Chapter 23
Alliances
1 week after the Konoha Attack
"Are you sure this will work?" Tsunade looked doubtfully at the seal on her palm. A glance around the room they were in showed that everyone else was having a similarly hard time believing the words of the seal master.
Jiraiya looked stricken. "You doubt me? I who taught the Fourth? I who once created a seal on a pair of eyeglasses that allowed it's wearer to see through walls for five hours?"
Tsunade chortled. "Those glasses caused five days of blindness after. And you only ever used it on the bathhouse!"
Jiraiya grinned. "Ahhh….good times." He cleared his throat with a blush. "Anyway, this works on the same principle as an animal summons. These are temporary contracts each of us has signed with Naruto. He can now summon us to his location, at which point the seal wears off. Perfectly harmless."
"But I'm right here," Naruto chimed in, confused. Up his left and right arm were seals written in a small amount of blood and ink. Each person in the room had sacrificed the drops of blood for Jiriaya's plan. It had taken him an hour to draw the blood and write up the symbols, a unique one for each user.
"Yes, yes," Jiraiya confirmed testily. "You are here right now. But you won't be for long."
"But HOW?" Naruto said exasperated.
"Naruto, Summons can summon their summoner," Jiraiya said, not for the first time. Naruto screwed up his face at his teacher, sticking out his tongue.
"So the messenger I sent a few hours ago to Pa Toad should have delivered the message already. He's in Tengoku. He will summon Naruto, and then you, Naruto, will summon us. One at a time. Got it?"
Naruto sighed. "Yes I think so."
Jiraiya nodded and glanced at the clock. "You should be summoned in the next ten minutes or so."
Naruto looked at his friends in the room. Senjii and Nagi were leaning against a wall on the far side, playing a card game with Tsunade and Shizune. Judging from the smiles on his team mates faces, and the scowl on Tsunade's, he could tell who was winning. Old Man Tora was fast asleep in a chair, his snores blending into the background noise. Tenchi, Mabry and Guerrera were going over some plans they had for the Ninja Academy they were helping the Lord of Wave Country with. It had already been decided that they would take turns checking up on the school. The three vagabond warriors that had helped in the fight against Konoha had proven to be skilled enough to be assets to the school. They were happy to stay and teach, and defend Wave if they had to. Mostly because of the money that now seemed to be no object since Wave had joined with the Crescent Moon Kingdom. Naruto suspected it was also because they were good people, very deep down. He grinned, thinking about the rapport of the three warriors, deciding he will miss them.
Yoshi had fixed his Daedelus flying machine and insisted he fly it back to Tengoku. He replaced the soluble glue with a water proof one he had gotten from Wave, and repaired it almost perfectly, with some extra features.
"…I'm adding a chair on top of the Daedelus. It's just crazy to hang from it by your hands. That would be pure lunacy." He had said. Tsunade, who remembered hanging from the wings as indeed pure lunacy, had chased Yoshi right around the village.
Yoshi had figured that if he ran the Daedelus off a cliff, he'd get enough wind beneath the wings for a flight. Tsunade had grinned and encouraged him to do just that. She had seemed disappointed when it worked though, Naruto thought. Yoshi had left yesterday, bound for home.
Inari stood off to the side with his grandfather and mother. Tazuna was staying behind to build up the Wave's defenses; however his mother was coming along. She did not want her son living on his own, and had been pretty upset with Tazuna when he had returned without Inari. Tazuna joked he'd rather face another attack from the entire armed forces out of Konoha than face Tsunami again.
Gen, Mirrun and Syran all talked animatedly amongst themselves, still reliving the battle from a few days earlier. Sakura, Calamity and Hiroka were talking to Kakashi about increasing their training regimen as soon as they got back home. Naruto was thrilled everyone had survived, relatively unscathed.
Lee stood off to the side just smiling at everyone. He wasn't coming with them to Tengoku. After they left he was setting out for Sunagakure. His sensei would meet him there eventually. Lee would have liked to go with Naruto, but he recognized the need for him in Konoha. If there was any way he could assist in the underground fight against Danzo he would. He swore a personal oath to it.
Anko was still unconscious in a stretcher next to Tsunade. Both she and Shizune kept a sharp eye on her. It was safe enough to move her now Tsunade had declared, but she still hadn't woken up yet. The scars on her body seemed a little lighter to Naruto, but he tried not to look too much. Iruka sat next to her in silence, a sad expression on his face, his hand holding hers. He looked up at Naruto and he barely recognized the young ninja who once was the dead last. Iruka intended to come with them as well, until he could figure out what to do about Danzo. For some reason though, he felt part of that would have to do with Naruto.
"You know Jiraiya, when we get back, I have a seal I'd like you to start thinking of," Naruto said with a grin.
"Hmm? What's that." Jiraiya responded, distractedly, watching the clock tick.
"Something to keep these white clothes clean. White gets pretty damn dirty in a battle." Naruto said with a smile.
Jiraiya turned and laughed. "There's one already, though it's not used much. Sometimes it's good to be able to get dirty, helps you blend in to the environment if you need to get covered in mud. You never know."
Naruto grinned back. "OK, so maybe something we can activate when needed to clean the clothes."
Jiraiya nodded. "Sure, there's that. We'll see."
Naruto opened his mouth to ask something else but he popped away in a cloud of smoke as he opened his mouth.
Naruto looked around incredulously. Where before he was in a room with Jiraiya and his friends, he now stood in the middle of a seal on the ground and Pa and Ma toad staring at him through the smoke his transportation had generated.
"Hey Naruto," Pa grunted at him. "You've been gone far longer than you were supposed to!"
"Leave him alone Pa," Ma said. "He's still alive, that's gotta count for something."
"Hmph!" Pa grunted and hopped off. "Training starts back tomorrow Naruto!" he said as he disappeared around a corner.
Naruto smiled at Ma and shrugged. "Thanks Ma. Things just sorta happened."
"That's OK Naruto, just summon everyone else back now," she replied.
Naruto nodded and tried to remember what Jiraiya said. He drew his blood and focused on the images of his friends. Focusing as much chakra as he could towards it, he slammed his palm down into the ground.
With a cacophony of noise and a massive puff of smoke, the space they were in was suddenly crowded.
"What the hell!" Tsunade shouted, holding her hands over her ears. "That was loud!"
The others likewise were wincing. Jiraiya glanced at Naruto.
"I didn't expect you to summon us all at once! The noise from all that summoning was deafening!" he said disdainfully.
