DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe.
Thinking (+ flashbacks, "Mito speaking to Kurama in her mindscape," etc.)
Emphasis
Bijuu, etc. speaking
Bijuu, etc. thinking
Karin couldn't believe it. She had been tough enough to stand up to interrogation, knowing that she had family out there now: she wasn't alone! –Or she thought she wouldn't be alone much longer.
At the last second, just before she was ready to use the kunai as soon as she got to a safe place - she'd been saved. "Who are you?"
Orochimaru smirked. "My name doesn't matter. What concerns me is, why were these men following you?" He'd killed them and needed to be on his way - not that anyone here would truly stop him from doing as he pleased.
Karin grimaced, remembering what they had threatened to do to her before she ran. She never, ever wanted to be in that position again. She'd run rather than simply throw the special kunai because she didn't want anyone in her family to be hurt by going up against those Chunins. And that's when the Jonins showed up. "Thank you for helping me," she said with a shaky bow.
"Interesting kunai you have there," he remarked. He smiled at the girl kindly; she had gone white. Which means that she knows how valuable they are. "My niece uses kunais just like that."
"You're niece?"
Orochimaru nodded and reached for a seal in his tertiary weapons pouch. Unsealing a few odd things that included his old wallet, he sighed but refused to look at the picture. He turned it around so the girl he'd been targeting could see it, though. "I helped raise these two. They're not blood-related but family is family," he said, wanting to gag and yet meaning it. "I suppose you've met the kit on the left, Mito-chan?"
"Y- yes! Only briefly." Uzumaki-Namikaze Mito was easy to recognize by her hair. It was an old photograph: the other girl in the photo had a bushy purple ponytail and both were smiling brightly. Her clansman had a mask on the top of her head. She crouched in alarm when she heard another shinobi coming their way.
Orochimaru looked in the direction the Uzumaki girl had been running from. "We'd better run. Sounds to me like there are more coming."
Karin nodded: she didn't want to see Kusa's reactions to the shinobis her savior had killed.
.
Kabuto clicked his tongue. He followed Orochimaru because of his intelligence, his raw power, his vast knowledge of techniques that he easily wielded; for how much the man strove to understand (to KNOW) more, and finally, Orochimaru's customary daring. –And that was only the half of it. But at the moment, Kabuto did not appreciate his master's apprehension.
Orochimaru-sama, it seemed, feared the Yondaime Hokage he hated.
In his master's present, rather strange efforts to control or change the shinobi world - whether to truly change it for the better or simply because he was bored - Orochimaru was relying primarily on his subordinates and allies to act for him while he planned to cause chaos in village after village from behind the scenes beginning with the one he'd been exiled and then finally turned rogue from. Konohagakure: the village Kabuto had also once called his own.
Not that Kabuto really cared.
What Kabuto enjoyed - when he allowed himself to enjoy something - was playing with prey, especially weaker beings that thought themselves strong. In polite company - if he were ever in polite company - he might say that he was emulating his master, but Kabuto believed that he'd always been this way. He quietly laughed to himself about it.
First assigned to the Snake Sage as a spy for Lord Danzo, Kabuto was fortunate enough to generally avoid the attention of the Yondaime Hokage. He'd been sent to Orochimaru-sama before ROOT was disbanded.
Danzo-sama had been very careful to seal his mind and tongue in a unique way that prevented those nosy Yamanakas from penetrating it.
The memory of his beloved mother - along with his own abilities that had been carefully honed by Danzo and Orochimaru - had allowed him to reenter Konoha as a bonafide Konoha nin. Hilarious. Anko - that bitch - had been completely against him being allowed to be free or train under Shizune-senpai at the hospital where his talents were found to be too promising to let slip by. Anko wasn't really trusted in Konoha so her words of actual reason were rather easily disregarded.
Fools.
Kabuto didn't like Anko at all or her friend, Mito-hime. Kabuto did not understand their relationship - which may have led him to spy on Konoha's princess a little too often. To be a better spy, he had been taught to examine relationships as far back as he could remember. Of the three of them, he could only guess that Anko and Mito had, for some reason, deeply bonded through (and with) Orochimaru before the nine-tails attack.
No matter what Orochimaru-sama thought, Kabuto would forever swear he wasn't jealous of the girls' relationship with each other or the way that his master - who had always been far kinder to him than Danzo - doted on the kunoichis and spoke of them with so much fondness.
He only does it to tease and taunt me. If Orochimaru thought Kabuto desired a parent-child relationship with him, however, Orochimaru was heartily mistaken. Kabuto longed for so much more.
