Chapter 11
AN: Wow everyone: so many positive reviews and suggestions. College is fast approaching but hopefully I'll be updating every weekend for this fic, and two times a week for Mascot. Btw how did you guys like KingsofSarutobi 'The Orphan'?! I couldn't believe how raw and realistic Naruto's emotions were in the chapter! I always felt his reaction to Sarutobi's death didn't do their relationship justice so this fixed it in my mind. Go, read it if you haven't, each chapter gets better.
Yakumo's place, five days into Naruto's shift…
Naruto and Angel padded along the forest floor surrounding the Kurama hideout, moon a ghostly orb above. Every trap was set and un activated, and his clones reported no disturbances.
So why was all his hair up straight? Angel was tense as well below him. Nicking his thumb with a kunai he runs through some hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu" he whispers. Akira appears, serious when she takes in her summoner's posture.
'Do you sense that?' Naruto signed. He'd taught Akira and Hisoka how to read his signs- well, sort of. They were still learning but picked it up faster than him. Akira closed her eyes in concentration and nodded. 'Weird I know. That aura…'
An Id. It's active under the full moon. Kurama muttered, his first contact in days.
An Id? Naruto asked.
Figure it out- but hint: it's not a danger to you. Yet. Just go back to your pointless 'guarding'. Naruto scowled but relaxed; even if Kurama was being an ass he wouldn't lead Naruto into trouble. Turning to an intense looking Akira the blonde shook his head.
'False alarm, sorry. You can go back, I'll summon you for sushi after my rotation in two days' he promised. Akira grinned as she shakily translated it and headed back home. He looks at Angel. 'We're done here, the shadow clones will wake us if needed.' The tired duo heads inside to their temporary lodgings in the room above Yakumo's, a hatch poised to open for quick entrance through the floor.
Naruto lay on his futon, still in complete uniform, pondering his charge. Yakumo Kurama, just turned thirteen fifteen days ago, parents dead in a house fire and her genjutsu sealed away. Her eyes are so empty- why? It bugged him to see someone his age be so depressed and yet so angry with everything.
"Kukuku" Naruto bolts upright with a kunai in hand. A mavelolent chakra pulses below him and in an instant he's in Yakumo's room with the medics.
"Please, stop! Mother, Father. Don't hate me" she whimpers, though it becomes clear she's asleep. Dante administers another drug before turning to Naruto.
"Sorry, Mouse: sometimes Yakumo-chan's chakra seal activates, especially on a full moon. Nothing to worry about." Naruto tilts his head.
"Is it an Id, Dante?" The medics stiffen and turn cold.
"It would be best if you drop it. There should be no more disturbances, go back to sleep" Naruto wants to argue but technically Dante was in charge so he shunshins back through the open hatch.
"Hey, what was that? It was scary, scarier than when you use Kurama's chakra" Angel whispered while ducked under a table. He'd ordered her to stay back before he'd left.
"Something dark, something no one wants to talk about, it seems. It's probably the reason Yakumo is up here. Anyways, let's get to sleep; tomorrow I have to compress the chakra in my fingers." For the last five days Naruto would leave clones along with his captain's henged wood clones before going into the woods nearby and setting up a chakra barrier for three hours, practicing narrowing down where Kurama's chakra filtered through. So far he was succeeding but the strain left burns if maintained longer than a few minutes- Naruto suspected Kurama wasn't as free with his chakra as before but didn't dare ask.
Next day…
Naruto watched as Yakumo sat on a swing outside in her bath robe, apathic loathing set in stone on her pasty face. He technically was supposed to be an unseen shadow but Yakumo reminded him of himself when he was younger- she just didn't hide it like he did.
"Why are you so angry?" he asked from a branch. The girl scowled up at him.
"Why not? I've been locked away and my parents died- what's there to be happy about?"
"Well…you're alive, aren't you?" He questioned with a shrug. Really, he didn't like those who refused to move on- at least she had parents at one point.
"Hmph, and for how long? How long before I'm ordered to be 'put to sleep?' To stop existing. No, there is nothing to be happy for. Just be invisible like the other ANBUs that come here, unseeing and uncaring." She turned her head. Naruto didn't know what to do, so he further broke protocol. His captain would have an aneurism if he ever found out.
