"The Greatest Idea Ever"
By Quick-n-Popular
Disclaimer: "Naruto" and its characters are not my property.
A/N: Finally, Nineteen chapters and the big 20 after a break. Thank you all for your support. Please read the author's note at the end of this chapter for detatils on a decision I made here.
And now, on with the story.
Chapter Nineteen: The Art of One's Triumphs
Tenten, as she walked, surveyed the damage done to the village with a heavy heart. She had been training with her team when they heard the thunderous, earth shaking, explosions happening in the village. No one knew who was doing and or why, especially having just recovered from the Suna and Oto invasion not too long ago.
Meeting up with Naruto, later, dispelled the mystery of it all as Tenten learned from him that there was a group out there, supposedly made up of missing nins, that were on the hunt for Jinchuriki like him. Luckily her blond friend was still here and intact. The village's attacker, however, was not let off easy as he had his arm and leg taken from him by Naruto and his Sensei Kakashi.
An arm and a leg, was their reward for making sure the village didn't get damaged any further.
'More importantly, though, that we saved Naruto from being taken by force. Well, that strange girl...Fu, was it? Her too.'
When Naruto introduced the bun haired Kunoichi to the green haired Nanabi holder, she was surprised by her overly cheerful, excited, personality. A very stark contrast to Naruto, who was becoming more mellow, and less brash and outspoken lately.
Tenten smiled, 'Though he still does have his innocent charisma. I really hope he never loses or abandons that.'
Tenten's destination right now was to go and meet with Naruto; having finished her new training with Gai Sensei and Lee on how to open the Chakra Gates within her. Gai had originally taught this to Lee to make up for his inability to use ninjutsu or genjutsu and to increase his natural taijutsu talents. When Tenten asked her team what could she do to improve her speed so she'd never have to worry about being too slow in a dangerous situation, this is what Gai Sensei had offered.
'Speaking of "dangerous situations" SHE has escaped and they can't find her.' Tenten thought, grimly.
Tayuya, who Naruto and Tenten had captured, went missing after the destruction of the jail building. Both Tenten and Naruto were notified as the Kunoichi was petty enough to bare a grudge against the two Genin who had defeated her and captured her. Jiraiya was more under the impression that she'd probably go into hiding or, if her "Master" was somehow merciful, would bring her back into the fold. Anything was possible.
Despite the present danger that was Tayuya and the group known as Akatsuki, Tenten was more focused on raising her talent and to provide something of a comfort to the blond in her life that knew little to no familial love. She was on her way to see Naruto now. In her hands lay the notes she wanted to so desperately share with him.
At this time, Naruto was feeling frustrated. After thwarting that Akatsuki member who never gave his name; Jiraiya was asking Fu to train him in using his the Kyuubi's Chakra and, of course, the damn fox put up only the barest amount of assistance in giving out its chakra. Fu said her tailed beast was more sociable and had a pleasant personality, the exact opposite of the one he got.
However, they learned something during the practice. The Kyuubi's chakra seemed tied to his negative emotions. Fear, anxiety, anger; these released a flood of the Kyuubi's chakra and in one result, he had successfully gained a Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak…..but at the cost of losing his sense of self and ending up attacking both Jiraiya and Fu mindlessly until Fu knocked him out.
When he recovered, Fu told him that it was also linked to the Kyuubi's current mood and mindset. That, unless he resolved his issues and begin a trust between the two of them, he'd be like this forever.
Thus, the blond teen was leaning against the training post, having no idea on how to change this thing. Jiraiya and Fu both insisted that it'd help him in battle, especially against these people from Akatsuki.
'Will it really though? I did fine against that bombing prick without using any of the Kyuubi's chakra. ….Though I ended up needing it to rescue my team from that bastard Orochimaru….And the village from Gaara's transformation. Shit...I even used it when I faced Haku, too; didn't I?.' His frustration turned into a bitter laugh and he soon got away from the post and begean to leave.
"Hey, Naruto. Why the face?" Said in a relaxed voice.
