Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Last Airbender.
Bodyguard of Azula
Chapter 38: Meeting and Discovering
"Talking"
"Thinking"
"Biju/spirit talking"
"Biju/spirit thinking"
(Location: Konoha)
Tsunade sat at her desk, working her way through the paperwork in front of her. "I need a drink," she thought. Her eyes wandered over to the sake bottle at the edge of the desk and the cup next to it. She reached out for the bottle, only to hear an angry oink come from the other side of the room.
"Oh come on, Tonton," she said as she looked at the pig. "It's just one drink." Tonton shook her head as she walked over to the desk, leapt up and sat in front of the bottle. She oinked again to emphasize her point. "Come on. Please?" All she got was an oink again. "All I'm asking for is one cup. That's all, I swear."
"You know, this is why Shizune has her keep an eye on you," Jiraiya said from behind.
She swerved to face him. "You'd better have a good reason for being here, Jiraiya. Otherwise, you're going to end up flying through that window," she threatened.
He raised his hands up in surrender. "Easy there, Princess." He looked over at the pig. "It's alright, Tonton. She can have one drink." The pig nodded once in agreement and walked away. He poured out enough for the cup. "Here you are. This is all you get."
Tsunade took and drowned it in one shot. "Give me another."
He shook his head with a stubborn set in his jaw. "No, you only get one. You do remember what's happening today, right?"
"Of course, I remember. Why do you think I'm trying to have some sake?"
"That's not funny, Tsunade."
"It was worth a shot." She glared at the cup. "Besides, I can't remember the last time they showed up for the final Exam when one of their Genin wasn't in it."
"There is a first time for everything," he remarked.
"Oh, shut up." They fell silent. It lasted for a couple minutes. "…How are they doing?" the Hokage finally asked. "You've had a month."
"They've progressed fairly well."
"Is that all?"
He looked at her. "If you wanted to ask about Naruto, just say so."
"Well?" She wasn't in the mood to play this game of questions with him.
Neither was he. "I've pushed him harder than the others. He's taken to it with minimum complaints. And apparently, I have a new nickname: the Fucking Sadist."
A little smile twitched at her lips. "That's an old one." She told him, looking back down at her cup. "We just called you that behind your back."
The Toad Sage was silent for about three seconds before he spoke again. "Well…it's nice to know someone calls me that to my front now."
"Where are they?" Due to what was going on, the only person who knew where they were was her teammate.
"I left them there and told them to keep training," he replied, not really answering the question. "I figured with what is going on today, me being with you will help out in the long run."
"…Will he be able to do it?"
"You know as well as I do how much he hates him."
"But at the end, if he can't kill him…?" She left the rest of the sentence hanging, still doubting the blonde could do it.
Jiraiya didn't have such problems. "Tsunade, he agreed the moment I told him who he was supposed to kill. He'll be able to do it, probably with pleasure."
"I guess you're right." She finally put the cup down. "So, while you're with me, who'll watch them?"
He turned to look at the pig. "Tonton, could you…?" She shook her head. "It's just for a short while." She oinked in the negative. "Look, if you're worried about her," he pointed his thumb at Tsunade, "don't be. I'll keep an eye on her, promise." She thought it over. After a few minutes, she nodded in agreement. "Thank you. Could you come over here for a minute?" She walked over to him and allowed him to put a note in her collar. She hopped off the desk and walked through to the open door.
"Alright, pour me another, Jiraiya," Tsunade declared, grabbing the cup. Now that her pig was gone, she could indulge.
"No," He refused. "If I do, she will find out."
"Oh, come on, it's just Tonton."
"Pardon me if I have a healthy respect for your pig. She is the only creature I know that can make Tora go back to the daimyo's wife willingly."
They stood in separate parts of the training ground. Zuko was meditating underneath the cold waterfall, soaked to the bone. Sokka was meditating next to the fire, making him sweat. Naruto sat on the edge of the stream, looking over a scroll. Compared to what they had been through, this could've been a slow day. They might've indulged in relaxing, but their focus remained sharp.
Sniffing something in the air, Akela stood up. "What is it, Akela?" Sokka asked as he opened his eyes. Zuko opened his eyes as well and Naruto put the scroll down. They all noticed a nearby bush rustle. Sokka and Zuko put a hand on their swords. When they saw a pig come through the bush, they were surprised; they just managed to keep it off their faces (and kept the hand on the hilt).
"Tonton, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked as he stood and lit a cigarette. She oinked at him and showed him the note. He walked over, took the note out, open it and read it.
Guys
I must be seen in public with the Hokage for a few hours, and since I need all of my chakra to you all nowadays, I can't use a clone. So I'm having Tonton keep an eye on you for a while.
Just stick to the training regime.
Jiraiya
"Well, that's seems pretty simple," Sokka noted.
"Hold on, there's a postscript."
Akela
If you're thinking about turning the pig into a snack, don't. I'm fairly certain Tonton will have no trouble kicking your furry rear. I'm also sure she will do it with pleasure.
