Heya,
Another chapter of this one. For those of you who are still waiting on Bewitching Dance, you'll hopefully be pleased to know that I am back to writing for it. No ETA just yet regarding next chapter for that, but hopefully it won't be too long.
But enough about other stories; let's focus up over here:
For those of you who are enjoying/looking forward to this story, I'm glad that I was able to provide a bit sooner than I was originally expecting/intending to. Please don't expect this to be the typical update schedule regarding this story. I wanna make sure y'all are fed, but I've got a lot of stuff working in the background and can't always devote a ton of time to this. That said, I have been greatly enjoying writing it, and the feedback that many of you have given me have really been a joy to read.
Right then- enough rambling... Enjoy!
"Next time we see each other, we'll settle things properly, believe it…"
Naruto's words replayed themselves unfettered in Sasuke's head. The fire in the boy's eyes- the confidence with which he had spoken-
Sasuke knew his old friend would not dare to come at him half-cocked.
He had grown. It felt like only weeks since he had stood above the blonde, cool as ever in his superiority, within Orochimaru's base; though, it had likely been more.
Time had started to blend together for him, as of late.
"Back then, I spared you on a whim; today, I'll take your life as a whim too…"
Now, Naruto was stronger than him… Even if he'd been healthy, Sasuke doubted he'd have stood much of a chance.
… He still wasn't sure if he'd even meant those words, back then… Maybe he'd just been acting cool to get under the blonde's skin.
Part of him wondered if Naruto knew; that knucklehead always seemed to understand him so well- often, even better than Sasuke understood himself.
Perhaps that was why his words had stricken such a chord within him…
"What's your endgame?"
Something about that, to have Naruto of all people looking down on his ambition-
It infuriated him beyond measure.
Because he of all people should have understood- should have supported him in his goals.
Naruto of all people had as much reason to hate Konoha as he did, didn't he?
So why had he chosen to play the sheep? His old friend had always fought tooth and nail for his own sake, and yet-
Sasuke snarled, fingers darting out blindly to swat aside the glass at his bedside; water spilled as the cup impacted the wall.
And yet there he was, looking down on him.
"Just like the rest!" Sasuke growled.
"I hope you know you're cleaning that up," Madara's voice came in, his tone ever-reeking with that irritating chide..
"Whatever…" Sasuke tried to brush him off. The bandages around his eyes made it impossible to look directly at the man, but his hearing was as good as ever. His sense of smell, too. "Why do you smell like blood?"
"It's not important," Madara rebutted, smoothly. "I simply had some important business to take care of." A pause, then he spoke again. "Naruto asked for you."
"You met him?" And Sasuke hated how transparent his voice sounded to his own ears.
Wait, had he- "Did you kill him?"
He didn't know what he'd do if he had…
"I'm flattered that you think so highly of me, but I doubt it'd be quite so simple," Madara mourned, and something in Sasuke's chest unknotted, at that. "He doesn't seem to think very highly of you, however. That boy is convinced that you've lost your mind."
Obviously, the man was instigating. But Sasuke couldn't deny- That hurt to hear.
He felt more lucid than he'd ever been!
Still- "Whatever… Is that all you wanted to bother me with?"
"That, and to check on your progress. How are you acclimating?"
Sasuke shrugged, already losing patience with the idle chat. "Fine."
It was clear as day that he wanted to be done with the man, and Sasuke could practically hear the man's frown as Madara spoke next.
"I suppose that's that, then…"
Then he was gone, and Sasuke leaned back into his bed frame, almost in a daze. Naruto's disappointed features made his skin crawl, like a horde of fire-ants itching in his veins.
"Next time, we'll settle things for sure."
Why did that spark such anxiety in him?
Naruto had known the moment Konan asked him to, that he would take Nagato's eyes. Still, he'd at least had to try to rebuff the demand.
"Can't you use them, yourself?" He tried to argue, almost desperately.
Konan smiled sardonically. "You would trust me to wield the rinnegan?"
"W-well yeah! We're allies now, aren't we?"
Naive. Yet, endearing in a way she could only appreciate… Even still- "Even if I wanted to, I could not." Konan sighed. "Those eyes demand much of their wielder. Were I to implant them into myself, I would surely die before long."
Naruto stammered at that revelation. Getting ahead of his next query, she added- "You, however- you are far stronger than even Nagato was at that age… Moreover, you both share the same lineage; I have no doubt you will wield them well."
Same lineage… Naruto had thought at the time that she meant their shared status as Jiraiya's students. But in hindsight, she-too had studied under the late Pervy Sage.
What had she meant then?
He hadn't gotten to ask, for she had rushed him to complete the procedure the very moment he'd let a half-hearted agreement slip through the cracks.
And Naruto was remiss to go back on his word.
Thus, the blindfold he'd let Sakura secure over his face.
"You're sure you want to do this?" Sakura whispered, almost petrified by the scalpel clenched between her fingers. "This isn't something you can just-" She could not continue, and Naruto could only sigh, because he was honestly of the same mind as her.
"If that Madara guy comes around again, we might not make it to Rain quick enough to make a difference next time…"
Even if they did, there was little guarantee that they could win.
Moreover, it felt almost wrong to even consider rejecting the blue-haired woman's plea, knowing just how much it meant to her.
Sakura's work was, as always, perfect. He recalled her mumbling, explaining to him all that she was doing as she painlessly performed the procedure; a habit she'd developed as part of her bedside manner, as she'd once told him. He tried to listen intently as she spoke about "easing compatibility," and "mending optic channels so you don't wind up like Kakashi-sensei."
Hey, he tried to be a good student, at least… Mostly. She'd lost him inevitably though.
When all was said and done, Sakura had tried to stay by his side for a time;
He appreciated it, truly. It was nice not to be all alone…
Though, he still hadn't quite been able to help the clipped tones that had eventually driven her off. He really hated that bitter side of himself sometimes; but he just couldn't pretend like he wasn't still hurt by what she had done.
"I love you…"
He sighed, shaking his head until it stung a little.
He wasn't sure he wanted to think about that right now.
The door to the spare room Konan had supplied for him creaked open, and Naruto perked up at the new company.
"Heya," Naruto tried to greet Konan casually. He waved, plastering a brilliant, white-toothed grin that was meant purely for her. "Come to check on me, eh?"
"Yes," She agreed, easily. Konan stepped further into the room, and though her posture was as polite as ever, he knew her nervousness from the lilt of her chakra. "How are you faring?"
He shrugged. "Feeling funky fresh, believe it. These things even have that new eyeball smell, ya know."
Her nose scrunched in disgust, but he could practically feel her amusement in the air. Then, apprehension. "You aren't angry with me?" Sensing his confusion, she amended- "For pressing you to do this, that is."
