A/N
Sorry for the delay but I've been busy with work and haven't had time to write. Also it has been awhile since I've seen this arc so I need a bit of a refresher on it so that took awhile
CHAPTER 24 FRAGMENTS.
Naruto and Sakura were on the road on their way back to the land of fire.
"So can you tell me again why we are headed back to the land of fire?" Sakura asked
"Because one of my scouts says there is some shady stuff happening at the fire temple and that there was bijuu chakra in the area." Naruto replied "and that could mean the work of the Akatsuki."
"Do you know what bijuu it was?" Sakura asked
"The nine tails." Naruto replied getting a shocked look from Sakura
"But how can that be?" Sakura asked "He is sealed in you."
"Yeah that is the reason I am in such a rush to investigate it." Naruto replied
"How do you know the information is accurate?" Sakura asked
"Because it was one of my fox scouts that brought me the information. They are very sensitive to demonic chakra especially the nine tails." Naruto replied
"Alright, but how could the nine tails chakra be somewhere else when he is inside you?" Sakura asked.
"Only way either of us can think of is that it is remnants of chakra from when he attacked the leaf. The residual chakra was sealed shortly after the attack or else it would of just dissipated after some time." Naruto explained
"Well I know you want to get there as soon as possible but could we please rest at an inn or something tonight?" Sakura asked as she looked up at the descending sun causing Naruto to look up at it as well.
"I guess." Naruto sighed "There is a spa and inn about five miles up the road."
"Alright I need a good soak." Sakura replied with joy then a blush grew across her face remembering the last time she was in a hot spring.
"Don't worry it's not mixed baths." Naruto replied getting Sakura to sigh in relief.
"Why are you relieved, we finally admitted our feelings toward him and he did the same to us. We should be trying to seducing him." Inner said
'Thought you said. We should take it slow so we don't scare him off.' Sakura replied
"Yeah slow but not snail's pace." Inner sighed "We need to do something to push our relationship with him forward." She added
'What do you suggest?' Sakura asked
"Well…." Inner said with an evil grin
'But nothing too far out there.' Sakura cut off.
"Well we could start by holding hands or arm in arm while we travel." Inner suggested. "Or we could make a meal for him."
'Yeah that could work.' Sakura said
"Or since we are sleeping in the same bed, instead of sleeping as far away from each other as possible we could cuddle with him." Inner suggested.
'Well I guess that could be alright.' Sakura said with a blush
"With his hands wrapped around us rubbing all the sensitive areas and pressing his hard…" inner began
'No slow at first we'll start with hand holding.' Sakura cutter her inner thoughts off as she turned red.
"Oh fine you're no fun." Inner said sticking out her tongue while Sakura walked up next to Naruto. She quickly looped her arm in his and held on for dear life as he recoiled in shock but loosened up as he saw the pink haired kunoichi keep her face away from his but still leaned into him.
The pair walked like that all the way to the inn. Once they were at the front desk and got their room they heard a familiar female voice call out.
"Sakura?!" The voice called as the pair looked back and saw Ino and the rest of her team standing at the entrance of the in.
"Ino? What are you doing here?" Sakura said jumping away from Naruto for a second.
"We're here on a mission." Ino replied then looked at the two of them and got a sly grin "But what are the two of you doing here?" she asked emphasizing the two.
"Ahah" Sakura stuttered
"I haven't seen you in a while so I asked Lady Tsunade and she just said you were on a mission." Ino said
"Well ah." Sakura replied
"We are on a mission as well and a lead brought us here." Naruto said
"Oh and what mission is that?" Ino asked
"How about you tell us your mission first and we will do the same?" Naruto replied
"We are here to investigate the disappearances and desecrations of some graves and bodies." Asuma replied getting in on the conversation
"As are we but here is the twist there is biju chakra in the area." Naruto replied getting a worried look from the team.
"What do you mean?" Ino asked with a hint of fear.
"We are searching for a group called the Akatsuki who are hunting down the tailed beasts." Naruto explained as he walked down the hall toward the room followed by Sakura and the team.
"What?" Ino asked "Who are they?"
"A group of S-rank missing Ninja, and like I said they are hunting down tailed beasts. Like myself." Naruto explained "So I'm hunting them down before they hunt me down."
