Back to Naruto and team seven near the end of their month of training. Things will be hotting up soon!
Naruto: Summoning
Looking back, Naruto was honestly impressed that Sasuke had managed to keep it together during the wedding party considering his history with Itachi. Ame-kaa-san had rewarded the younger Uchiha's forbearance with a private appointment the very next afternoon: Naruto had glimpsed his team-mate leaving afterwards, looking like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Now however he had been called upon to see Ame-kaa-san and considering the third exam was only days away, it was probably for a status report with Kakashi-sensei and the rest of team seven. He'd only seen Sakura half a dozen times in the past month including at the wedding. He'd only seen more of Sasuke due to his responsibilities from the youki-filled seal: He'd diligently sent a shadow clone to the Last Uchiha every single day of training to educate his team-mate on youkai matters. Sasuke had formed kage bunshin of his own to listen to the lectures while Kakashi or Nuurihyon trained the original's taijutsu and ninja-to proficiency to greater heights or Shin taught genjutsu. His team-mate also muscled his way through an accelerated course on elemental manipulation and took to it like a duck to water, mastering a handful of simple ration manipulation exercises and improving his lightning ninjutsu until he could do them with fewer or no seals. Most of Naruto's later clones had been killed at the end of the session by one of those techniques.
The blond made his way to the main tea room on the ground floor of the Hatake mansion in his usual grey outfit, hair tied back in a stubby tail at the nape of his neck and tabi-clad feet making no sound on the polished wooden floors. After the wedding Ame-kaa-san had filled the entire building with an ingenious system of nightingale floors operated by seals: if you were keyed into the central matrix then expelling chakra from your feet would prevent the boards from squeaking. However if you weren't keyed in you had to put up with the noise or risk triggering the trap seals intertwined with the support seals.
Behind Naruto his tou-san in his Ahiru-clone body strode equally silently, Ittan-momen crawling across the ceiling above them both. None of the Yuurei were keyed to the floors but their unique uniforms contained numerous seal matrices, one of which enabled the wearer to navigate the mansion's ceilings without setting off the defences. The Yuurei were individually keyed to the barracks behind the main house, which was where the uniforms were kept and the only place they could actually be taken off, even if the wearer was dead and in pieces. Part of the seals in the outfits ensured they could not be removed from the premises unless someone was wearing them and both clothing and masks were booby-trapped against non-registered persons. Naruto had seen the seals and unravelling them was considerably beyond his current capabilities.
On reaching the tea room Naruto slid open the door and stepped inside, moving forward a little more than usual to allow entry to the two adults behind him. As he entered Ame-kaa-san swept forward from across the room to hug him. The blond genin returned the embrace enthusiastically: he hadn't been able to spend much more than a few minutes of personal time with his kaa-san in weeks.
"Come sit down, Naruto-kun," Ame-kaa-san said with a warm smile. "Ahiru, Ittan-momen, sit or stand as you prefer. The rest of team seven and their senseis will be here soon."
It was not long after Naruto had made himself comfortable that the squeaks and groans of the nightingale floors heralded the arrival of the others: Sakura accompanied by two Yuurei, one's mask painted like a snarling cat and the other decorated with an unnaturally wide needle-toothed grin; Sasuke with Kakashi-sensei and followed by a Yuurei whose mask portrayed the wrinkled features of a Nuurihyon. The adults remained standing near the room's walls while the three genin sat in front of the tea table.
Kakashi walked around the table to stand beside his night-eyed wife, his lone grey eye briefly taking in the rest of the group. "Well?" the silver-haired jounin asked laconically.
Ame-kaa-san smiled, the myriad pinpoints of light in her eyesockets shimmering. "Uzumaki Naruto is proficient in the manipulation of his primary element and his sealing ability has progressed," she said simply.
"He is experienced in countering gentle fist taijutsu and his kenjutsu has improved," Ittan-momen continued, voice as blandly inoffensive as ever.
"He has expanded his taijutsu repertoire and knows at least one ninjutsu of each element," Ahiru went on. "He also knows when and how to use these techniques to best advantage."
Naruto felt very proud of his recent achievements. The understated praise was something he was used to: the Mitsusha okaa-san was similarly parsimonious in complementing his work.
Kakashi-sensei nodded once. "Good. Sakura?"
The Yuurei masked with a toothy smile nodded. "Haruno Sakura has improved her taijutsu and her ability to infuse and manipulate fabric with chakra shows promise," she said stiffly. Naruto could only tell the speaker was female from her chakra; the uniform and voice distorter in the mask made any other means of identification impossible.
"She has learnt a good range of basic ijutsu and is creative in their usage," the snarl-masked Yuurei added. "She can also harvest, mix, identify, deploy and counter an adequate range of toxins. Hyou tells me her stealth has also increased."
