"Blah": Talking
"Blah": Demon speaking/Inner Sakura
'Blah': Naruto's thoughts/other people's thoughts
'Blah': Harry talking to Naruto
Alright, guys! I'm back already, but I was able to fart out this latest chapter a lot sooner than I thought, lol! It's not much to me, but I guess I'm so eager to get to the next three chapters after this one, I wound up speeding along the progress… might also have to due to how short this chapter is, this time around :P I got Azeroth44 with me this time ^^
Azeroth44: Yo!
Kvsyaoran: It's about time, right?
AZ44: Yeah, but I couldn't help but notice none of the reviews last chapter featured anyone sharing their Patronus or Ilvermorny House.
K: Yeah, I noticed that too… *beams* I appreciated the reviews though!
AZ44: True, good reviews.
K: Indeed. Maybe the folks following me don't have a Pottermore account yet. Or maybe they just haven't gotten around to it.
AZ44: I know I haven't yet.
K: Wait, what?
AZ44: Yeah, I didn't do it. Ilvermorny or the Patronus.
K: You're joking, why not?!
AZ44: I already got sorted!
K: In your Hogwarts House, yeah, but we're Americans! Aren't you a bit curious to now where you would've been sorted in Ilvermorny?
AZ44: I forgot my password.
K: Awwww, come on!
AZ44: I'll get around to it eventually, just not right now.
K: Very well, it's not a big deal, man. Anyway, we should be getting to this new chapter now, eh?
AZ44: Let's do this! *grabs popcorn and snacks*
K: Might wanna save those for the next three chapters, man. It's a short chapter.
AZ44: Whatever *chugs single liter of soda*
K: Ridiculous, man.
Anyway guys, please enjoy the latest chapter and let me know what you think in the reviews, as always!
Reviews are welcome and wanted!
Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto
Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling
Chapter 17: Tsunade's Choice
Over the next several days, Naruto and his shadow clones trained tirelessly. The clones practiced from dawn to dusk and well into the night, forced to move down the frozen creek to find fresh trees and rocks that weren't already destroyed. An earthy collage of destruction created from the succession of concentrated chakra ran down the river, marks and depressions in the rocks and trees running deeper the further it went. The destruction the genin and his clones caused showed signs of alarming progress. It was far from perfect but miles ahead from where he began at the start of the week. At one point, farther down the river, there was a hole in the face of a rocky cliffside along the creek. The hole was so big and almost perfectly spherical in shape that a small man could use it as a shelter.
While his clones were working on the Rasengan, Naruto and Harry sparred in the mindscape. On the odd days of the week, Harry set up the obstacle courses, each one evermore elaborate and dangerous than the last. On the even days, the two of them trained in the way of the sword. Harry used memories from the Pensieve as reference, using recounts of Naruto's training under Hayate's guidance to continue training him in sword combat. The blonde shinobi did well enough but Harry emphasized the need to improve on his defensive combat. For if Orochimaru were to appear and attack them, it was very likely the Sannin was a master swordsman. The best chance for his survival would be to focus on defending himself with a sword rather than attacking someone who was presumably faster and far more experienced. If he held his own long enough, sooner rather than later, Jiraiya would come to his aid. Neither of them really took Orochimaru's curse into account, choosing to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
During these even day training sessions, Naruto and Harry abandoned their usual garbs or robes, sticking to wearing their trousers and sleeveless undershirts. Using their bare feet to their advantage, the two wizards wielded basic katanas, materialized from their imagination. From that point, the two of them engaged in intense combat for hours on end, taking everything Hayate had ever taught them into every aspect of their training sessions.
Naruto did as well as he could in the short amount of time he had. But Harry knew him well enough to sense his apprehension, especially as the deadline drew closer. It was after one of their last training sessions with the swords, when the weight of the situation really got the best of Naruto. The boy sat down at the end of the dojo training area, catching his breath when Harry approached him. He noticed the way the genin breathed and shivered. The blonde genin remained where he sat for over ten minutes, staring out into space. He didn't explode in rage or shout his head off under the pressure. Instead, Naruto's head became filled with swirling thoughts of doubt, playing over and over again in a constant loop. He imagined fighting Orochimaru, but he was frozen with fear as he envisioned the Sannin breaking through his strongest defenses, no matter what he did or how much he prepared in the time he had left. He feared Orochimaru would break through and slice him without even trying. Naruto shouldn't have been so worried, given his magical abilities and he had survived an encounter with Orochimaru once before. But this wouldn't be like it was in the Forest of Death, Orochimaru would not hold back this time. Naruto figured if the Sannin were going to arrive in person, Orochimaru would either have him captured or killed no matter what.