Naruto frowned. "Well… at least it worked. That means we don't have to trek for days and weeks to get back home once we go out."
Jiraiya nodded. "Yeah, I'll work on a more permanent seal." He headed down the street towards the village bar. "…but first, I'm parched."
The others likewise scattered, glad to be back home. Tsunade and Shizune watched carefully as Guerrera and Iruka lifted the stretcher Anko was laying on and walked slowly and steadily to the hospital. As Guererra was walking an elderly woman from the village met him, holding his daughter Gabrielle in her arms. He smiled at his daughter, who cooed back at him.
Sakura and the rest of the Tennin squad each headed back to their homes, looking for a change of clothes and a bath. Tenchi and Old Man Tora walked across to the Academy, laughing quietly to themselves about something that escaped Naruto.
Mabry headed over to the orphanage, his arms full of slips of paper. He had secured a good bit of trading deals that he would work out with the traders in Tengoku. Naruto didn't see where Kakashi disappeared to.
Senjii and Nagi fell in with Naruto as they walked into the White Tower. Naruto looked back over the village from the top of the steps. It really bustled with people. He saw Ali coming towards the tower from his guild house. Naruto waited for him, taking in the view.
The Academy building looked almost complete, as was the hospital. A few of his clones still moved around, but not as many as he had left behind. It had been a few weeks since he left, so that was to be expected he supposed. In the field behind the Academy, students were going through the chambers Old Man Tora and Sensei Tenchi had created. Idly Naruto wondered who was overseeing their training.
"Naruto!" Ali called out. "It is good to see you back."
"Nice to see you too Ali!" Naruto smiled, and waved. "Have Ravi and Rasheed arrived as yet?"
Ali shook his head. "No, they're still a week away. I've gotten word from them though. I don't suppose you can summon them here like you just did everyone else?"
Naruto frowned. "I don't think so. Jiraiya had to do a complicated blood seal for it to work."
Ali shrugged. "That's OK. They'll get here soon. They're trustworthy, as far as thieves go." He grinned. "And I feel sorry for anyone who tries to waylay them on their journey." His smile however quickly turned into a frown and a flash of anger crossed his face.
"However, on another matter. I do not appreciate being left here to babysit while everyone else runs off to battle. Think you that the Spirit Wolf clan has no honor? Are we not warriors? Or do you see us as nursemaids fit only for taking care of the children?"
Naruto held up his hands, now understanding what Tenchi and Old Man Tora were laughing about. "Hey, I had nothing to do with that. I suppose someone had to stay behind though right?" Naruto thought quickly, looking at Senjii and Nagi for help, both of whom seemed fully intent on pretending to ignore the conversation. "Besides, I trust you and your clan, otherwise I wouldn't leave my village in your hands while I'm gone. That's got to count for something, right?"
With a scowl Ali stomped off to find Tenchi. Naruto turned sheepishly to go further into the tower.
"Tenchi!" Ali's voice bellowed from the road outside the academy. "I have a score to settle with you!"
He burst through the doors, looking for his prey; his eyes alight with an inner fire. Old Man Tora nodded his head towards the back training field. Ali blew past him like a thunderstorm, not even sparing the chuckling old clan leader a glance. Tenchi was waiting for him, still smiling.
"You!" Ali accosted him. "You left me here like a wet-nurse. As if the Spirit Wolf Clan are nothing but women!"
"I'd not let Tsunade hear you say something like that," Tenchi smirked. "She wouldn't take kindly to it."
Ali paled slightly for a moment, and then re-focused. "I demand my right for retribution, for the honor of the Spirit Wolf Clan."
Tenchi nodded, tightening the grip on his sword. "First blood?"
Ali drew his urumi, "Agreed."
No students were supposed to be around, all having been sent off to run the chambers again. Of course children being children, they seemed to smell the impending fight and soon a small crowd of Academy students were peeking over bushes and stone walls at the fight.
Ali struck first, his urumi lashing out with the speed of a whip towards the left side of Tenchi. Tenchi drew his sword and raised his scabbard at the same time, fast enough to block the attack, the tip of his sword remaining in the case. He knew that he could not hold back in a fight such as this. While not quite a duel to the death, people had been known to die from this sort of Blood Draw fight. There were no rules on how MUCH blood could be drawn.
Ali pressed his attack, pivoting while swinging the sword around his hips, passing it from hand to hand, the tornado of slashes a lethal attack to any lesser swordsman. Tenchi parried and stepped back. He crouched and drew his sword, slashing to the right of Ali's midsection. His slash missed though because Ali was rolling under it neatly. Tenchi dove over him, knowing that the Wolf Spirit Clan leader would raise from the roll in a slash designed to spill his intestines on the floor.
Tenchi slashed downwards as he spun, this attack meant to lay open an opponent's spine, crippling them. He would never use it against someone he didn't intend to kill, or against someone he knew wouldn't block it.
Ali blocked it easily, his urumi slashing over his body while he sprung to his feet. Both men stood facing each other, feeling the warmth of blood rushing through their veins. This was the fight they had hoped for in the exhibition match. An all out blade master battle. Ali allowed himself a smile, his anger dissipating, replaced instead by the thrill of battle.
Tenchi struck first this time, his sword slashing diagonally up and to the right, then down, then diagonally up to the left. The criss cross pattern missing over and over again as Ali alternately twisted his body to avoid it, bent and spun around it, then knocked aside Tenchi's sword with the flat side of his urumi.
Tenchi stepped back and sheathed his sword quickly. His leg muscles contracted tightly, his center of gravity shifting forward. Ali recognized it instantly, it was the Batoujutsu Tenchi had used before in their 'demonstration' fight.
Tenchi exploded forward, his sword draw impossibly fast, before Ali had used a dagger to deflect the blow, this time he countered with an attack of his own. He too exploded towards Tenchi. His tactic simple, he rammed straight into Tenchi before the drawn sword could complete its arc and reach him. His shoulder connected with the middle of Tenchi's chest, stopping his forward motion and sending him flying backwards, air and blood coming out of his mouth in gust.
They both landed in the dirt in a tangled heap. After a few seconds of stunned silence, Ali burst out laughing. When Tenchi was able to breathe again he joined him.
"I never thought of that as a possible counter." Tenchi managed to gasp out.
Ali chuckled. "Kalarippayattu teaches that the simplest attack is often the best."
Tenchi wiped the blood off his mouth. "Satisfied?"
Ali stood up and offered his hand to Tenchi. "Yes. My clan's honor is intact. Let's take you to Tsunade, make sure I didn't crack any of your ribs."