"I mean- an eyeball transplant wasn't exactly in my 'Ninja bingo' table for this month, but I guess it's still better than being eaten by a giant snake." Konan blinked, curiously, and an awkward laugh was his response for her. "Er- My Chunin exams went extra crazy, ya know."
"A-ah…"
"Yeah…" He sighed. "Nah, we're on the same page… I can kick and scream and whine about it all I want, but if it helps me keep you and Konoha safe, then I know in my heart it's the right thing to do…" An awkward quiet bloomed on her end after that. "Er- my face is itchy as hell though." He tried not to fidget with his blindfold, but his fingers were already picking away at the bindings before he could fully stop himself.
"Hold on, you're not yet healed-" Konan tried to stop him, but came to a stop as the binds fell away; her breath hitched as her best friend's eyes found hers yet again.
"Eh, magic fox healing, remember?" Naruto shrugged. He blinked a few times, then had to scrunch his eyes shut as his late enemy's vision filled his senses. "Ouchies…"
It was a kaleidoscope of colors, so intense and vibrant that for a moment, he thought he'd keel over and vomit. Every single detail, from the stray motes of dust that filled the room to the stitching between the blanket covering his knees! Naruto cast his vision towards Konan through slightly parted eyelids, and marveled at the sight before him. He could make out the finest details of her face; the curve of her shape beneath her cloak, and even-
He gasped as he took in the definition of her chakra, taxed and wounded, but still creeping confidently beneath the surface of her flesh. "So this is magic eyeball privilege…"
"Please stop ogling me with my best friend's eyes," Konan deadpanned, not missing his lingering gaze.
"Please stop harassing your best friend's eyes with your hotness."
"So you admit to it, then." Konan glared at him, but her subdued mirth lingered in the air.
"I admit to nothing," Naruto rebutted, deliberately casting his gaze away so as to not truly annoy her this time. "How the hell did he live like this though?"
It was simply too much. He scrunched his eyes tight again, fingers pressing against his temples in a bid for peace. You got anything for headaches?"
Like a loboto-mommy perhaps… Was that how it went? It sounded right- see Sakura? He paid attention!
A soft chuckle was his response, and Naruto realized immediately that this was the first time he'd heard Konan laugh.
"I'll get you something. For now, maybe you should rest a bit more." She reached after the discarded binds at his lap, her chakra working through its form to restore its shape as she wound it all back around his head. "I believe Nagato had some old blindfolds, for when he needed a break; I can find them for you."
In the end, he'd forgotten again to ask her what she knew of his lineage in the throes of his budding headache. She'd bustled off with haste, returning only minutes later with some pills for him to swallow and a thick, silken black blindfold that he could remarkably still see through just fine, despite its layers.
At the very least, it seemed to take much of the edge off his vision.
But then the medicine had kicked in, and he'd dozed off, proper.
And landed smack dab in a sewer…
The water seemed lower than he remembered it being; maybe he was just getting taller. Where it had once sloshed about all the way to his knees, now it seemed to barely reach even just his ankles.
"Look at me," The Kyuubi's growl sounded above, the lilt of barely suppressed fury bubbling with every syllable.
Glancing up from the filth, Naruto tried to cooly regard the titanic fox-like creature, and he was proud to say that he didn't fully flinch at the violence in its eyes. "Heya champ… How's jail treating you?"
"... So it's true then…" The Kyuubi's black-muzzled lips twisted, curling upward bit by bit until his death reflected itself in each of its massive daggers for teeth. "Tell me boy, and don't you dare lie to me- how did you wind up stealing his eyes?"
Naruto frowned. "You fought Nagato just the same as I did. Don't ask dumb questions, fox."
"I'm not talking about that whelp!" The Nine Tailed Fox roared, rearing up to cast its baleful glare down at him. "Those eyes should have burned their way right out of your puny little sockets! Scorched you apart and rolled out of your head like a set of bloody baubles!"
"Maybe I'm just built like that." Naruto shrugged.
"Take me seriously, damn you!" It snarled, slamming one of its oversized, five-fingered hands down with deafening force. The sewer's water went flying, splashing violently over Naruto and drenching him completely.
"Gross!" Then, he took a breath, biting back the urge to instigate in the face of the beast's tantrum. "What exactly do you want me to say then, huh? Konan asked me to take Nagato's eyes. I did it, 'cuz the other option was letting that Madara guy steal them."
"They're Madara's to begin with, you stupid little monkey!"
Naruto blinked, slowly. "Wha-"
"Listen!" The fox demanded his full attention, and Naruto gave it. "I know not how you came across those things, but those eyes belong to the devil! They are but a perversion of the original, forged of greed and avarice! You need to get rid of them!"
Naruto frowned, because little of what the fox had said so far made any sense to him. But the damn thing was smart, and rarely spoke without purpose- even if he could rarely trust it at its word. "These eyes belonged to Nagato…" He spoke slowly.
"Grah! And who do you think he got them from? Are you so naive to think such eyes just pop into existence!?" The fox huffed, sensing the boy's desire for comprehension. "That monster wrapped a leash around my neck long before even the first of your kin went and crammed me in a cage…" There was something so wholly bitter about those words, and Naruto almost found himself apologizing. "I can recognize his chakra anywhere. You need to get rid of those things before they end up biting us both in the tail."
Naruto's frown only went deeper. This was more forthcoming than the Kyuubi had ever been with information of any kind. It was clear enough that the fox was desperate; if he didn't know any better, he would think it was afraid…
Still- "I can't do that," He finally said after a moment; he raised a palm as the Nine Tails' slitted stare narrowed further with fury. "Listen… I heard you out, so now you gotta grant me that same courtesy."
Its visage twisted further with disgust, but finally- "Speak!"
"Whatever you think-" He frowned, amending himself. "Whatever or whomever you say these eyes belong to, I swore to use them to do some good in this world. I promised Nagato and Konan that I would. If you know anything about me, it's that I don't go back on my word."
Still, the fox did not speak, so Naruto continued with a sigh. "Look, I ain't trying to give you more reasons to hate me than you already do. Contrary to whatever you think I believe, I don't exactly take pleasure keeping you cooped up like this, and I sure as shit ain't just disregarding you, ya know? But this is just something I gotta do. Now if you want to help me to use them right or whatever, then we've got a conversation."
It was an olive branch that he knew the fox wouldn't take. Trust was minimal on both sides; especially after the thing had tried to possess his body against Pain.
"But I ain't just chucking these eyes in the disposal bin, if that's the best you've got for me."
"Tch," The Kyuubi finally snarled after a long moment. "Then get out of my sight. And never look upon me with those evil eyes of yours again."
Then, a flick of one of its mighty tails, and Naruto was sent flying with a groan.