The never-ending loop of violent mental images were horrific enough to leave Naruto froze where he sat and shook in silence.
Harry didn't have to be inside his head to know Orochimaru's possible involvement with Tsunade was frightening and uncertain to him. Disregarding his advantage in magic, it was made worse given everything that was at stake, including his life. It was all so much, too much for a thirteen-year-old boy, shinobi or not, to deal with. Harry sat down beside his protégé and rested a hand over his shoulder in a half-embrace. It made Naruto flinch at first but it snapped him out of his trance. He seemed to relax, somewhat, but he didn't look up at Harry, opting to stare out into space.
"Listen, I know you're really freaked out, about Orochimaru, the Hokage, and all this other rubbish we had to deal with these past few months," Harry's voice was warm, causing Naruto to look at him, though fear was still quite evident in his face, "But when it gets rough out there, I will be here to guide you through it," he said with more strength in his voice, "This isn't the Chunin Exams; it's not some test where I sit out on all the action and watch you succeed on your own merits. I'm going to be right there with you in the fray," Naruto felt his face begin to soften, imagining Harry fighting valiantly alongside him, "I can't do much, but I will be here, guiding you through everything that happens, an extra set of eyes and ears for you the whole time. I promise, Naruto," it was at this point the blonde genin's worst fears melted away and Harry tightened his grip, "Do you understand?"
Naruto felt himself nodding back and embraced his trusted guardian, burring his face in his chest. Harry returned the favor, pulling him in and smiling warmly as he rubbed his back.
"Thank you, Harry," he heard him whisper, "I needed to hear that."
"You're going to be okay, Naruto," assured Harry as he held the genin tight, "We're going to survive this," Harry eventually stood, Naruto quickly cleaning away his tears as discreetly as he could, "Now let's get back training, yeah?"
The genin sniffled before he looked up at his mentor and asked, "Can we work on hexes next?"
"Absolutely," the wizard smiled as his robes and wand materialized instantly.
Each night, the clones took longer and longer to burst and the experience of each destroyed clone was sent to Naruto and the surviving clones until he received the full weight of his endeavors. Each night, Naruto became increasingly overwhelmed with exhaustion, which helped him get to sleep faster. Luckily though he was back at the hotel and ready for bed before the last clone burst. But on the fifth night of training, the strain from his use of the shadow clone training method caused him to pass out. He couldn't wake up until it was nearly noon the next day, woken by a still-slumbering Jiraiya when he accidentally smacked him in the face as the man sprawled out over his futon like a starfish.
Naruto's hands and arms ached as he forced himself out of bed, trying to catch up on lost time. He glanced over at Jiraiya, snoring loudly with his mouth wide-open and drooling, when the blonde genin stumbled and nearly fell over. Naruto caught himself just in time when Harry forcibly pulled him into the mindscape. Once there, Naruto felt himself fall into an armchair and saw Harry standing over him, looking worried and concerned.
"This doesn't look too good," he commented, shaking his head lightly.
The aches from his training were reduced significantly in the mindscape, as Naruto nodded, "It doesn't feel good either," then he admitted, "I don't know if I can keep doing this, Nii-san."
"It's probably for the best," he agreed, thankful that the rookie wasn't too stubborn to continue the new training method, "You can still practice the Rasengan without the use of shadow clones. It doesn't seem like most people are even able to utilize shadow clone training like you can. You have a lot more chakra than most people but even you have limitations. I think, given time and more training, you could pull off this training method for weeks on end, maybe even months… but not with your capabilities now. I know we're short on time but, given the progress you've made so far, I still think you should go back to training without the shadows clones. Just to be safe."
Naruto did not like the idea, he felt he had what it took and wanted to protest. But he took a few minutes to think it over, figuring it wouldn't help the Sandaime if he ended up dead or too exhausted to win the bet, assuming Tsunade would even keep her word. It was a frustrating compromise but Naruto agreed, promising to take it easier on his training.
