Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. I promise to put them back when I'm done, just not in the same condition that I borrowed them.

Sorry I was late updating - I hope you enjoy the latest installment of Stronger!

Chapter Eight:

The Summoning Islands

Some people fly...and some of us worry
I'll touch the sky with my wings.
I know if I try I'll get where I'm going,
Keeping my eyes on the sky.

~Queensryche~

Nine months ago

"For the rest of your journey to the islands, you shall live without one of your senses, beginning with the sense you rely on the most: your sight."

The trip took four long months. Four months of being blind… four months of training and sparring blind. During that time, Jiraiya had explained to them all about the SummoningIslands. He said the creatures didn't actually live on there, but instead were mostly comprised of the young ones that were sent there as part of an assignment. Their mission was to judge new hopefuls and to learn about the other summoning beasts. Sometimes older ones were sent there as a punishment.

When Jiraiya told them they finally arrived at the town, Mūnraito Bei, they already knew. They tasted the salty tang of the sea air. They heard the cry of strange new birds. They smelled the odor of fish and seaweed. Finally, they would get to remove their blindfolds after one last sparring match.

Jiraiya got them rooms at a hotel and then led them into the dining room with a large empty dance floor. Tables filled with dining guests sat along the edges. The heavy smell of food and murmurs of scattered conversations filled their senses, distracting them.

"Remember, you must see with more than just your eyes boys. Now begin."

Sai approached Naruto first and struck with his blunted sword. While he eluded or blocked several blows, for every two he managed to block, another connected. He grunted in pain.

Jiraiya yelled at him, "Focus Naruto; don't let the other sounds and smells distract you. And you Sasuke; what are you waiting for, a personal invitation?"

The diners quieted in shock as they watched the scene enfold. None had ever witnessed such a display. Many of the women thought it cruel to watch the 'children' beat each other. Men quietly began placing bets.

Naruto ignored the bothersome sounds around him. He calmed his breathing and focused hard. He leaned forward and sniffed the air. Like a dog getting the scent, his inhalation a long, low whisper in the near silent room.

Naruto took his position, his stance easy and his expression soft. As Sasuke and Sai came at him, everything had become clear; the whistle of the blade, the zip of the leg sweep against the wooden floor, the soft swish of their clothes. Combined with their unmistakable body odor Naruto had everything he needed to dodge, slip and counter while avoiding the diners.

Sasuke knocked Sai down and turned towards Naruto with his sword in hand. He attacked. Neither gave an inch in their duel as their weapons rang out in a frenzied drum roll of steel on steel. Evenly matched in skill and ferocity, they continued their fight without signs of tiring. Locked together for a moment Sasuke smiled, "You've gotten better baka."

"Ha, you haven't even begun to see how good I am teme." Naruto was about to egg his friend on some more when he sensed Sai coming up behind him. He shoved his hand into his pouch and pulled a kunai in time to block the blow aimed at his back. "Not so silent this time Aho," he joked.

Jiraiya stood up and ended the match, very pleased with their progress. Their food had just arrived as they came to the table. As soon as they were seated, the Sannin pulled out a kunai and sliced through their blindfolds, finally giving them their sight back.

They boys shielded their eyes as even the dim lighting in the dining room hurt. Jiraiya handed them sunglasses and praised them.

An elderly woman sitting near them gave Jiraiya a glare heavy with disapproval but when she saw the happy, proud looks the boys had on their faces, she was stunned. "How do you do that? Is it intuition?"

"Intuition is seeing with the soul," replied Sasuke.

"It is also the state of being aware of or knowing something without having to discover or perceive it," added Sai.

Naruto put his hands behind his head and stated, "Nah, it's just because we're awesome ninja."

Jiraiya chuckled, "That's very true and I have a surprise for you three." He reached over his plate and lifted a napkin. Under it was three hitai-ate with the Konoha insignia etched on it. He handed one to each of them.

"You all have truly earned these," he said proudly, "Never forget that the hitai-ate is meant to symbolize pride in one's village, as well as a symbol of fealty. A true shinobi should always consider it an honorable, important part of their tradition. With these on, you are no longer children; you are shinobi; adults..."

The boys sat up straighter, prouder. "You will be going on missions when you get back to the village. Your sensei will protect you as best he can, but you will still come into dangerous situations at times. The life of a shinobi is a perilous one and there are no guarantees that you will even survive long, but I believe in you three."

