The sky darkened. The castle grew grey in the light. A fading dot of embers fell through the sky. Trees and the forest grew darker, shadows casting along the ground. Winter-white trees covered the ground, their bases rising like bony ribs through the grass.
"Let's hurry along." Nōtō glanced over his shoulder. "For now, it's best we retreat for a while. Yokaze-san, please do not contact the viceroy regarding your current location. I have a certain idea that it is hard for me to ignore."
Waves spread slowly across the water covering the ground. A thin breeze blew the tapestries upward.
Naruto frowned. "What do you mean? Zabuza's dead, isn't he?"
Yokaze's face blanched. "Please do not speak of him in such a harsh manner…"
Her spirit has returned somewhat. "Even if that is the case, Naruto-san, someone hired him." Nōtō frowned. "Someone also hired those Hidden Mist ninja. If it was Zabuza-san, the matter ends there. But I have given up thinking that this world is so simple."
Naruto frowned.
Sasuke tilted her head to one side. "What do you mean?"
Kōju's eyes widened. "That's a whole lot of suppositions, Nōtō-sensei. Even if you stack them up, it's not a very probable scenario."
Nōtō sighed. "Probability… chance…" He looked upward. "This is where you usually stay, right?"
"Eh?" Yokaze questioned. She looked upward. "Yes. This is distinctly that location."
Nōtō opened the door.
Water dripped through the cracks in the wood ceiling. The inn lights flickered, paper lanterns dancing over the water-logged wood slats. The innkeeper inclined her head, regarding the shinobi without an expression. The stones shimmered in the entryway.
"If I guess rightly, probably Zabuza is still alive."
Naruto's eyes widened.
Sasuke frowned.
Kōju sighed. "But that doesn't work. For that to be true, that person would need to be complicit…"
"Haku-chan isn't like that! He's different!" Yokaze shouted.
"That thing's a guy?" Naruto demanded, his eyes wide.
The group walked up the stairs. The wood creaked beneath the feet.
"Listen. Just listen for a moment, okay?" Nōtō raised his hand. "There are two possible scenarios in my mind. Number one. Haku-san is aligned with Zabuza-san, and preserved his life for some other end. Number two. Whoever hired Zabuza-san has other subordinates. It seems unlikely that they'd put all their eggs in one basket. Having said that, if the second possibility is the case, they likely won't have anyone strong enough to combat us, but it's possible. Finding someone as strong as Zabuza-san must be quite difficult…" Nōtō coughed. "To put things simply. It's likely that they'll try again. If that is the case, the first, then we'll have a great deal of time to prepare; Heaven Point and the other take a great deal of energy to counter and act on bodies well. For the time being, I won't make any guesses on the person who hired them… Is this your room?" he asked abruptly, touching the golden doorknob.
"Yes, it is!" Yokaze declared. "I could hardly call myself a host if I let you sleep on the floor, so please, take the bed!"
The door opened.
A white four-poster bed lay against the wall. The rumpled sheets lay against the surface of the area. A table sat in the corner of the room, bright and shimmering beyond the sky.
"Hah! Well-said, young lady!" Roaring laughter echoed from the bed.
Nōtō's eyes widened. I know that voice…
The voluptuous woman in the bed sat up straight. Her crimson curls danced around her head in braids. She remained speechless for a moment. Long grey robes covered her body, marked with red thread. She brushed back her hair, her brown eyes widening. She leaned forward.
Nōtō screamed.
The woman grinned broadly. Jumping upright, she rushed forward. "Nōtō-chan—"
Nōtō's fist shot outward.
The woman flew into the wall.
The wood cracked.
"Good grief." Nōtō pushed up his glasses on his nose with two fingers, scowling. "Contain yourself, woman."
The woman straightened. She wiped a drop of blood away from her nose. "Good to see you haven't changed at all."
"Sensei, who is this?" Naruto demanded.
"Sifu, you've never spoken of this man before…" a girl with russet red hair remarked, pressing her fingers together.
"She's a very irritating woman… Kyakuzuki Miyama." Nōtō pushed up his glasses on his nose.
"He's Mura Nōtō… the former heretic temple priest of Hidden Leaf." Miyama smirked. "And he is a very hospitable man, when he's not angry."
"Heretic priest?" Naruto repeated.
"Hospitable?" Kōju questioned, her hand touching her chin and her eyes sparkling.