Akela, who had eyeing Tonton, now looked at her with a small amount of fear. She took one step towards him and he swiftly backpedaled.
"The wolf being afraid of the pig," Naruto said. "You've gotta admit, that's funny."
"It's hilarious," Zuko replied. He did find it a little funny. Usually, the pig would be afraid of the wolf.
"So then, we keep to the regime," Sokka said.
"He did say that." And with no warning, he leapt out from under the waterfall, swords in hand, swinging at Naruto's head. Sokka joined him by thrusting his jian at Naruto's stomach.
He blocked both by using his own jian and a stray kunai. "Not going to give me any warnings, huh?" the blonde asked jokingly as he took a drag with his free hand and blew smoke in their faces.
"Why would we?" Sokka asked back. The forest around them grew loud with the din of a free-for-all.
Azula stood in the Academy's backyard. Since something special was going on, classes started later, leaving her alone. She had her daggers out and stood in front of one of the training dummies. Ever since she and Zuko fled the Fire Nation, she constantly practiced her dagger skills. She lunged at the dummy, slashing and stabbing. She went through the sets and moves Naruto had drilled into her head. She did them repeatedly.
Finally, when she was done, the training dummy looked like a dog had all but torn it to shreds. "I guess Naruto instructing me did actually help," she remarked, sheathing her daggers. She walked back onto the street, where she saw everyone bustling around in a hurry.
"Hey, Azula!" called out Kiba. She turned her head to him and saw he was standing near a wall with his team as well as hers. "Come over here."
"I'm coming, I'm coming." She walked over to them. "What's this all about? People look like they're either trying to clean up their house or their business." She had seen plenty of that when she left the hotel to head to the Academy to train.
"That's because today is the day that the foreign heads of state and such come in today," Shino explained. "They come to the final Exam to see how the participants will do. It also helps attract clients for the villages of shinobi."
"It's also a good event for gambling," Hinata told them as they all left the Academy backyard and headed onto the streets.
"Yeah, you should see the odds," Kiba agreed.
"Odds?" repeated a confused Aang.
"A way of betting money," Azula told him before turning her attention back to Kiba. "What are they like?"
"Most of the odds are on Naruto winning. But the odds on Sokka and Zuko have them losing."
"Ha! Damn right they will!" a voice shouted in the street. They turned and saw that it was the team from Kusa. "They'll be dead within five minutes," Suigetsu declared.
"And you are who, exactly?" Suki asked.
"We are the other Genin team that made it to the final Exam," Jūgo answered.
"So Sokka and the others will have to face off you guys?" Katara asked for clarification.
"Man, they'll be able to win easily," Toph declared.
"What did you say?!" Suigetsu roared at her. It might've been scary for someone else.
But considering everything they had been through, they weren't all intimidated. "You heard her, didn't you? Or are you deaf?" Azula asked.
The glare she got was brief. "Get your facts straight, you midget," he snarled at the blind Earthbender. "Team Avatar will be dead by the time we're done with them."
"So, you're going to kill us too?" Aang asked. These guys were really making him scared now. It was all he could to keep his nervousness off his face.
"Of course not, you idiot," Karin said condescendingly. "You don't concern us."
"But if you want to find us after the Exam…?" Suigetsu left the question hanging, which scared Aang even more.
"Suigetsu, enough," Jūgo said.
"Ah, don't worry, I won't kill them. There wouldn't be any fun in it. Let's keep moving." He walked away with a confident swagger, his teammates behind him.
No one turned their eyes away until they were out of sight. "That was…a little intense," Katara remarked.
"Are you kidding? That was nothing," Azula said.
"Yeah, that was normal," Kiba agreed.
"You have got to be joking," Aang said, almost shouting at them. "Did you not see how he was looking at us?"
"Sheesh, Twinkle Toes," Toph said back. "Toughen up a little, will ya?"
"Toph is right. If you keep acting like this, you will not last long here," Shino agreed.
"We're not going to stay long after this," the Air Nomad told him.
"We know."
"Anyway," Azula said, cutting off the conversation before it went any further (she had done this plenty of times in the past month). "Are the heads of state going to come in a parade or something?"
"No," Hinata answered. "They'll come in a procession. Nobody will stand in a crowd and watch them walk in. Most of them will be led to their suites in the hotels."
"Most of them?" repeated Suki with a curious tone to it.
"A few of them will be greeted with by Lady Tsunade."
"Can we go watch?" Katara asked. "It might be interesting."
"Only you would find it interesting," Toph remarked. She thought it was going to be very boring.
"Actually, I would like to see it as well," Azula said. "It is always interesting to see politics play out."
"You mean for you," Aang accused her in a somewhat joking manner.
"Comes with being an ex-princess," she said with a shrug. She turned to back to Hinata and her team. "So, can we?"
"Well, we know a spot," Kiba answered. "You'd have to stay quiet and stay still."
"We can do that. Let's get going."
"Follow us."