It was only a few hours before Naruto had woken again, the migraine pounding in his skull thankfully reduced, somewhat. The blindfold that Konan had acquired for him was firmly secured around his face, and a long use of Konan's personal shower at least batted the lion's share of his exhaustion away for the moment. Another round of pain meds had done the rest, and it was a mostly refreshed Naruto who once again touched base with his traveling companions.
"You've learned well," Kakashi humorously praised him, approaching mere moments after seeing his new look.
"Double the blindfold, double the power." Naruto shared a grin with the man, and it was weird to say that he could almost make out his sensei's exact features beneath his mask, even with the blindfold in the way.
"Are you sure you can see?" Sakura piped up, worriedly, for even though her friend had claimed thrice now that he could, it still made little sense to her.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" Karin cut in, thrusting her fingers right before Naruto's face.
Leaning back a bit, he chuckled. "Three."
"How about now?"
"Five- two- three- stop changing them!" He laughed loudly, and Karin grinned right back.
"Must be a fluke." She chortled, the end tail of her laugh dying into a weak cough as Konan loudly cleared her throat.
"It would be selfish of me to keep you here any longer than I already have." Her tone was even, but Naruto and Karin both sensed clearly that she wished otherwise. "Naruto-san, I will be in touch with you. Should you need anything at all of me, you need only call on me, and I'll be there."
Naruto nodded back with a frown. Konan's poker face was impressive as hell. But he had worn a mask or two plenty in his life to know it when he saw it. "Okay, but what if I just wanna watch the newest Princess Gale movie with you?"
She froze, eyes misting just slightly at the meaning behind his words. Then- "Then… I will bring popcorn," She returned, the smallest shade of a smile budding at her lips. "I will of course keep your little friend close by, as we discussed."
The toad he'd left with her nodded in solidarity, peeking out from within her collar.
Gamatamayo had one of the fastest reverse summonings among the Toad clan's messengers. She had been personally recommended for the task by old man Fukasaku- er, Pa… If Madara returned, Naruto could be there in seconds. Or barring that, he could summon them both to him.
Part of him wanted to ask her to simply come with him. They would be more effective together, and he knew she would concede, if he would only ask earnestly enough.
But he knew that she couldn't. Rain still needed her to lead, in Nagato's absence; Naruto knew well that the duty of a Kage was not something so easily shirked…
Naruto shifted, fingers reaching up to adjust the hood of his cloak that she had offered to each of them. His was matte black- thick and well-layered, and with a scarlet inner lining that was decorated with raised, thorn-like orange detailing. He was half-beginning to think she had had the item made specifically for him.
And thankfully, no red clouds; though, Konan still seemed rather remiss to do away with the iconography for herself, just yet.
"Alrighty, who wants to run all the way back to Konoha!?"
A trio of groans were his only response, and Naruto laughed loudly, stepping forward to offer his hand to his friend.
She took his palm in both hands, bowing her head almost reverently. Then, she reached into her cloak and procured a small book, placing it firmly into his grasp and delicately closing his fingers around the spine. "We will be in touch," She finally murmured, then releasing him and stepping back a polite distance.
In that case, it was time to go.
Naruto turned on his heel, his steady march joined by that of his companions and steadily picking up the pace.
"If you leave us in the dust again, I'll punch you," Sakura warned him, and Naruto didn't have to fake the laugh that came for her this time.
"Those sound like racing words!"
"Naruto no!"
"Naruto, yes!"
Fugaku's eyes were acclimating well.
They surely were a far cry from his original mangekyou; it was almost odd, staring properly through two eye sockets for the first time in what felt like forever.
Still, they were better than going without, entirely.
His two crimson lights spun with an aggressive whirl, flitting this way and that as he adjusted further.
"They'll do," He finally allowed, ducking his head down with a sigh.
"Don't let the brat find out whose eyes you pilfered," Black Zetsu warned him with a humorless chortle. "He'd be at your throat before sundown."
Madara didn't doubt it. That boy seemed all over the place; sometimes he was perfectly placid- almost polite, even. Then, quick as a switch, he was glaring bloody murder with those transplanted eyes of his or muttering under his breath.
"Naruto…"
Madara was getting damn tired of hearing Sasuke mutter that boy's name; he was still sore about what he'd done to him.
Sore about what that little twerp had made him sacrifice!
He grit his teeth, forcing himself to take a calming breath.
Inhale. Exhale…
Right… It was all the more sign that he needed Sasuke's cooperation. The blonde jinchuriki was dangerous, with immaculate, unpredictable battle instincts that had proven time and again to be capable of punching even far above his own weight class. Now adding to that was the ever-mysterious sage mode that neither he nor Zetsu seemed to even fully understand- a power which had somehow surmounted even the mighty rinnegan…
If it came down to a battle for blood, he was sure that he should win. Madara was far from some one trick pony; even without the advantage of Kamui, his own experience and talents were as potent as ever.
But risking himself needlessly made for a foolish endeavor. His plan simply could not afford for him to risk himself any further, dealing too recklessly with that menace.
No, better to let Sasuke waste both of their time and energy, since both fools seemed too eager to volunteer themselves to such tripe.
Heh, perhaps if he were lucky, both of those boys would just kill each other, and all he'd have to do was come sweep up the pieces…
Oh, who was he kidding? He couldn't let that happen; not until he got the Kyuubi, that is. Now wasn't the time to let his pettiness blind him to his motive…
Madara flexed his arm, staring down at the newly made scar in his forearm.
No, now more than ever, he needed to act decisively, and with a surgeon's precision!
"And what did you hope to achieve, wasting precious time transplanting that boy's flesh?"
"It wasn't a waste." It had been a pipe dream, hoping to procure enough of the Nine Tails' chakra from that tiny bit of flesh he'd torn from the boy's lip. Even just enough to get the ball rolling with the Statue.
Alas, no luck. The blasted thing wasn't responding at all, in the absence of the rinnegan! So instead- "Uzumaki chakra is legendary for their vitality, rivaling even the likes of the mighty Senju. What's more, his has been soaked since birth in the Fox's power."
And he knew that well, for he had held the boy before even his own parents.
That sparked a morbid chuckle.
"In the absence of the rinnegan-" Without it, the plan could not proceed; he would not be able to control the Gedo Statue without at least one of them. Much less seal the remaining tailed beasts! "-I'll need every resource at my disposal to reclaim them. It's not a waste," He repeated.
"Heh… Well at least you're taking this seriously now, Madara."
"Shut up," Madara groaned. "I need to get ahead of him and the other villages before they can mount an offensive." His injuries at Konan and the boy's hands had delayed him far longer than he would have liked. "And that starts by stress-testing these eyes."
White Zetsu leaned forward, his face excited. "Oh! Are you gonna go after him again?"