This person was able to cause damage to sensei… He must be strong. The small-bodied girl pressed her fingers together.
This person took a punch from sensei at full power. She must be very strong. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
A tray of food arrived later in the evening, uncooked.
"At any rate, I'm a little surprised. You see, the elder Ranryū hired us. We were sent to keep an eye on Yokaze-san… We arrived a bit late for him, though." Miyama rubbed the back of her head. She took a large bite of the chicken, her sharp teeth showing as she swallowed.
Nōtō sighed. He pushed his glasses up on his nose. "May I assume that you gathered data on the way?"
"You could say that." Miyama smiled. "The most probable architect of the current problems is named Gatō. He is the leader of a large company. By manipulating these forces, he hopes to take control of a war, guide it, and get money from it." She shrugged. "At least, that's my guess. If Hidden Mist is involved instead, things could get messy… Regardless, I'm willing to bet that Zabuza is still alive at present."
"An interesting bet."
The genin set down their plates, having finished early.
"Hey! You two; what are we doing?!" Naruto demanded.
Miyama and Nōtō turned simultaneously. "Training," they responded at the same time, their faces stern.
"Training? What kind of training?"
"You two…" Nōtō raised his finger and pointed at Naruto and Sasuke. "Need to learn how to utilize chakra. Your current state won't cut it."
Miyama's lips curled upward. "As to you guys… Roha-san and the white-haired girl…" She lifted her fingers. "You haven't got enough strength to beat these guys… So you need to start on bulking exercises."
Kōju's lip stuck outward. Her eyes glistened. "I don't want to become a muscle-bound freak like you!"
Miyama's eyebrow twitched.
Roha frowned. "Why now, instead of earlier?"
"We already know how to use shakra!" Naruto complained.
"Naruto-kun is correct… though it's chakra," Sasuke remarked calmly.
"You won't be able to do anything unless you're strong enough." Miyama sighed. "For young girls like you, this might prove a little difficult, but you need to become very strong."
"Also, you're both wrong. You use chakra improperly and waste energy, so you can't be considered the same as the others in this regard. For you two… follow me." Nōtō waved to the pair.
"So what will we be doing?" Kōju asked, her lip still trembling.
"Workout and feasting regimen. Oh, yeah… Yokaze-san, you'll have to learn how to use your bloodline advancement, too." Miyama lifted her hand, pointing at Yokaze.
Roha groaned.
Yokaze sighed.
The wind blew around the hotel room.
Price
The forest rose outside. Waves swept along the ground. The white trees rose upward, bone fingers extended to the sky. The bark shimmered. The fading light cast a lurid red on the surface of the ground.
"You'll be climbing trees."
"Climbing trees?! What the hell is this?" Naruto demanded.
Sasuke scowled.
"You'll be doing it like so." Nōtō set his foot on the tree trunk. He walked upward, his foot shining with chakra.
Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed.
Naruto grinned. "That's awesome, sensei!"
"Basically, this teaches you how to control your powers and focus them properly. If you don't understand that, you waste energy—that's very bad. Stamina is best, so… use these." Nōtō hurled down two kunai. "Mark your progress with those. Make it all the way up the tree. You have one week to succeed in this training. If you can't do it by that time, you will likely die against those subordinates." He turned, walking back into the cabin.
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
Several hours passed as the day darkened into dusk.
Sasuke hefted the kunai. Too much energy, and I can't ascend… Too little, and I stop.
Naruto sat motionless, his body shaking with exertion. I can't keep going at this rate!
Price
The room darkened. Straw covered the floor. The hut's chimney smoked, sparks rising through the surface of the ceiling. The circular hole pointed upward toward the stars. Light shimmered in the sky.
"Seems you Hidden Mist ninja are pretty poor after all…" Gatō smirked as he regarded Zabuza.
"You insulting me?" Zabuza questioned. His hand rested against the sword hilt.
Gatō smirked. "Of course I am. I'm questioning your ability to get the job done… you and those subordinates of yours…"
A blur passed through the air.
"I see."
The blade pressed against the side of Gatō's neck.
Gatō swallowed, his eyes widening.
Zabuza adjusted his grip on the sword. "See, that's a problem. You interfere with me, you stand in my way, you prove your own ineptitude. You know, there's an old saying—the performance of the subordinate reflects on the leader."