Tsunade stood at the gates with Jiraiya at her side and a group of shinobi behind her. Though they didn't turn their heads to see it, they could hear Kurenai's team bringing Azula and the others into the group. "They shouldn't be here," Tsunade whispered to Jiraiya.
"It's their choice," he whispered back. "Besides, this might help out in the long run."
"We'll see." They stopped whispering as they saw people coming towards the gate. This was where they had to pay attention; the backbones of the other Great Shinobi Countries were coming.
In other words, the Kazekage, the Mizukage, the Raikage, and the Tsuchikage had come to Konoha.
The first group was a familiar one. "Greetings, Lady Tsunade," Gaara said as he stood in front of her with his retinue behind him. "Lord Jiraiya."
"Gaara," Tsunade greeted in return.
He gestured to Temari and Kankurō. "You know my sister and brother?"
"Yes, but I'm afraid I do not know who the other two members of your party are," she said, looking at the members in question.
"This is my sensei, Baki, and my student, Matsuri." Baki was a tall man. He wore a cloth around the top of his head and let the end cover the left side of his face. He had two red tattoos on the right side of his face and wore his headband around his forehead. He wore the Suna flak jacket, which was beige, had shoulder padding and pouches over the stomach. Matsuri wore the same jacket, minus the shoulder padding, over a dark shirt and skirt. She wore stockings, black gloves, and arm-guards. Due to the fact of how close she stood next to Gaara, the two Sannin knew she was more than a student to him.
"Nice to meet you," Jiraiya said before noticing someone else. "Who is this?" he asked, looking at a person whose face was hidden by a hood.
Gaara was about to tell them when the hooded member spoke. "I'm surprised you don't recognize me, Lord Jiraiya, considering I acted in your movie."
"Acted in my movie?" He looked closer, trying to see her face. "Koyuki Kazahana, is that you?" he asked once he had a glimpse.
She smiled and lowered the hood, revealing the daimyo of the Land of Spring. "It's good to see you again, Lord Jiraiya. And it's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Tsunade," she greeted the Hokage.
"Lady Kazahana, why are you traveling with the Kazekage?" she asked.
"I still have trouble trusting Yukigakure shinobi. So, I traveled with Lord Gaara to come to Konoha."
"This would be your first time seeing a Chūnin Exam, yes?"
"Yes."
"Why come now?"
She smiled. "I think we both know the reason."
Tsunade and Jiraiya did indeed. It had to do with a certain blonde. "Fair enough, I hope you enjoy Konoha." She smiled and nodded.
They walked on and let the next group come forward. "Well, well, if it isn't the Toad Sage and the Slug Princess," the short, old man with the hat of the Tsuchikage said. His beard was done triangularly, and his mustache had angular corners. The top of his head was bald and the hair in the back was done up in a top-knot held by a yellow ribbon. His eyebrows were thick, and his nose was big and red. He wore a green and yellow coat that had a red collar. Underneath the coat, he wore the flak jacket of Iwagakure and mesh armor over a shirt and pants.
"Ryōtenbin no Ōnoki (Ōnoki of Both Scales)," Jiraiya greeted the Tsuchikage politely. "It's been some time since you have come here."
"You make it sound like I want to be here." His reply was as grumpy as his expression.
"If that's not it, then why are you?"
"To see the value of potential enemies," he answered.
"Geez, old man, can't you say we came to see their Jinchūriki in action?" the girl behind him asked. She had black hair and wore her headband around her forehead. She wore a red shirt with the right sleeve missing. She wore the same flak jacket as Ōnoki, which was brown, had a pouch over the stomach and a sleeve that covered her left arm, showing only the black gloves she wore.
Once she had uttered those words, two killing intents were directed at her. "If I were you, young lady," Tsunade growled. "I would refrain from calling him that in Jiraiya's or my presence."
"Why should I?" she asked back with cocky defiance. "We know what Jinchūriki means."
"Kurotsuchi, be polite. She is the Hokage," the third member of the group, a large man with big cheeks and a pump nose, told her. He wore a red shirt and pants along with a flak jacket. He had on a scarf and wore his headband like a bandana.
"I don't have to be polite to her, Akatsuchi. I don't follow her. Besides, aren't our two villages considered enemies?"
"But she is still someone to respect."
She clearly didn't believe that. "Enough!" Ōnoki shouted, cutting her off before she could speak again. "The two of you are going to give me back pains. You may be my granddaughter, Kurotsuchi, but that does not mean you can be disrespectful to the other Kages. You will apologize to the Hokage right now."
"Alright, old man, I'll apologize." She turned to face Tsunade. "I'm sorry, okay?" Even they both knew she really wasn't, Tsunade and Ōnoki let it slide. The Iwa shinobi walked on and the next group came forward.
"Lady Tsunade, Lord Jiraiya, it's an honor to meet you," the woman with the hat of the Mizukage greeted them. She was slender and quite fetching too. She had auburn hair that fell to the back of her ankles. She had also tied some of it into a top knot and some of it also covered her right eye. Her visible eye was green. She wore a blue dress that fell to just below her knees. Underneath the dress, she wore mesh armor. She also wore a belt around her waist with a pouch on the back. She wore high-heeled sandals along with shin guards that went up over her knees.
