It had gone too smoothly, in retrospect. It wouldn't be a Team 7 mission without something going wrong. The pickup had gone according to plan, a quick talk with the client, some iron merchant looking to secure a contract for a steady ore delivery. The handoff had been flawless, even if the mine owner was a grumpy old guy he'd signed off on the receipt scroll readily enough.
To be perfectly fair, at that point the mission had been complete. They just had to get back to Konoha and report completion to get their pay. But sometimes life just throws curveballs.
"...so after the First War it was thought that the buffer region between Wind and Earth should be expanded. Stone was already home to a collection of small allied ninja clans at the time and was thus given formal recognition as a Minor Village and the country was born."
Naruto nodded along to Sakura's lecture on the difference between Iwa and Ishi and the Tsuchikage and the Ishikage. He would have thought it would have made more sense to just give the Land of Stone a less confusing name like... the Land of Metal. There. That would be easy enough. There weren't any Villages Hidden in the Metal. Although, both Wind and Earth were heavy exporters of metals and ores too, so-
"Oh."
Team 7 froze at their Sensei's sound of dismayed surprise. The Jounin was staring off into the dense green shadows of the trees a little ways out from the road with a faint expression of disgruntlement and irritation.
"Bubble. Now."
Naruto's eyes widened in astonishment before he immediately pulled out a sealing tag and slapped it on the ground. His teammates were at his side in a second, just as he pushed a massive ammount of chakra into the small piece of paper. A thick blue barrier sprang up in a modest sized dome over the Genin, leaving Hiroki outside. Less than a full second later, a tall figure in heavy red armor landed on the road in front of them with a small puff of steam and a heavy thud.
He glanced between his brother and the newcomer, trying to figure out what was going on, but Sakura's startled gasp told him enough to know that whoever this was was bad news, even if the somewhat stiff words of his brother weren't enough.
"Han. Of Iwa. What a surprise to see you here."
He blinked, assessing the figure in red. Han was the Gobi jinchuuriki; Naruto had never met another bijuu container before. The Iwa jinchuuriki certainly looked pretty impressive, being taller than average and quite bulky with the thick metal armor.
The Iwa-nin looked steadily back at them, eyeing the barrier silently for a moment before turning back towards Hiroki.
"I don't suppose I could persuade you to forget you saw me?"
Nissan's posture shifted slightly, and when he spoke it was with a slow, cautious tone.
"I am afraid that your presence here is a violation of the Atsusa accords; no Iwa jinchuuriki are allowed outside of the nation's borders without an escort."
Han sighed, rubbing his head under the brim of his wide straw hat.
The movement was too fast to follow, a grievous failing found in far too much higher level combat as far as Naruto was concerned. Sensei was just… not where he was anymore. Instead there was a long trench of disturbed dirt which terminated in a bent and twisted body, still wearing a dark grey hood.
That… what?
He couldn't understand what he was seeing. It was a genjutsu, right? Sensei had done this before, put them in genjutsu where something crazy happened and they had to think on their feet. This was all just an illusion, a training exercise; he would pulse his chakra and Hiroki-nii would be fine, and the team would be safe, and they'd go home together and- EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE.
The figure clad in steaming metal armor sighed again, a higher pitched sound like the whistle of a tea pot ringing out at the same time while he turned towards the stunned Genin team. His heavy metal boots made a crunching noise as he walked towards them, expression mildly regretful.
Naruto wanted to rip that look off Han's face and feed it to him, and he could feel the irrational urge to fight building in his gut, warring with the instinct that told him to run, run, run, crush the bug who stole from us.
"Sorry about your Sensei. He'd have told someone, and then Iwa would have sent someone to look for me and stuck me back in the village and I'd never get away again. It's not personal, you know? Now, could you lower the barrier already? It'll be a lot quicker if you-"
"Earth Style: Pebble of the Divine Garden."