"Are you allowed visitors?"
"Yes, but no one comes- they treat me like a plague!"
"Then…I'll come visit." He said after a moment. Yakumo eyed the blonde in suspicion.
"Why would you do that? What could you get out of it?" Naruto shrugged.
"I don't know, a friend perhaps? Or nothing at all. Either way, may I come visit you sometimes?" He landed on his feet and lazily walked back next to his charge. As she stepped into her room the pale girl paused.
"You can come. But don't think it means we're friends!" She huffed before slamming the door. Naruto stood frozen with a smile.
"Of course not."
Why?
Why what?
You promised to see the girl. Why would you, a cold blooded killer, do that?
I am not cold blooded and it's because I can help keep her from being completely alone. Kurama roared.
Why do you care, Naruto Uzumaki? Your heart has darkness, so what does another creature's feeling mean to you? Or do you deny your own black heart? Kurama wasn't expecting an answer.
Stupid fox, of course my heart has darkness- everyones' does, especially those in the shinobi life.
You admit it therefore you're tainted- you cannot help the girl.
That's where you're wrong. It's human fate to have darkness
Then stop pretending to be good!
But, it's human nature to fight against the darkness and come out on top. That's what it means to be human, to still be decent despite your past and pains. Kurama was stunned at what he heard, but slammed against his cage.
You don't understand, he was pure, why can't you be? Just…leave. And the fox cut off the connection, leaving Naruto to his thoughts as he went on patrol.
Next day, Ferret arrives back…
"You promise." Yakumo stated and held out a pinkie. Naruto nods and offers his up as they hook them in a promise.
"I promise- it won't be for awhile or that often with the chunin exams coming up but I'll make it out here occasionally."
"Like I care" She declares in a one eighty and stalks inside.
Ferret arrives as the door closes and turns towards his younger comrade with bandaged arms and neck.
"Thank you, Mouse: I'll take it from here. Dragon-sama wants you in his office tomorrow at five am."
"Great; no breaks for me." Naruto hung his head and set off through the trees to catch dinner and some relaxation.
Meanwhile, Iwagakure…
Deidara cackled as he flew away from his battle with Onoki, his new hands already an extension of himself.
"That will show him to deny me- stupid Onoki, trying to make me a future kage and then saying I couldn't get that kinjutsu until I took the hat un. Hmph, to be a kage is a desk job, not enough art! Though, where should I go next?" Deidara voiced his thoughts aloud as his bird soared. "Hmmm, I know! Fire country could use some explosions to match its name, un." the new missing ninja altered his course with a grin.
Onoki looked on in annoyance as his ex-apprentice flew away with a kinjutsu he was using as a bartering chip to retire. Around him buildings burned and so far twenty were injured from their battle, though none died.
Still, Deidara defected, and with his rank and crime, he'd be branded an S-rank criminal.
"Deidara, you were always too crazy for your own good. I shiver at the thought of you joining our enemies."
Dragon's office, next day, crack of dawn…
"You summoned me, Dragon-sama?" Naruto stood at attention as his commander sat back with a random piece of paper work. The man looked up after a moment and threw Naruto a scroll.
"Your squad members Wolf and Cat just returned from apprehending Suna's shipment of weapons and has increased our supply, blaming missing ninja. However, Konoha's armory plant is where?" He looked up expectantly.
"Near the 'grave yard' sir; the most dead piece of land in our country besides the Kyubi sealing site. It's south west, towards…Bird country. It's a target of Suna, isn't it?"
"Most likely, yes. Jiraiya taught you shock tags and other simple security seals this past week. You will be traveling to the plant today to set up various traps and seals to prevent any theft. Meanwhile, your captain is already there rerouting the paths leading towards the plant. You have three days there along with two days travel time. Jiraiya will arrive on the last day to check over your work so don't mess up. The seals and instructions in that scroll will create a barrier seal that you can link to the head jonin there."
"Yes Dragon-sama" Naruto turned to leave and pick up Angel from the locker room on his way out.