"Mei Terumī, we are glad to welcome the Fifth Mizukage to Konoha," Tsunade greeted her.
"Your efforts to bring Kiri away from its dark past are becoming well known," Jiraiya complimented her. If this had been any other time, he would've been grinning perversely at her. But this wasn't the time. He might be a Super Pervert, but he also knew when to rein it in.
"You flatter me, Lord Jiraiya. However, I would like to discuss trading and political ties with Konoha," the Mizukage said to them both.
"I'll be sure to meet with you," Tsunade promised.
"Thank you. May I introduce my guards, Ao and Chōjūrō?" Ao was a middle-aged man. His hair was blue and pointed upwards. His right eye was covered by an eye-patch. He wore talismans from his ears, and he wore a striped, grey suit with a green haori over. Chōjūrō also had blue hair, but his was tufty. He wore square, black-rimmed hair over his dark eyes. He also wore a blue, pin-striped shirt and camouflage pants. On each pants leg was a shuriken holster. He wore a holster bearing his headband over his shirt. Strapped to the back of the holster was an odd-looking sword covered in bandages, save for the two handles.
"That's the Hiramekarei, isn't it?" Jiraiya asked Chōjūrō, looking at the sword. "You're a member of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist, aren't you?"
"U-um, yes, I am," he answered hesitantly.
"Chōjūrō, how many times have I told you to be more confident?" Ao snapped at him.
"Enough, you two," Mei said. "Please do not fight in front of our hosts." She paused and looked at Chōjūrō. "But Ao is right, Chōjūrō. You should be more confident."
"Yes, Lady Mei." They walked on and the next group came forward.
"Lord Raikage, welcome to Konoha," Jiraiya greeted the man wearing the hat of the Raikage.
"Jiraiya, Tsunade," he curtly greeted in return. He was a tall man with dark skin. He had a very muscular build, like he worked out constantly. He wore his blond hair combed back and had a small mustache as well as a beard. He wore simple pants and no shirt, just a haori over his upper body. On his arms were thick, golden bangle bracelets. He also wore a gold belt that had the face of a boar engraved upon it.
"Boss, it doesn't hurt to be polite," one of his guards told him. The guard was tall and dark skinned as well. He had shaggy white hair while also having a lazy look. He wore a sleeveless, high-collared uniform with baggy pants. He wore the Kumo flak jacket, which was white and had only one strap, over the uniform. On his left shoulder was a tattoo of the kanji for lightning, while on his right shoulder was the kanji for water.
"Darui, why are you telling Lord A what to do?" asked the other guard. His skin was white, while his hair was blonde and his eyes were dark. He wore a black shirt and pants with the flak jacket over the shirt. He also wore black arm-guards that ran up to his elbows as well as red and white shin-guards over sandals. He wore his headband on his forehead.
"Hey, I'm just saying, C," Darui replied.
"Darui, C, be quiet," A ordered them.
"Yes, Lord A," they replied.
"And not a word out of you, Bee," he warned the fourth member of their group. The man had a muscular build, same as the Raikage and also had dark skin. He also had blonde hair, which was combed back, and a goatee. He wore oval sunglasses, so no one could see his eyes. The cloth on his headband, which he wore on his forehead, was white. On his left cheek was a blue tattoo of two bull horns and on his right shoulder was the kanji for iron. He wore a simple pair of dark pants, which had two white straps on each leg. On his arms were hand-guards and on his legs were shin-guards, both were red and white. Instead of a shirt, he wore a flak jacket and a white scarf. He also wore a long red rope belt around his waist. On his back, strangely enough, were seven swords.
"Please, brother. You think Killer Bee is gonna speak? You'll use your Iron Claw and I won't see for a week," he replied in a rapping style. For those who hadn't heard his rapping, they just looked at him like he had sprouted a second head.
"Damnit Bee, how many times have I told you to stop rapping?!" the Raikage shouted at him.
"Do I have to count? Because if I do, I'm sure you'll punch my lights out."
"Killer Bee, as entertaining as always," Jiraiya greeted him.
"Lo and behold, I see a fellow member of getting knocked out cold. Jiraiya the Toad Sage, you look like you haven't changed. Fool, ya fool."
"…Your rapping still needs work."
"Is that little Uchiha in town?" Bee looked around as he spoke. "I want to go at him again and knocked him to the ground."
"That's not why we came here, Bee, and you know it," the Raikage told him.
"I assume you are here for the same reason the other Kage are?" Tsunade asked.
"Of course, it is," a new voice spoke from behind them. "That's why we came too."
Everyone turned to see who spoke. They were both surprised and shocked to see it was Kisame. But he wasn't alone. All the known members of the Akatsuki were there as well. They all became alert when the recognition finally seeped through. The guards from Kumo stood in front of Bee, ready to defend him.
