a/n: Hi and gomenasai! It's the one and only kisha. I know I've been on an extended break but please don't fret. I've been... productive. While most of my time has been spent reading/watching FmA brotherhood, I've also been busy working on my own original projects and juggling college hellfare inbetween. It's also made me realise a few things too.
I'm like an automobile. I need gas to work. I can't be motivated to do something without the proper amount of feedback and support. Fanfiction is free. We do not pay to read or write. However, if an author should provide you with a good piece of work, it's equivalent exchange to give said author something in return, isn't it? Even if it's a nude pic of Cate Blanchett ;) (you can send that to my e-mail)
I do not want Ultimate Naruto to end; it's a great story with a truckload of potential, but I AM tired of this shitty one-review-a-chapter piece of crap. If you're a reader, then Fix this; if you actually give a damn about the future of this story.
Whichever you choose, take this as my heartfelt easter gift for being away for so long.
Forgive the length, have a good read and do make sure you ball so hard.
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Chapter Thirteen
The Cursor One
Theme song: Niggaz in Paris (Kanye and Jay-Z)
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It was a truth that despite his unhealthy disposition, Tazuna really did live big. Although the same couldn't be said for the majority of Wave, which appeared as a poor, river-logged, back-water country; the Dozuki home was a rich duplex which the contractor claimed to have built himself. Obviously, he had more money than he let others believe.
Naruto had wanted the man to up their fees then and there but Kyuubi had reminded him that they were only staying till Kakashi recuperated, and that Tazuna might really be penniless; seeing as most of his time and money had been dedicated to the construction of the bridge. The man did indeed love his country.
The members of team three were seated at the front porch of the house, wading their legs through the surrounding crystal water, when Tsunami; the builder's daughter, rushed out to meet them, yelling some gibberish about their 'sensei' and 'awakening'.
The genin cheered and rushed straight to the guest room; estatic. Their instructor had a lot of questions to answer, after all.
Kakashi was propped up on his futon when they arrived, a small cellphone held open in front of him. His lone, tired eye rose to acknowledge them; shawl still draped loosely around the bottom of his face.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
"Yare, yare. Not to loud, y'know. I'm still a bit under."
"Men, were you out of it!", Naruto grinned as they gathered all around him, "We had to drag your fainted ass into a speedboat then haul it all the way down here. Didn't know a sack of bones could weigh so much."
Kakashi shrugged then flipped his cellphone shut, "Mah, it seems there's no reception out here."
Kyuubi scoffed, "Way ahead of you on that one, sensei. According to Tazuna, Gato had also taken control of Nami no kuni's telecommunications. You'd have to subscribe to his company to make calls or receive e-mails around here."
"Ah, I see."
At that moment, Tsunami and her father walked in. Tazuna smiled in joy upon seeing the jonin awake and gave him a thump on the back that almost knocked him out again.
"Good to see you alive, Kakashi! You gave us quite a scare!"
"Did I now?"
The engineer nodded before settling next to his daughter. They then did something that was traditionally out of the blue and bowed to the mercenaries in the room.
"I don't know if I would ever be able to thank you for what you have done for me", Tazuna begged humbly, "You all saved my life so I will gladly give mine in return! Please, enjoy my brutish hospitality for the rest of your stay!"
"Thank you for protecting my father", Tsunami calmly added, "I know not of the details of your mission but I am eternally grateful. If there's anything you need of me, please, do not hesitate to ask."
Blood trickled down Naruto's nose as the brunette spoke, which he quickly wiped off on his sleeve. Tsunami-chan was almost as beautiful as Mrs Uchiha, and just as MILFy. It didn't take long for his mind to start conjuring weird, mental figures in different positions of strain. Kyuubi eyed him suspiciously.
"You're welcome?", Kakashi said in reply, a bit more embarassed by the attention. Tsunami smiled at him.
"Do you, perhaps, have a working phone?", he asked, "I need to contact HQ and my pager was probably destroyed along with my car."
The woman shared a quick look with her father before speaking, "There is a payphone still operating within the depths of the city. I can take you there when you're rested up?"
"That would be wonderful." He then turned towards the only person who hadn't spoken a word but had since been watching him rather intently. "Sasuke?"
"Why do you have the sharingan, Kakashi?", the Uchiha spoke, straight to the point.
Naruto cringed. That topic was usually a very painful one for his friend.
The jonin also seemed to realise this because he regarded his student carefully, "It was a gift from a friend. Or rather a curse; considering how quickly it runs through my chakra levels. It's the reason why I can't turn it off."
"And my clan members are okay with you possessing it?"
"Hmm, I won't say. The Uchiha at work were never so articulate with their words. But stuff like this is more common in the mercenary world than you think."
"Er, what exactly is this sharingan?", Kyuubi asked.
"It's an eye technique", Sasuke replied calmly, "ingrained in the DNA of the Uchiha family. It grants the user a wide spectrum of abilities; among which is hypnosis, like sensei's capable of using."
The girl nodded, remembering the earlier battle with Zabuza. Although, she wasn't exactly thrilled by its appearance, there was something about that dojutsu that irked her more than a little bit, "Is it really that powerful?"
Naruto scoffed, "Meh. Not if you know how to get around it."
Sasuke smirked at him, "Like you do? I've never seen you getting the drop on nii-san before."
"Then it means you're gonna be needing spectacles soon, Sasuke-teme."
Kakashi smiled at their squabbling before turning to the builder.
"Tazuna-san. I'd like to speak to you privately, later on."
