You guys are the best ever! Herald of the End has hit the 100 review mark!
There is several minor AU changes, but the main one is Kushina Uzumaki. She is listed as being both an expert in hand-to-hand combat as well as being a seal master. I couldn't find anywhere that listed her as a sword user. Given that putting combat oriented seals on your hand is quite risky, I figured it makes much more sense for her to use swords. Especially given that I buy into the theory that seals are both science and art, rather than the PFM that the show made them out to be. And as such, I am marking this as an AU change.
Responses to your epic reviews are at the bottom.
And without anymore delay, here's the next chapter! Chapter 10: The Deepest Cut
Bear quickly moved towards the Hokage tower. He had just received a mission notice about an S-Rank ANBU mission. As he quickly vaulted from one rooftop to the next, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he had about this mission. Bear wasn't normally paranoid, but ever since his world was turned upside down two days ago...well, he double checked the locks on his house now. Knowing that some his fellow brothers and sisters of ANBU would deliberately lie to the Hokage was a heavy burden to bear. Knowing that the people he had fought beside; the people he had bled beside; could have participated in harming a little kid, was almost too much to hold in. But he was Bear. The ANBU that represented strength. He wouldn't break. And once this mission was over, he would tell the Hokage about everything.
After reaching the Hokage's office, he quickly entered the waiting area. As he entered, he couldn't help but notice six other ANBU members also waiting in the office, deep in a soft discussion. He returned their quiet murmurs of greeting without thinking. As they resumed their quiet conversation without inviting him to join; for the first time since he joined ANBU he felt alone. He stood outside their little huddle, not listening in, not wanting to listen in. He earnestly hoped that they were just simply mislead, but he was a realist. He knew the chances of the younger members of ANBU not being corrupted was slim. He heaved an almost silent sigh. The sound of the door opening broke Bear from his depressing thoughts. He turned to see the welcome sight of Cat entering the office.
The ANBU with the Cat mask, known as Yugao Uzuki to her friends, walked into the Hokage's office. She had received a message stating she was assigned to an S-Rank mission with Bear. Unlike many of the other ANBU, Bear was one of the few members who never took off his mask, leaving his true identity unknown. Despite this, she had become good friends with the big ANBU. With an unseen smile she headed over to her friend. "Hello Bear-Kun!" She greeted, her tone indicating happiness at seeing the large man.
"Cat-Chan." Bear greeted, his tone lacking it's normal happy tone. Somehow sensing her worried expression, he leaned close, his words only the softest of whispers. "I have a bad feeling about this mission. Something isn't right." Yugao was glad for her mask hiding her worried frown. She knew Bear and his gut feelings. It was often joked among the senior members of ANBU that his gut feelings were better than new intel. She was still slightly worried and confused when the team of eight ANBU was called into the Hokage's office. She didn't understand why Bear-Kun had lowered his voice, but she trusted him.
"Welcome." The Hokage greeted the assembled group. "I gathered you all today about a serious matter. I was informed that there is a bandit camp near the Land of Tea." Sensing the group's confusion at why it needed to be a ANBU mission, he continued. "And we have solid intelligence that the group's leader is none other than Itachi Uchiha!" The group stiffened. Itachi was once a member of the village's ANBU, right up until he betrayed the village and killed his clan minus his young brother. When he was still in ANBU, he rivaled Kakashi in skill.
"You leave in an hour. Prepare yourselves!" The Hokage ordered.
"We will eliminate all those who betrayed the leaf!" One of the members of the assembled group assured the Hokage with a fervent tone. His snake styled mask had caused contention among the populous before, but his skill with water based attacks was second to none. The Hokage dismissed the group to their mission. The ANBU bowed as one and left the office, splitting up to grab their gear.
It was only ten minutes later when the group reassembled. And with that, the group of eight ANBU headed out, determined to carry out their mission.
Naruto awoke with a start. The nightmares were as real as ever, but as long as he focused on his friends, they seemed more bearable somehow. Naruto hopped out of bed and began his morning routine. As he showered, he idly looked down at his barely visible seal on his stomach. He wondered yet again, what did the word 'Dattebane' mean to the fox? "Dattebane" he whispered to himself yet again, curious if he would get the same reaction again. He withheld another slight gasp as what seemed to be pure adrenaline flooded his veins. The blonde quickly finished his morning routine, wanting to go to the library to look up the Uzumaki family as Kakashi suggested. Naruto knew that he wasn't worth the placement in an actual clan, but his last name was still Uzumaki.
Naruto took the stairs down to the first floor two at a time. He quickly grabbed some instant ramen and threw it in the microwave. As his delicious ramen cooked, he quickly wrote a note to his fellow housemate telling her he was heading over to the library to look up the Uzumaki family records. From there, he would head directly to the training ground to meet his team. The microwave made a soft ding as it finished cooking the ramen. Naruto quickly grabbed it, and bounced it from hand to hand as he waited for it to cool. When it was just under scalding temperature, he dug in. A minute later, he tossed the empty styrofoam cup into the trash can. He quickly headed out of the house, making sure to shut the door firmly, yet quietly as he could.
Naruto quickly ducked into the alleyway next to the library. He quickly creating several clones, and had them hedge into various non-descript ninja. He hedged himself to look like a black haired ninja vaguely reminiscent of Sasuke Uchiha. Naruto's clones entered the libary one by one in staggered shifts. When it was his turn, the disguised blonde headed into the library. As he headed deeper into the library, one of his clones brushed past him. "First floor, sixteen rows over." The clone whispered. Naruto casually moved towards his new destination. Spotting the Books of Civilians, he settled down to read. After only a few moments, however, he realized that he needed some help to browse the 'U' section quickly, not wanting to miss training later that morning. Naruto closed his eyes, and brought his hands up in the cross sign for the Shadow Clone technique. He concentrated with all his might on keeping his chakra signature low as he focused on the jutsu. He felt his chakra rebel against being constrained in such a way, to the point of being painful; Like trying to fit a ball into a box five times to small. But Naruto was used to pain and easily ignored it as he activated the technique. Two almost silent puffs informed him that he had been successful. His clones gave their creator a nod of exaltation, proud that he was able to keep his chakra signature low. The trio quickly divided the books up, eager to learn about the members of the clan he shared a name with.
As Naruto scanned the book in front of him, one of his clone's elbowed him. "Boss!" It whispered harshly, "I found the Uzumaki section!" Naruto closed the book quickly, making sure not to bend any of the pages. Sakura had given him a lecture once on proper book care, and he always tried his best to listen to his friends.