"What are you all doing here?" demanded A. "Are you all so confident that you'll try to take him in broad daylight?!"
"No," Itachi spoke. "That was not our intent at all."
"Then what are you doing here? Especially you, Itachi?" asked Tsunade. "It's almost like you want us to try and take you."
"If you do that, then Amegakure will have no choice but to declare war on Konoha," a different voice announced. The person speaking could not be seen, but people could tell it was a woman just by the voice.
Jiraiya froze. Not only did he know the voice belong to a woman, but he had heard it before, when it sounded much younger. "Konan, is that you?" he called out.
The members of Akatsuki were surprised by the fact Jiraiya apparently knew the person talking, although they were able not show their surprise on their faces. "Stand aside," the person ordered them. They backed away. The person was indeed a woman and quite a beautiful one too. She had blue hair, amber eyes, wore lavender eye shadow and had a labret piercing. In her hair, she wore a paper flower. Her facial expression was a neutral one. Whatever she wore was covered by the cloak of the Akatsuki covering her.
"It has been a long time…Jiraiya-sensei," she said.
"Did she say Jiraiya-sensei?" the other shinobi asked silently in their heads.
The only exception was Tsunade. "I remember you," the Hokage said, looking at the woman. "You were one of those orphans Jiraiya took care of."
"Indeed I am, Lady Tsunade," she said, bowing her head once to the older woman.
"Why are you here? And why do you wear the cloak of the Akatsuki?"
"I am here on the behalf of Amegakure. Our leader has sent me to observe the Genin who have made it to the final Exam," she explained. "These men are my guards. So if there are any attacks on any one of them, I will consider it an attack on Ame."
Both Tsunade and Jiraiya tensed. Even though she didn't out right say it, they knew what she meant. She had essentially declared that Ame was in the hands of the Akatsuki, giving them political power and that she was here to watch Naruto. If she was here on behalf of Ame and the other members of Akatsuki were her guards, it meant they were under the protection of diplomatic immunity. If anyone tried to attack them right then and there, it would ignite a war between them and Ame.
That was something the two of them did not need now. "Very well, we welcome you to Konoha," Tsunade finally said. "But know that if you or your guards attack anyone, we will treat as an attack as well."
"Do not worry, Lady Tsunade. We are only here to watch, nothing more." She started for the village proper.
"What happened to the other two, Konan?" Jiraiya asked her.
She stopped but didn't turn to face him. "…They died, a long time ago." She walked into the village and the other members followed her. The shinobi from other countries watched on as they walked down the road before hesitantly following them.
"This might complicate things," he sighed as they heard the shinobi behind them disperse.
"Only if they try something," Tsunade replied.
"Tsunade, the Akatsuki have taken control of Ame, you know what that means."
"I know."
"Not even the three of us were able to beat him," he reminded her. He could still remember that day with perfect clarity, how they survived was the clearest.
"I said I know, Jiraiya." She did know. It was an almost scary thought. Someone had been able to take control of Ame away from the same person who had given them the title of Sannin. Someone had killed Sanshōuo no Hanzō (Hanzō of the Salamander).
They had finished the free-for-all a little while back. Now they were working on evasion. It was Sokka's and Akela's turn, as they dodged kunai and shuriken from Naruto and fire from Zuko. Had it been the beginning of the month, they might have been able to dodge the fire, but that would've been it. Now, he got the odd kunai or shuriken while the wolf dodges them completely.
"When is my turn going to be over?" he asked as he ducked under a fireball.
"Less complaining, more evading," Naruto told him, throwing a kunai and a shuriken at the same time.
They all heard Tonton oink behind them, but they didn't turn around. They heard someone come through the bushes. "I'm back," Jiraiya announced. "Did Tonton keep an eye you guys?"
"Yes, she did," Zuko replied.
"Were there any troubles?"
"Well, there was this one part where Akela tried to attack her. She punched him so hard, I think her hand bruised," Naruto remarked, keeping a straight face.
"How can Tonton have a bruised hand?" Jiraiya asked dryly. "She's a pig."
"Alright then, you're the real Fucking Sadist," the blonde said, still keeping the straight face.
He grimaced. "Don't call me that."
"It's better than Pervy Sage."
"I agree with him," Zuko said.
"The same here," Sokka stated. Without warning, he grabbed his boomerang and threw it at Jiraiya. He quickly sidestepped, letting it fly past, and ducked to avoid a stream of fire from Zuko. When he stood up again, all three of them were coming at him with swords drawn. Zuko came in low, Sokka came up the middle and Naruto swung high.
He quickly pulled out two kunai and managed to block all three of them. "You've taken the lessons to heart," he said with approval. "You can go now, Tonton. I'll take it from here."
Tonton nodded and walked into the bush. As she trotted away, she heard the sounds of metal clashing, Jiraiya shouting "Ranjishigami no Jutsu (Wild Lion's Mane Technique)!" and Naruto all but screaming "Watch his hair! Watch his hair!"