"Oh, what is it? There's nothing I know that my daughter doesn't."
The jonin narrowed his eyes, but before he could speak, he was interrupted by a sharp sound coming from the door. They all turned to see a small boy hidden there, wearing a large, white hat. He fled down the hallway when he noticed he had been spotted.
"Oh, excuse my son; Inari", Tsunami said, getting up, "He's a bit shy. I'll get started on breakfast, you seem to be pretty famished."
Tazuna also excused himself, leaving the members of team Kakashi all by themselves.
"You were wanting to say something, sensei?", Sasuke asked.
The jonin raised an eyebrow, "Hmm? I wonder what it was..."
Kyuubi sweatdropped, "You're not being exactly convincing, you know?"
"Maa, we'll meet out in the back then, after we've had breakfast. I'm starved. Now excuse me, I have some reading to catch up on."
And he whipped out his little, orange book, grinning pervesely even as he turned the first page. The genin fled the room lest they get infected by him.
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"Zabuza-san."
Two figures were crouched over the hulking man, who was wrapped in bandages and strapped down to a metal bed. He glared up at them, eyes red with gleaming malice.
"Haku. Suibachi. What is the meaning of this?"
"It's for the best, Zabuza-san", the shorter, stubbier one answered. The two men had discarded their ANBU masks, which were now hanging on a rack by the wall. "Your blood pressure has increased yet again and it is putting immense strain on your pericardium. I warned you about the consequences of drug abuse."
"I will not ask again. What is the meaning of this?"
"Zabuza-san", the taller one intervened, "The good doctor here is worried about your health and has placed you on medication. Please, calm down, it is only for a while. You're hyperventilating..."
But the Mist demon had easily snapped the binds like paper and was now ripping the IV tubes from his arm. The shorter one backed away in fright.
"I only allowed you to join this venture, Suibachi", he growled, "because Haku vouched for your superior medical skills. We've lost the demon brothers. I have no problems losing you..."
He reached for the man but was prevented from doing so by the other.
"Get out of my way."
"Zabuza-san. Please, calm down."
The demon tried to stand but his legs gave way and he fell back to the bed.
"Don't just stand there, then. Go get me my satchel!"
Haku frowned, "I won't allow you to take that drug anymore, Zabuza-san. I won't allow you get hurt."
"Haku? What are you..."
But a senbon had driven into his neck, as before, forcing him to collapse back on the bed.
"What did you do that for?", Suibachi asked, terrified, "He'll butcher me the moment he wakes up!"
Haku didn't answer, choosing instead to arrange the hulking man in a more comfortable position.
"Since all else has failed, I will resume my old alibi", Haku instructed, "I will try to obtain as much information as I can. In the meanwhile, please continue Zabuza-san's rehabilitation. He's in no shape to fight Copy-cat Kakashi again as he is now."
The doctor nodded, "What about Gato? He's been getting increasingly demanding. We can't ward him off forever, he tried calling like sixty times yesterday!"
"Leave Gato to me. Instead, worry about Zabuza-san. I will contact you if I find anything but you have my number. Do inform him my whereabouts when he wakes up."
And then he was gone; leaving Suibachi alone to stare warily at the demon of the Mist.
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Kakashi was leaning on crutches when he came out to meet them; his battle with Zabuza obviously taking a greater toll on him than he let on. He eye-smiled at them and leaned against a tree, nestled deep in the woods they had chosen.
"Ah. Nothing like fresh, country air; away from the caustic fumes of the city."
"The air smells like sea water here, sensei", Kyuubi growled.
"What can I say? I love it."
Their teacher stayed that way; breathing in and out for a good twenty minutes until Naruto got irked and asked him, "What the fuck did you want to tell us then?"
Kakashi looked up, as if just noticing them for the first time, "Oh yes. What I wanted to say? Stay true to yourselves and never abandon your dreams."
"Eh?"
"Ha ha", the jonin laughed dryly, "Don't worry, I was only kidding. I wanted to teach you something today."
The blonde immediately got stars in his eyes.
"What is it? What is it? Is it the water dragon? Or maybe that bad-ass water twisting jutsu? Or... I knew it! You want to show us your eighteen styles of taijutsu!"
Kakashi sweatdropped, "Ah. No, Naruto. I only wanted to teach you chakra exercises. Every other jonin would have done so long ago."
The blonde frowned at the thought. He was already capable of using jutsu and really didn't have time for much else. After watching Zabuza and Kakashi's battle, he was beginning to realise just how far behind he was. Chakra exercises? Now, that was just bullshit.
"What kind of exercises are you talking about?", Sasuke asked, "We already know most of the basics; we've been taught to mold chakra and form seals since we were kids."
Kakashi sighed before telling them to watch carefully. He then proceeded to stroll all the way up the side of a tree and up to its branches, without involving his hands. And the most amazing part; he was still using crutches!
"Okay, I'll say it since no one else wants to. That was awesome", Kyuubi said, impressed.
Sasuke scoffed, "Hn. It's no big deal. My family do it all the time."
From his position upside down the branch, Kakashi began speaking, "I commend you all for your bravery so far in this mission. You've all done well considering this is the first time you've been put in such situation."
"Nah, forget it, sensei. It was nothing."
Sasuke gave his teammate a blank look, "Nothing? You took the longest to get up at the dock, scaredy cat. I'm even surprised you didn't end up glued to the ground."
"?... Shut up, teme!"
