I apologize this chapter took so long to publish. I currently do not have a beta anymore (due to my beta not being able to beta for completely understandable reasons), and so editing took a bit longer than I planned. In addition, a bunch of stuff happened lately, and I wasn't able to devote as much time as I wished to writing. I tried my best to edit the chapter, but let me know if it's not enough, and I'll try to find another beta.
AU Changes: There's a few in this chapter. First, The Land of Demons. Given that it's not a normal ninja village, I took the opportunity to give the Land of Demons more of a backstory and also unique details. The architure changed to be a mix of Grecian and Shinto, rather than the standard medieval Japanese. I won't spoil everything, but there is a stronger religion base in the Land of Demons than in canon. Secondly, Moryo is a demon, rather than a "creature born by the darkness inside the hearts of people". Lastly, the Cult of Moryo is considerably bigger than it was in canon. If you have any questions or would like a more detailed explanation of the changes, please let me know.
On a separate note: Due to questions about what is happening to other people and clans outside of Naruto's current location, I'm trying out something new. At the bottom of this chapter there is a small section that deals with an area outside of Naruto's current location. This short section is divided from the rest of the chapter by three lines. Please let me know if this short section is too confusing or doesn't help.
And without any more delay, here's the next chapter. Chapter 47: The City of Olives
Mist was in an uproar when Naruto, Sakura, Hinata, Haku, and Honoka arrived. Ninja and civilians moved hurriedly across the road, hurrying to their destinations. There was a tenseness that pervaded the air, and Naruto spotted several ninja carefully drawing seals on the walls of homes and buildings. The part of him that possessed the insatiable curiosity for anything related to seals wanted to examine the seals - he had noticed that Mist shinobi had a very interesting way of linking their sealing arrays and hadn't had the chance to ask anyone why they did it that way - but the political training he had received in preparation for becoming the Uzumaki Clan Head kept him from straying off of the main road. Still, he couldn't help but cast a lingering side glance at the seals as they passed.
Once they had reached the massive Kiri Mizukage building, the Konoha group was quickly escorted inside to meet with Mei. The redheaded Mizukage, despite the aura of intense concentration emanating from her, immediately looked up from the report she was reading and smiled at them as they entered the room. There was an unconscious sensual quality to the expression, and for a brief moment Naruto understood why Jiraiya had described the woman in glowing terms. But it was a mere acknowledgement of her physical appearance, and the blond Uzumaki felt no pull of attraction in her direction.
"Naruto-Sama." Mei rose from her desk chair, extending her hand towards him, "I'm glad that you are safe. I apologize for any delay you had while in the village, but we are currently preparing for Sound to unleash the Three Tailed Biju."
Naruto blinked before understanding her worry. "Don't worry about the Three Tails." He shook her hand, "Sound doesn't have possession of it. We," He swept a hand in the direction of the rest of his team, "Defeated the Three Tails, but it got captured by the Akatsuki."
It was Mei's turn to be taken aback. "I'm sorry?" Her sculpted eyebrows shot up in confused surprise, "Did you say that you defeated the Three Tails?"
"Yep." Naruto confirmed, tilting to head to the side after she continued gaping in surprise to consider why she looked so shocked. Considering his words, the Uzumaki conceded after a moment that perhaps it was shocking to hear that that a Biju had been defeated by a single ninja. "Is this what people in Konoha feel towards Dad?" Refocusing, he nodded and offered, "If you would like, I can tell you what happened."
"Of course Naruto-Sama," Mei smoothed her strapless dress down as she sat down in her desk chair, "I would greatly appreciate any information you have on the Three Tails." She gestured to one of the chairs in front of her desk, "Please sit down."
Naruto quickly scanned the room and verified that there was five empty chairs in the room, two at the desk and three off to the side against the wall. Satisfied that no one would be forced to stand, he pulled out the old wooden chair Mei had indicated. Setting down, he took a deep breath and then began. "I'll start after we split off with Hiromasa's Mist team. We started checking our assigned areas of the map…"
It wasn't often that Mei found herself speechless, and even less often without any words coming to mind after the initial shock. She had always been able to find the words and gestures necessary to persuade those around her, her kunoichi training honing her natural talent to a fine edge. Once womanhood had begun to blossom, she had learned to wield her beauty as skillfully as any other weapon. But this…
The Biju were creatures of legend; monsters of immense power, far beyond what any normal shinobi could match. But, there were those who had had succeeded. Teams of strong and wise seal masters had sealed the Biju before. However, no one had ever did it alone until Minato Namikaze. And even then he hadn't defeated the Kyubi, instead managing to seal it singlehandedly into his son. It was a feat spoken of in hushed awe.
Naruto had beaten the Three Tailed Biju in combat.
Such a thing had never been heard of before. Normally Mei would have not believed such an outlandish tale, but somehow she felt that she could believe his story; wanted to believe his story. She would send a squad out to verify, but the Uzumaki had saved Mist from the Three Tails' fury.
Quickly writing out a letter that informed her ninja that Mist no longer needed to prepare for a fight with a Biju, the Mizukage handed the letter to one of her bodyguards. "Chojuro-Kun," Mei handed the note to the white haired swordsman, "Please see that everyone knows that they don't have to prepare to face the Three Tails anymore."
Chojuro flushed at how her hand seemed to linger on his as he accepted the letter, but he nodded professionally. "Of course Mizukage-Sama." Waiting until she pulled her hand away, the young man rushed from the room, eager to complete the task she had given him. Watching him leave, Ao resisted the urge to go after him given that Chojuro's exit from the room had been unprofessional to the highest order. Why, back in his day…
Mei turned back to the Leaf ninja and smiled gratefully. "Mist owes you all a great debt. If you need anything," There was a husky trace to her tone, "Anything at all, let just me know."
The Uzumaki Clan Head nodded, aware of how high the death toll would have been had the Three Tails been unleashed in Mist. It was not his intention to save Mist, but he was grateful that his actions had. While he would have preferred to just dismiss Mei's thanks, Naruto was aware that to do so would be not only insulting to her and Mist, but also he could use Mist's aid if things went south in Konoha.
"You are welcome." The Uzumaki Clan Head inclined his head formally, "We are always happy to aid Mist." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Unfortunately I cannot think of anything that we need help with besides a small matter."
"And what is that matter?" Mei held up a slim hand, "And if this is something personal, rather than political related, you don't have to put that mask on."
Naruto slouched slightly in relief and leaned forward. "For various reasons I left a shadow clone here in the village when we left. I was primarily having him check the prices of houses and land." The blond shrugged. "I have to check in with him, and also I would like to check on Isaribi." Twisting slightly to look over his shoulder at Hokona, Naruto inquired, "Honoka-Chan, do you still want to look at Mist's library for history books?" Honoka nodded.