Danzo eyed the report before him and cursed inwardly, even though his expression gave no indication of his feelings. The campaign in Wave had become far more than he expected. Not only had it cost him hundreds of warriors – even if they were mostly Iwa nin – but politically it had cost him dearly. The document he had just read was a formal missive from the Eastern trading block. Any further moves on his part against Wave, who was now a part of the Crescent Moon Kingdom and as such a fully protected member of all those islands and coastal countries and their collective forces, would be met with a blockade.
Despite what many thought, Danzo was neither reckless nor a fool. The truth of it was he needed the Eastern traders to be amenable to his empire. You can't have an army if you can't feed them or clothe them. Since his conquest of Earth Country, trade had dried up with the Wind Country. That blasted whelp Gaara had closed off their borders and prevented any trade caravans from crossing. So all trade and goods solely came from the East; the island kingdoms and coastal cities.
So Danzo could not afford an embargo with the Eastern Kingdoms. His eyes closed into near slits as he inwardly fumed at the boy who had caused all this. He should have killed Naruto when he had a chance. By all reports the brat had set himself up halfway across the world, well away from the affairs of the major countries. The destructive power with which he had crumbled the Hokage's tower worried Danzo. The boy had obviously tapped the Nine-Tails within. That was a problem that needed dealing with.
He leaned back in his chair, holding onto that thought. He needed Naruto either taken care of or kept away until he could rebuild his forces. Danzo did not like the idea of being at the mercy of other countries. These petty logistics were an annoyance. He would appoint someone to fix that problem. Someone loyal.
Danzo had no shortage of loyal men. One such boy had left his office not more than ten minutes prior. The ROOT member 'Sai' had given a very clear and succinct report on the action in Wave. His team's capture and escape was…interesting. Danzo believed what he said…but he knew better than to think Naruto was dead. A kunai to the chest may not have been enough. Even if that was the real Naruto. By all accounts there were thousands of clones running around.
The account did show him that he could add two more loyal members to his list. Neji was a powerful warrior, and important clan member. The girl Ino showed immense potential right here in his employ, those mind tricks of her clan were renown.
He shook his head. Naruto. He had to deal with that threat. A slow frown spread across Danzo's face, that became resolve. He motioned for one of his guards and called for a messenger-nin. He would 'outsource' that particular problem. And maybe kill two birds with one stone.
Writing on a piece of paper, and sealing it with wax, he handed his message to the ninja who appeared moments later.
"Take this to the Hidden Grass Village!" he barked the command.
The man bowed, "Whom do I give it to my Lord?"
Danzo smirked. "Don't worry, he will find you."
Shikamaru slipped unnoticed into the small shed behind his father's house. He glanced around quickly to ensure that he was alone. Once he confirmed it, he closed his eyes and listened carefully. The only sounds he picked up where the crickets in the yard. They had stopped for a second when he passed, but they were back making their melodic music. Anyone who would have followed him would have had to pass the same way and disturb them. In that way, they were nature's alarm system.
Relatively satisfied he pressed a board on the floor that slid away to reveal a hole and a ladder. He slipped down it quietly, closing it behind him. When he got to the ground floor he was greeted with a nod by his father, the large shelter lit by a single dim kerosene lamp.
"Glad you made it son."
"The place is still in disarray after Naruto's attack." Shikamaru shrugged. "Danzo is still collecting his wits about him, and consolidating his army I imagine."
"Yes," Shikaku confirmed. "We are moving our patrols in tighter. There doesn't seem to be any action planned at the moment."
"OK," Shikamaru nodded. "Shino and Kiba are at bunker seven with Asuma-sensei. He's recovering quickly."
"That's good. Tell him his nephew is for now being largely ignored by Danzo. Konohamaru is keeping a low profile. Kurenai had a talk with him to make sure he doesn't stick out too much. Best Danzo forget he's there for as long as possible."
Shikamaru nodded and sat. He closed his eyes, pushing his fingers together. His dad let him think, instead looking closely at his son, taking in every detail. Shikamaru looked harder. His face was set, what little body fat he had was converted to lean hard muscle. Clearly he had been training hard while in seclusion.
"Father." Shikamaru said, eyes still closed. "I need to increase my attack capabilities. Any move we make now would result in defeat unless we can all attain a level that surpasses that of the current clan heads. I've discussed this already with Kiba and Shino. We need all of our generation who are in the resistance to surge ahead. I think, yes, I am sure, that with that level of power we could attempt to remove Danzo but not before."
Shikaku stood up and walked over to a small table in the corner of the room. It was covered with a thick film of dust. This bunker had not been used in fifty years, before either of their times by generations. From the time of the First Hokage. All except for a single bound leather book. It bore a symbol of the Nara clan and their techniques. He picked it up and walking over solemnly, handed it to Shikamaru.
"In here are all the clan's secrets. Our most fearsome techniques. More than half of these I myself have never attempted because of the risk to myself. Some have been forbidden. Some long forgotten. Shadow users have been around since the beginning of the Ninja way. We have cousins in far flung countries who use variations on our techniques, where they have some of their own jutsu. I've heard of a family that could travel via shadow. Physically melt into a shadow and appear out of another. I've heard of another that could send out his shadow, disconnected from his body. All the notes we have on those and our guesses on how it's done are in here."
Shikamaru rocked back with the words of his father. This book represented the entire shadow user history and knowledge.
"I will speak quietly to Shino's father and Kiba's mother. Come here again in one week to collect similar compendiums for them both."
Nodding, Shikamaru stood. "We will also need Neji, Hinata, Chouji and Lee trained as well."
"Don't worry, they will be."
Shikamaru walked over and gave his father a hug. A deep sincere one.
"One year dad. I promise you in one year we will be ready."
"Ku ku ku ku ku," Orochimaru chuckled to himself quietly, lounging on the throne like chair he sat in. The dead messenger in front of him had not even tried to fight back. He glanced at the scroll on his lap again and waved his hand at the body in front of him. Two of his Sound ninja grabbed the corpse by his arms and dragged it out of sight.
"What does it say?" Kabuto asked speculatively.
"It seems our old friend Danzo is extending us an offer." Orochimaru chuckled again. "We will merge Grass Country with Rock and Fire. In exchange we will have free reign to conduct our little experiments."
Kabuto was rocked back on his heels, a shocked expression dominating his face. He pushed his glasses back along his nose bride – a habit he displayed when deep in thought.
"Is he sincere?"
Orochimaru grinned. "I believe so. We will of course take our precautions, but he wants something from me, and is offering something I need. Test subjects. Ku ku ku ku."