"Alright but why is Sakura with you?" Ino asked giving Sakura a sly grin as she averted her eyes and blushed.
"Only way I could get Tsunade to agree to help me was if I had her tag along." Naruto replied as he opened the door to their room.
"Oh really?" Ino said "Then why are you sharing a bed?" she asked as she looked into the room and saw a single bed in the room. At this they both got a blush across their faces.
"It's part of our cover while searching for them." Naruto replied
"And what is that cover?" Ino asked with a cocked eyebrow
"You are really nosy you know that?" Naruto replied
"Hey I come from a family of interrogators so we like to get as much information as possible." Ino shrugged
"We are posing as a married couple to get around the nations more easily." Naruto stated flatly, at this Ino's eyes light up and was about to ask more questions when Naruto grabbed Sakura's shoulder pulled her into the room and said "And we are very tired so we'll talk to you later." And shut the door in her face.
"Oh but I had more questions." Ino whined at the door.
"You know Ino you always pushing things a bit too far." Shikamaru sighed
"What do you mean?" Ino asked looking over at him.
"Well I was hoping to get a bit more information from him about the tailed beast connection. But you scared him off and wouldn't let me get a word in to ask." Shikamaru replied getting Ino to get a look of realization over her face. "So troublesome." He said shaking his head as he walked to his room.
Later that night Sakura found herself in the hot springs just relaxing on her own till she heard the footsteps of another person walking in.
"Sooo billboard brow I want to hear every detail of what is going on between you and Fox." Ino said
"Nothing me and Naruto kun are just partners on this mission." Sakura replies with a blush.
"Oh Naruto KUUN is it?" Ino says with an evil grin. "Seems you two are pretty close if you're using his real name."
'Shit.' Sakura thought to herself
"Well she is our best friend maybe we should tell her what is going on between us." Inner offered "Cause you know she will never stop bugging us till we do." Causing Sakura to sigh
"Alright fine." Sakura says with defeat and tells her about the night in the demon isles.
Meanwhile on the other side of the hot springs, Naruto was sitting back in the hot water enjoying his bath.
"So kit how does it feel having a girlfriend?" Kurama asked
'Well we haven't specified that we are dating, just that we have feeling for each other.' Naruto replied
"Damn't that was the whole point of confessing your feelings." Kurama sighed "So that you can start a relationship. You know the thing you've wanted since you were a kid."
'Just because I admitted my feelings to her doesn't mean I was looking for a relationship.' Naruto replied
"Well to bad that's what you get when it comes to women." Kurama replied "Why are you complaining? Thought you wanted her to be your girlfriend?"
'I do.' Naruto sighed 'I just don't know if that's what she wants.'
"Ok kit you may be a genius when it comes to being a merc, but an idiot when it comes to women." Kurama sighed shaking his head. "She admitted her feelings because she wants a relationship."
"Maybe your right and I'm and idiot." Naruto sighed
"No maybe. I am right, and you are an idiot." Kurama sighed
"Who's an idiot." Came a new voice. Causing Naruto to look up and see Asuma along with Shikimaru and Choji.
"Just me thinking out loud." Naruto replied
"So Fox can you tell us anything about this bijuu chakra in the area you were talking about earlier before Ino hijacked the conversation?" Shikimaru asked as they all sat down in the hot spring.
"Only if you tell me about the mission you're on." Naruto replied "Because I think they may be related somehow but not sure how." Shikimaru looked at Asume who only nodded.
"We are investigating the disappearances of some of the bodies of the guardian twelve and protect the remaining tombs." Shikimaru replies. "And you?"
"One of my scouts told me about the disappearinces, I wouldn't of given it a second thought however he said he sensed the chakra of a tailed beast, my tailed beast the nine tailed fox." This got a shock from the group.
"How can that be?" Choji asked
"Well when the fox attacked the leaf he may have left residual traces of his chakra when he was sealed. Normally it would dissipate after a while but if it was taken and sealed away it may still be lingering around." Naruto explained "And the Akatsuki may be coming for it if that is the case and these body snatchers may be them."
"What's the Akatsuki?" Choji asked
"A group of S-rank missing nin's that are after the bijuu's power." Naruto explains
"Are you sure this group is involved?" Asuma asked
"No I don't." Naruto replied "They are after the real things not just bits and pieces of it. But it's the best lead I have." He shrugs.