"We can certainly arrange that. We'll keep quiet any inquiries you make about land or housing purchases." Mei turned to Ao. "Ao, please go with Naruto-Sama and Honoka-Sama. Take Honoka-Sama to the library and let them know that she has my full permission to read any history record she may wish to. Then take Naruto-Sama to see his clone. Depending on the results, you are to then take him to see our Housing Department. Once that is accomplished, show him where Isaribi is staying."
Ao frowned slightly, but didn't protest. "Of course Mizukage-Sama." Stepping forward he addressed Naruto. "Naruto-San, Hokona-San, when would you like to leave?"
Naruto glanced in wordless question to the others. When they indicated that they did not mind, he pushed the wooden chair back and stood. "We can leave now if it works for you."
"Of course. Follow me."
After the door closed behind Ao, Naruto, and Honoka, Mei turned to the remaining three young women. "Before you three head back to your hotel room, I would like to give you some free advice about your predicament with Naruto-Sama." Mei hid her amusement at their surprise behind her hand. "If you would like, I can tell you a story that may help with figuring out what would be best for you, and those you care about."
Seeing that she had their full attention, Mei settled back in her chair. "Back when I was a young kunoichi and just had graduated from the academy, I had a best friend, Roza. We were inseparable, two young kunoichi that were ready to take on the world." Mei chuckled softly, "We thought that nothing could stop us, having conquered the academy and all of the challenges it had thrown at us." There was a fond wistfulness to her tone, "We went everywhere together for several year after that, completing each mission assigned to us with minimal collateral damage."
"But things couldn't last forever." Mei ran a hand through her hair, "One day just after we turned in a mission, we saw him." Mei's jade eyes seemed to brighten as she remembered the past. "He was gorgeous, in a pretty boy sort of way. Roza and I were immediately smitten. We approached him and soon learned his name was Kanari."
"Over the next few months Roza, Kanari, and I were almost inseparable. Roza and I did our best to ignore the attraction we felt towards Kanari, and he did his best to suppress his towards us." Haku, Hinata, and Sakura shifted uncomfortably in their seats, "But eventually we couldn't fight it any longer. Roza and I talked it over and decided to share Kanari." Mei smirked, "He was surprised but content with our arrangement."
"Ohhh," Mei sighed in remembrance, the sound unconsciously sensual, "We spend the next we weeks learning each others' bodies; every slope and dimple; the places that made us tremble; and the places that made us moan." Her tongue darted out to slide across her lips, "Sometimes we were never sure how much time had passed, only giving and taking pleasure from each other; our sweat soaked bodies sliding, grinding, and thrusting against one another, seeking glorious completion."
"But," The auburn beauty seemed to age for the briefest of moments, "I began to notice that Roza and Kanari were spending more and more time together. It was a gradual thing, but eventually I couldn't deny it anymore. They were together now, and I was alone." Her jade eyes blinked, bringing her back to the present. "I didn't fault them for what they had done. In the end, Kanari's heart was only big enough for one person." Mei paused for a moment before continuing, her tone shifting to a more soft tone. "You see, even when you promise to share everything, you can't actually do so." The three young women sitting before her were sure how react, heat and empathy swimming within them. "There is always a first. A first kiss, a first hug, a first lay."
"Each of you needs to accept that you may not be one of those firsts. If you don't, you'll find some part of yourself resenting the other person, or perhaps feel like you are not getting as much time as the other." Mei's blue painted fingernails tapped the desk, the noise sounding loud in the quiet room. "I'm not saying Naruto-Sama isn't capable of loving each of you to the best of his ability. What I'm saying is that you need to let go of the desire to always be first with him." There was a hint of old sadness hidden within her empathetic smile, "If you don't do that, you'll have your heart broken."
"Before you decide to share share yourselves with Naruto-Sama, each of you needs to decide if you are alright, truly alright with not being his first. Make sure that you are alright with knowing that someone else will be sharing his bed some nights and you will not be. Unless," Mei's tone was positively wicked, "You prefer to join in." Hinata felt her face grow hot at the naughty suggestion. She didn't swing that way, but she was cursing her active imagination.
"Of course, " There was a innocent yet alluring expression on Mei's face, "If you need someone to teach Naruto-Sama the ropes, I'd be more than happy to teach him...everything."
Sakura practically surged out of her chair. "You're not going to touch him." Her green eyes blazed with anger and other emotions Mei's story had stirred up within her, "He's ours and we're his."
"Too bad." Mei sighed regretfully, "I would have enjoyed showing him how to pleasure a woman." She glanced directly at Sakura, directly meeting her eyes. "If you are serious about staying with Naruto-Sama, you need to control yourself. Due to his looks and power Naruto-Sama is going to attract people. You can't threaten or attack those who say things to him or look at him. You could cause irreparable political damage if you attack someone unprovoked." A slim, perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose, "If they touch him...that's a completely different story." Sakura settled back in her seat with a stunned but thoughtful look. She had known she needed to control herself, but it was quite different being directly told that she needed to do so to avoid causing harm -by proxy - to Naruto.
"I'm not a homewrecker." A finger rose from the desk in mock warning, "But don't keep Naruto-Sama waiting forever. If you do, I just might swoop in and take him for myself." Sakura twitched but didn't move. "Good." It was honest praise, "You're learning." Leaning back in her chair and stretching, the auburn beauty felt her tense muscles loosen. Leaning forward once again, Mei smiled at the three young woman, "If you have any questions you would like to ask about sex or lovemaking, now is the perfect time to ask."
The room was quiet for a long moment as a aura of awkwardness settled over the three. "Wha-What's i-it like?" Hinata's voice was a shy whisper, "D-Does it hurt?"
"Oh Hinata-Sama," Mei whispered softly, "You've never been able to ask anyone about this, have you?" Nodding to herself a moment later, the Mizukage quickly stood and crossed the room to open the door. Informing the receptionist that she would be busy for the afternoon, the older woman closed the door and returned to her seat.
"It seems that each of you are lacking in the knowledge of pleasure, sex, and lovemaking." There was a determined set to her features, "I will fix that gap." Mei met each of their eyes, "I will be frank, detailed, and will answer any questions you have to the best of my ability. If you decide you want to stay, I have only one condition: You give your lover, whenever that may be, the ride of their lives."
Hinata flushed red but didn't move, determined to learn all she could. Lacking a mother to answer her questions, Hinata had to glean all of her knowledge from books, and those books left much to be desired. Sakura felt her face grow hot and she played with the hem of her shirt, but eventually glanced up at Mei and nodded. Perhaps she could get the answers that she was too embarrassed to ask her mother. Haku leaned forward and ignored the blush dusting her pale skin. She would learn all she could in order to make it as perfect possible for Naruto-Sama and herself.