Azula stood against the wall as the students walk into the schoolroom. "What are you doing here?" one of them asked her as they sat down in the seats.
"Azula is here because she requested something of me," Iruka told the class. "She is interested in learning more about the previous Hokages." That was partially true. She wanted to know about a specific Hokage, the blonde haired one. It took her a bit, but she realized that was the same person she had seen in the swamp.
"How does that concern us, Iruka-sensei?" another student asked.
He smiled at them. "You are the students. You're supposed to learn the information I tell you. Why don't you tell her about the Hokages?" That got a chorus of groans from the students. "If you like, we can make it a pop quiz." That silenced the groans. "I thought not. We'll start with the Shodaime Hokage. Who can tell me about him?"
One student stood up. "His name was Hashirama Senju," she answered.
"What was he famous for?"
"Well…he helped found the village."
"What else?" he pressed her.
"Um…he…uh…"
"He was also known for his use of Mokuton (Wood Style)," another student said, standing up as the first sat back down.
"He was a Woodbender?" Azula repeated, trying to make sure she hadn't heard wrong.
"In a sense, yes, he was," Iruka told her (he had been briefed about Benders from Tsunade after the meeting she had with her). He turned his attention back to the student. "Who succeeded him as the Nidaime Hokage?"
"His brother, Tobirama Senju," the student answered promptly.
"What was he famous for?"
"He created the Academy, the ANBU, the Chūnin Exams and the Konoha Military Police Force."
Another student stood up. "He was also a master of Suiton (Water Style) Ninjutsu. He could create his own water out of the thin air or from himself. He could also perform complex techniques with a single handseal," she said as the other sat down.
"Very good, and who succeeded him as Hokage?" Iruka asked her.
When she didn't answer, another student stood up. "He passed on the title of Hokage to his student, Hiruzen Sarutobi, in the midst of the First Shinobi World War."
"What was the Sandaime Hokage famous for?"
"He has fought in all three Shinobi World Wars and he trained the Sannin."
"Is that all?"
"No. He also knew all the forms of shinobi combat and had complete mastery over them, which earned him the title of Professor. He was also the holder of the Monkey Summoning Contract."
"And who succeeded him?"
"He was succeeded by Minato Namikaze but retook the position after the Yondaime Hokage had died." This was where Azula really started paying attention.
"And how was the Yondaime Hokage famous?" Iruka asked.
The student sat down and another stood up. "He was known throughout the Shinobi world as Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō (Konoha's Yellow Flash) due to his use of the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique). During the Third Shinobi World War, enemy had flee-on-sight orders if they had ever encountered him."
A third student stood up. "He's also famous for defeating the Kyūbi sixteen years ago. But he died afterwards and the Third Hokage had to step in again."
When she heard that, Azula froze. She started to remember things she had heard or seen before, small things about Naruto that seemed inconsequential at the time.
For a brief moment she would have sworn she had seen a head of a large fox snarling behind him.
"You know how I always think that Naruto has two auras?"
"What did I do? Am I really a demon? Why do they keep hurting me?"
"I am responsible for the hell he's been through."
"It sounded like he had woken up from a dream. Then he started to talk to himself. I didn't hear much but I did hear the words 'Akatsuki' 'Jinchūriki' and 'Yonbi'."
"He's never told us about his past."
"I came to these lands so I could leave my past behind me."
"Like the fact you thought you were a demon when you were a child?"
"There was an incident when I was born. As a result, the village lost its leader and many lives. Because I was born on the same day, they took it out on me."
"…I'm sorry I kept things from you, Azula. But I didn't want you to know about them."
"I heal quickly."
"No one heals that quickly!"
"I do."
She sighed. "This is one of your secrets, isn't it?" He just nodded. "You're going to have tell me them someday."
"Maybe, but it's not today."
"All I had were my past experiences and they're not something I like to remember."
"Does he not realize what the necklace is for?"
"Geez, old man, can't you say we came to see their Jinchūriki in action?"
"Azula, Azula are you alright?"
"What?" she said, coming back to the rest of the world.
Iruka looked at her with concern. "I asked you if you were alright."
"Yes, I'm fine." She turned to the class. "Thank you for all you've said." She bowed shortly to them all.
"So, you learned everything you wanted to know?"
"Yes. I have to leave now. Goodbye." She left the room before he could reply. She all but ran out of the Academy and back onto the street. "Naruto and I need to have a talk, right now!" she thought to herself. It was easier said than done. She didn't even know where he was.
"I saw Lord Jiraiya a few hours ago," she heard a woman nearby speak to her friends. "He walked right past the hot springs and into the nearby woods."
"What's wrong with that?" one of her friends asked.
"This is Lord Jiraiya, the man who peeps at women in the hot springs whenever they are in. I have never known him to just walk past a hot springs when there were women in it. It kinda makes me concerned."
"You mean didn't know?" another friend asked her.
"Know what?"