"What is he asking for?"
"In due time Kabuto, in due time." Orochimaru cackled. "And what do you think about this apprentice?"
From the shadows the red eyes of Sasuke Uchiha peered into Orochimaru's. "I don't care."
Orochimaru barked out a laugh. "Excellent, perhaps we can even test your new skills against some of your former friends."
The laughter echoed in the dimly lit cavern.
The Spirit Wolf Clan members Ravi and Rasheed were in foul spirits when they arrived in front of the guild house a few weeks later. Their clothes were ragged and the camels were nearly dead on their feet. However the huge sacks containing the gold and jewels were intact. Mostly.
So Ali reported at the meeting table set up on the top floor of the Tower.
"They made good time considering they were attacked twice by less honorable raiding thieves." He chortled. "Clearly people unfamiliar with my clan."
"Well at least the gold reached Tengoku safely. I gotta ask though, why didn't they just seal it away? Make it lighter for traveling?" Jiraiya asked speculatively.
"Oh I can answer that." Tenchi interjected, scratching at the bandages wrapped around his decidedly cracked ribs. "In this part of the world we do not trust things taken from scrolls. All may not be what it appears to be. There is a story a long time ago of a man who paid an assassin with 'gold' taken from a sealing scroll for carrying. The assassin went back to his village and discovered the gold had disappeared. It was a trick you see, the seal scroll had temporarily created this 'treasure'. Of course the assassin found the man and tore out his heart, but it was a lesson well learned."
Ali nodded. "We have all heard the story for generations. It is considered useless, any treasure taken from a seal scroll. No one will touch it."
Naruto spoke up. "I'm glad Rasheed and Ravi made it OK."
"They're glad too. I'd say they kept enough bars and baubles for themselves to keep them in good women and wine for months when they get out into the world again." Ali laughed.
The whole table smiled. Thieves will be thieves, even honorable ones. And they had earned it.
Tsunade cleared her throat. "Next order of business. The hospital is fully functional. I will be splitting my time between there and training Sakura, now that she's back from gallivanting around the world." She turned to Sakura. "I hope you don't think you're going anywhere for the next few months. We have a lot of catching up to do."
Sakura saw the glint in her Sensei's eyes and swallowed. The girls' team was gathered in the far corner of the room, standing next to the boy's team. Only what they described as the village council - Tenchi, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Mabry, Guerrera, Tora and Naruto were seated.
"I have to report that training at the school is going very well. The first student team of Inari, Gen, Syren and Mirrun performed admirably in the Wave defense. I'd say given a year again, they can be used as a young genin team." Tenchi said happily.
"Hmmm..." Jiraiya puzzled out loud.
"Oh what is it you self-righteous toad?" Tsunade asked exasperated.
"I was thinking, we are not really training Ninja. Our teams are very broadly based. Look at Naruto's team. We have a Ninja, a Samurai, and a Capoerist. Sakura's team we have a Ninja, a Kung Fu practitioner and an Archer. That same team, Inari's, we have an Archer, a Water bender, a Blind Ninja, and a Doujutsu user."
"What's your point Jiraiya?" Tenchi asked testily. The Sennin had a habit of rambling when he was on to something really important.
"Just this, I don't think the terms Genin, Chuunin, Jounin etc apply to our teams. I propose a new grading scheme for Tengoku."
"I like it!" Naruto said excitedly. "But what?"
The table was silent for a minute as everyone thought deeply.
Surprisingly Old Man Tora was the first to speak. He did so with a laugh. "Well everything here is based on the idea of Heaven, so I say go with it. The Academy graduates would be Tendou, the next level up would be Tenshi, then Daitenshi after that."
Naruto looked puzzled. "Tendou?"
Mabry laughed. "Baby Angels. Cherubs. I like it."
Tsunade smirked. "So I'd say my apprentice's team are Tenshi, Angel class. With some work I can get them all up to Daitenshi eventually."
Jiraiya looked across at Senjii and Nagi. "You guys as well. Tenshi level. You will need to work harder."
Both boys nodded in agreement.
"Hey what about me?" Naruto asked. He was afraid to hear the answer though. The knowledge that he'd never passed above a Genin in Konoha, and even that took him three tries, still remained with him.
"Ah Naruto. Well we need to talk about that. As a warrior you have moments where you are above a Daitenshi. Then some weaknesses that I'd say are solidly Tenshi level. However, your sheer power, even with your control being what it is now, are…well enormous." Tenchi said musingly. "That plus this letter from the Island Nations leads me to propose something."
"What letter?" Naruto almost shouted.
"Why the letter officially recognizing Tengoku as the Hidden Village of the Island Nations. It arrived by carrier hawk this afternoon. Even with our distance, our ability to be there in hours rivals that of any other country's hidden village. So with that in mind, coupled with a few other things…"
"Other things?" Mabry asked with a smirk in his voice. Naruto glanced from one to the other. There was a smile on everyone's face. Were they making fun of him?
"Why the stories are growing and growing about our Naruto here, did you not hear? Naruto the City Destroyer. Naruto the Shinigami. Naruto who broke a sandstorm. Naruto who faced down Danzo the self-proclaimed Emperor of the West and crumbled his tower. Naruto, the leader of the Heavenly Village..."
With a pause, Tenchi leaned in and his eyes took on a dark tint. "… Naruto, the Shadow of Heaven."
There was silence around the table. After a few beats, Mabry spoke up. "Now that's a name to bear proudly."
Naruto was dumbfounded.
Jiraiya clapped Naruto on the back. "Gaki, the world will call you Tenshikage, the Shadow of Heaven. We both know you need more training though right?"
Naruto nodded dumbly, too shocked to grin. So his friends did it for him, pride swelling in the room.
Nagi stretched and yawned. Dawn had come and gone several hours ago, yet he was only now stirring. He sat in his bed and stared out the window. From his vantage point in the tower, he could see the students training. Tenchi and Tora were pushing them hard. He could make out Inari's team, doing a chamber that the others had not reached as yet.
Across on the other side of the village he saw the still figure of Naruto with Ma and Pa toad on either side of him. Naruto was doing the natural chakra control exercises that were necessary for him to progress in his sage training. Nagi stared at them for a few seconds before seeing movement a little further down the same field. Senjii was training as well, practicing with his new swords. The enchanted twin kodaichi were still unfamiliar to Senjii.
