Clash in the Snow Country: Legacy Version
Chapter 13 – Reflecting on What's Done
11:02 am
Unknown to the depressed kunoichi, two people had noticed her as she walked off to the rear of the ship.
The first one didn't say anything because he wasn't entirely sure what to say to her. As far as he could tell, she had just looked depressed and walked off. Why? He wasn't entirely sure, but he could guess what was causing it. The problem was that, if he was right, he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. It would have to be the two boneheads that would need to set things right. And he wasn't sure if this was something he or anyone else should interfere in. If these three couldn't work things out themselves... then their future as a team was going to crumble completely. They needed to understand that they had to rely on and support each other, covering their weaknesses and enhancing each other's strength. You don't do that by ignoring the teammate who's having the problem.
The individual frowned to himself. The only problem with letting them sorting it out themselves is that they would arrive at the Snow Country early tomorrow morning. They needed to sort out their problems now before they arrived. If they didn't, he was certain that disaster would strike. Because of this, he was tempted to say something.
In the end, he held his tongue. There was still time. If these three didn't make some sort of progress tonight, he'd tell them the error of their ways himself. He would much rather prefer to not do so, but he knew from experience that life often didn't go the way he wanted. So he'd wait for now... and perhaps the three would surprise him.
As for the other individual who had seen Sakura, he smiled mentally to himself. It seemed that he had succeeded in separating the three somewhat after all. He pondered how he should go about taking it further. He had plenty of time to think of a few ideas. Time, because he had intercepted Uzumaki's little messenger frog before going to the Uchiha. A simple kick had dispersed the frog back to its place of origin. And just to be safe, he had destroyed the message itself with a simple Katon.
There was no longer any chance of Team 7 receiving any additional help.
Sakura
Sakura walked back to the rear section of the ship, lost in her own thoughts and oblivious to the world around her. Not that there was much to draw her attention to. Everyone else was still at the front of the boat praising the two heroes of the hour. There was nothing to bother her or anything. Just crates, studio equipment, and whatever else happened to be lying around. Even the birds in the sky seemed to avoid the place right now.
How fitting... seems I really am meant to be alone right now...
Is that what Naruto and Sasuke had felt like? During the early years? When Naruto was just viewed as the class clown with no one bothering to so much as look at him, and when he had lost his family? Was it this feeling that had plagued them for so much of their lives? To feel so... alienated… that you didn't even belong with other people? So much so that a doornail received more attention than you did?
She continued walking as she thought more and more about it, not really caring where she was headed. It didn't seem to matter right now. She took another step and felt dirt underneath her foot. Looking down, she saw some of the leftover dirt from her practicing with the Doryuuheki and Daichi Kobura. She was surprised there was even this small amount leftover. Kneeling down, she just looked at it absentmindedly for several moments before realizing where she had inevitably walked to.
Right back to her training spot.
Memories flooded back to her as to what she had been trying to accomplish only a few short hours ago. "It really is fitting," Sakura said quietly as she reached out and took a handful of the dirt into her fist. She really did feel lower than dirt right now. Who had she been kidding when she thought she would be able to keep up with Naruto, him and even the shapeshifter? Loosening her grip slightly, she watched it slide slowly out of her hand back to the deck. "Why should I even bother continuing? If I really am just supposed to sit on the sidelines, then what's the point of creating that new technique anyway?" She watched the last of the dirt slip through her fingers, then looked at her hand. It was dirty now, of course. If it really mattered to her that much, she could just wash her hand later instead of having to deal with the dirt clinging to her palm.
... clinging... to her palm...
A feeling of curiosity sparked within her as she considered what had just passed through her mind. After a moment, she reached behind into her pouch and withdrew the ribbon she had been working with. Glancing back between her hands, a possibility began forming in her mind. What if... yes... if she did that to the ribbon, instead of merely using it as an item to practice... but instead used it as a medium for... she looked back down at the pile of dirt. I would need to experiment a little first, she thought to herself as she put the ribbon away and formed the five handseals as she stood up. But if this works, I may have just solved a crucial step for that jutsu.
She spat out a new pile of dirt, no longer caring if it was pointless or not to try and finish this in time. All she cared about was that she might have just found a way to actually make this idea work. And the feeling bloomed within as surely as flowers did on the first day of spring. She didn't care right now if she wouldn't be able to use this for practical use or not; only that she had solved something on her own.
With that thought, she placed her hands on the dirt and began experimenting. And a smile nearly appeared on her face as a result.
Naruto
"Fucking... stupid... mission..."
That was just the latest in a current rant as he walked back and forth. He wasn't on the deck, in the mess hall, or even in his room. No, he was pacing back and forth on the main sail's post... upside-down. There were many things that pissed him off on this mission – Makino, the movie, Sasuke (because he was an ass, but admittedly, not as big as before), Koyuki, Sakura (because of her new attitude), and the freak. And they weren't even at the damn Snow Country yet! What kind of horrors and nightmares waited for them there? He then snorted, as there was now one more thing to add to the dreaded list.
His jacket was missing.
After all the praise from the movie and ship cast, Naruto went to reclaim his jacket that he had discarded earlier, only to find it gone. While this newest aggravation didn't rank has high as the others, it still angered him beyond words. It was amazing how it seemed that it was the smallest things in life that were the ones that aggravated you the most.Naturally, no one admitted to taking his jacket, but it didn't just grow legs and walk.
So after looking for ten minutes and finding absolutely nothing, Naruto found himself back up at the sails cussing up a storm with his upper body still exposed. He was sure that some of the others who had seen him probably thought he was losing it, but they stayed out of his way, lest he vent his anger and outrage on them. And Naruto had to admit... one more little push just might result in that.
And that's when his stomach grumbled. Stopping in mid-pace, he looked at his belly. For a moment, he just stood there staring before another growl emerged... as did a smile on his face. He didn't know why he found himself being hungry amusing. Maybe it was because compared to all the other shit that had happened, this problem would be easy to solve and wouldn't bite him in the ass. He stopped the chakra flow to his feet and jumped down, rotating as he did so to land on his feet.
He arrived at the mess hall a few minutes later, trying to decide on which flavor to have today. Ah... if only life could be like this... where the biggest problem was deciding on which flavor was best! He walked up to the counter and leaned on it casually. "Give me an order of Beef Ramen. About ten should be a good start."
"Sorry, Naruto-kun," the chef said, giving the boy a sorrowful look. "But we're out."
Dead silence hung in the air for what felt like eternity and Naruto swore his heart stopped during that time. Naruto just stared at the man, with disbelief etched onto his face as firmly as his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The first movement came by the form of blinking, then by very small, but noticeable twitches.
"WHAT!?"
Naruto jumped over the counter and began rummaging through all the supplies, tossing everything he could get his hands on to clear the shelves, as if expecting to find a hidden compartment. He threw cans, packaged goods, utensils, fresh fruit, dishes, whatever he could get his hands on. His desperation increased, along with the rate of items being tossed, the more he searched through the shelves.
"Naruto!" A cup slammed in the guy's face. "Kun!" A bowl landed on his head. "Please!" The man ducked as several knives came flying next. "Stop!" A bag of flour hit the man in the stomach. "This!" Four tomatos splattered on the guy. "Isn't!" He dodged several cans. "Helping!"
"HOW CAN WE BE OUT!?" Naruto demanded, hurling a pan next.
"Because!" A fish narrowly missed. "The!" A watermelon came flying, making the guy shriek as he fell to the floor in horror, missing it. "Crate is gone!" He said in a hurry from his position on the floor.
Naruto froze, in the middle of swinging a coffee mug. "Nani?"
The man seemed to be breathing easier now that the boy was no longer hurling everything in sight. "Because of your... appetite," the man said slowly, as if expecting Naruto to explode again. "We were running through the ramen supply rather quickly, so we went to bring out the last crate of it. The men were taking a break moving it, but then went back to find it missing. We never found it again."
Naruto just studied the man. Something about what the chef said bothered him slightly. A nagging feeling in the back of his mind, like he had forgotten a very important detail to add to his scrolls. What was it? "When did this happen?" the-one eyed boy asked, wondering if that would help any.
"Around eight this morning."
Naruto blinked. Eight... eight... what was he doing around...
"Kuso," he hissed under his breath, kicking some crate that was near him. He watched it soar through the air and drop into the ocean. He briefly wondered what had been inside. Probably more cameras for filming or something like that. Why did Kakashi have to go and get killed like that!? He shook his head once more, then bit his thumb. Oh, screw it! He had more important things to do than just mope around. He ran through the seals and muttered "Well… let's see if this works. Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
Naruto felt his blood run cold. No... no... it... it wasn't possible... this was some terrible joke... that couldn't had been... no, there had to be another crate... ANY other!... crate around then! The one he kicked... that was just filled with... cameras... or clothes... or anything else! ANYTHING ELSE!! Groaning in defeat, he slumped back against the wall, burying his face in his left hand as he shook his head. This had to be some form of cruel punishment... now his ramen was gone. Because of him! And just when he thought that nothing could go wrong with a simple lunch!
Slamming his fist into the wall, he walked out of the kitchen itself, ignoring the man's words of 'Aren't you going to clean this up?' Naruto just walked through the mess hall, his head hung down low with the new knowledge he had just learned. Could this shitty situation get any worse!?
