You guys are awesome!
Originally I had planned this to be released on the 27th, but the chapter kept growing and changing. There is a few things in this chapter that are a bit...heated (if you know what I mean), but given the context, they might be viewed in a different light. Still, I'm dropping a warning here just in case.
There is a poll up on my profile. It's for you guys to vote on how the next arc, once this one finishes, begins. The 'spark' (as I'm sure you guys are aware of what that means), can take two forms: Just enough to kick off events or one big enough to light the world ablaze. Keep in mind that either choice will have massive repercussions. To put it another way, the first option is a pebble dropped in the water, while the latter is a boulder.
And without any more delay, here's the next chapter. Chapter 37: Buttons
The air was different, Yakumo finally decided. She had been questioning for months what exactly was different now as compared to what her life had been like before. It was easiest to take the view that her life had two parts: All of the hope and pain that she had experienced before she had met Naruto Uzumaki, and now her second lease on life after she had met him.
The brown-haired girl had just gotten out of her second bi-weekly therapy session with Inoichi Yamanaka. The session had gone well, all things considered. While the pain of what happened to her parents still lurked in Yakumo's mind, the memories no longer felt like razor blades shoving outwards when she thought of the past. She still wasn't sure what to feel about Other, the personality having the distinction of being her only friend for quite a long time - in the time before Naruto - but at the same time Other had killed her parents. Other stayed quiet for the most part, only surfacing when it felt that Yakumo was in danger. Her relationship with Unkai was...complicated. On the one hand, he had done what he felt was right for his clan, but on the other...he had failed as an uncle, even trying to kill her. Yakumo had currently resolved to treat him merely as another clan member, distantly, but not too coldly.
Spotting a teenager in a dark green jumpsuit in the distance, Yakumo couldn't help the fond smile that crossed her lips. That was another thing she owed Naruto. Upon learning how Lee's story had inspired her, Naruto had arranged a meeting between the two. Despite their radically different backgrounds, the two quickly hit it off, becoming friends before their first of many meetings had ended.
"But I could do without the jumpsuit." She grumbled to herself, "At least I convinced him that he didn't need the godawful bowl-cut hair style." Lee's jet black hair had grown out, and he now pulled it back behind him, sometimes braiding it into a long braid that secretly Yakumo admired...purely as a friend of course. Waving to catch Lee's attention, Yakumo slowly made her way towards her friend.
Lee hummed to himself softly as he waited for Yakumo to finish with her therapist. Over the last year, since Naruto - who was perhaps the greatest example of youth Lee knew - introduced Lee to Yakumo, the martial artist's life had changed greatly. Having barely saved up enough to make a down payment on a small place he planned on converting to a dojo someday, Lee had expected to be eating ramen for many years to come. But Yakumo changed all of that. After hearing about his dream of creating a dojo that taught everyone who wanted to learn how to defend themselves, Yakumo had donated a rather large sum of Ryo towards his dream.
And it had paid off. Now regularly teaching classes twice a week, Lee could safely say that his life was perfect. He was helping others learn how to defend themselves, he was training himself to better protect those he cared about, and Yakumo was getting training without endangering herself. Yakumo even assisted with teaching the class. Not only was she slowly making progress in learning hand to hand combat, her genjutsu allowed Lee to simulate any battle or opponent needed, all from within the walls of the Dojo.
Lee had met Other the second time he had met with Yakumo. Unlike everyone else, Lee had completely misunderstood what Other was. And as such, he simply accepted Other as a different side of Yakumo. He didn't know it, but in that moment, Other had firmly decided that Lee was important to Yakumo, and by proxy, herself. From that moment on, Lee gained a protector that didn't have a limit on how far it would go to keep him or Yakumo safe.
Clutching the paper with a dozen signatures on it that confirmed they would be attending, Lee could now safely open the Dojo three times a week without wondering if anyone would show up. "I can't wait to show Yakumo." Lee grinned to himself as he thought of how happy Yakumo was when she was helping and teaching others, especially when using her gift. And it was a gift, the martial artist thought with a nod, no matter what she thought. He was slowly working on showing the brown haired girl that her gift was just that, a gift. Two days ago she had smiled, and to Lee, it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen, if not the most beautiful. It had been like watching a lily blooming, it's petals delicate, but all the more pretty for it.
Spotting Yakumo waving at him, Lee beamed back and waved with his usual extreme enthusiasm. As she approached, Lee couldn't help but admit silently, "Gosh, she sure is pretty." Blinking the thought away, the martial artist showed Yakumo the paper he had been holding. As he watched her happily smile as she celebrated with him, Lee nodded to himself. "My life really is perfect."
"So you think you can multitask...young man?" Jiraiya inquired, a deceptively calm look on his face as met Naruto's eyes. The pair stood roughly thirty feet apart in the center of training ground Twenty-One.
"I may be able to." Naruto inclined his head, his impassive face not betraying the pulse of adrenaline that shot through his system.
"Oh?" Jiraiya slowly dropped into his combat stance, "Can you fight and talk?" A sly smirk formed on his face. "Or is that only when you are fighting normal people?" The Toad Sannin cycled chakra into his limbs, knowing that Naruto would rush him in a moment. It was, afterall, a training spar.
Naruto stopped holding his adrenaline back, feeling it surge through his body. Distant sounds became muted as he focused on his teacher. This was going to be a pure taijutsu fight. "Let's find out…" It left the Uzumaki's mouth in a rush as his muscles tensed.
For a moment neither shinobi moved. Then...they exploded into motion, crossing the distance between them in an instant. Naruto struck first, his chambered fist rocketing towards the Sannin's face. Jiraiya's hand flew upwards, his right hand knocking the Uzumaki's hand out of the way as the white haired ninja's left hand shot towards Naruto's midsection.
Swinging his left hand at Jiraiya's own right hand, Naruto used a modified Inuzuka claw attack to shove Jiraiya's attack out of the way while placing own hand in place for a perfect follow up attack. Stepping forward, the Uzumaki twisted his hips, allowing for even more power be applied to his counter attack. His hand, snapping into a more traditional cross punch, brushed Jiraiya's torso before the Sannin reacted, who stepped back to let the attack pass by.
"So," The Sannin snapped three punches at Naruto, who blocked the first punch, dodged the second, and twisted around the third, "Remember when I was telling you about the political unrest in Kiri?"
"Yes." Naruto twisted around Jiraiya's third punch, "Weren't they still trying to stabilize the government after the Fourth Mizukage disappeared and those loyal to his cause battled it out with the rebels?" Naruto snapped a kick at Jiraiya, following the snap kick with an overhand hammer fist. "And didn't the rebels win just a few years ago?"
"Yep." Jiraiya grunted out as he blocked Naruto's hammer fist with a cross block, "But that was a few years ago." Shifting his crossed arms to the left, the Sannin scythed a fist across the small space between them, aiming for Naruto's jaw. "Recently I got new information." Naruto leaned back, letting the fist pass between them. "Several of my spies informed me that Kiri has stabilized into a functioning ninja village again." Clenching his fist, the white haired Sannin swung a haymaker on the return trip.
"Interesting." Block. Snap a quick punch, follow up with a knee, "And speaking of Kiri and Mist, did your spies find anything about the thing I asked you to look for?" Block. Block. Duck. Leap backward to gain distance.