Looking up from the ground, Naruto saw Tenten looking a bit concerned. A dango skewer was in the corner of he mouth and in her hands was some papers.
Naruto sighed, "Just frustrated by the failed training I did. What have you been up to?"
Tenten smiled, "I've been with my team, learning about those Chakra Gates and," She paused for a moment, "I... MIGHT have a present to give to you."
Naruto stared at her, surprised. "A present?"
She nodded, "If I am right about this, you may be catching yourself up to your dad, the Yondaime, a little bit more." Seeing his eyes widened Tenten finally felt that, THAT look was worth all of this effort so far.
Now, they were going to try and figure out this jutsu that hasn't been seen in this form for a long time.
Sifting through the crowded area of the village this afternoon, were two men, one exceptionally tall with a wrapped up weapon on his back, another tall man who both were wearing straw cloaks over their clothes, with conical hats shielding their faces.
"Boy, that dumbass Deidara really messed up. Lucky we overheard some peddler talk about him and the village being alert for our mercenary getups." The taller man smirked, "I wonder if Leader-sama will make an example out of him. Heh, serves him right." He sneered.
His partner said nothing, just staring ahead as they walked in the direction of the training fields.
"That little brat with the scarf REALLY liked to talk big about the Jinchuriki, calling him 'Ni-chan' and all. Oh brother. Well, at least he pointed us in a good direction to find his 'Ni-chan', right, Itachi-san?"
"Kisame, if the Nanabi holder is there too, Leader-sama said secure both. He'll accept no more upsets." Itachi intoned, stonily.
"To the point as always, just what I've always liked about you, Itachi-san." Kisame grinned, under his hat.
The two continued to weave their way through.
"So, uh, what are these?" Naruto asked, looking at the papers Tenten had handed him.
"These are my notes on the Flying Raijin Jutsu that the Nidaime created. Have you ever heard of it?"
Naruto shook his head. Even long before he learned that he was his father, Naruto's true hero was the Yondaime. He paid little attention to the first Hokage and his brother; and just a little to his Jiji.
"Well…..", Tenten started, "What if I told you that the Hirashin used by the Yondaime during the Third Shinobi War was based on this jutsu?"
Naruto's eyes widened, "Are you serious?"
Tenten nodded, "At least as its starting point. You're father took it to a different direction."
"How so?" Naruto asked. He knew that the Hirashin consisted of special three-pronged kunai, that the Yondaime threw around the battlefield which made him seem to be everywhere, attacking and becoming a 'Yellow Flash' to his enemies, hence his name. While the mysticism and heroism attracted it the most to Naruto and others. Neither he or those knew how his jutsu really worked.
Tenten went into her "lecture mode" that she had used with him when she was teaching him the fundamentals of sword handling and defense.
"Everything has a source, Naruto. Our village was started by warring Shinobi Clans, for example." She looked to see if she had his attention and seeing that she did, gave a rough outline of this Flying Raijin Jutsu.
"Now, I know the technical side of this will go over your head, so I'll just give you the facts. To do the Flying Raijin, you use the same method to writing seals using your chakra. Except in this case, you're not doing it for the purpose to seal an object, create a detonation, or to cast an element. With this, it's to use you, in mind, as the "purpose"."
Naruto blinked. He understood it kind of but what she had said at the end sounded confusing. "You use you as the "purpose"? Meaning what?"
"….Well, from what I can figure out its something like this. You imagine yourself, like when you gather your chakra, like we do when we learned the chakra control exercises; you put that into focus and write yourself with your chakra." Tenten saw that he still wasn't understanding but she figured this was the best opportunity for her to test out her theory herself.
"Let me put it as an example," She said, walking to one of the training posts and held out two fingers.
"First, I gather chakra to my hand and then to my fingers, concentrating on the chakra flowing in me Then I..." Tenten meant to stop there with the example of her explanation but felt a sudden impulse to actually try it out. She then felt a burning sensation coming to her finger tips. She viewed herself in her mind's eye, with using her name, which represented her, in both body and soul, appearing as a unique fuinjutsu seal, like the ones she had made countless times before.