The chaotic whirl of chakra as Minato's rasengan carved through his spine…
Now again, years later; his body broken down as that man's son destroyed him too.
Hell no… At least- "Not yet." Then an idea came to him. Several, actually- "Call for Kisame. I have a job for him while I take care of some urgent business."
Tsunade should have known that Naruto's presence would be missed. In the wake of his victory over Pain, it was like the village had done a full one-eighty on their opinions of him.
Well, that wasn't entirely true…
She had seen it happening for a while now, from the moment the boy had brought her back to Konoha and she had taken the helm as Hokage. She had noted the little changes; how distrustful civilians steadily softened their gaze over time; how her ninja asked for him on occasion, sometimes for missions- often, just to know how he was faring .
But when the invasion had come, she had feared for a moment that it would all be reversed- that they would blame him for Pain's arrival, and lay the evisceration of the village squarely at that poor boy's feet.
Yet, not one of her ninja had sold him out. None had so much as lied to spare their own lives…
It was gratifying, to see that his efforts had finally been recognized. After nearly sixteen long years, Jiraiya's student was finally being recognized for the hero that he was.
She knew that the boy was still out of his depth; he had spent so long as the village pariah that seeing any level of positive attention from the locals should no doubt leave him anxious…
But he deserved it; she only wished that he knew that.
Still, clearly his efforts had not touched everyone's heart.
"You let him leave?" Elder Koharu growled at her, all but hunched over the table to glare into Tsunade's eyes.
"Yep."
"Do you have any idea what you've done!?"
"Yep!" Tsunade cast her gaze downward, stirring a saucer of sake between her fingertips. "Is that all you came here for? To bug me about Naruto?"
Koharu's nostrils flared. "Recall him immediately!"
"Why?"
"Why- have you already forgotten the turmoil this village suffered, because you allowed him to roam free!? Now, war has been declared on us, and you think letting the beast hang loose is appropriate? The village cannot withstand another attack! Certainly not while Akatsuki remains on the prowl for the Kyuubi!" Her hands thumped heavily against Tsunade's desk. "Recall him! We need to confirm arrangements to send the fox to Turtle Island at once!"
Tsunade shrugged. "Nah."
She noted with no small amount of pleasure that the old woman seemed fit to blow a gasket.
"If I may-" Elder Homura spoke up. Unlike his colleague, he remained politely seated, a cup of tea clad in his withered fingers. "I do not necessarily agree with some of the -ahem- rhetoric that Koharu has used…" He leveled an unimpressed stare with the woman, who merely scoffed. "However, the sentiment is correct, I believe. Naruto-san would be safer, monitored properly on Turtle Island."
If only because he'd actually bothered to use the boy's name, Tsunade deigned him with a proper response. "I discussed the matter with Naruto. He didn't want to go."
Homura blinked. "A-ah…" He seemed a bit out of his depth at the rather blunt response. Koharu on the other hand-
"He 'didn't want to go'!? Exactly when did you begin catering to the silly whims of every child, Tsunade?"
Tsunade wanted to reach up and strangle the old bint. But she could do better. "When he started putting in more work than the entire village, combined. That includes you both- in case you needed me to spell that out." The room fell silent, and Tsunade Senju finally stood. "It's clear to me that there's been a bit of misunderstanding in how things are run here. You don't make the rules; I do… Your job is to advise me when I ask for it, not loom over me like a fucking cave bat and tell me how to do my job… Get the hell out of my office."
Koharu stood there for a long moment, myriad emotions sprinting across her wrinkled face; her fists shook with unconcealed rage. Then she turned on her heel and marched for the door.
"And Koharu?" Tsunade called for her, freezing the woman in her tracks. "Don't think that I am unaware of the roles you both played in the Uchiha massacre."
Koharu twitched. "I have only ever acted for the good of Konoha-"
"Don't care," Tsunade interrupted, and the old woman twitched again. "What I'm saying is that if I suspect for even a moment that you are acting behind my back- especially where Naruto is concerned, I will beat you both to death with a coat hanger and hang your skins from it in my wardrobe. Are we understood?"
The clammy-skinned woman nodded stiffly; she fidgeted with the door twice before finally securing a good enough grip to escape Tsunade's glare.
That left Elder Homura, who remained placidly sipping his tea.
"That meant both of you." Tsunade swung her hand as if waving off a stray animal. "Shoo."
"I will, but before that, I wished to have a private word with you." Homura nodded his head downward, a clear show of deference that told her he was not meaning to disrespect her. If only for that, she would hear him out.
"If this is about Naruto-"
"In a sense… I simply wish to make clear that my focus is not to restrict him or question your authority… However, we cannot ignore that Naruto-san's situation should require a greater degree of oversight. Now more than ever, he will have a number of enemies eager to kill or capture him before he can get much stronger. Although I question the way that she conveyed it, I do truly believe that Koharu's intentions are ultimately for the benefit of us all, and even for him as well."
Tsunade frowned. He wasn't wrong- not entirely, at least. Clearly, the snake's head had not yet been cut, as far as Akatsuki was concerned.
Naruto's strength was hardly in question. But he wasn't invincible; even if she didn't like the idea of cooping him up on an island for the foreseeable future, something needed to be done to ensure his and the village's continued safety.
It was actually a struggle to slow down enough that the others could keep up. Despite the headache that still hadn't seemed to fully abate, Naruto felt like he had more energy than ever!
Or maybe it was that he was barely expending anything at all…
His sage training had given him a great deal of insight into the amount of energy the average person wasted on unnecessary movements; his training in Frog Kata with Pa had helped him greatly to iron many of those inefficiencies out of even his regular movements; he had thought he'd cut them down significantly while learning to be still.
Now though, that the rinnegan had been implanted, it felt like even that tiny bit of remnant energy loss that had seemed so inconsequential before, had been reduced even further to virtually nothing.
His energy expenditure felt so much more efficient, his eyes that he still barely even understood naturally calculating even the tiniest fractions of cost with every movement. His brain and body instinctively followed suit, and Naruto had to fight against that natural accommodation to remain in sight of Sakura, Kakashi, and Karin.
"Will you slow down already!?" Sakura groaned. "Why are you in such a hurry now, huh?"
"I'm not!" Naruto groaned right back. "I feel like I'm going as slow as I can!"
Really, it was like the whole world was moving in slow motion, and only he was moving normally!
"Well you're still too fast!"
"Maybe you just suck!" Naruto laughed to take some of the edge off that, but the twig that Sakura snagged from a passing tree and hurled at his head told him exactly what she thought of that.
Dodging it was natural, and Naruto cast a glance back to tease his teammate further, but much of his moxie was lost as he really took in their haggard postures. Karin especially- her face was a bright scarlet, a heavy sheen of sweat building at her collar and soaking through the upper half of her shirt. Hell, she looked ready to keel over or vomit from the strain.
