Chapter 4: The Eagle's Feather

The Eagle, which fly's, as it were through the Mind from the 'higher Nature', to the
'lower Nature' and soars aloft to the self. It represents the Holy Spirit, the
connection between Minds, and can represent Freedom.

They finally reached the Konohagakure gate. Naruto sat against the wall, panting like dog. Tsukiyomi leaned against the wall next to the blonde gaki, also panting. Sasuke was panting, as well. And not to mention, Yamato's stomach was growling for food.

However, Sakura was bright, bubbly, and didn't even break a sweat.

"We've been walking...for...like, what?" Tsukiyomi panted. "Twelve hours?"

"Ten," Naruto replied. "Ten...hours of nothing...but...walk...ing..."

"Hn..." Sasuke grumbled.

Yamato sighed, holding his growling stomach. "I feel like I'm going to collapse from hunger..."

"Oh, come on, you guys," Sakura said. "It wasn't that bad! Right?"

Kotetsu and Izumo stared at her. They knew Team 7 was weird, but this was way off. Naruto was tired.

Yes. The most energetic, annoying, prankster punk gaki idiot of Konoha was tired.

"Maybe we should take a picture and post this somewhere..." Izumo mumbled to his friend.

Kotetsu shook his head. "No one would believe us. This is probably some kind of genjutsu..."

"It's...not..." Naruto panted. He dragged himself over to the stand, heavily leaning on the wall. "We...we woke up..."

Izumo nodded. "Continue...continue..."

"And...we walked..." he continued.

They waited.

"For ten damned hours!" Tsukiyomi suddenly shouted. "Oh my god, for ten hours straight! No breaks, no food, no nothing! Just walking!"

Naruto weakly punched the brunette's shoulder. His voice was hoarse with exhaustion, "You shut your mouth, wolfboy..."

"Quit calling me that; there are no more wolves on me!" Tsukiyomi snapped.

He scowled. "They followed you, moron!"

Everyone frowned. They heard a squeaky bark and then a deeper bark. Glancing over their shoulder, they saw the year old pup and its mother standing a few feet away.

"What stealthy little bastards..." Sasuke commented. "I didn't even notice them. So how did you?"

"I'm not that oblivious," Naruto shot back. "But you can't blame them. They were trained and their knowledge was extended. No to mention, they have full potential of becoming wolf-nin's with Tsukiyomi."

"Who's Tsukiyomi?" Izumo questioned.

"He was supposed to be our captive, but he wasn't even a fugitive, let alone a shinobi," Sakura explained. "He's actually a pretty spiritual and wise. Not to mention, he's a genius and a brilliant animal tamer. On top of that, he knows how to tame a tailed-beast."

The two Chunin guards glanced at each other, and then back to the group, who were kindly greeting the two wolves. Then the two glanced back to Sakura.

"Well that will be useful in the future," Kotetsu noted. He paused for a second, glancing to Tsukiyomi, and then back to Sakura again. "Does Tsunade-sama know of his talents?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not yet. But she's aware of the situation. He might become a tamer of some kind. But seeing as those wolves followed us, he said he's slightly betting on becoming a shamen like the Inuzuka clan."

"Okay, well, go report and then rest up. Ten hours of straight walking must have been rough on you, too," Izumo said.

"No... I feel perfectly fine," Sakura stated. She smiled. "Anyway, I'm off to report to Tsunade-sama. See you guys later."

Kit! Mediate! Kurama whined.

Naruto outwardly scowled. Why? I thought we were done with that stage of training.

We are—but without your sense of sight, your mental strength will most likely dull like the seal.Kurama explained. Not to mention, it's kind of nice. Even I need my moments of peace.

Sure you do. You're always sleeping or doing something extremely stupid inside of that cage. The blonde snorted. Or singing or arguing with me over the most incredibly stupidest things.

Don't compare me with you.

I wasn't comparing, I was pointing out the obvious.

Look, kit, just go to the usual spot and mediate. Your getting on my nerves right now.

Naruto sighed. The Kitsune was kind enough to offer him some training to sharpen his senses. Since he was three—around the time when he was blinded—the Kyuubi offered him some kenjutsu, taijutsu and mental strength exercises. He barely managed to defend himself after that for about a year or so and then Itachi bumped into the picture and decided to help the blonde with his Hyouton, ninjutsu and even taught him how to heal minor wounds.

But he kept to himself about that part of his past. Meditating helped strengthen his ability to not only withstand the Kyuubi's power mentally, but it also helped with resistance against any mind-manipulating technique's like the Yamanaka clan's or the mind reversal technique the ANBU use to interrogate people. It also helped him control his emotions better, which has also proven to be more than useful when it came to sensitive provoking.