"Oh... Naruto-san..." sang an all too familiar voice from one of the tables he was passing. Anger replacing his depression, he looked over to see the bastard himself sitting at a table, looking directly at him with that damned smile on his face. The same type of smile he used when he was about to do a drastic change in the movie that he thought was just perfect... no matter how embarrassing or stupid everyone else thought it was.
Naruto's eye glanced downward and that anger inside him was about a hair away from erupting. The bastard was eating ramen!!
"I was hoping you and me could chat a bit," Makino said lightly, deliberately taking a slow bite of ramen. "It would be in your best interest," he said after slurping it into his mouth.
"Chat? Chat?" Naruto repeated in an undertone. Did that bastard director not comprehend the danger he was in by eating the last of the ramen in Naruto's face and asking for a chat!? Did he have no bounds he wouldn't cross for his stupid, shitty-ass movie!? Naruto just stormed forward, fists cocked. "YOU have the nerve to eat that in front of me and demand – "
Makino held up a finger and waved it disapprovingly. "Careful," he said, still in that singing tone. "I said I would make it worth your while. You see... I have the rest of the ramen on this ship in my possession."
For what had to be the fifth time in the last few minutes, Naruto froze again.
"I see I have your complete attention. Good. All you have to do is have a little interview with me considering all the new stuff we've encountered – the Yuki-nin, our shapeshifter friend, the loss of your sensei, and what we can expect at the Snow Country when we arrive."
"I have a better idea," Naruto offered, getting closer. His was voice low and the tone was far from friendly. "How about I just kick your ass and take the ramen?"
Makino didn't so much as blink at the threat. He looked more amused than anything. "You could do that," he agreed wholeheartedly. He then put a finger against Naruto's raised fist. "But you won't get the rest of the ramen if you do."
Of course... Naruto hissed to himself. The bastard wouldn't keep the ramen on his person. Not when it was his bartering chip. And just like with those damn copies the other day, they were probably well hidden. Breathing out hard, he did what had to be the smartest thing he could do in that situation. He stormed out of the room before anything else could be said.
Makino just gave an all-knowing smile. "You'll come back. They always come back." With that said, he took another mouthful of his ramen.
11:09 a.m.
Sasuke
Sasuke found himself in the bathroom again, his left arm under the faucet, letting the cool water run over it. There was still this damn numbing and stinging feeling in it, but the water seem to relieve him of those nuisances. At least while the cold water was flowing over his arm.
While he was doing this, the Uchiha was playing the scene over and over in his mind again. Sakura caught in that freak's slime... the Raiton streaking towards her... him jumping in front of her to block the blow. He didn't remember any sort of thought process. He just acted. That worried him slightly. He wasn't the type to just jump in without thinking like that. And that blast had been very powerful. It had taken him strengthening his Chidori well beyond what he was used to just to cancel that attack out. Thinking back on it now, if he had been in any other circumstances, he would have just avoided the strike as best he could instead of jumping headfirst into it, because he wouldn't be sure that he could survive such an attack.
Turning off the water, he withdrew his arm and looked at it, then glanced upward to the glass mirror. And despite what he was thinking, that was exactly what he did. He jumped in headfirst. For a girl. For his teammate. For Haruno Sakura.
"Why?" he asked his reflection. Predictably getting no answer, he shook his head looking downward.
Again, his mind wandered back, to before the whole encounter with the shapeshifting bastard. When he had been soul searching within himself, asking if his teammates had been important enough to him to die for them. At the time he didn't have an answer, but now he felt he had two hints as to what that answer might be.
The first was that he had called both Naruto and Sakura by the f word. Friends.
The other was that he had risked his life to protect Haruno Sakura.
He still didn't know if he would be willing to do it for Naruto, but the fact that he had just done it for Sakura forced him to reconsider some possibilities to himself. She was his friend. Okay... that seemed plain enough. Did that make her his best friend after all? Or... dare he dare even think this... something more?
The mere thought of that possibility made him wince. It couldn't be that far. Right? He briefly pondered... what if he lost both of them, like Kakashi? If he lost Naruto or Sakura... how would he take it? He would not lose anyone else. He didn't want to go through that again. Still... why did it feel that losing Kakashi didn't have that big of an impact on him? Why did he feel that if he lost either Naruto or Sakura... he would never recover? Sighing, he looked up at the mirror again, only to recoil at the sight.
His hand was rubbing his cheek again.
Twitching violently, he gave a small yell as he slammed his left fist into the mirror, making the glass shatter. He immediately regretted it as new pain shot through his arm. Cradling his arm again, he clenched his teeth to prevent himself from hollering in pain again. Forget what he just thought! There was no way in hell he thought of Sakura as more than a friend! Not with this damn... urge... rearing its ugly head every time he least expected it!
Looking at the mirror, he barely registered the fact that he had broken it. Wasn't that worth seven years of bad luck or something? Oh, he didn't care. What was the worst that could happen? Lightning strike here too? As if!
With that said, Sasuke walked to the door, only to slip on a soap bar and crash to the floor. He picked himself to leave, only to get slammed in the face with the door as someone else came in. Letting out a cuss word, he moved on and closed the door behind him, only to get his left hand caught in the door. Letting out a very irritable shriek, he slammed his right fist and shattered that part of the door. He then walked down the hall, where one of the repaired holes (the one caused when the freak fought Naruto) collapsed, making all the materials fall on top of Sasuke. Yelling, he threw the debris off as he continued walking. He passed the second one (the one made by him and Naruto) when a can of pink paint fell down the hole and landed on his head. Too angry to form words, he took the damn thing off and threw it in the air. Storming up the stairs, he slipped on some food mess that some stupid crew member left out. Fortunately for Sasuke, he recovered on the stairs and managed to land gracefully at the bottom. A testament to his ninja skills, no doubt.
"Heh," said Sasuke, when his shorts fell down at that precise moment.
Naruto
"Of all the low things that bastard has pulled, this takes the cake!" Naruto ranted, just wandering aimlessly through the ship. Agree to a stupid interview and get the last ramen on the ship? Naruto didn't know what was worse... the fact that bastard did this in the first place... or the fact that he had been very close to accepting the deal. He loved his ramen! And he would do anything for it! Or... at least, that's what he always told himself. Was ramen worth dealing with more of Makino's shit about his stupid movie? Part of him shouted an absolute 'Yes!' while the other yelled a 'No!'
He was so focused on his thoughts that he bumped into someone who was stupidly standing in the middle of the frickin' hallway. Rubbing his face, he glared at the suicidal fool that dared to mess with him now.
It was Hidero of all people.
"Ryo for your thoughts?" he asked him simply as he looked at the boy with a playful look.
"No. Now scram," Naruto replied, more harshly than he intended. He didn't hate this guy as much as Makino or Koyuki, but that was like saying he hated those stiff-assed Hyuuga as much as an Uchiha-teme. Both were too close together to separate and annoying in different ways to the ninth degree. In short, being associated with the movie was enough for Naruto to thoroughly dislike the man.
He shoved the older man aside – and he wasn't gentle about it – and moved to continue down the hall when he felt the man's firm grip on his shoulder. "I think I can guess the problem. It has something to do with the director, right?"
Naruto's eye narrowed. "Did he send you to convince me to do that damned interview as well?"
There was a slightly puzzled look on the man's face, but Naruto wouldn't be surprised if that was just an act as well. The man was an actor. "No, I came of my own accord. There was something else I wanted to talk to you about."
"Unless you have some ramen, know where my jacket is, or a way to get me out of your damn movie, I'm not interested in anything you have to say."
A small chuckle escaped from the man's mouth. "Sorry, none of the above." He then withdrew his hand and crossed his arms. "But it's not surprising to hear you say that. No... the reason I wanted to talk is about what happened during your fight with that shapeshifter. Namely when he become your girlfriend and you froze for a moment."
Naruto was already shaking his head. Oh no... there was no way he was going to talk about Hinata to these shit heads! "Right... and this isn't an attempt to get me to talk to your boss." Seeing Hidero's confused face, Naruto moved around him and began walking off. "Buzz off if you know what's good for you."
"She's a Hyuuga and you're a nobody. You think that there's little to no chance that the two of you can be together because she's considered high class when you're at the bottom of society's food chain."
Against his will, Naruto found himself stopping. The memory of when Sasuke had funded a training mission between the two of them shot into his mind. Hinata had been dragged into that opening verbal fight that time too.
"You do realize her father would never allow you to date with her." He crossed his arms out of satisfaction. "Especially not a filthy, shunned orphan like yourself."
Naruto felt his fists tighten as well as his anger boiling. If there was one thing he truly hated, it was when people told him he couldn't do something! And now this ass of an actor was trying to rub it in his face again. Naruto looked over his shoulder to see what kind of death wish this actor had coming to him.