Naruto eagerly took the offered book and read the listed entries. The first was Mito Uzumaki. She had been a seal master as well as the wife of the First Hokage of Konoha. She was listed as being the jinchruiki of the Kyubi. She was listed as a A-Rank ninja at her prime. Status was deceased.
The second was Kushina Uzumaki, also known as Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. She was listed as a seal master as well as being extremely skilled in Fuinjutsu, Barrier Ninjutsu, and Kenjutsu. She was listed as a A-Rank ninja. Status was deceased.
Naruto blinked and stared at the date of Kushina's death. October Tenth, twelve years ago. "That's when I was born!" Naruto realized with dread, "Does that mean that the Kyubi killed her?" Naruto let out a disheartened shuddering sigh. He didn't really know what he expected, but he had hoped...that perhaps he had family? Naruto sighed again as he stood up to leave. In his sad haze of disappointment and sadness, he failed to realize that his hedge had broken as he exited the library. Unseen behind him, the librarian hurried to determine what books the demon had defaced.
Naruto stopped just outside of the training field. He took several deep shuddering breaths, slowly shoving the sinking feelings of disappointment and sadness deep within himself. It wouldn't do, after all, for Sakura-Chan or Hinata-Chan to be worry over him. He opened his eyes and plastered a grin on his face. "It's training time!" Naruto cheered.
Naruto trotted onto the training field eager to train for the day. As he stepped onto the field, he noticed Sakura was already at the training field, practicing one of her water techniques. Naruto slowed to a stop. As he watched Sakura train, he felt the strangest feeling start to flutter inside. Alarmed, he pulled up his shirt to look down at his stomach, checking to see if some winged insect had gotten inside him somehow. His face morphed into a puzzled look of befuddlement as he could see that he was bug free. A crash of water hitting the ground broke him from his confused thoughts.
Naruto looked up to see Sakura standing in the center of the wet training field with a slight blush on her face. Had he understood the mind of a woman better, he would have realized that Sakura's gaze was locked onto the exposed skin of his torso. Sakura hid her slight disappointment when Naruto dropped his shirt back into place; reasoning that he could always ask Shino later about the bug-like sensation. After all, Shino knew a lot about bugs, right?
"Sakura-Chan!" Naruto greeted happily, "Hello!"
"H-Hello Naruto-Kun!" Sakura returned, successfully banishing the blush off her face. She walked towards her not-so-secret crush and gave him a hug. Feeling him stiffen slightly, she slowly broke the hug and stepped back. "Are are you doing?" She inquired, somehow sensing that all was not well with her best friend.
"I'm ready to train and grow stronger!" Naruto grinned back.
Had Sakura not talked to Ino about Naruto's lack of self-worth, she would have been satisfied with his answer. After Ino had left her house, Sakura had spent the next several hours reading all of the information she had on her Naruto-Kun's issue. "That's not what I meant." Sakura replied, doing her absolute best to keep a calm tone, "I asked how do you feel?"
Naruto scratched his head in confusion. Didn't he just answer that question? "I feel like I'm ready to train?" He guessed.
Sakura sighed and hung her head. "I guess I was trying to take too big of steps when I was trying to help fix Naruto-Kun's issue." "What I mean by feelings is what emotions are you feeling right now?"
"Confusion?" Naruto guessed again, realizing that 'training' wasn't the answer Sakura-Chan wanted. He was at a complete loss to what answer she wanted, but he was fairly certain it wasn't 'training'.
Sakura frowned. Perhaps she should be more specific? "When you first came onto the training field, what emotions were you feeling?"
"Oh that." Naruto dismissed, "I was just feelin' a little sad and disappointed by my findings of the Uzumaki clan at the library. " Naruto shrugged. "But it won't stop me from training!"
"Jackpot!" Sakura cheered inwardly. "Naruto-Kun, why were you feeling sad and disappointed?"
"Well, I dunno." Naruto rubbed the back of his neck as he admitted, "I think I was just hoping..." He gave a small humorless laugh. "It doesn't matter anyway. I'll still be able to protect you guys."
"Naruto!" Sakura said more sharply than she intended, "What you are feeling matters! To me, to Hinata-Chan! To Kurenai-Sensei! To Kakashi-San! To Haku-San!" The pink haired girl then implored, "So tell me what you were feeling! You are worth the effort of me helping you!"
Naruto was stunned. His feelings were worth something? His thoughts weren't just useless thoughts? Someone wanted to hear how he was feeling? Even if it could stop training for a bit? "I...guess..." Naruto glanced at Sakura, almost wanting to pinch himself at the sight of her eagerly waiting for his answer, "I guess I was just hoping that..." Naruto's voice dropped to a near silent embarrassed whisper, "That I could find family here..."
"Oh Naruto-Kun!" Sakura wrapped the boy in a hug, silent tears streaming down her face, crying for the boy that didn't realize how truly heartbreaking his simple hope was. As cried, she felt Naruto awkwardly pat her back, attempting to comfort her. Oddly enough, her tears began to slow. But as they did, a sudden thought made Sakura nearly tremble with rage. "If I ever find out who Naruto's parents are...well they'd better be dead! Because if they're not, I'll make them wish that they were dead!" The pinkette successfully stuffed her rage inside for later. Right now, she had more pressing concerns to worry about.
"Naruto," Sakura eased out of the hug, "I'm glad you shared your feelings with me."
"But you were crying!" Naruto pointed out, nearly despondent at the thought of making Sakura-Chan cry again.
Sakura inwardly frowned. This was not how she was expecting this to go! She frantically tried to think of a way to salvage this situation, instinctively knowing that if she didn't fix it here, Naruto may never open up like this again. The almost forgotten words of her mother drifted though her mind, giving her racing mind an idea.
"Naruto-Kun," She began, carefully ignoring the almost flinch her blonde made, "You do know there is different kinds of tears right?"
"Huh?" Naruto blinked. There was different kinds of tears? He had only known there was tears of pain!
"Yes." Sakura nodded, smiling as hope bloomed within her. "There are tears of sadness, happiness, pain, and shared sadness." Sakura thought for a moment on how to word the next explanation, not wanting any possibility for Naruto to misconstrue it to somehow be his fault. "Sometime when something really bad or sad happens to someone close to you, you want to cry for their sake. It's not something they did, but it's you who wants to cry on their behalf."
Naruto scrunched up his face in thought, carefully sorting though her words. "So I didn't make you cry?" He finally asked, still half afraid that he had made Sakura-Chan cry.
"No!" Sakura shook her head, "You didn't make me cry. Those tears were shared sadness."
