Naruto frowned at Sasuke. The three had left the others to plan when it was apparent they weren't going to accept their input. They were just outside the room, waiting for Kakashi to finish and debrief them. But, unfortunately, it seemed Sasuke was unable to calm himself and was now restlessly pacing. Naruto had understood and even accepted it originally, but after ten minutes, it began to lose its appeal.
It was even starting to annoy Sakura.
"Sasuke, is it possible that he just got it as a gift?" she asked, exasperated.
Sasuke sharply turned to her with a scowl. "People don't give their eyes as a gift. Especially Uchiha."
Sakura sighed. "He could've just been close to his teammate and they decided to give him their eyes before they died. Maybe he got it as an award. Who knows, Sasuke? We just can't jump to conclusions before asking Kakashi, so let's just wait for him to finish, okay?" she said quietly.
Sasuke was getting increasingly frustrated as Sakura attempted to console him. Before he was about to explode on her, Naruto decided to interrupt. "It could also be possible that he stole it from his teammate before they died." Sasuke and Sakura looked at him in surprise. Sasuke seemed grateful that he was defending him. "You're absolutely right, that is a possibility, but like Sakura said, we can't jump to conclusions yet. We've been with Kakashi-sensei for a month now; do you really think he would be the type of person to do that?"
Sasuke grimaced. "I don't know him that well to say…"
Naruto placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Exactly. So let's just wait until he tells us what happened before we start exploding. You know if Kakashi-sensei stole that Sharingan of his, I'd be right there with you to take it away from him, but let's calm down, alright?"
Sasuke looked away. "Hn. Fine. I'll wait to pass judgment," he grunted.
Naruto smiled. He was about to give a clever quib before they were interrupted. "It's quite delightful to see a team so close." They all turned to a corner in the room that didn't house anyone earlier. But now, the boy from before was situated there, smiling softly at them.
"How did you get there? We didn't hear the door being opened," Sakura confusedly said.
The boy chuckled. "You three were too engaged in soothing your friend's ire to notice me. Raiga-sama doesn't have any need for my input, so I wanted to introduce myself to you." He walked up to them with a hand raised. "My name is Ranmaru Kurosuki. It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope this becomes a most favorable alliance." he said, shaking each of their hands.
"Sakura Haruno. It's nice to meet you, too, Ranmaru-san," she said with a smile, no doubt grateful that at least he was friendly, very much unlike his sensei.
Sasuke didn't bother much with pleasantries. "Sasuke Uchiha."
"Naruto Uzumaki," he said, taking the time to carefully examine the boy. He had on a light purple shirt with a sash covering his midsection, and he wore black pants and similar-colored sandals. What interested him the most, however, was that Ranmaru had the most beautiful sword sheathed on his hip. "Can I ask, what type of sword is that?"
Ranmaru's eyes gleamed, happy at his interest. Unsheathing his blade, he held it out for Naruto. The sword shined brilliantly. "This, my friend, is an Odachi. It's one I made myself. Raiga-sama always says that if a sword isn't either made by Kiri or yourself, it could not be trusted," he said, his ever-present smile turning fonder. "He made me learn the craft of weapon making. It was a horrible experience, truth be told, but it was worth it to create a blade such as this."
Naruto couldn't help but agree. Not only was the sword beautiful but its sharpness was apparent. It felt like if he even touched it, he would get cut.
Sasuke snorted. "Is it because Kiri considers you a missing-nin that you were forced to learn?"
Ranmaru's eye imperceptibly twitched, but his smile remained. He sheathed his sword and turned to him. "Raiga-sama was once a missing-nin, yes, before we came to Amegakure. And even if Kiri was not hostile to our presence, he would've still made me learn, Sasuke-san. It's good practice to be able to craft your own weaponry. Difficult to have any confidence in it otherwise, personally."
The two stared at each other before Sakura interrupted. "Ranmaru-san, um, can you tell me why your sensei is–I mean was–a missing-nin? I've never heard of villages allowing rogue ninjas to become citizens," she said, trying her best not to offend the friendly boy.
"Yes, well, I won't go into specifics–it's not my story–but just know Amegakure is accepting of anyone who wishes to begin a new life. We heard rumors of it, never really believing any of them before I convinced Raiga-sama that we should take the plunge on the off chance that they were. I was… growing weary of life on the run," he said, not taking his eyes off Sasuke, before turning to Sakura. "Needless to say, they were. Raiga-sama was able to become a full-fledged shinobi of Amegakure, and I'm his apprentice."
"That's strange. Do you know why–" Naruto began before being interrupted by a shout and the door to Shinto's office being opened.