Whoops.
"Hey Kakashi-sensei, can we take a break?" He exclaimed, reaching out to snag a branch and tilting to smoothly slide along its length and down the tree it was attached to. "I'm feeling kinda spent, ya know?"
Three sighs of relief were his answer, and he couldn't help but feel at least a little guilty.
A while later, and the sun had already begun to fall; what had originally been planned as a short rest and nothing more quickly saw them resting proper for the night.
Naruto sat in front of the fire that Kakashi had struck, staring into the embers with a blank visage.
He'd volunteered for the first watch, as he still felt as energetic as ever. The headache that he'd nursed throughout the day had built up again slowly, and Naruto was remiss to waste any of the remaining pills Konan had provided him. At the very least, it remained mostly manageable still, likely the work of the blindfold that Konan had supplied him with
A stick broke behind him, and Naruto whipped around, strands of chakra twisting together and half-forming to attack. Instead of an enemy though, he simply found Karin, standing petrified.
"Er- please don't blow me up?"
Naruto chuckled nervously. "I won't." His eyes cast away from her for a moment, half-set on staring back into the flame. But that just felt rude, didn't it?
"How are you feeling?" He tried, looking her up and down. "Are you uh- healing up fine?"
She shrugged, stepping up and around to seat herself on a log across from him. Snatching up a stick from a nearby pile, she began to prod absently at the light source. "Fine, I guess?"
Naruto frowned at her muted demeanor. She'd seemed rather lively, just earlier… "Is it about-"
"I don't only think of Sasuke, ya know," Karin grumbled, and Naruto's cheeks tinged a little pink.
"My bad."
She didn't acknowledge the apology, instead staring intently into the flame. "There were more of us than just Sasuke and I; Suigetsu and Jugo- they were also our comrades…" Karin frowned. "I should've known he wasn't shit when Sasuke left them behind without a thought."
When she'd last seen Jugo, he'd had a gaping hole in his chest, courtesy of the Raikage… She hadn't seen Suigetsu die, but surely he couldn't have made it out in one piece either, huh?
It pained her to admit that she missed them- both of them… She missed arguing with Suigetsu over nonsense, and how he'd tease her and let her smack him for it, just so he could splash her with water. She missed Jugo, so silent and unobtrusive, but always so earnest with his little animal friends.
Hell, she supposed she missed Sasuke too- or at least, the one who would let her cling to him like a damn spider monkey and respond dryly to all of their antics, unconcerned and seeming with the patience of a saint.
They hadn't been together for overly long, but it had been- well, it had been nice.
"You worried about them?" Naruto tried to plaster a grin in place- for reassurance.
"Not much to be worried about at this point." Karin shrugged helplessly, trying and failing to play nonchalant. "They're almost definitely dead."
"O-oh…" That silenced any other words Naruto could have thought to say. "We could try looking for them after we get back to the village!"
Karin merely shrugged, and he knew she wasn't buying any of his optimism…
God, the idea that his old friend- that he would have left any of his comrades to die, let alone trying to end one of them, himself- "Er- about Sasuke-"
"Yes?" There was something stiff in her tone that told him to tread carefully, so tried to measure his words properly.
"I think it was real shitty of him- what he did to you guys."
She frowned "... But?"
Naruto frowned right back, feeling sure that she had misread his intentions. "No buts. That's it; I ain't gonna apologize for him or tell you to forgive him… I don't know what you guys' relationship was, but you clearly saw him as someone precious. What he did was messed up- plain and simple."
"Oh…" That got her full attention. Casting the burnt remains of her stick into the flame, Karin leaned forward. "So what, then? What are you trying to say?"
She hated how angry she sounded.
Naruto was silent for another moment. Then- "The Sasuke I know would have never done something like that… You asked me before why I'm going so far for that dummy, and it's 'cuz that kind of monster- that ain't who Sasuke truly is. I know his heart better than anybody."
"And what if you're wrong?" Karin half-stood, having to force herself once more to play it cool. "Maybe he's just trash now; what if you don't know him as well as you think you do?"
"Maybe… It's just-" Naruto leaned forward too, staring deep into the fire until she half-thought he wasn't even speaking to her anymore. "Maybe I don't have all the details, but when he and I clash fists, I can see it as plain as day. He's suffering so, so much."
Naruto choked back a hiccup, and Karin startled with the realization that the boy was struggling not to cry.
"Right now, he's lashing out at the world 'cuz he feels helpless otherwise… I know what that feels like, ya know?"
Karin half-sneered. "Y-yeah? Well, would you have ever left your friends for dead? Did you ever put a fucking spear through their chest and walk past them like they weren't worth more than a log of shit on the road!?"
"I wouldn't know. I didn't have any."
That made her pause.
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
Naruto frowned. "I guess, 'cuz I can see that you're suffering too…" He stared above the fire and even through the blindfold, she could tell he was trying to meet eyes with her. "He really hurt you."
It should have made her angrier, but all she could do was slump. "Yeah…"
"Don't think for a second I'm asking you to just forgive him; he sure as shit ain't off the hook with me either!" Naruto stood up too, palming his fist with a grin. "I'm gonna punch him for you," Naruto said, resolutely. "Like- really hard. I'mma make him shit the skin off my knuckles."
"Gross!" Karin finally laughed. "How are you two even friends? You're both so unalike!"
"Easy, I'm the cool one, he's the ugly, stinky, broody, dumb one. We complete each other!" They laughed loudly, remembering only seconds later that there were people sleeping and dying down a bit. Then, he sighed a shaky breath. "But just- just give me a chance to reach him and show you who Sasuke really is- that he can be better than that. And if you still wanna spit in his face and tell him to piss off after I've made that asshole apologize and mean it, then more power to ya!"
Karin didn't really know where he was getting all this boundless optimism from. But- "You and your team saved my life… I- the least I can give back to you is some patience, I guess…"
Eventually, she did go back to sleep, leaving Naruto with the night all to himself. He didn't bother waking up Kakashi for the second shift, or Sakura for the third. Instead, he bided his time with the little book that Konan had urged him to take.
It was only one page in when he understood exactly what Rain's leader had gifted him.
A note explained it all, left for him by Konan:
Naruto-san, I found this book among Nagato's belongings; I believe he left it behind for me in the event that I ever inherited his rinnegan or found a worthy wielder. Seeing as you are their rightful wielder, I have presumed to pass it along to you in his stead. Please take care of it.
He already knew that he would.
Nagato had left behind extensive notes- knowledge, distilled and refined by his time wielding the rinnegan. They were incredibly thorough, listing many of the rinnegan's functions and even describing the mechanics behind their activation.