"But I'm not really sad." Naruto replied, now confused again. He had thought he understood Sakura-Chan's explanation on crying, but he thought that meant both people had to be sad...
"I know." Sakura managed to keep her tears at bay, not want to confuse her crush any more then he already was. She changed the subject, praying that he wouldn't pick up on it."So Naruto-Kun, do you want to check to see if Hinata-Chan or Kurenai-Sensei have arrived yet?"
Open relief spread across Naruto's face. "I'll check right now!" The blonde hurried off, his heart strangely lighter than it had been in a long time.
As soon as Naruto had moved far enough way, Sakura made no attempt to stifle her angry tears. "Damn this village!" She resolved to inform Kurenai-Sensei, Hinata-Chan, and even Haku-San about Naruto's...condition. Sakura now realized that this wasn't something that would be solved quickly or even over night. But that was alright. Because Naruto-Kun was worth it!
"Hinata-Chan! Kurenai-Sensei!" Naruto happily greeted, not having to fake his smile even in the slightest. His sunny smile warmed Kurenai's heart and put the lightest of flushes on Hinata's face. Both of the two remaining members of Team Eight felt that something was slightly different about Naruto, as if some burden, that they hadn't known he was carrying, was just ever so slightly lighter. Perhaps if you didn't know Naruto closely, you wouldn't notice the change, but to anyone who knew him, the change was obvious. There was the slightest more pep in his steps and a brightness in his eye that hadn't been there before. Both of the women wondered what had happened to prompt such a change.
"Naruto-Kun," Hinata inquired, tilting her face to the side cutely, "How are you feeling?"
"Great!" Naruto responded. "After Sakura talked to me for a bit and explained the different types of tears, I'm feeling better than ever!" He happily explained, not noticing the glance Kurenai had given Hinata.
"Naruto-Kun," Kurenai offered, "Would you like to learn a new jutsu? It's the fire wall technique I used in wave." Naruto practically beamed. Could today get any better?
As Kurenai lead the excited blonde over to the training dummies, Hinata quickly located Sakura with a scan of her bloodline. She swiftly moved towards her location.
Hinata found Sakura easily enough. As she neared the pinkette, she spied Sakura wiping what suspiciously looked like tears away from her face. Hinata purposely increased the sound of her footsteps to give Sakura time to react and compose herself. Sakura turned to Hinata as the dark blue haired girl approached, the only hint Sakura had been crying was the slight redness of her eyes.
"Hinata-Chan!" Sakura greeted, almost surprised that Hinata had come to find her. "Are you here to bring me to training?"
Hinata shook her head in the negative. "No. Kurenai-Sensei is teaching Naruto-Kun a new jutsu." Hinata paused for a calculated moment before continuing. "And speaking of Naruto-Kun..." She wasn't exactly angry or jealous, so she left the question open.
Sakura nodded seriously. "Hinata-Chan, I have something very important I need to tell you about Naruto-Kun..."
Naruto gazed at the ten-foot high wall of fire with awe. "That's amazing Kurenai-Sensei!" He congratulated.
"Thank-You Naruto-Kun." Kurenai inclined her head. "Would you like to try it now?" She could help but let out a joyful giggle at Naruto's enthusiastic nod. She let the chakra flow to the fire wall die, and the wall simmered down soon after. She watched her student carefully as he slowly went though each of the hand signs, knowing that he had a tendency to over-do everything.
The Fire Wall Technique was one of the only defensive fire-style jutsu known to exist. It was designed to prevent melee combatants from rushing the fire user. Depending on the level of chakra used and the user's affinity for fire, the size of the wall as well as the heat of the fire could be increased. A proper fire wall was a chakra-light technique that was a solid ten-foot-high wall with enough heat to deter most melee fighters from moving through it. The sheer brilliance of the technique was that once the user created the wall, it could be maintained by simply continuing to feed chakra into it.
Naruto formed the final hand sign and drew in a deep breath. He sucked in air until his lungs almost burst. He then breathed out in a rush, shoving as much chakra as he could into the technique. With a loud FAWHOOSH a massive twenty-five foot wall roared into being, it's flames hot enough to cause the grass nearby to start to smolder. Naruto gazed up at the towering wall of fire with an open mouth. "Wow..." He breathed out. While some of his wind jutsus were just as massive, they somehow didn't feel quite so...inviting. A quick glance to the side showed Kurenai's open surprise.
Kurenai stared at the wall with open awe. Even where she stood fifty away, she could feel the intense heat from the absurdly massive wall of fire. The sheer amount of chakra needed to power such a wall, even for an instant, was almost mind-boggling. She wondered yet again if it was possible for Naruto run out of chakra. While she believed in her student, she hadn't honestly expected him to get the jutsu down on the first try. Seeing her student's true smile be turned her way, Kurenai felt that no matter what had happened, she had caused her student a moment of true happiness; and that was worth any price she might pay. She motioned to the blonde to cut the chakra to the fire.
With a loud POP, the wall of fire snapped out of existence. "Did ya see it Kurenai-Sensei?" Naruto practically bounced over to his teacher. "Did ya see it? I created it on the first try!" Naruto could barely contain his joy. He was good at this!
Seeing her students utter joy at being able to perform the simple technique, she couldn't help but giggle along with her student, his joy infectious. "Yes! You did really well Naruto-Kun!" She praised, "I'm proud of you!" Naruto's smile grew even more, a feat that seemed impossible. He quickly bounced towards the remaining members of Team Eight as they approached. Sakura's and Hinata's subdued or angry moods stood no chance against the infectious joy that Naruto excluded. As Kurenai watched her team celebrate together, she finally understood what her father meant when he had told her "you'll know when you've found something that you'll die to protect." She vowed, right then, that her team would survive the future, even if it cost her everything.
Haku hummed to herself as she carefully held up the two different paint-samplers against the living room wall. She had picked up a magazine today titled "Making the Home Feel Home-y". The magazine had described the relationship of colors to moods as well as the reason every wall should be painted the correct color. A knock on the door caused her to stop humming. The ice user quietly moved to the door and peaked out the peep-hole. Seeing Sakura standing alone on the door-step, Haku quickly opened the door.
"Sakura-San!" Haku bowed in greeting, "Please, come in!" She invited. Sakura was taken aback by Haku's change of heart. Their relationship could be considered frosty at best, given that Sakura had unintentionally insulted Haku's recently dead previous master Zabuza, while Sakura felt threatened by the pretty black-haired girl's close relationship with Naruto. Sakura followed Haku into the living room. Sakura had come to Naruto's house to inform Haku about her discoveries of Naruto's lack of self-worth. Sakura scowled slightly as she remembered having to let Hinata-Chan spend time alone Naruto-Kun in order for Sakura to be able to speak with Haku. If Naruto was there, Haku would be much too busy to listen.