"Let us begin. The first thing to know is that pleasure is important for both parties and what that means is…"
Mist's library, despite the brutal civil war, rivaled Konoha's extensive library. The history section alone was almost overwhelming to Honoka, but she was determined to learn about the time period she now found herself in. And perhaps, just perhaps, she would find out what happened to her family. Why had Uzu fell? What had brought down the mighty whirlpool?
Picking up the thick textbook labeled 'The Founding of the Shinobi Villages', she moved a nearby chair and settled in to read.
"Are you thinking of moving to Mist?" Ao kept his gaze forward as he and Naruto moved through the village, "Or is this just preemptive research?"
"It's mostly curiosity." Naruto's face didn't give anything away, "Perhaps a vacation home would be available to purchase."
"I see." Ao wondered if he would ever understand Naruto's way of explaining. Why, back in his day…
Shaking his head minutely and refocusing on the Uzumaki, Ao noted that Naruto had seemingly recognized someone in the distance who was sitting on a bench. Zeroing in on the person in question, Ao quickly ran their face through his memory before coming up blank. It was probably Naruto's clone, given that he didn't recognize the person's face. Ao had made it a point to memorize the features and mannerisms of each Mist citizen, reasoning that if he did so it would be harder for someone to infiltrate the village and assassinate Mei.
Sitting down next to his disguised clone, Naruto casually inquired, "Do happen to know any good tailors? I seem to have forgotten my orange cloak."
The brown haired man next to him shook his head. "I do not. Perhaps you should try the general store instead."
"He's with me." Naruto confirmed, "They are alright with us checking out properties and will keep it quiet." The clone relaxed.
"Boss." The clone unsealed a small notebook from a rolled up piece of paper it had in it's pocket, "Here's the properties that fit our requirements." Naruto thanked the clone and took the notebook. "Also I've made some breakthroughs with a new sealing array." The clone unsealed a thick notebook and handed to Naruto. "I have the summary of what it does on the second page. I can confirm that it works, just has a few bugs we need to work out."
"Alright." Naruto stored away the notebook to study for later, "Are you going to dispel? You look like you are almost out of chakra."
"Yeah." Twenty-Three nodded, "I'm just about out. Do you have a kunai I could borrow?" Naruto nodded and handed his clone one of his kunai. "Thanks." Twenty-Three flipped the kunai in it's hand to a reverse grip and slammed the knife into its thigh. The shadow clone exploded into a cloud of white smoke. A moment later the smoke dissipated, leaving only the lone kunai behind.
Naruto picked up the kunai and resealed it. Turning to Ao, he grinned and paged through the list. "Could we take a look at these properties quick?"
"Of course." Ao glanced over the list, "The Housing Department is not far away from here."
There was something wrong with her.
Isaribi had fought the quiet thoughts that whispered within her skull many times before. She had done her best to ignore them when she had been forced to follow Amachi's orders. Then her hero - the most wonderful, amazing, and powerful person she had ever met - rescued her. Naruto freed her from that life. The poison Amachi had given her - Isaribi carefully avoided remembering how much it had hurt - had ravaged most of her body, severely weakening it. She had been taken back to Mist and placed in the hospital.
Having been bedridden for the better part of the month, Isaribi had nothing but time to reflect on her actions, and the things that had been done to her. And after carefully considering all that happened to her, she had come to one inescapable conclusion: There was something wrong with her.
She had willingly attacked and killed other people who had done her no harm. She had caused so much pain to others. And even now, she couldn't summon the courage to admit her crimes. The doctors and nurses had been nice, far nicer than she had ever anticipated, but the purple haired girl knew that would change once they knew what she had done. And so she had stayed in the hospital, basking in the gentle touches and care that the medical personnel provided, doing her best to ignore the steadily growing guilt she felt.
"Isaribi-San is in here." The unfamiliar voice cut through the air, "I will wait outside."
"This is it." Isaribi's heart began to pound, "They're coming for me. They found out what I did and they're going to kill me now." She felt her Kaima side begin to stir, wanting out to fight her grim fate. Her gums ached as her teeth began to grow. "No." Isaribi's long purple hair swayed as she shook her head, "I won't become a monster again, no matter what." Slowly she felt enlarged teeth begin to recede, turning back to their normal size. The itch beneath her skin faded. She opened her eyes.
"Hello." Naruto waved from the doorway, "How are you feeling?" Isaribi blinked, unsure if she should believe her eyes. Perhaps she had already died and this was a conjured image by her dying mind? If it was, she decided a moment later, she would enjoy this time with Naruto.
"Please come in." It was a dream, so it didn't matter if utter gratefulness was laced in her tone.
Naruto stepped into the room, noting that several cards and a flower vase with fresh flowers graced the small nightstand near Isaribi's bed. From what Ao had explained on the trip over to the hospital, the poison had severely weakened Isaribi's muscles and joints. She was recovering, but Isaribi had yet to comment on her actions while serving under Amachi. Mei was waiting to see what Isaribi took responsibility regarding her actions, but as of yet, Isaribi hadn't mentioned anything.
The whole idea of Isaribi's condition and actions brought no end of well hidden annoyance to Ao. His knowledge and expertise failed to provide answers of what to do in this situation. Isaribi had attack ships and killed, that much was true. But at the same time, she was under duress the entire time. To complicate matters further, Isaribi was a civilian, so she couldn't be pressed into service without the time and cost of training.
None of that concerned Naruto. He was simply interested in how Isaribi was doing. She reminded him of himself, or at least himself before he had met Sakura. Continuing his scan of the hospital room, he noticed that the chart attached to her bed indicated Isaribi was still getting mild pain killers every six to eight hours. Most of the first page was filled with medical information he couldn't begin to decipher, but he could make out that she was still feeling some weakness in her legs and arms.
"I just stopped by to see how you were doing." Naruto moved close stand next to the side of the bed, "We're leaving Mist in a bit and I figured I could check on you before we left."
As far as dying visions went, this was rather realistic. She had dreamt of Naruto often, preferring those dreams to the nightmarish memories of when she had attacked the ships. "I'm doing alright." Isaribi smiled shyly at her savior, "Thank-you for asking. Do you," She hesitated before pushing onward - all of this wasn't real so it didn't matter, right? - "Want to sit down?"
"Are you sure?" Naruto glanced around the room, "I don't see any chairs, so I would have to sit on the edge of the bed."
"It's okay." Heat crept up onto her cheeks, "I don't mind." The feeling only increased as the mattress dipped as he sat down on the edge of the bed, "I don't mind at all."