Even without the use of shadow clones at his disposal, Naruto had made remarkable progress, as evidenced along the frozen creek that ran for miles. When he returned to the real world, Naruto fished inside his rucksack for Wiggenweld Potion. After finishing half a bottle in two gulps, he felt the strain wane from his body, becoming filled with energy. As soon as he was bundled and ready to go, it didn't take Naruto long to get back on track with his training. The days seemed shorter in winter, though the shortness of the daytime hours this time around was probably due to his late start. But unlike the venture with his shadow clones, Naruto stayed long after sunset, training well into the night, not even considering returning to the hotel. It was the sixth and final night before the deadline and he had to make it count, no matter how cold or how late it was.
Naruto thought back to Jiraiya's earlier instructions, running it through his head over and over until he muttered the instructions under his breath, almost like a chant.
"Maximize chakra rotation… Maximize power… Form extra layer… Visualize compression… Contain it!"
The only source of light Naruto had at his disposal was from his own chakra as it shined brightest when he formed the concentrated sphere of chakra in his hands. He could have used his wand or summoned a shadow clone to aid him with a Wand-Lighting Spell, but he couldn't afford to waste any chakra or magic at this point. His eyes would adjust to the dark soon enough, he figured. Sweat ran down his face, dirt kissing his cheeks, the pressure of his chakra blew in his face like a powerful, biting wind, as the palm of his right hand burned. His healing abilities kicked in to restore his damaged skin, so he kept going. Chakra gathered in his hand over and over again, concentration at its peak, he roared as he stormed towards the cliffside and a sonic boom echoed through the night.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Back in Tanzaku, Tsunade was perched outside her hotel room on the balcony. She looked out towards the direction of the creek and could just barely pick up the faint, distant sounds of Naruto training alone. Her face was a like an emotionless mask as she drank from a nearly empty bottle of sake, barely enough to get her drunk. After she suckled down what little liquor she had left, she tossed it aside, turned her head in the direction of the ruined castle, and then sighed.
"Tomorrow then," muttered under her breath.
"I wonder what's going on in her head," Kabuto Yakushi thought out loud.
Somewhere deep in the darkest dungeons of Orochimaru's secret headquarters, the Konoha traitor paced around Orochimaru's main study. The Sannin himself was seated on what appeared to be a throne carved out of stone, watching his loyal servant. Orochimaru resorted to utilizing Kabuto and others to do his bidding on a greater scale than usual, lest he risk making another unlucky mistake with delicate interments or dangerous chemicals.
While he was at work for his master, Kabuto shared his thoughts with the Sannin, "If Tsunade acquiesces to our terms, then there's a chance we undo whatever's causing you infliction," the loyal servant was careful not to use 'we' too often as he continued, "You can resume your destruction of Konohagakure, Orochimaru-sama, and she will have her beloved boyfriend and brother back… but what if she were to decline?"
"I'm not worried," the Sannin smiled in the dim candle light, "If there's even the slightest chance she can fix me, I'll force her to do it if I have to."
Kabuto, however impressed he was at his master's sinister assurance, still had his doubts and asked, "Do you really think it will go down so easily?"
"I've got you," the pale Sannin smirked, to which Kabuto leered back rather darkly, appreciating the confidence.
Orochimaru scoffed at his servant's earlier doubt, "Like I said, I'm not worried… I know Tsunade better than she knows herself. I also know her greatest weakness. Make no mistake, Kabuto, when the chips are down she will agree to our terms. You can count on it."
Kabuto smirked, already feeling as victorious as his master. But even when it seemed there was no chance in their plan failing, his thoughts turned back to the incident with the tea and the multiple chemical accidents that followed and led to Kabuto doing his work for him. The bespectacled young man pushed his glasses close to his nose, the candle light reflecting in his lenses while he thought.
"I don't mean to insult you or question your insight on Tsunade in the slightest, Orochimaru-sama," he voiced carefully, "But would it be best for your safety that we bring reinforcements with us on our next excursion to Tanzaku? In case the negotiations do not go as planned? In case they were to be interrupted?"
Orochimaru would have been insulted at the mere suggestion. But seeing as Kabuto had become his trusted hands, he took his suggestion to whatever black, empty space his heart would have been. Though he would not risk bringing the handful of his best soldiers. He had another, more important mission planned for them later.
"Very well, a few expendable soldiers will serves well enough," he answered, "Oversee preparations."