After both of the girls sat down, Haku spoke up, her voice filled with complete remorse. "Sakura-San! I deeply apologize for my actions and attitude towards you!" She bowed deeply. "If there is any way I can make up for it, please tell me!"
Sakura blinked. "W-Why are you apologizing to me?" She stammered, confused at the ice girl's actions.
"Naruto-Sama told me about how he met you three years ago." Haku explained, "I was not aware that you were not only his first friend, but you are also his best friend!" Haku's face turned remorseful once again. "I was such a fool! Tools shouldn't make decisions to dislike someone who is close to the master!"
"Oh." Was all Sakura was able to verbalize. She had prepared half-a-dozen arguments on the walk over here as to why Haku should let her in. But Haku had just apologized for disliking her! "It's all right!" Sakura assured the distraught ice-user. "We were both wrong." The pinkette tilted her head to the side as she considered the similarity between their situation and the situation Sakura and Hinata faced a few years ago.
"Haku-San," Sakura began hesitantly, "Do you want to be friends? I don't want Naruto-Kun to have to choose between us!" Haku instantly agreed, not wanting to be the cause of any distress in her Naruto-Sama.
"Sakura-Chan," Haku started shyly after a moment, "I have observed you speak well of your parents." Seeing Sakura's confirming nod, Haku took a deep breath then requested, "Would it be possible for me to speak to your mother about what techniques she used to turn your house into a home?" Seeing Sakura's confused look, the servant elaborated. "I have been researching ways to turn this house into a home. I believe that your house is a home, and I would like to learn how it was made into a home."
"Sure..." Sakura was still more than a little confused at Haku-San's...Haku-Chan's request, given that a "home" was where you felt at ease and could truly rest. But if Haku wanted to talk to her mother, Sakura so no issue with it. After the two sat in silence for few minutes, Sakura remembered the reason she had wanted to talk to Haku in the first place.
"Haku-Chan," Sakura started, somehow knowing that this would end badly, "Have you ever heard of the term 'low self-worth'..."
Bear grunted to himself as he drew the standard issue blanket tighter around himself. He had pulled watch duty for the night, granted, it was only for three hours before he would switch with Cat, but he had made sure that he was on watch. It hurt, knowing that perhaps the other ANBU he considered his brothers and sisters would seek to do a defenseless child harm, but he had vowed that he would make sure Cat would make it back even if he could not, a very real prospect given who they were going to face. They were nearly halfway to the mission area already, having pushed themselves as hard as they could go all day. Bear was eager to get to the mission area as soon as possible for several reasons. The first was Itachi Uchiha himself. Itachi had betrayed and killed not only his fellow ANBU but all of his clan as well. And that was something the loyal Bear-masked ANBU could not let stand. There was some things you just didn't do. Betraying your village and clan was one of them.
The second reason Bear wanted to get to the mission area was the simple fact that the sooner the completed the mission, the sooner they could return to the village. Bear needed to report to Dog-Sama to find out what his next orders would be. Bear knew that this mission wouldn't be easy. Itachi was considered an S-Rank ninja of the highest order. He wouldn't go down without a fight.
Sakura let out a tired groan as she left Naruto's house. Haku had taken the news badly. She had been torn between horror at her Naruto-Sama's condition, rage at the village for his treatment, and determination to fix the problem. Haku had then pressed Sakura for best ways to help her Naruto-Sama. Eventually, Haku had found out all of the information needed and she had resumed her wait for her master. Sakura was far too emotionally drained at this point to stay to ask Naruto about her moving in with him, but she promised herself that she would ask him first thing in the morning when they met up. Sakura resisted the urge to bash her head into the nearest wall when she remembered that tomorrow was the stupid Team Seven and Team Eight co-training days. She scowled. If any of the members of Team Seven said anything about Naruto, well, they would instantly regret it!
Haku waited for her Naruto-Sama to return. Her heart broke once again as she remembered the fact that Naruto-Sama didn't value himself, not even slightly! Haku glared at nothing as she once again vowed to make sure Naruto-Sama knew how much he was worth. Not just to his Team, but to her as well. Even though she had known him only a short time, it seemed like a lifetime to Haku. Haku didn't know what she would do if something happened to her Naruto-Sama, but she would do anything to make sure he was always there!
Naruto opened the door to his house absentmindedly. He had a great time with Hinata today, but the butterflies in his stomach had come back when she had sat very close to him at the ramen stand. Her scent, which smelled vaguely like spiced wood of some kind, had made his heart rate increase by a small margin. Luckily, it seemed that whatever his body was doing was unnoticed by the pale-eyed girl. He had ignored the strange feelings and focused on Hinata.
Hinata had explained about how the Hyuga clan worked. Naruto had grown disgusted as she explained how the Main House ruled over the Branch House, and how each of the Branch House members were forced, willingly or otherwise, to serve the Main House. Not only that, but Branch House members were branded with a special seal called the "Caged Bird Seal". This seal allowed a Main House member to cause pain or even kill a Branch House member if they wanted to. Hinata had quickly assured an angry Naruto that it was rare for any Main House member to use the seal in such a way. Seeking to distract the blonde, Hinata had quickly told Naruto of her plan to move in with him. Just as friends, she had quickly added with a heavy blush. Naruto had accepted her plan and warmly invited her to move in once her father agreed to it.
Eventually they had walked back to the Hyuga compound and Hinata had once again told Naruto just how good of a friend he was, as well as how much she valued his opinion. She had stressed that his opinion was worth more than she could ever say. Naruto, despite not fully understanding what she meant, had pulled the surprised Hyuga into a warm hug, thanking her for taking the time to eat with him. Hinata had made an odd squeaking noise and turned a bright red color. Noticing her red face, Naruto had almost marched her into the clan's medical ninja; it took several minutes before he could be convinced by an increasingly embarrassed Hinata that it was not necessary, much to the amusement of the Hyuga guards standing outside of the compound next to the gate.