Naruto tilted his head at Isaribi's flushed cheeks. "Are you alright?" When she didn't respond, only staring at him with wide eyes, the blond felt a spike of concern. "Is she coming down with something? Ao said that she has almost completed initial physical therapy, and should be able to leave the hospital soon, but she could be coming down with something new." Mimicking the motion he had seen Sakura do to check for a fever, he reached out and carefully placed his hand on her forehead. Belatedly realizing that he wasn't exactly sure what he was feeling for, Naruto figured that an alarming amount of heat emanating from her forehead would show that something was wrong.
Her forehead wasn't overly warm, and after checking his own forehead, Naruto quickly realized that his own forehead was warmer than her's. "I really need to ask Sakura-Chan about this. I'm not sure what a normal person's' forehead is supposed to feel like." Pulling back, the blond Uzumaki noted that the flush on Isaribi's cheeks had increased significantly after he had placed his hand on her forehead. Now openly worried, he concentrated for a moment and created a shadow clone. Pausing for a moment, Naruto concentrated on forming Eighty-Eight. A white puff of smoke heralded the clone's arrival. "Find Sakura-Chan and tell her what we know. She'll know what to do." The clone saluted and headed out, passing Ao as it moved out the door. Pausing to inform the Mist ninja of what it had been created for, Eighty-Eight moved quickly towards the nearest window in the hallway.
Ignoring the odd looks it was getting by those nearby, Eighty-Eight unlatched the window and pushed it up. Concentrating, it created Eight-Nine to close the window behind it and to check with the nurse assigned to Isaribi. Climbing out the window, Eighty-Eight applied chakra to it's feet and ran down the side of the hospital, intent on finding Sakura. Transitioning to the ground level, Eighty-Eight moved off towards Mei's office.
Pushing the window back down with a small grunt, Eighty-Nine latched the window and turned around. Blinking at all of the people staring at it, the clone waved at the gathered hospital staff. "Hello. Which one of you is Isaribi's nurse?"
As Naruto watched his clone head out the door, Isaribi froze as she had a sudden thought. "Is Naruto-Kun actually here?" Abruptly aware that she was in nothing more than a thin hospital gown and nothing else, Isaribi felt heat flare up in her cheeks. Belatedly realizing Naruto had asked her a question, she answered, cursing that her voice was shaky and shy. "Y-Yes. I'm fine."
"Oh." Naruto leaned back and settled at the edge of the bed near the foot of the bed, "Okay." Relaxing against the footboard, the blond inquired, "How have you been?"
"I-I've been good." Isaribi did her best to fight down her blush, "The hospital staff is nice and caring." The bed sheets shifted as she drew her knees up to her chest. "I haven't told them yet." Hugging her knees to her chest, she continued to confess. "I haven't told them about what I did. I haven't told them about the attacks on the boats." She swallowed, drawing strength and courage from Naruto's presence, "I think they already know, but confessing that I did attack the boats is completely different."
"I'm afraid." Her arms tightened around her knees, "I'm not strong like you. There will be consequences for what I did." Tears welled up at the edges of her eyes, "I don't want to get hurt again." More than anything, she wished she was strong like her savior.
Warm arms wrapped around her as Naruto pulled her into a hug. "It's alright." His voice was soft and comforting, "You're stronger than you think. Not many people could have gone through what you did and stayed sane, let alone keep a steady job at the same time." He rubbed her back, "Did you make mistakes? Yes. But don't think for one minute that you aren't strong or brave." Pulling back, he met Isaribi's eyes, "The only person who can tell you you are weak is yourself. Sometimes being brave is getting out of bed in the morning when you want nothing more than to never wake up again." There was a compelling intensity to his words, "Don't let anyone tell you that you are weak. You are strong if you chose to be. You are brave. Being brave is a choice, not a state of being."
The room was quiet as Isaribi grappled with Naruto's words, her own feelings of weakness and inadequacy warred with Naruto's belief in her. Naruto faintly heard one of his clones explaining what was going on to Sakura, but he waited for Isaribi to decide on what she wanted to be. Choosing to be brave was never easy, especially given her circumstances. But he could see the potential within her to be brave; to be courageous; to be strong. She just needed to see it for herself.
"I'll try." Isaribi's voice was soft, but carried the undertone of determination, "I'll tell them what I did." Her head lifted to meet Naruto's eyes. "Do you really think I can be brave?" Tears shimmered in her eyes, but hope flickered deep within, "Could I be strong like you someday?"
"Yes." Naruto's smile was warm and honest, "You can be."
"And then Hinata-Chan just taps him and he tips over, making this loud thud when he hits the ground." Sakura, Hinata, and Haku entered the hospital room, catching the end of Naruto's story of one of their missions. If Hinata remembered correctly, it was the mission that involved four shopkeepers, a two thieves, and a bandit group. After taking down both thieves and the bandit group, they had figured out that the bandit leader was none other than one of the four shopkeepers. He had tried to resist arrest, but she had quickly ended the fight with a single blow.
"Hey." Naruto waved from his spot on the edge of the bed, "I was just telling Isaribi a few stories from some of our declassified missions." He grinned, boyish charm emanating from the expression, "She especially likes the ones where you guys take down the bad guys."
Isaribi shyly nodded, not keeping her eyes off of the Naruto. Pausing to consider something for a moment, Naruto carefully stood up from the bed and made his way over to the door. "Sakura-Chan, could you check Isaribi and make sure she is healing correctly? I'm going to talk to her nurse quick about something."
"Alright." Sakura snagged the medical chart off of bed frame and quickly browsed through the chart. For the most part they had completed all of the tests and procedures she would have, and the pink haired kunoichi made a mental note to inquire about a few items she didn't see on the chart. Moving forward, she noted that Isaribi tensed as she drew near. It made sense, given what Isaribi had been through.
"Don't worry." Sakura's voice was soothing and non-confrontational, "I'm just going to check your vitals. Hinata-Chan," The pink haired medic nin turned to face the Hyuga, "Could you check her chakra network?" Sakura's hand glowed green as she ran a diagnostic medical jutsu over Isaribi's form.
"Of course Sakura-Chan." Hinata activated her bloodline, quickly scanning Isaribi's chakra network and coils for any defects or issues. "Her chakra coils are a bit on the small side, " The Hyuga kunoichi reported, "But beyond that, I can't see any issues."
"Good." Sakura canceled her technique and smiled down at Isaribi. "I don't see any issues. Your muscles still look a bit weakened, but you are going to be fine." Isaribi let out a small breath she hadn't been aware she had been holding. It wasn't that she didn't trust the nurses and doctors the hospital, but Naruto trusted Sakura, and that made all the difference to her.