"Yes." Jiraiya closed the distance in a moment, "They found what they believe is Haku's home." Palm thrust. Block. Counterattack. "I had them bury her mother's body." Increase speed. Kick. Block. Block. Grab, Throw.
"Good." Flow through the motions and let the throw happen. Land. Counterattack. "As soon as we are able, I'll see who all wants to accompany me." Flip kick. Grab arm. Spin. Sweep legs. "Would the leader of Mist, the Fifth Mizukage, be possibly open to an alliance?" Ground punch. Leap over counter attack. Roundhouse kick.
Lean back to avoid kick. Palm thrust while opponent is off balance. Counter the grab. "As far as my spies can tell, yes." Jiraiya confirmed. Knee. Block. Block. Dodge. "We will have to go by boat. We can catch a ride in Wave." Snap kick. Snap kick. Overhead punch. Jump kick. "All that needs to happen is for you to pick a date."
Low block. Lowblock. Dodge. Catch kick, throw. "Good. I'll speak with the girls."
Having no more to discuss, the speed between the pair grew faster and faster, until they were but a blur to the untrained eye. Eventually, after a hour of intense combat, it was considered a draw. Without pulling out any other types of techniques, it was inevitable that Naruto would win, given enough time. The simple fact that he had more stamina than practically anyone else in the village ensured that in the end, he would win any endurance based contest or combat. All in all, Naruto considered it an excellent warm up for training.
It was early one morning just a week later when Hinata, Haku, and Sakura were able to all spar together. "That wasn't a bad move, Hinata-Chan," Sakura praised as the three took a brief break, "You should try creating that lightning trap more often." Hinata, to her credit, only flushed ever so slightly under the praise.
"You two are the first to see that move." Hinata explained, "I just finished creating it a few days ago."
"Huh." Sakura pondered that revelation, "Now I'm the only one of us who hasn't created a new technique." The pink haired girl started to think furiously as she wondered what she could create, now that she was the only one without a technique specifically created by herself. "Perhaps it could be a hybrid medical/offense jutsu? Able to heal or harm depending on the target's current status?"
"You can think on a unique move later, Sakura-Chan." Haku smiled at her friend, "Please enjoy this rest while we still can." The three kunoichi relaxed, unaware of much their lives would change forever in just a few short moments.
Uragiri Yamanaka carefully leaned out of the bushes along with his two of his fellow clan members. After they had a meeting with that man, the three were prepared to help their clan and village. In order to do so, they had to expose the corruption within the hearts of those closest to the Kyubi, or as it liked to be called, Naruto Uzumaki. Once it showed it's true nature to the village, the Yamanaka would disable the fox demon, and then kill it. Such an act would save the village, and elevate the Yamanaka into the greatest clan of all.
Carefully aiming his specialized clan technique at Sakura Haruno, Uragiri waited until he got confirming nods from his clansmen before engaging the jutsu. The three kunoichi never felt the mind technique hit them.
Haku smiled as she watched her friends exchange a joke, Hinata and Sakura giggling. "They never even thought to include you." The thought crawled within her skull, flaring a strange sort of angered annoyance in the normally gentle young woman. "You will always be second best. You'll never be as close to Naruto-Sama as they will be."
"No." Haku shook her head, "They aren't like that. Naruto-Sama treats us all equally."
"But of course he does." The voice whispered, sounding just like her own thoughts, "But will they let him have equal time with you?" A pause. "You've already seen it. The heated glances, the glares when he is spending time with you." Another shot of almost foreign anger shot through the ice user. "How long before they start to conspire to take your Naruto-Sama away?"
"They wouldn't do that." Haku protested, but somehow her rebuttal felt hollow. "They are my friends. They love Naruto-Sama just as much as me."
"Oh," The inner voice countered, "But wouldn't they just love it even more if they could have him...all to themselves…" The voice seemed like her own thoughts, slowly bringing the hidden fears Haku had to the surface.
"T-They wouldn't do such a thing." Haku protested, but she could almost see it in her mind, an image of Sakura and Hinata kissing Naruto; doing things to Naruto; taking her Naruto-Sama away. The ambient temperature began to drop, but the ice user attempted to hold back her suddenly raging temper.
The image flashed within her mind. Hinata - or was it Sakura? - pulling Naruto-Sama away, pulling him into an intimate kiss. Their bare skin brushed against one another, and the other girl, the one who was not Haku, leaned up to whisper a sweet nothing into Naruto's ear. The Uzumaki's laser-like focus was focused completely on the girl beneath him. A moment later the pair became one.
Sakura - or was it Hinata? - arched their back in pure ecstasy.
Anger. Envy. Jealousy. Emotions began to cloud Haku's mind, as she unable to look away from the scene in her mind.
As the carnal act neared its completion, the girl suddenly sat up, clutching Naruto's sweat-stained back. Hinata - or was it Sakura? - moaned into the blonde Uzumaki's ear, whispering a phrase that broke Haku's tenuous hold on her emotions.
"Naruto-Sama~"
Rage. Betrayal. Jealousy. Haku blinked, the mental image fading, but the emotions stayed frothing within her. Unnoticed, bright red began to creep into her furious brown eyes.
"How DARE they?" The ice user pushed herself off of the ground, uncaring that she left frost footprints in her wake as she stormed towards Hinata and Sakura.
Hinata giggled as Sakura finished telling a joke she had heard from Tsunade. Both of the girls laughed, feeling at ease as they relaxed against opposite sides of the same tree during the break from training. "She's always so confident." The thought ghosted through Hinata's mind, distracting her from Sakura. "She's always been closer to Naruto-Kun." The thought was familiar, sounding just like her inner thoughts.
"I'm just as close to Naruto as she is." Hinata argued mentally, unsure why she needed to justify herself to her own thoughts, "And Naruto-Kun wouldn't pick one of us over the other. He cares for each of us."
"Naruto cares for each of us." Her inner voice agreed, slyness bleeding ever so slightly into it's tone, "But why would he want to wait for a girl who can't even bring herself to hold his hand when he could have so much more from someone else?" Anger and shame blitzed through Hinata.
"I-I'm just maintaining proper distance as I was taught." Hinata defended herself, but she wasn't as confident as she had been just a few moments prior. "Naruto-Kun will wait for me."
"Oh?" Her thoughts taunted, "Even if they start to do that?" Jealousy began filtering into the blue haired Hyuga's mind at the thought of Naruto doing that with any else, "Do you really believe that he would turn them down when they are needy?" As her anger began to build at the thought of someone propositioning her Naruto-Kun, Hinata didn't notice the red creeping into her eyes, staining her pale eyes pink.
Unbidden, the image began to play in Hinata's mind of Naruto and Sakura - or was it Haku? - doing that.
Anger. Envy. Embarrassment. Jealousy. The emotions began to escape from where Hinata had stuffed them, deep down inside.
She saw it in her mind's eye. Haku - or was it Sakura? - pulling Naruto in close for a deep kiss. After they broke for air, the girl tugged on his hand, passionate need written nakedly across her face. They stumbled back to his bedroom, her hand leading him the entire way.