"Well we could use your help on this investigation and we will assist you on yours." Asuma replies.
"I guess." Naruto said standing up putting on his towel. "Just one condition."
"And what's that?" Asuma asks getting a serious look in his eyes.
"Get Ino off our backs about our cover story." Naruto asks getting the trio to begin to laugh.
"I'm sorry there is no force in heaven or earth that will stop her from getting those details from Sakura." Shikimaru chuckled
"Huh damn thought I'd try." Naruto shrugged "Well just pound on our door in the morning when you're ready to head to the temple." He said as he headed toward the exit.
"Yeah sure. We should be heading out around ten thirty." Asuma called after him.
Back on the girl's side of the hot springs Sakura was giving Ino all the details of what had happened between herself and Naruto.
"And then he came back and admit he felt the same way about me but was just scared of those feelings and that was why he ran. But he came back and that is what counts… right?" Sakura said
"He may have some work to do on the feelings department but he should make a good boyfriend for you." Ino said with a smile
"Well the thing is we aren't really boyfriend girlfriend quite yet." Sakura said
"What do you mean?" Ino asked "You both admitted your feelings to each other so there you go."
"Well we never really laid that out about whether or not we were or weren't." Sakura said with a blush.
"Damn't girl you go back to him right now and clarify it right now." Ino demanded
"I don't want to scare him off." Sakura said "He ran off when I told him my feelings I don't want to know what he does if I try to push a relationship on him."
"Well do you want a relationship with him?" Ino asked
"Well yes of course." Sakura replied
"Then you have to let him know that is what you want." Ino replied.
"Alright I'll talk to him about it." Sakura said
"Good, now for juicy stuff is he a good kisser?" Ino asked
"Whwhat?" Sakura stuttered going red.
"I want to know the details." Ino said with an evil grin "How was his kissing and how were his hands? When he had you from behind did you feel his…"
"Wow I'm not telling you that." Sakura said as she got up and put her towel around herself.
"Oh so I'm taking that as a yes." Ino said as Sakura ignored her and walked away.
"How big was it?" Ino called after her as she turned red.
After putting on a pair of short shorts and a large T-shirt Sakura walked into her room to find Naruto was already in his flannel bottoms with no top as he was getting into bed.
"Would you look at that chest and those abs?" Inner drooled "I can't wait to have them pressed up against us while wrapped up in those magnificent arms."
Ignoring her inner self Sakura walked to the opposite side of the bed and slide in.
"Well?" Inner asked "You going to ask him?"
"Um Naruto kun?" Sakura chirped
"Yeah?" Naruto replied
"I was wondering since we admitted our feelings to each other I was wondering if that meant that we were dating…" Sakura began but was cut off
"Well at least I wasn't the only one thinking it." Naruto sighed getting a confused look from Sakura
"What?" Sakura asked skootching closer to him.
"I was thinking the same thing and I do want a relationship with you." Naruto said getting her to freeze up for a minute "What I mean to say is will you be my girlfriend?" at this Sakura shakes herself out of her shock and lungs at him wrapping her arms around him.
"Yes, yes I will be if you will be my boyfriend." Sakura replied happily.
"Of course." Naruto said with a smile and then he felt her lips against his once more.
"Good.*yawn*" she said with a stretch and a yawn.
"Well we better get some sleep still got a ways to go tomorrow." Naruto said as she snuggled into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Alright." She said as she began to drift off to sleep.
Naruto just took a minute to look down at the woman of his dreams snuggled up to him asleep.
"Feels good doesn't it?" Kurama said
"Yeah." Naruto said as he leaned back into the pillow and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning Sakura opened her eyes tiredly and began to look around but found she couldn't sit up and felt something wrapped around herself. She looked down and saw a pair of arms wrapped around her and saw they were up her shirt. She looked to see Naruto pulled in tightly behind her.
'Oh I'm going to kill him for doing this a second time.' Sakura said to herself
"Why you just got him to become your boyfriend why are you going to push him away?" Inner complained
'Oh right.' Sakura said to herself
"What would you do without me?" inner sighed with an evil grin
At remembering the conversation from the previous night Sakura snuggled in closer to the warm body behind her. That was when she felt something pressing against her butt. It was hard and had some size to it.