Gatō glanced sideways. "It's a good thing I have another subordinate, isn't it? Mirai!" he barked sharply.
A blue-haired woman flickered forward.
The sword slid backward.
A second katana pushed up the massive broadsword.
"Mirai, eh?" Zabuza smirked. "I've been waiting to fight you a long time."
The blade lowered.
"Please… do not fight in front of the children." Mirai bowed her head deeply. "That's not good…" Her blindfold fell over her shoulders.
Haku bent her head downward.
A white-haired girl looked to one side.
A wild-haired creature lay on the ground.
A boy with deep brown eyes looked upward at the pair.
"Che." Zabuza sighed. "Okay, we'll save our big fight for later. But hear me, Gatō. Insult me or my people again, and your head will be gone."
Gatou scowled. Such an arrogant man…
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The mat shifted slightly. The wood floor sank inward. The white bed shook slightly under the force of the impact.
Kōju groaned. "Ouch, ouch, ouch… Do child labor services know about this?" She forced her body upright.
Miyama smirked. "You're only at fifteen. We're needing till twenty before you can take your break." She adjusted her position on Kōju's back.
Kōju groaned. I feel like I've already broken a rib… She glanced at the other side of the room.
Roha groaned as she forced herself up. "…" She looked with tears in her eyes up at Nōtō.
Nōtō shrugged his shoulders as he rested on Roha. "I'm lighter than she is, at least."
"Hey!" Miyama's eyes blazed. "You want me to beat you up again?"
The glasses glistened on Nōtō's face. "I'd like to see you try."
The pair stared venomously at each other.
Kōju and Roha met each other's gaze, their expressions weary.
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Wood shavings covered the woodland clearing. White bark littered the ground, covering the surface of the yellow grass.
Naruto forced his feet upward.
The bark exploded outward.
Naruto fell backward, groaning as he touched his leg. Good thing it wasn't badly broken…
Sasuke gritted her teeth. I said I'd beat him… She stared down at the body on the ground from her position on the tree. But this guy is actually catching up to me. On the honor of the Uchiha, I will climb this tree!
The bark fragmented.
Sasuke yelled. Helplessly, she tumbled down the tree.
Naruto's eyes widened. "Sasuke! Are you okay?"
"Fine, dumbass!" Sasuke shouted. Her hand ran along the back of her spine as she lay on the ground. No fractures, and the surface seems fine. "I hate you, you know? You can survive that fine, for some stupid reason like how hard your head is!"
"I hate you too!"
The pair looked in opposite directions.
Sasuke sighed. I think I said what I meant to… at least a little.
Naruto scowled. She's so irritating. I try to be friendly, and she reacts like this…
"Did Kōju-chan tell you anything about how to do well on this one?" Sasuke asked cautiously.
"…That's a secret!" Sure, I didn't get any help, but she doesn't need to know that! Naruto grinned, forcing himself upright.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
Fragments of bark littered the floor.
"Fine, moron. I'll kick your ass anyway."
Price
A wind blew from the northeast. The empty market place hosted only a few remaining shops. Sawdust and lumber shared equal place in the smells rising. A few fish sizzled on the surface of metal.
Kōju sighed, rubbing her back. "I may have gotten all wiry, but I'm still a little girl." She lifted the grocery bag with trembling hands. "I'm all shaky now…"
"Hey! Tazuna-san!"
Kōju's head turned. Hm? She stared at the figure on the ground.
The old man's eyes darkened. He uncapped the bottle of water at his side and took a long drink before answering. "Yeah."
"I've been doing some thinking and this bridge idea of Ranryū-sama's… It's not going to work! Everyone's going to—"
"At this rate, you're right. It won't get finished because everyone keeps leaving. At this rate, we're not going to finish it even in ten years." Tazuna scowled as he glared at the man. "Get a hold of yourself, Giichi!"
Giichi's eyes widened. "We're all going to die at this rate! Gatō's noticed! Let's just stop for the day…"
"Giichi." Tazuna sighed. "We made it because we believed in something… We believed in that old man. And we believed in his son. We believed in that thing…"
"Well, they're both dead because of Gatō now, aren't they?!" Giichi demanded.
"Dead or not, they gave us a cause, didn't they?" Tazuna sighed again. "Well, there's no point in arguing about this now… You have a wife and children. You're not an old washed-up man like me. Go on home… We have to get together something for our efforts."