Hidero, however, merely leaned against the wall. He took Naruto's silence and glare as a sign that he had the boy's attention. "You'd be surprised how well actors can read people's faces, actions, intentions, and thoughts. It comes from the fact we play many different types of people over our careers. It gives us a special insight on other people. The jealous boyfriends, the strong heroes, the honorable sidekicks, the dastardly villain, the greedy merchant that only thinks of himself and a dozen other typical roles." Noting that the ninja didn't jump him, he continued. "We're nothing, if not observant. We all saw your sensei transform into her during your intro scene, and Sasuke-san had identified her as a 'Hyuuga girl' earlier. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together that she was the one you fancy." He gave Naruto a sorrowful look. "And you carry yourself as one who's had to live and do everything on your own. Both by choice and by circumstance"
Naruto slowly turned around to face the man head on. This guy was cutting way too close. "And what role have you played that makes you all-knowing about such things?" He meant it as a rhetorical question so that he could shove it in Hidero's face, but to his surprise man offered up a sad smile. "None. Just my own personal experience on the matter."
He looked upward, as if trying to see something above that he knew was out of his reach, yet still taunting him. "When I was about your age, there was one girl that I fell for almost immediately when I saw her for the first time. Her name was Karei. She was a true keigun'ikkaku if I ever saw one. Radiant black hair that flowed in the wind, sparkling brown eyes that just looked into your soul. A smile that could warm you up even on the coldest day of winter. Her voice was pure music as far as I was concerned." He gave a light smile at the memory. He noticed Naruto just tapping his foot impatiently. He was actually interested in hearing this. It was a nice change to hear someone else's problems.
"Er... right..." Hidero said, laughing nervously. "Gomen. Got caught up in the moment. I came from a poor family myself, probably like you did." Naruto snorted loudly at him, not offering any verbal response. "My parents were hard working and never able to get that much, but we were happy. Karei was just the opposite: she came from the wealthiest family in the area. Had ten servants willing to wait on her hand and foot."
"Like you?" Naruto quipped. With the way he had described this Karei person, he could imagine this guy willing serving this girl just to get close to her.
A small chuckle escaped the older man's lips. "I wish. I was just a poor peasant boy and she was the princess of the castle, if you'll allow the metaphor. For two years, I was a lovesick fool who tried to simply get her attention by any means necessary. I was too shy to talk to her directly, so I pulled pranks every chance I got so that everyone noticed me, especially her. I also had a tendency to... mock... our teachers. That always got a laugh out everyone." His voice lowered as he seemingly looked off into empty space. "Except her."
"So... what happened?" Naruto asked, very much curious now.
Hidero closed his eyes, as if not wanting to look at anyone. "She got engaged, only a few months before she was sixteen. Coming from a wealthy family, her parents valued prestige and status above all else. So, to keep their family 'pure', she was sent to marry a boy from an equally wealthy family. I suspect that this guy may have even been a cousin of hers. Only met the turd once, but he was one of the biggest pompous asses you'd ever see, with a tendency to control everything around him. Several years older than she was and believed he was right in everyway. From what I've heard about Sasuke, him at his worst would make him look like well-behaved young man in comparison to this guy Karei was supposed to marry."
At this point, his eyes slowly opened and there was a neutral look about them. If eyes were supposed to be the windows to the soul, then Naruto would hazard a guess that this next part had to have been difficult for him. Some form of closure that didn't end in his favor.
"When I heard about the engagement, something... burst inside of me, I guess you could say. I didn't feel any shyness or hesitation anymore. I went directly to her home and asked to speak with her. After getting threatened and thrown off the grounds, a servant came to me, apologizing for what happened, and said that Karei was expecting me. I was confused because she couldn't possibly have been expecting me, but I followed the servant inside.
"I was led to her room and let in. She was sitting on her bed in the most casual of clothes I had seen her in. Just a plain shirt, jeans, ordinary sandals, and unbraided hair. She spoke without turning, saying that she had been glad to see me. With just the two of us alone, we talked seriously for what had to be hours. And I found out that she had been attracted to me as well. All my pranks, all my mockery, all those times of making a fool of myself... it made her feel normal. And happy. She could just forget her problems and be allowed to deal with the 'mundane world', as her parents put it."
"It made her happy?" Naruto asked, interrupting. "Then why didn't she say anything to you before this?"
Hidero gave him an all-knowing smile. "Isn't it obvious? She was just as shy as I was. She thought that if I really liked her, I would have come to her long before then." He shook his head. "In the end, it was our timidness that kept us apart, when we were both interested in each other."
Naruto was silent, not sure how to respond to that. Hidero, possibly caught up in his own memories, merely continued. "After that, I managed to sneak her out of her home, with the help of a few of the more sympathetic servants. That was one of the happiest nights of my life. We spent all our time at a local festival. We were dressed in casual clothes, so she was free to be how she wanted. If I had thought she was charming before in school, she was... alive, now. For the first time in her life – if only for one night – she was free of her burdens, free of her responsibilities, free to forget that looming reminder of an upcoming marriage. And seeing that happen was more than enough for me to be just as happy.
"Then... when she got home, her parents caught her in what she had done. I was forbidden to come close to her again, or my family's social standing would fall even harder, and those servants who helped us were fired at once. And if that wasn't enough, both her parents and her fiancée agreed to move the marriage up." His gaze fell at that. "They were married the very next morning."
Naruto closed his eye, not wanting to look at the man. He could imagine just how Hidero felt about that, how he thought and knew that it was his fault that she had gotten married off quickly like that. He also couldn't help but picture himself and Hinata in that situation. He felt that there would be no question that that would happen, that she too would have been married off because of those bastard elders. How Hiashi could deal with them on a day-to-day basis was beyond him. The thought of Hinata's father made him rethink that previous thought. If the elders did push for Hinata to be married off in a hurry, would Hiashi allow it? Would he step in and try to control the situation for getting out of hand like that, or would he just sit back and let his daughter get married off?
"After the wedding," Hidero spoke again, pulling Naruto out of his thoughts. "I decided to pursue my acting career. For everyone else that was concerned, it was because I had developed a sense of acting while mocking my teachers in school. And while that may be true, the real reason was to forget my shame for being the one that got Karei married off like that. Doing roles of other people, going so deeply into the character that I forget myself, it allowed me to forget.
"We still managed to speak with each other from time to time during all this. She was never really happy, but she wasn't as bad off as she could have been. But as the years went on, my acting took more and more of my time, while her husband became all the more strict. Then... eleven years ago... I found out that she and her husband moved to another country. Two months after the fact. I haven't been able to contact her since, or find a trace of her."
"Why are you telling me all this? Why are you spilling your guts to someone like me?" Naruto inquired. His instincts told him that Hidero was speaking the truth about his past, and he couldn't help but feel that there was an ulterior motive to all this. No one goes and starts sharing deep secrets like this without a real reason. Especially when those secrets reopened old wounds.
"Why?" Hidero repeated. He moved over and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Maybe because I found your situation a bit too familiar. Maybe because I felt that you and your girl shouldn't make the same mistakes I did. Maybe because I can offer some advice to you. Unless the Hyuuga dramatically change in the next few years, I'd wager they'll be looking for an arranged marriage for Hinata. Before that happens, you need to go and talk to her. I mean, really talk to her. Find out for certain just how the two of you feel about each other. The sooner you do so, the better, because high class families aren't always quick to act. Find out if the two of you want to be together or if you feel you don't. Do so before the Hyuuga can act if at all possible. Because I can tell you this with absolute certainty: you'll regret talking to her and being rejected less than you will if you never talk to her at all and discover that something more could have happened between you."
With that, he turned around and started walking away. "Are you sure you're not here on Makino-teme's orders?" Naruto asked.
A loud laugh was the first part of Naruto's answer. "No, I'm not, Naruto-kun. But let me ask you this: would you rather have the Director write the movie the way he sees it, or would you rather you have some input to make sure it's something you can live with?"
Ten minutes later
Naruto
Uzumaki Naruto grudgingly walked back into the mess hall of the ship. Makino was still sitting in the same spot he had been earlier, eating ramen. Naruto was sure it was the same bowl as earlier. The man was deliberately eating slowly, so sure of himself that Naruto would give in to save the last of his precious food supply on the ship.
And truth be told, it was a major factor in why he was doing this.
Without preamble, Naruto sat in the chair opposite of the bastard man. "You better have more than just that," he said, trying to keep his voice calm while gesturing at the ramen the movie director was eating. In response, he merely smiled and reached under the table. Coming back up, he tossed one of the pre-made ramen packs to the Konoha shinobi, which he caught easily enough.
"I come through my deals," Makino assured him, a certain little twinkle in his eyes. "And the rest is yours once we finish. I suggest you eat this one very slowly."
Naruto just swore under his breath as he walked to the counter and had the chef prepare that pack. A little over three minutes later, Naruto walked back with his bowl and planted his rear in the chair. "Couldn't Sasuke or Sakura-chan be better suited for this?" he asked, taking a bite of his ramen. It was chicken flavored.
"If you had any idea what your teammates were going through right now, you would know the answer to that, Naruto."
Naruto gagged on his ramen right at that moment, which was halfway down his throat. After a few moments of thumping his chest over and over, he managed to complete the swallow. That tone he had just heard now was nothing like the one the director had used before. He was always optimistic, happy, light, and confident. But that didn't match what he heard just now. It was cold, hard, and unsympathetic. Naruto could scarcely believe he was talking to the same man.
Bringing his head up in a flash, he saw Makino sitting there, looking as he always did. "Both of your teammates are preoccupied at the moment, Naruto-san. More importantly, it is your position and opinions I am eager to hear about." Well... that tone sounded normal for the man and nothing like what he had just heard. Was it simply his mind playing tricks on him?