Still, a bunch of reading was well and good, but nothing could quite replace some good ol' hands-on learning. He was looking forward to experimenting a ton with some clones once they got back to the village!
That didn't mean that the book was worthless though; Nagato was a damn genius! Naruto had been so enthralled by the reading that he had hardly even noticed when the others had finally awoken. Even after they had finally regrouped, he had chosen to set a slower, walking pace while he read.
"What the heck does 'swooop, schwiing' mean!?" Sakura groaned, glaring over his shoulder as they walked.
"No, no, it's 'shwooopschwiing'," Naruto corrected her. "One word. You know like when you're falling from really high up and suddenly your fall is broken by something? It's like that."
"How do you- what does that even mean?"
Wasn't Sakura supposed to be the smart one? Naruto resisted the urge to palm his forehead. "Obviously, it means you gotta clench really hard to brace yourself."
"Nothing about that sound suggests that!?"
"Blinking rapidly," Karin joined Sakura, staring over Naruto's other shoulder for a moment. Then she looked at Sakura in deadpan. "Aren't you supposed to be super smart or something?"
Clearly, she lacked the same filter that he'd had to learn around Sakura..
"Wha-"
"Clearly he's saying that jutsu has a ton of recoil to control, so you gotta clench up so it doesn't hurt you while you're starting out.
Naruto let out a groan of relief. "Okay, so I'm not stupid!" He rolled his eyes at Sakura. "Step your shit up, Sakura-chan."
Sakura glared at both of them. "You two are just making fun of me! Kakashi-sensei, look at this and tell me they're making sense!"
Kakashi offered a cursory glance, blinking twice then squinting hard at the page. "Yep, that definitely says to clench. And this here-" He pointed below the series of jargon with a smile. "I think that says you need to hold your breath so the wave doesn't choke you out?"
Naruto nodded, sagely. "Good eye, Kakashi-sensei. But it's specifically saying to breathe out while you cast, so you also don't breathe in any debris."
"Ah, my mistake." Kakashi smiled, indulgently.
"It says 'Hwaaaau'! How did you get all of that from 'Hwaaaau'!?"
"Sakura-chan, it's basic language skills. What did they teach you in the academy?"
"We went to the same academy!"
"Well then only one of us paid any attention."
"You flunked twice!"
"And yet only one of us can read." Naruto snickered.
"Stop!" Sakura screamed. "Stop gaslighting me!"
Naruto tuned her out further, because really, she just wasn't making any sense at all.
Nagato was brilliant.
Kisame knew a bad deal when he saw one.
He'd been recalled from his search for the Eight Tails by his leader; it had been abrupt, and Zetsu had not seemed in the mood to entertain any of his questions.
Shame, his light half at least was always pretty fun to chat with.
Home base tended to change often, so it wasn't a surprise that he didn't recognize the space that the boss had chosen to meet with him.
"You have new orders," Madara spoke stiffly, only the ends of his feet visible through the darkness he'd shrouded himself in for their meet.
So he didn't want to be seen then… Why?
A sniff, and the smell of blood filled his senses; old wounds, partially healed.
Kisame grinned.
So that was why
"Run into a bit of trouble, eh?"
"Quiet," Madara hissed, the man's patience clearly well at its end already. "I don't want to hear it."
"Of course, Mizukage-sama."
"Don't call me that."
Honestly, this guy just couldn't seem to make up his mind, huh? He'd introduced himself as the Mizukage the day they met; the day that Kisame had assassinated the Third, and learned of the true motives of the man behind the mask.
Or maybe that- too was just another mask that he wore… But surely, the things he promised were well worth the risk, weren't they?
Eh, he was getting sentimental again.
"I want you to switch your focus to the Kyuubi jinchuriki."
Kisame raised an eyebrow. "But we can't even seal 'em out of order, can't we?"
Which meant the little blondie probably had something to do with the Mizukage still being on the mend, huh? Him, or somebody close to him.
"I have my reasons…"
"Sure, sure…" Kisame shrugged, for he knew better than to question the man too much. "One giant fox, coming right up."
But see, Kisame wasn't stupid. He knew damn well that fighting the guy who took down Pain, no matter the circumstances, was gonna be a pain -heh- in the ass. Doubly so, since Konoha ninja always traveled in packs.
"Eh, whatever…" Yeah, whatever the case, he was a soldier.
And good soldiers followed orders.
They were just a couple of minutes off from the border when Karin stopped them. "H-hold on…"
"What's up?" Naruto turned her way, tilting his head slightly with curiosity at the faraway look on her face.
"I- It's-" Karin stammered, her skin rapidly paling.
"H-hey, are you okay?" Sakura tried to comfort the girl, her own senses going on alert in response to Karin's sudden episode. Behind her, Naruto and Kakashi both seemed to get the memo as well, casting their own senses outward in preparation. Sage mode's pigmentation began to build quickly at Naruto's eyelids.
"B-big chakra, big! Coming straight for us!" Karin finally spit out, and right in time, as the moisture in the air seemed to spike upward. Then a roar, like the mighty bellows of a thousand lions, right before the skies above went dark. The two men glanced up, both going a bit pale as well as a veritable ocean of water spiraled into position, threatening to crush them from all sides.
"What the hell!?" Naruto breathed, instantly casting his sight after Sakura and Karin. The former had just enough time to snatch the latter into her arms before the storm crashed down on them, sweeping them into its strangling embrace.
Karin's ribs screamed as what felt like thousands upon thousands of pounds of water compressed her from all sides. Her body was ripped away from even Sakura's strong grip, slinging about in the torrent as it buffeted their bodies. Hers smashed gut-first into a splintering tree, driving the last bits of oxygen from her wheezing lungs just before the water once again dragged her into its unyielding depths.
Sakura tried to swim after her, intent to recover the redhead as she was torn away from her, but found that she-too was helpless under the water's force. Her body wracked as she was smashed through surrounding debris, the water taking almost special care to bury her under as much of it all as possible.
Naruto witnessed both, panic fueling him as the two young women were dragged off and harassed by the enemy's jutsu. He made to go after them, but that strategy hit a wall as the water around him twisted, a heavy vortex surging around him and steadily morphing its shape until hundreds of shark-like constructs lingered all around him.
Wonderful. So the enemy was after him then…
Nearly at once, they attacked, watery forms eager to rip and slice through his flesh from all sides.
Yeah, no.
He blurred into motion, wreathing himself in senjutsu chakra and taking hold of the environment around him. It was hardly a skill he had mastered, but manipulating the latent energy around him was a core skill behind the Toad clan's Frog Kata. With the rinnegan's processing power doing so much heavy lifting- Naruto rocketed off, twisting and weaving to avoid the storm of sharp-finned constructs that moved with intent to kill. He spun out, just quickly enough to steer clear of a flanking group, then tried to careen upward; his ascent was blocked as well as the water continued to spawn even more attackers.