Kōju walked forward.
Giichi inclined his head.
"You understand, of course, that I can't pay you if you don't show up to work."
Giichi nodded. "I'll figure out something." He walked into the distance, throwing down his tools rapidly.
Tazuna turned around, staring at the bridge. He sighed again.
"Something on your mind?" Kōju questioned, leaning against the crate.
Tazuna turned around rapidly. His eyes widened. "Oh… It's just you." He exhaled. "The ones who brought Yokaze-san here."
"Eh?" Kōju raised an eyebrow.
Tazuna chuckled. "This town of ours… news travels faster than people." He tipped back the water. "I guess you came here for food for that Hidden Frost jōnin, right?"
"Mind explaining about Gatō?" Kōju questioned in a calm voice. "We only got a partial explanation in the briefing." She hid her trembling body.
"Well, you're only a little girl." Tazuna tapped his chin. "It seems fine."
Kōju smiled, relishing her little victory.
"At any rate… That's a very long story. If you don't mind, I'll explain from the start." Tazuna coughed. "Leaf conquered this province only a hundred years ago. I don't remember too much of my childhood with Yokaze-san's great-grandfather, but I remember her grandfather. He was a great man, who spent much of his time developing infrastructure. And his son followed in his footsteps… There was only one slight problem."
"Which was?" Kōju prompted gently.
"The problem of Gatō. Gatō was a very clever man. He bought any contracts that came our way, in order to impoverish us. He bought the contracts for cheap prices to undercut us. Work dried up. By nature, this province is a 'builder's province', designated to make things anew. So we didn't have anything to do. The son of Ranryū Makiyo gave the annual stipend he received from Leaf on two projects; that tradition has continued even after his death. The first is renovating the castle…" Tazuna pointed upward. "The second is that bridge. If we could cross that bridge, we could likely sell our services for cheaper values. Gatō may be a ruthless cutthroat, but he is a businessman; he recognizes unaffordable losses."
Kōju's eyes narrowed. Her hand fell to her side. "The legacy of this country has been stolen… So this Gatō guy is just trying to bully you into submission and misery. He's just a bully." Her eyes grew hard, like emeralds. "I'm not going to let this guy pass."
Tazuna blinked in surprise. "What on earth do you mean by that?"
"In this country… No, in the world… there are still heroes! I'm going to prove that to him!" Kōju's eyes glistened like polished emeralds. "I'm going to beat him!"
Tazuna sighed wearily. "Look, kid—you're in way over your head—"
"Thanks." Kōju's eyes narrowed. "Thanks for the warning. But it's not necessary. I may be getting a little hot-headed, but I'm completely clear in my thoughts on the matter. Thank you again for helping me to understand the circumstances."
Tazuna rubbed his temples wearily as he looked out at the bridge. That idiot girl… He picked up the tools and walked over to the wood.
Kōju vanished in a flash of white light.
The stream glimmered.
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The forest glade grew darker. Leaves drifted down through the trees. The sun lowered. The white bark rested against the surface of the ground. Pieces of white bark pierced the ground.
Naruto reached upward, wiping off his forehead. He lay prostrate on the ground.
Sweat dripped off the surface of the face.
Okay, let's see… that puts me at nine meters off the ground. Naruto wiped a drop of sweat off his forehead. I should be able to make it to the top of the tree soon. He reached upward, his hands shaking.
A figure bent over Naruto.
Naruto gasped. Leaning backward, he slammed his head into the ground. "Ow!" he complained, rubbing the back of his head. "Too close! Too close!"
"Sorry, sorry." The figure giggled.
"Yokaze-san?" Naruto's eyebrows furrowed. "What on earth are you doing out here this early in the morning?"
"I am Haku."
"Oh. OH." Naruto frowned. Suspiciously, he stared at the figure. "Are you sure you're not a girl?"
Haku shrugged. "I might let you see, if you ask politely."
Naruto's head tilted swiftly to one side.
"Don't mind it. It's a joke." Haku turned his gaze down to the headband protector. "So you're the one Hidden Leaf sent…"
"Well, there were a few more of us, but yeah." Naruto scratched his forehead. "So you were trained in ninjutsu too, right?"
The sun dappled the leaves.
"No," Haku replied without an expression.
Naruto sighed. "Guess it's back to training for me, then." He forced his foot onto the base of the tree.