"Naruto kun?" Sakura called out his name in a hushed tone. That was when she felt the grip on her chest tighten causing her to let out a slight moan.
"I'm not letting go." Naruto said "Last time I did you put me through the wall."
"I'm not going to put you through the wall." Sakura said as she twisted in his arms so she was facing him. "You're my boyfriend now so that entitles you to some perks she says." As she presses her lips against his.
"Oh really and what might those be?" Naruto said rolling her on to her back as he got on top of her.
"Well I haven't put you through the wall yet." Sakura said with a smirk as she ground her body against his getting a moan from each of them.
"Oh really?" Naruto said as he began to nip at her neck. That was when they heard a knock at the door.
"Come on billboard brow we are waiting on you two." Came Ino's voice as they looked over at the clock and saw it was already ten in the morning.
"Right we were supposed to head out with them in a half hour." Naruto replied
"Well we still have a half hour and the door is locked." Sakura said with a grin.
"Well as much fun as that would be if we ignore your friend she will start asking you questions, but if we get up we can tell her we just over slept." Naruto replied getting a look of realization on Sakura's face.
"Fine." Sakura said as he rolled off of her and out of the bed
"Rain check then." Naruto replied as he threw on a shirt and walked to the door. "Damn't woman you're louder than a banshee." He said and gave a long yawn.
"We are supposed to be moving in a half hour and we haven't seen you guys at all. So I decided to see if you were even up." Ino said then looked into the room to see Sakura getting out of bed as well. "Unless I'm interrupting?" she added with a sly smile.
"You honestly think we would try anything with the chance of you bugging us about it?" Naruto asked.
"Well you have a point there." Ino sighed "Well hurry up we want to be on the road soon."
"Alright we'll see you at the desk." Naruto replied as she turned around and left.
The pair finally walked out to the lobby and saw the team waiting on them.
"Geez took you two long enough." Ino complained
"Well sorry getting woken up by a banshee tends to put me in a foul mood so I move slower." Naruto replied and walked to the door. Getting Ino to puff up and go red in the face.
After a couple hours of walking the group finally made it to the fire temple where they were greeted by the head monk.
"Ah Asuma good to see you again." The monk said
"You as well Chiriku." Asuma said with a smile holding out his hand as the monk took it and they shook.
"When I asked for a team to help investigate the disappearances I didn't think they would send you." Chiriku said
"Well when they saw which bodies were disappearing and since we have a history they sent me." Asuma explained
"Wait you know him Asuma sensei?" Ino asked
"They were both part of the Twelve Guardian Ninja." Naruto said. "The personal guards of the Daimyo himself."
"Correct." Chiriku replied
"How did you know we were members?" Asuma asked
"Well one I am a bounty hunter and you are both in the bingo book." Naruto said holding up a book. "And also you wear the emblem." He said pointing at the bandana's around their waists
At hearing Naruto's words Chiriku got into a fighting stance. "You won't have my head this day bounty hunter." He said as Naruto just cocked an eyebrow as the rest of the monks gathered around.
"Calm yourself I'm not here for your bounty." Naruto said holding up his hands trying to calm the situation down.
"How do I know you aren't lying?" Chiriku said still in a fighting stance.
"Well if I was going to go for your bounty I wouldn't come her with one of your guardian twelve buddies." Naruto said pointing his thumb over at Asuma. "And he has a larger bounty on his head than you." He said getting Chiriku to relax his stance a bit.
"Then what are you doing here?" Chiriku asked
"Well can we speak in private?" Naruto asked as Chiriku looked over at Asuma who just nodded.
"Very well." Chiriku said as he turned toward the temple and walked inside followed by the team and Naruto.
Once they were in Chiriku's office he walked around to his desk and sat down. "Alright bounty hunter if you are not here for my head why are you here."
"I have Intel that there is Bijuu chakra in the area and the group I'm hunting is after it." Naruto said.
"And what group is that?" Chiriku asked
"The Akatsuki an organization of S-rank missing ninja." Naruto explained "There were nine members three have been taken down but I think they may have recruited one more so that is seven S-rank missing nins to deal with."