"Um... alright..." Naruto said hesitantly, making sure not to drop his guard again around this guy. "So... let's get this over with. Where do we start?"
And so for an hour, they talked. In the end, they came up with the following: That Doto had disposed of Mao easily, hence the reason the man had been on an iceberg in the middle of nowhere. The Yuki-nin had been sent to eliminate him and prevent Mao from being an annoyance in the future. That resulted in the battle of the iceberg and Kakashi's "heroic" death. That shapeshifter was written in as a world famous assassin that Doto had hired when his minions had failed the first time. He was known to thoroughly research his targets, but the rest of his background was a mystery. Only that he never failed to get his targets.
Naruto seriously doubted that this guy was an assassin or that any amount of research could have given him insight on their private lives. For another thing, this guy wanted Sasuke alive to take back to Orochimaru. And if he wanted to kill them, he could have poisoned either Sakura or himself instead of slipping in a drug. That thought made Naruto look down at his empty bowl. Oops. He didn't even think about this being drugged. After giving it some thought, he figured it had been safe. That package hadn't been opened, so there wasn't any way to slip something in it.
"I believe that covers it," Makino standing up again, looking quite smug and pleased with himself. "Thank you for your cooperation, Naruto-kun," In response, Naruto gave a very loud snort, but Makino didn't so much as bat an eye. "I'll have the rest of the ramen brought to your room, so you can feast on it as you will." With that, Makino departed, with Naruto wondering if the creep was going to make some last minute changes anyway. Giving a brief sigh, he leaned back on his chair, the front legs dangling in the air with his feet. Well... at least the next part of the movie shouldn't come out as any real surprise or twists. Looking downward, he saw his empty ramen bowl. If only this damned mission was as easy as making ramen. Or even attempting to mix nature and shape manipulations. Open the contents, boil the water, pour, wait the cursed three minutes, and eat. A simple step-by-step process...
... step-by-step process...
That thought caused Naruto to pause for a split second before shouting "THAT'S IT!"
And that resulted in his tilted chair falling over.
Not that Naruto cared about that at the moment. With this new thought, Naruto's mind began to whirl as he ran out of the mess hall. Step by step. What if he was going about mixing the two manipulations the wrong way? What if instead of trying to do it all at once, he did it step by step again? Break the Rasengan back down to the three basic steps he had done when creating it in the first place, then remaster each of those steps with wind added until he completed the jutsu all over again. The first stage wouldn't nearly be as difficult as the complete version, and once that was done, he would have a real stepping stone to finish the second and third stages!
Ramen truly did have all the answers!
Naruto's pace quickened as he leapt up the stairs twofold and onto the deck, where he ran out to his new place amongst the sails, his Oboro already snapping on as his mind raced back to recall the memory of what he did the first time around.
Like now, he had also been struck with inspiration after eating some delicious ramen. He had collected as many balloons as he could from a nearby store – paid for at a horribly inflated price – nearly a week before he graduated from the Academy. He certainly could have graduated earlier if he had wanted to, but he wanted to keep up his 'baka' act. Plus... graduating with Hinata-chan and the others was more appealing than the other bozos he had to deal with. It had taken him three months, from when he bought the balloons to the time when he was training in the Wave Country, to master the first step. He wondered how long it would take him to remaster it with wind this time around.
Standing upside-down yet again on the post, he held out his right hand, the Rasengan coming to life a few seconds later. He was at the point where it could be created easily enough without a lot of effort, but if he hoped to do this with a fuuton version, it could ultimately require years of effort as opposed to the six months it had taken for him to master the first version.
Studying the chakra sphere in his hand for about half a minute, he let it dissolve. Slowly, he concentrated on bringing up just the first stage. A small twirling cyclone appeared in his hand now, lacking any real form of control or power, just a swirling mess of chakra spinning at impressive speeds.
Alright... here goes nothing... with that thought, he summoned a small amount of wind chakra and let it flow into the chakra vortex. Guided by his chakra, the wind merged with the shapeless vortex, only to be thrown out an instant later. Okay, that made sense. The Rasengan at this stage lacked any form of solid structure or control, so there was nothing to keep the wind mixed in. The slow way wouldn't work.
With that thought, he next concentrated on putting in as much wind as he could as fast as he could. The result was surprising: the chakra vortex seemed to feed the wind due to the speed it was entering. Because of that speed, it was going so fast that it kept itself from escaping due to the velocity. This continued for about ten seconds and Naruto would have sworn that he had succeeded already, only to watch as the entire thing exploded outward, nearly making Naruto lose his footing.
Naruto looked at his now empty hand in silence, as he absorbed this new information. Too much wind too fast caused the incomplete Rasengan to overload. Again, because there was no solid foundation or control, there was nothing to keep the power of his wind from imploding in on itself. So that meant... because of the no control factor, introducing wind too slowly just got it spat out, and introducing it too quickly overloaded the thing. He needed to find a medium. To be able to mix the wind fast enough to make the vortex feed and merge it, but not so slowly that it would get thrust out. At least for this stage.
Two hours later...
So for the next two hours (his hunger long forgotten), he spent the time trying to merge wind with stage one of the Rasengan. He could not believe all the different methods he tried and still none of them worked out right, ranging from introducing wind even before the first attempt, to mildly control the rate over a slow period. The closest attempt had resulted in the wind mixing for a total of forty three seconds and Naruto thought he had done it when the wind was spat out again. The only good news during all this was that the strain was barely noticeable, so it didn't kill his hands while doing this.
After those two hours, his stomach would no longer be ignored, so after dropping down to the deck, he went below to his room. The director-teme had said he would send the remaining ramen packs to his room, and for the man's sake, they'd better be there.
Flinging the door open, he found over twenty ramen packs on his bed. So that was all that was left. As he mentally debated how to ration his precious food supply, his eye wandered to the other end of the bed and disbelief slowly crept its way onto his face.
For there was his jacket. Neatly folded and cleaned. Taking a few steps, he approached it as if it were a henged snake ready to bite him. After he was fairly certain it wasn't a henged snake or other form of trap, he slowly picked it up and gave it a small shake, letting it unfold. Every hole, every tear (including the big one he made himself to escape) had been neatly and professionally sewn and restored. The thing had a distinct smell to it as if it was freshly made for the first time. It looked, felt, and even smelled brand spanking new!
Turning it over to examine the other side, a small card flew out and fluttered downward to his bed. Picking it up, he read the words on it.
Be more careful.
That was all. Nothing else. Especially not a name. Holding it to his face, he took a couple of deep sniffs, but he didn't recognize the scent off hand.
Just then, he heard the door swing open. Spinning around, he saw that it was none other than Uchiha Sasuke entering. The other boy had a fresh pair of clothes and looked like he had just recently taken several showers. Normally, Naruto would have shouted at Sasuke to either explain himself or just get the hell out. This time, though, the look on the Uchiha's face pecked at Naruto's curiosity: just what did he want this time?
Sasuke looked unequally uncertain and made several movements as if to leave. After steadying himself, he spoke. "We need to talk." Using his foot, he kicked the door closed. Once it slammed shut, he added "Alone."
In response, Naruto merely put on his jacket. "About what?" he asked as he shoved the thing over his head.
"I need to know the truth. Did you really meet with Itachi?" Truthfully, he wanted to know if he had traveled and trained with one of the Sannin, as well as if he was really the one to kill Haku. But while knowing those last two bits of information would ease his mind greatly, he wasn't ready to push his luck just yet. Foremost, he would discover the truth about Naruto and his brother.
Naruto just looked at him for a long time. "That freak plant that idea in you while you were alone with him?" Not waiting for an answer, he merely shook his head. "Sorry Sasuke, but I'm not willing to - "
" - talk about your past. Yes, I know. I get it!" Sasuke snapped, more loudly than he meant. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself down and continued in a more level-headed voice. "But I need to know the truth, Naruto: did you really meet Itachi, and at what point? The shapeshifter mentioned other... things..."
"What other things!?"
"Does it matter?! I'm not asking about those, no matter how much I want to! You aren't willing to share all of your past, fine! I can accept that, but Itachi doesn't just affect you! He's my damn... well... he's my damn problem as well! If something really did happen between you and him, you can't just expect me to forget about it and move on! If Iruka-sensei was killed, or if I knew that something terrible happened to your Hyuuga girl, you would be demanding the same thing, so don't pretend otherwise! I need to know if you really met Itachi on your trip!" After that little rant, Sasuke took a moment to compose himself. "I'm asking for just one little favor... and I'll trust your word on it. If it really was a lie... if the shapeshifter really was just messing with my head... then just say so and I'm gone. No questions asked."
Sasuke breathed out hard and leaned against the door, panting slightly like he had just ran a marathon, while Naruto was seriously considering how to respond. What else did the freak blab to Sasuke? That question repeated itself loudly in his mind over and over. The freak had some way of discovering personal things about themselves and Naruto wanted to know what exactly.
On the other hand, he didn't want to tell any of these secrets to anyone else either. They were personal, and not everything was meant to be shared. But the thing that had struck Naruto the most was that Sasuke was stating that he was trusting Naruto completely right now. He could lie and say no and Sasuke would believe him. That one small word would put an end to this.