Stripping quickly, Haku - or was it Sakura? - lay back on the bed, fully exposing herself in ways that Hinata had dreamed of doing herself; of showing herself to Naruto.
Naruto crawled up the bed, his defined muscles shifting as he slowly leaned over her. The girl reached up, her hand brushing his face as she whispered encouragement. After a moment of perfect stillness, they became one.
Sakura's - or was it Haku's? - body arched in ecstasy. Watching the sensual act would have normally made Hinata blush, but instead she only trembled in rage at the sight of someone else doing that with her Naruto-Kun. As the joined pair's passionate dance reached towards its crescendo, Hinata's rage grew alongside it.
As their passionate embrace reached it's climax, Naruto called out Haku's - or was it Sakura's? - name in a raspy, yet loving shout.
Hinata's anger boiled over. She stood up, her normally gentle features twisted in rage. She stood, not caring that her bloodline activated, her eye color flaring dark magenta instead of pale white.
Sakura giggled alongside Hinata at Tsuande's joke. Catching her breath, Sakura let her happy gaze settle on her two friends. "You'll never be as good as them." The thought was sudden and unwelcome. "They are a better match for Naruto than you ever are." The inner voice sounded just like her own fears.
"No." Sakura argued, being well acquainted with this particular worry, "Naruto-Kun cares for me, no matter what I am capable of."
"Perhaps." The voice conceded, "But compared to them, what do you have to offer?"
That secret fear was harder for the pink haired kunoichi to combat. "I...I am strong. I am fast. I am intelligent. And most of all, Naruto believes in me."
"What is strength when compared to the ability to create ice with nothing but a hand gesture?" The inner voice sounded just like her own thoughts, "What is speed when compared to the ability to see all of your opponent's weaknesses? What is intelligence when compared to the inevitability of winter or the lethality of the Gentle Fist?"
"I...I…" All of her darkest fears were brought to light, and Sakura struggled to push them back down, to ignore them; to ignore her own inadequacy.
"And if you can't stand beside him in battle, why should he refuse their offers?" A image began to form in Sakura's mind, showing Naruto kissing Haku - or was it Hinata? - softly, the love and care on display for all to see.
Envy flared inside Sakura.
Slowly parting, the pair drifted towards the bedroom. Entering it, the air changed from care and love to breathless anticipation. Slowly disrobing, Hinata - or was it Haku? - turned the act into a seductive dance. Naruto breathed in and out, his breath stuttering as his intense focus remained locked on her.
Rage began to boil in Sakura's veins.
The girl leaned back, her face bashfully looking away from Naruto's passionate one. Still, despite her protests, Haku's - or was it Hinata's? - naked desire for Naruto was unhidden. The blonde Uzumaki slowly moved on top of the submissive girl. A whispered sensual plea tumbled from her lips. They linked hands, defined muscles stretching. Then...two became one.
Her anger continuing to build, Sakura didn't notice the furious red bleeding into her eyes.
They started slowly, Naruto's muscles flexing in the most pleasing of ways. Soon the girl, Hinata - or was it Haku? - creased to her unconvincing protests and arched her back, soft sounds spilling from her lips.
Jealousy choked Sakura.
Together, Naruto and the girl raced towards completion; towards ecstasy. They approached the peak. Falling off of the cliff together, Haku - or was it Hinata? - cried out in absolute bliss.
"Naruto-Kun!~"
Sakura's rage exploded, the mental images vanishing, but the furious emotions still surging through her. She stood, uncaring that her chakra also surged and boiled, it's color equal parts bright red and brilliant green. She glared at Hinata, who seemed to have the same thought. Invisible lightning almost seemed to crackle between their locked gazes.
"Naruto-Sama is mine." Haku snarled as she reached Hinata and Sakura, stopping the two way glare between the Hyuga and Haruno.
"No." Sakura turned to her rival, "Naruto-Kun is mine."
"You two are mistaken." Hinata chuckled, but the humor never reached her eyes, "What do you have that can compare to me?" The Hyuga felt a sneer crease her lips as she ran her hands across her voluptuous form, pausing to accent her larger than average bust and hips.
Sakura had always been an emotionally vested girl, feeling the full effects of each emotion she felt. To her credit, she had been doing her best to control her reactions. But with the emotional lubricant of the Kyubi's chakra in addition the stirred up anger; the fear; the shame that had been awoken and manipulated by the Yamanaka's technique, the volatile girl lashed out with a lightning quick jab at the sneering Hyuga.
Hinata staggered a step back from the force. Bringing a hand slowly up to her stinging lip, the blue haired kunoichi touched the warm stickiness that oozed from the wound. Seeing blood - her blood - staining her fingers, Hinata didn't stop the surge of rage nor the words that ghosted out of her mouth. "Oh...so that's how you want to play it."
It was like an invisible signal to begin.
Snapping her head to the right to breath out a stream of fire at Haku, Hinata rushed Sakura. The Hyuga's hands glowed with magenta chakra as she snapped the first attack of the gentle fist directly towards Sakura's chest. Sakura leapt backwards, her hands blurring through the handsigns for water bullet. Spitting out two dozen compact shots, the pink haired kunoichi flowed into another set of handsigns as she landed. She spiked her chakra as she landed, completing the last sign and shoving her chakra into the dirt.
Haku snapped her hand outwards towards the water bullets that shot towards Hinata, flash freezing the water bullets into ice projectiles stained with a dark red color. A second later the ice user sprung away from the earth dragon Sakura had summoned. Creating two handfuls of senbon while still in the air, Haku hurled them at her rivals, one hand for each.
Sakura vaulted into the air, arching her body to avoid the razor sharp projectiles. Returning fire with several kunai, the kunoichi landed in a crouch and launched herself towards the ice user within a moment of landing.
Hinata felt the momentary sting of the ice senbon's hit as she didn't quite avoid all of the thrown weapons. Snarling, she tore the projectile out from her shoulder, her pain feeding the surging rage. The pain instantly went away as a red haze surrounded her. She had never felt more powerful. Seeing her pink haired rival charge Haku, Hinata hurled herself at Sakura.
A flicker of movement was all of the warning Sakura received. Twisting, she took the blow on her side, instead of her sternum. Two ribs instantly broke and three more cracked as Hinata's attack hit Sakura. Slamming into the ground ten feet away, Sakura let out a growl as she brought up a hand to her ribs, red and green chakra flaring as she rapidly healed her broken and cracked bones. "That BITCH!" A red haze covered her form.
Breathing out a wall of water in front of herself, Haku snap-froze the water, creating a barrier between herself and Hinata. The blue haired Hyuga snapped a single crackling palm into the barrier before her eyes widened and she hurled herself backwards as spikes shot out from the wall. Expelling chakra from her tenketsu, Hinata spun rapidly, creating a spinning sphere of chakra deflecting the ice spikes. Ceasing her spin abruptly, Hinata spun to face Sakura as the pink haired leapt towards her with a snarled cry.
Rapidly exchanging brutal blows, the two kunoichi didn't acknowledge the pain as bruises spread along their arms. The bruises healed almost as quickly as they appeared, the Kyubi's regenerative chakra healing them to the best of its ability. But the corrosive chakra of the Nine Tails began slowly to slowly burn them, red and blistered skin slowly spreading outwards from their chakra points.