In that case-
Naruto's palms clapped together, chakra surging forth and coalescing together into a spherical shape as they parted. The rasengan he'd manifested twisted, then exploded in a shockwave of force that dispersed itself outward; the surging energy cleaved apart the watery constructs in an instant, granting him the reprieve needed to survey his situation once again. Eyes cast all around, spotting the faint pitch of light beneath him; trusting his gut, he rocketed after it, slimming his body for further speed as the water around him continued to roil and lurch. Dozens upon dozens more sharks swelled to life, roaring all around him with cold intent to kill, but Naruto continued to weave deftly about, fingers combing through familiar hand seals while steering clear of the danger to finally spew out from the water.
"Ack!" He spit, hammering on his chest to clear the water in his lungs. "Oka-okay! Fuck you, man!" He growled blindly, tears budding at the corners of his eyes as he tried to choke down another breath.
He had only gotten that breath halfway down before his instincts warned him, and the sing of a blade got him moving. Naruto whipped around right in time to respond, and the kunai he'd palmed for protection splintered apart as an oversized blade smashed into his guard and sent him flying.
"You suck!" Naruto yelled after his assailant as his body was tossed airborne. He spiraled, body wracked by the sudden forces that sent him spinning and flipping out of control; finally, he caught himself enough to survey his surroundings as he continued his flight.
Water, as far as the eye could see. Neither Sakura, Karin, or Kakashi had surfaced yet; if he knew his sensei like he thought he did, the man was likely handling recovery.
Which meant he'd been right to surface as bait.
Naruto twisted in mid-air to adhere his feet atop the toppling side of a large tree, finally finding just enough time to choke down a full, relieving breath before his vision was once more filled with the sight of his assailant.
Blue skin and hair; gills at the neck and shark-like teeth.
"Yep!" Naruto lurched forward to intercept his attacker, both palms slamming down to halt the approach of his bandaged sword; his body braced under the weight, comfortable not to yield under even the crippling strength of Kisame Hoshigake. "You guys really know how to ruin my good mood, ya know!"
Kisame laughed. "Whoops! Sorry kiddo; I can come back later, if you'd like?"
"Wait, really-"
"Nope!" His blade shook, something close to a growl sounding from beneath its binds; then without warning, its spines shot out, stabbing through Naruto's guarding hands.
"Shit!" He cursed, his strength leaving him almost at once as it sucked at his chakra. "Your blade eats chakra? That's c-cool as shit, ya know!"
"Oh that's not all!" Gripping his blade with both hands, Kisame heaved, rotating the two with increasing speed as his blade continued to expand; its form fully breached its bindings, revealing a large, club-like blade with a gaping, salivating maw full of teeth! Then, at the apex of their spin- "Let him loose, Samehada!"
His weapon squealed like a pig as its impaling thorns broke loose from its body, and Naruto was hurled screaming; his body smashed through the tree he'd taken as refuge, barreling onward to continue a violent trajectory through waves and rubble until he finally came to a painful stop, cratered through wood, some distance away.
"I w-want one," Naruto groaned painfully, struggling to find the much needed strength to even divest himself of the rubble he'd been embedded into. "So… Is t-that like an- like an heirloom? Or did you cop that sucker off the ninja market? I want mine in orange."
Kisame dropped down before him with a heavy 'thud.' "What are they teaching you in the academy, bud?" Stepping forward, he hefted the weapon forward until its salivating jaws were mere inches from the face of a cloudy-eyed Naruto. "This here is the greatest of Mist's Seven Swords: Samehada!"
"Hey Samehada… I'm Naruto; please don't eat me." Naruto chuckled nervously as the blade seemed to grin malevolently. "Pretty please?"
"You know, you really shouldn't be making so much noise if you don't wanna be tracked; I caught you guys' trail miles off, 'cuz you're loud as shit, boy." Then he frowned. "How in the hell did a twerp like you take down Pain?"
"Heh-" Naruto ducked his head down, a wide grin splitting his face horizontally. "You wanna find out?"
Then he vanished in a puff of smoke, and Kisame had only enough time to spin in place with widened eyes as an utterly silent palm strike smashed into his torso; his eyes bugged out as the overwhelming strength of Sage Mode's frog strike slipped right past his hasty chakra reinforcement, ripping through his guts and carrying him onward in an instant.
"I can do that too, asshole!"
Her ribs hurt.
And her lungs.
And her- well, everything, actually.
Karin tried to shake the daze away, but the unyielding pressure of the water that had buried her was making that hard. Her vision blurred, only half-way the work on her dislodged glasses.
She needed to make it to the surface! Ignoring the agony in her torso, she forced her arms into motion, ignoring the icy touch that needled at her right shoulder.
The water was still roiling fiercely; it battered her back and forth, such that she couldn't even be sure which direction was correct.
But she was running out of breath, and the lack of air was rendering her so very dizzy…
For a moment, she simply loitered, almost forgetting why she was trying to swim in the first place. Her arms hurt too much to keep up her strokes, and before she knew it, the buzzing in her head had died down to almost nothing as she started to sink.
Then a firm grip closed around her wrist, yanking her closer; Karin startled awake as her face thumped into a warm body. Then they were soaring up -or was it down- until her head finally breached the surface of the water.
Karin choked out a splash of water as sweet oxygen finally forced itself into her lungs anew. "I- Ack!" She hissed and spit, feeling like a wet cat as she clamored up the torso of the one who had rescued her until she was practically wrapped all the way around them. "I hate this! Get me out! Wa-water bad!
"Yeah, I'm about to blow up the damn ocean, myself!" Naruto's voice soothed her enough to reorient her senses, finally.
He had come for her- gone out of his way to rescue her, even though she was just a liability; she had been so lax that she hadn't even been able to anticipate a threat in time.
But he had come to save her anyway…
Sasuke's hateful stare flashed in her head, and she all but smashed her forehead into his chest, a shuddering breath fighting its way between her lips.
"Er- you alright?"
"Y-yeah," She murmured, trying to steel herself. Her mind cleared that little bit more and her sensory perception snapped back into place, allowing her to really register the sheer vastness of the attack that had dragged them under.
It was eerily similar to when they had fought the Eight Tails Jinchuriki.
"Kakashi-sensei has Sakura-chan; let's get to safety."
"This isn't natural!" Karin tried to warn him. "They're still around!"
"I know, I know." Naruto sighed. "I'm just a clone. My original is drawing him away from you all while we regroup."