Sakura smiled, her bobbed hair swinging slightly as her spine stiffened at hearing her teachers' praise.
"Sou." Kakashi-sensei's eye moved from the pinkette to the Uchiha. "Uchiha Sasuke shows understanding and basic proficiency in the manipulation of his primary element."
"His ability with ninja-to has increased enough for him to be considered proficient," Nuurihyon added, "and Shin concedes that his understanding and ability to counter genjutsu is adequate for a ninja of his age and background."
Sasuke did not so much as twitch but managed to radiate a fierce pride in his achievements.
"Good enough, I suppose," the cyclopean jounin conceded. "Thanks for your hard work; I'll take it from here."
The four Yuurei and Ahiru took this as a dismissal, leaving the room through its windows. Ame-kaa-san stayed.
"My wife has gifts for each of you," Kakashi-sensei went on, "which given your training you are now capable of actually using properly. Don't disappoint me, ne? Fancy tricks are no match for real skill."
Ame-kaa-san smiled at the trio of eager faces opposite her and produced three slightly battered scrolls from her kimono sleeve. She laid them out of the tea table, gently caressing the sturdy paper before picking up the one to her left. "Naruto-kun, this is the fox summoning contract. Be careful with it; foxes are notoriously tricky and their preferred sacrifices vary considerably from one individual to another. Remember to bargain first and set clear terms so as to avoid unpleasant surprises."
"Hai, Ame-kaa-san," Naruto breathed reverently, accepting the scroll. "Arigatou."
"Sakura-chan, this contract is for rabbits and hares," the Yogensha went on, picking up the next scroll. "Though the two species are very similar they have certain profound differences I recommend you memorise and take advantage of. I feel they will suit your specific abilities and tendencies admirably."
The pink-haired kunoichi bowed low, forehead briefly touching the tatami mats. "A thousand thanks, Amemai-dono."
"Sasuke-kun," the young woman said finally, pushing the remaining scroll across the table. "This is yours not through my choosing but because they asked for you. It is the contract for the crows and related corvids. Their requirements are rather odd, more so than most other species', but I believe you will suit them admirably all things considered." It was impossible to guess in which direction Ame-kaa-san was looking but Naruto just knew she had glanced at the blood red tri-comma seal on Sasuke's neck when she said that last bit.
Sasuke bowed just as low as Sakura had. "Arigatou, Yogensha-san," he murmured gruffly before reaching out and taking the scroll.
"I suggest you use the next few days to practice once you've signed the contract," Kakashi-sensei said easily, "but make sure you actually read the details before signing, ne? Make sure you know what you're getting into."
"Hai, Kakashi-sensei!" team seven chorused, rising to their feet.
"Off you go then," their sensei said with an eye-smile. "Find an empty secluded place to train and get to it. Oh, and don't forget to turn up at the arena in the morning on the day of the finals!" He gallantly lifted his wife to her feet and left the room with her.
"We'll use the Uchiha training grounds," Sasuke said firmly as they turned to leave the room after their sensei.
"Thanks Teme!" Naruto said with a grin, slipping his new summoning scroll inside one of his sleeves.
Once team seven had retreated to a suitably isolated training field within the Uchiha compound Naruto sat down on the grass and opened his scroll. According to Hibana-onee, the first rule of contracts was not to sign them unless you'd read, understood and agreed to what they said. The language the summoning contract was written in was fairly archaic but his geisha education stood him in good stead, enabling him to get through the entire document with only a few pauses.
"Naruto? Do you know what this says?" Sakura asked tentatively from her spot across from him, pointing to a symbol about two-thirds of the way down her scroll. The geisha-trained teen shuffled over for a closer look.
"That's a kanji indicating a fortified settlement," he said after determining that it was not the pictogram for snowflake.
"Some of these conditions and caveats are just weird," Sakura said with a faint frown. "I'm going to have to find somewhere to grow plants."
Naruto shrugged. "I can help," he offered; "I like gardening. Kaa-san told me once that the real reason there are so few species with summoning contracts in that most ninja are unable or unwilling to abide by the conditions set in exchange for aid. As a result only the groups with the simplest of contracts are summoned. Toads for example just want food in exchange for their efforts; apparently the toad boss really likes sake."
"Taicho?" Sasuke asked, frowning at his scroll. "Can you read these?"
Naruto shifted over to where his other team-mate was sprawled across the grass. If the three of them had all had living family the Uchiha would have been the most knowledgeable regarding archaic script and traditions. Instead he was the least so, trailing after Sakura's insatiable thirst for reading material and Naruto's traditional education.
"That's a collective noun for a group of corvids implying some kind of tengu connection; that is the kanji for adoption, the type used by the extremely traditional samurai families and the third one means duties or responsibilities, generally clan duties," Naruto explained. "Does that help?"