"And what makes you think the nine tails chakra is here?" Chiriku said getting Naruto to raise an eyebrow.
"Well a few reasons one is that one of my scouts told me it was here." Naruto said counting on his fingers. "Second is I never said which Bijuu it was that was here." He added getting a look of shock from the monk. "And finally I can sense the Fox's chakra."
"And how can you sense it?" Chiriku asked getting Naruto to smirk and close his eyes
"Because I am the real thing." Naruto said opening his eyes getting the monk to recoil in shock as he saw the red slit eyes of the demon fox. "Not some fragment like you have here."
At this Chiriku's eyes bulged but before he could say anything someone burst into the room.
"Chiriku-sama someone is looting more tombs right now." The monk said as everyone jumped up.
"Well Fox mind helping us deal with some grave robbers?" Asuma asked.
"Fine but once they are dealt with I will be back about the nine tails chakra." Naruto said looking back at Chiriku
At that the group left and ran full speed toward the tombs. The team made it to the tomb to find a group of three ninja's standing in front of the tomb with two coffins.
"There they must be the ones that have been robbing the tombs" Choji called out just then the ground beneath them began to shift and they were all separated, by an earthy maze.
Naruto found himself alone looking down a hallway made of earth.
'Well looks like I'm alone again.' Naruto said looking around
"Well you like it that way don't you?" Kurama replied
'You know it.' Naruto answered as his eyes turned red and slit 'Now I don't have to hold back.'
"Good now let's go find us some prey." Kurama said as Naruto moved down the hall
Naruto moved down the halls for a while as he began to hear the sounds of battle all around.
"Oh come on why is everyone else getting some action but not me?" Naruto asked out loud
"Be careful what you wish for." Came a female voice as Naruto turned around and found himself face to face with a woman, before he knew it she was lip locked with him. The moment their lips touched Naruto felt the chakra begin to drain from his body. The moment he realized what was happening he pushed the woman away.
"Ah you're very tasty." The woman said licking her lips and fading back into the wall.
'Shit where the hell did she come from?' Naruto asked
"She is really good at hiding." Kurama said "I can't even sense her in this mess. Only thing I can think of is that she is being helped by whoever did this maze. She is hiding her chakra signature within theirs."
'Alright let's go over her abilities.' Naruto started as he moved through the halls more cautiously 'She can hide and drain the chakra from her victim.'
"Yeah I can't pin her down." Kurama said as they heard another explosion a few walls away "Sounds like your girlfriend decided to take off the kid gloves."
'Yeah.' Naruto replied as the maze began to shift and change its appearance 'well the ever changing maze where the hell is my ball of twine when I need it?' he said shaking his head as he heard another explosion and saw a dust cloud coming from the opposite direction of the previous one.
"That must be the lard ass Akimichi with his family's body expansion." Kurama said as the walls began to melt away "Well seems like he took care of whoever was making these walls."
'And that means.' Naruto began as he swung around and grabbed the woman who had ambushed him before by the throat. "You have nowhere to hide."
"How could you have found me?" she asked nearly choking
"It was a bit difficult while you were mixing your chakra with that others but now that you can't you're easy to detect." Naruto said with an evil grin and she got a good look at his eyes and fear spread across her face "What? Didn't you say I was tasty?" he asked as he gave her a deep kiss and he focused his demonic chakra into her system.
Naruto pulled away and gave her an evil grin "Hope you liked the snack." He said as he was launched from his spot and skidded across the ground.
Naruto looked up to see a seething Sakura standing where he had been standing holding up her smoking hand. "How dare you cheat on me with this woman! Who you just met!" She yelled as he held up his hands.
"Calm down and look." Naruto said as Sakura looked over at the woman who was standing next to her. The woman looked at her hand and saw as it began to burn away and smoke.
"AHAHAHHAHA!" the woman screamed as the rest of her body began to burn away and she slumped down into a pile of ash leaving Sakura wide eyed.
"Wait could that happen if we…" inner thought in shock as Naruto got up and walked over to her.
"Don't worry." Naruto said as if seeing her unasked question. "She drains chakra from lip contact so I gave her the Fox's chakra and her body couldn't handle it." He said
"But why did you have to kiss her?" Sakura asked
"Because I like the ironic ways to kill someone it's part of my M.O." Naruto replied "Now can we deal with this later, we need to deal with the situation at hand."