~~Something Smells~~

The sun had touched the horizon and began to melt into it. The golden light swiftly deepened to orange and then bloody-red. The grass and tall weeds behind him rustled in the wind, and Naruto looked over his shoulders as he heard the spirals of airborne sand that swirled across the slope between the beach and hotel. From the east a wall of night was toppling over the world. The air had grown downright cold. Naruto liked sitting outside at night before bed. It wasn't so close and confining as it was inside. He could breathe and think out here.

He was getting tired of waiting; the anticipation was killing him. Their boat would finally be arriving in the morning. With a sigh, he walked into the hotel and into the room he shared with Sai and Sasuke. He was about to lay down on his futon when Sasuke sat up and said, "Uh-uh, I don't think so dobe."

"What?"

"Remember our deal; you take a shower at least three times a week and I don't kill you in your sleep."

"Aw come on, Sai, back me up, I had a shower the other day."

Sai held his hand over his mouth and nose. "No, I don't think so Naruto. You smell so bad, I can almost taste you."

"Come on, you guys are just exaggerating now that your sense of smell is stronger."

Sasuke smirked. "Fine baka, you leave us no choice. Sai?"

Sai smiled wide as ran into the adjoining bathroom and turned on the water in the bathtub. He and Sasuke flew through hand seals. Although they did not have water affinities like Naruto, they were able to do one jutsu. "Marine battle formation!" they shouted. The water filling the tub flowed out with great force from the combined jutsu, shoving Naruto against the wall and soaking him to the skin before abruptly cutting off.

The bedraggled boy stood panting from the pressure. After he caught his breath, he gave them both the finger and stripped off his wet clinging clothes. He grabbed Sasuke's shirt and rubbed his lank, dripping hair on it against his protests. "You guys have to sleep eventually, you know," he muttered, "Sometimes I aim to please, but mostly I shoot to kill." He ignored their laughter and put on his pajamas and walrus nightcap. As he walked over to his bed and realized it was soaking wet, he shoved Sai over and lay down beside him. "That counts as a shower!" he yelled before rolling over.

Sasuke turned the water off in the tub and chuckled, "You know we only do it because we care. You'll never be able to impress any girls with the way you smell, especially that annoying one that's prone to giving orders."

"You mean because she's so bossy?" Sai snickered.

Naruto had to chuckle, he rolled back over to face them, "True, but it is good that Sakura likes to take charge. She'll be a good leader someday. Our babies will be strong, smart, and beautiful!"

"Not to mention imaginary," replied Sai.

Naruto gave him an annoyed look.

"I really wish you would get her out of your head," said Sasuke. "Sai and I don't like her. We don't like the way she treated you. We'll never trust her."

"Do you trust me?" asked Naruto seriously.

"Of course we do," said Sai. Sasuke also nodded in agreement.

Naruto's face grew somber. "Then trust in me to know that I know what I want. I get a letter from her every week. I know her. Don't hate her because of what she did as a kid; you need to see her for the person she is today."

"We'll see…" Sasuke muttered.

Naruto sighed knowing it was the best he would get out of his friend. Although it frustrated him that they didn't like her, it also warmed his heart. They didn't like her because of him.

~~The Cruise~~

The next morning, Sai, Sasuke, and Naruto stared in stunned disbelief at the ship they were going to be traveling in to the islands. It was a cruise ship…a singles cruise ship to be exact. Women in all shapes and sizes were walking up the gangplank. Naruto pointed his finger accusingly, "You pervert!" he shouted. "This is why we didn't take those other boats; you wanted to come on this one!"

Jiraiya had a gleeful look in his eyes and was practically drooling. "Now now," he said distractedly, "I took the liberty of getting you boys a job that will help with your training."

"What kind of job," asked Naruto suspiciously.

"Oh it's great, you'll love it. It'll help with strength training, especially after I put new seals on you. You'll all be shoveling coal."

Sasuke sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose to stave off the impending headache while Naruto shouted, "What?! You're making us do this just so you can get a free cruise!"

"I'm insulted. I would never do such a thing to my precious little students."

"Yes, you would!"

Sasuke grabbed Sai's arm and led him away from their pointless arguing. "Come on Aho, let's find our cabin."

~~One Last Time~~

"Don't do it Naruto. You heard what Jiraiya said; we are no longer children. It's time for you to stop pulling your silly pranks."