"Why are you training so hard?" Haku questioned calmly. "Do you have someone who is important to you?"
"Heh." Naruto tilted his head again, tapping his chin. "Yeah, I guess. The main reason is to become Hokage, though."
"You… as the leader of the Hidden Leaf's ninja forces?"
"Yeah, I—"
Haku collapsed on the ground, laughing uncontrollably.
"Hey, what's so funny?! Don't mock me, damn it!" Naruto shouted with red cheeks.
Haku recovered, straightening upright. Wiping tears away, Haku stated, "That was a surprise…"
The leaves drifted downward.
"Still. What is it that you want to protect?" Haku questioned.
"I want to protect my dream."
Haku's eyes widened.
"It's not about anything else. I don't care about the details of how or why, but my dream—and the dreams of others—they're something I'd like to see come true as the result of the work of my own hands."
The leaves drifted downward.
Haku's eyes widened.
Naruto's eyebrows furrowed. What's the matter now?
"You're going to become… very strong." Haku rose to his feet. "Let's meet again, in a different place than this."
The sky darkened.
Naruto blinked. Crazy.
Haku walked away rapidly into the darkness.
…I'm pretty sure that's a girl. Naruto forced himself upright, sweat pouring down his face. Let's move along…
Price
The mostly deserted streets wound through the city. The smell of soot and embers rose through the city. Smoke burned in several huts. Water spilled over the edge of the stones.
Sasuke twirled her kunai in the air, whistling. Her black eyes stared up at the stars. I made it to the top before that idiot, at least. She threw the kunai into the ground.
A small boy stared at Sasuke from the darkness of a door step.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. She turned sideways, her black eyes flickering. "What is it, kid?"
"You're all going to die tomorrow," the boy muttered sullenly.
Sasuke ran over to the doorstep. Leaning against the wall, she twirled her kunai slightly faster. "What's that, eh?"
"Why do you guys bother to try so hard? No matter how hard you train, you're never going to be a match for Gatō's men! No matter what you do, when facing the strong, the weak will only die!"
Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. "I got no interest in hearing your little speech. I'm not like you, kid."
"Good! I'd hate to be like you! You don't know anything about this country, but you're stepping into our problems… You don't know anything about us! Yet you act so cool, as if you know you're going to win—"
"Okay." Sasuke grasped the child by the collar, her kunai shoved up against his throat. "You know what? Shut up. You're right. I don't know a thing about you, or this country. And when facing the strong, the weak will only die. But you know something else?"
The child gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"I. Don't. Care. You've lost family? You've lost friends? Try your entire clan in the space of a single night. See how messed-up that leaves you." A tear ran down Sasuke's cheek, but her voice remained at the same level, even tone. "And as stupid and sad as it is, my only friends now are that team. I'd never say it to them, but they are people I care about more than my own life. There's no way in hell that I'd let them die. I'm too crazy for that. Even if it costs my life, my sanity, they WILL live."
"You can't win…" the child sniffled.
"You're not the brightest tool in the shed, are you?" Sasuke tilted her head to one side wearily. "I'm not making a threat. I'm not making a promise. This is just what's going to happen."
The child looked upward. His emotionless face changed not at all as he listened to the speech.
"That's how things are… I'm sure you understand."
The floors creaked.
"I don't understand at all! To let yourself die for someone else… There's no way I could understand that!"
Sasuke sighed quietly. "I'll explain it then."
The sun dipped toward the horizon. Pink light filled the sky.
"Naruto is an incredibly stupid dumbass who tries to show off. I've got a lot of disdain for him, and he hates me because I constantly remind him of where he ended in the rankings."
The child's eyebrows furrowed.
"Kōju on the other hand is a disturbing pervert. She's advanced in mind but strange in thoughts, and I find myself constantly checking to make sure she hasn't tried to sneak into my bed."
"And… you'd die for those people?"
"In life, you have to realize what level of stupidity and flaws from others you're willing to put up with, and what kinds." Sasuke smiled faintly. "I can put up with them. So yes. I love them."
The child's eyes widened. Leaf ninja… are completely insane.
"You won't tell anyone about this, right?" Sasuke demanded, her eyes narrowing.
The child nodded hastily.
"Good." Sasuke hurried up to the castle.
The moon rose.
The training of each completed. The night of the attack, a fortnight from the original death of Ranryū's former lord, the group went into battle.