Naruto eventually left the Hyuga compound, but not before extracting a promise from Hinata that she would immediately go to the medic nin if she was even feeling even slightly sick. As soon as Naruto closed the door to his house, Haku rushed into the room. "Naruto-Sama!" She bowed in front of him, "Your food is ready. Please sit down and I will serve you!" The ice user hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Naruto-Sama, I just wanted to tell you I enjoy every moment I spend with you! You are worth every moment I have!"Haku's passionate speech echoed in Naruto's mind as he awaited the undoubtedly delicious food that Haku was preparing to bring out. He wondered, not for the first time today, why everyone was saying how much they valued him. Naruto was aware that he wasn't anything important or special, but...their words had made him wonder. What would life be like if he was worth something?
Naruto shrugged to himself. He could ponder that later. Haku was setting a mouth watering plate of delicious looking food in front of him. Naruto thanked the girl with a sincere smile of gratitude. He missed the slight pink tint that warmed Haku's cheeks at the sight of his true smile. The ice-user settled in her seat, seeking to finish her meal by the time her Naruto-Sama finished his meal. It wouldn't do for a tool to not be able to hear how her master's day went.
The ANBU team had made good progress over the last three days. They were near the mission area when Bear felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. His instincts whispered that there was an enemy near. Crane, the ANBU leading the mission, raised his fist and signaled for the group to stop. The group instantly stopped, crouching as they automatically lowered their profile. As the group waited for new orders, the backs of Bear's hands tingled, his instincts now screaming at him. He closed his eyes and listened for any sounds that would betray his attackers. The whispering sound of a blade sliding out of its sheath sounded quietly beside him. Instinct alone saved Bear as he twisted to the side and blocked the attack with his own blade.
The clang sound of the blades hitting clashing together rang out in the small clearing. Bear's eye widened with a gasp as he stared almost uncomprehendingly at his attacker. "Snake?" Bear's deep disbelieving voice snapped out, "What the hell are you doing?"
"Die Demon-lover!" Snake snarled, pressing harder against Bear's blade. Almost immediately realizing that he was no match for Bear's superior strength, Snake disengaged and leapt back.
"You're really going to kill me aren't you?" Bear questioned, glancing at the remaining members of the ANBU team. He was filled with almost indescribable relief when he spotted Cat drawing her Katana, confusion clearly standing out in her posture. That feeling of relief almost instantly bled away from him when he realized with a sinking feeling that he would have to fight and probably kill his brothers and sisters. Bear shoved the internal horror at his realization deep inside and slowly sheathed his standard issue ANBU Tanto-styled blade and drew his own personal blade. The rasp of the sword leaving the sheath seemed to echo in the clearing. Everyone knew that Bear never drew his sword unless he intended to kill.
"Bear!" Cat called, her voice sounding slightly panicked and confused, "What's going on?" She nervously eyed the three ANBU near her as they dropped back into their preferred stances. She dropped into a defensive stance as she awaited her friend's response.
"It looks like they are here to kill us!" Bear replied, not taking his eyes off of the three ANBU in front of him, knowing even the slightest mistake would be instantly lethal. "If I were to guess, they are going to kill me because I told the Hokage the truth about Naruto Uzumaki. They want to kill you because you would investigate my death."
"Don't worry Cat!" Crane reassured the obviously distraught woman, "He's just a Demon-lover. Help us kill him and we'll make sure that nothing happens to you!" Crane reached out his hand comfortingly. "I understand your confusion. Bear had us fooled too! None of us expected him to be a dirty fox-lover!"
Cat glanced between Crane's outstretched hand and Bear's back. Crane's words replayed in her mind, insisting that the ANBU's true motives were hidden inside his words. As a tense moment passed, suddenly a truly horrifying thought manifested in her mind. "You're talking about Naruto Uzumaki aren't you?" Her mind flashed to the memory of the blonde's smiling face. "What are you talking about? He's not a demon!"
"That's right!" Bear attempted to convince his brethren with a desperate tone, "He's not the fox! He's its jailor! He is the jinchuriki of the Kyubi!"
"You think she will listen to your lies?" Crane snapped, "Cat is smarter than that! She is a true ninja of Konoha!" He turned back to Cat. "You know where you stand right?"
"Bear," Cat voiced her tone emotionless, "After we were pulled off of guard duty for Naruto, his life got worse didn't it?"
"Worse than either of us could imagine." Bear's reply was the final piece of the puzzle for Cat.
"Do you know what you have to do Cat?" Crane asked, growing tired of Bear's attempts to convince Cat to become a traitor.
"Yes I do." Cat's voice held a tone of resigned finality. "And I have much to make up for." Crane was stunned when Cat shift backwards, dropping into the First Dance of the Moon stance as she guarded Bear's back.
"Fine then!" Crane dropped all pretenses, "If that's what you want, you can die with the Demon-lover!" Crane drew his sword. "Kill the traitors!" He snarled. Yugao's Katana snapped forward, blocking Crane's blade from hitting her neck. Before she could counter-strike, she was force to block the rapid strikes of another ANBU, Mantis. Like the insect his mask emulated, Mantis wielded two short scythe-like blades, that he rapidly slashed at his target!
Bear dodged out of the way of a large razor-sharp whip made of water as it snapped towards him. He was forced to dodge out of the way again and again from the lethal ground spikes, courtesy of Rhino. Even as he evaded the deadly jutsus, Bear couldn't help but feel proud of his brethren. They were not giving him any time to react or to counter-attack. This pride faded as he realize that they were actively trying to kill him and Yugao! Bear's eyes hardened behind his mask. He flashed though some one-handed seals, knowing that he had only seconds to assist Yugao. "Yugao," He shouted, "Formation Twelve!" He slammed his hand on the ground, feeling it rumble as he was force to dodge a wicked looking water bullet.
Cat, hearing her partner's words, lithy dodged to the right as the ground erupted beneath her. Bear's jutsu separated her attackers, allowing her to go on the offensive. Mantis desperately attempted to parry her burred attacks, but his swords blocked air. His eyes widened in pain as Cat's blade cut a bloody furrow from hip to shoulder. He let out a small scream of pain as he collapsed, his blood rapidly soaking the ground. Yugao found herself desperately defending from both sword and jutsus as the remaining two members of the group that had been attacking her attempted to violently end her life. As she blocked another attack from Crane, her foot splashed in Mantis' blood. The shock of stepping in her former friend's blood cost her deeply as she hesitated for a moment. Instinct saved her as she twisted from Crane's sword thrust, but his blade carve a deep bloody line in her shoulder. Yugao leapt back, instantly knowing that her left arm was now useless. A quick glance told her of an even bigger problem. Crane's attack had her arm bleeding severely, making blood loss a huge risk.