Spiking her chakra, Haku conjured a spike of ice between the warring pair. Seeing several drops of blood drip from her ice spike, the ice user felt her lips twist in dark satisfaction as she saw that Hinata and Sakura didn't quite move fast enough to completely avoid the spike. Raising her hand to point at Sakura, Haku repeatedly summoned ice spikes beneath the pink haired kunoichi, forcing Sakura to repeatedly dodge around the battlefield. Completely ignoring Hinata, Hinata was completely caught off guard by the sudden fireball that slammed into her, instantly igniting her kimono.
Screaming in pain and outrage, Haku froze the area around herself, snuffing out the flames. A red shroud covered her, healing the burns but leaving slowly blistering skin in it's wake. Summoning a massive wave of churning water, the ice user sent it hurtling at her hated rivals. "Just DIE!"
"How interesting." The orange masked figured commented to himself as he perched on a tree that overlooked the battlefield where Hinata, Sakura, and Haku did their best to murder each other. The orange masked man had met with Uragiri Yamanaka four months ago, convincing the foolish Yamanaka that he was helping his village. "A pity that the Yamanaka didn't hit them while they were in the village." The masked man mused, "Given how rapidly the three kunoichi are devolving into more primal versions of themselves, they would have slaughtered quite a few of the ignorant sheep before they were stopped." He shrugged. "Oh well. This will still suit my purposes."
When the Leaf eventually figured out who had caused the three to go berserk, the Yamanaka would find that they couldn't recall who had given them the idea. Genjutsu was useful like that. "Sakura Haruno will presumably die, followed by either Hinata Hyuga or Haku." Sakura, after all, lacked a bloodline. The chakra blocking barrier he had set up insured that the massive chakra signatures the three kunoichi were flaring out wouldn't be felt by the village until it was far too late. "The aftermath and investigation to find the perpetrators will keep Leaf occupied while we launch our operations in Mist."
And if Naruto destroyed Konoha in his vengeful rage, well, that would be all too poetic, wouldn't it? Not only that, but it would make extracting the Nine Tails much easier...
The lone uncovered eye widened as the figure spotted Fu heading obliviously towards the location. "How...interesting." Knowing it was time to depart, the orange masked figure glanced towards the east where he knew Naruto Uzumaki and Jiraiya the Toad Sannin were a day's journey away, testing some new type of jutsu. "The sins of the father are passed onto the son if the father is absent...Naruto Uzumaki…"
The uncovered eye flashed, shifting into the recognizable shape of the Sharingan. A moment later it changed again, morphing into the Mangekyo Sharingan. The bladed windmill shaped pupil spun, and the air around the masked man shifted, turning back inside itself. A moment later the man vanished, as if he had never existed in the first place.
Fu hummed happily to herself as she headed towards the training ground. Given that Genjutsu training with Tayuya had ended early, the mint haired girl was heading over to watch Hinata, Sakura, and Haku train. "They are always so graceful and powerful when they fight." Fu smiled to herself, "I can't wait until I can fight like that."
Sakura snarled as she punched the ice wall that kept her from Haku. "You!" She punched the wall again, "Won't!" Spiderline factures spread out from the point of impact as she punched again, "Stop!" The cracks spread rapidly. "ME!" The wall shattered.
Stalking through the broken ice wall, the pink haired kunoichi spotted her prey. A killer's smirk creased her lips. She stepped forward. Suddenly lightning arced up from the ground and into Sakura. An involuntary scream was pulled out of her as her muscles locked up, the electricity snapping and crackling as it burned her.
Hinata brushed past her screaming rival, moving to engage the stunned and confused Haku. Raw lightning sparked across Hinata's fingers as she snapped them toward Haku. Haku blocked, only for her muscles to start spasming as the excess electricity short circuited her arm's nerves.
Screaming in pain and rage, Haku conjured up a spear of ice and deflected Hinata's next strike, then the ice user snapped the spear forward, seeking to impale her rival. Hinata twisted, taking the spear into her shoulder. Blood splashed the ground.
With an animal sound halfway between a growl and a scream, Hinata forced her way past the pain and slammed her glowing palm into Haku's chest, hurling the ice user back. Haku's body jerked and spasmed as the corrosive chakra of the Kyubi rapidly healed her half destroyed internal organs. Blistered skin began to spread.
Sakura fell back into her rage, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Pain began to slip away, drowning under the combined weight of adrenaline and rage. Snarling, Sakura slowly reached down and slammed her palm into the center of the lightning trap. The ground cratered, dispelling Hinata's technique. Clenching her fists, Sakura's chakra formed two glowing chakra scalpels, bright red chakra pulsing within them. Unnoticed, her skin began to simmer as the deadly red chakra began to blister her skin.
Boink
Fu stumbled back, rubbing her forehead. "Ow…" The temporary pain faded, and Fu trotted closer to the invisible barrier that she had bumped into. "What is going on?" She could see Sakura, Haku, and Hinata just sitting beneath a tree, seemingly resting. Carefully reaching forward, Fu encountered resistance. Stepping closer, Fu patted different areas, trying to figure out what was going on.
"A barrier?" She slid her hand to the side, feeling the solid barrier continue to extend. "Okay. Think Fu. This is what those tactics lessons were for." Fu pondered the invisible puzzle in front of her. "Work through it just like you were taught. Problem: There is an invisible barrier that seems to extend for a long while." The mint haired kunoichi frowned. "Question: Why is there a barrier here? What is important here?" The answer blazed into her brain a second later. "Sakura-Chan, Hinata-Chan, and Haku-Chan!"
No longer caring about answering the rest of her questions, Fu focused on how to remove the barrier. Shoving a large amount of chakra into her right hand, the kunoichi slammed her hand onto the barrier and began to push. Cracks began to appear, and strange, half familiar chakra signatures began to waft through the cracks. Shoving even more chakra into her hand, Fu took a step forward and shoved with all her might. The barrier shattered.
Chakra, angry and hate filled, bellowed out the moment the barrier shattered. Stepping forward, Fu gasped and her eyes filled with horror as she surveyed the bloody battle in front of her. Haku was slowly pushing herself off of the ground, smoke wafting off of her form. Hinata pulled an ice spear from her shoulder in a shower of blood. Sakura leapt out of a crater, chakra scalpels glowing with murderous intent. And around each of them was a red shroud that somehow felt familiar.
"Fu-Chan!"
Chomei's urgent voice sounded out, "That red glow is Kurama-Chan's chakra! It's enhancing their negative emotions and hurting them. Look!" The seven tails mentally pointed to Hinata, highlighting the red burnt skin on her exposed flesh, "Biju chakra is very corrosive to anyone but our containers. It's killing them. You have to stop them!"
"Right!" Fu nodded, her orange eyes focusing as she readied herself. "Thanks Chomei. I'll just have to snap them out of it." Deciding that Sakura was the closest, Fu raced towards the pink haired ninja.
"Sakura-Chan! You need to stop!" Fu skidded to a stop in front of her friend, "The Kyubi's chakra is burning you."