Kakashi smiled before interrupting, "However, the truth is you're still nowhere close to where you'd need to be. Kyuubi; your taijutsu is impressive and you're pretty quick but your blows are far too weak. You'll find yourself in a pinch should you face a stronger, even slower opponent. Naruto; you waste too much chakra on each jutsu you perform. Regardless of your high stamina, some battles are won by articulate use of chakra over time and you; Sasuke, it will help make you a more well rounded fighter."
"This exercise is tree walking and it is an extension of chakra manipulation and control. With pinpoint release of chakra, you can increase the strength of your blows and the speed of your movements. It's the basic of all mercenary programs and..."
The jonin sweatdropped when he realised that three had zoned out on him. Kyuubi was tweaking her phone while Sasuke and Naruto were squatting; playing a game of go fish.
"(Sigh) It'd also help me teach you how to cast delayed jutsu."
The genin perked up at that.
"Delayed jutsu reactions? Like what you did? You should have said so earlier, sensei."
"Alright, now focus chakra to the soles of your feet. We will begin right away."
Unlike the manner Kakashi had made it seem, the tree walking exercise wasn't exactly a walk in the park. They hadn't gotten very far on their first try (Naruto hadn't even managed to stick to his tree at all) and by noon, all three were a sweating mess; panting violently on the ground.
Kakashi; who had been catching a quick nap, raised an eyebrow at them, "Tired already? This wouldn't do at all."
His blonde pupil groaned and turned on his back; staring up at the trees. He had done pretty well (by his OWN prejudiced standard). He'd managed to cover a quarter distance; a bit less than Kyuubi's but still good nontheless. He turned towards Sasuke's part and nearly lost his jaw in shock. No way! Sasuke's covered over twice as much as mine!
"Ah, I could use some lunch about now", taunted Kakashi, stretching to his feet and grabbing his crutches, "I'm heading back to the house now."
Naruto's stomach grumbled and the blonde almost took bait until he saw Kyuubi and Sasuke going at the exercise again.
Shit. At this rate, they'll be leaving me behind.
Uttering a string of curses at Kakashi's retreating back, the blonde began molding chakra once again. He was only doing this in order to learn delayed jutsu; that, and it would be cool to arrive at school, hanging off of the ceiling.
Dusk came and the three genin were still going at the exercise. Kyuubi had been racing up the tree (it was easier to go at it at a run - damn that Kakashi for not telling them that) when her legs gave away and she toppled off the trunk. She grabbed a branch reflexively which saved her from a horrible fall.
"You alright?", Naruto asked, as she landed rather undignifiedly. She was sure she still had chakra to spare. In fact, lots of it, judging by the manner her feet glowed with the residue, but try as she might, she just couldn't conjure the strength to stand. Despite her reserves, she didn't have the strength to go on. Nor the endurance; since she was now pretty certain that the tendons in both legs had been worn to almost beyond repair.
"I'm fine, Naruto", she hissed, though her visage seemed to declare otherwise.
Upon confirming that she wasn't in any immediate danger, the blonde resumed 'tree-running' once again.
Kyuubi sighed wistfully as she watched him and Sasuke go at it - 'so much for not wanting to be looked down upon by my male counterparts' - though she did notice the sheer weariness that perfused Sasuke as he followed suit. Soon, he too was toppling to the ground although he broke his fall in an even less dignified manner than Kyuubi.
The girl burst out laughing though one glare from him caused her to look away and start whistling innocently. Naruto seemed to notice that he was the only one with the energy to go on; he still hadn't managed to surpass his teammates' marks, yet he allowed himself to topple to the ground, landing in a clumsy heap before grinning good-naturedly, "Ouch. I think I'm beat."
Kyuubi understood that Naruto didn't want to hurt their pride. His grin alone was enough proof that he still had the energy to go one more day. Silently, she thanked him for his thoughtfulness. They'd all worked hard. It was time to rest.
Sasuke too seemed to understand what Naruto had done because he cursed at the blonde and called him a dobe. Kyuubi rolled her eyes, marvelling at the odd kind of friendship they shared. Rather than show weakness or concern for one another, they resorted to insults and fist-fights. The masochists. Really, it wouldn't take too much for one to just say 'Thank you' or 'I care'.
The members of team three remained on their backs, watching the last of the sun disappear over the horizon, before the Uchiha grunted and got up.
"We should head back. We missed lunch, don't wanna miss dinner too."
Naruto perked up at the thought of food and began packing his belongings. Kyuubi tried to get up only to realise that both her legs were cramped. She cursed.
Her teammates were ready and waiting for her and when Sasuke raised an eyebrow, she uttered innocently, "Go on ahead. I'll be right behind you."
The Uchiha nodded and began walking but Naruto gave her a dubious look.
"Wait a minute, what's wrong with your legs?"
Kyuubi cursed. Sometimes it was easy to forget just how perceptive her loudmouth teammate could be.
Faster than she could blink, he was before her; his eyes of intense blue burning into her scarlet ones. In that moment, a lot was passed between them.
"Don't you dare, Naruto", she hissed.
The blonde ignored her and turned to his friend, "Oi, Sasuke, help me with my stuff, will you?"
But the Uchiha had already gathered both their articles long ago and was now trudging wearingly towards the house.
Bastard, Kyuubi thought.
Naruto made to reach for her and the girl bared her teeth at him, "I swear to God, if you touch me, Naruto, I'll..."
But he grabbed her waist causing Kyuubi to lash out with a foot, which he dodged before he maneuvering her into his arms, in a bridal style carry.