"Alright." Sakura replied as Ino walked up to the pair. "Where to then?"
"That way." Naruto said point in the direction of the tombs "I sense a chakra signature from over there." He said as they jumped away in that direction
The trio found themselves standing in front of the tomb and looked over to see Asuma fighting a man with long white hair and a scar below his left eye. After a moment Shikamaru along with Choji landed next to them. The man with white hair looked over at the group and saw he was out numbered. He then jumped away and landed at the entrance of the tomb where a boy was on his knees with his arms tied behind his back.
"Well looks like I'm out numbered." The man said "I didn't want to use my trump card until I got it to Konoha but since you guys are all here that must mean my team didn't make it." He said looking at the rest of the team getting his answer just by the look in their eyes. "That is what I thought"
He then looked down at the boy "Hey kid you see that bandana around that man's waist." The white haired man said getting the boy to look up at Asuma "That means he was on the same team as your father."
"How do you know that?" the Boy asked
"Because I was as well and I saw him kill your father." The white haired man said, at this the boy's eyes bulged as he looked at Asuma and he began to heave and red chakra began to resonate off of him and his eyes turned red and slit. The boy broke the bonds on his wrists as his hands turned to claws.
"Looks like this is where I come in." Naruto said as the boy lunged at Asuma. Asuma blinked and saw a clawed hand inches from his face. He jumped back and looked to see the wrist of the clawed hand was being held by Naruto.
"Thanks Fox." Asuma breathed a sigh of relief
"No problem this is why I'm here." Naruto said as he threw the kid back at the white haired man.
"Damn't Kazuma why would you do that to Sora, your own son?" Asuma yelled as Kazuma looked on with shock at how Naruto could just toss Sora around as if it was nothing.
"How is that possible?" Kazuma asked in shock as he looked down at his son who was already going into the four tailed state.
Sora began to stand and get on all fours. But before he could move Naruto was already in front of him and put his hand on his head.
"Simple you only have a fragment of his power." Naruto said looking up at Kazuma who saw the eyes of the fox for the first time "And I have the full beast in me." He said as the demonic chakra began to seep from Sora into Naruto.
"NO!" Kazuma yelled as he watched his son fall to the ground but he was too late as he felt something stab him in the gut. He looked up and saw Asuma standing next to him. He looked down and saw Asuma's trench knife in his gut. "Damn you, damn you killed me a second time."
"No I only killed the monster you became." Asuma said as he let the body drop to the ground.
Asuma looked down at Sora's body "Will he be alright?"
"Yeah I just pulled out the Fox's chakra he is just drained from its lose." Naruto replied "He'll be fine with some rest." He said as Asuma walked up to the boy and picked him up and they headed back to the temple.
The team stood in front of Chiriku's desk the next morning as they gave him the full report on what happened.
"I can't believe Kazuma was alive all this time." Chiriku said
"Yes but it is over now, for good." Asuma replied "He was a threat to the leaf and I couldn't allow him to threaten my home."
"Agreed" Chiriku said as he turned to Naruto "So is it true you took away the demonic chakra that was plaguing young Sora?"
"Yes I took all the Fox's chakra that was in his system." Naruto replied "He will be exhausted for a few days but he should be fine."
"That is a relief we have been trying to find ways of suppressing the demonic energy but to have it completely gone is truly a blessing." Chiriku sighed in relief
"Well we must be off." Naruto said as he turned to Sakura
"What so soon?" Ino asked looking at the pair.
"Yeah I may have found the source of Fox's chakra here but, we still have mission to complete and sitting around here won't help us complete it." Naruto explained as he turned to the door to leave followed by Sakura.
"Well thank you Fox." Chiriku said "You are welcome here anytime."
"Thanks I'll keep that in mind." Naruto called back as he walked out the door.
"Unless you are running from the law." Chiriku called out with a grin.
"So that means I can never come back." Naruto replied with a laugh as the door shut behind him.
END CHAPTER 24
A/N
Alright as I said before I'm sorry for the delay. And if you were expecting more with Sora and this whole Arc I'm sorry I had to cut it down so I could get back on track with the main story line.