"You're trying to take Naruto-Kun away too, aren't you!" Sakura lunged forward, her chakra scalpel slicing downwards at Fu. Twisting away from the lethal attack, Fu hissed in pain as the burning chakra scalpel sliced into her stomach. Grabbing Sakura's arms, the mint haired Kunoichi held the raging Sakura at bay.
"Sakura-Chan! Listen to me! Please!" Fu desperately tried to get through to her friend, "This isn't you! I can help with whatever made you mad, but you need to calm down." Sakura growled and tugged harder, attempting to free her wrists. "You need to trust me." Fu fought to keep her friend from doing something she would later regret, "You don't want to do this!"
Sudden cold and pain shot through Fu's shoulder, tearing her away from Sakura. Skidding to a stop several feet away, Fu almost screamed as she stared at the ice spike lodged deep in her right shoulder. Testing out her right hand, the mint haired girl didn't get much more than a twitch. Biting her lip to avoid screaming in pain, Fu pulled the ice spike out of her shoulder. Blood freely ran down her arm, and the mint haired girl felt tears gathering at the corners of her eyes at the pain.
"Chomei-Chan!"
Instantly feeling the warm numbing chakra of her partner, Fu reached down with her good hand and tore off the lower half of her shirt. Wrapping her shoulder to stop the bleeding, the Jinchuriki of the Seven Tails mentally commanded the glowing green chakra threads to wrap around her injured arm and shoulder, holding them fast. "We have to end this now." Fu assessed her friends' conditions, seeing that blood was starting to ooze from a few of the more severe blisters. "Can I have some more of your power, Chomei-Chan?"
"Of course Fu-Chan." The Seven Tailed Beetle assured her friend, "Go save our friends."
A bright green shroud enveloped Fu, four wing-like tails forming a moment later. Blurring towards Haku - who was now the nearest as Hinata and Sakura were locked in close combat - Fu appeared in front of the stunned ice user. Snapping her left hand out, Fu commanded more of the glowing chakra threads of the Chomei to wrap around Haku. The treads pulsed, quickly draining the Kyubi's chakra from Haku. The ice user slumped forward, unconscious, as the last vestiges of the Nine Tails chakra left her.
Fu closed her eyes, concentrating on creating a shadow clone. Feeling her chakra surge, Fu beheld twenty shadow clones that she had created. Shrugging, she directed several of them to take Haku to the Uzumaki Faction hospital.
Spinning on her heel, Fu froze in shock as she watched Sakura savagely plunge a glowing chakra scalpel into Hinata's abdomen four times. "No!" The Jinchuriki of the Seven Tails hurled herself forward, grabbing Sakura's arm, draining the Kyubi's chakra as fast as she could. Sakura slumped over as the red shroud dissipated, and one of Fu's clones caught her.
Hinata's red chakra shroud flickered as it attempted to repair the massive damage done by Sakura's blade, and the kunoichi's blood began pooling around her. "You aren't going to die!" Tears spilled down Fu's cheeks as she absorbed the Kyubi's chakra from Hinata and attempted to heal her friend at the same time. The air almost glowed around Fu as she forced more and more chakra into the basic healing technique she knew, attempting to overcome the injury with sheer brute force. It wasn't working. Hinata grew pale.
Gathering her friend up in a tight hug, Fu blurred towards the hospital. "You're going to be okay." Fu refused to believe her friend was dying, "You're going to be okay…"
"Hinata-Chan." Naruto felt panic creep into his mind at the sight of the extensive bandages on his girlfriends' bodies, "Sakura-Chan." His emotions tumbled and whirled inside him. "Haku-Chan." He had rushed all the way to the hospital the moment he had heard that they had been hurt.
"H-How did it happen?" He directed his question to Tsunade. "What happened?"
The Legendary Medicnin felt her heart clench at her godson's whisper. "Keep in mind that there is still many things we don't know, but this is what we can piece together…"
Naruto was frozen, his mind endlessly playing over Tsunade's words.
"...We don't know how it's chakra got into them, but the Kyubi's chakra pushed them into a more primal state and they continued to fight, even after they had been severely hurt."
Vaguely his mind registered sounds were being directed at him, but they were muffled and seemed so far away. "It's...my fault. If I hadn't transferred chakra to them, they would have never hurt each other." His world was falling apart. "I did this."
Some part of him noted that he was being helped to sit down on a bed somewhere, but all Naruto could hear was the accusing words spiraling endlessly inside his mind. "It's all my fault. I...I hurt them…"
Tsunade was almost beside herself. She had just finished explaining what had happened to the girls when Naruto had just seemed to mentally shut down. He breathed and was obviously still alive, but he stared directly ahead, his eyes unseeing. He didn't respond to any external stimuli, and Tsunade feared that somehow she had broken her godson. She had expected anger; she had expected the shouts; the rage; she had expected almost everything...but not this.
"But they didn't just snap did they?" The thought forced it's way through Naruto's endless miserable thoughts. He blinked.
"Yes." The thought was slow and quiet, "I may have given them Kurama's chakra, and that is unforgivable, but I didn't cause them to fight." The self recriminating thoughts began to fade. "Someone did something to them..."
Just as Tsunade was about to order one of the ANBU to find Inoichi Yamanaka so he could help her godson, she felt it. A pulse of chakra from Naruto, like a heartbeat.
"Someone manipulated them." Another pulse. The thoughts of self doubt and loathing vanished.
"Caused them to attack each other." Another pulse. Red chakra flickered around his form.
"Caused them to hurt one another." Another pulse. Golden chains slowly sprouted from his back, grinding against one another.
"Caused them to try to kill each other." Naruto could feel it now, the wrath inside burning in his veins.
"And whoever did that…" Killing pressure crushed almost everything in the room, only sliding around his girlfriends; his three precious people. Windows cracked. The walls groaned. Naruto's fist began to slowly clench.
"I warned the Yamanaka." Kurama's rage filled tone booming in Naruto's head, "I told him what would happen if they tried anything. Let us reduce them to ash."
"Naruto." Jiraiya approached his godson, not caring about how it felt that the world was pushing down on his shoulders, nor the terrible chakra covering the Uzumaki in a shroud. "Can you hear me?"
"I am so close…" Naruto's voice was quiet, but under the quiet tone the fight for control was obvious. "So close to going out that door, and finding whoever did this…" Naruto turned his head to look at the Toad Sannin, the Jinchuriki of the Kyubi's eyes flickering between baleful red and glowing blue, "So close to becoming the monster they say I am."
"I will find them." Jiraiya stepped closer to his godson. "I swear that I will find whoever did this." Another step. "I will bring them to justice." The godfather was only a few feet from his godson. "I swear on my very soul that I will find them, even if I have to tear open the gates of the afterlife myself." Jiraiya hesitated, knowing how much he was asking of his godson. "You just need to trust me. Do you trust me?"
"I…" Naruto was caught between his rage and his emotional torment, "I…" He took a deep breath, locking the rage back down inside. "I trust you."
The red shroud vanished and the chains slowly retracted. Ignoring all of the other events in the room, Jiraiya stepped forward and pulled his godson into a comforting hug.
"It hurts." Naruto admitted, tears leaking down his face, "It hurts that they aren't okey."
"I know." Jiraiya tightened the hug, "I know."