But that word didn't leave his lips. He couldn't bring himself to lie about something like this. Not with how Sasuke was acting. If he had been his pompous, high-ass self, there wouldn't have been any conflict about such a decision. Yet Uchiha Sasuke was not like that. Not now. And as such, a lie of this magnitude would not leave his lips. Besides, he remembered how Sasuke took a leap of faith and told Naruto the truth about how his Raiton had backfired and the flawed Kisou Karyuu. Now the blond felt it was his turn.
"Yes, it's true," Naruto said, sitting on the bed. "I met him while I was out of Konoha after Orochimaru's attack on the village."
Sasuke's head jerked up immediately, his eyes like daggers ready to pierce Naruto down to his very soul. "How?" Somehow, he kept himself calm and in control.
"I was traveling with..." Naruto hesitated, then a small burst of inspiration hit him. "Let's just call him ero-sennin… to find one of his friends. We stopped at a hotel, and while ero-sennin was out 'gathering information', Itachi came to my room." Again, Naruto hesitated before adding "Looking for me."
Sasuke jerked again, while Naruto continued. Both boys were amazed that Sasuke was keeping himself under control. "He and his partner were after me because of the damned foxed sealed inside me." He shot a look at Sasuke, who merely nodded, urging for Naruto to continue. "Don't ask me why, I don't have a fucking clue. I just know that they do."
Again, the raven-haired boy merely nodded as he made his own decision. "Why my brother would be after you..." He shook his head as he took yet another deep breath. "You know about the Uchiha slaughter?"
Now it was Naruto's turn to jerk. Sasuke had just asked what? He wasn't seriously going to mention…
"Four years ago, I returned home after what started out as a normal enough day. A day at the Academy, followed by some practice afterwards. I came home that night to discover the Uchiha compound littered with bodies. Men. Women. Children. Young. Old. Shinobi. Civilian. All of their bodies just everywhere. No one was alive."
Naruto found himself unable to speak right now; only listen. Like with Hidero, he couldn't help but pay attention. Unlike with Hidero, he didn't dare interrupt Sasuke right now. He wondered how often Sasuke had talked about this. Hell... had Sasuke even talked about this before?
"I just ran. As I saw more and more of the bodies, I broke out running as fast as I could towards our home. I briefly heard my mother's voice telling me to stay away. To not come inside and to just run. I didn't listen. I burst inside and... and saw my parents' bodies lying there. Freshly killed. Even an amateur like me could tell. I had just missed seeing the life leave them by mere seconds."
Sasuke stopped for a moment. His face twitched slightly and his right eye closed to stop a tear from emerging. "From the shadows behind them, Itachi – my older brother – came out, covered in blood. At first, I thought he had fought against the killers and slayed them. But when he threw a shuriken straight at me, scratching my cheek, I knew what the truth was." Sasuke tossed the area above his jawline on the left side of his face. "It could have easily been my throat." He paused as he looked at Naruto. "Does the name Tsukuyomi mean anything to you?"
Naruto shook his head, so Sasuke continued. "I yelled at him to explain himself. In response, he used Tsukuyomi on me. It's a special genjutsu limited to Itachi. Basically, he can make it seem like he can control time and space. With that, he forced me to watch him butcher the clan. Every single person. I collapsed, still not understanding. Again, I asked him why and he merely said it was to 'test his potential', that it was essential for him to do so. I got angry and took off running towards him." Sasuke held up a single finger. "A single punch to my stomach was enough to bring me down to my knees. At that moment, I realized, really realized, that Itachi could kill me just as easily as everyone else. I took off running again. Itachi caught up to me easily enough.
"He told me that I was not worth killing. I was too pathetic in his eyes. If I wanted to live, I was supposed to hate him, detest him with all my being. I was to become an avenger and kill him if I wanted to live so badly. To acquire the Mangekyou Sharingan and seek him out."
This time, Naruto spoke up, remembering what the shapeshifter had mentioned before throwing up and looking like he was about fall apart. "And how were you supposed to do that?"
The words barely left his lips. "I was supposed to kill my best friend."
Naruto wasn't sure what type of answer he had been expecting, but it sure as hell wasn't that. He unconsciously slid to the opposite end of the bed, putting as much distance as he could between himself and the Uchiha. How long had that thought ran through Sasuke's mind, he wondered. Did Sasuke ever seriously consider doing it? During those years in the Academy, had he looked at their classmates and tried to determine who would be his best friend? Had Sasuke imagined killing each person in his mind, wondering if that person would be his best friend? Did Sasuke see himself killing a boy named Uzumaki Naruto and a girl named Haruno Sakura as well?
Neither boy said anything. They merely avoided each other's gazes, each lost in their own thoughts. Naruto continued to ponder if Sasuke had ever thought about killing someone, namely himself, while Sasuke wondered what the hell possessed him to admit such a thing.
Naruto broke the silence first. "Your brother is a bigger bastard than I thought possible." He considered his next words for a moment. "Good thing you have me for a... friend."
"Oh? And why is that?" Sasuke asked sarcastically.
"Think about it. Itachi's after me as well. So that gives us an advantage. That means..."
"I don't want you to be the one to bring him down," Sasuke snapped. He groaned, and tried to control himself. "I mean... I need to be the one to kill him. I don't want help."
"Why don't you shut up for a moment?" Naruto interrupted. "Think about it. I'm Itachi's target. He's coming after me. That's a big advantage you can use."
Sasuke considered him for a moment. "What do you mean?"
"It means that you'll get the chance for Itachi to come to you on your terms, not the other way around. Give you a home field advantage, so to speak. You'll be able to set the time and place of battle, not him. It's all about tactics, Sasuke."
"So he'll come for you... and I strike?" the scarred boy asked.
The one-eyed boy shrugged. "Sounds better than striking out on your own and going after him, now, doesn't it? And by the time he does come, you'll be ready for him." Naruto hesitated before adding "And if you still feel confident about facing him alone, then I'll accept that. But I would really hope that you don't let your ego get in the way and make you fight alone when you're not ready."
The Uchiha snorted, but offered a small smile. "As long as you don't tell anyone, I'll... think about it."
Good enough, Naruto thought. Feeling the need to change the subject and feeling a bit more open due to Sasuke's own confession, he spoke. "Ero-sennin is better known as Jiraiya of the Sannin. He had taken me out of Konoha after the invasion to help find Tsunade so she could become the next Hokage."
Again, Sasuke's head moved towards Naruto in the blink of an eye. So the dobe really had traveled with a member of that legendary trio. After hearing all this about Sasuke's past and just how big of a bastard Itachi was, Naruto felt that this particular secret was worth spilling. It only seemed fair. "Is he the one that taught you that super Katon?"
Naruto burst out laughing. It felt very odd to do that, given everything that he had just heard, but he couldn't help himself. "Him? The man-whore taught me that? Ha! Ha! That's a good one!" He shook his head and held up his hand towards Sasuke. "Sorry, man... I didn't mean to laugh. That fool just taught me the Doryuuheki. That's it. That said jutsu I learned from another source. The forbidden scroll to be exact. Same way I learned the Kage Bunshin."
Yet that laughter had somehow relieved the tension between the two. Like someone had opened a window to let a nice, cool breeze fill the room. Both boys felt quite good about themselves, and Sasuke felt that it no longer mattered if Naruto had been trained by a Sannin or not. From the sounds of it, he guessed Jiraiya was more of a headcase than a sensei. That was rather fitting, Sasuke thought. Naruto also decided to take another chance. "What else did you hear from the freak?"
The tension came again, but it wasn't nearly as bad as earlier. "Just Itachi and that you had traveled with Jiraiya. And... and that you were the one to kill Haku." The two boys just looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to."
"I know," Naruto responded quietly. "Yes. It was me."
Sasuke didn't press either. He felt he knew why Naruto had kept quiet about it. It was likely his first kill and he wasn't proud of it. Thirty minutes ago, he would have wanted to know the circumstances and how it happened, but now? It no longer mattered. He had done it and it was not something the boy was proud of. That was enough.
Naruto stood up at that moment. He grabbed several packages of ramen and then tossed one to Sasuke. "Come on. I'm hungry." Holding the eight packs in his arms, he walked towards the door. "We need to get our strength up for what's next."
"Which is what?"
His answer was that foxy grin of Naruto's. "So we can finally fix the problem with the Kisou Karyuu."
2:47 p.m.Sakura
Panting steadily, Sakura wiped the sweat off her forehead, looking over the results she had just done. She could scarcely believe that the idea had worked. It had been so simple, yet it had not occurred to her before her little moment of clarity with the dirt. The wonders of life, she supposed.
The deck around her was drenched and there was a fair amount of mud from earlier as well. It had taken just under an hour for her to experiment on her new idea and get down the basics with the dirt. Taking yet another look of the ribbon in her hand, it too was now soaked with water. But her idea worked. She could use the technique now. She was limited to the ribbon itself, but she could use it.
While that was a big achievement on her part, it wasn't enough. The ribbon was as limiting as it was useful. And she needed to get to the point where she could use that jutsu without the ribbon. Once she had done that, she would have mastered it fully. Her first original ninjutsu. Well... technically her second, since she had made another one due to her experimentation with the dirt, but that hardly mattered to her. This was the one that she needed to finish.