"Ranmaru! I've had enough of this useless posturing. It's time to sharpen our swords and prepare to pound those cowardly dogs to the ground!" he said with a sneer.
Ranmaru didn't take his eyes off them. "Yes, Raiga-sama, I'll be with you in a second. Naruto-san, Sakura-san, and Sasuke-san, it was a pleasure to meet you. May your blades be sharp for tomorrow," he said with a bow, before leaving with his partner.
As they watched the two leave, Kakashi spoke up. "Quite a duo, I must say. Very strange, however. No doubt Hokage-sama will be interested in them, so make sure you catalog any details you learn about them."
Sasuke scoffed. "No more waiting, Kakashi. Where did you get that Sharingan?"
Naruto couldn't but sigh that he was choosing to confront their sensei here of all places instead of somewhere more private.
"Well, if you really must know, my capricious genin, it was a birthday present."
"Birthday present?" Sasuke repeated, incredulous. "Uchiha do not give away our eyes as mere presents."
Kakashi shrugged. "He never cared much for proper decorum, especially those of the Uchiha." Seeing Sasuke's look, he elaborated. "He was the black sheep of the clan. None liked him due to his lack of talent, and he didn't like them because of their pompous attitudes. Suffice it to say, when the time came, he felt compelled to give me his Sharingan. If it was between my teammate and this eye, Sasuke, I'd rather not have it." he nonchalantly said.
Sasuke frowned, his brows furrowed, before sighing, "That's fine then. Do you… know how to use it?" he mumbled.
Kakashi was amused, Naruto could tell. "Yes, I'm very much experienced with it. It's why you were placed on a team with me, but we can have this conversation later. Right now, we need to go find an inn to rest at."
Naruto was reading the bingo book kakashi had given them when Sasuke came in fresh from his bath.
"You reading up on Raiga like Kakashi told us to?"
"I was. Guess who else is in this thing?" Naruto's eyes glimmered mischievously.
"You know I hate games. Just tell me."
Naruto grinned. He was well accustomed to Sasuke's attitude. He had realized over the years that the other boy wasn't actively trying to be rude, but he lost his patience for manners and fake niceties, as he called them, somewhere along the line. Naruto knew it was part of the trade off that came with not letting the way others looked at him bother him, and Naruto wouldn't have changed that about Sasuke for anything. Over time he had come to find his friend's abrasiveness more amusing than anything.
"Our very own esteemed sensei, Kakashi Hatake."
Sasuke was busy vigorously drying his hair with a towel. With the cold air that permeated everything you didn't want to be walking around wet for long so he didn't pause in his actions. But Naruto's discovery piqued his interest.
"And what does it say about him?"
"He has several interesting nicknames for one. Other than Kakashi of the Sharingan, he's also called the Copy Ninja and Cold Blooded Kakashi." He knew Sasuke was not easily impressed, but those nicknames sure made their sensei sound impressive and Naruto was hoping to see an actual reaction from his friend. He often made a game out of trying to provoke reactions out of the stoic Uchiha.
"The Sharingan's most basic skill is copying so that makes sense" Sasuke said, his tone impassive as he started hurriedly getting dressed, not wanting to be naked in the cold one moment longer than needed.
"He has a lot of experience in war and assassinations. And he's said to have copied over a thousand jutsu."
"Well, in that case, I guess we'll just have to start bugging him to teach us more."
"My thoughts too. And that's not all. Guess how much of a bounty is on his head?" Naruto wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"How much?"
"A hundred million ryō."
Sasuke snorted, his version of a laugh, and Naruto grinned at his success - a reaction. "Eh if he's that good he sure does hide it well"
"Right? He doesn't seem that impressive. Like not at all."
"Especially when he's such an open pervert and..."
"... and has such lame excuses for being late all the time…"
"...excuses that are clearly just lies he makes up on the spot. Like we can clearly tell you're lying…"
"So lame."
"Who's lame?"
Both boys just about jumped at the familiar voice suddenly in their room. Just about… instead their senses kicked in enough so that, to their credit, they didn't actually jump. They did however paste totally unconvincing fake grins on their faces, which looked particularly unconvincing on Sasuke's face as he never grinned, as they turned to the source of the voice.
"Hello Kakashi!" Naruto said in a very loud voice, an octave higher than usual. "Did you need something from us?"
"No I just came to check you had everything you needed." He had a grin on his face too. As if he knew perfectly well what the conversation was they'd been having. "Also we'll meet for breakfast at 6am before we head out."
"Yes, Kakashi-sensei." They both said at almost the same time. Although Sasuke omitted the sensei part.
"Oh and boys?"
"Yes?"