Consciousness came slowly to Sakura. Slowly opening her eyes, she couldn't help but let out a low groan at the brightness of the lights. A moment later the brightness dimmed as someone adjusted the lights. Cracking her eyes open yet again, the pink haired girl instantly recognized that she was in a hospital bed. "What happened?"
Casting her memory back, her green eyes shifted back and forth as she attempted to remember what could have caused her hospital stay.
"...Naruto-Kun is mine..."
Oh.
"Oh god." Sakura felt nauseous at the memories of how she had attacked and wounded her friends. "What have I done?" And the worse part was that the emotions hadn't been manufactured. She had felt anger, jealousy, and envy towards her friends. She felt like sobbing.
"No." Sakura shook her head violently. "You don't get to break down. You don't get to have a little pity party." Swiping a few stray tears from her face, the kunoichi began to plan on how find out her friends' statuses and how to apologize to them…
Haku awoke with a sharp gasp, instantly noting how the temperature was different than her own room. A second look revealed that she was in a hospital bed. A third noted that she was alone at the moment. Seeing that she wasn't bandaged nor was she sore, Haku tried to remember what could have happened to warrant a hospital stay.
"...Naruto-Sama is mine…"
The gentle ice user gasped in shock as she remembered. She remembered the anger; the jealousy; the envy; the rage. She remembered trying to kill her friends. "What have I done?" An even more terrible thought crashed into her. "How does Naruto-Sama feel knowing what I have done? What each of us tried to do?" A few miserable tears leaked down her face. The feeling of helplessness threatening to overtake her, Haku drew her reserves of determination. "It doesn't matter what I have done. I can't change the past. I will find a way to apologize for what I did, no matter how long it takes."
Hinata slowly awoke with a groan. Her abdomen ached slightly, new skin stretching for the first time. "Why am I in the hospital?" Had something happened? Closing her eyes, Hinata attempted to remember.
"...What do you two have that can compare to me?..."
Hinata was horrified. "Did I really say those things? Did I really do those things?" Despite her refusal, her memory did not lie. Hinata covered her face as she slowly came to grips with the fact that she had tried her absolute best to kill her friends. And perhaps worse of all, all of those emotions that had sparked the fight weren't foreign. No, they were emotions and thoughts that she had buried deep inside.
"I have to apologize to them." Hinata focused on what she could do, lest she fall prey to that feeling of despair hovering at the edge of her mind. "It's what Naruto-Kun would do."
Naruto sprinted across the smooth hospital floor, almost slamming into the wall in his haste to reach the room that his girlfriends had been moved to. Pushing the door open with enough speed to slam into the wall, the anxious Uzumaki surveyed his three precious persons. They looked much happier and were completely bandage free. After he had provided a large amount of chakra for Tsunade to heal them with, the bandages had been unnecessary.
Stepping forward, the three girls' faces lit up and they ceased their quiet discussion. "I-I'm sorry." The utter remorse in Naruto's tone drained any happiness they felt. "I'm so sorry." Naruto swallowed as he revealed his sin. "Without me transferring my chakra to you, this would have never happened." The lump in his throat and his regret tasted like ash.
Hinata, Haku, and Sakura blinked. What was Naruto talking about? A moment later they realized what he was referring to. All it took was one glance at one another for Sakura to turn and snap a pointed finger at her love. "No."
Naruto blinked, confusion breaking through his misery. "Huh?"
"No." Sakura repeated, "I refuse to let you believe that this is your fault." Her green eyes flashed with a fierce intensity. "We chose to let you transfer chakra, and we let our emotions take control." Her tone would not allow any protests. "And we, Hinata-Chan, Haku-Chan, and I, will work through that. But more importantly, it is not your fault."
Glancing at the girls he cared about; the three that were the most important people in his life, Naruto chose to believe them, choosing to trust them. Feeling his misery fall off of his soul like a discarded weight, Naruto's slow true smile rivaled the sun in warmth and brilliance. "I'm so…" He grappled for an appropriate word for the pure joy he felt at seeing them alive and well, "...happy that you all are alright."
Stepping forward, he pulled his girlfriends into a group hug, attempting to show them how much he cared about them. Feeling them return the embrace, Naruto closed his eyes, contenting himself. He knew that there would be repercussions for what had happened today, but right now, in this moment, he was content.
Tsunade had never felt so tired in her life. Naruto's girlfriends had lost control of their emotions, drawing on the latent chakra inside them, and then proceeded to do their damndest to murder each other. Luckily, Fu had managed to stop them from doing so, and the mint haired girl had eventually calmed Hinata, Haku, and Sakura down. Well, 'calmed' in a relative sense.
The fact that all three kunoichi had suddenly lost control of their emotions at the same time was highly suspicious, and Jiraiya was using every bit of his expertise to figure out who was behind it. The suspicion of foul play was one of the only reasons the Loyalists were not calling for judgement against Hinata, Haku, or Sakura for destroying the training ground and almost inciting a panic due to channeling the Kyubi's chakra. Not only that, but Fu ended up using the Chomei's chakra, putting the village even closer to starting something. And perhaps worse of all, Naruto nearly went ballistic, and had almost rampaged across the village looking for the person who had instigated his girlfriends' breakdowns. Luckily Jiraiya had been there to talk him off of the edge, but the entire village had felt the heavy weight of Naruto's chakra before he calmed down.
The Leaf balanced on a knife edge, and any further actions by the Uzumaki Faction or the Humanitarian Faction could spark a brutal civil war. The Humanitarians' ranks had swelled within the last few days, fear driving many to those who promised action and protection. Tsunade had seen the looks Sakura, Hinata, and Haku were being given. While the Humanitarians were careful to avoid anything overt while Naruto was around, the Slug Sannin knew it was only a matter of time until someone grew too bold.
"If only Naruto and his girlfriends could stay out of sight for a little while, the tension may die back down." If it came to civil war, Tsunade knew where she stood. She would throw off the Hokage's hat, and come to the defense of her godson. But she had gotten her fill of war during the last Shinobi World War, and the legendary medic was trying to avoid forcing the future generations to experience the same horrors she had. If only…
A sudden thought occurred to Tsunade. Perhaps there would be a way to protect Naruto while possibly avoiding the brewing civil war. Remembering Jiraiya's comment her godson wanting to visit Mist, the Slug Sannin felt an idea slowly forming. "Tiger." The Fifth Hokage called, "Can you bring Naruto Uzumaki to me?"
"Yes, Hokage-Sama." Tiger bowed, "At once."
"Tsunade." Naruto greeted the blonde woman, his voice as warm as she remembered. But the tension in his shoulders was new, and the way he always kept an eye on the door threatened to break Tsunade's heart.
"Naruto." The Fifth Hokage greeted, "How would you like to take an all expenses paid trip to Mist?" She paused, attempting to word it correctly. "It's not a mission of course, but if you happen to enter Kiri, please give my greetings to the Mizukage? I hear she is quite interested in meeting you." Privately, Tsunade hoped that Sakura, Hinata, or Haku wouldn't start an international incident if the seductive Mizukage attempted anything with Naruto. Regardless, it was safer in Mist than in the Leaf at the moment.
Naruto blinked, his head tilting ever so slightly as he considered Tsunade's offer. Carefully turning over what was said, and what was implied, the Uzumaki Clan Head did his best to consider all of the variables. "I assume this trip includes three additional passengers, not counting myself?"