Since the meeting a few days ago everyone had thrown themselves into their training with renewed vigor. Word of the adventures of Naruto and the all the teams had spread through the village like wildfire. There was a sense of immense pride that their village's name was spreading, and that their leader, Naruto, was garnering such respect.
Nagi himself however, wasn't sure where to begin his training. He had learned his fighting from a fellow refugee many years ago. While they had been on the run from various warlords, he had been instructed in the forms that Tenchi referred to as Capoeira. But Nagi was no fool, he knew he was a novice at best at his martial art. The only thing that elevated him beyond a Tendou in Tengoku standards was his use of the shadow arts. And that was something he did instinctively.
He had approached Tenchi who admitted he was unable to instruct him in Capoeira. He knew of a few men who practiced it, but none were accessible. Tenchi had then gone on to suggest that Nagi consider the still building Tengoku Library. There may be scrolls there of worth to him.
Nagi had as yet found nothing. He was not the only one though. On one of his excursions to the massive pile of unsorted scrolls that was the 'Martial Arts' section, he was joined by Calamity. She too had no way to further her art. She was an archer who realized that she was dead in close combat. Also, she wished to improve her archery skills and had yet to find someone to help. Kakashi was not an archer. He offered to teach her basic taijutsu but she did not feel that was a good fit for her.
Thus it was that a friendship was struck up between the two of them. A camaraderie of hopelessness. Nagi shrugged and went to get ready. Today they would look some more.
Fifteen minutes later, Nagi exited the Tower, and walked down Main Street towards the Library. He waved to Guererra and his baby Gabriella as he walked by. She was walking now. There was still a ready supply of young village girls willing to baby sit and play with her, so Guererra had plenty of time to help out at the Academy and with the clones in finishing the village's construction.
In front of the library Calamity stood waiting on Nagi. He waved to her and she smiled back, but only briefly.
"Morning Nagi, another day spent looking through a mountain of dusty scrolls," she said plaintively.
"Yup," he said simply. There just wasn't anything they could do about it.
"Yeah. Have you had breakfast yet though?" Calamity asked.
"Not really hungry," Nagi shrugged. "But we can go if you want, the scrolls aren't going anywhere."
They walked off the steps of the library, heading around the corner to the tea shop they had been coming too for the past couple of days.
The proprietor was a kindly old man who had to be pushing eighty. His tea shop was immaculate, and the tea was the best Calamity had ever had. He greeted them with a smile as broad and earnest as the sun.
"Good morning my young friends." He ushered them to a table by the window.
"Morning N'uihc." Calamity returned the smile. She genuinely liked the man.
"Ah my child! You have finally said my name right." N'uihc beamed happily. "I cannot tell you, the laughter of the spirits of my ancestors at my misfortune. Poor N'uihc being called 'New Hick' or 'Nuck'. It was enough to make me almost desire a more common name like 'Bob'." He chuckled at his own joke and went over to another customer.
There were two other tables occupied, and the citizens all seemed to be animatedly discussing the stories they had heard about the adventures of Naruto. The treasure hunt had grown in leaps and bounds, until he now seemed to have waved aside the sandstorm with a flick of the wrist, and faced down the King of all Ghosts in the pit of hell to return with the Treasure that now burst at the seams of the vaults in the Tower.
Nagi frowned in annoyance. He and Senjiii may as well have not even been there. Those versions of the story he had heard that did mention them relegated them to mere bystanders.
On one of the tables was a crew of boisterous brothers who had built a cattle and pig farm at the edge of town. They were larger than life, the four of them all ranging over six feet tall with shoulders as broad as a doorway. Calamity had heard from her father that they were extremely hard workers. Orphaned at a young age, they had stuck together to make something of their life. They had a farm before in the northern regions of the badlands, but a raiding party from the Blood Country had destroyed it all, and killed the wife of the only married brother. That had happened a few months before the populating of Tengoku and Naruto had personally selected them to join his new village.
One of the brothers was drinking sake, heavily. The others seemed to be consoling him as best they could. From what whispers of the conversation they picked up, Calamity and Nagi gathered it was the anniversary of his wife's murder.
"What will it be this morning young ones?" N'uihc asked gently.
"Tea and a bento box for me please," Calamity answered.
"Just the tea for me," Nagi chimed it, gazing out of the window. The village had really come together. It felt complete. Like a home he never had.
"Hey you!" the drinking brother called out to N'uihc. The old man smiled at him kindly and walked over to the table.
"Bring me a bottle of Sake. Now!" the well on his way to inebriated farmer bellowed.
"It is early in the day to fill your body with such poison. Against my advice you drank that bottle which you brought into my store. I do not carry poisons on my menu. I will ask you once more to refrain from disturbing my other customers." N'uihc calmly told the farmer.
One of the other brothers at the table put his hand on the one that was drinking. "He's right Chang. Let's just go home. We have more sake there."
With a wrench, Chang pulled his shoulder away from his brother and stood up. "No! I like it here and I asked you to bring me a bottle of sake! What kind of shop doesn't have a few bottles of sake?"
N'uihc looked up at the man who stood almost a whole head taller than him and said, "I am but a frail old man. Would you crush me with your giant hands? Just to fill your body with poison? If you wish to kill yourself please do it outside of my store. I am sure your woman would be proud to see what has become of you, threatening a frail weak old man."
Nagi and Calamity got up to intervene. They'd not stand by and watch what was about to happen. Chang's face went red. His eye's bulged in their sockets. There was a scrape of chairs as the other brothers rose to intervene as well.
They were all too slow though as Chang reached out with a back handed slap that was intended for N'uihc's face. Why, he would show the cruel old man! What did he know of pain? The pain of losing the woman you loved!
The thing was, his fist never connected, N'uihc seemed to waver before him and his hand passed swiftly by his face, mere inches from it. Then there was pain. A sharp blinding pain in his temple followed by blackness.
Nagi didn't see anything too suspicious. The bigger man had swung, missed then passed out drunk. Nothing too strange about that. Except that N'uihc hadn't moved. Not an inch. His hands were behind his back. Nothing too strange about that. But his face hadn't ever stopped smiling. He never seemed in the least bit threatened by the bigger man.
Nagi hadn't survived in the badlands on his own by being stupid. As the other brothers apologized profusely for their drunk sibling who had passed out, Nagi noticed a small red welt on the unconscious farmers left temple. He glanced back at N'uihc who was waving off apologies.
"A man must mourn a loss of a loved one. But then he must move on and be a man. This pitiful self-mutilation, poisoning one's system with alcohol, is befitting of a child only." The old man the apologized to his other customers and showed the brothers to the door, assuring them they would be welcomed back tomorrow as usual.