Orochimaru-sama had demanded reports on the comings and goings of Mito-hime, a kunoichi his master rather affectionately called "Kit," and had been very angry when he reported that he'd been caught. Not that Orochimaru-sama will allow her title of "Princess" to be used in his presence.
What did being caught really cost them at this point? We are already so close to the Chunin Exam Finals.
Where it all finally begins!
"Kabuto," Orochimaru huffed tersely as he looked up from his crystal ball. He was sick to death of the way his subordinate would stare at him like that. Frankly, it was too bad that the boy was as useful as he was, otherwise he would've cut him down and tossed Kabuto's body into the deepest gulley in Fire Country.
.
Mito recklessly dove into the deepest fissure in Fire Country head first, the back of her mind planning to come back from the dead to kill Jiraiya a thousand times over. She pumped wind chakra into the soles of her feet and legs as her godfather panicked above them. She yanked Naruto by his ankle just as an enormous SOMETHING erupted underneath her. Sadly for Naruto, Mito had already hurled him above her even harder than she felt might be necessary, just in case she was off, wincing as she heard a SNAP followed by his shout of pain.
"I'm sorry, otouto."
"What have you done now, Minato?" came a voice she hadn't heard in more than a decade and a half.
"Gamabunta-sama?" Seconds later, she was in his hand, having been pulled off his head, and was staring at the Toad Boss, himself.
"Mito? It's been a long time, brat! HA! You signed with the toads! I had heard you allied yourself with those jungle cats!"
Mito shook her head. NOW, all of the adrenaline of the past few minutes was quickly draining from her body, leaving her feeling shocked and numb.
And angry.
Betrayed again.
Was she really alive and not spread out in pieces over the bottom of this rocky landform? As long as Naruto's okay. - It hadn't mattered when she heard Naru's screams.
"I am. –And um. It wasn't me." She had been so terrified when she heard Naruto screaming from nearby, where she'd been training Sai… No, that wasn't right, she thought as she shakily rubbed her head, trying to logically recall the whole thing - piece by piece - as she dangled from a toad's hand.
Sora had come running toward her and Sai, screaming "Grandpa killed Naruto!"
Without believing it, she had taken off running like a DUMBASS when she could've simply flashed to his position,
And then heard the echoes of her brother screaming and careening down that gulch.
Ravine: That's worse than a gulch!
Mito blinked at Gamabunta who'd shaken her to get her attention before jumping out of the ravine. She vividly recalled her godfather standing over the side of the thing, not doing a goddamn thing, when she dove in after her brother.
"Grandpa killed Naruto!"
Mito was going to destroy him.
Gamabunta put Minato's brat down on the ground, feeling worried that the cheerful, slightly terrifying little girl he remembered looked so dark and gloomy. After a moment of stillness, the grown-up brat ran to a kid that had to be Minato's mini-me son. The toad winced as the kid was obviously in a lot of pain but he needed answers here. "Where the hell's Minato?"
Mito tried to calm down her brother so he'd stop moving. "I'm so sorry, Naruto!"
"You - I think you broke my leg!"
"I was trying to save you! I'm sorry!"
Naruto took a deep but ragged breath and felt bad when he went to yell at his sister again: she was crying. "Um. Thank you for that - I guess, ya know. It just uh… hurts. Ya know." Really bad.
"I'm SO sorry!" Mito was doing everything she could to heal him as quickly (but safely) as possible: he had a fracture in his fibula that she had caused!
"WHERE. IS. MINATO?" Gamabunta finally demanded, losing all patience. "Why was I summoned… THERE?" he asked, pointing back to the ravine. It wasn't like Minato to be so reckless and now he was getting worried. Surely Minato wasn't in that ravine?!
Naruto dried his face which had lit up in a bright grin at the toad's reminder. "Ero-sennin flicked me over that cliff so that I'd use You Know What. I was the one who summoned you," he said proudly.
Gamabunta deadpanned at the smiling kid. Mito was smiling at the little blonde monkey with so much heartbreak, he guessed this had to be Naruto. "I asked a serious question, kid. Where's Minato?"
"You… you don't BELIEVE ME?" Naruto shouted. The toad boss arrogantly shook his head and pulled out his pipe and began puffing on it. Naruto's face screwed up when his sister softly laughed. "Ew, Ane. Wipe your nose. And you've got ink all over you besides snot!"
"Sorry." Mito rubbed her runny nose and tear-covered face on her ink-covered sleeve without thinking about it too much before going back to healing him. When she let up, he tried to stand but she hauled him up bridal-style. "You've gotta stay off that leg for a few days, Naru-kun."
"WHAT?! I've got training!"