Leaning back to stretch her back and take a breath, she allowed a nice cool breeze to hit her. That felt just wonderful right now. She shut her eyes as she let the wind envelop her, her pink hair flowing with the wind. After a moment of this, she opened her eyes and placed the ribbon back in her pouch. She would no longer permit herself to use it. If she wanted to master this, she had to do it without the ribbon.
Sidelines or no, she was certain she would run into Mizore again. She needed to be able handle herself when it came to that again. She couldn't afford to let herself be beat down this time. No... this time, she would be able to beat him down. For that instance, at least, she was going to handle herself and not to be saved. The other two could handle the others that came along, but Mizore was hers. She had a personal score to settle with him.
With that thought, she continued working, redoubling her efforts.
Mizore was going down.
Anyway she could manage it.
Five Minutes Later...
Naruto and Sasuke had entered the mess hall to eat and managed to engage in a casual conversation as they devoured their respective meals. Sasuke had forgone Naruto's offer of ramen and settled for a large bowl of soba, while Naruto eagerly dug into the nine bowls.
"Control? That's that damn frickin' problem? Control?!"
Naruto merely nodded as he took another wonderful bite of his ramen. It was too cruel to go without eating this! "More accurately, too much control." He had considered helping Sasuke work through the problem and come up with the solution himself. That would help Sasuke more in the long run if he was able to figure these things out for himself. But they were short on time and had many other things to do before they got to the Snow Country, so Naruto felt that the direct approach was needed here.
"Too much control?" Sasuke repeated dubiously, taking another mouthful
"Uh huh. Your chakra control is too freaking high and you're using too many Tori seals as well. Get rid of one or two of them. Loosen your grip on the control," Naruto replied. He couldn't help but think that the problem was fitting. Guy liked to control everything in his life and do things his way. Now he got to see what happened when you tried to control something too much... it burned your ass hard.
Sasuke didn't look convinced yet. Shoving his food aside momentarily, he gave Naruto a calculating look. "Isn't that the point? To make sure that I control it so well that it doesn't backfire?"
"That's what I thought at first too," Naruto conceded. "And I realized with one very simple statement on just how wrong that line of thinking is: 'Don't try to control the chakra, just let it flow. It knows what you want it to do, just let it.'"
"Meaning?"
Sighing, Naruto set down his chopsticks. "Meaning, that you're not letting the chakra do what you're telling it to do. You're trying too hard to force it do what you want, instead of letting it do what you want." Getting a puzzled expression in return, Naruto took a deep breath. "Think of it this way: your jutsu is a dog on a leash and you're holding the leash. You tell the dog to go attack an enemy, but you won't let go of the leash! The dog chokes on the leash, not able to continue on. Same basic thing: your jutsu is trying to go after the enemy, but because you're holding onto it too much, it can't seek out its target. Since you designed it to lock onto a chakra source, because it's not able to break free of your grasp, it goes after the only chakra source it can. You."
Sasuke pondered all this, letting it sink in his mind as he went over what Naruto was saying. "Then what about the times that it didn't backfire on me?"
Naruto had thought about that too. "Going back to the dog analogy, I'm guessing it's because when the dog started running, it jerked the leash out of your hands."
"So during those two times, my control slacked a bit, allowing the jutsu to continue on?" Sasuke finished.
"Basically," Naruto said, diving back into his ramen. "Loose up the control a bit and it'll work fine."
Sasuke merely 'hmphed' in his throat as he resumed eating.
Twenty Five minutes later...
On the deck of the ship, the two boys sprinted towards each other as they engaged in another round of punches and kicks. Unlike the previous fight between them, there was no anger or ill intentions between the two. This was just a friendly spar between two equals. This was the best way to prepare themselves for Snow, they had said. Until they could figure out more of that damned chakra armor, Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were virtually useless, so that left Taijutsu. Hence the reason for their spar.
Agreeing to prohibit themselves from the other two shinobi arts, the boys had been going at it for nearly twenty minutes straight right now, though they were breathing hard before. But neither one was willing to be the first to give in and ask for a break. While this may have seemed stubborn and thick-headed to an observer, it was pushing to the two boys to excel and go past their limits, not to merely meet them.
Of course, they didn't use the time to just spar. During the first ten minutes when they still had breath to spare, they discussed another thing that was on their minds: Hyouton. Both of them found themselves interested in this new ninjutsu type, but found themselves a small, but critical problem: how did they actually create and use the ice?
Based on what Sasuke had seen in his fight with Fubuki, there were at least two ways of using Ice. One was to actually form it; the other was to use surrounding ice. Unfortunately, how to create Ice was beyond them and they didn't have any existing ice on the boat to practice with. That didn't stop Naruto from yapping about the possibilities. He liked that Haryuu Mouko, for example. A technique to freeze and cancel out Suitons? That would be damn useful!
Once it become too troublesome to talk and fight at the same time, they settled on just pounding on each other. And quite enjoying it. Naruto jumped back from Sasuke's latest kick and landed with one foot on the deck. And slipped. Giving a surprised shout, he fell on his back, with the back of his head meeting the wooden deck soon after. A second later, Sasuke's foot stopped a centimeter from Naruto's throat. "I win..." he said, huffing and puffing.
"Shut... up..." Naruto said, pushing Sasuke's foot away. In response, Sasuke offered his hand. Naruto looked at it for a second, wondering if it was going to bit him. Giving a playful grin, he clasped the hand and was helped to his feet. "What did I trip on?" he asked, as he looked down.
It was a pair of sandals down there.
Naruto gave a silent curse as he picked them up. "Who the hell leaves..." he paused. He took a few sniffs. He recognized that scent. "These are Sakura's..."
"Sakura's?" Sasuke repeated. Why would she leave them out in the middle of nowhere? Now that he thought about it... "Where is she anyway?"
Naruto considered. When was the last they had seen her? The fight with the freak, for sure. Then what? All the people had cheered for them... then went their separate ways. So where did Sakura go during that time? The more Naruto thought about it, there seemed to be two likely options: her training area or her room. "You go check her room. I'll go check her spot."
Sasuke grunted, indicating an agreement. Naruto moved to the back of the boat, while Sasuke headed below deck. He found himself in front of her door and hesitated before knocking. After pulling his left hand from his check, he took a deep breath and prepared to knock.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
Sasuke flinched as he looked over his shoulder. No one was in the hallways, so he turned his attention back to the door. Did something give him away for her to shout like that? He didn't even do anything! That's when he realized that her shout didn't come from her room, but rather above.
With that in mind, he turned around and ran up the stairs, skipping every other step. He headed to the back of the ship. He didn't get far when Naruto came skidding across the deck on his back. He looked upward at Sasuke, revealing a large fist print on the left side of his face. How appropriate, Sasuke thought, forcefully keeping his left hand down. From his position, Naruto pointed to the rear of the ship. "Found her."
"What happened?" Sasuke asked in a resigned voice.
"I have no idea! She was working in the back, so I spoke up so that she knew I was there! She went off on me and shouted! I backed off, tried talking her, held up her sandals for her and the next thing I know, she socks me in the face and the next thing I know, I'm looking up at your charming face."
Sasuke closed his eyes. Great. Now she just seemed pissed. Without responding to Naruto, he walked around the other boy. Well... what was the worst she could do that she hadn't done already?
3:32 p.m.
Sakura
She was leaning against one of the railings, taking a break. She wasn't making any progress, so she had gone and grabbed a quick snack. Then as she started to get back to work, Naruto of all people came up to her. Not even close to being in the mood to talk to people, she told him to go away. Since he didn't take her advice, she introduced him to her fist.
Feeling somewhat better, she allowed herself to take a break to clear her head. Trying to see if she had missed something. Something to help her finish the damn thing.
"Sakura."
Oh no... not him...
Anger boiling again, she turned to look at the Uchiha walking towards her. She didn't need this now. "Go. Away," she said in a low tone, and Sasuke had to keep himself from flinching. He would have taken her yelling over that tone of voice. Sasuke just kept on walking, looking at her. She was angry, but it wasn't that type of angry she had used. She was angry at everything and very easy to set off. He knew that all too well. So... here was the million ryo question: what was the source of this anger?
At first, he figured it would be him. But she wouldn't lash out at Naruto if it was him. It was something else. Looking around, seeing all the water, mud and wreckage everywhere, he thought he knew.
"You're angry at him, aren't you?" he asked.
"Not him. You," the girl said, now walking forward towards him. He could see her fist already.
"I don't think so. It's Mizore isn't it? You want revenge, don't you?"
Sakura stopped in mid-step, her arm half way up. What? Revenge? Where did that come from? She didn't want revenge! She just wanted to make sure she didn't get beat down again... and beating Mizore to an inch of his life was rather appealing. She froze at that thought. But... that didn't mean it was revenge... was it?
"I know what that feeling is like, Sakura," Sasuke spoke again, getting her attention. She wasn't attacking him, so that was a good indication he was right. "I lost my entire family, remember? I know the bastard that did it and just how strong he was. I also know what he made me feel like when he shoved that power in my face." Taking a few careful steps towards her, he continued. "You felt weak, fearful. You don't want to feel that way again, so you're pushing yourself to be stronger. And you're angry. More angry than you've ever felt before. Because you can't help but feel that if you were stronger at that time, you could have prevented what happened. You could have stopped that man."