"O-oh…"
Kisame came back with a laugh, the deep burgundy scars that Naruto's strike had left in his flesh already crumbling away as he approached. Naruto weaved to the side to avoid the opening strike, then ducked low as Samehada roared forward to bite his head off. Its body snaked outwards, coiling this way and that as it seemingly tried to cross the blonde up; then it lunged again, the serpentine length of its handle twisting in Kisame's grip like a wild dog on a leash.
"Tch!" Naruto lept just in time to avoid being crushed under the beast-like weapon's heavy lunge. Then his foot snapped out to collide carefully with its hide, driving it downward until its maw was jammed into the bark of the tree they fought atop. Samehada whined as it struggled to divest itself of its temporary prison, but just that moment of reprieve was enough for Naruto to once again brace his footing atop bark, rocketing in to hook a brutal uppercut toward Kisame's chest. Blue-skinned arms snapped up in a hasty guard, and the impact drove right through him; bloodied strings of spittle eking from his smiling lips as Kisame skidded back and collapsed to a knee. He choked down a half-breath of his own, then he was moving in again for more!
"You know, Samehada has been excited ever since we got on your trail, and now I know why!" He spit over the size of the thick branch they'd taken to and grinned. "You're strong as shit, boy!"
A far cry from the little orange twerp they'd cornered all those years ago.
"Thanks! I eat my vegetables!" Naruto slid into his guard yet again with terrifying speed, another two blows nearly punching through Kisame's body and driving him back until his spine impacted with the core of the tree. "Think we can maybe skip all of this and just talk it out though?"
"Hahahaha! Hell no! We're just getting started!"
The two clashed again, Naruto weaving swiftly through and around his opposition. Kisame's fist crashed forward but met nothing but air, and even his follow-up elbow slapped harmlessly into the blonde's palm. Without delay, Naruto twisted the extended limb outward, exposing Kisame's ribs and driving a brutal palm into the man's torso; Kisame's face scrunched up in agony, the man's legs growing weak as the surrounding flesh washed a vile purple. Then, Naruto followed up with a backhanded chop that snapped the man's collarbone, just before moving to intercept Kisame's other arm before he could make any attacks with it. With both arms fully restrained now, Kisame was unable to respond to the heel of his enemy's foot; the kick drove into his sternum, nearly curving the blue-skinned man entirely around the lunging limb before rocketing him back.
Kisame's spine impacted the wall of the tree behind him, both arms instinctually rushing to brace his leaking torso.
Well that said it all then, didn't it? In terms of physical ability, Naruto Uzumaki was overwhelmingly stronger than him. Guarding didn't seem to help at all against those blows of his; they tore right through his defenses to deal critical damage. Of the few attacks he had been swift enough to dodge, he'd found himself getting struck anyways!
So this was the 'sage mode' that Zetsu had briefed him on… Ninjutsu was likely to also be ineffective; that guy's hide was like reinforced steel! He'd need to shave him down a bit before he could fight normally. Anything before that would just be wasted energy…
Naruto slowly walked after Kisame, fingers clenched offensively. Eager to protect its master, Samehada finally gave up on simply pulling free, instead biting through the branch Naruto stood atop with a mighty 'chomp'; the boy staggered for just a moment as his footing was lost, and Kisame seized the moment, pushing forward to wrap a crushing grip around the blonde's skull.
"Gotcha!" He howled as he swung Naruto around, crushing his body into the surface beneath him.
"Tch!" Naruto growled, his blindfolded eyes nonetheless chasing after Kisame's movement to catch him reaching for his now-free weapon. "Nope!" His index and middle fingers snapped out, taking aim at the vulnerable limb; chakra built with such intensity that it felt heavy beneath his flesh.
Clench, then exhale.
"Shwooopschwiing!"
Yeah, that sounded kind've stupid, actually. Still-
A shockwave rocketed forth, and- "Fuck!" Kisame cursed as his arm snapped at the elbow, twisted under the force provided until it stood nearly ninety degrees at the wrong angle. He clutched at the coloring, mutilated limb with a snarl.
"Hey it worked!"
"What the hell was that!?" Kisame's whine was cut off as Naruto's foot slammed once more into his chest, crumpling ribs and bowling him over. As the blue-skinned man was sent reeling, Naruto climbed to his own feet, wincing at the shallow breaks in two of his fingers.
"Sorta worked…"
And that had been with sage mode's resilience… He didn't want to know what would have happened if he hadn't had it.
A worry for later, then. He flexed them, and they cracked back into place.
"Ya know, Kakashi-sensei would probably kill me for this, but you really don't strike me as the bad kind of guy," Naruto spoke evenly, standing tall and dusting himself off as he walked after the felled Kisame.
"Yeah?" Kisame snickered, twin streamers of blood dribbling down his nose. "What kind of guy do I look like to you then, huh?"
Naruto frowned. "Just a guy." He stuffed his hands in the pockets of Konan's cloak, at least remembering the sense to stay a cautious distance from his opponent. "Look, I probably shouldn't, but I'll let you go right now if you just turn tail and run, man."
That put a stopper on Kisame's laugh. His beady eyes narrowed, staring at Naruto as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Just like that?"
The blonde shrugged in turn. "Just like that…" Naruto tilted his head after the open space beyond- a clear gesture to the man. "I won't think less of you; whatever your boss has you doing, you know damn well he doesn't care about you." He shrugged. "Dude probably sent you here to die."
"Heh, probably!" Kisame shakily lumbered to his feet again, wrenching the discomfort from his neck with a careless twist. "But that's the life of a ninja, yeah? Your boss sends you to your death, and you say 'sir, yes sir…' It ain't a tool's role to say no or ask questions."
His opponent sneered. "That's a load of crap! I ain't letting anybody send me or my friends to their deaths for their own damn convenience! And you shouldn't either! We're more than just a bunch of sacrifices! H-hell, you don't even know what you're being sacrificed for, do you!?"
Ah, if only… Kisame shrugged. "You seem like a swell kid, but you're damned naive." He thrust his good arm out, and Samehada slung past an unsurprised Naruto, into Kisame's waiting hand. Immediately, his wounds began to mend. "If I don't do it, he'll just make someone else do it. That's the ninja world in a nutshell, bud."
A world where people were treated like a bunch of expendables, huh? Where a whole clan could be slaughtered in a night and covered up like some common tragedy; where a lonely woman couldn't even properly mourn her dead friends before some old bastard came around making power plays, huh?
"Yeah?" A truly severe expression crept onto Naruto's features. Slowly, he pulled at the curious, silk-like cloth he wore over his eyes, tugging it downward until it snapped taut around his neck. The air around them shifted, suddenly so much heavier than it had been just a second ago. "Then I'll change it all. Just. Like. That."
Kisame stared into the twin, rippling pools of light that lay in the boy's eye sockets, and a bead of sweat began to bubble at his temple. "J-Just like that, huh?"
That's the chapter. As we can see, things about to start picking up!
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