"Enough training," she said sternly before looking back at Gamabunta. "Naruto was in fact the one who summoned you, Gamabunta-sama." Feeling Jiraiya's chakra signature coming closer, she turned toward the dead man walking.
"Mito's right," Jiraiya said guiltily. He flinched at the look in his goddaughter's eyes. "Let me take him, Mito."
"So you can throw him away? Fuck. You." Mito transferred Naruto over her shoulder, ignoring the way he and Gamabunta were arguing/yelling at each other. She held out her arm for a very upset Sora who hesitantly stepped into her side. She wrapped him in a hug as much as she could considering she had a wiggly little brother over her other shoulder to support. "It's okay, kiddo."
"I was… I'm sorry. A shinobi must show no emotion," Sora said, steeling himself.
Mito scoffed. "You know how I feel about the shinobi rules: they're stupid." Sora let out a relieved huff and then leaned into her fully as she pet his dirty hair. "Jeez. You two need showers badly."
"You're a good one to talk, nee-chan - I mean, sensei," Sora tried to grin. "You got ink all over you!" And now he had ink all over him, too: something that was pretty common for Team 11 - as long as they didn't get it on Kurenai-sensei: she did not like it and her genjutsus were scary.
The reason for the ink finally spoke up. "Are you okay, Naruto?" Sai asked softly. He'd followed his sensei with Sora who'd been completely panicked - something that was unlike him. Considering his first friend was busy making demands of his father's toad as the toad jeered and teased him, Sai guessed Naruto was okay.
"C'mon, guys," Mito said to the three boys softly even though Naruto was still having a ridiculous, mostly one-sided argument with her father's familiar. Later she'd have to have a discussion with him about respect and all but for now, it was hard not to drown in hurt over what Jiraiya had done - and guilt over hurting her brother when she was supposed to protect him. "We've gotta get Naruto to the hospital."
"HOSPITAL?" Naruto was outraged - which was why his sister ended up tying him to the bed there.
When Jiraiya knocked on his office door instead of coming through the window, Minato knew that something was seriously wrong. When Naruto and Sora weren't trailing behind him, he felt fear stir in his gut. "Where's Naruto?"
"He's fine but at the hospital with Mito," Jiraiya stressed, raising his hands. "There was a little accident but he's healing up with Mito-chan or is probably already 100%. Before you do anything, let me explain my thinking."
Minato fisted his hands and tried to sit back in his chair. The look on his face as he waited for an explanation would've terrified anyone.
Later that evening, Naruto promised that he would stay off his feet, so Mito brought him back to her apartment as a reward after blindfolding him and flashing him around the village, picking up snacks. Naruto thought it was funny and now looked around with interest. "You really moved out."
"Yeah," Mito breathed. "As you've repeatedly reminded me, I'm pretty old to be living with my father, right?" The best thing about her new apartment, though, was the quiet.
"I never said that! I only said that you were old."
Mito snorted. "That's what I meant. And uh - speaking of - I haven't told Tou-san yet."
Naruto grimaced and scratched his cheek. "You'll be lucky if he doesn't put you on house arrest." Mito only shrugged. Considering she was brave enough to throw herself down a ravine, spilling wind chakra behind her and KI everywhere, (not to mention the way she'd thrown him back over the top with one hand: that had been as scary as falling,) he thought his big sis could take on their overprotective father. It wasn't like their dad would ever hurt her. Hopefully, her moving out wouldn't hurt their dad too much: it was a normal thing with big kids, after all. "Can I come to visit you?"
"Of course," Mito said with an elated smile. She was so glad that he didn't still seem mad at her. "I've got a room where you can crash sometimes. –But not all the time: I don't want a roommate."
Naruto snorted. "I'll see you anyway. You'll be at the house for Momo-san's cooking!"
Mito nodded, agreeing with that wholeheartedly. "As often as possible."
Naruto blew out his cheeks, knowing this wasn't the time for fun and games. "I should be training. The Exams start in just a couple of days."
"Three," Mito corrected him, holding up three fingers. "And with the way you're healing, you'll be good to go the day before the exams start - if not before then." Naruto hummed and looked terribly worried. "Surely Tou-san's told you that rest and recovery are vitally important, too?" she asked hypocritically. "And… we could train or prepare a little, I guess."
"'We?'" Naruto repeated back to her before breaking out in a big smile. Mito held him down when he tried to tackle her, scolding him for moving his leg. What a buzzkill. "What can I do if you won't let me up?!"
"Well, it depends on what you have planned," she replied. "But you have to rest and stay down at the same time that we do this." Her lip curled up into a grin she unsuccessfully tried to hide. Would he guess where she was going with this? There were at least three different things they could work on even with Naruto being prohibited from being on his leg.