Naruto handed his shovel off to Sai and wiped the sweat from his brow leaving a black mark across it. His blue eyes glimmered in the reflection of the roaring furnace. "No Sasuke; this isn't about a childish prank. This is about revenge."

"What are you talking about baka? Revenge for what?"

"This is supposed to be a training trip and here we are. I get that it's a good way to build strength, but come on, we've been on this heap for two weeks and haven't learned anything new." He took out his frog wallet out of his pocket and opened it. He upended it to show it was empty before putting it back. "He's up there having a grand old time on our ryo."

"Our ryo?"

"Have you checked you wallet lately? I know your mom sent you money last week. Do you still have it?" he asked, cocking his brow knowingly.

Sasuke took out his wallet and opened it with a growl while Naruto smirked. "Dammit, he did it again!"

"So are you in or am I just going to have to be silly and childish by myself."

Sasuke hesitated before agreeing with a mental cringe. "…As long as it doesn't impinge upon my dignity."

"You're with me now; dignity has nothing to do with it!" He stretched out his coal blackened hands and rubbed them all over Sasuke's face.

"No wait…! I changed my mind…"

~~Jiraiya~~

Jiraiya was having the time of his life on the cruise. "So many women, so little time," he mused. He was sitting in the lounge regaling three beautiful women with tales of his past adventures when two grubby boys with tear streaked faces approached.

"Daddy?" said Naruto, "Can we please eat something now?"

"Yes daddy," said Sasuke, "We promise we'll be good little boys from now on."

"Oh and daddy, can you let our poor brother out of the hold now. The rats keep biting him."

The three women gave looks of horror at the Sannin. One of them smacked him with her purse while the other two yanked the boys into their arms with murmurs of "there there" and "you poor dear."

~~Four Days Later~~

"We've been rowing for two days straight Sensei. Are we there yet?" asked Sai.

"Yeah, this sucks," wheezed Naruto.

"And whose fault is that, I'd like to know?!"

The sound of oars hitting the boat reverberated in his ears as three fingers were pointed accusingly at him.

"Hey, I wasn't the one who washed the captain with that water jutsu," defended Jiraiya with a glare.

"That was collateral damage. You set my butt on fire!" yelled Naruto.

"You gave me hives!"

"Well you made me break out in pimples!"

"You made those beautiful women hate me!" They were nose to nose now, shouting at the top of their voices.

"You stole our money!"

"Holding it…I was holding it for you…"

~~Summoning Islands~~

They pulled up to the island after rowing for several more hours. Exhausted, the boys tiredly got out of the boat and fell into the sand, their disagreement forgotten in their relief and excitement. They were finally there.

Jiraiya leaped out and struck one of his ridiculous poses. "This is it boys!" he boomed out energetically, "This is SummoningIsland; a wondrous place of mystery and enchantment. Remember boys, they choose you. So go forth and knock yourselves out!"

Sai mumbled, "Too tired…can't move…need rest first…"

"What's wrong with you boys? You all should have much more energy than me!"

"That's because you didn't help us row that damn boat," said Sasuke, his voice dripping with venom, "And you even made our resistance seals stronger."

"Oh right. Well, you'll thank me someday."

Sai slowly moved his face out of the sand, listlessly rolled over, and said, "I really don't foresee that happening any time soon sensei."

"Oh that reminds me, you might want to get you feet out of the water. The creatures that inhabit it are not exactly nice. As a matter of fact, they're kind of touchy?"

"What do you mean by touchy, Pervy Sage?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah, they like to bite first and ask questions later."

Sai jumped up, ignoring the scream of protest from his tired, aching muscles. His normal blank look was replaced with one of reproach and accusation. Jiraiya just chuckled and patted him on the head.

"Now don't forget men, the one that is meant for you will be attracted to your chakra," he said as he sent them off with a cheery wave.

~~Naruto' Summons~~

By midday, when the sun was overhead in a cloudless sky and the wind had died away to nothing, the grasslands lying south of the ocean laid empty and still. Heat rose off the plains in a soft shimmer, and it was so quiet that from a hundred meters away the chirp of birds and the buzz of insects could be heard as if they were settled close by.

After the coolness of the jungle, the warmth of this place felt good on his skin. Naruto had a hopeful feeling that this was it. It just felt right. He caught sight of a crouching panther and moved silently closer.

