boos echoed around the stadium as the Leaf genin conceded even as he had the Suna girl right where he wanted her. His explanation seemed legitimate with the way he described but most felt as if he was throwing the match for his own sake. It did not reflect well on Konoha but for the Suna girl it was a hollow victory that served only to frustrate her.
Naruto watched the match with Sakura by the railing but his mind was elsewhere, not noticing the girl's disappointed comment about their friend. Instead his mind and chakra wandered as he and Kyuubi felt something off about the entire event.
"You are right, there are many powerful chakra signatures. Too many to be just security.."
"I doubt they are all from Konoha either, the more we get into the exam the more tense it gets. Something is wrong here.."
"Kiba Inuzuka and Rock Lee, please come down for your match!" Genma shouted and the two were happy to oblige, excited to show their stuff.
With new combatants the crowd quieted down considerably as the new betting began, this match not so clear on who would be the easy winner.
Meanwhile the blonde's mood continued to dim as his mind raced with the possibilities of what was happening.
000
Rock Lee is the victor of the second round.
000
A mixed response was received as the Inuzuka was escorted to the infirmary by medical shinobi. Clan shinobi were often favorites to bet on as it was similar to an animal's pedigree; this time, it only served to make the defeat all the more embarrassing at the hands of a taijutsu user.
Rock Lee took a respectable bow to his opponent and the crowd before returning to the viewing box, not surprised but not overjoyed at the outcome either. He had surmised Kiba would not provide a big challenge although he hoped to be wrong, even then he felt bad that he could not have had his abilities pushed to the limit.
'My wish is to fight him but..' Lee eyed Naruto who seemed lost under his hood, his brow furrowed. 'It seems I am foiled again, for now.'
Sakura's worry began to boil as her body shook slightly. Her mind could only give her the worst outcomes of the upcoming match between her and Naruto, and it frightened her. A reassuring hand on her shoulder showed the blonde had no such worry and urged her to feel the same.
"Sorry, I just.." She avoided eye contact, embarrassed.
"Don't worry Sakura. Regardless of the outcome nothing between us will change, I promise." His kind words seemed matter of course to her, but it still served to cheer her up a bit.
"Shino Aburame and Kankuro, come down for your match!"
"I forfeit!" The puppet user shouted, surprising the crowd and eliciting a strong negative response.
Shino eyed his opponent and wondered what the problem was. Did he get cold feet? Perhaps there was something going on that they couldn't see.
Genma gave it a pause before deciding he was serious. If that was his choice there wasn't much he could do about it. The crowd wasn't having it though so he felt it best to move forward quickly.
"Alright then, Naruto and Sakura. You two come on down for your match!" The two perked up and leaped over the railing as the crowd cheered loudly.
It was finally time for the most anticipated match; a Namikaze was finally in the arena again after so much time had passed. It was almost unheard of to see an assassin fight shinobi like that so it an event to be seen, for sure.
Naruto and Sakura walked to either side of the field with the instructor between them. He lowered his hand between the two of them to prepare the match but the blonde's eyes were elsewhere. They scanned the crowd and soon locked on the red head of Suna, noticing her aquamarine eyes were locked on his own with a deadly glare.
'Is this the chance you were waiting for? Now is your chance..so will you take it?'
He continued to watch her as his ears faintly picked up the instructor announce the match start. Looking back to Sakura he saw her in the air already about to launch an attack for his head. Rolling out of the way he charged forward and met her blade with his own, beginning a test of strength between the fighters. They eyed each other for a moment before launching back from one another.
Sakura readied kunai to throw while Naruto crouched and began going through hand signs, wondering how long he would have to keep up the farce. There was a ticking time bomb in the arena regardless of what all the other high level shinobi were doing there. He was willing to bet it would go off soon and that he would be the target, his only question would be if anything else would happen when Gaara chose to attack.
For now though he just had to entertain the crowd and get warmed up for what was sure to be a tough battle ahead.
000
You know me by now, cliffhangers are just what I do. Next chapter is sure to be action packed as the war begins for real and the young genin are thrust right into the middle of it. How will they react and who will shine under the pressure?
Let me know in a review what you thought about the chapter.
I'll be seeing you next time in Mercenary for Hire as Naruto takes the offensive against Orochimaru's organization.