"Un," Sasuke grunted absently, regressing slightly as he doggedly continued his reading. The blond left him to it, returning to his own scroll.
The foxes, so far as he could tell, wanted to have fun, go on adventures and learn new things. Novelty and entertainment were therefore their coin of choice. If he actually signed the contract and went through with all this he'd have to invest in toys, trinkets and prank materials as well as set up practical jokes and tricks for them to watch and enjoy. They also liked certain types of food, particularly fried food.
Deciding that all things considered becoming a fox summoner could only improve his situation in the long run, he nicked his left hand with a kunai and signed the contract in blood, adding a bloody handprint at the end as surety.
"Sakura, Teme, I'm gonna try this out and see how much chakra it needs," he said aloud, swiftly cleaning he blood off his hands and brush and rolling up the scroll. Sakura immediately turned to face him, her face never rising from her own contract while Sasuke just un-ed absently. It seemed the jinchuuriki's plot to goad his team-mate into calling him 'Dobe' again was doomed to failure. Oh well.
Naruto called up as much chakra as he used in a solid kage bunshin that would last about four hours and channelled it into the summoning jutsu; portioning out his chakra had gotten a lot easier since learning to walk up trees and across water. There was a puff of smoke and once it cleared the blond demon container found himself nose to nose with a very large russet fox with three tails.
"New summoner, sou?" he enquired, turning his head to look the genin in the eye. "Omedetou."
Naruto nodded carefully, very aware that he was facing down a large predator with pointy teeth. "Domou arigatou," he replied to the kitsune's congratulations. "How should I address you?"
The fox chuckled. "Azukiiro will do, kit."
"Eeto, I have questions? About the contract, I mean," Naruto went on, voice gradually becoming less hesitant, "and about kitsune in general. I mean, I'd like to know a bit more about the individual strengths of my new allies and how each one prefers to be rewarded."
Azukiiro huffed and dropped to sprawl across the grass. "Smart kit, ne? Good; it's been a while since we had a proper summoner. Very well." He looked around at Sasuke and Sakura, both of whom were now eyeing him over their respective contracts. "Just not here. Private business, don't you think?"
Naruto understood that. "Can I try summoning someone smaller first? Just to find the lower limit of the jutsu?"
"Sure, An'nai," the kitsune drawled. Naruto guessed 'An'nai' was what the foxes called their summoner; 'guide' was not particularly respectful but it implied a certain amount of leadership in a backhanded way.
This time Naruto used just enough chakra for a decent-sized fireball and got a normal-sized cream fox with big blue eyes.
"Kyaa!" she squealed on laying eyes on the jinchuuriki. "New guide is kawaii!" The fox then turned into a fourteen-year-old girl with cream-coloured hair wearing a skimpy top and short skirt and glomped him.
"Release An'nai, Botan-chan," Azukiiro said with a sigh. The pale kitsune in human form pouted but released her captive.
"What is your specialty, Botan-chan?" Naruto asked as soon as he'd got his breath back.
"I distract!" the little vixen said proudly, switching back to fox form. "I create fuss and bother to draw the eye away from the doings of others. My disguises are impenetrable, even to other kitsune!" she smirked, an odd expression on a fox. "I like to be paid in pretty things. Will you buy me pretty things, An'nai?"
"If I need your help I will," Naruto compromised. "Thank-you for your time, Botan-chan."
"Abayo!" the fox chirped before vanishing in a puff of chakra smoke.
"That was about as much chakra as an average-sized katon: endan," Naruto said out loud for Sasuke and Sakura's benefit. "I'm gonna go talk with Azukiiro alone now guys."
"Thanks Naruto," Sakura said, signing her own contract and healing the cut she had had to make.
"Un," Sasuke nodded, eyes returning to his scroll.
The blond headed into the woods, ox-sized three-tailed fox ambling agreeably behind him. Naruto had a great many questions he wanted to ask; hopefully his new summon wouldn't demand anything too costly in exchange for the answers.
Notes
tabi = japanese split-toed socks
youki = demon emergy
youkai = demon/ nature spirit
sou = I see; that's how it is
omedetou = congrats
eeto = lets see; well...
an'nai = guidance, guide
A/N: We return to the plot and proper timeline, picking up from chapter 64. Next chapter we start the chunnin exam finals and get to see the fights!
Oh, and the Hyou mentioned in this chapter as one of Sakura's teachers is the same Yuurei as was Itachi's partner in chapter 66, though he isn't mentioned there by name. He is however noted as being a rather hyperactive Nara. Little bit of background there.
Does anyone want to hear more about the background of some of the Ghosts? Ittan-momen has a rather interesting story...