Nagi and Calamity sat back down and exchanged a glance. Good, Nagi though, she caught it too. For the first time they noticed the aura around N'uihc. It was an aura similar to that of Tenchi, Jiraiya and Tsunade. But harder to pick up.
When he came back with their order, Calamity asked him casually. "Where are you from originally N'uihc?"
The old man smiled broadly. "A small village in the armpit of the world. A village that no longer exists."
"Tell us about it," Nagi asked, genuinely curious. N'uihc looked at them and gave a small laugh.
"It has been a while since I've spoken about my beloved village. It is a story for another time. I have customers. Perhaps another day I will regale you with the story of my home, Sinanju."
He walked over to greet two new customers, showing them to a table.
Calamity looked puzzled. She glanced over at Nagi. "You know, I think I've heard that name somewhere before."
Nagi shook his head. "Not me. I've never heard of it. But it's pretty obvious that N'uihc is more than he seems to be."
The two of them finished their breakfast and headed back to the library, thoughts of the enigma that was N'uihc getting lost in their search for more information on their arts.
Konoha
If a fly had wandered into the room at that moment, it may have died from the tension alone. On one side stood Orochimaru and Kabuto, with Sasuke standing off to the side nonchalantly. On the other, Danzo stood with the remaining three of his most trusted guards, Centipede, Snake, and Scorpion. Danzo still cursed the loss of Gecko in Naruto's attack.
Danzo had just reiterated his deal to Orochimaru who had chuckled slightly, but not answered as yet.
The silence stretched on, and Danzo tensed almost imperceptibly. If Orochimaru attacked now, it would be close. Very close. Even with the amount of hidden ninja he had nearby, this was a Sannin in front of him. Danzo himself may be able to take him, but it would be close.
"We will accept." Orochimaru hissed with a giant smile on his face. "Of course my apprentices and myself will be removed from the Konoha bingo book." It was a statement not a question but Danzo nodded anyway in response.
"Ku ku ku ku. Splendid!" Orochimaru cackled.
"In return you will create for me an army that no one in the world has ever seen." Danzo said with iron in his voice. "I still believe that nothing can take the place of a highly trained soldier. But I need numbers, and I do not care what methods you employ."
"We have an accord."
Sasuke eyed the proceedings with rancor. He had heard about the destruction that dobe had wrought upon the village. He had almost not believed it until he'd seen the rubble that was the Hokage tower. His eyes had filled with frustration at how far ahead Naturo had gotten. The advantage being the container of the Kyuubi had given the dead last. Sasuke had told himself he cared not what Naruto did. He was not competing with him, all Sasuke cared about was killing Itachi. But that felt less and less true as he heard about his former team mate. The twinge of anger when he heard he'd be banished. The small spark of pride that preceded the resentment at the stories of his growth and strength. Orochimaru used it as a tool to ignite the fire within Sasuke and inspire him to train harder.
Sasuke had no problem letting Orochimaru think such elementary psychology was working on him.
He glanced sidelong at Orochimaru. The Sannin was a fountain of knowledge. Just when Sasuke felt he might be peaking, and the time would come to kill Orochimaru, he showed Sasuke something new and invaluable. He was no fool though. He knew that Orochimaru intended to take his body as a host. That was a year off still though. So he had some time.
Time to train.
Time to plan.
Hinata went through the moves again. Her father watched without saying a word. His eyes focused on every twitch of her muscles, checking for any imperfections in her form. This would be the twentieth time she was trying it this day, and so far, he had spotted none.
With a release of breath she slapped the air in front of her and pivoted. Her back hand raised then came in close, elbow almost touching her body. Her knees bent then extended, helping her arch and flip in a perfect crescent. And so she moved, hit, bend, turn. Faster and faster. The chakra was visible in her palms now. A faint image of twin lion heads extended several inches away from fists. This was the style Hinata had asked to learn. She had perfected it a month ago, and was now moving beyond it, into something new. Something she had wanted to try.
Hiashi Hyuuga watched with pride as she began the new movements. Instead of the constant ebb and flow of the normal open fist style, Hinata was using lightning quick movements and stops. The flow would speed up then stop abruptly. The force however would not be stopped in her hand, but pushed forward simultaneously.
The attack was devastating on a target. It did more than just close a Tenkatsu, it rended the target point. When Hinata had first been successful on the theory, it had converted a board not into two even halves as in other open fist attacks, but into a perfect hole, sawdust exploding out.
Crack!
He saw that she had reached 'that' point. Her speed and force of chakra had combined to go past the point where a normal person could have safely moved.
Crack!
Her hands slapped the air. The sound barrier being broken again and again as the Lion Fist attack took on a much more vicious nature.
Crack! Crack! Boom!
Perspiration dripped down Hinata's face. The exertion was starting to take its toll. She focused her eyes on the imaginary target before her. Saw in her mind the possible defensive moves and moved to counter, attack, push, destroy.
"Enough!" Hiashi barked, not without softness in his voice however.
Hinata slowed to a stop. Her technique had a major flaw still. It relied on momentum. She could not stop at will, it had to be slowed to a stop or she'd tear her body apart. After a few seconds, she was at a standstill, panting heavily. She glanced over at her father. Beside him stood Hanabi who was smiling broadly at her older sister. Their relationship had improved by leaps and bounds over the past few months.
"That technique is a force to be reckoned with daughter. A juggernaut that would be almost impossible to defend against once you get going, however it is far from finished." Hiashi said calmly.
"Yes father," Hinata panted.
"You have come far in a short time my heir."
"I have much further to go still," she said, her eyes glinting with steely determination.
Tengoku
The first thing Anko saw when she opened her eyes was the ceiling fan. As far as she knew, hell had no ceiling fans. The way her body hurt though it had to be hell. She groaned and a face came into view. It was a young girl who looked at her kindly yet uncertainly.
"Shh. Try not to move too much," the girl said quietly.
Anko tried to talk but felt the raspiness in her throat. It was as if she had swallowed a buttload of gravel. The girl anticipated this and gave Anko a cup. She took it gratefully and poured it back, disgusted to find it filled with only ice. She let a piece of the ice hit the back of her throat and it was like fire. After a while though it felt good.
"Where… where am I?" Anko asked. Her memory was hazy. She felt she should know.
"You're in Tengoku. Please, try not to speak too much," the kindly voice spoke again.
Anko closed her eyes. Tengoku? Heaven? Well why was she in pain then. Why?...