"Let me go! Let me go!", Kyuubi snarled, struggling in his grasp. Kami forbid the day she was made to look weak before her teammates.
An irritated Naruto gnashed out, "Hey, no way we're leaving you here! Now, hold still! Or I'd drop you on your ass!"
The girl briefly wondered when the blonde had developed guts to talk to her in such manner but she continued her struggle, resulting in her being dumped on the ground... on her ass.
Before she could lash out, she was picked up again; in a fireman's carry this time, her butt exposed to the air. She blushed in humiliation.
"Na-ru-to", she growled, thinking up different ways to decapitate the blonde when he finally dropped her. Her nails sharpened involuntarily.
However, all that was forgotten when he turned to grin at her. It was brighter than ever before and - damn, no one should be allowed to possess such impeccable white teeth.
"I'm sorry, Kyuubi-chan! But don't you worry! I carry teme like this too all the time!"
Said teme threw him a weak glare but the girl chose not to reply; rather becoming increasingly aware of the fact that sometime along their training, Naruto had discarded his hoodie. She was now carried flush against his naked upper body, her hair curtained all around them. She blushed again, though this time not from humiliation.
The journey was uneventful after that and soon they'd arrived in front of the house. Naruto set her lightly on her feet and crossed his arms across his face, afraid she might hit him. Kyuubi smirked. At least, he was scared of her.
"I'm not going to hit you, Naruto", she purred, batting her eyelashes at him.
The blonde raised an eyebrow dubiously, "Meh."
She began to retreat into the house only to turn and strike with her foot, catching him on the upside of his head. The blonde toppled to the ground.
Before she could celebrate her victory however, the door burst open and a slouching Kakashi stood there.
"What are you guys waiting for? Dinner has just begun."
That was all Naruto needed to hear, and he was up again and zooming into the house; Kyuubi's earlier transgression already forgotten.
His two teammates began following at a much more wearier pace, when Sasuke made an observation;
"Your leg; it's healed."
Kyuubi shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe I just wanted someone to carry me home."
The Uchiha didn't buy that, and he asked again as they walked towards the dining, "Then what about the wound you got on our way to Wave? And the headshot Zabuza inflicted? Did you also fake those? You must be a good actor then, to conjure and vanish blood at will."
Kyuubi stiffened at his words but she was saved from answering by Tsunami, who ushered them to their respective seats after having fussed over the state of their clothes.
The redhead had just pulled herself a chair when, out of the kitchen, walked a slender girl, carrying a tray in her arms. Kyuubi gaped. How on earth could someone look that beautiful without a single touch of make-up on!
Naruto fell out of his stool at the sight of the brunette while Sasuke colored and averted his gaze. The redhead growled. Those pigs! So, they do have some libido, after all.
"Why, thank you, Haku. Just put that on the table over there", Tsunami directed the newcomer.
The girl, now known as Haku, placed the dish before Tazuna and Inari, then looked for a place to seat. Naruto and Sasuke both coughed embarassingly before slightly nudging their stools sideways. The girl flashed Naruto a smile then took a seat beside him; her arms folded demurely on her lap. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed at the gesture.
A quick prayer was said by Tazuna before everyone dug in. They all had to admit; Tsunami was indeed a very skilled cook. The vegetables were cooked perfectly and the lobsters were well seasoned and tender to the touch.
"Oh, it was nothing. I did have Haku's help after all; what a wonderful recipe!", Tsunami gushed as Sasuke complimented the meal.
Inari; who was still wary of the mercenaries, was gaping at Kakashi, who was making the food on his plate disappear without taking off his shawl. Naruto, on the other hand, was being the perfect gentleman. He wasn't slobbering down his meal as was usual, and treated Haku with great care, passing anything she needed. Kyuubi sighed. If only he was that charming.
Tazuna belched - the mannerless dog - and directed a question at the new girl.
"Haven't seen you in a while, Haku, but that was before I travelled, anyway. Would you like to help out at the bridge starting tomorrow? We could use your numerous talents."
"Of course, Tazuna-san."
Naruto perked up, "Whoa, help out at the bridge? Why would a girl as cute as you want to go anywhere near a construction site?"
Said girl stared curiously at him, "It seems you mistake me, Naruto-kun. I am a boy."
Sasuke's spoon missed his mouth by several inches; splattering lobster stew all over his shirt, but it was Naruto's reaction that was the most iconic, as the blonde regurgitated his mouthful back onto Haku's kimono. The table's occupants cringed at the sight, except Kakashi, who giggled behing his book. It seemed he had known the 'girl's' true gender all along.
Kyuubi; who had been sulking earlier, brightened and grabbed Haku by the arm, "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up and away from this crazy bunch."
He didn't object, leaving the two boys to gag and try to compose themselves. Kakashi chuckled and lowered his book, holding his bowl out towards a scandalized Tsunami,
"What a delightful meal! Can I have some more, please?"
The matron graced him with a smile.
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Kyuubi stood by the sink, wiping a seated Haku clean with the aid of a wet napkin. The girl, no, boy - she could definitely feel the lean muscles underneath his kimono now - watched her with an amused expression as she went diligently about her work.
"You really don't have to", he joked shyly, "I'm not a little girl, you know."
Kyuubi gave an un-ladylike snort, "Tell that to my adled teammates. You've got looks that most little girls wouldn't even dream of having. Do you get this a lot?"
Haku seemed to ponder for a moment, "A bit, actually. Though, this is the only time I've ever been blatantly courted by a fellow man."