"I'm back." Naruto reentered the room, "What did you find out?"
"Isaribi is going to be fine." Sakura reported, "She still needs to recover and recuperate, but she will be fine."
Naruto nodded, the last bit of tension in his shoulders fading. Isaribi was rapidly becoming like a younger sister, and he didn't want her to be in pain anymore. She had been hurt enough.
"Naruto-Kun?" Isaribi's voice was small, "Could you tell the Mist ninja standing outside that I want to confess my crimes?"
"Isaribi, I'm so proud of you." a warm sense of pride bubbled up in Naruto as he listened to Isaribi as she recounted all that she had done to Ao and Mei. Her voice was halting and lapsed into silence more than once. Still, she persevered, confessing what she had done. And when she finished, Isaribi waited for condemnation.
"I see." Mei's face was inscrutable, "And if you could talk to those sailors that you killed," Isaribi flinched, her head lowering in shame, "What would you say to them?"
"I would say I'm sorry." Isaribi voice cracked, "I am so sorry. If I could go back, I would change everything." Tears stung her eyes, "I'm sorry for being weak. I'm sorry for everything." Isaribi scrunched her eyelids shut, doing her best to hold back the helpless tears, "I'm sorry." She felt someone walk closer, "This is what I deserve. I hurt so many, and I deserve to be punished."
"Isaribi," Mei's calm voice blitzed through Isaribi's misery, "Would you like to become strong?"
Isaribi's eyes flew open. "What?" She instantly spotted Mei standing beside her bed, the Mizukage leaning forward to bring herself to eye level with the purple haired girl, "W-What did you say?"
"Would you like to become a kunoichi?" Mei extended her hand, "It would let you pay for your crimes and also let you become strong."
"Would I become strong enough to stop people from being hurt like I was?"
"Yes." Mei nodded, "You will be. I can't promise it will be easy. The training will be gruelling and you'll probably wish you had never decided to become a kunoichi. But I promise you, you will become strong."
Isaribi stretched out her hand only to hesitate. Glancing over at Naruto, she saw him smile and she somehow knew that he would support her no matter what choice she made. "I made mistakes and so many other people got hurt. I need to make this right. This is how I can do that."
She reached out and grabbed Mei's hand. "Please show me how to be a kunoichi."
"Have a good trip Naruto-Sama." Mei bowed deeply, "Please stay safe. I have heard rumors of a strange cult growing in the Land of Demons." Straightening up, she handed Naruto a scroll. "This is for Jiraiya-Sama. It's the pictures he asked for." Her tone dropped several decibels, becoming a husky purr, "Remember if you need anything just let me know."
"I'll...do that." Naruto sealed the package for Jiraiya away and stepped away slightly, putting a bit of distance between himself and the red head. He wasn't sure why, but her tone made him distinctly aware of her more...feminine assets.
"Sakura-Sama." Mei turned to the twitching pinkette, "Remember what we talked about. You need to control yourself until they touch him." Sakura nodded her understanding. "Hinata-Sama." Mei shifted to meet the Hyuga kunoichi's eyes, "You don't have to manipulate everyone around you. Pick and choose your battles." Hinata clasped her hands and bowed slightly, acknowledging Mei's words. "Honoka-Sama. Even though you weren't born in this era, never doubt that you belong here among your friends and family. You can help them, and they can help you if you let them." Honoka's shoulders dropped slightly as she courtsied.
"And Haku-Sama." Mei smiled at the ice user, "If events had been different, you would have been my most capable kunoichi. You are powerful and beautiful. Never forget that. You have just as much right to follow your dreams as anyone else."
Tears misted Haku's vision. "Thank-you." It was a grateful whisper, "Thank-you for saying that."
"You are welcome." Mei bowed once again and stepped back to join Ao and Chojuro. "Now," She raised her voice to address the entire group, "Be safe. May your journey be swift, and the mists never lead you astray."
The winds favored the Wind Rose, allowing the ship to take the Hero of Wave to his destination faster than even Captain Sencho thought possible. It was, he believed, fitting though, given that Naruto was going to save the Land of Demons. While the Hero of Wave had stated that he was merely looking for an artifact and had sent a letter ahead inquiring if he could look for it, Sencho knew better. Naruto was a hero, and he saved people no matter where he went.
And the Land of Demons needed saving, that much was certain. The older captain felt it in his bones. A storm was coming, and Naruto would be in the center of it. And just like in Wave, Sencho firmly believed in that Naruto would save the day.
Naruto stared out over the water as the Wind Rose proudly neared the main port for Chie-Senso, the capital city of the Land of Demons. PIllars of white ribbed marble and smooth oak lined the stone port like sentries, and in the distance, tall buildings dotted the landscape. The deep brown of the wood of the houses contrasted with shining white marble pillars, and each house's roof had an arched roof that climbed upwards to a peak.
Soldiers calmly patrolled the streets, their immaculate bronze armor gleaming in the sunlight and their spears firmly sheathed on their backs. Citizens moved from location to location, their white togas held fast by broaches of silver, gold, or iron. A mild warm breeze softly blew across the water, bringing the scent of olives and a sense of peace and security. The occasional shrine maiden or priest stood on the street corner, offering prayers and blessings to those who passed by.
Captain Sencho carefully guided the Wind Rose into an open spot on the port, fully aware that any sudden moves could invite burning arrows. The people in the Land of Demons were friendly, but they were cautious folk, not taking kindly to unknown ships or vessels making sudden movements. The last thing Sencho wanted was for the Hero of Wave's journey to end before it began. Still, there was more soldiers than usual patrolling the city.
Having already warned his passengers about the careful docking procedures required, Sencho directed his men to tie the ship to the dock. By the time he had crossed the main deck, a half dozen soldiers and four archers were standing at the end of the gangway along with the harbormaster. "Sencho." The harbormaster greeted as he held out his hand for the boat's manifest, "What brings you to Chie-Senso?" Paging through the manifest, the harbormaster noted that most of the goods were either fresh food from Mist, died non-perishables from Wave, or various trade goods. Nothing stood out, and there was only five passengers on the passenger list.
"We're making a special stop for one of my passengers, Naruto Uzumaki." Sencho explained, "And we're also offloading the Wind Rose's cargo."
"Alright. Everything looks to be in order." The harbormaster passed the manifest back to Sencho, "How long do you plan on staying for?"
"I'm not entirely sure." Sencho admitted as he waved to his best mate, indicating that Naruto and his group could depart, "At least a week for the crew's shore leave, but after that it depends on Naruto." Watching Naruto and his group speak to one of the soldiers at the end of the pier, Sencho glanced over at the harbormaster. "What's with the extra soldiers? Did something happen?"