Low and behold, there before her eyes and Naruto's was a light blue colored character pattern written in Tenten's name, on the post.
"I...I did it…"
Naruto walked up to the post while the Bun haired Kunoichi was still in a daze. He touched the slightly fading mark before turning to Tenten.
"Can you go over it again, Tenten, I'd like to try this too."
In the next half hour, Naruto learned after after his fifth try, and got to make his own unique formula mark on the surface of a different post. His was more of sun-like pattern while Tenten's resemebled a flame.
"Now,", Tenten said, after they had made over a dozen training posts with their formula marks on them, and ones without in between; "Let's try the next instruction which talks of picturing each mark in your mind and then "pulsing" your chakra causes you to teleport to it."
Naruto, grinning as he finally understood how this unique jutsu was used by his dad to create the famous Hirashin; drew his sword and pictured a post with one of his marks behind one without, before he pushed his body's chakra. He soon found himself in a tunnel like void heading towards the post he had in his mind's eye. Then, seeing the post before it, which wasn't marked, he used his nodachi form of his sword and sliced through it, before coming to his marked post and coming to a complete stop.
From Tenten's perspective, Naruto looked like he did a body flicker techinque before a post was sliced in half over twenty feet away, and then Naruto was instantly there a mere second later.
"Tenten, this "present" is awesome!" He yelled happily.
The Kunoichi gave a chuckle at how happy he was sounding. True it WAS supposed to be something solely for him and yet, much to her delight, she was going to share this joy of his by (putting it into his words) she was going to be a little more badass as well.
Unsealing the scroll that contained the Kusanagi he had given to her at the Chuunin Exams, Tenten grinned as she too decided to cut up some training posts.
"Itachi!" An enraged voice shouted in an alleyway leading to the training grounds. Kisame had gone on ahead while Itachi was soon to come and assist and yet he had been discovered by his only remaining relative, his younger brother Sasuke.
Itachi turned and looked down on his brother with cold, dispassionate, eyes.
"Why, Sasuke. So you're here. Do you have enough HATE in your heart to kill me?"
Sasuke had been on his way to meet with Kakashi while his other two teammates were preoccupied; when he had heard from a passing civilian gushing about a handsome stranger looking strangely enough like his own murderous brother who fled after killing the entire Uchiha Clan, including his and Itachi's parents, the Clan Heads. His reason? To test himself. He then left the shell shocked Sasuke with these parting words: "Find the Hatred in your Heart to Kill me if you can".
So, Sasuke has dedicated his entire Shinobi career with the vendetta of killing his own brother.
So, his respnse to his brother's taunt was only natural.
"I've enough "hate" to kill you for seven lifetimes!" He then formed a Chidori, that he had recently learned from Kakashi; and charged at his brother in a mad, desperate rush.
However, his attempt was futile as the elder Uchiha brother grabbed and broke his little brother's arm in three place, snuffing out the Chidori he had lit.
"Foolish little brother, you're heart is still too soft to kill me. Now, SLEEP." Itachi's Sharingan spun and his brother soon collapsed into a heap, his eyes wide open in minute horror, and his mouth open in a silent scream.
Itachi gave his brother one glance before finally continuing to his destination.
In the quiet alley, a lone figure appeared next to the fallen Last Loyal Uchiha, grimacing.
"Fuck me, was he a scary red-eyed bastard. Oh, well at least he saved me the fucking trouble. Following this shit-stain and waiting till he was vulnerable was a bitch."
Dressed like a merchant, Tayuya pulled up and dumped Sasuke, unmercifully, into an empty rice transporting basket filled with seals inside to hide him from nin dogs and sensors.
'Now, time to make like the fucking wind.'
After a long experiment and finally making this rare jutsu one of their own; Naruto and Tenten surveyed the wreckage of the dozens of cut training posts, grinning like idiots.