Elsewhere back in Tanzaku Jiraiya was just emerging from another host club with his face blushed and looking deeply satisfied. One of the attractive club members saw the Sannin leaving and bid him a generous farewell.
She smiled as she beckoned, "Come back soon, sexy!"
"Oh? How about right now?!" Jiraiya teased back as he shook his hips from side-to-side, a sight that would have made his apprentice gag with disgust, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! You take care now, gorgeous," he waved and then turned back around to leave.
Jiraiya trotted down the street, humming to himself as he continued to blush over his evening. But his lecherous thoughts and recent shenanigans came to an abrupt halt as his mind turned back to Tsunade. After their previous two conversations at the bar, it made Jiraiya feel very uneasy about what it was that Orochimaru offered her.
'I better have another talk with Tsunade,' he thought as he made his way back to the hotel.
Back in the hotel, Tsunade returned to the room but didn't bother to turn on the lights or change her clothes. She slouched on her mattress and held the crystal of her necklace, opting to stare at it until it made her eyes burn. She could have stared at that lifeless crystal for hours until she heard a knock on the door.
The retired kunoichi wasn't even surprised to see Jiraiya when she answered the door and asked with a bitter tone, "What is it now?"
"The night is young," the tall man boasted before he leaned in and made a drinking gesture with his hand as he smiled, "You wanna quench your thirst?!"
Tsunade's expression was as dull and resentful as ever, but she couldn't turn down a drink when she had nothing in the room to favor, "How can I say no?"
The two former teammates returned to the same bar as before, seated in the exact same seats no less. The two of them ordered the same drinks as usual, something the bartender was thankful for as it made his night easier. The two Sannin drank in silence for some time, though like before, it was Jiraiya that broke the silence first, trying to get another conversation going.
"So tomorrow's the promised day, huh?" he decided to drink in the more traditional manner, using the small sake cups to pace himself better than he normally did, "I wonder how Naruto's been doing, though; he hasn't let me see his progress."
Tsunade still must have been sour at her former teammate after their previous conversation when she replied, "Beats me, he's not my responsibility."
"I think I'll have something to eat," Jiraiya ignored Tsunade's comment and thundered, "Bring me the special!"
The kunoichi replied again, "You sure you need the caloric intake?"
"There's that confidence boost I needed," Jiraiya's enthusiasm deflated slightly as he stared flatly at his former partner and said, "Thanks, Tsunade."
Jiraiya helped himself to more sake to help him forget Tsunade's mean comments. But as he steadily got more and more drunk, Tsunade made a quick sideway glance at him every now and again. Jiraiya's cheeks turn rosier and he started closing his eyes as he drank, on account of his eyelids growing heavier. Jiraiya mumbled about something involving his hips, taking another drink after murmuring about the host club he visited earlier that evening. Tsunade's eyes widened for a split second when Jiraiya took another sip from his miniscule cup. Then, very fast and sly as a fox, she slipped something clear and sugar-like from a folded piece of paper into his bottle of sake. Jiraiya remained oblivious as he reached for the bottle again soon after. Tsunade watched him carefully as he filled his cup, practically overflowing it. She watched in silent anticipation as the Sannin raised the cup to his lips, about to swig it back, when-
"Here we are," the bartender presented the house special, a serving of hot daikon radishes.
Jiraiya beamed, forgetting his drink to salivate over his dish, "Ooooh! That looks delicious!"
The anticipated look in Tsunade's eyes faded in that instant. Jiraiya was about to dig into his food, when he shrugged and raised his cup again. Tsunade watched again as Jiraiya drank slowly, taking his time to let the alcohol flow down into his stomach before he let out a long, satisfied sigh.
Back outside of town, later that night, Naruto panted as he let his arms fall limp at his sides. The fresh depressions in the rocks and trees were smoking from his most recent efforts in the Rasengan training, nearly setting one of the ruined trees on fire. The genin continued to breathe heavily as he barely had enough energy to move his arms. He decided, after his latest result of his training, he earned himself a break. Only problem for him was walking in a straight line towards the nearest seat of smooth rock for him to perch on.
"I need… a minute… to catch… my breath," he breathed before he slouched down against the remains of the closest dead tree he could see.