"No." The harbormaster gestured to the assembled soldiers, "I'm sorry but we'll need to inspect your ship for any undocumented passengers."
"Alright." Sencho wasn't going to push the issue, "But you need to tell me what's going on." The harbormaster glanced away. The Captain frowned. "Come on. We've known each other for what, ten years now?"
"It's...nothing." Sencho's thick eyebrow rose. "Okay." The harbormaster sighed, "Look. We've hearing rumors for several months about the Cult of Moryo."
"Isn't that the cult who follows that sealed demon?"
"Yeah." The harbormaster confirmed, "That's them. Or at least one of the cults that follow a demon. The cult has been quiet for years since Moryo was sealed by High Priestess Miroku-Sama. But within the last few months we have been getting...evidence that they are on the move again."
"Ah." Sencho nodded, "Well, there isn't any cultists on the Wind Rose, I can assure you that." He chuckled, "Naruto was on my ship. A hero like him wouldn't allow them to flourish."
"Oh," The harbormaster grinned, comfortable that time hadn't damaged their friendship, "You'll have to tell me all about him over a pint. Come on," He inclined his head to the right, "I know a place."
"This place is amazing." Naruto was aware that they had several guards following them at a distance, but the blond Uzumaki couldn't blame them. After all, he and his group were powerful shinobi, and the Land of Demons had only a small group of ninja, their main fighting force made up of soldiers and archers. From the crash course history lesson he had gotten on the boat ride, he knew that originally the Land of Demons used to be a harsh place to live, with creatures rightly called demons roaming the land, killing all those who strayed too far from civilization and the safety of the soldiers inside the cities. Each year the monsters encroached a little bit closer. Then, the Order of Priestesses arrived.
The Priestesses brought with them ninja techniques and sealing knowledge. Using their knowledge and prowess, the Priestesses aided the soldiers in pushing back the demons. While the Shinobi Clans warred amongst themselves in different lands, the armies of the Land of Demons waged battles of their own. It took many years and even more dead heroes, but in the end, all but the most powerful demons were slain. Those demons were sealed at a great cost to personnel, each demon taking out dozens of Priestesses and soldiers before being sealed. But, once they all had been sealed, peace settled on the Land of Demons.
The surviving members of the Order of Priestesses settled in the now peaceful lands, marrying the soldiers they had fought beside. Over time their once famed bloodline diluted, and soon the Order of Priestesses no longer had an abundance of priestesses who could perform the sealing rituals. However, such a problem was little concern to a populus who enjoyed peace and hadn't had any major attack in almost a century.
Then, the Cult of Moryo struck.
Following the commands of a powerful greater demon named Moryo, the cultists attacked settlements and villages, destroying all those in their path with powers and abilities granted to them by their dark ruler. Claiming that they wished to establish a thousand year rule for Moryo, the cultists eventually succeeded in accomplishing their ultimate goal: Summoning Moryo the Dominator.
All seemed to be lost.
Yet...hope remained.
Miroku, the last remaining High Priestess, made a desperate plan to seek out Moryo's stronghold and seal demon, preventing any further carnage. The public records were scarce on what happened after that, but Jiraiya had managed to gather the basics. With most of the standing army serving as a distraction, Miroku successfully made it to Moryo's stronghold, deep within a forgotten underground temple. And within the temple, Miroku fought Moryo. She was able to seal the monster and the cultists were quickly cut down by the soldiers, no longer powered by the dark master. Unfortunately, the battle cost Miroku her life. Miroku's lone daughter, Shion, was soon made High Priestess and lived in the Temple of the Priestess, surrounded by loyal guards.
That had been ten years ago. Now the Land of Demons enjoyed peace and prosperity, the threat of the Priestess' power keeping any ninja villages from getting ideas of conquest, and their trained soldiers more than a match for any bandits.
Abruptly brought out of his remembered history lesson by the glorious smell of cooking ramen, Naruto's head snapped to the left, the Uzumaki followed the heavenly scent to a small ramen bar. Entering the shop, the blond made his way up to the front. Hopping up on one of the stools, Naruto flagged down the cook.
"What do ya want?"
"Hmmmm…" Naruto scanned the menu, "I'll take...four bowls of your house special."
The cook blinked. "Four? Just for you?"
"Yep." Naruto was practically beaming with glee at the thought of having ramen, "I'll start with four."
"Right away." The cook hurried towards the back before realizing he had other customers, "I'll be with you four ladies in a moment. Just let me get him his four bowls." Unfortunately for the cook, word of Naruto Uzumaki's legendary appetite for ramen had not reached his ears.
"H-How is this possible?" The staff at the ramen bar stared in open awe at the empty bowls piled around Naruto, "Where does it all go?" While the cook never claimed to be a man of science, he was fairly certain that that amount of ramen shouldn't have fit inside the blond. "Although", he contented himself, "He paid for all that ramen and also for the ramen of the other girls that came in with him. He also said that it was some of the best ramen he had ever had."
"Naruto Uzumaki." A soldier strode into the ramen bar, "Guard Captain Heishi has requested your presence."
Naruto swiveled on the bar stool to face the soldier, his Uzumaki Clan Head mask firmly in place. "Hello." He evenly met the soldier's gaze, "May I ask why he is requesting our presence?"
The soldier shifted slightly, a single bead of sweat threatening to slide down his face. "Sir. Guard Captain Heishi has not stated why he is requesting your presence." Keenly aware that he was standing amidst the strongest ninja of the current generation, he hastened to add, "But it was only a request. We aren't forcing you to do anything." The stories of Team Eight had reached their shores, and the young soldier wasn't about to provoke the powerful shinobi if it could be avoided.
Glancing slightly at Hinata and Sakura, Naruto scratched his chin with his right index finger. A moment later the two kunoichi nodded, confirming his coded nonverbal question. Shifting back to face the soldier, Naruto nodded. "We will meet with Guard Captain Heishi as soon as he is available."
"Have units C and G investigate the northern villages. See if they have spotted any signs of the cultists. If so, have them investigate. Should they find any members of the Cult of Moryo, arrest them if possible and eliminate them if they react violently."
"At once Guard Captain." The messenger saluted and hurried off to deliver Heishi's orders.
Watching him go, Heishi sighed silently and wondered how many of his men he had just sent to their deaths. While he longed to be watching over High Priestess Shion personally to ensure her safety, she and the Land of Demons was better served by his continued presence here in the capitol.
Leaning over the map of the Land of Demons and the surrounding lands, Heishi attempted to figure out the cult's next move. While there was a single unconfirmed report that the cult was regaining strength, even a small chance should be taken as a certainty. If Shion was captured or killed, there would be no one to stop the demons should they return.