Han was slammed against the barrier by a spinning ball of stone, sending a jolt through Naruto's chakra at the strain as the energy construct rang like a gong with the force of the impact. Sensei was there a second later, hand wrapped around the enemy's face and shoving it into the barrier even as the larger ninja wheezed through his cracked armor.
"That, was my mother's eye."
Hiroki who appeared entirely unharmed save for one closed eye which was dripping blood at a slow rate. Naruto's hands trembled with relief, the sudden rush of homicidal rage diffusing in the wake of assurance that his family was safe. Little black lines grew around Sensei's eyes but he kept talking in an incongruously calm tone, even as his bandaged hand pressed Han's face harder into the barrier.
"She made me that eye, with her own skull. And you ruined it. Now I only have one piece of her left before she's gone forever."
Hiroki-nii did not get angry. He didn't yell, or shout. Hiroki-nii would never hurt them.
Naruto had to keep repeating his little mantra, because for some reason, despite how even his teacher's voice was, he wasn't quite sure if he believed it. Any lingering embers of hate were snuffed out like a bucket of water had been dumped on his head.
"But that- that I could forgive. Then you threatened my Genin."
The sole remaining Sharingan eye was spinning madly as it shifted into something new, made of spines and curves and cruel looking points. The eye focused on Han for a long second, as the hand clenched tighter to squeeze a pained squeak from the enemy ninja, before glancing briefly at Naruto. It was like someone had dropped a weight into the pit of his stomach, a sudden pulling before-
Where was this? He was in an empty white plane, stretching out in all directions, completely featureless.
Well, not totally empty. As he spun around again in confusion he spotted his brother sitting in a seiza, hands raised so the palms covered his eyes. The Jounin shifted his posture slightly, tilting his head to indicate the floor nearby.
"Please, sit Naruto. They should be here in a moment."
The blond dropped into a comfortable cross legged position, looking around for whoever they were expecting in the infinite, empty void.
"Who should be here soon?"
"Me."
He jolted in his position, springing up and exclaiming in surprise at the massive figure of the Kyuubi, sitting behind him with tails wrapped around its massive paws.
"Kyuubi! … sama. What are you… doing here?"
He was trying to be polite like Niisan had taught him to, but it was a struggle against a lifetime of habit and frank astonishment at seeing the fox in such an open environment, and without the safety of a seal between them.
The giant fox-like chakra entity growled low, eyes narrowing as they glanced at the kneeling form of Hiroki.
"Uchiha! Why have you brought me here?!"
"I imagine for somewhat the same reason he brought me here."
Naruto and his tenant both blinked in surprise at the new voice, which was quite deep, but had an undercurrent of slight hissing that made it much more sibilant than Kyuubi's. Hiroki-nii gave a sort of half bow from his seiza.
"Indeed Otsutsuki-ojisama. I was hoping to use Kyuubi-sama as a character witness."
The Gobi was large, maybe even a touch larger than Kyuubi, though his form was more streamlined. His coat was a pale grey color, set off nicely by the pale red tips of his horns. He was definitely weirder looking than the Kyuubi though; Naruto wasn't sure what exactly the other bijuu was supposed to be. Some kind of elk, or, a horse?
The Gobi looked around calmly, inspecting the space they resided in.
"It has been a very long time since I was last here. How are you faring Kur-"
The Kyuubi roared, cutting off his brother's words.
"Do not say my name in front of the humans! Unlike you I still have some pride left."
The Gobi sniffed, nose tilting up disparagingly.
"And yet you are bound as I am, are you not? Or is that not your container, as this is mine?"
The massive (dolphin?)horse flipped his head at Naruto before nodding towards the still form of Han crumpled near his hooves. The blond hadn't noticed the man there before, and it seemed for good reason as the armor clad ninja was quite still and staring vacantly upward, the only sign of life remaining the slight rise and fall of his breastplate. Sensei cleared his throat politely, drawing their attention back.