"Oh, and Mouse? One of those prisoner scrolls saved an ANBU on the Suna mission. Good work" Dragon said in a monotone, but Naruto could tell it held a smidgen of pride.
"No problem- anything for my comrades."
"Your shunshin and water jutsu still suck though" He added on.
"I love you too, commander." Naruto said dryly and left before Dragon could ruin the moment even more.
The Grave Yard, twenty three hours later…
Combining endless shunshin and chakra channeling Naruto and Angel arrived at the plant by four am. Activating his ANBU tattoo and giving the hand signal the blonde and cat are let into the main building, smoke pillowing out of the towers in the background.
The Grave yard, battle ground of the seven tails Jinchuuriki and Hiruzen Sarutobi in the second war was nothing but rock land for half a mile radius, and resembled Earth rather than Fire due to Sarutobi's infamous reshaping of his battlefields. The Jinchuuriki had died in the battle and the resulting pulse of demonic chakra prevented any greenery from growing for years and the plant's presence kept it that way in the present. Surrounding the area was a dense forest with a single well kept path that enemy shinobi not used to Konoha terrain would use to judge the way to the armory. To counteract this, Tenzo was busy playing God with the earth and rerouting it to a fake plant- really an ANBU outpost more than equipped to deal with Suna sabotage efforts.
Inside waited three other ANBU in standard black robes who Naruto hadn't met before and the head jonin, Takeru Nohara, a man with bored brown eyes and an unassuming face- even his hair was a muted brown that stuck flat.
"ANBU agent, code name Mouse, here to set up defensive measures" Naruto greeted neutrally and bows slightly. Takeru bows back and clears his throat.
"Mouse, yes we weren't expecting you for another three hours at least. No matter, you have four hours of rest. After that you will be under Falcon here" An ANBU that vaguely looked like a bird inclined her head in hellos- ANBU weren't too enthusiastic in greetings. Well, unless you were Hikaru. Or Naruto on a sugar rush. That too. "where you'll be given access to the armory to strengthen our security." Naruto bowed even as Takeru turns abruptly and heads away. Naruto's fellow black ops members stand impassively, staring him down. Naruto stared back. These were some of the ANBU sent on long term assignments, much like Ferret.
Contrary to what most civilians and foreign ninja believed, Konoha's ANBU operated throughout all the continent under cover, maintaining order and running the spy network. It was common for ANBU to be given assignments like this one- low combat, high importance but quiet- for six months or more to wind down after being in the force for longer than normal- a way to still be useful and stay sharp, but prevent break downs from pressure.
Like Itachi Uchiha. Naruto shivered when he recalled the story Yugao had told him about the prodigy that tarnished squad Ro's name.
'Welcome, you know I am Falcon, these two are Walrus and Penguin- sleeping quarters are down the hall.' Falcon signed. Naruto inclined his head, curious as to why they didn't talk as this was basically the equivalent of 'off duty' but followed suit.
'I look forward to working with you.' Naruto signed back and headed there. Angel, who kept quiet, glanced back at our new coworkers with puffed out cheeks.
"I don't like them" Angel declared as they lay down on the stiff bunk. Naruto chuckled.
"And why not? They haven't done anything."
"Exactly! I like Ro better- even Hikaru is preferable to these cardboard guys" Naruto quirked an eye brow.
"Cardboard guys?"
"Yeah- you know, because they have no personality! When will we be back with our own squad?"
"I don't know Angel- soon though, I hope." He didn't say it but he too missed being with his friends on missions. Just then his captain stumbled in and face planted on his respective bunk with a groan. "Hey captain." Naruto turned his face slightly. Tenzo just waved a limp hand.
"Wood-captain! You're here!" Angel soared over the distance and landed on the man's back, illiciting a hiss.
"Go. Away. Please." Angel just purred and stretched out for a nap.
Next day…
"Why did you summon me here?" Akira demanded from atop Hisoka when she found herself not called to a poker game, Naruto's apartment, or place of dining, but in a rock wasteland with a factory. There weren't any enemies around to beat up either!