Sakura was silent, processing all this. Yes... she had felt that way. That was why she was working so hard to make sure it didn't happen again. And yes... she thought that if she had been stronger, she could have fought Mizore off and Kakashi-sensei might still be...
Sasuke took a good look at the girl, then made a dare. He reached out with his hand and placed it under her chin, raising her head up, her bright green eyes meeting his dark black ones. "Don't give into revenge, Sakura. If you do, you'll end up like I did: a forced loner who was never happy. Who felt that power was the only thing that mattered in life and almost threw everything away to get it. Don't take that path. Learn from my mistakes, just like I've learned things from you."
Sakura didn't say anything in response, though her heart was thumping loudly against her chest as she listened. She felt that she wouldn't be able to ignore him now, even if she wanted to. He was making sense, flat out admitting that he made mistakes and that he learned things from her? Was this really Uchiha Sasuke!? She had never seen see him like this. His words were strong, yet soft. The very being of his voice itself seemed to have this calming affect on her and his eyes were drawing her in. As if to comply, she found her head leaning towards him. "What... what should I do then?"
Sasuke wasn't entirely sure of his answer. He was more mesmerized by her face. Those pleading eyes looking for answers. She spoke in a way of someone calling for help. Her breath was fast and quick, like she had done some of Gai and Lee's morning training routines. Against his will... or was it his will?... he felt his own face inching forward. "I'm not sure I'm the right person to ask," he admitted.
"You... seem like it to me..." Sakura declared as they continued to lean towards each other, this faces slightly to the side.
"Do I?" Sasuke asked, not yet aware of what was going on. Their faces continued to move as he took a quick deep breath. "Well... I guess all I can tell you is to stop him for the right reasons... stop him from hurting you and others..." Itachi appeared in his mind's eye as he said all this. Was what he saying applying to Itachi as well? He was about to say more when he realized just what they were doing. And how their lips were nearly touching...
Like the time with Naruto's stupid prank, Sasuke found his mind going into overdrive. Oh... SHIT!! What were they doing!? They were about to kiss!! KISS!! Was this her idea, or... his? Was this a good thing, or a bad thing!? More importantly, WHAT THE HELL WAS HE SUPPOSED TO DO!? Was she still freakin' angry at him or what!? Well... if they were about to... do that... she mustn't be angry, right? You don't kiss – URG!! THERE'S THAT WORD AGAIN! - you don't... do that... with people you don't like!! What was he supposed to do, what was he supposed to do!? They're lips were only centimeters apart from each other! CENTIMETERS!! Damn it... did he want this?! Was he supposed to let her do this!? If she was... that meant she was willing to talk right? Or at the very least she was willing to stand his presence.
And how all that ran through his brain in a split second, Sasuke would never know.
"Does this mean you're ready to tell me what the hell is wrong and what you want?"
Sakura stopped immediately. "Huh?"
"Are you ready to... talk now?"
"Talk?" she repeated as reality came back to her... and what she almost did. She backed off quickly while letting Sasuke's words flow in her mind. Was she ready to talk about that? She thought about it for a moment, then shook her head.
Sasuke nearly felt his top blow off. She still didn't want to talk about it!? Why the hell not?! They were getting along fine without one of them chewing each other out. They nearly kissed, for Kami's sake!! What more did she want!?
"Now's... not the time..." Sakura spoke up. She pressed a finger against his mouth before he could utter a protest. "I'm not ready to talk about it. That's all I'll say." She reconsidered and amended. "Except... thank you. For your words."
Sasuke breathed out hard. Fine, two can play that game. "Then I hope you can understand that I don't have to explain my actions to you if you're not willing to talk."
He saw her jerk and for a second, had that look in her eyes that would have sent him flying. Fortunately, he didn't meet any fist coming as she looked at him in resignation. "I... I guess that's fair..." She took a deep breath. "Thank you... now, I need you to go now. You gave me a lot to think about, even if it wasn't the problem."
Sasuke came very close to gaping at her. That wasn't the problem?! What the hell!? Then what fucking was!? What did this whole damned conversation accomplish then!? She still wouldn't tell him the problem, she still didn't use his name and now she just wanted him out!!
No... there was something different. She was no longer avoiding his gaze, and looking straight at him. No longer did her eyes hold that cold, dark, empty look at him when she did look at him. Instead there was a look of hesitation and confusion in them, but also of hope. Like they could work things out between them. Part of him was still angry that she was putting this off yet again. After all the effort he had made to compromise and talk, she still wasn't ready. It took a great deal of self-control to respect her wish. This time.
Still... he wasn't going to leave without some sort of idea of what was going on. "Alright... I'll go." He held up a single finger. "On one condition: You tell me what's going on back here."
She looked nervous as she pondered his request. "I was working on a... jutsu to help me when we got to the Snow Country. And Mizore as well. I don't think I was necessarily thinking about revenge on him... but he is one of my main motivations."
Sasuke looked at her stupidly. She was working on a jutsu? That was it? That's what she had been mad about? She must have met a stopping point, or some kind of roadblock. "Do you want help?" he asked, remembering how Naruto had helped him. "The dobe does know a thing or two about jutsu. But don't tell him I said that."
Sakura was already shaking her head at that. "No. Thanks anyway, but no. This is something... something I need to do myself. I have to prove that I'm not..." She didn't elaborate and Sasuke just looked at her. Prove what? What did she think she needed to prove? Seeing how she wasn't going to respond, he merely muttered. "Fine. If you reconsider... you know where to find us..." Without another word, he just turned and walked away. Sakura watched him go, then turned back to her own work.
Sasuke walked back and saw Naruto leaning against the railing. "So... how did it go? Did you kiss and make up?"
A smack on the head was Sasuke's reply.
9:06 p.m.
Once Sasuke had given Naruto the brief details on what happened with Sakura, the boys wondered what they were supposed to do about it. Should they respect her wishes and stay out of it? Or should they try and help her do... whatever it was she was supposed to do? She was at a point where she needed help, but did that mean they were obligated to help her out, even if she was flat out against it?
Knowing full well that they wouldn't want anyone intruding on them during a jutsu creation, they resolved to leave her alone. For the time being. So they spent their time working on their taijutsu some more and worked on Sasuke's Kisou Karyuu. That took about two hours to fully work out just how much control to use, but in the end they got it down, much to the delight of both boys (though neither showed it, not that they needed to).
During all that time, they hadn't seen hide nor hair of their female teammate. A bit concerned, they both decided to... casually... go up to the sails and chat, where they might... accidentally... catch a glance or two of what was going on with Sakura. A bit hypocritical, maybe, considering how they would act if the situation was reversed, but time was rapidly running out and they all needed to be at their best. They couldn't afford otherwise, especially if the girl really did need help.
So when they got up to the sails they didn't even have to look because there was a loud yell from the back of the ship, followed by loud smashing sounds. That told them all they needed to know: it wasn't going well and Sakura was getting desperate, yet she still made no attempt to talk to either of them for advice. So that's what they had spent the last hour up till now doing. Sitting amongst the sails and casually looking in the direction Sakura just happened to be in. During this last hour, they didn't say a word. They just kept on looking and saw further signs of more desperation and anger, as well as subtle signs of hopelessness and depression. Definitely not a good thing, especially when they would land in Snow tomorrow.
"So... what are we going to do?" Naruto asked out loud.
"I... have no idea..." Sasuke admitted. Neither one of them was even pretending at what they were doing now. This may be something to bite them in the ass in the future, but right now it was time to act and do something. The question was... what?
The two boys just sat there for the next few minutes, trying to think of what they could do to help her out and prevent themselves from becoming her personal punching bags as a result. "I have an idea..." Naruto spoke out softly, though he sounded like his stomach had just did a backflip. Without waiting for the Uchiha heir to respond, the blond told him.
"Are. You. Fucking. SERIOUS!?" Sasuke demanded.
"If you have a better idea, All High and Mighty, I'm all ears! But it worked earlier today and we don't have a lot of time left!"
Sasuke had to clench his jaw to prevent his next insult from coming out, as he thought on what Naruto had just said and thought back to that particular instance. It had snapped Sakura out of it then, so there was some foundation on what Naruto had suggested. And there were similarities between now and then, so it might work. The problem was that if it didn't work, she was going to be worse off than she was now. And there were so many ways that it could backfire that it wasn't even funny.
Still... what else could they do?
Sasuke let out a hard breath of resignation. "Let's just try talking to her first. See if we can snap her out of that way... and if that doesn't work... you'll go about it your way..."
"Oh no..." Naruto shook his head furiously as he crossed his arms in front of him. "She's your girlfriend, so you're going to do it."
Sasuke shot Naruto a death glare about the girlfriend comment. "Hell no. It was your idea. You're doing it."
The two boys just stared at each other as it started to sprinkle around them. Small raindrops came falling from the sky, crashing on everything around them, as well as themselves. In one motion both reared themselves backwards as they readied a fist, then shot them forward at a blinding speed, stopping only a few centimeters from each other.
Naruto's hand was a fist.
Sasuke's was flat.
"Paper beats Rock," Sasuke said smoothly, grinning proudly.