Kyuubi laughed for the first time since the mission began, "Courted? My, my, you sure are old-fashioned."
He smiled, "Pardon me, but what do the locals use these days, milady?"
She laughed some more, "'Hit on' is more like it. Though, you'll have to forgive my teammate. He's straighter than a graph sheet normally, or so I think."
She finished with his kimono and began rinsing the napkin at the sink.
"You're not gay, are you?", she asked, fixing him a look.
The boy; who was in the process of getting down from his spot, shook his head, "I pray not. Do you have something against them?"
"Nah, not really. I just thought it would be a waste, is all."
"How so?"
Kyuubi fixed him with a coy look, and leaned over the counter, one finger pressed up against her chin, "You're too cute to end up with something other than a lascivious woman."
Haku flushed instantly, his long lashes shading his eyes. Kyuubi smirked at the sight. He really could pass for a naive young woman.
He dropped unsurely to his feet and wrung his hands, searching for a topic to bring up, "Um, where exactly are you from? Tsunami-san mentioned that none of you are from around here."
The girl cocked her head, wondering how much to tell him, "Well, we are from the Fire Nation. We, er, escorted Tazuna here as..."
"Bodyguards?"
At Kyuubi's horrifed look, he gave her a placating smile, "Don't worry, Tsunami-san mentioned that too. I find it pretty awful that someone would try to assassinate a man whose intentions are nothing but pure. It's saddening."
There was a genuity in his eyes as he said that, something that made Kyuubi warm up to him even more.
"So, what about you, then? I take it you grew up here?"
"No, not really. I moved here a few years ago after..."
He paused and cast his gaze elsewhere. Something in his stance made the girl realize that this was not a road he frequently ventured.
Steering away from uncomfortable grounds, she changed topics with ease.
"If you've been here a few years, then it means you must be familiar with the landscape, right?"
Haku smiled, "Yes. Nami no kuni is a beautiful place... or used to be. It still has some incredible landmarks though, despite its small size."
"So, you wouldn't mind showing me around?"
The boy looked a bit taken aback, "Well, I... I guess."
"Great! Then you can come pick me at lunch tomorrow."
"You seem to give me no choice", he mused wryly.
"Please", Kyuubi said, brushing past him, "When you live with the people I do. You tend to take any chance you get to escape the madness of it all."
They walked back to the dining where Naruto and Sasuke were now involved in a foodfight with Kakashi, Tazuna cheering them on. Tsunami looked like she could die from shock.
The redhead face-palmed while Haku blinked in surprise, "I think I get your point now, Kyuubi-san."
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Naruto was first to rouse the next day. Leaping to his feet at the crack of dawn, he headed out the house only to find Kakashi seated on the roof, his cell phone raised high into the air.
"Sleep well, Naruto?", the jonin asked.
He nodded.
"Where are you heading to, then?"
"Meh, just wanted to get some training done. I don't have all the time in the world, after all."
"Ah, I see. What about your teammates?"
"Still asleep. They were pretty out of it, yesterday. Besides, I'm the one lagging behind." He eyed his teacher skeptically, "How long have you been up, sensei?"
The jonin smiled cheekily at his student, "Train hard, Naruto."
He was gone in a burst of smoke.
As the blonde left for the woods, he couldn't help but wonder. If Kakashi-sensei had been staying up on guard duty all night, did it mean that Tazuna was still in danger? It would be real easy for Gato to throw another assassin at him, after all.
With a newfound ferocity, he began the tree-running exercise. Their sensei was in no shape to battle should another threat come up, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. He really needed to get strong. And fast.
Some minutes after breakfast, Sasuke and Kyuubi came out to join him. He spared them a cursory nod before continuing his training.
"Here", Sasuke said, tossing him a package, as they raced up the trees. Naruto caught it without breaking stride.
"You packed me breakfast?", the blonde asked, reaching his limit and flipping deftly off his trunk.
"No", Sasuke said, going on a little further, "Kyuubi did. I was busy cleaning up the mess we made last night."
Naruto looked over at his other teammate who was steadily rising up her own tree. Silently thanking her, he downed the meal in two glomps before resuming running once again.
By noon, team three had begun making progress. Kyuubi was now easily the lead amongst the three of team; Sasuke coming a close second. Naruto was unbothered, however. He had doubled his progress since yesterday and that was all that mattered. Besides, he was now truly beginning to get a feel of his chakra. Ever since learning kage bunshin, his chakra had become somewhat... denser. It was harder to mold, harder to shape, harder to do anything with compared to back then when he was still learning the transformation technique. With kage bunshin no jutsu, he didn't particularly need any extraordinary chakra manipulating skills; he just threw it all out.
But tree-running was different. His chakra seemed to have expanded somewhat. To be expanding even. It now needed a totally different level of control. He wondered briefly if his body was making up for the strain his latest technique put on it regularly or if it was something else altogether. He'd have to ask Kakashi about that later.
Kyuubi was first to alight; an hour after noon, which was a bit unusual, considering how much she disliked being shown up by her male counterparts. Naruto halted his run to stare at her, not even realising that he was now balancing horizontally on the trunk of his tree.
Her skin was sweaty and flushed and her hair clung to her shoulders in ways that could make many a man go wild. He had always known Kyuubi to be attractive. Beautiful even; but sometimes, due to her brashness, it was easy to overlook the fact that Kyuubi was a girl. A sexy, stunning, helluva lot of girl.
Her body had contours that most fourteen year olds could only hope to dream of, and though she was a bit taller than girls her age (she could easily look Sasuke in the eye), she made up for that with a sensuality and grace that seemed almost ethereal.