"If I might, that was rather what I had hoped to discuss with you, Otsutsuki-ojisama. But first, might I have the privilege of addressing you by your given name? I fear this conversation may become somewhat unwieldy otherwise, as I would be most reluctant to call either of your esteemed personages by such a crude mode as the number of your magnificent tails."
Naruto had to take a second to process the formal language, but it seemed Gobi had less trouble.
The bijuu nodded after a moment, apparently pleased by the polite speech.
"You may; thank you for asking. Might I have your name in return?"
Naruto dropped back into a squat between Kyuubi's paws and yawned as Sensei bowed slightly back. Adrenalin crash, nasty things.
"Of course, how remiss of me. My name is Uchiha Hiroki. It is my very good honor to make your acquaintance Kokuo-ojisama."
Kyuubi emitted a sound somewhere between a despairing sigh and a grunt of disgust before flopping forward, massive foxy head almost landing on Naruto before he dodged to the side, looking back at the bijuu aggrievedly. Kokuo seemed content to ignore the slight commotion, dropping down into a more relaxed posture as well.
"It is very nice to meet you as well, Hiroki-san. Now, you did mention that your reason for bringing us here was related to our current state of… liberty?"
"Indeed. I wished to address the issue to you, as it most primarily concerns your own condition. I am not certain of the specifics of the containment method which binds you to Han, but I am afraid your current residence is soon to become… not. He threatened my Genin team."
The last was said somewhat apologetically, and Naruto shifted a bit, getting comfortable leaning against Kyuubi's fuzzy paw. If only Kyu-ji wasn't such a dick; this was really comfortable. Kokuo nodded acknowledgingly, before tilting his head in inquiry.
"Well, I cannot say I will be very sad to see him go; I don't think I've tried to speak to Han in more than twenty years now. I am still unsure why this necessitated a conference…?"
Hiroki-nii nodded politely back, hands still pressed against his eyes.
"As you say. Well, as I am sure you have previously experienced, the death of the host will regrettably force you into a period of dis-corporeality, which I would imagine to be at least somewhat unpleasant. Unfortunately, the period of freedom you might experience after reformation would likely be tragically brief, as I am entirely sure that Iwa would have prepared another vessel for your eminent self by that time. You would most likely be sealed again."
There was a subtle pursing of the dolphin-horse's beak, which made the creature seem rather resigned.
"Yes."
"Well, if you did not feel it too presumptuous, I was wondering if you might consent to be housed within me, instead."
Naruto blinked at his brother in astonishment, mouth falling open in shock.
"Niisan? You want to be a jinchuuriki too?"
Kyuubi lept to his feet, sending the blond tumbling.
"I knew it! Wretched, power-hungry filth, the lot of you! Grabbing at every shiny object dangled in your face like mindless monkeys; you ruined the world! Indra should have been strangled at birth, and Asura too, rather than have their lines brought to such pathetic ends!"
"I could have taken your other half, Otsutsuki-sama."
The massive fox froze, teeth bared at the still seated Jounin who continued in the same calm tone.
"What my ancestor did to you was nothing short of heresy, a desecration and violation of the highest order. But I should hope that thus far I have shown you my lack of ill intentions towards yourself, or your kin. I know how to unseal the Shinigami's stomach, and I could have taken your other half for my own. I did not. I did not force you to cooperate with Naruto. I did not wipe your mind, or chain you down. Have I not worked to help you? Have I not trained Naruto to be a considerate gaoler?"
The fox's growl was toxic to the ear, a noise of such malice and hatred that it made Naruto sick to listen to it.
"But jailer he remains, and jailer you hunger to be as well! Trifles and soft words!"
"And what would you have me do?!"
Hiroki shouted back at the fox angrily face twisted in a sad and frustrated grimace.