"Lord Jiraiya is training Naruto Uzumaki and his teammates for the final Chūnin Exam. They've been living in the forest near the hot springs for a month."
"Well, isn't that helpful?" Azula thought to herself as she made her way to the hot springs.
Jiraiya had them stand in the water and practice the forms over and over. They had done this countless times during the month, so they had gotten used to it. They had also gotten used to the fact that Jiraiya would randomly strike at them, seeing if their concentration would break.
He walked in front of them, watching them carefully. Without warning, he threw a punch at Sokka. He deflected the punch and kept going through the forms, like nothing had happened. "Better," Jiraiya simply stated. He kicked Zuko, who blocked it and kept on moving through the form. Without saying anything, he pulled out a kunai and swung it at Naruto. He disarmed him, tossed the kunai away and kept doing the forms.
He kept on randomly attacking them for the next half-hour. Every time, they would block, deflect or disarm him. They've done it so many times during the month, it had become a reflex. "Alright, that's enough. You guys can stop." They relax their bodies but kept their minds on alert. It wouldn't have been the first time Jiraiya would tell them to stop, only to suddenly attack them.
That was what alerted them. "Hit the ground!" Zuko cried out. They all ducked as a large fireball sailed over their heads and hit a nearby tree, setting it ablaze.
"Did anyone else notice that fireball was blue?" Sokka asked. For some reason, he had a feeling something dangerous was coming towards them.
"Trust me, I saw it too," Naruto told him. "And I only know one person who can do that." They all looked up and saw Azula standing at the edge of the training ground with a very angry expression on her face. When she looked at Naruto, she snarled and threw another fireball at him. He leapt back into the surrounding bush to dodge. They could all hear the footsteps getting fainter. She growled and went after him.
"Should we go after them?" Sokka asked.
"Not when Azula is like that," Zuko told him. He had been on the receiving end of that attitude to know better now.
Naruto had managed to distance himself away from the training ground with Azula on his heels. They finally stopped in a small clearing. "Azula, what's the matter with you?" he asked as they circled one another.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, bending another fireball at him.
"Tell you what?" He dodged it and still kept his distance
She bent a stream of fire at him. "What, did you think it was something only you needed to know about?"
"You're not making any sense," he told her as he rolled out of the way of the stream.
"Stop lying! I know everything," She bent a barrage of fireballs at him. He ducked low and moved forward. Reaching out and grabbing her wrists, he yanked them downward, stopping the barrage.
"What are you talking about, Azula?"
"I'm talking about the fact that you have a demon sealed inside you and you never bothered to tell us!" she shouted. The clearing fell quiet as the shout echoed in the trees.
"…How do you find out?" he finally asked, his voice turning quiet.
"I didn't put it together until today. I had asked Iruka about the pervious Hokages. He, in turn, asked the class and they told me. When they got to the Yondaime defeating the Kyūbi, things started to make sense."
"What do you mean?"
The details came out in a cold, precise manner, but with heat underneath the words. "You told me that there was an incident on the day you were born and people blamed you for it. When you were a child, you wondered if you were a demon, so that must have meant people thought you were one. You left this land behind to escape your past, which means that your experiences with this place had become too much, and you wanted to go somewhere people didn't know who you were. I also know that you talked to yourself when you think you're alone and somehow, the words 'Yonbi' and 'Jinchūriki' mean something to you. But the Yonbi, which sounds similar to Kyūbi, was not the one to attack Konoha, so that must mean you are not the only one."
He was silent for a minute before letting out a defeated sigh. "You always did have a keen eye," he said, praising her. "On the day of my birth, the Kyūbi attacked the village. The Yondaime Hokage sealed it inside of me to save the village and sacrificed himself in the process. A Jinchūriki is someone who holds a Bijū inside of them. I am the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi."
"Why didn't you tell me or the others?" she demanded once he had stopped.
"What was I supposed to say?" he asked back. "That I had a fox seal inside my stomach that had the ability to destroy the Fire Nation if he felt like it? That there was a chance that he could take control of my body and go on a rampage?"
"Hey, we have an agreement," the Kyūbi protested. "I don't take over your body unless you're unconscious and we're in the middle of a fight." And since that never really happened anymore, he didn't take control.
"She doesn't know that, Kyūbi. I'm using it as an example," his Jinchūriki silently replied.
"Did you think that we would treat you differently if you did tell us?" Azula demanded, yanking her hands out of his grip.
"Yes! That's why I left in the first place!" he answered, raising his voice to match hers. "Everyone kept looking at me with hate, disgust or fear and the first twelve years of my life, I didn't know why. I couldn't make any friends because parents kept telling their kids to stay away from me. I was beaten on a regular basis, and I couldn't even go to a hospital to get treated, they would just throw me out. Do you think I would want to go through that again in a new land after I had just left it behind?"
"It would have been different!"
"How would you know that? The reaction would've been the same. If I had told you, odds were that you would've wanted nothing to me. You'd just look at me like I was a freak. So yes, I didn't tell you about what I held. But can you blame me?"