He had a few minutes until Naruto Uzumaki arrived, and given that there was no guarantee that Team Eight would help, the brown haired Guard Captain was planning for the worst.
"Sir." A soldier stopped in front of Heishi's desk, "Naruto Uzumaki and his team are waiting outside."
"Send them in."
The thick wooden door opened on oiled hinges and the Konoha ninja were directed to step inside. Moving inside, Naruto scanned the room with a single shift of his gaze. Several of the bronze armored soldiers were standing off to on side, and at the far back corner of the room was a mahogany desk edged with gold filigree. The reddish-brown stood out in sharp contrast to the marble white of the surrounding decor.
Seated behind the desk was an older man, silver edging at his black-brown short hair. Heishi was garbed in a long sleeved white knitted shirt and a light green vest, and over his vest was freshly buffed slate grey armor. Several faint scars crisscrossed his left hand, and a white scar stretched from his right jawbone his right eyebrow. Leathery skin stretched over his once handsome face, and his lone good eye assessed Naruto and his group.
"Naruto-San." Heishi rose from his chair and extended his hand as Naruto approached, "Thank-you for coming."
"You're welcome." Naruto shook his hand, noting the firm strength within Heishi's grip, "It's no problem."
After introducing Hinata, Haku, Sakura, and Honoka, and group settled into chairs grouped around Heishi's desk, the guard captain grabbed a rolled up scroll that was sitting on his desk. "Time is short so I'll get right into the matter. The Land of Demons wants to hire Team Eight to protect High Priestess Shion." He paused, carefully considering his next words. "We received an anonymous tip that you were in Mist, and then we received your letter."
"How long would we be protecting High Priestess Shion for and what would be the mission parameters?" Naruto's calm mask gave nothing away, "And what mission pay are you offering?"
"It would ideally be for a few weeks," Heishi relaxed slightly as he realized that Naruto wasn't dismissing the mission request immediately, "But it could stretch to a maximum of two months." Heishi opened the scroll and scanned the contents to verify he wasn't missing anything. "You and your team would be protecting the High Priestess as she takes a journey to ensure that Moryo is properly sealed. You will be authorized to use lethal force to protect her from any threats. The primary enemies you will face will be bandits, missing ninja, and possibly the cultists of Moryo. Most of the cultists are trained soldiers, but we have an unconfirmed report of shinobi joining their ranks."
The older soldier hesitated before continuing, "Most of our information was given to us by one of our deep cover spies who was sent to infiltrate the cult. Shortly after he reported that he suspected shinobi had joined the ranks, his reports stopped coming. We later discovered his corpse, burned almost beyond identification."
"I see." Naruto's expression didn't change, "And the pay?"
"We aren't sure what you would want," Heishi admitted, "So I was given authorization to grant you any sum of money, up to a maximum limit."
"Hmmmm…" Naruto gave the mission request an appropriate amount of thought, "Would you be open to an alternative way to pay us?"
"Oh?" Heishi inwardly cursed that one of the politicians couldn't negotiate the contract, "What do you have in mind?"
"There is an Uzumaki artifact hidden somewhere in the Land of Demons." Naruto began, "And in exchange for information and authorization to remove it, we would be willing to possibly complete the mission request."
Heishi blinked. This was going better than he expected. "I can see if that would be acceptable." Rising from his seat, he gestured to one of the soldiers standing near by. "I should get an answer within the hour." Pausing on his way out the door, he turned back to Naruto. "What's the name of the artifact?"
"It's called the Shinigami Mask." The air seemed to chill for a brief moment as the blond spoke the words.
"Right." Heishi decided to not question why that had happened, "I'll go find out if your request is acceptable. I'll be back in less than an hour."
"The council as approved of your stated price." Heishi reported, settling back in his chair, "Have you read over the contract?"
"Yes." Naruto nodded, "I discussed it with my team and we have come to a conclusion. If our price was met, we will accept your mission to protect High Priestess Shion."
"Good." Heishi couldn't hide the relief that loosened the tenseness in his posture, "Let's get your acceptance in writing." Sliding the document over to Naruto, he quickly indicated where the Uzumaki was supposed to sign. "Sign here," He pointed to a line with a small 'x' beside it, "and here on the last page." Accepting the signed documents a moment later, he then handed Naruto the next set of documents. "This is the official letter stating that we will assist with information and manpower on your search for the Uzumaki artifact. Once it is located, you will be authorized to retrieve it and take it with you."
Naruto scanned the document quickly before handing it to Hinata. The Hyuga kunoichi read through the document, checking for any legal loopholes. Not finding any, she passed the papers back with a confirming nod. "They look acceptable Naruto-Kun."
After signing the documents, Naruto and Heishi shook hands. "You'll be escorted to the High Priestess' temple later today. There is an extensive library at the temple, and we believe that the location of the artifact should be in the library."
- - Line -
- - Line -
People were strange, Gaara reflected as he neared the training grounds in Suna. Only a few years before they had trembled in fear when he had drawn near, and now they had elected him their leader. Most people greeted him as he walked by, and even more bafflingly, their expressions seemed to be happy to see him. Temari had attempted to explain the reason for the shift in their emotions, but he had found it hard to understand why people sympathized with him.
And that wasn't counting all of the females his age. For some unfathomable reason they flocked around him whenever they spotted him, and given that they didn't try to attack him, Gaara still wasn't sure what they wanted, nor why they insisted on standing so close.
Still, it was somehow...the redheaded Jinchuriki grappled for the correct word, nice to feel wanted by those around him. Frowning, Gaara attempted to figure out if there was a different word he should use. After several moments of contemplation, he decided that nice suited the feeling he got.
The momentary sound of something whistling towards him brought Gaara out of his thoughts. Spinning to face his attacker, he readied himself to defend against further attacks. Noting that his sand had already caught the weapon, a johyo - a sharpened dart attached to the end of a long rope - from the feel of it, he waited for any more attacks.
"Oh no! I'm sorry Gaara-Sama." The distressed filled voice hurried in his direction, "I'm so sorry." There was a watery edge to the female's voice, and Gaara leaned to the side to peer around his protective sand wall, the sand shifting slightly to allow him an unrestricted view.
There was a young kunoichi standing perhaps five to seven feet away who was holding the rope side of the johyo. There was a stunned or shocked expression on her face - though Gaara knew that he wasn't the best at deciphering emotions -, and he couldn't detect any malice in the brown haired young woman's demeanor.