Naruto just stared at his fist in pure disgust while he muttered incoherently under his breath, shaking as he did so. Several veins looked ready to pop in his forehead. Seeing Sasuke's gloating face, he used the fist to punch him.
"What the hell did you do that for!?"
"Made me feel better!"
Sakura
Sakura collapsed down on her hands and knees, breathing hard. It was no use... she was out of time and she still hadn't made the damn thing work! She didn't know what else she could do, other than have more time! And time wasn't something she had anymore. She could try to force herself to stay awake through the night, but she felt as if her arms and legs were lead, and her heart on overdrive. Any medic would tell her to stop and rest for the night now. Hell... she would tell herself that!
Was she really this useless? So pathetic that she couldn't complete just one jutsu for herself to help a little? Was she really supposed to stay on the frickin' sidelines and not fight at all!? Was she incapable of fending for herself even if it came to that? Was she supposed to just wait and be saved like some damned damsel!? At that, she slammed her fist into the deck. Wood broke apart as if it were glass as Sakura's fist made contact.
It was that moment when she noticed it was raining. Just how long had that been going on? Oh... she didn't care. She just stayed in that position, letting the rain fall on her, when her headband slipped out of her hair and landed on the deck, the metal plate with the leaf symbol visible for her to see.
For one long, eternal second, Sakura just stared at the item on the ground. Then her face exploded in fury. The headband was supposed to be proof that she was a shinobi of her village. Recognized as an adult, with the rank of Genin. Charged with protecting the Fire Country and Konohagakure. To accomplish a variety of missions to help secure that protection, as well as being babysitters, repair workers, painters, provide escorts, assassinations and whatever else Konoha required her to do. The headband was given to her because the village trusted her to be able to handle all these responsibilities. As a shinobi.
Her?
A shinobi?
WHAT A JOKE!!
She couldn't fucking do anything! She just damn useless! What right did she have to wear this blasted thing!? She felt tears stream out of her eyes and fall to the deck just as the rain around her did. With another intense glare at the thing, she smacked the headband away, sending it skidding across the deck.
She saw a vague figure dash across the deck and swap up her headband. "Whoa there! You got to be careful there, Sakura-chan! You don't want to lose this!"
Oh... great... just what she needed. She looked up to see Naruto giving a half smile towards her as he held out his hand, which held her damned headband. "I told you to leave me alone! Just go away - !"
"No." Came another voice from behind her. Jerking her head backwards, she saw Sasuke standing there, his arms crossed. "We left you alone long enough."
"GO AWAY!!"
"No."
"I SAID GO AWAY!!"
"No."
"GO AWAY, BASTARD!!"
"No," Sasuke said more forcefully, though he felt his heart miss a few beats when she cussed at him specifically. Breathing out, he shot a look at Naruto. "You can back me up here anytime, dobe."
Naruto gave a small sigh as he walked over to Sakura and knelt down. "You heard the teme. No. Now what's wrong? We can help you - "
"Yeah, that's always what it is, isn't it!" Sakura yelled at him, tears still falling heavily. Now they wanted to know? "You help me! You keeping me safe! You keeping me out of the fighting! That's always how it is, isn't it?!"
Frowning, Sasuke looked at her questioningly. "What are you talking about?"
"What do you think I'm talking about!? You two assholes won't let me help you out! I can't fight side-by-side with you! I'm forced to be stuck on the damn sidelines! I keep getting in the way, you told me!! Stay out of it!! Well, I just proved to myself that you two were right!!"
Naruto shot a quick look at Sasuke, who gave an 'I'm-lost' look. Whatever they had talked about wasn't the heart of the issue, and from the looks of it, it hadn't even been close. Looking back down at the weeping girl, he spoke. "You proved that we were... right?" he asked hesitantly. The wording sounded foul in his mouth.
Sakura did something neither boy expected. She laughed. It was rough, short and had a bit of a cackle to it. And Kami help them, it sent a small shiver down their spines. "Yep! That's right! I felt that I could try and create a new move for myself, be able to hold my own if I had to fight! Only I didn't finish it in time! Just shows that I can't hold my own, can I? Just like you two said! So there you have it! You were right, I was wrong, so get the hell out of my sight!"
"We want to help you," Sasuke said, a hint of pleading in his voice. He walked a few steps forward, before Sakura shot a death glare at him, freezing the boy in his tracks.
"A little too late now, don't you think! I don't want your help! And even if I did, there's nothing you can do now! So why don't you two fuck off and leave me alone! You've helped more than enough! I can't stand at your side, so let me sit on the sidelines in peace already!"
The raven-haired "Kizuato" Uchiha looked over at his blond-haired "Sekigan" Uzumaki counterpart. So their desire to keep Sakura out of harm's way had backfired completely. She had wanted to prove that she could stand and handle the challenges to come as an equal, not as a cheerleader. Both to them, and to herself. Now... now she was just a mess that was unable to pull herself together and worse off. And time was short. If they had just confronted her just an hour earlier, things could have gone differently.
This whole team bonding was freaking harder than it should be. Why didn't the Academy teach this sort of thing in more detail!? Or... maybe they had, and Sasuke just tuned it out like he did the other non-fighting subjects. He suppressed a sigh as he met Naruto's gaze.
And gave a nod.
The next thing Sakura felt was a hard kick to her stomach from Naruto.
What the hell!?
The blow forced the air out of her stomach as she felt herself being launched into midair. Trying to regain her composure, she only saw Naruto in her face again. In one swift motion, he brought his leg up and delivered a big heel kick down on the girl who barely had time to block with her arms before being sent crashing down into the sea below. She sank below the surface as she moved herself upright. Channeling chakra to her limbs, she got on top of the surface of the water, taking a grateful breath of air.
"Alright, Sakura. You'll get what you want."
She looked up to see Naruto standing on the water, only a dozen or so meters away. "You want to fight alongside us? You want to show us all that you can hold your own with us? Fight side by side? Fine. Let's see you prove it. Here and now."
Sakura just gaped at him, hardly believing what he was saying.
"I'm coming at you full force, Haruno Sakura. Let's see how well you can stand the heat."
Up on the deck, Uchiha Sasuke just looked down at the sight, hardly believing they were resorting to this. One could say that this was the stupidest thing they could do. Sakura was tired from training all day on this mysterious jutsu. Plus, she had the least amount of fighting experience and jutsu that she could call upon, while Naruto was not at his limit yet and had all sorts of things up his sleeves. So why were they doing this to her?
Because it didn't matter if she won or lost. That wasn't the point. It was to get the Will of Fire within her burning again. If they could push back hard enough into a corner, make her mad and get that temper of hers worked up, then she would snap herself out of this. And who knows, this type of fight might reveal just how good she was in a straight-on fight. The results just might surprise everyone.
Of course, doing this might push her further into that depressed mood of hers. Perhaps even beyond recovery? But Sasuke didn't think so. When he and Naruto had "argued" with the shapeshifter freak, Sakura had reacted quite violently. She went from a frightened little girl to a battle-ready shinobi in a heartbeat. Sasuke was betting that with Naruto pushing her like this, they would get the same effect out of her.
At least... that's what he hoped for. Because this had to work... if it didn't...
Sasuke didn't want to think about what they would do if this didn't work.
(Author's Notes) Okay... this chapter is way late! But in my defense, it was justified this time around. This chapter is twice as long as the chapters I usually aim for. I know many are eager for the beginning of the Snow Country part of this story, and I'm beginning to feel that way as well. So with that in mind, I took the next two or three chapters of material into this one. And that took awhile to sort out. Even more so when some of the scenes I had planned for months didn't come out as smoothly as I wanted. Well... hopefully you all won't grill me that hard, heh heh.
With that in mind, the next chapter will kick off the Naruto and Sakura fight, the aftermath and the beginnings of the Snow part of this story. It ought to be quite thrilling, if I do say so myself.
So... quick check... we had Naruto getting love advice from Hidero, Makino being his usual annoying self, Naruto and Sasuke having another heart to heart talk, Sasuke and Sakura almost making up (and if Tellemicus hadn't mentioned that they hadn't kissed since the Wave Country, I just might have had them do it. Maybe next time, you two...), Sakura breaking down, and Naruto and Sakura about to fight.
Big thanks to my beta, Zoneshifter D, and most of all Tellemicus, especially for the Naruto and Hidero scene. You can all thank him for suggesting the idea to use Hidero as well as helping me iron out the details of Hidero's backstory.
Katon: Kisou Karyuu (updated)--Fire Release: Homing Fire Dragon/One of Sasuke's fastest attack ninjutsu. Taking the form of a dragon made of fire, the Kisou Karyuu is designed to lock onto an opponent's chakra signature and seek it out until it hits, causing significant damage if it manages to hit. Even if it fails, it provides an ample distraction for Sasuke to attack using another means. The key to this jutsu is not high levels of control, but rather a delicate balance. Too much and it'll backfire, but too little and it won't seek at all and just fly off in a random direction. The Kisou Karyuu can last about thirty seconds before it burns itself out. (Low B-Class Ninjutsu) (Sasuke)
Karei – beauty
keigun'ikkaku – a swan among ducklings; a diamond among stones; a great figure among the common run of men
I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Also, any jutsu that Tellemicus created that are used in this story belongs to him. Big thanks to paintball-gamer for beta reading this!