The sleek black cat turned its proud head sharply and sniffed the boy. With a deep throated growl, she spat out, "No way," and disappeared in a flash.

"Okaaay, so no panther then…" said Naruto to himself. Everywhere he went, he got basically the same reaction from the creatures, but he didn't let it discourage him. He came across an armored insect slightly bigger than he was and went in closer to have a look. It was actually kind of pretty with its metallic red and gold colorings. "Wow," said Naruto, "You are one big bug!" He admired the horn on its head and its wings and then added, "I'll bet you would be pretty awesome in battle."

The beetle sniffed. "You really stink for a human," it said in a gravelly voice.

A giant dung beetle just told him that he smelled bad…

Naruto couldn't believe his ears. "What?! Hey, it was a lot of work to get here. I mean, I had to shovel coal on the ship and then I helped row a boat for hours in the hot sun. See if you smelled like roses after doing all that! At least I don't smell like sh…"

SPLAT

A massive glob of – please let it be mud – hit him in the chest. This was one creature he did not want to anger further. Naruto spun on his heel and set off towards the lake he had spied earlier, muttering to himself the whole way.

He ignored Jiraiya's warning and threw himself into the water. Not a minute later, bubbles broke through to the surface of the water. So many, in fact, it looked like the lake was boiling. A massive hump arose turning into a green head. Naruto jumped back in trepidation. The creature turned its head and shot a jet of water straight at him pushing him back twenty feet.

The giant frog was light green in color with purple eyes and yellow patterns all over her body. She wore a large red bow on her back and had thick orange lipstick, pink blush and eye-liner on her face. Her appearance shocked the boy into silence. She said in a high-pitched voice, "Well hello there you little heartthrob. I am Gamariki." She hopped up to him, pursed her lips, and kissed him. Due to her massive size, that meant she kissed all of him.

Naruto tried to hide the shudder of repulsion that shook his body. "Ew, a girly frog kiss…" he muttered under his breath and looked around furtively to see if anybody witnessed her actions. Unfortunately, she heard him and promptly thumped him on the head.

"Ouch!" he shouted, "What the hell was that for?"

"First of all stud muffin, I am not a frog. I am a toad. Do you see any slime on my beautiful green skin? And second, I am a male."

Naruto sweat dropped at that bit of information. He scrubbed his skin surreptitiously with his shirt. The 'toad' continued, "We heard about you from Jiraiya-boy so I came to check you out, love bug."

"You're not going to try to kiss me again are you?" he asked suspiciously, "Because I got to tell ya, I'm not really into that."

"Not unless you want me to, sweet cakes." Gamariki hopped closer to him. His tongue whipped out and wrapped the boy in a wet hug. "Mmm tasty…like a piece of chocolate covered bug. You're my little smoochy-woochie dinky-poo."

"That's it," gasped Naruto, squirming out of the embrace, "I am not your heartthrob, love bug, stud muffin, and most definitely not your little smoochy-woochie dinky-poo! I'm not in to whatever the hell you want from me!"

"Oooh…so forceful. You're a regular little spitfire, aren't you? I like 'em feisty."

Naruto's eyes narrowed and he growled.

"Okay, okay; I'll behave myself. Although," he said in a falsetto voice, "If I'm bad, you have my permission to spank me."

"Ugh, I just threw up in my mouth a little. I have one question for you; will you be the one who appears every time I summon?"

"Not unless you want me to, babycakes."

"Thank Kami. Let's go find Pervy Sage and get this contract signed."

~~Sai's Summons~~

Sai lay on the sandy beach internally contemplating his course of action. His mind moved in many different directions as it always did. He recalled the beast scroll with perfect clarity, Jiraiya's advice, as well as his mother's counsel.

He knew exactly what to do. If the beasts were attracted to certain types of chakra, then that was exactly what he was going to do. He made the ram seal, focused it, and let out a pulse. He then put his hands behind his head and took a nap.

When Sai awoke a short time later, he was still alone. He sat up, pulled out his special scroll and ink. The genin debated for a while before drawing the eagle. He had never done this technique before, but he was pretty sure his theory was correct.

High up in the air, it was easy to see the land divisions. He flew to the farthest point first and landed. He sat on the forest floor to meditate for a few minutes then made the ram seal again. This time he began to draw to kill time while he waited. Nothing happened.

