Chapter 26: Guess Who's Coming to Konoha
I'm back everybody, I'm sorry it took me so long to update but a lot has happened in the past few months. Just a heads up there may be a delay again sometime in the near future, but until then I hope you'll all enjoy this chapter. Although with Naruto having ended, I find myself wondering if I should continue the story at all. I guess it all depends on whether or not traffic on the Naruto section of the site dies off or not.
I didn't get much feedback for the Dark and Light Jak abilities but the response I did get was positive, so if I continue with the fic I will see if I can fit them in. I hope you'll all enjoy this chapter and Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah to all of you. For those of you who don't celebrate either of those I'll just wish you well.
At the Namikaze Home
How long has she been yelling? Naruto asked.
"About a half-hour I'd say," Kurama answered. Both of them were shocked by how long Anko could carry on.
As soon as Naruto had finished his story Anko had screamed, "Dumbass!" and started off on a tirade about how reckless he had been.
"…DID YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT US BEFORE YOU DECIDED TO CONTINUE THAT MISSION? YOU HAD HINATA WORRIED SICK! AND WHEN SHE'S UPSET WE'RE UPSET! IF YOU EVER DO ANYTHING THAT STUPID AGAIN I WILL KICK YOUR ASS SO HARD BLOOD WILL SHOOT OUT OF YOUR EYES!" Anko finished. Her chest was heaving as she tried to catch her breath.
"I'm sorry Anko-nee-chan," was all Naruto said in response.
With that Anko broke down in tears and enveloped her precious otouto in a hug. Iruka and Hinata, deciding that it was safe, finally came out of the corner they were hiding in while Anko was yelling. As he approached his fiancée and his little brother Iruka said, "It's fine that you're sorry Naruto, but you need to be more careful."
"I just thought helping Wave was the right thing to do," Naruto said in his defense.
"Well everything worked out for everyone so I guess it's alright," Iruka said.
Hinata, who had remained silent until now, waited until Anko let go of Naruto and stepped in front of him wearing her best Hyuuga Glare.
"Gulp, Yes Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked.
"Don't ever, poke, make me, poke, worry like that, poke, again, poke," Hinata ordered, jabbing Naruto in the chest with her index finger in order to get her point across.
"Yes dear," Naruto said meekly.
A few days later
In the middle of Training Ground 7, Naruto sat contemplating his most recent idea, a ninjutsu to corrupt other ninjutsu. As soon as he was certain that Hinata was no longer upset with him, he ran his idea past her and what he thought he needed to get it done. So for the past couple days he had been studying chakra theory, ninjutsu, genjutsu theory, medical jutsu theory, as well as practicing molding darkness into a senbon. He thought it would be wise to test this technique on a bunshin-type jutsu first as it would be less dangerous than having a projectile ninjutsu coming at him. He was shaken from his musings by his girlfriend's arrival.
"I'm here, Naruto-kun," Hinata announced.
"Thanks for coming Hinata-chan," Naruto responded.
"Are the others here yet?" Hinata asked.
"Not yet, I gave Zabuza the directions, but I don't kn- oh here they are," Naruto finished as his Mu Barrier blocked a downward swipe for Zabuza's sword.
"Dammit, so close," Zabuza lamented.
"Zabuza-sama your sword is repaired and we owe Naruto-san our lives, I really don't see why you felt the need to do that," Haku said as he arrived like a normal person.
"Yes but don't forget that he is the reason my sword needed repaired in the first place," Zabuza countered.
"Let it go Haku-san, the only way I could get Zabuza-san to help was the promise of opportunities to humiliate and or beat the shit out of me in the event that none of my tests work," Naruto explained.
"Tests of what exactly?" Haku asked.
"If Zabuza-san would be so kind as to create some Mizu Bunshins I'll show you," Naruto said. Remembering his manners Naruto said, "I'm sorry; I haven't introduced you to my girlfriend, Hyuuga Hinata."
"Hello Hinata-san, I am Haku," Haku greeted.
"You sure you want your girl to watch you screw up?" Zabuza asked.
"I've seen it, Naruto-kun is actually quite cute when he pouts," Hinata said.
I could have done without that first part. I guess she's still mad at me, Naruto thought. "Could we get started please?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah sure, what do you need me to do?" Zabuza asked.
"I need you to make a Mizu Bunshin and I need Hinata-chan to activate her Byakugan," Naruto said.
"Why the Byakugan?" Haku asked.
"My reasoning is that for this technique to work I need to affect the chakra in bunshin. Since I can't see the chakra holding the bunshin together I need Hinata-chan to tell me if my chakra is having any effect," Naruto tried to explain.
"Yeah, I didn't get a word of that," Zabuza said.
"I'm trying to create a technique that corrupts an opponent's jutsu. Hinata-chan is here to tell me if my chakra is doing that and because she and I have been pioneering these new nature transformations together," Naruto said. And she's my girlfriend, I like spending time with her, Naruto added silently.
"I love spending time with you too, Naruto-kun," Hinata said sweetly as if reading his mind.