"We can work on strategy and seals," Naruto said with a matching grin. He couldn't help but feel proud at the smile and happy nod his big sister gave him as she ran off to grab some stuff. He scooched back, getting comfier on her soft gray sectional, thinking her room definitely needed some color. Orange: the room definitely needed orange.
It looked like she really had just moved in. Mito came back with a bunch of scrolls and handed him a new orange journal. –Like it was made for him! 'Thanks, ane. Umm, do you think Ero-sennin will be okay?" Mito's expression darkened. Oh boy. Maybe he shouldn't have brought him up.
Mito had delivered Naruto to the hospital, tied him up to keep him safe from himself, then - unable to face her godfather in front of the children - went to Tsunade. She explained what happened and Tsunade lost it. Then she delivered Sora and Sai to Kurenai-chan and explained what had happened. Mito couldn't train Sai anymore that day; she was too distraught.
Kurenai had trusted Jiraiya with her Genin, Mito's little ninja monk, Sora-kun. Because of the emotional distress the boy suffered, Kurenai took off to find the Tsunade-pounded Jiraiya and put him in a genjutsu to end all genjutus - or so she promised.
"Who knows," Mito said. He almost killed you. Gathering her less murderous thoughts, she put her traitor of a godfather out of her mind. "Now. Although I want to know what you're planning to do against Neji-kun, I also hope you're thinking about the matches that will follow that."
Naruto blinked at her twice. "You think I'll win against Neji?"
"Of course, you will. Don't be stupid." Naruto clicked his tongue. "After you win against him, you'll most likely be fighting Shino but he's my student. So let's talk about the fight after that." If you get past him.
"You think I'll beat Shino! –Ha. Of course, I'll beat Shino."
Mito raised an eyebrow at him. She wasn't sure Naruto actually could unless Shino was worn out from his fight with the puppet kid. Their battle should be close, depending on what Shino was doing with his father and how difficult Neji would make things for Naruto. "I wouldn't underestimate Shino, otouto. I won't discuss your potential fight with him but if you do make it past Shino, you'll be going up against even more strong opponents. But let's begin with Neji."
Naruto really wanted to pick her brain about Shino because the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Mito's team had gotten really strong and fast. Even the previously meek, weird Hinata had done pretty well against her supposedly genius cousin. Hinata was just too nice to truly fight for the win. –That's why Naruto was going to avenge what Neji had put her through.
Naruto would like to think that the only reason it was hard to beat Kiba was that his chakra had been blocked off by Orochimaru-teme - but Kiba had shocked him with how strong he was. If Naruto hadn't farted on him, he might have lost. I should've thought to bring a stink bomb: that would've been a lot less embarrassing.
Maybe one would help against Neji?
Kiba's greatest weakness had been (and still was) Akamaru and even though Naruto had pretended to threaten the puppy, Naruto would never, ever hurt an animal. And Kiba knew that. Thus came the unexpected mud wall. "What do you think Neji's greatest weakness is?"
"From what I've seen? It's probably the same thing that drives him, Naruto. His clan - his FAMILY - has caused him great suffering. The kind of things he's probably had to deal with," she sighed, shaking her head, "those kinds of things can leave a mark."
"Well I'm not touching tha-aat," Naruto groaned, shaking his head disapprovingly. He and his dad had talked enough times about how there were some things that - if you knew someone - you could take advantage of to beat them but SOME things could make an opponent rage so hard you could lose or at least be surprised. Those things weren't worth exploiting and should never be done among comrades. Something like that. "What else?"
Mito hummed. "Most Hyuugas are said to be prudes with sticks up their butts." She wasn't sure that she liked the sly smile that crept up her brother's face or the way he soon started chuckling darkly in that weird way her mom used to every now and again while rubbing her hands together. She also couldn't help the smile that grew on her face. You're so much like her, Naruto.
After dropping Naruto back at the hospital and tying him up again when he tried to get up, Mito snuck into the Hyuuga compound to ensure that Hinata was resting. Her little kunoichi was doing better but was still unable to train - although the little dumpling wanted to.
Strolling through the village that night and still waiting for an attack, Mito saw Asuma dropping the Nara kid with a couple of his clansmen. She invited Asuma over to see her new place and soon wished she hadn't.
"Hideki and I have made a decision," Asuma explained after approving of the flat. "Well, we made one - and then I made another I'm sure he'll approve of after I tell him my thoughts." Mito only narrowed her eyes more and more at him: they were basically slits at this point. "I approve of you dating Hatake."