Sai repeated the same process in the grasslands and in the desert. It was there that he had the strange encounter. A wild boar rooting around the ground caught his attention. He stared at it curiously for a moment and thought how it reminded him of Naruto. It was such an innocent looking animal, but in truth, it's dangerous and unpredictable. A charging boar is extremely difficult to kill, due to its thick hide and dense bones, making anything less than a kill shot a potentially deadly mistake.

"Maybe I should call him piggy-boy from now on," he murmured to himself. "I'll bet he would appreciate the nickname as fitting as it is, plus the piggy adds a touch of whimsy that he seems to enjoy." Sai smiled to himself, happy that he would be able to do something to please his friend.

As he continued to watch, impressed with the deadly animal, a vague memory popped into his head. It was another one of those odd flashes he would get every once in a while.

Sai and several other boys and girls all around three and four years of age were sitting without a sound on raised benches. Their silence seemed unnatural for their young age. A large empty steel barred enclosure stood before them. The bars and concrete floor had many rust colored stains.

Two stone-faced men entered the room, each wheeling in a smaller cage. In one was an enraged boar and in the other, two snarling, barking dogs. The men placed the cages at the openings of the larger pen and released them. Growling viciously, the dogs attacked. Blood and gore mixed with the older stains. It was a horrendous, terrifying spectacle. During the fight, a bandaged man kept running commentary. "Mercy is weakness," he said, "Fear helps your enemy. Your fear makes the enemy stronger. Never let your enemy see you bleed, and never let your enemy gain the upper hand. Always fight to win. To win your battles, you must be merciless and brutal."

He tried to look away, but a white masked man forced his head back to the gruesome scene. The bloody desperate boar charged one last time, impaling its tusk into one of the dog's eyes before dying with one last pained squeal.

The only sound that remained in the room was the piteous cries of the injured dog.

Danzo spoke, "Remember, to win, you must be brutal and merciless. Never forget these lessons if you wish to live. We fight for Konohagakure. We fight to be the strongest village in all the nations."

Sai clenched his hands into tight fists as the tortured squeals and ferocious snarls rang through his head. It was all too much. Sometimes he hated being alone. If Naruto or Sasuke were here, they wouldn't let him wallow in misery. They would bring him into their light. He grabbed the skin on his forearm and viciously twisted it. The pain was immediate and intense. The memory faded as they always did. He moved on to the next area.

~~Sai's Summons~~

It was quiet in the swamp, the perpetual twilight hushed and expectant beneath the vast canopy of limbs and vines, the surface of the mire as smooth as glass, the reeds and rushes motionless in the windless air. Here and there a water bug jumped soundlessly from place to place, stirring puddles to life in the wake of its passing, bending blades of grass like springboards. Birds swooped and banked in bright flashes of color, darting from limb to limb.

Sai enjoyed his trek through the swamp. He let out another pulse of chakra and then, feeling inspired, sat down to draw. He quickly became engrossed in his art, but not enough that he didn't hear the sound of something heavy landing behind him.

"Ah, a mollusk, like Lady Tsunade's summons… That is acceptable to me," he said without lifting his eyes from his art.

The slug's antennae quivered and she commented, "How did you know? You didn't even turn around."

"The sound of your fall was unique. You have no feet; therefore I could only conclude that you were either a snake or a slug. Given the relationships I have with both my mother and Lady Tsunade, I knew it could be either one. I did not hear any hissing noises therefore I deduced that you must be a slug."

"Oh, that's very analytical of you."

"Thank you." Sai closed his pad, put his paints away, and turned around to face the creature. "I do have one question for you."

"Yes?"

"Well, it is more of a statement. I generally like to avoid touching people on general principle. I have no desire to become a full time medic and work in the hospital as Lady Tsunade would like me to. I intend to be a field medic though. My question is: will you still accept me?"

"My master, Katsuyu sent me here from ShikkotsuForest specifically to get your signature. She heard about you from Tsunade and believes in you." A large scroll popped next to them. Sai picked it up and unrolled it. Without any hesitation, he bit into his thumb to draw the blood required and signed his name.

~~Sasuke's Summons~~

As soon as he had rested enough, Sasuke got to his feet with a determined glint in his eye. He had given much thought to what sort of creature he would like to have as his summons. He, Sai, and Naruto had pored through the scroll Jiraiya had that detailed the known summons and their abilities. While both he and Naruto really liked the wolves, they both realized that they would not do. They were both combat specialists and not trackers; they all were, so he knew that it would be highly unlikely if any of them got the wolf contract.