There was also something about the way sweat dribbled off her chin, coming to pool in the valley between her upper breasts, which had a pinkish hue exactly like the softness of her lips...
"How are you doing that, dobe?"
He was startled out of his thoughts by Sasuke, who was watching him warily from a branch nearby.
The blonde realized belatedly that he had only been hanging upright by chakra alone just as he lost his hold, plummeting rapidly to the ground below.
"Oww..."
He awoke to see Kyuubi before him, her concerned eyes boring deep into his. Sasuke was hovering some ways behind her, trying hard to mask the worry etched on his face.
"You alright, Naruto?", she asked, "You were pretty out of it."
The blonde nodded dumbly before helping himself up. He would have died of embarassment had anyone known the reason behind his fall. Although, judging by the way teme was looking at him, then at her; he seemed to have an idea.
"Here", Sasuke said, passing him a water-bottle, "You have to tell me how you managed to do that trick with your chakra."
Naruto waggled his eye-brows at him, "Isn't the answer obvious, teme? I'm just awesome like that."
Kyuubi grinned at the two of them before picking her bag, "Unfortunately, I have to cut this session a bit early. I'm supposed to meet someone."
"Who?", Sasuke asked
The redhead blushed and cast her face aside, "Haku."
"What?", Naruto blurted, "The gay dude?"
Kyuubi frowned at him, "He is not gay, Naruto. He's a bit androgynous but that's it. Trust me, he likes women as much as the next guy. He was supposed to show me around the city today."
"So, you're going on a DATE with HIM? He's, like, waaay older than you! You don't even know ANYTHING about him! Other than the fact that he loves dressing like a girl!"
Kyuubi growled, "I swear, Naruto, if you're trying to irk me, you're doing a pretty good job at it. What do you care who I spend my time with or not? Besides, I'm the one who asked him to show me the city! Not the other way around!"
Naruto spluttered, "W-what? We have a mission! You can't just go gallivanting around when there's a builder we're supposed to protect! For all we know, this Haku guy could be the enemy. Tell her, Sasuke!"
But the Uchiha had shied away, wishing to be excluded from this potentially catastrophic discussion.
The redhead glared at the blonde, "Gallivanting? That's what you think I'm doing?"
"I'm just saying, Kyuubi. Look, you're not really thinking right here. Maybe, one of us should come along with you or somet..."
A loud smack resounded across the clearing.
Naruto touched his cheek, a surprised look crossing his face. Kyuubi glared at him, her palm stinging, red-eyes merging into two pits of blood.
"I hate you."
With those three words, she was gone, leaving the two boys staring stupidly in her wake. Sasuke turned to his friend,
"You really suck ass, dobe."
"Shut it, teme."
XXXXXXXXXX
Kyuubi was seeing red as she surged up to the house. Damn that Naruto! Just when she was beginning to appreciate him as a teammate, he ended up saying things so hurtful, it made her detest him even more. Her father had been right. Nothing good could ever come out from a street urchin.
She met Kakashi at the doorway and bowled him over even as he tried to say hello. The jonin picked himself up and gathered his crutches, wondering what had managed to get her so riled. He hoped it wouldn't be something he'd have to lecture on later. His sensei never had to deal with any of this from Rin.
The doorbell answered his question moments later as the young man - Haku, right? - stood patiently at the other end. According to Tazuna, he lived just a few blocks down. He had moved to the Wave some time back and had been a hit with the populace ever since. Kakashi regaled him with a lazy brow.
"Er", the boy blushed timidly, "Good day. I'm here to see Kyuubi, Mr. Hatake-san."
"Hmm, Kyuubi, eh? Well, come in then. Of course."
Feeling too lazy to walk to her room, Kakashi yelled in a jaunty voice.
"Kyuubi~, you have a visitor!"
When she didn't answer, he sighed and went to knock at her room.
Immediately, the door was pulled open and a furious Kyuubi rounded on him, "WHAT?"
Kakashi cringed and replayed his message.
"Oh, Haku?", the pitch of her voice mellowed out, "Tell him to give me a minute. I'll be right down."
The door was slammed in his face.
Muttering something about not being her butler, Kakashi hobbled back to the living room intent on killing time by making Haku extremely uncomfortable. He sat down opposite the youth and fixed him with an unnerving gaze.
"Er, is something wrong, Mr Hatake-san?", Haku asked nervously.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed at the question. The boy flushed and looked down at his fingers.
It was another ten minutes before Kyuubi arrived, hair brushed down and looking moderately refreshed. She noticed the tension in the room and hissed at Kakashi, pulling Haku up by the hand.
"Uurgh! These men will drive me insane! Let's leave this madhouse!"
The jonin smirked as they walked out the door.
"Be sure to be back by six~", he sang.
XXXXXXXXXXX
"Shit!"
A grunt resounded around the forest as Naruto fell to the ground once again. Sasuke paused mid-tree-stride to raise an eyebrow at his friend.
"Maybe we should continue with the normal exercise, dobe", he suggested.
Naruto glared in response and focused his chakra once again. He tried strolling up the tree only to fall once more after three steps.
Sasuke; who had slid back down in order to gather momentum, glanced lazily at his friend.
"Face it, back then was a fluke. It'd take more training before you change this exercise from tree-running to tree-strolling."
"Shut up! I stuck on that tree a while ago! I can do it again!"
"Maybe you're not in the right emotional state?"