It all came back in a flood of memories. Her arrest by Danzo's goons, the cell. The first guard who…
Tears came unbidden, streaming down her face. As each horror replayed in her memory a sob escaped Anko. She felt like a mound of pain wrapped in her old skin, the mental scars of what happened ripping her to shreds.
Tsunade walked in a few minutes later, telling the young trainee to leave. She held Anko's hand, letting her get it out of her system. Anko registered it was Tsunade next to her, but couldn't stem the tide of her pain.
They stayed like that for almost an hour, Tsunade not saying a word. Anko finally had nothing left. The tears stopped, the sob's disappeared. Her eyes looked at Tsunade.
"Tengoku?"
"A village that Naruto started. Halfway around the world from Konoha. It's a name that befits the place, as you'll find out soon enough."
"How did I get here?"
"The Konoha underground got you out. They contacted Naruto who brought you to me. A lot more happened besides that, but that's the essentials."
Anko nodded, glancing down at her arms, all she could see above the sheets. They were scarred horribly. She shuddered to think what lay beneath the sheets. She steeled herself.
"Tell me... what happened to me?"
So Tsunade began the litany of horrors that she deduced had been inflicted upon Anko. She did it in as clinical a way as possible, leaving nothing out.
Anko nodded at the end of it all. "I remember, some of it." She stared out the window, hearing the sounds of birds and feeling a breeze on her face. She was alive.
Alive and she would be able eventually to extract her revenge. Her eyes closed into slits.
"How soon will I be able to move?" she asked.
Tsunade looked hard at Anko. "Walking? A week maybe. More than that is up to you."
Anko nodded. She was strong enough to do this. A fire of hatred began to burn in her belly. It would require hard work to do this, but that fire would feed her, support her. Anko was accustomed to doing things through sheer will power. It had helped her survive Orochimaru, her sensei. It would help her survive now.
"Naruto," she said quietly. "He made this place? Brought me here?"
"Yes." Tsunade said proudly.
"Tell me about him."
Iruka sat silently looking out over the village his student had built. It was a huge accomplishment. The swelling of pride he felt was something never before experienced. Many students go on to be great ninja, but few went on to be great leaders. And Naruto, even though he had help, had become such a person.
He sighed. The loss of his tongue was a severe price. It meant he could not teach ever again. The problem of Danzo seemed very far away in the idyllic little village. But all was not as it seemed. Naruto had gathered some incredibly strong people around him. Some had potential to be even stronger. Iruka was happy to see so many familiar faces around his former and favorite student. Sakura, Jiraiya, Tsunade, even Kakashi.
Iruka wanted Konoha to be free of Danzo. He did not envy the task the others had taken upon themselves. He however could do very little at this point. He was a fugitive, and not the best warrior in the village. He was still a Chuunin of course, but he was no Kakashi. His gift had always been teaching.
The odd scientist was walking by at that moment, his arms full of books. One fell from the massive pile in his arms. He struggled for a few seconds to retrieve it himself, but Iruka was there and picked up the book, handing it back to him. Yoshi smiled at him, relieved.
"Thank you kind sir," he said with a flourish.
Iruka smiled and shrugged. Yoshi's eyes flashed at him. "Ah, you're the unfortunate ninja who was mutilated. Sorry about that. I also heard you were a teacher. Are you going to be teaching here?"
Iruka shook his head in self-pity. He pointed to his open mouth, the movement clear; how could he teach if he couldn't speak?
Yoshi frowned at him. "That's true." He adjusted the tower of books and shifted his balance. "I once knew a clan who communicated solely with their secret language of finger movements. It was rather useful when they were on surveillance missions. A perfectly silent way of talking seems perfect for ninja if you ask me."
Yoshi carefully walked away, balancing the tower of books. "There might even be a book or two on the finger language in the pitiful excuse for a library that we have."
Iruka stood dumbfounded. Then he rocked his head back and made the motion to laugh. Nothing came out but tears. He almost ran to the library.
Yoshi glanced back briefly. "A man needs to feel useful doesn't he Yoshi. Yup. Yup."
Tenchi had looked concerned when Nagi told of the incident in the tea shop. He had asked one question only.
"This is the old man, with the foot long white beard? The one who walks as if he's gliding?"
Nagi nodded and Tenchi frowned. Naruto and Senjii were curious about his reaction, but he would only tell them to avoid going to the tea shop until he had a chance to look into it further.
So that was the reason Naruto and Senjii had found themselves in the tea shop the very next day with Nagi and Calamity. Sakura was tied up with Tsunade and Hiroka was babysitting Gabriella for Guerrera. N'uihc was very pleased to see more customers, one being Naruto the village leader, and welcomed them in. The trio sat down and stared at the man, not seeing the humor in anything as yet. It took a few minutes before Senjii did notice something finally.
"There isn't a scrap of wasted movement!" he remarked in wonder.
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.
Senjii spoke in hushed tones. "Watch him walk, pick things up, move around. He's using exactly the energy needed for each activity. Nothing more. It's something Master Tenchi told me about once. It's something even he cannot achieve he said."
Naruto looked up at the old man, a new respect for the elder shop owner blooming.
"So he's a martial artist. Like I said." Nagi remarked, still watching N'uihc. The man did indeed move very gracefully. He was puzzled though. There was a sense of a coiled snake in every movement, but he felt nothing but peace radiating from the old man. The others felt it too.
When the man approached with their meal, Calamity spoke up. None of them noticed the man in the cloak who slipped into the tea shop.
"N'uihc, would you tell us about yourself?"
"There is not much to tell young one. Poor humble N'uihc comes from a poor humble village. A village so poor that many cannot raise children, so those that are born are thrown into the sea and we say they are returning to where they come from. We had no land good enough to farm, no minerals worth mining. Nothing of worth except the pride of its people."
"That's horrible!" Naruto exclaimed.
N'uihc seemed to lap up the attention. "Yes, it is indeed horrible my Lord Tenshikage. So any money humble N'uihc made was sent back to the village, so that the babies would not have to be sent back home."
"You can't possibly make enough from this tea shop to support a village!" Senjii exclaimed.
N'uihc shook his head. "Alas, the village is no more. Perhaps one day it will revive and be reborn somewhere else, but my home village of Sinanju was destroyed by a raiding warlord while I was away doing the duties of the Master of Sinanju. Now poor humble N'uihc is a tea shop owner looking for nothing more than a peaceful life."
The man who had slipped in the tea shop minutes ago froze. He found himself glued to his seat. Tenchi should have known that saying NOT to go would have prodded the boys to find themselves in here before he could investigate. He started to cold sweat in his cloak.