Bear wasn't faring much better. His chest armor was torn to shreds and he sported several cuts along his arms. Each of his attackers hadn't gotten out wound free however. Snake sported a oozing stomach wound, while Rhino had taken a vicious slash to the chest. Butterfly had avoided injury, but she had been forced to use several chakra-draining techniques to avoid Bear's attacks and jutsus.
Hearing Yugao's cry of pain, his hands blurred though two dozen hand-signs. He slammed both hands on the ground, and with a loud rumble, four walls shot out of the ground; blocking the murderous ANBU off from their intended victims. "Cat!" Bear hurried over to his friend, "How bad is it?"
"Bad." Yugao panted, seeing no reason to hide the truth. "I'm slowly bleeding out and my left arm is useless. " She glanced at Bear. "How are you holding up?"
"It's not looking good. They know our tactics." Bear seemed to come to a decision. "When there is a break, you make a run for it." Ignoring Yugao's denial, he pressed on. "You have a boyfriend back home! One of us needs to survive to tell Dog-Sama what happened here!" Seeing her refusal, Bear's voice hardened. "That's an order!"
Snake paced in front of Bear's rock wall. He knew that any earth technique cast by Bear was practically indestructible, so he didn't bother wasting chakra in an attempt to break the wall. He knew that Bear would run out of chakra sooner or later, especially if Cat was as heavily injured as she appeared. Some movement in the trees off to his right caught his eye. Snake signaled to Rhino and Butterfly to watch the wall as he investigated. As he moved closer, he spotted a lone figure dressed in a long robe with red clouds on it. A straw hat covered the figure's face. Not having time to investigate more, Snake unleashed four massive blades of water at the figure. Seeing the person fly backwards in a spray of blood, Snake turned to move back to his spot by his teammates.
Suddenly movement from the dead body caused him to spin back around. The body burst into a flock of ravens, filling Snake with dread. "No! No!" He shouted with rage, not believing that he had fallen for such a cheap trick. "Kai!" He roared, slamming his hands together to dispel the ginjutsu. The illusion broke and he found himself staring at the woods, no enemy in sight. The sound of a branch braking behind him had him snapping around, his sword already mid-motion to behead his attacker. The attacker slammed a hand into his sword arm, instantly stopping the strike. Seeing the straw had fall from the robe wearing figure, Snake instantly glanced up at the figure's face. He only had time to pale in realization before the figure's glowing red eyes locked with his.
"Tsukuyomi." Itachi Uchiha whispered.
Bear unstrapped his mask. He wouldn't be needing it anymore. A flick of his wrist caused three round pills to drop into his hand. He raised his hand and swallowed the pills. Instantly he felt the Three Coloured Pills potent effects. Bright blue butterfly wings made of pure chakra sprouted from his back. Bear felt a grim smile grace his lips as he pulled his sword out of the ground. It was ironic, he mused, that only at the end did Cat find out who his was. Bear's eyes hardened. Yugao would survive, no matter the cost!
"W-What the hell?" Crane breathed out, suddenly feeling Bear's chakra signature skyrocket. Suddenly the rock wall in front of him exploded outwards, almost crushing the ANBU members surrounding it. Crane dived out of the way, turning the desperate dive into a hand spring. He snapped his gaze towards the wall. An involuntary gasp forced its way out of his mouth as he watched Bear lower his arm. Spotting the red spiral shaped marks on Bear's cheeks, Crane's eyes widened as he realized what clan Bear belonged to. All thoughts of pursuing Cat left his mind as he watched Bear draw back his sword in preparation for a charge. The two remaining members of the ANBU team readied themselves, knowing that they only had to hold the chakra-empowered Akimichi off until the remaining three members of their group arrived after disposing of Cat.
Yugao sprung into action the moment the rock wall fell. She had managed to halt the bleeding, but she couldn't afford to fight. She had only just made passed the broken wall when she skidded to a stop. A dark haired figure dressed in a black robe with red clouds on it stood five feet in front of her. The dead bodies of Snake, Rhino, and Butterfly lay still on the ground near him. Yugao's heart fell as she raised her Katana to defend herself. "'I'm so sorry Bear-Kun, I won't be able to deliver your message. And wish the I could see you one last time Hatate-Kun! To feel your arms surrounding me..." Yugau thought sadly, knowing that she was no match against the legendary Itachi Uchiha, the man who had single-handily killed the entire Uchiha clan in one night.
"Tell me, Cat-San," Itachi's non-aggressive voice inquired, "Is all of the village filled with such hate toward Naruto Uzumaki?"
"W-What?" The shocked female ANBU stammered, completely thrown for a loop.
"Naruto Uzumaki, the jinchuriki of the Kyubi. Does all of the village hate him as much as these three did?"
Cat's training allowed her to quickly master herself. "If he is the one they refer to as 'The Demon'," Yugao sighed, "Then yes. The village seems to hate him."
"I was afraid of that." Itachi commented, somehow seeming disappointed at something. "I wondered how they get away with it, considering that the Hokage promised that he would take care of the boy." Itachi mused to himself. "And if he can't keep his promises to look after his successor's legacy, I wonder if he can't keep other promises as well."
Itachi glanced at Cat. "Your friend Bear-San has just defeated the last ANBU. I am letting you two go to deliver a message to the Hokage and Shinobi council. Tell them: 'Do not fail to keep your promise. For I will be watching'." Cat nodded, confused as to why one of the greatest traitors Konoha had ever known was letting her go peacefully.
As she opened her mouth to question the Uchiha on his words and actions, he simply faded away, as if he had never been there in the first place. "Ginjutsu!" She realized. She glanced around, seeing that the surrounding area was still the same. She quickly pulsed her chakra, eliminating the threat of a ginjutsu still effecting her. Seeing that nothing changed, she was forced to accept that she had been saved by none other the Itachi Uchiha. Yugao sheathed her Katana and quickly moved to inform Bear of the news of her survival.
Naruto awoke with a gasp that quickly morphed into a smile. He stretched as he hopped out of bed. The last five days had been some of the best days of his life. Sakura-Chan, Hinata-Chan, Haku-Chan, and Kurenai Sensei had taken the time to listen to his opinions and had complimented his ideas. They had all taught each other what techniques they knew, and even Haku-Chan had joined in on training! Haku-Chan had taught Sakura-Chan several water techniques and two medical jutsus. Hinata-Chan had helped everyone learn one of the Hyuga strikes, and Kurenai-Sensei had taught them all new elemental jutsus! Naruto grinned proudly as he remembered how he helped Sakura-Chan and Hinata-Chan begin to create a new jutsu between them. The current idea was to carefully charge their muscles with chakra and release it just before impact. For some reason they didn't want him watching while they trained their new technique, but that gave him time to develop a new technique of his own. And it was coming along well, if he had to say. On top of that, he was already three chapters in his sealing book. Naruto was honestly confused to why people didn't simply make their own sealing scrolls...