Mito paled and pulled out a kunai. "Who are you and what the hell have you done with Sarutobi Asuma?"
Asuma would later swear that he had not shrieked like a little girl when Princess Crazytown jumped on him and repeatedly tried to stab him. Finding himself in chains, he waited patiently while Mito sipped tea and said she was running a blood test although he doubted that's what she was really doing. Surely she didn't have a machine that would do THAT at her new home!
Her new apartment did have a tiny medical bay she was setting up so that was a major plus: he'd definitely take advantage of it rather than go to the hospital. Actually, he kind of needed it right now. As he and Mito bled and had a staring contest, he finally made a lit cigarette appear in his mouth and was set free. It was a stupid little trick that took too much chakra, so he rarely used it.
"Asshole."
"You're the one who's an asshole. Now heal me up." Mito grumbled but did heal his stab wounds which were mostly slashes; Mito had gone easy on him, just in case, he figured.
"You owe me a couch!" Her brand new couch had burns and long gashes in it now. And blood!
"Meh," Asuma shrugged, grumbling when she put out his cigarette. "You're a ninja; it was going to happen."
"I'm serious, Asuma!"
Asuma hummed. "How long have you had it? I bet it's got a guarantee on it."
Mito supposed that was true; the couch was supposed to hold up to ninja wear and tear: that was part of the reason she bought this particular one. Aside from her nice firm bed, it was the only piece of new, real furniture she'd pulled out of scrolls so far! "Why did you say that bullshit about Kakashi?"
"Because… Turns out he's a good guy I've gotten to know pretty well and um." Oh, how Asuma wanted to throw up! He wasn't sure when he ever felt this damn uncomfortable but after a brief pause, his mouth continued unabated. "I want you to be happy." His lips twitched, watching how Mito looked so unsure, then kept opening and closing her mouth as she lit up in a light blush. "Ha. You guys are both weird and annoying… pretty damn stupid and/or completely anxious socially - but smart so… You'd be good together."
Quick as a whip, Mito threw open her door and booted the idiot's ass across the village. "How dare you insult me in my new home, you baka!" He did this on purpose! Now if there was one guy in the village she would never date, it was Hatake Kakashi - not that either of them was interested in that, she was fairly sure.
Mito didn't know what Asuma's game was but if Hideki was in on the joke, too, she'd better be prepared. She snapped her fingers, having figured it out. (Later she'd realize how inappropriate her next thoughts were but the Present Chibi Mito in her mind took over completely:)
The boys were trying to get her to give up on Tenzo!
Well, screw that! Now she was DEFINITELY going to try harder to screw Tenzo! Bwahaha! –She'd show them!
Closing the door (and a little embarrassed because a couple of her new neighbors opened theirs to see what the commotion was about) she felt something almost sickening itching at her. She tried to ignore it as she packed her couch into a storage scroll to return it, but finally sat down on the floor to meditate and began to reach out her senses, immediately paling at what she felt.
Knowing that Kakashi was marked by her father, Mito flashed to his nearby signature first before HURLING another kunai enhanced with wind chakra straight through a rock formation - but it was too late. Instead of finding Obito - whom she had been positive had been at this very spot, she turned to face her mother's best friend.
"Mito! Oh my goodness - you scared me to death." Mikoto could be a pretty good actress when she wanted to be. Please don't ask… Please don't ask!
"Fancy meeting you out here," Mito said tonelessly. Her eyes may have been empty but Mito was relieved that someone had raced to join her: to back her up in case Obito returned. Kakashi must have been alarmed and realized that she was serious and ready to kill someone. It was only unfortunate that his student was following him. Sasuke must know that his mom's here.
Mito gave Kakashi a nod but looked toward Sasuke before turning back to the Uchiha head. She wasn't sure whether or not to be glad Kakashi, of all people, was there considering… well: everything. "Mikoto-oba. –Don't suppose you've been hanging with missing nins like the guy who killed my mother?"
"Wha–? OF course not! Mito— How can you even think such a thing?!"
She's lying.
What's going on with you?
"I wonder," was all Mito said before walking away.
.
After what Jiraiya did - after what Orochimaru did - after what Kazuma and her traitorous friends did at the Capitol - after what her father did and didn't do - after what Obito did - Mito knew there was no other option than to report to her kage. You really can't trust (almost) anyone.
Thank goodness I have Asuma.
"What's your opinion on it?" her father asked.
Mito was a little surprised he bothered to ask. "Part of me questioned whether or not to report this to you. With all of the shit going on with the Uchihas, I was afraid you'd immediately throw her to T&I or worse." Or that you wouldn't: Mito wasn't sure.
Uchiha Mikoto had been with the man that killed her mother!