Naruto stared out ahead of him as he slid down the face of the lifeless trunk. He sighed as he examined the extent of the damage he caused all along the creek. He couldn't help but crack a smile while watching his breath dance in the freezing air. The carvings in the walls, the damaged remains of the dead trees, and the frozen waters of the cheek itself all faded into the background as his breath ran through the air. Naruto would have continued training for another hour or two, but the genin lost consciousness mere moments later. Looking back, he didn't know when at what point he stopped staring at his breath in the wind and fell into dreams filled with mist and falling rocks. Regardless, if he didn't have Harry fighting to keep him warm and wake him up, he would have froze to death. Luckily for him, though, Shizune noticed the genin had not returned to his hotel room and out of concern she looking for him. When she came across the creek (alarmed at the mosaic carvings along the rocks and trees) she found him and almost screamed before she ran towards him, half-buried in the snow at the foot of a tree.
"NARUTO!" she screeched before she carried the genin in her arms, "What on earth happened?!"
Shizune took Naruto to her and Tsunade's hotel room for treatment. Tonton, the little pet piglet was settled in the room and instantly took an interest in Naruto after he was rested on Tsunade's bed. The strangely dressed swine hopped on the bed like a curious puppy and began to sniff rather noisily into Naruto's freezing ear. Until Tsunade returned to the room, alone, Shizune did well to put her medical training to good use as she watched over the blue-lipped genin. After Tsunade took over, it took her mere seconds to restore the color to Naruto's face in a single motion with a hue of green light from her hand.
"How is he doing?" she asked.
Tsunade didn't spare Shizune a glance as she said, "He's collapsed from exhaustion… and his right hand is burned from concentrated chakra… I'm surprised he didn't succumb to hyperthermia. Then again, I suppose the Kyuubi within him isn't eager to let its host die in the cold."
Shizune watched as Tsunade lifted his burned hand and examined it. She almost started to shake before she let go and took a step back.
"He's out of it. At this rate he won't wake up until the day after tomorrow," she added without much concern hinted in her voice, "Guess Jiraiya was right about me… to think I'd sink so low, I bet against a kid," Shizune looked up at her mentor, hope rising as she detected some remorse in Tsunade's words, but then hope sank as the Sannin brushed it off, "It's his problem, not mine."
Shizune let her head sink, shrouding her face with her dark hair, "Please don't tell me you're still going tomorrow."
Tsunade didn't answer her. She didn't even spare her a single glance in her direction. Shizune felt completely betrayed in that instant. Remembering what Naruto had said to her earlier in the week, she felt a rage building up inside her, suddenly she found the courage she had been lacking and snapped at the Sannin.
"CUT THE BULLSHIT ALREADY! STOP SHUTTING ME OUT!" she shouted, and the retired kunoichi still didn't flinch, "ANSWER ME! IF YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT GOING, I SWEAR I'LL-"
"You'll do what?" the Sannin challenged her apprentice in a calm, almost tauntingly carefree voice, inviting her to dare.
Shizune couldn't recall ever being so scared in her life until Tsunade uttered those three words. She was a kunoichi herself, she faced countless endeavors and her life had been on the line for as long as she could remember. Shizune had loads of close calls and nearly lost her life on several occasions. But nothing, none of those past experiences even compared to this moment in the hotel room.
She was in no position of strength or skill to threaten the kunoichi she admired, one of the legendary Sannin. But after what she'd been through and Naruto's encouraging words, it didn't matter to her. After her moment of reflection, she refused to back down and let her master make the worst possible decision in her life.
"I'll stop you," she dared as she stood her ground, "Even if it kills me, I will not let you go!"
"Shizune," Tsunade turned sharply and glared at the kunoichi with a look she never thought her mentor would ever shoot at her, "Have you forgotten who you're talking to?!"
The dark-haired kunoichi almost flinched in terror but she squashed her fear and ground her teeth hard as she made a daring step forward, "Not… in the slightest-"
A loud thud cut Shizune short and in the very next second she collapsed on the floor, unconscious, while Tsunade gracefully walked past and made her exit. She left without another word, her apprentice left abandoned on the floor of their hotel room. Tonton looked on sadly as she was left alone with the unconscious pair.
Tsunade, it seemed, had made her choice.
To Be Continued…
There we have it! The last chapter before the three-part climatic battle! For those of you that have been disappointed at Naruto's lack of use of intense magic in previous battles, be prepared for some powerful spell work when we get to part two ^^ No matter what, I'll do my best to make it an entertaining fight! Until next time, my wonderful readers and friends!