Surprisingly, both Hinata-Chan and Sakura-Chan had expressed interest in moving in his house. He wasn't sure why, but he would never turn down the opportunity to be closer to his precious people. Naruto wasn't about to let those strange feeling in his stomach that he got when Sakura-Chan or Hinata-Chan stretched or leaned close to him stop them from moving in. Today was mission day, and once they got back from the mission, Sakura-Chan and Hinata-Chan would be moving in. Naruto greeted Haku as he entered the kitchen after completing his morning routine. Haku-Chan's cheeks flushed red upon seeing him. Naruto figured that since she was near the stove she had taken bit more heat than normal.
Haku was quite aware of the flush on her cheeks. She counted her blessings that Naruto-Sama thought she was just hot from cooking the food on the stove. Haku was aware that her feelings for Naruto-Sama were slowly changing from admiration into something more. She vowed, once again, that she wouldn't let her feelings get in the way of her duties. She couldn't fail her master, especially not now, given that he was showing signs of a increased self-worth. Granted, he didn't realize it yet, but Haku was confident it was only a matter of time before Naruto-Sama realized just how much he was worth. Haku flipped over the egg, noting that it was almost done.
A pretty frown cross her face as she considered the fact that Sakura-Chan and Hinata-San were moving in soon. She wasn't sure why, but some part of her didn't want them to move in. In fact, that small part of her wanted her Naruto-Sama all to herself to serve. However, seeing Naruto-Sama's happy face when they told him their plans, Haku had stifled those perplexing feelings and told herself to be happy for her master. After all, a tool couldn't go against her master's happiness.
Naruto grinned to himself as his team entered the Hokage's office. Haku-Chan had made some very delicious eggs, almost as good as morning ramen! He had met his team after breakfast, and they headed to the Hokage's office to get their mission for the week. Naruto smiled again, unaware that his happy grin had prompted his fellow teammates to blush faintly.
Hiruzen managed to stifle a slight perverted giggle as he watched the female genins of Team Eight blush at the sight of Naruto's smile. He could only imagine what kinds of things the three genins would get up to in a few years...
The Hokage coughed, bringing his hand to momentarily cover his face. When he brought it back down, he folded his hands in front of him, awaiting Kurenai's request. While he knew why they were here, it was tradition to let the Jonin Sensei ask for a mission.
"Hokage-Dono," Kurenai requested, her voice coldly professional, "Team Eight requests a C-Rank mission."
Hiruzen riffled though the requests before finding one that he was sure that Team Eight wouldn't mind doing. It was a client protection mission, the client had requested protection as they crossed from one small village to another. He handed Kurenai the mission scroll. The Jonin quickly read the scroll and handed it back to the Hokage.
"Team Eight accepts the mission."
As Team Eight was preparing to leave the office, a sudden thought occurred to Hiruzen. "Naruto-Kun, could you please stay?" Naruto shrugged and nodded. While the Hokage wasn't his favorite person, he didn't see any harm in staying to talk.
After the rest of Team Eight left the room, Hiruzen invited Naruto to sit down. "Naruto-Kun, what did you think of the letter I sent you?"
"What letter?" Naruto asked confused. He hadn't gotten any mail since he moved to his new house.
"Hmmm...That's odd. I sent the letter over a week ago..." Hiruzen wondered idly. He shrugged. It didn't matter. Naruto was here now, and Hiruzen was determined to help Naruto out. "Naruto-Kun, the letter was informing you of what stores to avoid. Those stores seem to overcharge you or refuse you service." Seeing Naruto's eyes widen, Hiruzen continued. "However, I have prepared a list of stores that were reported to be willing to serve you." Hiruzen handed Naruto the list and anxiously awaited his response.
Naruto stared at the list of stores. Was this some kind of trick? A quick glance at the Hokage led him to believe that the Hokage was sincere in the offer. Naruto knew these stores. In fact, a large majority of the stores listed had either sold him rotten food or had such high priced items that he was forced to shop else were. 'Sengan's High-Quality Goods' was even on the list. When Naruto had attempted to purchase food from Sengan's, the shop owner had taken his money and then threatened to call ANBU if he didn't leave his shop. When Naruto had protested that he hadn't gotten his food yet, the shop keeper had chased him out of the shop. Naruto looked back up at the Hokage, suddenly realizing what was wrong with the Hokage.
"You didn't visit these shops yourself did you?" It really wasn't a question.
Hiruzen shook his head. "I am the Hokage, I simply didn't have the time to visit them all. But I did have my most trusted ANBU research each shop." He explained, not understanding the strange look on the blonde's face. It seemed to be a combination of understanding, anger, and realization. "What's the matter Naruto-Kun?" Hiruzen gently asked, wanting to help the young teen as much as he could.
"Do you really want to know?" Naruto softly questioned, his tone unreadable.
Hiruzen paused for a moment. While he would have instantly said yes, there was something in Naruto's voice that gave him pause. Hiruzen shook his head. It didn't matter. He had promised that he would take care of Naruto, and he would listen to Naruto's problem. "Yes. Tell me what is wrong."
"None of these stores will serve me." Naruto's voice was emotionless as he distanced himself from what he was about to say. "In fact several of the store owners have either stolen my money or been part of the mobs that used to beat me."
"W-What?" Hiruzen stammered, his face paling. "You just mean that you were beaten when you were training to be a ninja? That it was just sparring?" He desperately asked, grasping at straws.
Naruto shook his head. "I was first beaten when I turned one years old. Beatings increased after that until they happened at least once a month. Sometimes they would use kunai or other bladed weapons. On occasion they would use me for shuriken practice." Naruto's voice was emotionless as he continued. "I was recently informed that I was also sabotaged at the Ninja Academy during my entire time there."
He looked at Hiruzen, his emotionless mask cracking. "That is your village; stripped of it's pretty covering. It hates me." He shrugged. "I don't really care, but lately I've noticed that they have sent dirty looks at my precious people." Naruto's voice turn cold, deadly. "And if they try to do anything like they did to me, I'll end them!" Naruto awaited the stunned Hokage's response. When none was forthcoming, he quietly left the Hokage's office.