"I'm so sorry." Tears began to well up in her chestnut brown eyes, the small pink scar across her cheek that stood out in sharp contrast to her pale skin shifted slightly as she scrunched her eyeslids shut to stop the tears from falling. She wore the standard Suna Genin combat vest and a knee length skirt of the same brown-grey color. "I was training and lost control." The Genin swiped at the tears that now trickled down her cheeks with a small hand, and Gaara was at a loss of what to do.
"You should make her really fear you. Rip off that arm. Show her why we're the strongest." Shukaku's mad laughter cackled inside Gaara's head, "Better yet, beat her to death with the arm."
Ever since Jiraiya had fixed his seal, the One Tailed Biju could do little more than speak from inside Gaara's mind. The redhead generally avoided taking it's advice, but he had found that doing the opposite of whatever it suggested tended to produce satisfactory results.
"What is your name?" Gaara's monotone voice startled her out of her repeated apologies. Spotting the reaction, the redhead wondered what he had gotten wrong. As far as he was aware, you started a conversation by asking the other person's name.
"M-Matsuri, Gaara-Sama." Her eyes were downcast, and her tone barely a whisper. "I'm so sorry."
Belatedly realizing that he still held her weapon captive, the Jinchuriki sent a flicker of concentration over to his sand, creating a pedestal for the weapon. Another mental command sent the pedestal over next to Matsuri. "Here." Gaara wasn't exactly sure what to do with a crying girl, "Here's your weapon."
"T-Thank-you." Matsuri's hand darted out and retrieved the dart, "You didn't have to do that."
"Yes." Gaara nodded, "I didn't." Glancing around for any direction on how to proceed, he took a step forward, making sure to command all of his sand to return to it's holding gourd, "Why did you miss the target?" He tried, "Did it move?"
Matsuri seemed to shrink farther side herself, and her fingers began to worry and intertwine themselves with each other. "I-I'm not very good. I wanted to do my best when you moving past, but I only made things worse."
"You didn't hurt me." Gaara waved his hand in a dismissive gesture he had seen others make, "You couldn't have hurt me if you tried." Seeing that his words hadn't stopped Matsuri from being sad, he wracked his brain for an idea to help. "What would Naruto do?"
Naruto would, Gaara guessed, either hug the girl - Gaara always felt happy and content when Temari hugged him -, talk to the girl - Gaara had no idea how to do that -, or show her a technique. "That's it." Gaara turned and began moving towards the trade district. "Come Matsuri."
Matsuri's head shot up, her mouth dropping open slightly. Noticing that Gaara was already walking away, she hurried after him. During their journey to the trade district, she opened her mouth to ask where they were going, only to close it again. "Don't embarrass yourself even more than you already have." She scolded herself, "You're lucky Gaara-Sama didn't get angry at your clumsiness."
The pair arrived at the weapons shop a short time later. "Wait here." Gaara turned to Matsuri, "I will be back." The redhead pushed the glass door open and disappeared inside, the bell above the door ringing as he did so.
Standing next to the door, Matsuri was keenly aware the people staring at her, and she fought the urge to shrink back. "No." She gave herself a mental shake, "Gaara-Sama said to wait here. I'll stay until he comes back."
A few minutes later the bell rung again, and Matsuri blinked in confusion as Gaara exited the shop holding two joryos, their rope sections tightly wrapped against the darts. "Here." Gaara held out one of the weapons, "Take it."
"Gaara-Sama?" Matsuri didn't understand, "I don't understand." She could see the high quality craftsmanship of the weapon, and she was certain that she was misunderstanding Gaara's intentions. Surely he wasn't going to give such a fine weapon to her, especially since she wasn't able to even hit a target with her poor quality one.
"It's a gift." Gaara moved the joryo closer, "Take it."
"T-Thank-you." Matsuri felt her cheeks begin to flush, "Thank-you for the gift." She fought the urge to cover her face with her hands. "Oh gosh. Don't blush now."
"Yes." Gaara nodded. He blinked and did his best to remember what Temari had said when he had gotten her gifts. "You are welcome." Redness spread even further across Matsuri's face, and Gaara wondered if he had gotten the words wrong. "Perhaps the breeze in the training grounds would help." "Come Matsuri."
The young woman willed her blush to disappear and quickly followed. "Of course Gaara-Sama." A few minutes later the pair arrived back at the training grounds. "Gaara-Sama?" Matsuri turned a curious look his way, "Why are we back at the training grounds?"
"We are going to train." Gaara held up the second joryo he had bought, "I have never used this before, and I am going to train with you to master it." Moving to the standard twenty paces away from the target dummy, the redhead spun the rope weapon in a short arc and then sent it flying towards the target.
It didn't even hit the edge of the target.
Gaara's expression did not change. Reeling the dart in, he prepared to throw it again. It was nice feel like a normal ninja, he reflected, and he had never learned how to fight without his sand to aid him. It was good to fail at something. Being mindful of the spinning dart just a few feet from his head, he turned to look at Matsuri. "Are you going to train too?"
"Of course Gaara-Sama." Matsuri brushed her short hair out of her eyes and stepped up next to him, "I'll do my best."
So what did you think? Drop a review and let me know.
To my reviewer's direct questions:
Animaman: I'm hoping to have future sections on Hiashi and Inochi if these small sections at the bottom of the chapters work out. As far as what happens when Naruto brings back the artifact, you'll just have to wait and see. I don't want to ruin the surprise. Given that Sasuke did try to kill a Clan Head (even though it was Naruto), it's not politically safe for anyone to openly support Sasuke.
Bearmauls: It's completely understandable it feels that way. I tried to show that Naruto is basically the reason the village is fracturing, but perhaps I could have shown that better. I'll hopefully fix that during the remaster of the chapters. And don't worry, events are going to heat up in Konoha soon and Tsunade is going to finally be able to up her foot down (as it were).
Nin-Guest: I don't think Sasuke is actively aware of it, but he is subconsciously suicidal to a certain extent. Some part of him (even if he doesn't acknowledge it) doesn't believe that he (or the Uchiha name for that matter) is worth saving. He's driven by the singular desire to kill Itachi, and hasn't put any thought into what happens after. Originally I thought that I had touched on the Clans enough, but then I realized that there is still a bunch of things happening with them. Hopefully the "short section" experiment is a success and I can show what's happening to the Clans bit by bit without making another "back in Konoha chapter". And that's my hope with Mebuki. I should have more free time after February. I'm currently in the middle of buying a house, so writing time is less than I normally have until I move in.
idk: Haku was chosen by reader votes to be a female. The Kazekage's name change was a typo and will be something that is fixed during the chapter remastering.
The One Who Read: Mebuki (at the time of Chapter 3) only knew what was rumored about him (demon, troublemaker, etc). It wasn't until she saw him as a hurt child that she understood that the rumors were wrong.