"I didn't press her more when she denied it because I'm worried for her," she continued, staring out the big window. "Obito could be blackmailing her or maybe he was simply spying on her - or more likely Kakashi, if something like that is the case: he was nearby, too."
Obito once had a weird obsession with surpassing Kakashi. Plus, Kakashi had Obito's damn eyeball in his head draining his chakra like a sieve.
Minato nodded. He would personally watch Mikoto closely but wouldn't you know it? –Sandaime-sama's crystal ball just happened to have gone missing. Interesting timing. "You're positive that you sensed Obito?"
Yes. Mito pulled at her fingers. "I thought it was him but… I can't say that I was 100% positive." More like 98% positive, so I'm not lying. "It was so fast." And even knowing what I do, I don't want to believe that Mikoto is betraying us!
"Very well. Thank you, MIto."
"You're welcome." And yes, I'll assign clones to the Uchiha District, and to watch Mom's. Best. Friend.
.
Early the next day - the day before the Chunin Exams - the clone that was staying at The Residence mostly guarding Naruto from being a hyper, leg-using brat, was called into his office again. "Mito," Minato began as he turned his chair toward her. "Were you aware that Mizukage-sama plans to visit Konoha?"
"No way! –That's awesome," Mito grinned.
"She's asked for you." Her father didn't look happy about that but Mito was: extremely so!
"Well, of course, she has. I can't wait to see her."
.
So many fucking people, Mito thought with a grimace. She had been forced to sit on the other side of the stadium, next to a bunch of snotty nobles. Her anxiety was so through the roof that she just wanted to kick ass and get whatever was coming over. Because she was sandwiched in with thousands of other people, she had to pull in her sensory ability as much as she could. Konoha had a sensory division that she wasn't a part of: they could deal with things for now.
She had certain roles to fulfill, which was why she was sitting where she was. Favoritism.
Mito looked up into the Kage's box, glaring at her father's guard - Jiraiya. Unless she was ordered to do it, I'm gonna smack Shizune around for healing him. He looked her way and nearly jumped, grimacing as he did.
I should be up there. Not that she wanted to be in the kage box, but Mito wondered if Jiraiya would put a knife in her father's back after what he did to Naruto the other day.
"While I don't agree with his methods, Mito, I did tell him that Naruto needs to learn to harness the fox's power," her idiot father insisted. "You're not allowed to maim, kill, or otherwise approach Jiraiya-sensei until you calm down - AND EVEN THEN you may not hurt him! That's an order."
Mito narrowed her eyes at her village leader, guessing that the greatest of geniuses also had their moments of utter stupidity. "I don't suppose that he or Naruto ASKED the fox, respectfully, to lend Naruto his chakra?"
Her father gave her a hard stare as he bounced his pen on his desk. "That fox… led to your mother's death and the deaths of thousands."
"No: Obito killed my mother!"
After being dismissed, she flashed out of there before she committed treason or something. Forcing Kurama to give up his chakra… Naruto's got crazy chakra reserves without the fox and he's a 12-year-old Genin! Those reserves are only going to grow!
.
"Hey, Naruto! By any chance did you politely ask the fox for his chakra so you could summon Gamabunta?"
"Kinda," Naruto said, scratching his head. "I told him I was sick of him living inside me, being a free-loader, so he'd better pay me rent!"
Mito slapped herself in the face.
Just THINKING about that conversation made her nearly slap herself again. Mito began clapping along with everyone else as the competitors moved forward, taking center stage. The Suna kids were standing together in the line on one end - that redhead jinchuuriki looks ill - while her brother was on the other end, between Shikamaru and Sora, next to Sai, Shino, Torune, and then Neji. Anko was speaking to Genma who was filling in for Hayate (who had finally been discharged to continue recovering at home.)
She looks good. Anko looked healthier now than even when she saw her a week ago. Mito grinned: Genma looked like he was being as laid back as always - and it looked as if that was pissing Anko off. Anko was going off on him while Genma only looked amused.
Where are the other two Genins? As she looked for them, she counted the number of ANBU or high-level shinobis present.
IF the Sound kid wasn't allowed back into the village as she'd heard discussed (supposedly excluding him wasn't legal in the Hidden Village Charter's Chunin Exam Subsection: give me a break,) Mito wondered how that would shake up the matches. And where is Sasuke? She looked around the crowd and didn't see his weird haircut or Kakashi's insane hair anywhere. I have to be here, sitting with these jerks and he's not here? So uncool. It was simply more favoritism!
"Mito-hime," some squat, fat old noble with a leering smile said. "I understand that you are single."