"Okay, if you two don't stop right now, then I'm gonna leave," Zabuza said.
"Alright, could you please make a Mizu Bunshin Zabuza-san?" Naruto asked.
"Done and done," Zabuza said as a Mizu Bunshin appeared close to the pond.
"Hinata-chan, if you would?" Naruto asked.
"Of course Naruto-kun," Hinata said as she activated her Byakugan.
Once all the prep was done Naruto gathered darkness laced with chakra and formed it into a senbon. With a flick of his wrist he threw it and hit the Mizu Bunshin in the shoulder. At first nothing happened, leading Zabuza to conclude that the first test was a failure.
"Well that was a waste of time, thanks for dragging me out here kid," Zabuza said.
"Uh, Hinata-chan did you notice anything happen?" Naruto asked.
"Something happened to the chakra inside the bunshin, but I don't know if it did anything," Hinata told her boyfriend.
Haku, who had been silent for a while chimed in with a suggestion, "Try giving it a command."
"What?" was Naruto's intelligent response.
"See if the bunshin will listen to you instead of Zabuza-sama," Haku explained.
"Okay, uh attack the big guy with no eyebrows," Naruto sort of commanded.
The bunshin heard and obeyed, it raised its sword and slashed at the original Zabuza, who dodged and quickly dispatched his doppleganger.
"I don't appreciate that no eyebrows comment you little shit," Zabuza said.
"Well now's your chance for pay back, I need you to send a Mizu Bunshin to attack me this time," Naruto responded.
Oh I'll send Mizu Bunshins alright, Zabuza thought as he made a several Mizu Bunshins and sent them after Naruto.
And he's pissed, great. I wanted to try multiple bunshins after the next test but oh well, Naruto thought as he formed more dark senbon and proceeded to throw them at Zabuza's bunshin.
All those gathered saw how the clones reacted but Hinata was able to see much more than that. From Hinata's perspective, the bunshins seemed to jerk violently as Naruto's chakra seeped into their system. As soon as the chakra finished circulating and the bunshins regained control of their movements they turned on their creator who once again dispatched them.
"Are we done yet?" Zabuza asked not appreciating being used as a guinea pig.
"I just want to test one more thing Zabuza-san, I need you to send some projectile ninjutsu my way," Naruto told him.
"I'd love to see you turn this on me, Suiton: Teppōdama!" Zabuza called out as he pulled down his mask and spit out a giant ball of water at Naruto.
Naruto tossed a few of his dark senbon at the jutsu but nothing seemed to happen as the he took the projectile right in the chest.
"Ugh!" Naruto grunted as the jutsu threw him a foot backwards.
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata said as she rushed to his side. Once she helped him up and made sure he was okay she shot a glare at Zabuza.
"Hey, he's knew what he was getting into," Zabuza defended.
"He's right Hinata-chan cough I knew this would be the hard part," Naruto said. "Did my technique have any effect at all?" Naruto asked.
"I could see something happening but by the time your chakra became noticeable in the jutsu you were already on your back," Hinata explained.
"I didn't expect a senbon to have much effect on a projectile, but that's still disappointing" Naruto said.
"A senbon maybe, try more," Haku suggested.
"That might work, hit me again Zabuza-san," Naruto said as he readied a few dark senbon.
"Don't tell me what to do kid. Suiton: Teppōdama!" Zabuza called out.
Naruto threw all of his dark senbon at the speeding ball of water and it seemed to have some effect. The water seemed to slow down and shift direction before it just exploded.
"Well that seemed to do something, but I guess I'm going to need something different than dark senbon," Naruto said flatly.
"You should still be proud Naruto-kun, I thought what you did with the bunshins was impressive," a kind, elderly voice said. The voice belonged to none other than Sarutobi Hiruzen, who approached from the direction of the memorial stone.
"Thanks Jiji, I expect to do a lot with Meiton: Oshoku," Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head.
"What brings you out here Hokage-sama?" Hinata asked.
"I wanted to inform Zabuza-san and Haku-san personally that I received a reply from Kiri," the Sandaime said.
"And?" Zabuza asked.
"It would seem the Mizukage herself will be paying us a visit to get you," Hiruzen responded.
"Oh hell," Zabuza said.
"I think it's sweet that she wants to see you that badly," Hinata said.
"You obviously don't know Mei," Zabuza said.
"She's gonna be pissed huh?" Naruto asked.
"Like you wouldn't believe," Zabuza answered hoping he would survive his encounter with Terumi Mei.
I know this chapter was short and for that I apologize, but this was another transitional chapter. Also, I guess I'm not feeling it as much since Naruto ended, I mean I was mostly happy with the ending, the chubby Anko was kind of weird and I never saw the ChoujixKarui pairing coming. That being said I wonder if people will even want to read Naruto fics now that the series has ended and that in turn makes me wonder if I should continue writing this fic. I'll let you decide, but the next chapter, if there is one won't be for a while I'm afraid.
Okay enough depressing shit. Read and review and I hope that there will be a next time.
Also if Meiton: Oshoku is not the correct translation of Dark Release: Corruption then please let me know and I will rectify that.