There was something he preferred anyways. Sasuke wanted a bird of prey, a hawk. With that in mind, he looked up. Here beneath the thick canopy of leaves sunlight penetrated only in scattered shafts of orange-gold light, and where the underbrush was thickest, dark shadows persisted. He couldn't see the sky. Sasuke jumped into the nearest tree and climbed to the top with ease. Off in the distance, he saw a mountain with what looked to be several creatures flying around it.

His chest beat in heady anticipation. He searched the ground for the easiest route and was surprised at what he saw. The island was divided into sections of different climates. He saw a desert, grasslands, wetlands, jungle, and the mountain range.

He looked up into the sky. High above him was a giant bird. He watched as it began a dizzying spiral, flinging itself so fast Sasuke thought it would land on top of him. it pulled out of the spiral a good thirty feet above him, hovering just long enough for him to notice that the rich brown feathers of the back and wings faded to a slightly paler shade on throat and breast before it was gone, heading up to the peak of the mountain.

"It's so huge," Sasuke whispered, awestruck. He had seen many kinds of birds before, but never had he been so impressed by feathered grace and beauty. The wings were large and obviously strong, yet delicate at the same time. The body was sleek and graceful and the head was proud. It came towards him again, skimming only twenty feet above him. Just before it reached Sasuke, it soared upward, flying upside down for a few moments before righting itself.

"Come," echoed a voice in his head.

~~The Hawk~~

Sasuke stood at the top of the rocky precipice and surveyed his surroundings. Although he hated to admit it to himself, he was a bit tired. The mountain was extremely steep and nearly impassable in some areas, but he made it.

He detected a flicker of movement to the side of him, but when he turned to look, he saw nothing. He was certain he was not alone. Something was behind him. He spun, ready to defend himself. It was the hawk.

Its shiny brown eyes were fixed on him. Its long black beak was slightly parted, enough for Sasuke to see that it had teeth, neat rows of them, top and bottom. They gave the creature a slightly sinister look. The way the bird was studying him made Sasuke feel that the creature was sizing him up. It was confirmed seconds later when a deep guttural voice muttered, "Maybe."

Sasuke felt as though his heart would burst out of his chest in excitement from that one little word. He knew it! He just knew that the hawk would be his summons. He arrogantly stepped forward and said, "I am Sasuke Uchiha."

The proud bird looked down at him condescendingly. He said, "I know who you are hatchling. I am Bikkubādo. I can see you have a lot of potential in you. I believe my master might even approve of you. We don't let just anyone call upon us you know."

Sasuke stood up straighter and tried not to let his eagerness show.

"There is only one thing left that you need to do to prove yourself worthy of…"

A large shrill whistle interrupted what he was going to say next. A huge gust of wind shook the leaves in the surrounding trees and bushes and was followed by a blast of intense heat. Something rushed past him and rammed into Bikkubādo. The massive creature looked down at the thing that was clinging to its leg and making a noise that sounded like a cross between a scream and a howl. Bikkubādo took a step back.

Sasuke didn't know what to think. He had never seen anything that could even begin to describe the creature. It looked a bit like a baby, but its nose was almost beak shaped and it had thin stalk-like chicken legs. It's hairless, fat pink body looked almost burnt in spots. It had loose wrinkly skin.

It continued screeching until Bikkubādo bowed his head. He turned to Sasuke and said, "My apologies hatchling, the hawks will not work with you. The fates have decreed that Kajiarashi here is meant to."

"What?!" But it was too late; the hawk disappeared in a puff leaving Sasuke alone with the naked-baby-chicken thing (or NBC, as he dubbed it). "What?!" he shouted again in disbelief and regret. He looked down when he felt the THING grab his leg and hug him. It was clinging to him tighter than a lovesick fan girl. His mouth tightened in disgust. "Get off me," he said disdainfully.

Sasuke tried to pry its hands/claws off his leg, but it only made NBC snuggle deeper. The bare skin on his legs crawled in revulsion. He tried again to remove IT. NBC whimpered piteously and gazed owlishly up at him. Then it trilled…

~~ Kajiarashi~~

Sasuke raced through the jungle brush desperate to get away from the creature following him. "Go away!" he shouted, but still the "thing" followed him. He took to the trees going so fast his foot was barely pushing off one branch before landing on another. A quick glance back showed the ugly hairless creature still on his tail.