Mito tried to smile, (unfortunately for the moment) nodded, and would swear she did not whimper.
.
Kiba was bummed at not being one of the competitors in the Chunin Finals but looked forward to watching them. The whole village was alive with entertainment the likes of which he'd never seen - some foreign, many acts or merchants that were only around once in a blue moon for a festival or something: it seemed like the whole shinobi world was here.
One of Hana's Chunin Finals had been in Yuki of all the weird places - and the stories she told about everything there sounded amazing! It sucked that his Ma hadn't let him go to see her compete back then.
He hadn't seen the nobles arrive in Konoha, either, but Hana said Lords and Ladies had been brought in on palanquins and fancy tented or gilded carriages (depending on where they were from) which he was DEFINITELY planning to check out before or as they left.
If he ever had an opportunity to go to the West, he was definitely, first thing, getting himself a Mustang GT convertible.
Kiba had a secret obsession with fast things with wheels.
He dropped by the Aburame compound but Shino had already left for the Finals. Figures. Kiba had seen their sensei a few days ago and dammit: Mito-sensei seemed to hint that Shino was going to become a Chunin. She wanted to make sure that they were all prepared for any changes that might take place in their team structure; that they'd all be respectful and remember that more than anything - more than the accomplishments of any of them individually - that they'd all remember that they were Team 8, no matter what.
As if any of us would ever forget who we are!
Now, even though he was running late, he was on his way to see if Hinata wanted to come with him. He had visited Hinata at the hospital a bunch - stupid Neji: that poor bastard - but had only seen her once since she had been discharged. Kiba had other friends he could watch the Finals with but something Mito-sensei said bothered him. Something else: his sensei was always making him learn and THINK which drove Kiba a little crazy. He was an action man, after all, he thought to himself.
"...it's gonna be great.
Do me a favor and make sure you don't wear yourselves out beforehand, yeah?
Make sure you've got reserves because ya never know!
–There could always be an attack at any moment!"
Mito had sang a silly, scary ditty and reached toward him with both hands, pretending to have big mean claws like her cats but there was a look in her pretty eyes that bothered him. It was the same look his Ma and Hana had shared lately: Kiba thought they were expecting trouble.
Mito-sensei went on to quote one of her favorite NON-romance novels
(it was one of Kiba's favorites, too:)
"Constant Vigilance!"
His big sister wasn't quite as good as his Ma and sensei were at hiding a smell of slight anxiety. Constant vigilance, for sure.
Hinata couldn't fully protect herself: she was still healing. She should probably stay locked up in the carefully guarded and sealed Hyuuga Compound but Kiba knew that Hinata would REALLY want to watch her not-so-secret crush, Naruto, fight her stupid cousin. So here he was.
A Nara that looked a lot like Shikamaru's dad was softly talking to two ANBUs and Kiba found it weird that a Hyuuga wasn't manning the compound's gate. Maybe it's because of the exams. Security in the village has definitely been tightened. Kiba hadn't been inside the Hyuuga compound often but every time he had come by to wait for his teammate, a Hyuuga had been on guard. "Oi. How's it going?"
One of the ANBUs smelled vaguely familiar while the other was a stranger to him.
"What can I do for you, Inuzuka-kun?"
"I'm here to see my teammate, Hinata-hime."
The Nara walked away but gave him - and the ANBUs a nod. "Go on then."
"Thanks!" As his Ma said, you can always trust a Nara! As much as you can trust anybody.
Kiba wandered into the compound toward the main MANOR - definitely not a house - he hadn't been to since he was a really little kid. His teammate's compound was oddly quiet: even, he imagined, for the Hyuugas (he was an Inzuka, after all: they were pretty much the opposites of the Hyuugas.) - It was making him twitchy. Fortunately, he soon found his teammate on a training ground. "OI, HINATA!"
Akamaru went from sitting still on his head to leaping off, dashing to the ground in less than a second, and jumping up and down, wanting affection from his teammate. His pup was obviously very glad to see her.
"Kiba-kun! Akamaru!" Hinata grinned at her friend and pet Akamaru - but they almost caught me! She was juuuuust about to wail on a training dummy even though she wasn't supposed to: darn it all! "I - I thought you'd be at th- the Finals!"
"Maa, I'm on my way there and figured you'd want someone cool to sit with." Kiba grinned. "Where's everybody at?"
Hinata slumped - which to anyone else would look like a very slight change in her perfect posture. "Father, Uncle, and Hanabi are at th- the stadium. Many of the others are on security details or there as well." She looked at her fingers as Kiba handed Akamaru a piece of jerky before offering her one, too. "N-Naruto-kun was ju- just here!"