'You wanted to be summoned- well I need you two's help. Take these seals to the top of the smoke towers and place them there- they apparently dissipate the smoke more to make it less visible.' Akira scowled once she translated. It was bad enough her summoner insisted on signing as much as possible even when not needed, but to ask her to dirty herself for a chore ?!
"Hell no, get a shadow clone- or better yet you do it!" Naruto winced, as he really didn't want to do it and his clones could fail by running out of chakra while climbing, and he really didn't want to explain to Jiraiya why his dissipation seals fluttered away on the wind. An idea struck after a few moments of panic.
'Then I guess Pakkun was right- panthers really don't like high places. I understand, I'll make it' His hand is stopped by Akira tackling him down and grabbing the bag with the stack of tags in her jaws and slings it over her body. She hops back onto Hisoka and glares at Naruto.
"I'll show that mutt not to underestimate me! Let's go Hisoka!" They speed off while Naruto and Angel sniggers.
"That was priceless!" The cat managed between laughs. Naruto agreed.
"Let's get to work- Falcon is waiting to walk us through the perimeter for trap setting."
"Does this mean we have to come back a lot to fix them?" Angel grumbled in distaste. Naruto shook his head.
"No, they'll have these ANBU keep them in working order after I teach them how and others will come to change them. Now be silent; I have a feeling talking is out with Falcon."
Final Day…
Turns out Naruto was right. Falcon was the silent type, not even Walrus and Penguin have heard Falcon's voice and the three had been on this mission for seven months. Even sign was out unless a pointed question was asked. As Naruto double checked the barrier set up and other measures of defense before Jiraiya showed up, he rolled his eyes at the thought of how bland Falcon was.
God help him if they were ever put into a squad together or ran another mission.
"Ah, Mouse, I would like to thank you" Takeru smiled at him. The man was bland but kind, and Naruto already liked him- he reminded him of Tenzo, who had headed out yesterday.
"Thank you, it was no trouble. I also made these up for you." Naruto passed off a scroll containing different seals for the plant. The blonde had made them up when he saw how sparse the place was in the tag department. Takeru curiously channeled chakra into the matrix, and over a hundred seal tags ranging from larger explosives to privacy seals and even a duo of prisoner scrolls for an injured comrade just in case popped out. Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Most of those I had made already and I just added to it."
"This costs a small fortune"
"Nah, the supplies are a fraction of the cost and I get a thirty percent discount on everything related to the creation of fuinjutsu anyways. Plus, my commander would want our armory to be well protected, and those might either save your lives or at least make them easier out here" he motioned towards the privacy seals "so I hope you enjoy them. Dragon-sama will reimburse me anyways." Takeru seals them back up and bows.
"Thank you anyway, Mouse". After a few moments Takeru heads back inside, leaving Naruto and Angel alone to their checks.
"Oh ho, good work gaki" Jiraiya chirps from behind. It takes all of Naruto's self control to not jump or scream but instead turn towards his tutor. Angel didn't have that self control.
"HISS! Don't do that" She orders an amused Jiraiya. The sanin just chuckled.
"Is the kitty cat afraid?" Jiraiya teased. Angel continued to glower while Naruto face palmed.
"Jiraiya-sama, please tell me you've been verifying my work so we can go home." It was poker night tomorrow and he wanted to get back in time to take the metaphorical candy from the invited chunins and arrogant clan heads scheduled to show up.
"Yeah, yeah, gaki; I checked it all out and we're good to go"
"ART IS AN EXPLOSION!"
End! Sort of short, but next chapter will take a lot of work to write as fight scenes are my weakness. I hope this chapter was still enjoyable and that you guys have an amazing week!
Ps. An awesome shout out to Silverwolf310 for helping me develop Deidara's story. I have better plans for the artist and after watching the first Shippuden arc again I wanted to incorporate Deidara more. A bit of fudging with the time line and a bit of tweaking his defection story (then again I did the same with the exams so why not? Plus it will be reasonable).
Question: what are y'all's thoughts on Deidara? I see a lot of people love him but plenty others hate him so I'm curious. Know this is most likely the last tweak as the story is mostly set in stone at this point except minor details.