Naruto never really focused on kenjutsu. But he could wield a katana to its fullest extent and had the potential to impress even the greatest samurai, or at least that's what Kurama claimed. The same went with taijutsu, but he wasn't fast like Lee or Gai. Rather he was more brute. So he never really bothered. But he has considered making a random—but also compatible—taijutsu that could also be used by a blind individual such as he. Kurama was also there to advise the idiot of his mistakes and improve what he saw as fit.

The blonde made his way outside of Konoha through the western gate where a large oak tree was. This place was like his primary sanctuary. He came here often as a toddler and kid. He also meditated here a lot and personally trained. Itachi found him here once and they turned it into a little personal meeting area.

He put his hand on the chipped bark. When he was in the academy, he always practiced here. But without Itachi around he never hit the same target twice like he had hoped he would. Sighing, he sat down against a gap between roots.

Naruto got into the lotus position and closed his blind blue eyes. He entered his subconscious and slowly went deeper and deeper till he couldn't feel his surroundings any longer.

"What's he doing...?" Sakura whispered to Sasuke. The two saw him leave Konohagakure and they decided to follow him out of curiosity.

"He's meditating," Tsukiyomi whispered. Oh yeah, the wolfboy came along too.

"Why?" Sasuke silently questioned.

"To build up strength to withstand the power of the Kyuubi," he responded. "A tailed-beast's power is hard to control, and often the Jinchuuriki gets exhausted after using their power. Meditation, chakra control, a weak no seal or even no seal at all helps with that."

Sakura nodded her understanding. "So this is what he does when he isn't on any missions..."

"Apparently..." Sasuke mumbled.

"Well, we should leave him alone," Tsukiyomi mentioned. "He may be meditating, but that doesn't mean he won't notice us."

The two nodded their agreement, turning and walking off. Tsukiyomi nodded, sparing an approving glance before tailing his new friends and team mates.

Naruto smirked in amusement as they left, his finger twitching in slight excitement for some weird reason. He focused back on meditating, his smirk fading and once again, his surroundings melting away.

The man sat on the oak tree. He was relaxing after a two month-long mission. He would want to relax in his own home, but it was so lonely there.

He sighed, leaning against the trunk. The orange leaves danced in the passing breeze, making the man shiver slightly. He was only wearing a thing muscle shirt and flak ANBU jacket. He glanced up to the sky. Dark clouds were reflecting the yellow dawning morning, something that helped him relaxed. He wasn't sure why he was so relaxed around the dawn, but he just found himself being that way.

"What are you doing here, Dog?" a voice questioned.

The man—or 'Dog'—jumped in surprise, glancing over his shoulder. It was Red.

"Is it wrong to relax after two months of being away?" Dog shot back. "What are you doing here, anyway? Is this your little sanctuary or something?"

"It's not mine, actually," he replied. "It's Naruto's. He often comes here to meditate, practice his Hyouton and kunai skills. I recently figured this place out. Pretty nifty little clearing, isn't it?"

Dog slowly nodded. He knew that Red was watching over Naruto, but he never knew the gaki was also learning the way of shinobi from him.

"He's only five. Not to mention, I don't think he's in the academy. Why are you training him the way of a shinobi?" Dog asked. Although he was the Yondaime's son, he felt like he shouldn't become a shinobi.

"He went blind two years ago," Red stated. He sighed, sitting on a branch above Dog. "I couldn't just stand by. People constantly attacked him and I've trained him to control his kekkei genkai. I'm also helping him cope with his blindness. Maybe you should stop by one of the private training grounds and see how amazing the gaki is."

Dog snorted. "I'm not watching a gaki play ninja."

Red sighed again. "Say what you want, but trust me when I say he's a real life changer. Once he steps in, he can't step out."

Kakashi walked up the stairs to his rooftop. He often went up there often after missions or if he wanted to relax. The Jounin leaned against the railing, pulling out his book. He paused when he saw a brown bird feather in the spot where he stopped. He stopped, picking it up and staring at it.

"How in the world did that get there...?" he whispered to himself. He was about to throw it over his shoulder, but stopped when he heard the squawk of an eagle.

That's rare... he thought. He gave an eye smile to no one in particular as he glanced down to his book. "Well, putting that aside, time to read Icha Icha!"

I think this is the only time Kaka-chan will show D:

Anyway, if there is anything to say, review it, plz. :3