He then paused and looked at Tenten who was looking content at her contribution to the damage.
"Hey, Tenten?"
She looked at him, waiting for what he had to say.
"How about we...mark, each other? That way I can come to you, in case something happens." He suggested.
Tenten thought about it and agreed that it would help them. However, she couldn't pass up teasing him this time.
""Mark each other"? Naruto Uzumaki you're a bigger pervert than you pretend not to be."
Naruto blushed and turned his head away, "N-No, I'm not! I was only thinking of you and-" His protest died on his lips as he felt two fingers touch his now bare arm, having shed his jacket earlier and was now in just his mesh shirt.
"Tenten grinned while turning and exposing her shoulder, "Hurry up and "mark me", Uzumaki."
Naruto gulped and with slightly trembling fingers complied.
However, as soon as the deed was done, they were intruded upon by a very tall man wearing a straw coat over his clothes and on his head a concial hat. Tenten eyed the hilt of a very large sword over his shoulder and on his back.
"Hey brats. It's nice to see kenjutsu fighters so dedicated to trash a training field. Mind if I play along? After all, I have business with you, Jinchuriki. The girl's just a bonus."
Taking off his hat and discarding his cover for his Akatsuki cloak, Kisame grinned with jaggid teeth, much like as Naruto remembered, Zabuza did. However, he was alarmed that yet ANOTHER Akataski member was now in the village coming after him.
"Kisame...Hoshigaki…?" Tenten muttered in fright. "Then that on your back is…."
Kisame grinned at the girl's recognizing him, "Ah, someone here read's the little ol' Bingo Book that loves to talk about me and send every idiot with a death wish to come running." He grabbed the monstrous sword off of his back which the wrappings began to uncover, revealing a sword that looked like some sort of monster with hisarp scales.
"Now," Kisame grinned, "Let me and Samehada tear you two apart."
He then charged in a burst of speed to them Tenten and Nartuto both raised their swords and luckily missed a direct hit as Kisame had swund horizontally and pushed them bad by ten or so feet.
Kisame while grinning, was frowning on the inside, "Tell me brats, where did you get those kind of swords? This is going to be more fun than I anticipated if the girl doesn't die as quickly as I capture the blondie there."
Naruto scowled but didn't respond to the taunt. He then heard Tenten whisper to him.
"Naruto, let's use the Flying Raijin on him. We won't last long otherwise."
Surprised by what she suggested, considering they have only been practicing it on posts and not in real combat before; he, nevertheless, gave her a firm nod.
Meanwhile, Itachi meant to meet up with Kisame before he began fighting the Jinchuriki but unfortunately came upon Jiraiya who was searching for Naruto.
Using Sage Mode, the Toad Sannin was able to dodge being caught in the missing nin's Genjutsus. However, everytime Jiraiya tried to attack him with Needle Jizo or a fire jutsu, Itachi would turn into a swarm of crows and the hit would miss.
Jiraiya was grimacing.
'Fu said they came in pairs. Meaning, there's someone else here and he maybe close or is now fighting with Naruto. I need to hurry.'
Kisame, who was having fun at first, was now confused and utterly, pissed off. The blond Jinchuriki did not fight with the Kyuubi's chakra which almost everyone of them did. Instead, he was fighting solely with a sword and was somehow managing to find hits on Kisame. The same with his bun-haired partner. The two of them used, what looked to him, to be the body flicker technique, and managing to cut him several times. Naturally, Kisame's sixth sense knew when something was about to come before anything could be potentially fatal or debilitating.
However, nothing HE did managed to hit them! These two flickered away every time.
"How are you damn brats, doing this!?" He growled out in irritantance.
However, he soon smirked as he caught in the corner of his eye, the Bun Haired Kunoichi about to go in a direction that would cut him again; Kisame sliced Samehada into the ground, kicking up earth which headed in her direction as she then used the flicker technique.