He flashed through the three hands seal he had reduced his grand fireball technique down to and blew with all his might. An enormous red ball of flame roared to life past his lips and to the creature. It only seemed to excite it. It made an odd trilling sound while it danced in the flames.

"Please go away," begged Sasuke. There was no way in hell he wanted this ugly, bizarre creature to be his summons. It was pink for Kami's sake. It looked like the world's ugliest baby. "What the hell is that thing?" he asked himself.

Sasuke made another fireball to distract the baby-thing then lit out as if he was on fire. He finally managed to lose it when he ran straight into Jiraiya. Picking himself up, he goggled at Naruto who was standing on top of the biggest amphibian imaginable. "What?!" he shouted incredulously. "You got a frog summons?"

"I am a toad," said Gamariki sulkily.

"Yeah, yeah, I know what I said about toads," he said rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, "But these guys use swords and everything. They get even bigger than this guy does too, if you can believe it. I signed the contract."

Sasuke couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealously that Naruto got a sword using toad and all he got was a naked-baby-chicken thing… or whatever the hell it was. He looked over at Sai, who was talking to something in his hand. He took a closer look and saw the tiny little slug. "How did it find you?" he asked.

"She found me," he said pointing to a much larger slug off to the right. "She dropped down in front me while I was walking through the jungle. I think I like her. She says that she has the ability to heal. I signed the contract and I was able to summon this one."

"You actually summoned one!" Now Sasuke was really jealous. His two best friends got the same creatures as the Sannin AND ALL HE GOT WAS A NAKED BABY CHICKEN THING! "What the hell!"

A large shrill whistle…. A huge gust of wind… A blast of intense heat…

NBC was back and clinging to his legs. Naruto, Sai and Jiraiya goggled at the ugly little thing. "What the hell is that?!" they all shouted.

"I have no idea," said Sasuke with gritted teeth. He told them the details of his meeting with the hawk and the NBC and then pleaded, "Get it off me."

Jiraiya squatted down next to the cooing beast and tried to remove it. It turned its head and hissed, showed rows of jagged teeth. He was at a loss, never having seen anything like it before. "Hmm, well whatever it is, it looks like it's yours."

He addressed the NBC, "Do you want Sasuke to sign your contract?"

The beast released Sasuke's leg, blinked and then nodded at the sage. Its chest began to heave and watery gurgling sounds emitted from its throat. It opened its mouth and threw up a slime covered red scroll. Jiraiya picked it up and handed it to the boy. "You might as well sign it. No other creature will give you a contract."

Sasuke gingerly opened the scroll and unrolled it onto the sandy beach. At the top it read: Ignis et Alitis Fulgur. There was only one other person who had signed it, but the lettering was so old and faded, it was illegible. No one still had any idea what the creature was supposed to be. Sasuke bit his thumb, smeared blood on his fingertips, pressed them onto the scroll, and then signed his name.

A voice echoed in his head, "Until we meet again…" The creature then cooed, rubbed his cheek against Sasuke and disappeared with a pop along with the scroll.

Sasuke looked at the other two and muttered, "That's so not fair. You guys get something cool and I get…"

"Oh stop your bitching, Sasuke!" grumbled Naruto. "You think you got it rough? I've got a transvestite frog with the hots for me!"

"I'm a toad."

"Whatever."

"You did it," Jiraiya beamed. "All three of you actually did it!"

AN:

Big thanks again to my beta COOKIEMONSTER77 and a little help from JANZEN222!

Thank you to everyone who followed/favorited/commented - you all are awesome!

Bikkubādo means Big Bird (My little homage to Sesame Street and my BETA!)

Mūnraito Bei means Moonlight Bay

To all of you who thought that last chapter was in reference to the first one - haha! The next chapter is finally going to tell what really happened. be prepared for thrills, chills, and excitement... At least I hope so - as I said, action is hard for me to write, but oooh do I love angst and horror, mauling and multilation, blood and guts...!

P.S. I'm not saying what NBC is yet! Haha - I'm just evil that way...and besides if Sasuke doesn't get to know what the heck it is, then no one else gets to either! It will be awhile...sorry!

Until next week,

AZFAERYDUST