"Don't be late." He said it in such a sing-song voice and with a knowing twinkle in his eye that caused them to both started sweating. It was clear by his emphasis that he knew perfectly well who they'd been discussing before he'd come in, and they were both wondering exactly how much he'd heard and if there'd be punishment if they were late.
Thankfully, he left without saying another word, and they spent the next hour like they always did - discussing jutsu, what they had planned for their next training session, and even the best flavor of ramen. Well, Naruto discussed it while Sasuke only paid half of his attention to him.
Until a thought came to Naruto. He had many questions he knew he was going to have to answer eventually, and many of them held blocks that he couldn't pass no matter how much he pondered. Right now was the perfect time to bring up one of them to ask for Sasuke's opinion.
He pursed his lips and took the plunge. "Sasuke, what do you think the point of being a shinobi is? Tools, soldiers, or assets? All the above? It's something that's been bothering me. I… don't know how to answer it. Every time I have a solution, I think about it some more and another pops up. I catch myself in an endless loop until my head hurts."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "The point of being a shinobi, huh…" It was over before Naruto could glean what it was, but something flashed in his friend's eyes. "Itachi is my reason. Avenging my clan–bringing a genocidal maniac to justice before he hurts anyone else. That's my reason, Naruto. That is why I wake up every day, why I train until just breathing hurts. I don't care about whatever happens after that. Whether or not my village considers me a tool is a non-issue to me." he said with conviction.
"I… hope that was helpful in some way." When Naruto reassured him with a smile, Sasuke posed his own question. "My turn now. Why does Naruto Uzumaki wake up in the morning? What gives you the motivation to continue moving forward day by day?"
That's when it hit Naruto like a ton of bricks, hard. He didn't have a reason for waking up. He didn't have any motivation that he used to continue moving forward.
He woke up because. What else could he do? He trained day and night because he enjoyed it, but there wasn't an underlying goal behind it. Not like Sasuke's ambition to avenge his family, and certainly not like his father's hope of uniting the world.
Naruto risked his life being a shinobi because the profession seemed cool to him at the time. Now he was stuck as one. You couldn't resign unless there were medical problems or you were at retirement age. Even then, you could still be drafted if there was a war.
He loved Konoha, with every bit of his heart, but he just realized he may have been indoctrinated into loving it. The stories the old man would tell, the books that enthusiastically spouted how amazing the village was compared to all the others, and the enthused gushing he heard from the other kids that fell to propaganda.
Naruto couldn't help but be amused. He smiled an ear-to-ear grin and started giggling. Giggling turned to chuckling, and chuckling turned into laughing that left him unable to breathe after a few minutes. He ignored the worried look Sasuke was giving him and continued his relishing in the hilarity. How could he have not realized this sooner?
He was an idiot, but there wasn't anything he could do to change this fact or him being a shinobi. He had already signed all his rights away. No chance of being a civilian, and why would he even want to? At least, by being a shinobi, he had more opportunities available to him.
But Naruto vowed that he would someday answer this question, too. He'd find a reason to wake up in the morning. He'd find a motivation that justified him breaking every bone in his body and continuing past that for the sake of becoming stronger.
Naruto threw the bingo book to Sasuke. His friend caught it, still wearing that worried expression on his face. "We have a long day tomorrow. You should check Raiga's entry before we sleep," he said with a grin. "And thanks, Sasuke. As much as I hate having more questions, this made me realize some things."
"Questions?" Sasuke muttered, but Naruto ignored him to go to sleep.
His life was truly complicated, but hey–it made it more interesting.
Kurotsuchi was very much not happy. She was shivering terribly in a frozen wasteland with the only protection being a flimsy jacket.
And they were in a bloody cave, for goodness sakes! It was a hundred times worse when they were exposed to the elements. She oftentimes fantasized about just… not continuing, of begging her comrades to abandon her to finally allow her to rest.
But that would make her weak, and Kurotsuchi, granddaughter of the Tsuchikage, was anything but weak.
Suddenly a ration pill was shoved into her face. She followed the arm until she met the worried face of Akatsuchi. "Take it. It's my last one, but it'll help with the cold for now."
She wanted to snap at him, pronounce how wrong he was to think she needed it, but she just silently took the pill. She swallowed the pill and a rush of warmth flooded throughout her body. She gave Akatsuchi a grateful look.
He just nodded in reply. As much as she wanted to complain about how lucky he was because of all the fat he had heating him, it was obvious that even he was affected by the cold. She glanced over to her other teammate, Ishikoro, freezing his tits off, trying his best to cover himself with his blank. It didn't work. Kurotsuchi knew that from experience. The blanket was more of a hindrance than a benefit from how frozen it was.