To Kisame's knowledge, the body flicker technique was only a disguise in order to just go at high speeds, this surely would stop her enough for Kisame to shave the little bitch to pieces with Samehada. Getting ready for the counter attack, he suddenly stopped as he found a deep slash into his gut which was now bleeding profusely. Glaring, he saw the girl had somehow dodged the road block he made and was now safely at a distance.
Kisame then began to make handsigns for one of his water jutsus when he felt Itachi's hand come on his wrist, stopping him.
"We're withdrawing. The Nanabi holder, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and an elite group of Jounin and Chuunin are heading our way. We must report to Leader-sama."
"But we have just got started! Tch, Dammit, I'll see you two skinned alive next time." Kisame grumbled before he and Itachi left the area after Itachi sent a massive flame that was black burning behind them to make their getaway.
Naruto and Tenten both sighed in relief at the arrival of the Godaime, Jiraiya, and a good number of Shinobi.
"Hey kid, are you and your girl alright?" Jiraiya asked after sealing away Itachi's fire and coming over to inspect them. Tsunade was giving orders to the Anbu and Hunter nin to look for more Akatsuki members or ANY suspicious looking individuals. She soon joined the pervert when he asked of their status.
"We're fine, Jiraiya-sama, Godaime-sama; Just tried from evading so much." Tenten said, a little breathless. If she had run out of chakra, it would have been incredibly difficult to continue against someone like Kisame, Thankfully, she and Naruto coordinated and kept each other in sight to make sure they wouldn't make a misstep. Luckily it paid off.
Tsunade looked relieved while Jiraiya inspected one of the posts, "That was a missing nin from Kiri wasn;t it?"
Tenten nodded, "One of the former Seven swordsmen of the Mist. Kisame Hoshigaki."
Jiraiya froze before looking at the post again, "Against him, how did you…" He looked at the surface before turning and looking sharply at Tenten and Naruto.
"I see a strong chakra mark on a lot of these posts and on the two of you." He walked up to them and asked sternly, "Where did you learn the Flying Raijin from, pray tell?"
Naruto, who had been abnormally quiet, spoke up, "Tenten said she found it in the Nidaime's journal the Archives. What the hell, Ero-Sennin? What's got you all bothered?"
Tsunade sighed, "My uncle's jutsu was virtually impossible to figure out by most people. Even this pervert and I were unsuccessful. Though I think Sensei….uh, the Sandaime, might have known having been his student."
Jiraiya sighed, "The Flying Raijin was, of course, the Yondaime's start up for his Hirashin. I know you're his son, Naruto, but he couldn't give you his kunai or the instruction on how to use it because of it's impact on Iwa and Kumo. Yet you found and succeeded in deciphering its origins. How did the two of you do it?"
Tenten grinned, "Some help from someone who writes in the books of people like the Nidaime, I guess."
Jiraiya stared and then let out a roar of laughter.
"Minato once got kicked out of the Archives building because he made comments in the materials there! I see he's still watching over you kid..." Jiraiya breathed deeply before patting Naruto on the shoulder, "You're doing him proud."
"And you Tenten are becoming an even resourceful and innovative Kunoichi than when I first met you." Tsunade said, admiringly.
The two grinned and nodded in thanks of the praise.
Later, the village learned of Sasuke's disappearance.
To be continued…..
A/N II: This wasn't much of a fight as just a means of Naruto and Tenten catching Kisame off guard with what he believed was them using the body flicker technique. So I apologize for such a lackluster fight but I also didn't want to drag it out since I wasn't sure how to incorporate the Flying Raijin if Kisame used water jutsus and I couldn't use Itachi in it as Itachi is someone I am horribly not well at writing him fighting. However, both he and Kisame didn't show much in their first and second introduction in the manga and anime so hopefully I can do better with them going forward. So this was just a warm up and Kisame will fight Tenten and Naruto again further down the road.
And that's my chapter nineteen for you all. Thank you for reading and after I come back from my break, it'll be a new chapter with the theme of Summoning, so look forward to it.
Please review in the meantime. Thank you again for reading.
Q-n-P