"You will never be free while this world remains as it is, not now, when the secret of your binding has been made known so far and wide. If I unsealed you, what then? Another rampage? Another few hundred killed? And then caged again, tighter, sharper than before! Not even if all Nine of you were free would you be able to fight off the hordes which would come to feast on your power like carrion flies! You think yourself alone in your loathing? If I could I would do away with all who knew the secret of your sealing, but I am not strong enough! There are dozens, hundreds even, who might possess the knowledge, and all it would take was one survivor! Your imprisonment is a travesty, an affront to all that is right and natural, but even were I able, ensuring your freedom would mean the slaughter of thousands!"
Kyuubi roared, tails lashing in frustrated rage as the noise seemed to shake the very air, before he vanished with a jarring suddenness.
Kokuo sighed, looking after his departed brother with a concerned and careworn expression.
"He was always the most passionate, the most caring. It is terrible to see him so twisted by his hatred."
The Bijuu's massive blue eyes shut resignedly as he sighed once again.
"I cannot find fault in your argument, young Hiroki. I suppose, were I to have my choice of prison, I would choose the one that asked my permission first. You may have me, though be it on your own head the consequences."
The white world dissolved, leaving Naruto blinking in the sudden shift. It seemed as if no time at all had passed in the real world, for his brother was still holding the corpse-still form of Han by the throat, and Sasuke and Sakura were still shocked into silence. Nissan blinked suddenly, before turning to the Iwa jinchuuriki with a solemn expression.
"I thank you for the privilege."
Sensei's free hand shot through a series of hand-seals too fast to follow, before glowing a somewhat alarming shade of purple.
"Five elements: Seal!"
The glowing fingers sunk through the armor of the larger ninja, who slumped bonelessly from the barrier as the Jounin withdrew his hand, only to be flipped over onto his back with a quick motion. Naruto released the barrier technique and moved to stand near his Sensei, who was running through an even longer series of hand-seals.
"Twenty Paths of Shelter: Seal."
With a faint sizzling sound, ink spun out from Hiroki's crouched form to surround Kokuo's expiring host. A tremor ran through the ground below them, preceding a wave of steam grey chakra rushing out of the bulky figure of Han and into the much more compact Uchiha teen.
"What's Sensei doing?"
Naruto jumped a little at the sudden noise by his elbow, glancing to his kunoichi teammate.
"He talked to the Gobi, and got permission to seal it into himself."
He glanced at the slightly trembling figure still posed with hands clasped in a ram seal.
"I don't know how long it will take."
His brother's sole living eye slowly shifted to meet his own, and he spoke in a distracted, halting tone.
"Not terribly long. I am only taking half of Kokuo-sama, and I designed the necessary redundancies into my own seal network years ago. A good ninja is always prepared, you know."
The younger Uchiha shifted slightly next to Naruto, face set in its normal faint frown.
"Why only half?"
"Speed, and to allow Kokuo-sama a small chance at freedom. Though it is unlikely, he might be able to escape the attempts of Iwa to reseal him in a new vessel. Hurgh!"
With a faintly organic slurping sound, the chakra pouring out of the now quite dead Han stopped. Sensei rose to his feet somewhat unsteadily, before smiling faintly at all of the Genin. However, before he had even taken a step back to rejoin them the Jounin paused, brows pinching in a distracted frown, head cocked to listen to something only he could hear and gaze distant.
Then the screaming started.
. . .
A/N: Thus ends Naruto's arc, and much earlier than I think most of us would have preferred. I'm sorry ya'll, I'm just not good at the style of writing that favors lots of shit happening. I know there are some writers out there that could have easily put out 100k words for each of the kid's arcs, but I dunno; I just don't have that many ideas. I guess I have a series of connected scenes that I can string together into a story, but the little moments of interaction that don't really matter (but are of course fun to read) aren't really my wheelhouse.
Anyway, Hiroki has an Earth Style Rasengan! It's mostly just very very heavy and dense. Imagine a ball the size of a grapefruit which weighed over 100 kilos.