She hated this mission. A genin team like theirs shouldn't have been allowed to join. She hated her grandfather sometimes and how much he insisted on testing her. I refuse to coddle you, that oaf had told her when she begged him to go on an easier mission. Now she and her teammates were stuck in a group of five jonin–including her father–and they were supposed to stay here for a month–a month!–to oversee the mining of unique crystals in the Land of Frost.
Kurotsuchi didn't know too much about the specifics, but they migrated large amounts of bandits to work as miners. They were even planning on invading the nation to get more labor.
She honestly couldn't care less. I just want to go home, she whined in her head.
It was an hour later that the jonin finally returned–from deeper into the cave–to the sight of a furiously pouting Kurotsuchi, a miserable Akatsuchi, and a half-dead Ishikoro.
Kitsuchi–her father and sensei–spoke up. "Alright, pack up, kids. The bandits were able to find a large deposit, so most of them will stay here to mine it. With the manpower they have at their disposal, they should be more than able to handle anything the village sends, so we're going to be taking a few of them to a new mining site we were able to find. It's at risk of a landslide, so we're going to need everyone to help shore it up and keep an eye out."
When none of them responded, he clapped to get their attention. "I'm serious. We need to go now. Get up, Kurotsuchi. You're better than this."
She growled at the barb, but slowly picked herself up. It took them a few minutes, to the annoyance of all the jonin.
They could screw themselves for all she cared.
It was the next day, and Naruto and his team waited for their allies near the village gates. For once, Kakashi had actually arrived on time–though that may be because they knew where he was sleeping and kept knocking on his door until he answered. He got ready soon after once he realized they'd keep bothering him.
While they were waiting, Kakashi decided to debrief them again. "Just to recap, Naruto and Raiga's apprentice are the only ones with sensory capabilities, so they'll be the ones doing most of the tracking. Once they find them, we'll move in quietly until we have a clear bead on them. We'll attack them all nonlethally until they're all apprehended. Then we can say goodbye to The Land Snow."
"What, you Konoha-nin aren't able to handle a bit of snow? Aren't you supposed to be one of the Great Five?" As boisterous as ever, Raiga appeared with Ranmaru in tow.
Kakashi rolled his singular eye. "You'd be insulting yourself, Kurosuki, since you used to be one of the Great Five yourself."
Raiga grinned. "'Used to be' is the keyword. I haven't been a part of them in years, so don't associate me with them, but as much as I love exchanging barbs, Hatake, I love beating sissies even more. Our swords have been sharpened, and Ranmaru and I are ready to make some dogs bleed. How are those children of yours doing?"
"Quite well, thank you for asking. Now, I've already explained to you how Naruto can sense others. Can you explain to me what your genin can do?"
Before Raiga could retort sarcastically, Ranmaru spoke up, "I possess a unique dojutsu. Suffice it to say, one of its abilities is an enhanced version of the Byakugan–called the Shinkugan. Based on how you explained Naruto-san's jutsu, I'm assuming it's something he's inexperienced with?" He continued when he received a nod. "Then I'm willing to take a back seat and defer to Naruto until I see him making an egregious mistake."
Raiga looked outraged. "Ranmar–"
Ranmaru grabbed his master's arm to interrupt him. "It's fine, Raiga-sama. This is their first mission, and allowing them to gain experience would be a good way to ingratiate ourselves to them, leading to a more beneficial partnership," he stated, looking him in the eye. "We did assure our client that we would be civil with Konoha, and we haven't been achieving that. This would be a good start towards keeping that promise, would it not?"
Raiga held eye contact before snorting. "They're your eyes, kid. Very well. We're in your capable hands, Konoha-nin. Do take good care of us, would you?" he said mockingly.
"I'm sure we'll try our very best," Kakashi quipped, before turning to address his team. "Alright. Shinto gave us a general area they're most likely congregated in, so we'll start from there. Let's head out."
And so they did, with Raiga and Ranmaru following just behind. It was an hour later that they finally stopped. They were in a part of the frozen wasteland that contained vast mountains, far off into the distance. Pockets of trees were strewn around, as if some deity was too lazy to do anything more than haphazardly insert them, with no care of having any type of rhyme or reason.
Naruto focused for a minute, gathering his chakra. He needed as much range as possible, so he slowly went through the hand seals required, and shouted as loud as his lungs could handle, "Earth Release: Earth Tremor Sense!"
As his chakra blitzed through the landscape, he could feel brief pockets of life either sprinting or standing still, but they felt more like small animals living their meandering lives. What he was looking for was a group of humans that were either underground or inside one of the mountains, so he directed his chakra to burrow instead of focusing above the ground.
That was when he felt something weird at the very edge of his range. It wasn't what he was looking for exactly–he barely even knew what it was–but it was a lead.
Naruto nodded to Kakashi, and they set off.