Eventually Hiruzen recovered slightly. "Oh Tobirama, what has become of our village?" He miserably whispered out, his voice filled with pain and regrets. "Is this what you died for my beloved Biwako?" Hiruzen sighed, his soul impossibly heavy. "Is this what you died protecting Minato?" Hiruzen wondered sadly, feeling every decision he had made weigh on him. The Hokage felt a lone tear slide down his cheek as he sat alone in his office.
So what did you guys think? Drop a review and let me know!
To my reviewers:
midnightscar17: The Hyuga clan is an interesting clan to write. They are willing to serve the village, but they are also very arrogant. Given that they have always been one of the four noble clans of Konoha, it's not hard to believe that they would see any possibility of losing the power and prestige they have would be frightening. They are currently reacting the only way they know how. It doesn't make it right, but it's understandable. Haku and Sakura made up this chapter, but Hinata still has a bit to go before she reaches that point with Haku. I do my best to let characters develop as organically as I can, given that forcing things can break the reader's immersion. You'll see the very slight beginnings of Naruto start to realize that Sakura and Hinata are girls this chapter.
Aniomaman: Ino is starting to learn that she should take training and life more seriously. Personally, I don't see Haku falling for anyone but Naruto, but that is still to be seen. The people in the shadows, I assume you mean that people who are plotting to have both Bear, Cat, and Team Eight killed, are not in a very good place. They either have to accept the fact they deliberately tried to kill a young boy, something that is almost universally viewed as evil; or they have to continue believing that Naruto is the demon fox reincarnated. Given that they know that Naruto was able to use the demon fox's cloak at Wave, they are panicking right now. The people in that shadows don't know who Naruto's parents are, or perhaps it's more accurate to say that they don't want to even entertain the thought that he could have parents, given that it would make him seem much more human. And as far as Jiraiya knows, Hiruzen is keeping Naruto safe...
Kit: Here's the next chapter! Happy Holidays to you too!
Power Taco: Honestly, you probably deconstructed Haku's character better than I could. Haku is developing into one of my favorite characters for this story, and I'm not sure how that happened. As far as Haku's feelings go, we'll see them continue to develop. There was a hint of how she is starting to feel this chapter, but I can't see her realizing what exactly her feelings mean right away. I can't see Zebuza sitting down and teaching her anything beyond the Birds and the Bees. As far as the future goes, you'll just have to wait and see! I'm really enjoying Kakashi's interactions with Naruto in this fic. You'll see Kakashi interacting more and more with Naruto as time goes on. The Third is less ignorant and more in denial. He has sacrificed and lost so much for the village that he can't accept the fact that it could all of been for nothing. However, after Naruto's outburst this chapter, he can't deny it anymore. What he will do with the terrible truth of his village remains to be seen. Happy New Year to you too!
SeanHicks4: You are right. In cannon Naruto never uses the Kage Bunshin training method to its logical end. However, given that he has people in this story who genuinely care about him, he wouldn't have remained ignorant for long. As far as pairings go, I am personally a fan of Sakura/Naruto. That said, I am letting this story develop naturally, so I'm not sure who Naruto will end up with. While my gut reaction is to say Sakura, Hinata, and Haku might end up with Naruto, I can't see any of them wanting to share him with others. That is the reason I said I have no plans of making this a harem story, given that none of the girls would allow it.
sagar hussain: Thanks! To my knowledge, Naruto wasn't physically assaulted in cannon. However, people tend to try whatever they can get away with. Given that they are smarter (relatively speaking) this time around, I felt that they would do much more than simply ignore Naruto's existence. We honestly don't know about ANBU, so I just figured that they had to have lived in the village and lost friends/family to the Kyubi's attack.
Vanishing Raptor: Yeah, Konoha isn't very good. None of the villages are very "good" given that they all train kids to go fight. But at least the other villages, for the most part, don't stoop so low as to do the things they did to Naruto. And as far as the Sand Invasion? I think everyone will enjoy how that all goes down.
Holly Darkness: You learn something new every day. I honestly thought that B-Ranked missions were for higher ranked ninjas and C-Ranked mission were for genins and their teams. That said, I may keep my interpretation of the mission rankings since it gives the village more room to assign a skill/danger level to a mission.
dai sennin hurosaki d naruto: True. But people don't know that. As far as they know, or perhaps hope, is that Naruto has all of the human weaknesses of a normal person. And as far as the cleaning out of the village goes, let's just say no one is getting off free. I'll be the first to admit that I could always use a beta, but given that I can't guarantee that a chapter in a timely manner, I try my best to proof-read my chapters before I publish them. Sometimes words slip through the cracks though.
drannakka: Heh heh. Yeah, Team Eight will be quickly rising in power soon. It's going to be great.
hillariouslyInjustic: The main plot is starting to move forward. Soon I'll be able to jump directly into the Chunin Exam arc. And thanks!
bloodbrother 18: Yeah, Hinata has decided to take her own initiative now, ironically because of what she saw/heard from the council meeting. You'll get to see how the talk with her father went down next chapter. And as far as they spider goes...that would be telling. And as far as the Naruto hate'ers go...heh heh.
DepthSlicer: Thanks man. I tend to be overly critical of my own writing, so to hear that I am succeeding in what I set out to do is awesome. And here is the next chapter! Enjoy!
Ann: It may seem silly to a certain extent, but at the same time the shadow group has been around since Chapter 1. And they have done far, far more than just deny him access to shops. Realizing that they are denying him access to shops is really easy for Naruto's friends to figure out. The other, more secretive things that they have done will be much harder to figure out.
Trace Reading: I don't think that most would. Given that Shino is more powerful than your average Aburame, I felt that he would feel a closer connection to insects. In addition, he was never befriended by Naruto at the Academy, thus he developed slightly odd speech patterns. As he meets and grows, he will start to communicate more normally. Shino is stoic, not emotionless. I feel that he needs a bigger push to show emotion verses your average person.
Trace Reading: I'm sorry, but I don't understand your review.
FOXJ NS 4EVER: Thanks! I feel that Chapter One is the best chapter in the story, but given that it took me three months to craft it, I couldn't spend that much time on the future chapters. Mizuki was a great character to play with. Given that he was, cannon-wise, a very good actor, he was easy to mold into the type of character I needed. I hope that you will continue to read the future chapters! And Happy Holidays to you too!
Trace Reading: Honestly, I completely forgot the currency was different in Naruto. I'm guessing that it happened when I was converting the price to Yen, but I shall do my best to avoid such obvious mistakes in the future.
kalel201125: Thanks! Here's the next chapter! I have several novels half completed sitting around, but creating a world alongside a novel is difficult work. But I will push on despite that!