He had been about to accost the old man to see how he would defend himself. That would allow Tenchi to identify the style and thus decide on the tea shop owner. But now, Tenchi thanked every god he had ever heard of that he hadn't been fool enough to try anything as yet.
If N'uihc was indeed who he claimed to be, the Master of Sinanju, then Tenchi was by the grace of some deity somewhere allowed to live another day.
As if hearing his name in Tenchi's thoughts he turned to face him and smiled warmly. "It is rather warm in here for such a cloak Master Tenchi. Perhaps you have a fever? I will bring you some tea."
Naruto, Nagi, Senjii and Calamity all turned to see Tenchi under a large brown cloak, face frozen in place. While N'uihc disappeared again, Tenchi managed to rip himself from his chair and walk over to their table.
"What are you doing here?" Tenchi snapped at them. "I told you to stay away!"
Naruto took the lead, "We were curious. He seems very nice. I remember meeting him once in the valley and thinking that he was a kind hearted man."
Tenchi barked a laugh. "Kind hearted? That is the Master of Sinanju. Haven't any of you ever heard of it?"
From one to the other, they all looked at each other before chiming in with a unanimous "Nope."
Tenchi sat down hard, almost talking to himself. "You're sitting in a tea shop, talking to the most feared assassin in the world. I thought he was a legend."
The boys and Calamity sat in shock, processing.
As N'uihc approached the table, Naruto spoke first.
"Hey N'uihc, are you an assassin?"
There was dead silence. Tenchi hit his own face with his palm; incredulous at the stupidity of Naruto and hoping he could defend them all long enough to get away.
N'uihc laughed. "Your spirit is full of fire and bravery. It is an honor to live in your village. Yes that was the occupation of humble N'uihc before the massacre of my village."
Naruto smiled at him and pointed at Nagi and Calamity. "My friends cannot find a sensei to help them. Nagi does Capoeira, and Calamity is an archer. Is there anything you can do to help?"
N'uihc raised his hands, "Oh poor frail N'uihc wouldn't presume to do such a thing. However," He looked at Naruto's earnest face. "If the Master of this village will trade a favor one day, then this weak tea shop owner will take them under his wing and teach them to fly."
Tenchi opened his mouth to object, a favor to the Master of Sinanju was a blood debt. Naruto didn't know what the man would ask for. Naruto beat him to it.
"Any favor that will not harm someone in my village or that I care about is yours." Naruto beamed at N'uihc.
The old man smiled back earnestly. "It has been many years, but I feel the fire running through my veins once again. I will apprentice these two. Your trust in me is overwhelming Lord Tenshikage."
"It's just Naruto," he replied sheepishly. "Call me Naruto."
N'uihc bowed to Naruto. "You honor me Lord Naruto. Now sit, sit, finish your tea." He looked at Calamity and Nagi and his smile took on an eagerness.
"Tomorrow morning, be here as the sun rises."
Nagi groaned, dawn? How does anyone get up that early he though. No one saw anything but suddenly Nagi was clutching the back of his head.
"Ow!" he exclaimed.
"Why did you groan young one? Are you brimming with anticipation? You should be." N'uihc allowed himself a contented smile and returned to his kitchen.
Tenchi turned to Naruto who looked very pleased with himself. "Do you know what you've done? You've just gotten the world's best assassin to take on two apprentices. And now you owe him a favor!"
Tenchi stood to go, "I don't know whether to be happy or afraid. Do you know what happened to the army that destroyed his village? No one does, they vanished without a trace a week later." He left the tea shop very confused, leaving a group of warriors excitedly speculating on what Nagi and Calamity would learn.
Middle of Nowhere, Wind Country
The cave hummed with power. The silhouettes sat in silence, focusing the chakra needed to be there. There was no light in the cave, yet all were powerful enough ninja to be able to see without problems, even though they were only projecting to the cave.
"Konoha is becoming a bigger and bigger problem," one voice said. This silhouette was tall and broad shouldered. He seemed to have a giant sword of some kind slung across his back.
"Yes, but not an insurmountable one. Say the word and I will gladly show 'Emperor' Danzo my art," another shadow hissed. This one had what seemed like a high ponytail above its head.
"Not yet," a commanding voice exclaimed. The eyes on this one were bright even in the shadows, showing many concentric circles. "Danzo will be taken care of in due time. We are still preparing the Jutsu. It will be another few months before we can process the first Jinchuuriki, even with the sped up timeline."
"Hmph!" The shadow with red eyes exclaimed. "I saw no reason to adjust our timeline."
"My reasons are my own," the shadow with circles in his eyes, clearly the leader, replied. "What of the nine tails?"
A smaller shadow, that looked like a hump with eyes spoke up. "My spies report that the nine tails is in the Far West. Halfway around the world. We still do not have an exact location, but I have formulated a plan to draw him out."
"Good, anything else?"
"Yes, on the matter of Danzo," the hump continued, "I have heard that he has joined forces with Orochimaru."
There was a swear coming from the large shadow with the sword. "You should have taken care of that problem before."
"He wasn't that much of a problem before," the hump replied. "But I'll take care of Orochimaru when the time is right."
"The time is now," the leader said quietly. "Diedara. You will eliminate Orochimaru. He knows enough of our plans to hinder us. We've let him live long enough."
"Heh Heh, finally! My art will rend him to bloody mist and bone! "
"More likely than not we'll be filling your space within a month," the hump snorted back.
"That is all. You each know what you need to do," the leader said. "Diedara, you have six months to complete the task. Do not underestimate Orochimaru, he was once one of us."
The shadows disappeared one by one.
Far away in a city covered in almost eternal rain, a man with concentric circles in his eyes stared up at the sky and whispered to himself.
"Things are going to change. This age is ending. Pain will bring in the new age."
Author's Note:
Whew! Been a while between updates, my bad. Work gets in the way…sigh. That's not gonna change so expect maybe a month and a bit to the next one. Especially as I try to go for longer chapters now (10,000 words+). Just rest assured that this story will not end till the end.
But once again, mucho thanko to my supremely amazing Beta! Evil Joshua has once again kept me on the straight and narrow path of awesome.
A few points:
1. Nope, not going to use this part of the story as an opportunity to time-skip sorry. On we go!
2. I still get PM's asking about ships… no, Naruto is not going to have a love interest anytime soon.
3. Soon a new arc will start and a few characters submitted to me will rear their ugly-or-pretty heads
Till Next time, stay frosty
-Excelsior!