The Fifth inclined her head. "It does indeed."
Naruto's blue eyes shifted as his thoughts raced. "And should...the worst come to pass in the village while we are away?" Making sure his family was safe was paramount.
"The Toad Sannin will get them out." Naruto's godmother replied, "And I will help him."
"I'll inform Hinata, Haku, and Sakura." Naruto promised, "We'll leave within the day." He paused, considering something. "Should we see if there is any...available land to purchase in Kiri?"
The part of Tsunade that had grown up in Konoha protested, but the rest of her nodded with grim pessimism. "Yes. Perhaps not only for a family of seven, but as much land that is available."
The Uzumaki Clan Head bowed. "I will see you before we leave."
Despite having almost all of Wave's full support and manpower assist building the Uzumaki Clan compound a few years ago, Naruto was still surprised by the massive crowd that gathered on the docks to wish him and his girlfriends off. The crowd nearly deafened them as the citizens of Wave cheered as the boat set off towards the next big adventure. Naruto had originally planned to charter a small boat to avoid excessive spending. However, Tazuna was more than willing to grant the 'Hero of Wave' one of the village's larger vessels and crew until Naruto didn't need them anymore. Furthermore, Tazuna refused all attempts at payment, stating that he couldn't ever repay Naruto and his girlfriends for freeing Wave.
The crew of the Wind Rose had been even more fervent towards the Hero of Wave. Practically giddy with the knowledge that Naruto would be riding their ship, the crew had cleaned and polished the ship until the wood practically shined and the metal glistened. Every possible supply the sailors could think of was restocked, and the Captain of the Wind Rose offered Naruto, Hinata, Haku, and Sakura the Captain's Quarters without hesitation. Naruto, while still confused at their gratitude, had accepted their offer, sensing that refusing would be insulting the eager-to-please Captain.
For the first week the Wind Rose proved she was worthy of her name. She glided swift and sure over the water, almost seeming as if ship herself was eager to get the Hero of Wave to his destination.
"Haku-San," Sencho, the Captain of the ship, greeted the ice user. "I trust that that Naruto-Sama, you, and your fellow wives are finding the accommodations to your liking?" Haku automatically nodded. "Yes. Thank-you again for your hospitality." The captain bowed respectfully and moved quietly away, leaving Haku to her thoughts.
Despite the awkward air, she was enjoying spending time with her love and her friends. She had so much to apologize for, even if Sakura-Chan and Hinata-Chan had assured her that they didn't hold the incident against her.
But how could Haku not blame herself? "I tried my best to kill Sakura-Chan and Hinata-Chan." The ice user internally sighed. "And I caused Naruto-Sama so much anguish, grief, and worry." Another sigh. "And...some part of me always resented them for taking Naruto-Sama's attention away." She had stuffed resentment, anger, and jealousy down deep inside so often that eventually the process became automatic. "But now that I know and remember that I have those emotions, I will find a different way to deal with them."
Remembering the captain's false assumption that she, along with Hinata and Sakura, were Naruto's wives, Haku carefully considered that line of thought. "Perhaps...we are looking at this the wrong way. I like Sakura-Chan and Hinata-Chan as my friends. And I trust Naruto-Sama. I know that he will treat each of us with the same care and affection. And perhaps someday…" A blush stained her cheeks, "Love us."
Looking up at the bright moon, Haku couldn't help but wonder if it would be possible, for Naruto to marry all of them. It would, at least on the surface, solve quite a few of the problems facing them. "Could I share Naruto-Sama in that way?"
It took the ice user almost all night as she carefully searched her own feelings, attempting to figure out what she wanted, rather than what would just make Naruto happy.
Just the beginning streaks of dawn began to color the horizon, Haku finally resolved her inner emotions. "Naruto-Sama cares for me; loves me as much as he understands love. And I love him. And in the end, that's all that matters." Haku felt a weight slide off her shoulders. "And if I have to share him with someone else, it will be alright. I know that he will always care for me; treat me equally. And those I trust those who I will be sharing him with."
Now that she had laid to rest her fears, Haku felt a thrill of excitement shoot through her as a thought drifted into her head. "If Hinata-Chan and Sakura-Chan willingly and wholeheartedly agree to share Naruto-Sama, then we can all help Naruto-Sama learn what love is."
Sakura wasn't sure what to feel at this point. Just a short week ago she had gone berserk and attempted to murder her two female best friends. If it had been some sort of possession the pink haired kunoichi would have had an easier time accepting the emotions. But it hadn't been possession. Granted, the whispers and imagery didn't help, but in the end, Sakura knew she had made a choice to give in.
All those emotions that she had squashed down for so long bubbled up in a boiling froth, and Sakura had became a person she barely recognized. And that was the issue. "In the end, those emotions and thoughts were mine. I didn't want to share Naruto-Kun, and when I was compromised, I was perfectly happy to eliminate the competition."
After Fu had, for lack of a better term, overpowered them and knocked them out, Sakura had attempted shove down the horror at finding out how close she had gotten to killing Hinata. And the choking regret at how Naruto's eyes were filled with panic and worry for each of them. "I broke my promise to never make Naruto-Kun feel that way."
Even though Hinata and Haku had assured her that they didn't hold the fight against her, Sakura still blamed herself. "If only I had figured out a way deal with my emotions and thoughts before that point." Sakura had tried to push down the emotions prior to the incident, always doing her best to ignore the stirring inside when another girl got close to Naruto.
"How can I make this better so this doesn't happen again?" For once, all of Sakura's knowledge failed her. "How can I change myself so I can not cause pain to those I care about again?" Sakura felt lost and alone. "Can I really give up on Naruto-Kun so that others can be happy?"
Had Hinata not had extensive training in maintaining her emotionless mask, she would have let out a rather unlady cry of frustration. "Why is this so difficult? I thought I was ready for Naruto-Kun to have multiple partners." Having grown up with the knowledge that many clan heads had concubines or lovers, Hinata had done her best to force herself to accept that she wouldn't have Naruto all to herself.
"But then those thoughts crept in…" Hinata remembered the rage she had felt on that day, and to her shame, she had reveled in it at the time. "I fought those I cared about with the intent to kill, and never once did I think of how my actions would affect Naruto-Kun." The stricken look on his face when he had learned of what almost happened would forever haunt her. "In the end...I was just so...selfish."
Even though Sakura and Haku never blamed her, Hinata keenly felt the shame, guilt, and regret from that fight. "How can I stop that from happening again? How can I learn to accept that I can't have Naruto-Kun all to myself?" Hinata blew out a shaky breath. "Can I really share him with someone else, knowing that they will be doing that with him?"
"As you can see," Sencho pointed to the map, "We are currently right..." He pointed to a spot near an open section of water, "Here."
Naruto tilted his head in curiosity. "Why did we make a wide berth of this area?" Naruto pointed to an area on the map that looked like several spirals. "It looks like it's an almost straight shot to Mist from there."