The forest all around them echoed with the silence that followed. "…I know you wanted to keep this a secret," she finally said. "But I'm also hurt that you didn't think I would be able to see you as human and not a demon. If you can't trust me, how can I trust you?"
"What are you talking about, Azula?"
"You are not my bodyguard anymore. If I can't have your trust, you will not defend me," she declared in an authoritative voice.
Never once had he expected to hear those words come from her mouth. "What? You can't mean that. I've been protecting you for three years!"
"And you've been keeping secrets from me. I've been tolerant of that, but I can't take it anymore. Until we can trust each other, we're done."
He looked like he had been slapped, having understood what she meant by done. "Azula…"
"Naruto, please just don't." She turned her back on him. "Let's just leave each other alone for now, okay?" She didn't wait for an answer. She walked into the bushes and away from him.
He stood there, listening to her footsteps getting fainter. "You okay?" the Kyūbi finally dared to ask.
"I've just been effectively dumped over you, Kyūbi. Do you think I feel okay?" he asked back, still sounding like he couldn't believe it.
"Um…would me saying sorry make you feel better?"
"Not really, no."
"I figured as much."
It had been two days since the Kages and the daimyos had arrived. It was the day of the final Exam and the arena was packed. People had literally fought in the streets over tickets leading to the day. Some (mostly shinobi) had been smart enough to get a ticket a month beforehand.
"Hey, there are some seats over there!" Kiba declared as he, the other members of the Konoha Eleven in Konoha and the Team Avatar walked into the stands. There was indeed an empty row of seats, which looked like it could seat everyone. They all sat down (proving the assumption true).
Up in the Kage box, all five of the Kages had been seated and waited the beginning of the Exam. "This will be a very interesting day," Mei remarked. She could already see that the stands were packed.
"If anything, at least we'll be able to see a couple of good fights," Bee rapped. "Seeing people get beat down will make us feel alright."
"Bee, knock it off," A told him.
"Where are Konan and her 'guards?'" Tsunade asked Jiraiya in a whisper. The Toad Sage stood behind her chair, like a guard keeping watch.
"They have a private booth and are being constantly monitored," he quietly answered.
She nodded in acknowledgement and looked down at the field. She saw five people waiting behind the proctor for the beginning of the Exam. Meanwhile, others were doing the same thing. "Why is Sokka wearing a cloak and hood?" Aang wondered aloud. Sokka was indeed wearing a dark cloak with the hood drawn over his head. They could because he was talking animatedly with Zuko and because Akela sat on his haunches by his side.
"I guess we'll find out," Suki replied.
"Have you noticed?" Tenten quietly asked Shikamaru.
"Yeah, I did," he replied. "It's a drag."
"What are members of the ANBU doing here?" Kiba asked the others as he looked and noted the location of each ANBU member (Akamaru was too big to come with him now, so he stayed home).
"Perhaps for extra security?" suggested Neji. "All five of the Kages are here."
"But the last time ANBU was posted as security during the final Exam, we got invaded," Ino pointed out.
"Something's going to happen," Tenten said. "We'll have to be ready."
Everyone agreed, everyone, except Hinata. "What is the matter, Hinata?" Shino asked her.
"Something is not right," she said as she kept looking around the field, obviously trying to find something.
"There are ANBU stationed all around the arena," Chōji pointed out.
"I don't mean that. Look down at the field." They did so and immediately saw what she meant.
"Hey guys, we're not the only ones who're seeing this, right?" Katara asked the rest of them.
"Trust me, Katara, we're seeing it too," Kiba assured her.
As a matter of fact, everyone in the arena noticed it too. Down in the field, standing behind the proctor, were Zuko, Sokka, Suigetsu, Karin and Jūgo. There were only five people there. Soon, everyone in the arena, including the Kages and the 'delegation' from Ame (with the exception of three people) all had the same question.
"Where is Naruto Uzumaki?"
End
Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you have sent me.
If you think that it was stupid of me to have the Akatsuki reveal their control over Ame, stop and think. By doing so, they gain political power and the ability to make trade deals and treaties with other countries. Also, a 'delegation' could go right into another country and probably get away with whatever they do due to the diplomatic immunity they have.
I like to think that Tonton is more than just a pet pig. She is how Shizune keeps an eye on Tsunade when she's not in the room. All-in-all, a good line of thumb is be afraid of the pig. Be very afraid of the pig. If you don't believe me, I have one word for you: Pumbaa.
Yes, Azula has finally figured out what Naruto's little secret is. I couldn't keep that locked away forever, you guys would kill me. But it wouldn't have been any fun if the entire group learned about it at the same time. Plus, I wanted to have Naruto and Azula to have a serious argument.
If any of you think that my writing of Killer Bee was not up to snuff, I apologize. I don't really listen to rap, so it's kinda hard for to figure out how he should rhyme.
As for the reason Sokka is wearing a cloak with a hood covering his face and the fact Naruto is not there, you'll just have to wait and see.
I'll see you all next chapter!