The glare was getting pretty old, though Sasuke didn't bother to comment on it when Naruto resumed his personal experiment once again. Running up his bark, he didn't pay attention as his friend fell for the nth time.
Then, n plus 1.
n plus 2.
n plus 166...
"That's it! I give up!", the blonde growled, gathering his accessories into his knapsack. He started limping back home; Sasuke regarding him disinterestedly.
"Maybe you should apologize when she gets back", he suggested.
"Like hell, teme! She's the one that hit me! I ain't cutting her slack just 'coz she a girl!"
"Just saying. You've been beating yourself over it ever since she left."
A middlefinger was his reply. Sasuke briefly considered cutting the offending appendage off with a kunai.
"Suit yourself", he remarked instead.
Naruto grunted and left the glade.
The blonde couldn't even begin to describe how pissed he was at the moment. Everything that had happened so far was stupid.
Stupid Wave mission. Stupid tree-walking exercise. Stupid delayed jutsu. Stupid Kyuubi...
Kakashi was at the door, waving a nonchalant greeting, but Naruto didn't notice, breezing past the jonin and knocking him to the ground.
"Ahoy, watch where you're going, Naruto!"
The blonde blinked as if rousing from a daze, "Oops. Sorry, sensei."
The jonin nodded, brushing himself off before hobbling out the door, "It seems you need to let off some steam. Why don't you come with me? I need to make a call."
"Oh, okay. I'll just change first."
Twenty minutes later, the two men had departed the Dozuki home, trudging steadily along the grimy streets of Wave. Naruto grimaced.
Despite living his entire life as a riff-raff; in the sleazy and barely habitable slums of Konoha, Naruto was not prepared for the the level of degradation now unfolding before his eyes.
The streets were dirty and caked with muck, looking about thirty years of age. Few houses were in habitable conditions and that was only to be said of those that were still standing. Everywhere they turned, beggars and urchins lined the streets and Naruto cringed at some of the scarred faces he saw. The smell of weed was prominent in the air.
Obviously, Tazuna lived in the better part of the city. A part reserved for those still managing to live above the viscous circle.
"Why are we here, sensei?"
Kakashi held up an address, "Tsunami-san directed me to the phone booth here. I really need to contact HQ. For protocol's sake."
"Won't they already suspect that something went wrong on our mission?"
"Mou. Highly unlikely. There's a fifty percent chance that all merc assignments go awry. It's standard call for an ongoing mission to sit on the burner for about three months before the operatives are declared M.I.A. The only way assigned objectives are reviewed is if the administration has been notified of changes. So far, as long as HQ is concerned, we're still escorting Tazuna to the Wave."
Naruto nodded as they took another turn into far murkier streets, "And you want to call for backup? But I thought we defeated Zabuza! Unless the old geezer is still under plausible threat?"
The jonin looked at his student shrewdly, "Gato is the one after Tazuna-san's head, Naruto. Not the demon brothers. Not Zabuza."
The blonde furrowed his eyebrows, "I know that. It's possible for him to send waves upon waves of assassins. But I still feel you're hiding something from us, sensei."
The jonin eye-smiled, "Hmm? I wonder what."
They arrived at Tsunami's address, which was a non-descript wall with a land-line attached to it, marked with red paint. Naruto whistled as they approached the phone.
The line had been cut.
"I thought Tsunami said that it was a secret booth?", he asked, "A hidden line set up by a few, righteous community men?"
Kakashi only narrowed his eyes, crumpling the paper in his fist, "It seems like someone got here before us. Someone knows of our desire to use this line."
Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Sabotage?"
"No, Naruto. . . Espionage."
XXXXXXXXXX
Sasuke grunted as he completed one more run up his selected tree. He smirked as he viewed his progress; one more day and he'll be able to cover the length of the highest trunk easily. In two, he'd be able to cover it in a walk. Then, Kakashi would probably teach him to cast delayed jutsu.
Sighing, he sat back on his haunches, massaging the soles of his abused feet. He was reaching for his handy water-bottle the moment his spine stiffened.
Sasuke stilled. Years of Uchiha training had thought him never to doubt his sixth sense, and all six senses were currently tingling. Somebody was watching.
Getting gingerly to his feet, he cursed silently when he realised he was lacking his weapons pouch. Of all the times.
Not knowing what else to do, and impatient to disclose the identity of the eavesdropper, he pocketed his hands and grunted out.
"Don't waste my time, I know you're there. Come out now and show yourself."
A rustle of the leaves caused him to turn, only to find...
"Inari?"
The little boy was looking ashamedly at the ground, unable to meet Sasuke's eyes. He seemed embarassed at being there.
Sasuke had begun opening his mouth to castigate him when he caught movement from the corner of his eyes. Without thinking, he leapt aside, narrrowly dodging the thin blade that sliced through the air.
Skidding protectively in front of Inari, he rose sharply to meet the gaze of a slightly older bespectacled boy, whose blue hair clashed violently with the evergreen. He frowned.
"Who the hell are you?"
Rather than grace him with a reply, the boy thrust his katana at him.
"W-where is Konji-senp-pai and Ya-Yasahara-san? What have you done w-with THEM?", he yelled.
Sasuke raised a dark eyebrow, "Konji-senpai? Yasaha... What are you talking about, you lout?"
But 'blue-boy' didn't give him another second; leaping with deadly accuracy at the Uchiha's throat. Sasuke pushed Inari out of harm's way before flinging himself backward, tracking his feet solidly along the grass.