"Oh-ho, Hin-ah-tahhhh," Kiba teased, wiggling his eyebrows. He laughed as Hinata turned tomato red with embarrassment before he got more serious. "Do you think that idiot's ready for Neji?"
"H- hai! We can b- believe in Na- Naruto-kun but I… Oh, Kiba-kun. I don't want him to hurt Neji-nii-san." Hinata really appreciated the way her teammate patted her head, even if it was a silly gesture. Both her teammates treated her like she was their little sister and maybe she should feel upset about that. Instead, she only felt grateful that she had such a wonderful team: her second family. "Sora-kun also c- came by this morning, wh- which was kind of him."
For some reason, Kiba snorted.
Hinata tilted her head, wondering what ANBUs were doing here when two of them approached. "Anbu-san?"
"As you were," the first ANBU said. Hinata wasn't familiar with his mask. "Our orders are to secure the compounds."
"I see," Hinata said, nodding back at the ANBU who had bowed to her: she was never fully comfortable with the respect she was given. Father made sure of that. She politely smiled at the shinobi. "Th-thank you for your s-service, Anbu-san." The ANBU nodded but sighed when Akamaru began barking, dashing off toward the nearest structure. She gave Kiba a watery smile and looked down, smoothing out her jacket. "I guess Ko found me."
Kiba ran to Akamaru when he let out a pained noise around the corner. "Akamar- Ko?" Akamaru was knocked out and Ko was there alright but he was on the ground and dragging himself. Kiba dropped and checked his partner and wanted to help Ko but he sensed danger.
Ko looked up at the kid, glad that he made it before his charge could be taken; he was positive that those nins were after her or another main branch member. "T- take Hinat-…"
"Watch over Akamaru!" Kiba was already moving toward Hinata and when he saw another ANBU reach out for his teammate - Hinata ducked and swept out the enemy's feet - he reached for a kunai and made a hand seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
He and his clone (he could only safely make one right now) simultaneously went through another couple of hand seals as the asshole made another grab his teammate. "Modified Gatsuga: Kiba style!"
Yeah, Kiba knew it was a dumb name but his sensei told him he needed a way to fight without Akamaru in case his pup was ever hurt or exhausted. This is what they came up with for the short term and his Ma had great tips, practicing with him to use it in a pinch now, too. His clone would definitely pop but he could get a vicious tearing stab on someone - "when in doubt, kunai out!" - before it did and immediately be in their face.
I got him! But they were in trouble because more idiots were jumping down into the fray. "Who the hell are you and what do you want?" –No answer, huh? Kiba threw himself in front of Hinata but Hinata had already begun to move. Fortunately, Kiba was able to roll out of her way.
Hinata was not letting anyone take her - it was something that had been beaten into her and Hanabi's skulls since they were toddlers - and needed to get to Ko! You are in the range of my divination! "Two palms! Four palms! Eight palms! 16 palms! 32 pal…" She hacked up blood and tumbled to the ground. An ANBU kneeled down beside her, shushing her while Kiba continued to fight.
"Yare, yare," Kabuto mumbled to himself. He had not expected the kids - one who should not be using chakra at all and the other without his companion ninken - to be able to take down the three Chunins as they did. "Calm down. I'm a med nin." His hand lit up in green healing chakra and he shushed the Hyuuga heiress as he began healing the worst of her problems. "No offense about all this, but I've got orders." He moved out of the way just in time when the, by now, very beat-up Inuzuka kid came flying at him. A quick pulse of chakra as he hit him and the kid's nervous system was fried. From behind his mask, Kabuto glared at the Kumo nins who'd just knocked the heiress out. They were… overenthusiastic.
"Shit," the big guy said as he stuffed the girl in a bag. "They're going to slow us down," he hissed about his injured - or worse - comrades as another checked their conditions
Kabuto moved in front of one of the nins - Lee, a Jonin from Kumo - when he moved to take down the unconscious Inuzuka kid. "The window for successful escape is quickly closing. Leave at once."
"Don't tell me what to do! He killed Fo!"
Kabuto pushed his glasses up behind his mask. "Fo-san fell to a Genin. You're already behind schedule." And I don't necessarily like killing kids.
- And, if someone is going to kill a kid when I'm around, it's going to be me.
Lee dropped the heiress and cut off his emotions as he searched through his former student's pockets but realized Konoha KNEW the kid since he'd participated in the exams. His poor dead student had finally gotten the girl he'd been after since the Academy but now… "Kyo, pick him up, and let's go!" He picked the bagged Hyuuga up again, slinging the bagged girl over his shoulder.
"H-hai!"
The Kumo nins ran like hell.