"That rumored to be once the fabled ninja village Uzushiogakure." The captain began hesitantly, unsure if Naruto would react, given his clan name. When Naruto didn't react, Sencho continued. "After Uzushiogakure fell, the whirlpools surrounding the village began expanding." Pointing to the area with the spirals, the captain of the Wind Rose shook his head. "Since that time, this entire area far too dangerous for even the strongest of vessels."
Lowering his voice - lest he draw misfortune to his ship - Sencho, continued, "Some say that the whirlpools are Uzushiogakure's final act," He glanced around, "Or that the whirlpools are powered by the vengeful ghosts of those slain in Uzu."
Raising his voice to normal levels, Sencho hastened to assure his passenger. "But don't worry. There isn't anything out in front of us for miles. I've been this way dozens of times and the weather is perfect this time of year."
Naruto blinked before pointing out one of the windows. "So that fog isn't normal then?"
Sencho turned around, took one look, and sprinted out of the lounge. A moment later he slow to a stop. "There's no breeze." The captain looked rather befuddled. "How is that possible?" Climbing to the helm,, Sencho directed the helmsman to keep the ship steady. "Steady we go. Keep the wheel straight. There isn't any land in front of us for miles."
"Aye Captain."
The fog grew deeper, almost seemingly thick enough to swim in. The men murmured quietly, several of them making warding gestures to protect themselves from the ill-omen the fog seemed to be. Slowly, the wind began to pick up, and a current began to pull them forward. The Wind Rose glided faster and faster over the water, and eventually Sencho began to feel as if something was very wrong. It was the sense that had kept him alive during these long years at sea, and now even the hair on the back of his neck had begun to stand up.
Sencho was just about to command the crew to slow the ship when it happened. Through the fog, land suddenly appeared, defying the maps of the region. "Hard to port!" Sencho bellowed, "Move it you dogs!" The men scrambled to obey. "Haul the lines or we are all lost!"
Slowly, but surely, the boat turned, the sails snapping in the wind as the rudder fought the strong current. The churning waves slapped the smooth wood, and the sailors strained as they pulled on the ropes. They swore that they would not be the cause of the Hero's demise.
Wind Rose made her makers proud that day. Despite the almost overwhelming current, her rudder held true, and her masts stayed strong. Slowing, she coasted to a halt, mere feet from the barely hidden sandbars that would have ground her hull to pieces.
"Naruto." Sencho called, "We can't move until this damnable fog lifts." He gestured to the surrounding white. "It's almost thick enough that you could cut it with a knife. But if you want to explore the island, I can have my boys lower a rowboat for you."
"I think we'll explore the island." Naruto decided, eager to do something other than stare at the endless water. "But don't worry about the rowboat. We can get to the island without it." Gesturing to his companions, the Uzumaki vaulted the railing. Hinata, Haku, and Sakura followed without hesitation. The Shinobi quickly ran across the water, their feet firmly stepping on the water as if it was solid ground.
Sencho shook his head in amazement. Shinobi were strange and mysterious. Still, it was expected from a group as powerful as the Hero of Wave and his wives...
So what did you think? Drop a review and let me know.
On the Yamanaka's technique and the girls' reactions: Technically speaking, what the Yamanaka did was more of telepathy than anything else. The technique also allow for a bit of emotional manipulation and imagery, but that was all. Perhaps a better way to explain it would be to think of their technique as pushing a boulder over a cliff, and then letting gravity do the rest. Their technique just gave the boulder one heck of a push.
On Hinata "losing" against Sakura: Most of Hinata's techniques require precise control and precision. However, Primal!Hinata doesn't have nearly the same amount of control or precision.
On Tsunade's behavior: Tsunade wants the best for Naruto, but she also wants to avoid the civil war if she can. She's been through one world war, and doesn't want those she cares about to be pulled into another one if she can avoid it. Plus, sending Naruto off keeps him out of harm's way if something does go down.
To my reviewers' direct questions:
Zigmas: If you mean not joining Naruto's harem, then yes, Yakumo is joining the "non-harem". Originally I had planned on Yakumo gaining a crush on Naruto, tragic unrequited love and all that, but then, while searching for reference pictures for her character, I came across quite a few Yakumo/Lee pictures, so things changed a bit. She's still very grateful to Naruto, just not in a romantic kind of way.
BankruptSamurai: While you are entitled to your own opinion, I'm confused as to why you are referring to. As far as I am aware, no one in the village believes that the new Team Ten (Naruto, Hinata, and Sakura) are still not going to amount to anything. Heck, most of the world is aware of them now. And you are correct, most authors do mold Naruto differently. However, fics about those Narutos have already been written. And as such, I tried to write a different story, perhaps one that hasn't been told like this before. Would I have liked to write a much darker Naruto story? Of course. But the simple fact is that awesome stories have already been written for that type, and I didn't want to retread the same ground.
Animaman: While it's not a lemon, things do get a bit heated in this chapter. Granted, given the context, it might be viewed differently. As far as Kushina goes, I'm toying with a few ideas. Expect to see glimpses of the various Konoha 11 during this arc. You'll be seeing how and why Tsume is acting the way she did within this arc as well.
Setokayba2n: That's one of the main issues. They don't 100% know who all is part of the terrorist group. And if they just start checking people's minds by force, that will spark the civil war, which is one of the things they are trying to avoid. As for the secret house, it's a combination of not remembering, along with the fact that each time Naruto has gone there, he's been severely hurt. Plus the barrier is designed to avoid detection from anyone that isn't Naruto. The clones to be completely accurate, are tiny fragments of Naruto's personality given life. Normally they would just complete their task and dissipate, but Naruto doesn't make them do that. As such, over time, the personalities of each clone grows. They aren't directly human, given that they are created, but you bring up an interesting point that I might come back to later...I'm ready to listen to any ideas. I can't promise anything, but I'd be more than happy to listen.
Hallowmask123: He went to Kumo in Chapter 33.
Nin-Guest: Aiko is going to slowly get more development, both because she's an interesting character and to also showcase how the previous generation (Naruto's generation) is affecting her life (both personally and abstractly). The reasoning for not bringing Jiraiya or Tsunade along was the fact that neither Sannin brought anything to the table. As far as I am aware, they are both still susceptible to high-level genjutsu. Plus you don't send all of your villages assets to one location that is dangerous. As for the terrorists, it's much of the same problem we face in real life. You could, in theory, violate people's rights to figure things out more quickly, but that could very much spark a civil war. And yeah, it's a small world after all.
Naruto-kun257: Imagine if you will, that bloodlines are dried paint. Normally if you pour water on it, the paint isn't affected. However, if you take a very high-pressure hose to it, eventually it's going to wear off. The Uzumaki life force is basically a very high-pressure hose.
Naruto-kun257: Taki had spent so long demonizing Fu, that when confronted with the knowledge that a "hero" like Naruto was like the person that they spent so long demonizing, they were shocked. And perhaps some of them are wondering, "What if we were wrong about Fu?". And in that case, people sometimes prefer to deny evidence than admit uncomfortable truths.
Naruto-kun257: Naruto understands, more than most, Kiba's desire to protect innocents. And Kiba is simply joining Naruto and the others for training. You are right. Itachi is screwed up. He - and this is canon by the way - at the age of four was shown the bloody aftermath of a massive battle by his father. Is it any wonder he isn't completely sane? I hope you did well on your exams.