It was already apparent who was the quicker among the both of them and Sasuke felt defenceless engaging a sword without weapons of his own.
Thinking fast, he swerved to his left, intent on redirecting the fight away from the clearing and into the woods, where he could have a bit of an advantage. His plan was halted, however, when his opponent materialized before him, a blur of blue compared to the surroundings.
They moved quickly, Sasuke adroitly staying just beyond the reach of the blade. He dodged the first couple of strikes but the third was precise, scoring a thin cut just on his right side. The Uchiha cursed.
Executing a series of backflips, he weaved similar, successive attacks before flipping high onto a tree branch and trudging through handseals.
He formed the handseals a bit tardily; enough time for the boy to fire off a kunai in his direction, which he sloppily dodged, causing it to graze the side of his neck.
Smirking, he jumped back to the ground, evading a sword blow once again. It was obvious that his opponent was pretty skilled; well trained, even, and combined with the upperhand, the battle didn't seem like it would last too long.
As such, Sasuke tried to lull the boy into a false sense of security. Just enough to make him seem like a rookie compared to this seasoned assailant.
He narrowly avoided another blow and lashed out with a powerful foot, forcing the boy back some paces.
"W-where are t-THEY?", he stuttered, reminding Sasuke of a particular white-eyed heiress, "Where i-is the r-rest of my team?"
The Uchiha sneered. Most likely, this was another assassin sent by Gato; in league with the other three they had already defeated. That said, he would have to buy Inari some time so the kid could go get Kakashi.
He glanced at where the boy lay; eyes painfully wide, as he watched the two mercenaries dance their deadly tango.
"Your team, you say?", he taunted haughtily, "Wonder where they might be? Have you tried calling the police?"
He almost bit his words when the boy flew at him again but this time, the attack was clumsy. Obviously, he had gotten confident with his skill and the mediocrity of his opponent.
Sasuke waited till the last second before spinning around the attack, stunning the swordsman in the process. To his credit, 'blue-boy' recovered quickly, reversing his grip to try for a back thrust at him. The Uchiha gritted his teeth as the blade dug into his palm, drawing some blood.
He slid towards Inari, backing the terror-stricken boy.
"What are you waiting for?", he growled, "Get moving!"
When Inari didn't move, he grabbed the boy, hauling him to his feet. A glare sent him running into the woods. In hindsight, he realised he forgot to tell him to get Kakashi. He smirked.
He could handle this.
Flipping slowly through handseals again, he grinned predatorily as 'blueboy' chucked a plethora of shuriken at him.
Jackpot.
With incredible grace, he spun in place, picking every single throwing star off the air with his good hand. He fired off half of them on his return arc - with an accuracy that would have certainly nailed a bull's eye, fifty meters away.
'Blue-boy' frowned before leap-swerving through the assault, only to take a hidden shuriken straight to the eye.
Luckily, his glasses were tougher than they looked because the throwing star lodged within its lens, forming a spider-thin crack.
His eye remained unharmed; though he stood rooted to the spot in shock and surprise, just enough time to allow Sasuke blitz through seals at his true pace and exhale a powerful ball of fire at him.
His victory was short-lived, however, as his flames vanished in a plume of smoke.
Blinking, he slid backwards again only to stare at the now angry teen who had somehow quenched his attack. Not one to be shown up, he was at it again, puffing his chest out to incredible width.
The boy noticed the move because he formed the rat seal, his cheeks swelling to massive proportions. They released their jutsu at the same time.
"Katon: goukakyu no jutsu!"
"Suiton: Mizurappa no jutsu!"
A powerful blaze of fire collided with an even more powerful stream of water. The clash caused a hiss and massive column of super-heated steam, which forced the small glade to become clouded with fog.
Sasuke kept up the heat, not willing to give one inch to his opponent, but soon, he was out of air and forced to leap aside, as a small wave of water drenched him over.
Panting, he regarded his opponent, who was looking at him coolly, not even looking the least bit winded.
"I w-won't ask again", the teenager declared evenly, "W-where have your lot ta-taken m-my team? W-where's your leader?"
The Uchiha smirked. So it had come down to this.
He slipped the last of the shuriken into his fingers and began pooling chakra behind his eyes.
"I've told you. I don't know what you're talking about", he panted, the feel of exhilaration coursing through him, "But it seems I must beat it into your head for you to understand. I'll beat you up."
He could feel the burning in his irises as the sharingan began to form; that immense tug on his chakra that characterized him deep within. That lone strain that made him a bane before his father's eyes...
"Y-you a-arrogant jerk!"
He sneered, one of his eyes glaring red and spinning like windmills. The strain increased.
"That's enough, Sasuke", a calm voice exclaimed, as a gloved hand rested gingerly on his shoulder, "That's enough."
"Kakashi?", Sasuke asked, his mismatched eyes turning towards his limping teacher. How did Inari get him so fast?
'Blue-boy' stiffened at the jonin's surprising appearance but Kakashi only glanced lazily at him, his lone eye giving nothing away.
"He means no harm, Sasuke. However..." - this he directed to the swordsman - "It would be best if you come with us. Hatoshi Konji. Yomura Yasahara. I think I know what happened to your missing teammates."
A small breeze blew across the glade.
XXXXXXXXXXX
(Chapter end)
XXXXXXXXXXX
Wanted to go on but I couldn't resist the mild cliffhanger.
Now, the review button is down there and I'd like to see a ton of reviews when next I log in.
I'm sure everyone knows who 'blue-boy' is.
Till next time.
Ki sha out.